Our Life, Documented

1 Samuel 12 (Blue Letter Bible: NIV - New International Version)

2010-03-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

1 Samuel 12 :20-25

"Do not be afraid,' Samuel replied. 'You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.

Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.
For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.

As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.
But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.'"

Whats a person to do?

2010-02-27T07:57:00.000-08:00

Get healthy and sanctified right in the middle of all of it and pray for the body of Christ to get educated and do likewise! We are not going to find a guaranteed safe place in which to hide. We are going to have to fund safety in Christ, hiding ourselves in Him, no matter what kind of place surrounds us. Anywhere He sends us, He is prepared to protect us. We just have to keep ourselves in Him through sanctification.~~Beth Moore (When Godly People Do Ungodly Things)

Lead by Example

2010-02-07T22:53:00.001-08:00

Oh how she adores you Jenna!! I LOVE this pic of you two. She looks up to you in so many ways. I am so honored to have you be the one she aspires to be like. You are an AMAZING young lady!!!
Thank you for loving her!!

Another one for the Kingdom!!!

2010-02-05T06:06:00.000-08:00

So the kids have begun going to this club after school. It is titled The Good News Club. Here they learn Bible stories, memorize verses, and play games. I stopped in yesterday to be a fly on the wall. I wasn't very successful in doing this because I had my 4 yr old with me and our tote of Girl scout cookies following behind.
Anyhow, they did a quasi alter call for the kids and my son stands up and says he prayed the prayer. Then follows the woman back to get a "new believers" guide and goes back to sit down.
Now we have been going to church every Sunday and everything that goes with that for gosh, 8 yrs now. We are hardly "new believers." I figured he just wanted the little book and whatever else was being dolled out.I knew I was going to chat with him later about getting the "handouts."

So while I was preparing dinner I found an opportunity to discuss that goings on during their meeting after school. I asked him if he knew what that meant to surrender his life the Jesus.
His response.."I want to follow Jesus and live according to His rules mom, just like you and dad."
I was jumping up and down, literally. I told him we must celebrate!!!!!
Hours passed us by and bed time approached. He asked if he could sleep in bed with me because my husband wasn't home. I said sure. While laying in bed he requested to be woken up at 6am to read the Bible with me. He sees me up every morning doing this and wants to join me!!!!
I feel so honored and privileged that I GET to lead and guide my son in His ways!!!

I will be buying some kind of devotional or study to do with him. I cant even stand to wait another moment!! His heart is for the Lord, at 9. He wants to study His word and grow in his knowledge of the Most High.......the angels are rejoicing!!!!!!!

With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of Salvation. Isaiah 12:3

2010-01-20T18:20:00.001-08:00

Its easy to lead when you are STRONG.
True leadership comes when you are WEAK.

2010-01-19T21:14:00.001-08:00

Tonight I go to bed with a smile on my face.
It has been awhile since I have done that.
Sweet dreams I ask for.
Simplicity is always nice.
A new day will come.
Baby Steps.
Life, right now, at this moment, is GOOD!

Haiti

2010-01-14T10:55:00.001-08:00

Praying for the Haitians!!!

Feeling the buzzzzzz..........

2010-01-12T16:48:00.000-08:00

I am new to girlscouts but I can feel the excitement approaching......

Its just about time for my troop to begin their very first Cookie sales season!!

My troop is very excited and can barely contain themselves!!

Girlscouts is turning out to be a ton of fun!!

Conversation with God

2009-12-31T06:12:00.000-08:00

Me: God, this is impossible!!

God: Honey, thats when I do some of my best work!

2009-12-29T06:15:00.000-08:00

Loving people through their "stuff" is really hard. Being loved in our "stuff" is really hard.

Tough love.

Actually caring about someone and not liking them at the same time can cause a great pull.

Division.

Tug-of-war.

The greatest commandment is for us to love God with all our strength, mind, body and soul.(paraphrasing)
The next one is to love our neighbor as ourselves. It doesn't say we have to like them. Lord, show us how to love when we dont even like sometimes.

We must love them.
We must step in the gap and interceede. Pray.

I think it can become easy to sit in our own feelings and fester. Let our emotions become a cauldron bubbling over.
Isn't it true that we are all sinners?
Doesn't the Bible say that no sin is greater then the next?
Let he who has no sin cast the first stone? I mean, didn't they all walk away from the prostitute when Jesus said that??
So if this is the case, why is it that some sin carries more weight then others?? Some sin causes much more pain and grief.
Lord, help us to see through your eyes. You bore ALL sin on the cross, simultaneously, so we could be washed clean by Your blood.
We are in need of Your balm. Salve. Healing.
Lord it is so apparent that we need YOU!!
Not some of the time.
ALL OF THE TIME!!

2009-12-24T07:46:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Feeling the pull

2009-12-23T06:28:00.000-08:00

I have been feeling the pull a lot lately to return to Zambia. The Orphan village has been completely funded by Jesus!! We needed only $30k more to complete it and it was given by a pastor who felt led by the Lord.

AWESOME!!!

One of the leaders of Breath of Heaven is currently there and has been posting pics on Facebook. I am missing the children and feel the call to return with the whole family.
I am praying that Gods timing be revealed
and the funds to be released....

Rain = dirt

2009-12-22T06:13:00.000-08:00

I am beginning to think that my efforts are futile. Trying to maintain clean floors when I have a dog, cat, 3 children, and a husband who works in dirt.

Then to compound it with rainy days...

UGH.....why do I bother

2009-12-15T07:13:00.000-08:00

Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest.
Prov. 16:8

Shhhh....

2009-12-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

I am hiding from my sister mom, dont tell her where I am....

From the mouth of Babes

2009-12-10T10:39:00.000-08:00

So my daughter wakes up before the sun did this morning. I was already up making coffee for my dear husband. As she is wiping the sleep from her eyes she says to me,"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good mamma."
At 6 yrs old, she wakes with praises on her tongue!!

Truth

2009-12-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

A wise woman builds her home,
but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
Proverbs 14:1

Pride leads to conflict;
those who take advice are wise.
Proverbs 13:10

A gntle answer deflects anger,
but harsh words make tempers flare.
Proverbs 15:1

2009-12-05T08:10:00.000-08:00

Mercy-compassionate treatment of those in distress

Grace-a virtue coming from God

Friend-one attached to another by affection or esteem

Forgiveness-allowing room for error or weakness

I think what I am feeling is great disappointment. In all of this,I think that is the most accurate emotion.

We cannot put neither man nor woman on a pedestal. There isn't anyone who is to be looked on as greater or better then anyone else. There are people, however, that are held to a higher accountability. People who have the know how to stop the sin or get the help needed to stop the sin as it encroaches. So it is there that my disappointment lies. The Bible warns us that sin is knocking at our doorstep waiting for the door to open. We have to be ever so careful to not even crack the door.

Sin makes you stupid though. It fogs up your goggles and turns your brain into mush. And its just like the Devil to make whatever it is that's going on feel good.

The Lord says that one sin is no greater then the other but some sins cause greater damage then others.

I suppose that God says that because all sin separates us from Him. We do have a friend in Jesus. When we screw up and hurt people, He will forgive us and restore us. It is Him who we can count on.

When all is lost, we can look to the sky and find this to be comforting...God smiling down on us with utter compassion, grace, and mercy. He is our friend.

A Must....

2009-11-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

Grace and Mercy is a must in our walk with the Lord. Forgiveness is for us and not the party who has offended. When we hold onto the anger and bitterness it harms us, not them.
I am still very hurt and ALL trust has been broken. I am praying because that is what we are called to do and the only thing I know how to do in a time of crisis.
I am confident that what the enemy steels can be redeemed for Gods glory. Restoration for EVERYONE, all families, is Gods heart.
When we yield our heart to the Father it can be repaired. I am confident that with a willing heart, all things are possible.
Lord I pray that Your Grace and Mercy rain down Jesus. I ask that humility be ever present and that a yielding attitude will prevail. Jesus, anywhere where the enemy has a foothold, we break that in your name!! Damage has been done and I pray that no more will be done. Protect little ears from the destructive ways and give them strength. I pray that their trust would be restored. I pray that they would know that they can always trust in you!!

The Wedge

2009-11-15T21:13:00.000-08:00

It seems as though Satan can drive his wedge into the strongest of rocks. This is because Rocks are imperfect and full of stress points that can fracture at any time. Jesus is our only perfect rock. It is on Him that we are standing now and forever!
I am sickened and sad at recent circumstances. I have run the gamut of emotions. I don't even really know if I have processed even 10% of whats happened.
I am trying to be careful with my words because I am praying for everyone involved. I have been greatly disappointed. To say I didnt see it would be a lie. To be right about it makes me sick! (btw, this post doesnt refer to me or my husband) . The Bible tells us that we will know a man by his fruits. Right now all I see is ugly and evil.
My God is Mighty though. He is bigger and stronger then any circumstance! We can rise above this, everyone involved. When we come Face to Face with God and exchange our truth for His is when the work begins. Draw them in Lord.
There is hope if you have faith. So, Lord, I pray now that you would just intervene. Invade them and bring Your light. Bring your Mercy and Healing Powers. Let your Spirit rain down now and wash clean what has been made so dirty.
We can be redeemed and restored and made even better!! Praise God for His compassion and grace. Help us to have your eyes Lord. Protect us from the Evil one. We pray for Humility.

Recent update....

2009-11-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

So there havent been any new stories to report on from the Public School arena, PTL.
I have signed up to lead my 6yr olds Girl Scout troop.

Started diligently stepping in the gap for my husband with prayer. LOVE IT. God is truly moving. When you set aside the tme to be face to face with the Lord, He will move in your life.

I have been working out and eating clean for the past 6 weeks on Friday. I have lost 6lbs and 10 inches. The Lord has really been speaking to me on discipline.

I have had to get the most important things in order...My prayer life and my health, which includes eating right and excersising.

I love what God is doing.
I will post again when I have more time!!

To Be or Not To Be....

2009-10-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

Do I encourage my son to be friends with a boy at school who was sent to the principals office for choking another boy or do I advise him to steer clear??
I think most parents would be justified in telling their child that this boy will only create trouble for their son. To stay away from him would be understandable, right?
Wrong...

I told my son that this boy probably needs a good friend. Something is probably really wrong in his life right now that is causing him to act this way. I told my son that this would be a different kind of friendship then he was used to. He would have to be a strong friend to this boy. This boy will most likely want you to do things that will cause you to get into trouble. You must try to help him find the right path.
Being grounded in Christ, he understood. I told him that we are called to love our neighbors and have compassion on them like Jesus did for us. That God puts people in our circle of influence so we can shower them and share with them the GoodNews. So I explained that this was an opportunity for him to love on this boy. We need to treat people the way we want to be treated, right....He said yes mom, I have copied that verse soooo many times...lol
I would have him copy this verse when he wasn't being very nice to others....
Anyhow, I hope and pray that he can be the light that he is called to be in this place....pls keep him in prayer....
Thanks!!

What's in a Name??

2009-09-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

Short and sweet, the public school offers much needed laughter..
My eldest son comes home from school yesterday and says,"Mom, there is a girl in my class that thinks I am cute."
Mom: Oh she does huh(seems to be my catch phrase when I am caught off guard..lol) So what's her name..
Son: Oh her name is Jezebel.................Trying to keep a straight face I simply said, "Oh Wow. Interesting name" Here is what I wanted to say" Are you freaking serious?? Who names their beloved child Jezebel??"
So of course he followed by asking me if her name means anything. As much as I wanted to have this conversation with him, I refrained...nxt time. I didn't want this info to somehow get back to her and have her think poorly of herself because her parents weren't smart enough to name her something other then Jezebel...why not name her Prostitute. Or naming your son Lucifer....Oh my goodness.

All by Himself!!!!!

2009-09-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

Let it be written....my son pulled out his very first tooth at 8 1/2 yrs old......lol. If you aren't familiar with the tooth saga then you must look at the label "Tooth Tales" in my other posts to get caught up.
So last night he came to me and told me it was loose and he wanted me to use dental floss to pull it out. To be honest I was tired and didn't want to deal with his "oh it hurts" drama. I told him we would look at it again in the morning.
See I already knew it was loose, I already had an appt made to have it pulled. This tooth fit the pattern of the adult tooth coming in behind before he lost the baby one. So he knew, once again, if he or dad didn't pull it, the dentist was going to. His appt was for tomorrow.
So this morning I had to try my best, because dad was sleeping, to pull it out. My son was insistent on using the dental floss so I honored his request and did my best. A couple yanks, a couple slips, some blood, and we were out of time. I told him to mess with it at school and it would probably come out.
So he looked one last time in the mirror pushing and pulling and then.....it spun 180 degrees....it was hilarious. Um mom.......now what do I do(arms flailing at his side)...I tried to swallow my laugh and say..YANK IT!!!!
I had to walk out....then out of the corner of my eye, I see this flash run by! I did it mom , I did it.....LOOK!!!
Success!! He yanked his own tooth out finally. funny thing is he doesn't look funny. Ya know why....his adult tooth is already in...no silly pics...
Now for the bum news... He went to brush his teeth and went to pick up his tooth, while brushing, and dropped it down the tooth down the drain. Poor guy. I felt so bad.
He now has a great story to take with him to school. So maybe today they will talk about loosing teeth instead of how to get a girlfriend..lol

So it begins....

2009-09-01T20:01:00.001-07:00

The kids have officially started their first year of public school. Today records the completion of day 2. Drop-off and pick-up has gone well, as expected. Filling out ALL of the paperwork last night, also went as expected.
What wasn't expected was the conversation that my 8 yr old son recounted to me in the car right after pick up today. Here is how it played out....
Son: Hey Mom, you see that boy over there? He is my new friend. His name is $#@!( keeping the youth protected)
Mom: Oh yes..Well great. You made a friend and you remembered his name, even better.
Son: Well today he was teaching me "How to get a Girlfriend." (At that I took another GOOD look at this boy who was full of information and thought he had lessons to teach. I wanted to make sure I could pick him out of the line-up, so to speak. Yep, can see him now.
Mom: ::looking up at my son in the review mirror I spoke to my son:: Really?? He did, huh. .....that was all I could collectively speak. I was ambushed with this conversation that took place on the playground. I figured something like this was bound to happen. I just wasn't expecting it the 2nd day of school.

Then my son decides to finish retelling the lesson this "boy" had taught him. Good cause I needed to hear how this whole thing played out...

Son: He says you tell them you don't like them and hit them and then chase them. Then you ask them out and they say "Yes" and then they kiss you. He says he has had like 5 girlfriends already mom.
Mom: Oh really. He has huh.

Ok so here I am with this "lesson" that was learned on the playground, no more then 2 days into our public school career. I didn't want to make a big deal about it so I simply said
Mom: Well what did you say to him??
Son: I told him he was crazy and we were too young to have girlfriends.

Praise God!!!!
When faced with a topic like this he took the high road. I don't know if he really understands that yet though. I talked with him again tonight before he went to bed and explained again when it was appropriate to date girls and kiss them............NEVER!!!! lol...ok I didnt say never but I definitely said when you are much older...He says, "Like when I am an adult mom?" I plainly said "Yep!!" I told him how proud of him I was and that God was proud too! It was great too because when he came home and shared this very story with one of his closest friends, his friend(IC) affirmed what my son had said to be right. YAY for friends who have the same set of values.

After just doing a 10 wk or so study on the book of Esther I am believing that "for such a time as this" my kids have been placed in public school. I pray Lord that you would use my children to further advance your Kingdom. Let them be the light in the darkness of the world. I pray they would be able to encourage their friends and be set apart.
My Pretty Princess has to bring in a "Bag it Report" and share with the class some things about herself. The first thing she thought to put in the bag was a cross she just purchased, with her own money, to support out upcoming women's retreat. She said I am going to show them all my cross and tell them how much I love Jesus. ::SIGH:: Child like faith!!!! I pray that it would be received!! She is strong in her faith even though she is only 6.
She did already befriend a girl in her class who was severely punished today because she through a fit and not only wrote on the wall but tried to break the window. We had the chance to pray for her tonight and had a good talk about it. She is anticipating seeing her friend tomorrow and trying to love her despite what today brought!

Lions and tigers and bears....

2009-08-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

So while is Zambia we were able to go to a beautiful resort called Protea Lodge. We were able to dine and also visit the LIONS!!!!

So my dear husband just wanted to get inside the cage and cuddle. She had her nose pressed up against the fence. You could hear the rumble of the lioness purring. The game keeper gave a mild warning that the claws COULD come through the fence but wasnt too worried.

Keep in mind, these aren't like the Lions you see at the zoo. These are VERY wild simply separated by a chain link fence. Really?? You think a chain link fence will hold 'em huh....crazy. They have no human contact other then when people walk by or when they are fed. No vet, no one cleaning out the "cage."

Our guide was so awesome. The lions only get fed every other day. They eat 10 chickens each. We happened to be there on the off day....bummer. He was nice enough to go and grab 3 chickens and throw them over the fence. The Lions looked pretty funny with the feathers coming out of their mouths. It could've been straight out of a cartoon. We really wanted to hear the male ROAR so our guide threw 2 chickens by the male. The male ate his and when one of the lioness' came to get the other....you could just feel the deep baritone roar inside. He didn't even get loud but it was enough for us to imagine what it sounds like in full force. The female submitted and she went and layed down, chickenless. He proceeded to eat his and then hers...lol .......It even transfers in to the animal kingdom..lol

An interesting fact we learned is that once a male lion is castrated, he loses his mane. Apparently all the testosterone is lost and so then, his mane disappears. Poor guy, not only does he lose his "STUFF" but he goes bald....that's funny and sad at the same time.

Change...

2009-08-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

The winds are changing in our neck of the woods. It has been a bit of a cool breeze,pleasant in nature. It has allowed much needed flexibility and freedom. We have been in a position of choice.
We also have been feeling the pinch of the economy. I have been a stay at home mom for the last 7 1/2 yrs. My husband didn't work for about 7 months and upon returning, he took a large pay cut. Aside from the pay cut, we were just happy that he was back to work, PRAISE GOD!! We have been in prayer for the last few weeks and trusting that God would lead us in the right direction. The right direction being any that He would have us be in.
After fasting and much prayer we feel that we are entering into a season of change. We feel the Lord is leading me into full time employment. This of course means that I will no longer be able to homeschool our children. ::sigh:: I was a bit thrown to say the least. See, I feel its our responsibility to raise up our children and teach them biblical truths and make sure they are properly educated.
I feel like the Lord has been preparing me for this for the last few months, without my knowing of course....Because had I known the direction, I would've tried to change Gods plan, as if mine would be any better. Isn't that what we do, figure out a "Better" way. A few weeks ago I came to the realization that our kids don't belong to us. See, they are simply a gift from God, given to us on a temporary basis. They truly belong to Him on loan to us. Because of this I had to release them to Him. Man, talk about shedding some tears... That was probably one of the hardest things I have EVER done. To declare that they aren't mine but His and trust that He has their best interest at heart. It's a good thing the Lord catches our tears.
See it doesn't matter where the kids are, its more about who the kids' parents are. He picked us to be their parents. They can still learn the Biblical truths and go to public school. As difficult as it will be , for me, I know God has them all under His wing.
The world is the world and it is fallen. We cant escape that. It's my goal now, as it was before, to make sure that they are grounded in Creationism and the Truth!!
Pls pray for us as we seek out the right school and the right job for me.
Thanks in advance!!! And praise God...I know He has bigger plans that are just not yet revealed...remember, if we knew what it was we would probably try to come up with something better...lol
We are praying for His peace that passes all understanding!!!

Preach it!!

2009-07-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

Here stands my husband, preaching in the church of Kalingalinga , walking his calling!! When he was done preaching he asked me, "How did I do?" I simply said, "This is what you are called to. You are a natural. I have been praying for this for the last 6 years. Praise God for being sooo faithful and knowing that His timing is ALWAYS perfect." I was so proud of him.

The man standing next to Leon is Pastor Lazorous. This is his church and he is translating. He is one of the nicest people we met there in Zambia. You can see how the Holy Spirit just rests on him.

Please pray for him and his wife. They are newly married and while we were there we he told us that his wife was ill with malaria. Pls keep this man of God lifted up. Pray his wife would be healed completely by the Lord and be able to give Him all the glory!!

These are some of the children that were playing outside of the church. This church was precious. At the end of service we walked out and stood by the entrance way to greet everyone as they left. I thought it was just because we were guests but come to find out, this is what they do every Sunday. They begin to worship and as each one greets the pastor, they join the line. The continue to worship until everyone is out of the church. Everyone is greeted. I love this because sometimes in America, our church can get so big that there can be Sundays where nobody knows who you are or if you even attended.

We thank Pastor Lazarous again for allowing us to bring the teaching of Truth to his church!!

A day at the waterpark in Zambia...yes in Zambia!!!

2009-07-19T23:01:00.001-07:00

Most of this post will be pics displaying large portions of fun that the children had. We were blessed to take them to a water park for the day and just ENJOY them. I know the kids had sooo much fun but I think Leon had a ton of fun too....just watch this video and you will see.

There were a lot of the littler kids that were afraid to go down the slide. The only way they would do it is if Leon went with them. True to who he is, he jumped right into the FRIGID water. This water was sooo cold that I didn't even want to play in the kiddie pool....

This video is of Lister and Leon going down the slide.

Katongo...

These were all the girls who wanted to go down but were scared..lol

This is Collins in the kiddie pool.

The kids were also able to enjoy an inside area that was like Chuck E. Cheese

I miss them already!!

2009-07-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

So I just arrived home today and I think I have been awakee for about 48 hrs...or something like it....not sure...lol

I miss my children in Africa already!! It was sooo goood to grab hold of mine though, I tell you what!!

Other people that I am missing....Esnot and Hilda

Bishop Peter and Ted Lawler!! If God nad never given Ted the vision and Bishop Peter the heart to support Ted, Breath of Heaven wouldn't exist.

Seems as though it wasnt in Gods plan for us.

2009-07-15T06:32:00.000-07:00

So as we prepared to leave for Livingstone, our driver Copa(Copper), came and informed us that it was going to cost us an additional $300 for our trip for gas. So we decided to stay hm and not go. For some reason God doesn't want us there and that's ok with me. I don't want to be anywhere the Lord wouldn't have us be. We wouldn't have had enough money for the rest of our trip if we went. Its a bummer but there is always next time.
I see this as a huge blessing in disguise though. We are going to spend the whole day Friday at Bishops Peters house. In the afternoon we are going to have a private teaching in marriage from Bishop and then have dinner with he and Hilda, his dark chocolate. We will be leaving on Saturday to arrive home on Sunday at 1pm in the LAX terminal.
Pls pray for our safe arrival home. love and miss you all!!!! :0)

Off to Livingstone

2009-07-13T01:52:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we will be going down to Livingstone to see Victoria Falls. I am excited to see what the pictures couldn't really convey from last years trip. We don't have to take a bus this time. We are blessed to be driving in a regular car. We are hoping that it will only be about a 6 hr drive.
Today we will spend our time organizing all the donations that have come in for the Village. We found out that almost half of the kids wont be able to move into the Village. Zambia is really being strict on age limitations rather then grade level completed in school. We are praying that the other children will continue to be supported in a "foster care" type situation. Even these type of environments are horrible to say the least. A possibility is to maybe put them to work at the Village. Ted and Judy are still unsure what it will look like but they hope to have something implemented in the next 4-5 yrs for the children after they graduate. They want to operate as the Lord leads.

The children that wont be in the village will still be part of all the ongoings just living elsewhere. Pls pray that the Lord begins to prepare their hearts for the news that is pending.
I dont think we will be able to post while in Livingstone but we will be home on Sunday!!! We cannot wait to see our kids!!!! I miss them dearly and am so excited to have them in my arms again!!!!

Bitter Sweet day

2009-07-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

So today we took all the kids to the water park. They all had sooo much fun. They had an inside play area like Chuck E Cheese and a few different water slides. Leon was so awesome with the kids. There were several kids that were scared to go down so he let them sit in his lap and went down. They had a ton of fun. I will will post pics later. I haven't been able to download them yet.
We did have to say good bye to the kids today. We wont be working with them anymore on our trip. It was super hard and brought many tears to my eyes. One of the boys, named Katongo, gave me a hand written letter today. He had the scripture Jeremiah 29:11 written in it and said it was for his sisters. He meant my daughters, his sisters in Christ. He calls me Mama Lisa and it was signed "Your Son" I know now that I have children in Africa!!!!! He and his friend Lazarus want to come to the states someday and when they do, they will stay with us.
Oh, so much to tell....so little time. I hope to post again soon. We will be on our way to Livingstone on Tuesday, Wed, and Thursday.
Bishop will be coming to our house on Friday to give us a personal marriage counseling session. All 4 of us are really excited for this.

Suprised to find out...

2009-07-09T10:39:00.001-07:00

So today while we were with the kids conducting the VBS program, we found out that some of the kids in the program have not yet given their life to the Lord. I had just assumed that being part of this program they already received Jesus as their savior, not the case. Today Leon helped lead Robinno to the Lord. Praise God. We have prayed continually for healing for him. He has MS and is loosing his ability to walk.
So tomorrow we will be preaching the gospel to these children and doing an altar call. We cant simply assume that people are saved and will spend eternity in Heaven. It is our responsibility to ask and find out. That doesn't simply include these children, it pertains to anyone you come into contact with.
I am fallin in love with these children. They have nothing and everything all at once. We were able to go to some of their homes on Tuesday and see their environment that they function in on a daily basis. Even the poorest person in America has more then these people. We visited Charitys' home and met with her grandmother. She is the head of 15 people who line in about 3 small rooms that are about 8x8 or smaller. These rooms double or triple as bedroom's, kitchens, living areas, etc. They eat whenever they have food. They only have money to buy food when they can find piece work washing laundry by hand. They only have electricity when they put a token in a box. it's like a timer. When their time runs out, so does their light. If they cant find any wash they don't have any money or electricity or food. I will try to post a pic of her next post. She is an amazingly strong woman and so grateful for our visit. I am not on my laptop now. The need is so great here and it cant just be solved by handing out a few dollars here and there. That is simply temporary. The problem is much deeper then that.
Tomorrow we will finish up the VBS program with the kids. They will all receive their own Bibles. Not all of the children are able to read but hopefully they will hold it dear to their hearts till they can.
Pls keep us in prayer for Malaria....there are thousands of mosquitoes and we all have been bit. Last night I slept with socks on my hands to prevent anymore bites. It was funny because I went to bed after Leon did so he didn't see my amazing invention. I woke up this morning and forgot that I had my sleeves tucked into my socks on my hands and he almost fell over laughing at me....I did look pretty funny!!

I hope to post again soon!!!

Not sure where to begin....

2009-07-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

So we haven't been able to get to the Internet cafe due to 2 consecutive holidays here in Zambia. A lot has happened in the last 3 days.

I think it might be best if I just do a day-by-day post..

Monday....The first part of the day we finished painting the playground.

We went to an "All Night" prayer meeting. This is conducted once a month where Bishop Peter holds a service in which prayer begins at 7pm and goes until 6 am the following day. You had everyone there from babies, young, and old. When the Zambian people call out to the Lord it's like nothing I have ever heard. They use not only their voices but their entire body! They pray with such passion and reverence to the Mighty One.

Sorry it is a bit blurry but the flash was VERY distracting. I didn't want to take another one.

Bishops' church was packed. It was a full house, standing room only.

This is where the night became truly interesting for all of us. A woman who appeared to be slain in the Holy Spirit was in fact demon possessed. She dropped to the floor and began to steam roll the Church floor. Her shoes went flying,her body was contortting and convulsing, she was foaming at the mouth and throwing up. When she rolled our way Leon grabbed her and began praying for deliverance over her. Michaela and I stood back for a minute to asses the situation. Once we discerned the truth of the matter, we jumped in to help Robert and Leon. They both said later that she has the strength of 7 men, and she did. It was really intense. When we were done praying, Leon went outside and got some air. He came back in and said it wasn't finished. The woman was weeping on what we think was her friends shoulder and then dropped to floor again. All of the same symptoms presented and we prayed even harder for deliverance. The crazy thing was that the church became quiet because they were switching the prayers to worship. Leon was praying so loud that it over came the church. Do you think they stopped to leave or interrupt?? No way!!! they continued on. In the US...if this was happening, people would run from church saying this was crazy....

This wasnt the end all.....once the 2nd episode came to a close, she lay there weeping that she wasnt forgiven. We tried our best in English to explain that she was but it didn't resonate. She got up, collected herself, and went back to her seat. We all took a deep breath and continued the service. Michaela and Leon kept watching her in her seat until she got up and walked out of the church. Leon discerned that the demon wasnt finished with her and followed her out. He knew that she needed to confess her sins to the Lord to be FREE from the continued torture.

Sure enough he found her vomiting again behind a wall and he asked Robert to go get Bishop Peter so she could confess. Once Bishop came she confessed that she was a married woman and had been having an affair with a married man and just had an abortion. Talk about bondage!!! The demon presented because she was ready to be freed up and give her burden over to God.

Bishop had 2 women from his church pray with her and take her back for counseling immediately. Praise God!!!

Tuesday....We went to the Arcade to have dinner and watch a movie but the movie was sold out. We ended up hanging out with Du.

Wednesday....We began the VBS program with the kids....here are some pics from today..

We have arrived!

2009-07-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

So we arrived this morning at 6 am into the beautiful country of Zambia. We made it with practically no hang ups. We had a 2 1/2 hr delay out of LAX due to "electrical issues." They borded us and then had us leave the plane. Not too comforting to have the plane you are about to spend the next 9 hrs on having "electrical issues."
All of our bags made it and so far so good. We don't think that there is anything missing from any of them. There are still 2 that we haven't even looked in yet but we are hoping its there. After we were all able to shower, we went to the arcade to have some breakfast and exchange our money. We know have a pocket full of Qwatcha.
The first person to greet us was Bishop Peter!!! Wow, so good to see him. He told Michaela and I that Leon and Robert would both be preaching tomorrow but not to tell them...lol. The 4 of us are going to the same church and the men are going to be sharing the preaching duties! I cant wait. I have yet to truly hear my husband preach..
Today we went to the property to see the orphanage. The team that preceded us were able to complete the playground that they came to set up. It looks amazing and I already know that the kids are going to love it. After that we came home and took a much needed nap. We are back at the arcade now after eating a gourmet meal prepared by Ted himself.
So here is what I have been focused on today:
Col. 3:2.....Think about the things of Heaven, not the things of earth.
2 Corin. 4:18......we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen,....but the things we cannot see will last forever
Isaiah 26:3....you will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thought are fixed on you.

I want to try to make sure that we are staying kingdom minded while we are here. We came to walk out Gods will for our lives in this season. Praise Him. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners..Romans 5:6
I will try to post again soon!!!

At the LAX airport

2009-07-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

So far so good. We are waiting at the airport and our check in went very smoothly!! We have about a 3 1/2 wait and then we will be boarding our first flight. Uh oh...just checked our departure time and we are currenly delayed 50 min.
We just finished eating El Paseo mexican food. We are sitting next to some serious air-conditiong, wow. We are so excited. I hope to post some pics soon. We were lucky enough to be able to borrow a camera from a friend for our trip and I am still trying to figure it out.
Tata for now. I am saving our battery so Michaela can post too.

Isaiah 61 :1-3

Luv you all!!!

We leave tomorrow to Zambia!!!

2009-07-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow night, just a bit over 24hrs away, we will be on British Airways Zambia bound. Wow...even now I am tearin up. The kids are packed up and ready to head off to stay with our dear friends and family. Oh man..I have been holdin it together for so long but I know tomorrow when we drop them off it will be hard. To leave my kids for 17 days, man. God grant me the strength. Grant me Your peace that passes understanding. It's only because I am confident that we have been called out that I can go.
I am super excited to go though. God has just been breakin my heart for these children that I haven't even met. There is no better place to be then smack dab in the middle of Gods will. My husband has been telling me the past few days that now all my dreams are coming true. See about 6 yrs ago, I started having dreams about bringing the gospel to the nations. God began to show me what we would be doing with the rest of our lives. See, we are the perfect example of His timing being perfect. It took about 6 yrs for this to be a reality. We have to be patient and wait on God for His divine timing. He made it very clear that He wanted us on this very trip with the kind of donations that came in. I have been to Mexico on a short weekend mission trip but this, this is the beginning of being in the center of Gods will. Hopefully we can organize another trip to Mexico in the fall. I will definitely be bringing the kids on that one!
I am going to try to post while we are in Zambia. I am bringing my laptop and will see what i can do. If nothing else I will be journaling and then post when we get back.
If you are a praying person, pls lift us up as you remember. We are going to need a wall of prayer around us while we are encountering the things of the enemy. We want to see people set free, healed, restored, and saved!! Our God is an awesome God who reigns from heaven!! There isn't anything that is too big for Him. Thanks for your support and we will chat again very soon, hopefully from Zambia, Africa!!!

Update on the last few weeks

2009-06-27T08:00:00.001-07:00

So I am taking this idea from a dear friend of mine.....I want to catch you all up on the ongoings of the past few weeks. I just haven't had the time to post pics and blog about everything....so here we go...

Our trip to Vegas..mini vacation with the kids....We spent most of the time in the pools...We also met a real life robot!!!! Good times!

I caught our cat drinking from the faucet the other day. I thought it was funny because she usually drinks from toilet. Apparently she is switchin it up...lol

This is our Ladies night out last Friday night. Dinner and a craft...can you tell whats on my mind by what I created??

This was yesterday at the beach with friends...Ummm....Apparently I just have a head for a daughter..lol

Good time with friends and family is what life is about!!!

9 days til Zambia

2009-06-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

So we leave in 9 days. We are so excited. To be right in the middle of Gods will for our lives is pretty freakin amazing. God has been preparing me for the last 2 months on things that I will be doing while I am there. I hope to accomplish many things through Him and for His glory. Pls pray as the last few days approach, all goes well. I have to not only prepare all luggage for my husband and I but for our children as well. They will be staying behind with some of our dearest friends and family. Pray that they will have comfort with both parents being away.
So much more I want to post but dinner calls.....

All I can really say is WOHOOO!!!!! :0)

Car Wash Success!!!

2009-06-07T06:51:00.000-07:00

So we had our last fundraiser yesterday and it was a success, despite what the weatherman said. Isnt God the one in control anyway....lol

So we ended up raising $258. Yay!! We will still get a small check from Chik-fil-A from everyone who came and ate. We arent sure how much but everything helps! We forgot to bring a camera so I snapped a few pics with my phone. For some reason I didnt save some of the pics properly, bummer. But here are 2 that did make it!

We had lots of little hands to make the work lighter :0)

I love anything where the kids can help.

And then there was Jaimey, Michaelas sister, being silly when all was said and done...

28 Days!!!!

2009-06-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

We have exactly 28 days left til our departure from LAX to Zambia, Africa!!!!!! The excitement is building moment by moment, sometimes. I still have a slew of things to accomplish before we go. I still need one shot,need to get paperwork in order for the kids, need to figure out how the whole situation will go with the kids....phew!! At least school has come to a close so I can now focus on the pending trip. I was talking with my 8 yr old son 2 days ago and asked him what he thought about the whole trip and mommy and daddy being gone. This is what he said, " I dont think I can be w/o you mom for 17 days. " Then I asked him what he thought about the work we would be doing in Zambia and he said,"You and dad need to go huh mom. They need your help. I think we will be ok because we know why you are going." What a big boy he is becoming. He understands the need there and is willing to sacrifice his time with us so that the Zambian children can come to know the Lord even more.
Anyhow....pls pray for us still. We have one last fundraiser on Sat. We are doing a car wash, so pray that the Lord will bring us tons of cars and plenty of generous people. We still need about $400.
I will be posting again soon on this topic and soon from Zambia!!

A gift

2009-06-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

So I feel like the Lord led me to this very verse this morning to minister to a dear friend but also to minster to me about my own children and the children we will be serving when we go to Zambia.
Psalm 127:3 Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Regarding my own family and my children, sometimes as mothers we get caught up in the things that "Need to be Done" around the house. I can get just as busy as the next one and put a movie on for the kids or have them go outside and play,not that either of those are bad options for kids.
In Luke 10:38-42 the bible gives us the ex of Mary and Martha. Jesus is coming to see them and upon His arrival, Martha almost frantically begins to prepare the feast. She gets so caught up in the things that "Need to be Done" that she misses the blessing of sitting at His feet. Mary sat at his feet soaking in all Jesus could teach her. Why do we get so caught up sometimes? Its a trap that the enemy sets for us. We completely miss out on the blessing. Let's not do that anymore.

So if children are a gift from God(psalm 127:3) then we really shouldn't pass up one minute that we could spend learning from them and teaching them.We should not be telling our kids "no" when we could say "yes."
How exciting is it to be able to tell the Orphans in Zambia that they are a "Gift." They aren't trash to be easily discarded or a book to be put on a shelf. They are the very tool that will shape our future!! They are not to be seen as a nuisance or distraction but they are to be regarded as a most precious gift from the Father, who makes no mistakes! The author of Creation itself.
Lord, help us to be more nurturing to ALL children. To our own and to others. Help us to not be selfish and say "Not right now" or "No" when we can say "Yes!" Put in us a passion to teach the Truth of your word and to nurture their spirit! Help us to love on them even more then we do now. Lord here our prayers. Help us to mold them and shape them into the very soldiers that will fight in Your army for righteousness!!
~~L~~

Our Garden!!!

2009-05-26T12:32:00.001-07:00

Peppers, Basil, 3 different lettuces, dill, and what cant be seen is sugan snap peas, beets, radishes, green and red onions, phew.....I think thats it....oh and cucumbers. Thats just whats inside. We have tomatos, watermelons, volunteer pumpkins, sunflowers, brocolli, squash, zuccinni, and a corn field that isnt even in the same areas!!!

I share this garden with 2 dear friends and love every minute of it!!

Look at how nice our salad bowl lettuce is looking!!!

Not to mention how yummy it tastes...oh and we have spinach too!!!

I love this season!! :)

Gotta love the Psalms!!

2009-05-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

So the Lord has been really impressing on me to meditate on Psalm 130 and Psalm 139. Its so rad that God everywhere, in everything, all knowing, and knew us before we even took our first breath...How rad is that!!!!

Psalm 130:8.....He Himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.<~~~~~~Very nice!!

Psalm 139:5 You go before me and follow me.
Psalm 139:7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence.

That's the kind of God we serve!!! No matter how hard we try to hide "Our Stuff" we can't, so why bother. Bring it to the feet of the Father who knows ANYWAY!!!

~~L~~

You should always wear shoes

2009-05-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

So this guy was staying cool under my car when I went to move it yesterday. Um did I mention I was barefoot!!!

It was a California King Cobra and the kids all loved it!!

Fast Approaching

2009-05-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

So our trip to Zambia is fast approaching. We are exactly 7 weeks and 5 days from our departure date, July 2nd.
We are trying to tie up the bit of our fundraising events in order to purchase the last bit of needed supplies. Not to mention I still need to get my Typhoid shot, ouch!! Thanks to the Lord that our tickets are paid but there are still things that are needing to have funds raised for. We are still raising or the following....
~School Supplies
~VBS materials~~ Michaela and I are writing the curriculum ourselves to avoid extra cost
~Bibles
~Medical items such as my shots, all the rx's we ahve to take with us to make sure we don't get Malaria, Leons epi pin and other meds that go along with him getting stung by a bee, etc.
~balls, toys and other things we can bring over for the kids.
~ oh and money for food, theres always that, lol

So anyway, we are having a fundraising dinner at our house and then we are doing a car wash in June. Pls join us in prayer that we raise all needed funds in these last 2 events!!!
The kids know we are coming and from what I hear, they are super excited!!!!
We cant wait to get there....I miss Bishop Peter and cant wait to meet all the kids.
Thanks for all your prayers in advance. We know that God is in control and He will provide!!!

Pls also keep us in prayer regarding the Spiritual Warfare we are being faced with. As we step out in faith in the way that we are, the attacks can be somewhat severe at times. We are really trying to keep our focus on the Whole Armor of God( Eph. 6:11-17) to get us through this time. In case you don't really know what Spiritual Warfare is I will explain. See when you take a step for the Lord, the Evil one attacks. Satan is not a fan of us dedicated our lives to Christ. So things that would normally not get to you become a very big deal, an explosion possibly. So pls pray that the Lord would help to keep us focused and united!!

Best Friends

2009-05-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

I just love how God knows how to pair us up with people in our life. I pray these girls will be friends for life!!

We are being invaded!!!!

2009-05-02T11:50:00.001-07:00

We are being invaded by these Pincher bugs/Earwigs!!!!!

HELP!!!

In Love...my goodness

2009-05-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

So I am just falling more and more in love with Jesus these days! I know he is drawing me near moment by moment it seems.
I have been going to prayer counseling meetings for the past month and I am receiving some healing now from the Lord with past issues that caused great pain. It was keeping me from being the mom I know God has called me to be. I know its a process but I am amazed that God is so good and can work very quickly on our hearts when we allow it. I have a bit more peace now. I know there is more God wants to do and I am so amped to find out. I know this is a season of refinement for my family unit. God is preparing us for something and that is so exciting!!!
I just shared a video with my 5 yr old daughter that we were shown at church. It's so amazing to explain to her, and have a visual aid, at how Jesus will always be there and draw us to Himself. Despite all the chaos of this world, He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. His heart is for us! Did you know you were fearfully and wonderfully made? You were created in the image of God. WOW!! He will always draw you near. If you at all feel lost or left behind, take some time to seek the Fathers face. Find some time in your day to give to Him. After all, it was He who gave you the day.
Jesus breathed life into each of us. Pls try not to get caught up in the busyness of this world and try to keep your eyes fixed on Him. I am reminded of Mary and Martha. Don't be Martha. Do not get caught up in the busyness and details of things but be like Mary and be at the feet of the very one who created you, soaking it in.
I am finding that the more time I give to the Lord, the more in love I am falling. I heard for the first time today my 5 yr old preach the gospel to her friends. WOW!! We need to get back to that child like faith and just not care what anyone else thinks!
My heart is pitter-pattering when I think of what Jesus did on the cross for me!! The coolest thing is that He did it for you too!!!
Try to fall in love all over again. Desire those butterflies in your stomach for The One who loves you most. He is never changing!!!

New Addition

2009-04-18T16:22:00.001-07:00

Everyone.....Meet Gunner, our new and first family dog!!

He is a mix between a Lab and a Rot. He is beautiful and we are happy to have him. There is a Marine who is getting ready to deploy and had to let him go. We feel very fortunate to take him. He let us take him for free too..wow what a bonus.

Thanks for joining me in welcoming him to our family!! :0)

Sunscreen

2009-04-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

Do you wear sunscreen when you are in the sun or when you are hot??

This is the discussion I had with my girls last night. After being outside helping my husband clean up all the weed whacking he did, I came into the house and instantly smelled that the girls had been up to something. Trouble is what I smelled. Every mom knows when mischief is in the air. I could hear whispers coming from my room, UH OH, and proceeded to walk there. My 5 yr old comes walking out glistening. "Hmm," I think to myself....this isn't her normal shine....I ask what the smell in the house is and she replies, "It's sunscreen Mama. We were hot so we needed to put some on so we didn't get burned." Thinking out loud I say, "Hmm well that kinda makes sense. But why does the whole house smell like sunscreen?"
I start my panoramic perusal of the house and begin my investigation and see that not only are the girls hot and need sunscreen but daddy's shoes are hot, the lizards cage is hot, the TV is hot, various random toys are hot, daddy's drums are hot, electronics are hot, etc.
Well needless to say they were sent to their room to await punishment. As I walk in to discipline them my 3 yr old says, "Mom, we're gonna get spankins so I don't want to go first because I'm gonna cry. Let sister go first. I will get my spankin when shes done." I'm trying not to laugh because the night before my baby cries out to daddy saying there is a bug in my room. Daddy comes to the rescue, and when he goes into their room, baby says "Don't whack me whack the bug daddy".....We were both dying laughing when she said this.
See we reserve spankings for capitol offenses. We spank when the crime is something similar to putting sunscreen in/on electronics and such. So it was funny when she said that because they do not get spanked that often.
Anyhow, once all is said and done, I put my investigating hat back and begin damage control. I needed to see what still works, put shoes in the sun, wipe down the TV,clean off daddy's drums before he came in....etc.
Oh the joys of parenting.....I think we will all remember this very day when they thought they needed sunscreen not only when they are in the sun but when they are in the house, completely protected from the sun, just because they are hot.
~~L~~

Fantastic Four

2009-04-10T08:12:00.001-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce to you, The Fantastic Four!!!!

From left to right we have my 2 daughters and then their best friends, who happen to also be sisters!! The 2 oldest are 5 and the 2 youngest are 3.

These girls are so much fun and sooo much trouble when they all get together.

Their most recent escapade resulted in one blue spot and one red spot of nail polish on my bedroom floor.

I am certain more "adventures" will come. Watch out if you see them in your neck of the woods....the only thing you will see is the door in which the exited.

Wind

2009-04-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

So my 5 yr old just walks and talks and is just about the Spirit!! She makes up her very own worship songs and loves to belt them out for all to hear, no one to hear, but especially God to hear.
I was sitting out in the driveway yesterday with my laptop trying to receive a better signal. We have been getting dropped A LOT lately. So, as I am sitting there trying to be about MY business, she is praising God. Sometimes I think I should be taking my ques from her example. She kept repeating this phrase in her song and it didn't really register at the time. Most 5 yr olds can be fairly repetitive at times.
Once I was done doing nothing on the computer I asked her to sing it for me again, and she obliged.
The phrase that stuck out to me was this...
"When the wind blows, Jesus is calling us."
I started to think about this......hmm...I pondered..makes sense!!
You cant SEE the wind but you know its there. Its in front of you, behind you, all around you. You can just FEEL it. It is about you.
So I found these 2 verses that I think are very fitting for this particular phrase...

Luke 7:27 "Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you and he will prepare your way before you."
Jesus is talking about how God goes before us to prepare for us what is to come.

Exodus 23:20"See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you."

See don't you get it? God is so good that not only does he go before us but he sends us angels to be with us on our journey to keep us protected!!!
We serve a mighty and powerful God but also a caring, concerned, and compassionate Father!!
You God, are so worthy to be praised!!
~~L~~

Grrrr..

2009-03-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

I must appologize for notposting in sometime now. See my hard drive went out on my laptop again!!! Do not buy refurbished computers from a trade show...you never know what you are going to get...GRRR!!
But never fear, I have purchased another laptop and will back to posting here directly!! I have some exciting stuff to share! :0)

Leave me a comment!! Chat soon, promise.

~~L~~

Anonymous

2009-03-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

Oh my dear readers....I do hope you are sitting down for this. Just in case you aren't, I will wait..............Ok..

So when my husband went to Oregon this last month he was able to acquire a pretty fancy guitar. He likens it to the one BB King plays, with the metal front. He knew that it was a steal for $300. It probably is valued at $800-1000. So he is thinking that he is either going to keep this new found treasure for himself or he is going to sell it to help pay for our trip to Zambia in July.

He decides on the latter and here is why I asked you if you were sitting down.

So my husband leaves with the intention of selling this guitar. He gets to the guitar shop and starts to speak with the owner of the shop. I get this text from him that says.. "Can we cancel our dinner plans? I think the owner wants to sponsor us on our trip?" I respond with a swift "NO. Denise has been cooking all day and the food is already prepared. I am not going to call her, 20 min. before they are to come, and cancel." So I then proceed to tell my husband that he has about 45 more min before he needed to leave to get home for our dinner plans and to close the deal..lol. "If you can get him to commit to donate, then I will follow up with him." So my husband says "OK." Donations are awesome and I love that people want to help but you must understand that our friend who prepared the most delicious Puerto Rican food, is also Puerto Rican and I didn't want to mess with that feisty fire she has..I mean she just had a baby too....lol (Love you girl!!)
Now, while he was telling the owner about Zambia and his past trip in July, he has tears welling up in his eyes. You see, he is very passionate about the orphans there and trying to share Jesus with them. To let them know there is hope. To build a relationship with them is our goal.
Well as he was speaking he gets a tap on his shoulder. He looks back and acknowledges the woman who was trying to get his attention. She simply says, "I would like to help you." Standing there shocked that a woman that had simply overheard their conversation, was touched, he began a conversation with her.
This is how it went....
Husband: Um, ok. How would you like to help?
Woman: Well would you mind following me to my shop in Del Mar?
Husband: Um ok. (He says Um, Ok a lot) He was a little bit unsure. He was in Oceanside but thought that Del Mar sounded promising. So he agreed to go not knowing how she wanted to help.
So they pull into her shop and she buzzes them to let her in. Turns out to be a very high end jewelry shop. I mean how many shops do you have to get "buzzed" into?? Looking good so far, right.
He then follows her back to the counter where she opens a drawer and pulls out a check book. She writes him a check and hands it to him with one condition, that she remain anonymous. She was very clear....She didn't want anyone to know about this donation. She wants no recognition at all. She then says that he can walk across the street to cash it. He agrees and then says thank you very much and walks out.
Its not till he gets back into his car that he looks to see what the amount was on the check.
He opens it up and glances down to find the check was written for,get this, $6,000!!!! Phew!! I am out of breath and excited all over again!!
Are you freakin kidding me!!!! Who writes a check for $6k to a complete stranger. Praise God!! This is truly only something He can do.
Needless to say our tickets to Zambia for July are now COMPLETELY PAID FOR!!!
And get this....My husband didn't even have to sell his guitar. God can use anything to get you to where you need to be so that He can bless you. I love it when His mighty hand is in our lives.
God is still in the biz of miracles and this is the proof!!
I am asking you all to pray that this "Anonymous" woman would have her socks blessed off!!

We can know raise money for the Breath of Heaven ministry now that our trip is just about paid for. The money that we raise now will go toward the construction of the homes and filling them with the needed items to function.

This also reaffirms to us that the verse we received from God for our trip is "We live by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7
Not one of us could've predicted this to happen. We couldn't see it but we have faith that God will provide. Amen!!
~~L~~

Cry out.....

2009-03-08T21:49:00.000-07:00

Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.

Search for them as you would for silver,
seek them like hidden treasures.

Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
and and you will gain knowledge of God.

For the Lord grants wisdom! Proverbs 2:3-6

~~I have been in this entire Proverb for some time know and this is my favorite part!! Are you crying out to seek Gods wisdom in your life?~~

~~L~~

Wow!!

2009-02-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

I am again reminded of how perfect Gods timing is. No matter how much we plan and schedule we really aren't in control.
I was reminded of this on Saturday. See we are still raising money for our trip to Zambia in July. We planned a garage sale for Feb 7th in hopes to bring in some more money. We announced it at church and plenty of families contributed to cleaning out their closets to help us out. So we collected for a few weeks and then we prepared for Feb 7th by sorting and arranging things. Well, we were rained out on the 7th and then the 14th. Well during the 2 week postponement, more people were able to bring in their donations for the garage sale. So we again prepare for another Sat., yesterday, and are so grateful that we will finally have good weather.
Well Michaela and I arrive at our pastors house to set everything up and it appears that the donations have doubled!! Can you believe it?
So we had to quickly sort and get things out so that Kim could put out the signs....it was so funny when so did. With in minutes, I am serious, like someone let flood gates open, people started rushing the sale!! In fact, we were still setting up. You garge sale hunters are a little bit crazy....haha..I'm joking but seriously....You get up early!
There was a time when Michaela told me to look back, because I was at the bottom of the driveway taking everyones money,to see the sea of people. I am not kidding we were so unbelievably out numbered. There could've been a hostile take over. There must have been 50 people there at one time! There was only 4 of us at most.
Anyhow, it proved to be extremely successful!! I have no idea what we sold to raise the money we did but we did.
Gods timing is so perfect!! We were able to raise $894!!! God is so good!! We just needed to have the faith to see it through. We were getting a little discouraged, well a lot to be honest. We were like, "Gosh are we doing what we are supposed to do?" It sure didn't seem like it. Every time we wanted to do something simple, like a garage sale, we were rained out. Not to mention that it would be sunny all week to only rain on SAT!!
It just proves to me that it is all in Gods timing!! His timing is not ours. We are grateful to not be in control.
Hebrews 11:1 says....Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Thanks for being in control because we would mess it up every time.
~~L~~

Tickets

2009-02-13T20:13:00.000-08:00

So that my friends is our confirmation that we have been booked on a flight with British Airways to Zambia~~~ YAY~~~

We were very fortunate and found a missionary travel agency who was able to get our tickets for only $1607. When my husband went last July his ticket was $2553. So we were pretty happy with this figure. :0)
We are still praying about funds though. We haven't raised enough money for our trip yet. We were able to secure our tickets with a deposit and are making payments on them. We are stepping out in faith knowing, that in this economy, that God will still provide the money to advance His Kingdom. God is bigger then the economic situation at hand. Our goal is to raise $10,000. This will cover our trip and allow us to give a generous donation to the ministry that we have partnered with, Breath of Heaven.
We are in prayer for funds and have been fortunate to raise some but we are still short of our goal. It seems thought that every time we plan a fundraiser, it gets rained out. I am convinced that God is telling us that is will be by His hand that we go and not our own.
So pls keep us in prayer. It is our heart to serve the Zambian orphans and bring them hope. The need is so great there. There are so many children that are left behind due to disease and poverty.
In the US if something happened to our parents we would be taken in by our extended family members. That is just not the case in Zambia. Family members look at is a burden, a very heavy burden, to take on another mouth to feed and shelter. Some of the children are beaten by their extended family because of the burden. They need the promise and hope that only Jesus can bring.
So if you would pray for the children and for our upcoming trip in July it would be greatly appreciated!!
God Bless...
~~L~~

Another One Bites the Dust

2009-02-10T20:48:00.000-08:00

My apologies for not updating you all sooner, Dear Readers...

About 2 weeks ago, pls try to recall, the tooth dilemma my son faced, again!

Option 1....He pulls it out

Option 2....Dentist pulls it out

Option 3....Dad pulls it out

Ok well he was given 1 week by the dentist to have this tooth out or he would have to come back and have it pulled! Well this information alone was enough to send my son into a frenzy. " I am NOT coming back here to have it pulled." See, now that he is 8, and would put up a good fight all the way in to the dentist, I gave him a few extra days. Lets just say carrying him in kicking and screaming wouldn't be appropriate.

So for a week he pulled and tugged and tugged and pulled to no avail. I think he may have loosened it a bit but not much.

So the conversation begins...

"Son, I gave you 2 extra days to get that stinkin thing out and your adult tooth is already in. We are going in the am to get it pulled. We don't have much choice."

::tears start to well up:: "But mom, I HATE the dentist. I don't want to have it pulled. Let me keep trying." By now we have full water works going..This catches my husbands attn.

What do I see out of the corner of my eye.....My husband taking interest in our conversation...I try to keep it hush hush because of the whole fishing string episode(see prev blog in tooth tales) but there was no hiding it now. My husband was already aware of this situation. He starts to sit up like a little kid at the candy store....Is it my turn, is it my turn??

I give him the OK, my mistake as you will see in a minute, and say " If its not pulled out tonight, we are going 1st thing in the am."

So what will it be this time???

Hes already tried dental floss.....no luck.

Fishing string, well that one worked....success!!

What shall number 3 be but......

In case you weren't able to figure out the pic....He used PLIERS!! Wow!! I am amazed. I truly never thought that people really pulled teeth out this way. I mean maybe if your name is Wyatt Earp but certainly not any of my children. Funny how moms say "My" children when they are hurting but when they are acting up its "Your kids..." speaking to our husbands....lol. :0)

So I have officially given up on the whole tooth issue. Who knows what will be next but I can assure you that there will be a next time. My sons adult teeth seem to want to come come in before the baby ones exit.

Here is his new face.....and he is very proud to say "My dad pulled my tooth out with pliers."

My husband did accomplish the very task I asked him to do. My son was so afraid to go back to the dentist, where it wouldn't even hurt, he allowed my husband to use pliers. Who would've guessed? Certainly not me.

~~L~~

Must share!!

2009-02-07T21:13:00.001-08:00

So a dear friend emailed this to me and I love it!! Thought I could share....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT7x3VnrqbA

For what eer reason I cant get it to post here but click on the link. You can see more of their videos too on youtube. They are pretty amazing!!

The heart of a 5 year old

2009-01-30T16:29:00.000-08:00

So this is the heart of my 5 year old daughter. She wanted to donate her hair to Locks of Love so that someone who doesn't have hair will now have hair..

This is her journey......This is what her hair looked like prior to donation....

And can I pls plug my salon!! Headlines For Hair in Encinitas...April Cox....She cut my daughters hair for free because she was donating it. They gave her full salon treatment too!!!

This is her waiting for her hot chocolate!! She was allowed the full salon treatment!! Uh, I think we may be in trouble now....lol.

The pre-cut discussion

The first cut!!!!

The shampoo!! You know this is the BEST part...She just laughed and thought it was funny.

Lets get started

The blow dry and style.....

Her new hair style and her donation to Locks of Love!!

Again...the heart of a 5 yr old. She thinks her haircut resembles Willie Wonka....lol...(Johnny Depp). She is going to grow her hair out again and donate again!! She loves her new doo and we are so proud of her!! This, is the heart of the Father, at work in a child.

~~L~~

Homeschool Mishap

2009-01-29T10:56:00.000-08:00

So this happened about 2 weeks ago, or maybe more, my memory isn't serving me well with dates right now.

So school was underway and it has been one of those days....other homeschooling moms must know these days. I am talking about the days when you are armed and prepared to, at any indiscretion that occurs, administer discipline. The whole "shes looking at me" and "dont sit next to me" and " I dont want to do my work" drama.

Ok, so to be honest, I probably spent more of my efforts correcting the behavior of ALL 3 of my children then actually teaching. It was one of those days where you want to just toss in the rag and say..."OK no more school today." But they weren't going to win this time. Oh no, we had work to get done and we were going to get it done even if we had to fight the whole way through. I don't usually recommend this attitude when approaching teaching. It is supposed to be a "fun learning environment." And usually I say pick your battles but I was bound to accomplish the days work!! (and win this fight..lol)

So you can imagine how excited and relieved I was when it was time to BREAK for lunch. I think we all breathed a big sigh of relief. Finally a minute to collect myself, pray and repent, and get through that last stretch.

I cant even remember what I was preparing for lunch but I know for sure I was shooing them all outside....Go, Get on out...or something of that nature. I do remember I was preparing something on the stove because this is where the "Incident" took place. In my haste to get the children out of the house and my hair, I turned on the wrong burner. See we have a flat stove and the way school works is that as we complete a subject I shift the material back over to where it is stored to be put away. Well a lot of that time that means is spends some time on the stove....can you guess where I am going with this.....

So I turn around to get a pan washed out to use and I smell something....."what in the world? Where is that coming from? Hmmm...our neighbor must be burning their trash again." This is what I was thinking looking out my kitchen window. I turn to put the pan on the stove and its our school books on fire!!! Ok thankfully no visible falmes just a bunch of smoke. One book was absolutely smoking and that smell, the one I thought was my neighbors trash burning, well it was coming form my house....lol. I drop the pan and run to the stove, all of aboute 2 steps...Im sure I was running though, and throw everything off onto the floor....mind you the kids hadn't quit made it outside yet...Oh I was making Mac n' Cheese....that's what I was making...So I am sure it was a sight to be seen.

So anyway the kids start freaking out thinking the whole house is on fire....I can laugh now...but sure wasnt then.

So I turn the stove off and look....and its a teachers manual....ugh!!! So now I own it because I cant turn it in without the back cover and some pages with burns on them..It would figure ya know.

I am just thankful that it was laminated because otherwise it would have been a bigger deal. it took a minute to get through all that to get to the paper. Im am fairly certain that if there had been some random papers betweent the book and the stove, we would've seen flames. Thanks goes to my husband for scrapping off all the burned material left on the stove..

In retrospect, I probably should've tossed in the towel, but we did complete all our work for that day, even with a small mishap.
~~L~~

And so it continues...

2009-01-25T19:33:00.000-08:00

Tooth #4 is ready to come out.
Well, if you ask my son, he may have a different story. We made our 6 month check up visit to the dentist and he saw the missing tooth and was all excited that HE, the dentist, didn't have to pull it. I knew there was a "but" coming though.
See I had already taken a peak inside my sons mouth and saw that loose tooth #4 already had the adult tooth pushing through behind it. This is the problem we had with the first two teeth that were pulled.
So here comes the but.....
The dentist said that he has until Thursday, 1 week, to have it out or it will have to be pulled.....
Those of you who have been keeping tabs.....can probably feel what's coming next....
A job for dad!!!!
Well not so fast!!! The dentist almost came to my sons rescue,almost...he said dad had to be very careful when pulling a tooth with fishing string......hmmmm....wonder why. He said that the tissue is very soft but dad can give it a shot. You could see my son sit up in his chair excited for a split second and then sit back down. So of course who steps up to the plate??.....Dad said "Don't worry about it mom, I got it all under control."
Aren't those famous last words....haha.
Well the tooth hasn't come out yet but D-Day is fast approaching. So my son has three choices...
A. He pulls it
B. The Dentist pulls it
C. Dad pulls it

I am not sure what is going to happen. All I know is that it must be done by Thursday!!
I will keep you posted....
~~L~~

Surgery

2009-01-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

Well it looks as though we will be taking our Lovebug in to have a minor surgery. She has a swollen adenoid right behind her nose. An adenoid a lymhnod. It's the same thing when you have a sore throat and you feel swollen around your neck, except hers is behind her nose. This seems to complicate her breathing. She always says to me," Mommy I can't sneeze!" She means breath but says sneeze...so cute.

So the Dr says its not a complicated surgery. She should be done w/i 20 min. That I am grateful of! We dont have to worry about scars because they will be going in through her nose, YAY!!

The really good news is the benefits outweigh the risks 10/1. It is our prayer that she will be able to breath better. Her snoring will stop and she will sleep through the night. See she still wakes up at least once every night because she is thirsty. When she breaths through her mouth her throat gets dry which causes her to wake up, poor girl. So this is not only affecting her breathing but her sleep as well.

pls keep her in your prayers as we approach her surgery. We do not have a surgery date yet but it should be scheduled w/i the next 2 weeks.

Thanks in advance!!! :0) I will post an update as we approach

~~L~~

Our Newest Additions!!!!

2009-01-22T20:58:00.000-08:00

So not only did we just aquire chickens but we now have new born baby Boar Goats!!!

This is a pic of either the boy or the girl, not sure which one I captured, just after birth...Ok not right after birth because we were at the mall getting daddy a new pair of shoes...but as soon as we pulled up my dear friends daughter came running..."We have babies!!!!!"

Sorry the pic is a little blury. Well with my phone costing a whopping $35, you cant exactly expect National Geograpic style pictures. Althought, it would be pretty sweet if you could...lol..for only $35.

We do not yet have names picked out and are welcoming all suggestions...

There is a lot of life on the property these days, tons of fun!!!

I am off to bed because I have had a headache going on 3 days now, ugh!! Pls pray it will go away!!

Oh, we are on watch for the next baby goats...With in the next 24 hrs we should have more life here on the compound....lol There is also a 3rd that is pregnant but not quite showing signs just yet that she is ready.

Anyhow, I will keep all updated....

We have CHICKS!!!!

2009-01-20T20:03:00.000-08:00

So for the past few weeks there has been a man, we will call him Tom because that's his name, who has been building a chicken coop in the old horse barn.

I do not know much about chickens, except I like to eat them....shhh...I am whispering because I don't want them to hear....see they aren't too far from my house. From what I hear, they announce that when they are laying an egg...so this should be interesting...look for future posts on that.

But here are some pics of the hens that we will be getting eggs from ...

This is their little 2x2x2 where they will be taking care of business!! Shh, don't tell anyone, they are ladies ya know

Here are my girls helping out our dear friend get the coop ready ....

Did I mention that our dear friend also brought home 3 day old chicks, that will one day replace the laying hens we have now....apparently they are only deemed worthy for a short amount of time....shame...out with the old and in with the new youngins'

Just after this pic my princess was initiated into the "pooped on" club. A mad dash she made to the house to wash her hands....laughing all the way but not singing Jingle Bells...

They are super cute

This can only mean that there are going to be hilarious future posts on Chickens, egg collecting, rounding them up, etc...
Stay Tuned....I will find out how to use this for homeschooling some how!!!

Monster Truck Jam 2009

2009-01-19T08:25:00.000-08:00

Our annual Monster Truck Extravaganza has come and gone.
This year we were excited because we were able to get pit passes. This meant that we would have to leave our house at 1pm. The show didnt even start until 7pm. So this was going to be a long day.
The kids were excited to get to see all the Monster Trucks up close. Here are some of the cool things we saw when we went to the pit party....not really a party, not sure why they called it that...We saw the tow truck from the movie Cars...

Grandpa and the kids in front of Grave Digger

Now this truck makes my husband look a little bit tiny....lol

More to come on this post...I have to get school started.....

To Be Continued......

When I say I'm a Christian

2009-01-17T08:19:00.000-08:00

When I say I'm a Christian... ~*~By Maya Angelou~*~

When I say... "I am a Christian"I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin."I'm whispering "I was lost,"Now I'm found and forgiven.

When I say..."I am a Christian"I don't speak of this with pride.I'm confessing that I stumble and need CHRIST to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"I'm not trying to be strong.I'm professing that I'm weak and need HIS strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"I'm not bragging of success.I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"I'm not claiming to be perfect,My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"I still feel the sting of pain,I have my share of heartaches So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"I'm not holier than thou,I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow.

~~~I love this poem!! I think it just really encompasses the truth of what being a child of God is.
We are not perfect, in fact less then perfect in ALL ways!! But God grace is sufficient! Amen!!

Be encouraged reader!! You can have this very grace and mercy and love too!! All you have to do is receive Jesus as your Savior and repent(confess) the things you have done wrong...i.e. relying on yourself instead of God to make the way.

You will be washed clean and made new!! YAY!! (that means all of your sins, or things you have done wrong, will be forgiven)

If you are reading this post, and dont know Who this Jesus is, let me know. He is our wonderful maker, our Messiah and I would love to share with you all of the things God has done in our lives..

May God bless YOU, Beloved Reader!! I pray you find His grace.
~~L~~

Email Comedy!!

2009-01-16T13:55:00.000-08:00

A dear friend emailed this to me!! STOP SENDING THESE CHAIN EMAILS PLS!!!

Read on and have a good laugh......read the whole thing ....its funny!!

Just want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery.I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel or have them put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking ones nose (although cell phone usage may be taking the number one spot).Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of trans fats I have consumed over the years.I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom.I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS to whoever sent me the one about poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing. ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time.I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's Novena has granted my every wish.I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.THANKS TO YOU I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas.I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put 'Under God' on their cans.I no longer use Saran Wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer. AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face... disfiguring me for life.I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.I no longer receive packages from UPS or Fed Ex since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army.I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan .I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.THANKS TO YOU I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt.AND THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE I can't ever pick up $5.00 dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.I can no longer drive my car because I can't buy gas from certain gas companies!I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the brown recluse and my hand will fall off.If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician . . Oh, by the way..... A German scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse.Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

It is Finished!

2009-01-13T18:19:00.000-08:00

I titled this post straight out of the horses mouth, the pun was absolutely intended. That is what the pic text said when I opened it. And, this is what I saw...

IT IS FINISHED!! (says my husband)

So if you have been reading along faithfully, and I am certain you are, you will know exactly what this signifies...My husband the Conqueror! He didn't use dental floss this time, instead he used the more trusted fishing line....He hooked him...lol. I was at a bible study when it happened, which is why I think it happened.

Let me explain....

See, I so gently suggested that this not ever happen again., EVER!!!

So, when the cats away, the mice will play. I look at it this way...My dear husband is an opportunist...and the opportunity presented itself.....Why would he simply let it slip by...

So in the midst of my bible study, my phone starts vibrating....hmm, do I look?? Of course I do because I know that all 3 kids are at home with my husband....He is completely capable mind you. I trust him to death but he is an opportunist, remember...

I flip open my phone and start crackin up!!! The picture is titled "IT IS FINISHED."

I was dying!! I tryed to stay composed, I mean after all, I was at a bible study! We were having a heated discussion about the Message and if its translation is relevant....and Michaela was all fired up. I wouldnt dare draw attn to this. (j/k I am totally laughing)

So I texted him back and said "job well done."

Now the funny part...

My son, not to be trumped by my husband, strikes up a deal with his dear old dad. (I wonder where he gets it from...lol)

Out of the whole tooth pulling episode my son managed to score a brand new set of English Darts. For those of you who don't know, those are the plastic ones.

He also scored $5 from the tooth fairy!! Snap!

So when you look at the post below this one, you will understand now, that it is from my husband...again done wile I was out.

I cant help but be proud of them both!!

~~L~~

haha mama

2009-01-12T22:51:00.000-08:00

Daddy pulled the tooth out.passage complete!go chargers!!!!! next year????
Love Daddy(AKA)the bad guy!

Zambia

2009-01-11T18:17:00.001-08:00

This is Loveness

This is Nora

This is Rabino

These are just 3 of the orphans that will be moving into the Orphanage in June.

There will be 4 houses completed when we go out in July. We are soooo excited!!

We bought our tickets and received an AMAZING deal on them.

They were about $2500 when my husband went in July and we were able to find them for only $1600!! Praise the Lord. What a blessing.

We are still in need of funding as our trip will still be costly. Since we are both going this time, we have to raise enough funds to get us both there.

Our goal is 10,000. That will cover our cost to go and allow us to give a big donation to the ministry to further the construction of the orphanage.

Here are some more pics for your enjoyment...

This is my husband standing next to the brick press..they, the Zambians, use this machine to make their bricks to build their buildings..

This is their well where they retrieve their water... Pls, let this be a reminder not to take running water for granted!! Imagine if you had to do this a few times a day.

These are our friends who are going with us. They went in July also. So this will be their 2nd trip also. They were getting ready to go in and preach at a Zambian church!!

We have other goals regarding Zambia and if you are interested, hit me up.

Look for future posts about Zambia. It seems this is where the Lord would have our time focused.

~~L~~

The season has come to an end!

2009-01-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

So the Chargers lost...bummer.
We can only hope that we can do better next year. I can elaborate with all kinds of football rhetoric but whats the point?
We lost. That's the bottom line.

So I suppose I will cheer for the Steelers now, begrudgingly.

So for all of you Charger fans....that jumped off the bandwagon when they started to loose this season, then jumped back on when they started to win again......Stay with your team!! You are either a committed fan or not. Being a fan is not a part time job. You are a fan when they lose, when they win, and in the off season. So wear your jersey proud and don't be a bandwagon fan!

~~L~~

GO CHARGERS!!!

2009-01-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

Ok so we, I mean the Chargers, will be playing our 2nd playoff game with the Steelers today.....I am so excited to watch the game! If they play anything like they did last week, which was awesome, we should fare well.
Last week the game was super good!! I don't know if anyone can stop our Offense!!
The family and I are going to my dads to watch the game. A little bit of Mexican food, some good 'ol American football, and some quality family time...
Priceless............

So Go Chargers!!!
I know this post was short but we have to get ready for church...
Take care today and wish the Chargers luck!!!

~~L~~

Can you imagine??

2009-01-07T22:35:00.000-08:00

So, quickly before I go to bed, I had to share this crazy moment in our day today!!

So let me preface this by saying that my son had his first 2 teeth pulled out by the dentist. See, his adult teeth had already pushed through and the dentist said that we couldn't wait any longer. His baby teeth werent even budging. THEY MUST COME OUT!

So he was devastated. Are you kidding me...all the other kids got to pull out their teeth all by themselves. He was not happy....one of his best friends had his knocked out during football practice and him having his FIRST 2 teeth pulled, was not that cool.

So I struck up a last minute conversation with the dentist. It was do or die. I said listen.....He is going to be devastated if he doesn't get to pull out his first tooth. His dentist was sooo cool. He said he would get it loose enough for him to reach up and grab it. I was like Praise God!! It wasnt the same though, ya know. Remember when you pulled out your first tooth?

Ok so now that I have brought you current to today's happenings......His 3rd tooth is very loose and almost out. I mean he is sooo excited that he isn't going to have to go to the dentist this time. As soon as this was announced I could see out of the corner of my eye my husbands little thought bubble....you know the one the cartoons have... in it, I see this flash of fireworks...."UH OH" I say to myself. This means that he has got an idea on how to solve my dear 8 year olds present condition...

This is my husbands great idea!!!!

In case you weren't able to make out the horror on my sons face....my husband is about to pull his tooth out with DENTAL FLOSS!!! Are you kidding me...who does that. I could've sworn it was only a wives tale. Something people talked about but never was really true.
Poor thing was like "Mom...do I really have to do this? Help me!!"
My son confidently said, "It's like a right of passage...don't take this from me."
So with one swift yank and a pop on the head......out comes the tooth, right?.....WRONG!!!! Blood, spit and saliva, tears.....yes, all of those but no tooth. Poor thing. I felt so bad. So my husband not to be defeated says, "It's ok we will try again tomorrow!"
My son was like "I don't even like you right now dad. I don't let people I don't like pull out my teeth with dental floss." It was hilarious!
My heart welled up because I know it hurt but I was laughing too. Poor guy!
I can tell you this much, the tooth will come out on my sons own accord, with NO help from his daddy!!

Aww....Kids! My day would've not been the same w/o them.

Heeaapppyy New year!!!

2009-01-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

So on New Years, when everyone else was out, we were holding a fundraiser for our next trip to Zambia, Africa!!

I should've had a camera but could only capture some of our nonsense with my cheap camera phone. So I apologize for the blurriness in some of the pics.

So once we were finished with the fundraiser we took to the streets, sober mind you, with our party hats and blow horns....This is Robert outside of church

Oh, I forgot to share with you one of our crafts, that no one did. So Michaela and I made one ourselves.....Meet Joe Snow...

He is clearly a snowman built atop pf a cupcake....

The above pic is of my partner in crime.....say CHEESE!!

We didnt end up raising a ton of money but we think there may have been a divine appt that was intended instead. We met a gentleman there who has a heart for Africa and wants to help us. He has very high contacts with a ton of money, he says. So keep that in your prayers if you can.

This was Michaela hiding behind the palm frawn, not Chewbaca...

I had some other pics but they weren't very clear.

I can say that we had a great time. It was awesome to be out doing Gods work!!

I will be doing a Zambia post soon....So stay tuned...

God Bless....
~~L~~

2008-12-21T15:57:00.000-08:00

oh Dear Readers...

Tis' the Season for gift giving. Is it better to give a gift or receive one? Well the obvious is,"What did ya get me???" That I would suppose, is the obvious for most people in our general population.

Lets go to the Instruction Manual for our lives to see....

Acts 20:35 is very clear "It is more blessed to give then to receive." Spoken by the Son of God, Jesus Himself. I dont think it gets more creditable then that.

Let us not get wrapped up in the over commercialized hum drum of what society says we "Just must do." Let us stay focused on the true reason as to why we should even begin to become over joyed.
Jesus!!!! I mean really, if we must, look at the word Christmas!! Christ is obvious and mas is a gathering. So lets gather for the birth of our Savior. Its not about presents that we must hurry and buy, or the lists we must fill, or the parties we must attend.

It is about a gift, a gift so precious, offered to all man. A gift that contains all things. The beginning and the end. Born in a manger.....

Wonderful Counselor

Mighty God

Everlasting Father

Prince of Peace

Comforter

Redeemer

Healer

Papa

Lover

Friend

I mean really, I could go on(first 4 names taken from Isaiah 9:1-2) forever.

Those are what we are celebrating. The birth of our Savior!! That is something to get excited about. Do you know anyone who can fill these shoes?? I mean contain every one of these qualities?? And then some??

Let me know your thoughts!!! Do you have an inspirational story u can share of how our Mighty Savior is working in your life?

From beginning to the tasty end!

2008-12-16T15:57:00.000-08:00

So my husband went lobster diving again.....So begins this post..

Meet my friend, well lets not make it personal, so we will just call him Charlie. Meet Charlie everyone!

Here is Charlie as he sits on my kitchen counter...fully alive! I say that because in the last post I wasn't there, at our friends house, when they brought the first catch home.

So there he sits dazed and confused as to where he is and where he is going......

After we took Charlie into my sons room and scared him half to death, he was brought back to his final destination.

See my son was woken up at about 11pm with a live lobster greeting him. He was a little freaked out. I mean wouldn't you be!! Open your eyes wide to a crustacean on your bed....it was funny because our cat was sleeping in bed with our son. She had no idea what to think. She did have the look on her face though and I would imagine she was thinking that this didn't look like any field mouse she had ever seen..

So once we left our poor child to nightmares of lobsters....We said our goodbyes and with one last yelp from Charlie......away he went......

Seems kinda cruel to put something completely alive into boiling water. Everything good and natural says its wrong, but this is the way to make them....Forgive us Father....lol..

So Charlie is now Chuck and a flush red.....

Apparently that means he is cooking up just right.......Hes almost done in the pot, ready for the broiler....a little butter, about 5 min in the oven and ..VIOLA!!!

A bonified Lobster.....fresh form the ocean to the table!!!

A dear friend commented " Wow! His resume just continues to enlarge." I would have to agree! We are never bored here in our home. I am proud of my husband the Lobster Slayer!!

ps. he doesn't catch these with a net or a cage. He dives down and grabs them with his bare hands risking his life and all that we have....ok maybe not that dramatic. I can just hear him grunting that manly grunt....lol...My hero!!

~~L~~

Deck the Halls

2008-12-16T13:06:00.000-08:00

So Dear Readers....

The Tree is up!!!! It was a nice surprise when my husband showed up with a tree!! Surprise!!!! Just by seeing the tree, instantly the aroma of pine hit!! YUM!!! yay, it's Christmas!!

The tree is so full and bushy, just as it should be.

The fun thing was that it actually felt like winter. There was a storm brewing about...

Here is the eldest trying to pick up the tree, with one hand staying firm on the banana.....

Time to decorate.....the girls did a great job!

My 2 girls plus a special friend. What would it be without our dear friends to help. :0)

Awww...the smell of fresh pine, the glow if lights, finally the cold weather, it must be Christmas!!

~~L~~

Cops and um....Robbers??

2008-12-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

So welcome to more shenanigans in my house...

I am in the kitchen, cleaning or cooking, cant really remember because I am usually doing one of those most of the day, and I see this come around the corner....

My first thought is to burst out laughing so that's what I did I almost peed myself....haha...this picture still makes me laugh.

My dear husband spent a good, solid 8 hrs, cleaning out our bedroom and walk in closet. It was the course of 2 days of complete disaster. Can I tell you how awesome it is now!!! Wohooo. He is my hero!!

Anyway, back to the picture..... He managed to find a footie nylon in the mess and took it upon himself to play robber....as only he could do.

He came around the corner and tried to scare the kids but they, unfortunately for him, laughed too!! It was hilarious!! Praise God for laughter....

This is just par for the course in our house. He is constantly making us laugh!!

I thought everyone could share in this laughter with us....

Have a great night and stay tuned.....lol

~~L~~

Found the camera cord!!

2008-12-10T21:31:00.000-08:00

Ok so great news!!! I found the cord that hooks up to my camera and the computer!! I can now post pics with my posts!! You have pics on your blog you say, well I cleverly sent those to my email. They came from my phone...kind of a round about way to post them, but you see it worked....

This will make it much easier!!!! YAY!!!!

My posts will be more inviting now I should think!!

~~L~~

Lobster anyone??

2008-12-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

So I had to put this up.

My husband is now a lobster diver....haha...I love it!! Ok I don't really like eating lobster but the fact that he dives down and pulls them out by hand is pretty amazing. All it takes is a fishing license to do it. Really makes you wonder how the restaurants can charge so much money for them.

Anyhow, here is a pic of the first one he captured...still alive.....ewww!!!

Ahoy!!

2008-12-01T21:40:00.000-08:00

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a faithful ship.......I think that's how it goes....Ok so lets get on a tiny oval shaped object and venture out into the big blue sea and trust that we will not sink, but float in fact. That seems fairly normal right?? Are you kidding me!!! Who in their right mind gets on a tiny boat and goes into the ocean???? Lisa is certainly not cool enough for a 3hr tour gone bad...Now Gilligan, thats a name

::raising hand:: Well that would be me, apparently!!

So my husband and I went sailing for the first time the day after Thanksgiving. Ok you must know that I haven't been on a boat since I went whale watching , when I was 10. I love the beach and we go often but I like to keep my butt on the sand! I honestly don't care for swimming with the fish. Ironically, if my husband couldve been born in the ocean, he would've. He surfs often enough that I call him my fish. So you can imagine my trepidation when the idea arose to climb onto a tiny vessel and venture out to where the really "BIG" fish swim......uh anyone seen JAWS!!!!

Ok so I was putting on a good show for the 4 us....haha, I was even putting the show on for me...I was a little bit nervous but thought if my 7 month preg. friend can do this....well so can I. So I put my big girl panties on and said "Ok, lets go." The whole time praying under my breath " As long as we dont sink, we will be ok."

So we went out and it was amazing!!! I def want to take sailing classes. This was pretty cool....

and you want to hear the best part!!!! I didn't even get sea sick!!! SWEET!!! My dear friend...the one who is 7 months preggers...not so good. In fact, she was puking her guts out most of the time....poor thing!

Ok so we didn't see JAWS!! Praise you Jesus!! The closet thing to jaws was a tiny fish my hubby caught and threw back.

I did see the seals.....it was hilarious....they sit on the 1/2 mile marker and bark like dogs. A really big fat one sat on a small one and I almost wet myself laughing so hard, watching this poor seal try to get free.

So anyway...I truly look forward to the next trip!!!

Ready Set Action!!

2008-11-18T20:38:00.000-08:00

So I was talking with a dear friend today about some of her personal ongoings of day to day life and the topic of love just came up.

Here are some of my thoughts regarding this....

OK so we hear those 3 words so often people just assume that it just rolls right off the tongue.

It is better to love and lost, then to never have loved at all

Love is a battlefield

If you love them let them go

He loves me, he loves me not

Above are some very common cliches....ugh!! I cant stand cliches....

Love is an action. Agape...it is an action..divine, unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, volitional, and thoughtful love. Think about it....anyone can simply say those 3 words but if they aren't followed up by some kind of behavior lending itself to be that, then its simply rubbish.

I am sure you have heard the whole "any relationship worth having is worth working at" right!! Well duh!!! Sometimes you just have to plain work!!!

To wake every morning and choose to love my husband, kids, friends.....that is a daily decision....minute by minute sometimes......some of you know what I'm talking about.....lol

Like a plant, if you don't water it, it wont grow...it will die!! Unless its a cactus, which doesnt need much water....but who wants

Do me a favor....water you plants!!!! If you can stand and proclaim that you LOVE someone, you had better follow it up with some action.....because if you don't.....you are a down right liar, if I may be so bold!

I choose to love and I do it freely! Just like our Lord in Heaven who freely loves us..He gives to us, so that we can then give it back!!

So give of yourself and much will be given......

~~L~~

Umm how does this whole blogger thing work?

2008-11-17T20:59:00.000-08:00

So I sit here at my kitchen table, seemingly alone(the children are sleeping and the husband is away fishing), trying to figure out this whole blogger thing.
I have so many questions and I am not too sure where to get the info....which is problem number 1....
I suppose I can ask my neighbor, she is on here and so is her mother, but I look and oh, it is already 9 pm. So I cant try that option.....hmmm...I suppose I can try to wriggle around the website some more but that will prob just result in more frustration....

Ok so how do I follow someones blog?
How do I find my friends blogs?
How do I invite people to read my blogs?

Can you just see the dierctions that my brain is trying to go in?? .....Arghh! ( so because you cant see me and are only reading this, u missed the pirate eye when I made the Argh sound!) lol.....ok truly it isn't that bad but seriously, how do I do this??

I must wait til morning when the sleeping people awake and plead with them to come down the hill and show me the cleverly hidden workings of this blogger thing..

Chat soon with a more informed noggin!!