Thursday, September 17, 2009

My Little Princess Turns One

Mary Elisabeth turned one on August 21st. I can not believe how fast this year has gone by. I am so in love with my baby girl and I thank God everyday for blessing our family with Mary Elisabeth! Here are a few things about my little princess:

1. She has quite a personality and does allow her big brother to run all over her! She fights back!
2. She is quite a dancer!! If she hears music she begins to dance and clap her hands.
3. Her hair is getting curly!
4. She crinkles her little nose when she smiles!
5. She does the Miss America wave and says "bye.

We had a little get together on her actual birthday at my parent's house. Then we invited all of our friends and family to celebrate at our church's family life center. We picked out the Disney Princess' Theme and decorated with pink balloons! We had a really good time! 


Thursday, September 3, 2009

Frozen, Floored, and Frightened

Have you ever heard God speak so clearly that it made you feel like your heart was going to beat out of your chest? This happened to me last night or should I say early this morning. On Monday night, Josiah woke up sick to his stomach and threw up a couple of times. Not a fun night for Joseph and I, but God got us through it. For those of you who know me very well, you know that I can not handle watching someone throw up or thinking that I may have to. I do not know why, but since I can remember it frightens me so much my whole body starts to shake. Because of this fear, I spend so much time worrying about washing my hands, sanitizing my kid's hands, cleaning my counters, going "Lysol crazy" (as my brother and Joseph call it), making sure my chicken is done, throwing away anything in my fridge or pantry that is expired (even if it is one day past the expiration date). I want to have control of the situation and make sure everything is clean and sanitized. Do not get me wrong, all these things are ok to do especially in the cold months, but please believe me when I say that I take it to a whole different level! I spend a lot of time worrying about what my kids touched, what I touched, did I Lysol that door knob, and many other things that would probably take me hours to tell you. This is something that I have struggled with for almost five years.

Going back to my story. After the night was over and Josiah was feeling much better I spent the next few days scared to death that the rest of us were going to be sick. I finally realized that worrying was taking away my focus on God. I did not do my quiet time and to an extent turned away from God. This was bringing me down and disturbing my relationship with the Lord. Wednesday morning I went to our women's bible study at church. We are studying the book of Esther and how it's tough being a woman. I was so excited after I left and ready to start doing our homework, but I was distracted and did not get to it. After the kids were in bed I took out the book and started to do the first days lesson, but was distracted once again. I decided to go to bed, but tossed and turned and could not sleep. Finally at about 1:30 AM, I sat up, turned on my light and took out my bible study book. I started to do day one and was almost done when I looked in the margin and it said "Don't forget to look for something of yourself within these pages." I thought to my self, my life is good right now. I do not know if I will find myself within these pages. I turned the page and started to read. Beth Moore talked about how the world we live in is not perfect and we go through troubles and tribulations because we live in a world full of sin. I am going to state the next few sentences word for word.

"Beloved, something is always wrong! I still live in the real world where I get my feelings hurt, go to funerals, get rejected, catch stomach viruses, and age overnight."

I stopped reading and my heart started beating so hard that I had to get up from my bed and go in the living room because I could not stand still. It was now 2:30 AM and I had to step outside my front door because I felt suffocated. God spoke to me in a such a personal way through this one sentence. It was as if He snapped His fingers at me and said, "Wake up and turn your eyes back on Me!!!!!! You are not in control I am!" I was so scared to keep reading and all I wanted to do was close the book, set it on my night stand and go to sleep. I was frozen, I was floored, and I was frightened. I could not go back to sleep because God was not done speaking to me. For many years worrying about germs and viruses has become my world and I know that I have to let go. I sat on my couch and struggled because I was scared that if I gave the worrying to God I was going to be sick. I sat there praying to God and had an intense conversation with Him. I was telling Him I could not let go and He was telling me I had to let go. As I write this, I am still having this conversation with the Lord and I ask everyone to pray for this. I know that it might not seem like a big deal to some of you, but this is hard for me. I am so scared to post this because only a couple of people know about this worry and fear that I have carried for years! I have sat here trying to delay me posting this and I think. Why God do I have to make this public? Let's keep this between you and me, but He is telling me I have to do this. Why??? I do not know, but I know that it is for His glory!

What is your worry or fear that is keeping your eyes from the Lord? You may not realize it because it may be something so small and insignificant. Ask God to reveal to you anything that is keeping your eyes off Him. When He reveals it or if you know what it is, then join me in letting go! It is going to be hard, but God is waiting on us to give it to Him. I picture Him siting beside me saying I am ready to take control, give it to Me, let Me deal with it. Beth Moore continued to say that this world will cause us much grief, but there is a happy ending! Yes there is!!

Dear God,
I am turning this worry and fear to you. I am letting go and I am going to live in the Miracle of the Moment.

Amen


Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Speechless

I have been speechless the last few days. Every time I tried to write or study the word and listen to God's voice, I felt that I was distracted. On Sunday, I received some bad news, and I feel that I have allowed that to take over my mind. I believe that is just what the devil wanted. He always tries to bring us down or make us so mad that we focus on all the wrong things. The past few days, I have been so distracted, unorganized and unfocused. I realized today, at our women's bible study, that the last time I opened my bible was Sunday during our morning service. I do not know about all of you, but if I do not start my day by spending some time with God I am a total mess.  I am still speechless, but I am ending my day with the Lord!

I also wanted to ask all of you to pray for my dad and our family. Sunday is going to be a tough day for everyone. I will not go into details on here, but it will determine the future of my dad's ministry at First Hispanic Baptist Church in Gainesville. My dad is a very special man and I love him very much. He is a servant of the Lord and he always will be. He is my hero. How many people, after going through what dad has would simply give up and turn away from God? Yet he continues to love the Lord and preach His word. Dad encourages me to look past the "bad stuff" in life and keep my eyes on the final prize. When I see him, I do not feel pity or sad for him, I rejoice to know that he is still here!

Dad,
Thank you for loving me and for showing me that no matter what life brings I can always trust that God has a purpose. I love you so very much and thank God for allowing me to have a father like you. Thank you for setting a good example and teaching me that God comes first no matter what! I pray for you every night and think about you everyday. I love you and I am so very proud of you.

"They will fight you, but they will fall. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!" Jeremiah 1:19

I love you dad,
Maggie



Saturday, August 29, 2009

GO!

Last Sunday morning I was talking to my sixth grade girls about what happens when we do not follow God's will. We learned about Jonah and how he ended up in the stomach of a big fish because he did not obey the Lord. We also talked about how we should always follow God's will, even when it requires for us to step out of our "comfort zones." I do not know about you, but it is extremely hard for me to step out of my comfort zone. This is something that God has been asking me to do in many areas of my life, but that is another story for another day :).

I began to think after reading "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper...excellent book by the way. How many people in the world are walking around wasting their life because I didn't have the courage to step out of my "box" and share God's love with them. How many missionaries are out sharing the Gospel in countries where they can be killed for telling others about Christ? Yet here I am, in the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave too stuck in my own ways and too comfortable in my zone to tell someone about Christ. Most of us are familiar with Matthew 28:18-20, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." God commands you and I to GO! Not to sit back and let the missionaries or pastors of our church do all the work. We need to get up and go out into the world and share the love of Christ.



Wednesday, August 26, 2009

WOW

As I shared with you a couple of days ago, this month has been a tough month for us financially. This morning as I read my devotion, God reminded me that His promises are strong enough to handle any trial, situation, or circumstance in my life. In the devotional that I am reading, Catherine Martin wrote, "The promises that God has given you are worth more than any earthly possessions; the promises of God make you a spiritual multimillionaire." I am rich in the Lord and He is all I need.

As I checked our bank account online this morning and reminded myself that my hope is in the Lord, I received a phone call from the insurance company who is working our case. For those of you that do not know, about a month ago the kids and I were in a car accident. Thankfully it was not my fault and the other driver's insurance has taken responsibility for the costs. The representative wanted to talk to me about the bill from the hospital. Now you may want to take a seat, because what happened next is amazing. It went something like this.....

Representative: "ma'am I also wanted to know if you would accept a check for your pain and suffering"

Me: "You mean like you are going to give me a check...for me?

Representative: "Yes, and would you accept this amount for your son?"

Me: "You are sending me money for my son too...ok yes..." (As I thought to myself, is this really happening)

Representative: "Ok well I will go ahead and send you the check for the depreciation of value, a check for your pain and suffering, a check for your son's pain and suffering, and we are also going to send you a check in the amount of $___ to replace your car seats."

Me: "Ok...wow..thanks. So I don't need to buy them first and then send you a receipt to be reimbursed.

Representative: "No, we will go ahead and send you the check. I am sending them out today."

After our conversation was over I was overwhelmed in joy. I went and told Joseph and he did not know how to respond. I was speechless, but at the same time I wanted to scream and shout Praise God, Praise God!! The amount they are sending is exactly what we needed to get through the month.  How awesome it is to know that when you give it all to the Lord you will have no regrets! I sit here and my eyes are full of tears because I am so thankful and feel so blessed! Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." I am living proof of that. God wants us to cast all our fears and anxiety on Him because he cares for us. He loves us so much that He says "hey, I got this."

Trust the Lord and give it all to Him. When you do, hold on because He WILL show up!
The same promises that I hold on to are yours as well. Hold on to His promises, trust in Him, cast all your anxiety and fears on Him and sit back and watch Him work.

I Love Ya'll
Maggie

826 6:55 pm

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Faith Like Abraham

have been blessed with being able to stay at home with my children. I thank God everyday that he continues to provide. I am thankful that I have a husband who works one full-time job, one part-time job, and an off duty security job where he works twice a month. In the past two months Joseph's health insurance increased and his hours at the off duty job decreased. I spent a few days maybe even weeks frustrated and upset. Over the past year Joseph and I have cut many "luxuries" out of our budget and have concentrated on living a simple life. This month has been one of the toughest months we have had, but in the past few days I have experienced God's peace like never before. Please do not feel sorry for us, this is not why I am sharing this. We are very blessed and God continues to bless us beyond belief. I share this because of what I want to share with you.

In Romans 4:18 it says, "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed....." Abraham continued to believe in God even when all human possibilities seemed impossible. This is what God has shown me in the past few days. Even when everything seems impossible, nothing is impossible for God. We have to have faith like Abraham and believe in the Lord's promises. In Romans 4:20 it continues to say "Yet he (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strenthened in his faith and gave glory to God. Being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised." We should not waste our time wavering in unbelief and living with doubts of God's power. We should be strengthened by our Faith that God is all-powerful and keeps His promises. 

Maybe you are not struggling financially, maybe your struggles are different than mine, but one thing is the same. That is the power of Jesus Christ and if He lives in your heart then you have the assurance that He is with you all the time. No matter what your circumstance is, give it to God! Do not just give some of it to Him, give it ALL! For a long time I wanted to fix things and do things my way, but I have realized that I am not strong enough. That is why I have given it all to Him and I think that for the first time in my life I am experiencing what that feels like. I am standing on His promises and trusting in Him completely. I do not know what tomorrow brings, but I know that I can face it because He lives in me.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Psalm 127

Unless the Lord builds the house,
it's builders labor in vain
Unless the Lord watches
over the city
the watchmen stand guard
in vain.
In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat
for He grants sleep to
those He loves
Sons are a heritage from the Lord,
children a reward from Him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to
shame
when they contend with
their enemies in the gate.



Happy Birthday Mary Elisabeth

What a difference a year makes!!! This morning Josiah and I went into Mary Elisabeth's room and sang Happy Birthday! I can not believe she is one. It seems like only yesterday I held her in my arms for the very first time. I dream of the days when we will be able to have mom and daughter talks, spend daddy's money, get our nails done, shop for homecoming and prom dresses, and many more experiences! I know that it is a long time from now, but I can not wait to see my baby girl in her wedding dress escorted by daddy to the altar. I pray that the man that God has chosen for her will be a man after God's own heart who loves the Lord and lives to serve Him. I know I am getting ahead of myself...haha! I am enjoying her as she is now and I am not wishing her away, but I can not help but dream and imagine :) 
For now, I will enjoy her as she is.... She is walking on her own, has a mouth full of teeth, and is so fearless. I thank God everyday for blessing my life with this beautiful baby girl! I thank God that he has allowed me to experience being a mom. At times it drives me crazy and I feel like I can not go on, but I know that God is with me every step of the way.




Leaving the hospital



This morning



Thursday, June 4, 2009

Fun in the Sun

Joseph and I took the kids to the pool! It was our first time going to the pool with the kids so it took us a little longer to pack and plan. Almost an hour later we were off to the pool. We went downstairs to put the kids in the car and realized my tire needed air so.....off we went to the gas station to put air in my tire. After waiting very patiently for the guy in front of us (who by the way was slower than a turtle!!!!)we were off to the pool! We were finally there and took the kids out of the car. I put sissy on my hip and realized she was dripping wet (note to self: do not use two years old swimmers diapers....they do not work!!!!) So we changed her swimmers and headed to the pool. As soon as we came to the top of the hill I realized that I had left our towels at our house!!!! No I am not kidding.....so me and sissy got back in the car and went to pick up our towels. After almost another thirty minutes we were at the pool!!! The kids had a blast and we are looking forward to our beach vacation in a couple of weeks. Here are a few pictures of our afternoon at the pool.....ENJOY!!!!










Thursday, May 21, 2009

A Few Pictures


Josiah is growing up so fast. He is talking so much and is a smart little boy. I love the way he can brighten my day by turning to me and saying "love you mommy." He is a mess and I love him to death!




My baby girl! She is the sweetest prettiest baby girl I have ever seen! She is so precious and full of life. She has two teeth coming in and a smile that can light up a room! She is my little lady bug!


We put her in a new seat and she loves it. She started getting fussy in the infant seat just like brother did around this age. We figured it was time to switch her into a bigger seat and it has definitely made car rides a little quieter! Thank you mom for buying it for her!

I was so nervous to put him in a "big kid" seat, but Josiah has proved to be ready. We made sure he met all the requirements and is doing very well. He even reminds me to put my seat belt on before we pull out of the driveway!


Thursday, May 14, 2009

For God's Glory

So it has been quite a while since my last post. I have tried to write, but every time I sit my mind goes blank. As you all know we have had quite a year! My husband's father past away in February and a couple of weeks later my daddy lost his leg. I know you all know most of the details and know that we are going through a terrible time, but I do not want to post about the bad things in our life I want to post about the good things. I firmly believe that through all of our pain and suffering the Lord Jesus Christ has been and is still faithful to us. Yes times are tough, and there are days where I do not know how to go on, but I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family, amazing church family, and great friends. You all have been a huge support and I am so very thankful that my family and I have all of you in our lives!
God has taught me so much through all of this. I have learned that He makes me strong and that He has made me stronger than I thought I could ever be. Through all of this Joseph and I have felt so love and have grown closer to our family and our friends. 

In the past few months I have learned a lot of things and have discovered that I am so special to God. I am His daughter and He knows my name. He knows every detail about me, every thought that I have, and all of my desires. I fully trust in Him and know that what I am living right now, does not compare to that prize in the end. I know many of you are going through a hard time as well, and all I can tell you is to put your trust in the Lord and surround yourself with Him. Times are crazy right now and we are living in a world who makes us think that what we have, makes us who we are. That is so not true and we need to take a look at our lives and examine ourselves. God has taught me that as a christian and daughter of God I should lead by example. I know I am human and I do make mistakes, but I want to strive to be more like Him. I want to live a life of integrity, but I know that it does not happen by accident. I have to be deliberate and make a decision each morning to live a life of integrity. Beth Moore said, "Integrity not only calls us to live inside-out, it keeps the outside from coming in." We have to be consistent in our walk and in our talk. Another Beth Moore quote that I love is "Life becomes so much simpler when there aren't so many costume changes." Be who you are and not who the world wants you to be. I have also learned that as a woman of God I have to be modest and I have discovered that modesty can still be cute. God has called us to obey Him in every area of our life. In the small things and in the big things because when we obey God in the small things, it becomes easier to obey Him in the big things. This is when God shows up and just like he protected Daniel in the Lions Den he will shut the mouths of lions and protect you and I from the flames!!! This is the God that I serve and I am so in love with Him!

This is why I do not want to dwell in the bad things because I have a God in who I trust and know that He has everything under control. Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: REJOICE!"

Friday, January 2, 2009

First Feeding

Last Friday Mary Elisabeth and Abuelito (grandpa in Spanish) had their first feeding. This is so special to me in many ways. As many of you know my dad has had a rough couple of years. In 2006 he was diagnosed with Kidney Failure and started dialysis three times a week in November of 2006. As a kid when I was asked who my hero was I always said my dad. My dad is so special to me and I love him so much. In June of 2006 I learned that I was pregnant with Josiah and everyday I prayed that the Lord would give my dad the opportunity to meet Josiah. I praise God everyday because he did meet Josiah and in August of 2008 he met Mary Elisabeth. I know that life here on earth is hard for him and everyday is a constant struggle, but he manages to keep on going. My prayer for 2009 is that God will perform a miracle and heal my dad either by a kidney transplant or by the miracle of allowing his kidneys to perform normally again. I know my God has a purpose for all of this and I admire my dad because although he has his bad days, and does get down every once in a while, he continues to be a faithful servant of God. I am blessed with a father and mother who fear the Lord and have taught me to put Him first in my life. I have made mistakes and had my rough patches, but they still accept and love me. My prayer is that I "grow up" to be like them and give my kids the same principles they gave to me. I am who I am today because of God and because of them.
I actually started writing this blog about a month ago. So much has happened since then. My dad was diagnosed with vascular disease. As I sit here and write I can not come up with words to describe what is going on. All I can say is please pray for my daddy, he is not well. My hope is in the Lord and I fully trust in him. The doctors say he can lose his feet, I say God has the final say! Please join us in prayer and ask God to heal my daddy.
I Love you daddy!