Wednesday, June 27, 2012

I Will Praise You In This Storm


God is good...
Today is Worship Wednesday...I can honestly say this would have been the last day that I would have wanted to worship. Today we were suppose to find out if we were having a boy or a girl instead we founds out that our little growing baby didn't make it. Of course I cried, This is the second baby we have given back to God. But no anger surfaced instead I found myself saying these words...The words of a well know christian song by casting crowns " I will praise you in this storm".
I especially felt the words " I will raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away" and I honestly did. I am so thankful for the gifts and blessings God has given and I understand that God's plan is a perfect plan. 
So for this worship Wednesday I want to share the song that God put in my heart. I'm sad but overjoyed to have such an awesome King and to be able to know that I can call him Father! He will get us through!

I was sure by now

God You would have reached down

And wiped our tears away

Stepped in and saved the day

But once again, I say "Amen", 

and it's still raining



As the thunder rolls

I barely hear Your whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away



And I'll praise You in this storm

And I will lift my hands

For You are who You are

No matter where I am

And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm



I remember when

I stumbled in the wind

You heard my cry to you

And you raised me up again

My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You



But as the thunder rolls

I barely hear You whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away



I lift my eyes unto the hills

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord

The Maker of Heaven and Earth






Tuesday, June 26, 2012


Today I had my first ever 10min of silence and solitude (for more info check out or read this book)
I must say it was hard to put my thoughts and worries aside for 10 minutes! I've trained my mind to go non stop. I really pray this can become a good discipline because it really did my heart good! 
It made me realize how much I miss out by moving at such a fast pace. God and I had a good time in silence ;-)

But on to my thankful thoughts...

I'm thankful for:

  • God's amazing blessings these past few days, we've been approved on our house of our dreams! All the little details have been put in place! 
  • The appraisal report came in today and was incredibly good, never before has an appraisal report been so short (in the repairs department) out of ten pretty noticeable things that needed to be fixed, like light fixtures and fans and missing doors, he only picked out two small and easy fixes....totally not complaining!
  • Closing date is coming up, Thanking God for good friends who offered to take the kids and make sure they have an awesome day! 
  • Thankful for a very loving and supportive small group. We've been blessed with a very diverse but honest group of people. And even though we don't always agree on everything, the spirit of the group is just amazing! I find myself talking their ears off mainly cause I'm just so thankful for such an awesome group!
  • Thankful for finances to come through and the ability to do fun things here and there with the kids.
  • soooo thankful for peanut butter cupcakes...my cravings thank you!
  • Thankful for an amazing OB doctor! We find out if we are having a boy or a girl tomorrow!!! so excited!
  • Thankful that my morning sickness has subsided quite a bit, not gone completely,but definitely better
  • Thankful for a hardworking hubby who takes time for his kids and loves playing around with them.
  • Loves having easy going travelers, makes the rides a whole lot easier!
  • Gods mercies every day because I mess up every day, so glad he takes me back and grants me forgiveness...such a peace!
  • for GA peaches....LOVE peaches 
  • maternity pants! you rock my world right now...don't care if they aren't stylish...they are comfy, and right now that's all I care about!
So with that I close off my thankful Tuesday! Have a great night peeps! 

Thankful for these goofy boys!!!



Monday, June 25, 2012

Monday, Meaningful Monday!


So it's Monday already...I like this Monday (shocker!) My hubby is off today and tomorrow. I LIKE!
It's been a hot day and my head is hurting a bit, but it was a good day nonetheless ;-)

This week has been riddled with little "worry thoughts" here and there. I'm not full blown worried but just thoughts pop up in my head here and there "Oh no what if..." sort of questions.
I usually get over them pretty quickly, but i don't just want to get over them i want to get rid of them all together.
So I did some research and found 50 verses in the bible on worry, I printed them out (twice) one to put in the house and one to put in the car. I figured that should cover my normal to go places.
Whenever i get those "worry thoughts" i just whip out my verses and start meditating on one of them. 
This weeks verse really stood out to me you can find it in Psalms 73:26. I love psalms, David has such a "human" way about him, meaning he puts things is such a great way, i can feel his pain and his search for more of God. But he also shows a human side and that is what really encourages me!

My flesh and my heart may fail, 

    but God is the strength of my heart

    and my portion forever.

I like that the verse starts out with "my flesh and my heart may fail" that is so true...they will. mine does daily but instead of getting down about it I read on and I LOVE that he uses the words "BUT GOD"...it means there is hope! "But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" So even though my heart and flesh may fail God is all I need, I need to repent and seek forgiveness and He is all I need to get through anything.
There are tons more verses that stood out and i'll share them as i go through them ;-)

This week has been an awesome week, we've had new friends over, been able to hang out with some pretty incredible people and get some alone time here and there. God is answering prayers steadily and surely! We are so blessed!

My baby (well he's the baby for now!) turned two! I can't believe it! He's such a cutie and a joy to be around! He was sitting in his car seat this morning and I noticed him signing his verse :-) sooo cute and a blessing to see he takes joy in saying it. I'm sure that won't always be the case...but I'll be glad in it for now ;-)

The many faces of my wonderful two year old
Things with the house are moving slowly but haven't heard anything bad...so i guess that's a good thing!
Keep us in your prayers! 

My munchkin number uno..is doing better in his speech everyday, he's a very particular little boy ;-) 
He hit my knee by accident this morning, and he caught himself, bent over and kissed my knee saying "sorry mommy...booboo" so love having toddlers! even though they can make me want to pull my hair out at times!

Well I have a pretty awesome cupcake recipe to share and might not make it to Thursday to share so stay tuned! if you like buck eyes (peanut butter covered in chocolate) then this recipe is for you!!!

Have an awesome rest of your Monday!


 

Sunday, June 24, 2012

A late but very sincere Saturday!


So it's late...again. And guess what I can't sleep...I could go on and on about sleep deprivation but I won't.
Today was a good, hot full day!
I guess i'm slightly late with my Saturday post...but for the three readers that actually read this, I'm sure you will survive! lol

So lets get started...should I start with bad or good first?     Bad then good, that way I leave on a good note ;-)


  • I really despise finding toddler shoes anything, for boys that is. Either they are completely out or just don't know how to stock. Now I'm not bashing the workers at all. Now if you need girls...anything...no problemo choices galore. grrrr it took me a full hour browsing two stores only to find out they have no toddler boys summer shoes (well at least not under $20).
  • This heat...need I say more. It's just so freakin hot! I can't do anything with the boys without fearing they might get scorched up in a manner of minutes. 
  • Lack of birthday "specials". My baby turned 2 today, we thought it would be fun to take him out for a birthday brunch. chose a place I was sure would honor this cuties birthday by giving him a free ice cream...NOPE nada! Not that I expect them to dish out a free meal or anything. But really not even a free ice-cream! needless to say I wasn't that mean, I shelled out the measly $0.85 for the poor fella.
  • Work hours, I love that my husband loves his job but I'm not too thrilled about the fact that they seem to love him a little too much, making him stay 3-4 hours after his normal hours?! really. Its OK the first three times but the fourth really got me and not to mention he missed his baby boy turning 2. And no overtime pay!!!! grrrr
  • I can sleep, but as I mentioned I won't take over this blog for that!
  • 30 min wait time at a diner is NOT ok for a mom with two toddlers. And no I really don't want to wait thank you very much!
  • I hate that my earthly sinful mind just gets in the way all the time! I hate that my mouth just doesn't stop talking about myself. I want to get to know other people and love them as He did but just don't seem to get over myself...Oh Lord... My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.   Psalm 73:26 (NIV)

Ok so those were a couple negative thoughts, now that they are out....phew I'm good lol
but please remember I have positives for all those negatives. In my opinion every negative should be acompanied by 5 positives. But if I did that now you will be coming up with a lot of negatives about this blog and my name "too long" lol


  • As I had mentioned in the negatives I hate buying boys shoes but i must say that when I do find the right ones I'm glad for walmarts low prices...$3 for a pair of croc-like shoes...yes please!
  • Did I mention I LOVE having boys, they are so easy. to dress to entertain to talk to...I love it!
  • I'm soooooo thankful for AC in the car and in the house. I'm thankful that my house keeps the cool in.
  • Even though we didn't get a free ice-cream, my munchkins behaved extraordinarily well and had a huge blast in the play area. I also really appreciated a young couple sitting behind us, very earnestly take the time to thank the Lord for their meal! I do that with my kids, but I must say I don't see others do that often. and for my son to see it and point it out warmed my heart. so thank you awesome young couple ! you just influenced my son in an awesome way! keep it up!
  • I'm very proud of my husband and the hard work that he does to provide for the family. And i'm so thankful that God provided a job that he loves!
  • I can't sleep but i'm able to make use of my time like writing here on my blog ;-)
  • Glad that waiting times are only in certain restaurants and again for well behaved kids today!
  • I'm so thankful for smart phones or just regulat cell-phones, I lovew being able to talk or text to friends and family. I like being able to call my mom and talk or have her call my little munchkin to say happy birthday! 
  • I'm thankful for church family and "small" groups (ours isn't small lol) it's such a blessing to my day to be able to meet up and hang out with other couples my age with or without kids! it's really been an answer to prayer! Love you guys!
  • My boys are my smile! they make my day (although they can make it hard too lol) but I'm so glad God gave them to us.
  • I'm so thankful for Gods forgivenss and mercy! My verse I learned today My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.   Psalm 73:26 (NIV)
  • I love that God has blessed us so immensely these past few months, it's been truly astounding! Learning to fully trust Him.

So with that I say adieu and goodnight! (well not quite got some birthday cupcakes to make!)  
Have a Blessed Sunday!

Friday, June 22, 2012

First Friday Favorites...So many to choose from!


My week is always filled with lots of things to do, three toddlers at home definitely adds to the list!
But when the kids are in bed and I get some of the more pressing things done that needed to be done. I like to make myself a nice warm cup of Earl Grey and sit down and relax.
My phone has become my everything (that sounds bad...) What I mean is it's my phone, computer, camera, GPS, Kindle,...and on and on I use it for pretty much anything even cooking!

I subscribe to any blog that interest me and has decent content and is fun to browse, there are so very many blogs that are amazing it's hard to just narrow my list down to just a few.
You can check out my all time favorites under my "favorites" page above.

Today I tried something new...and I actually kinda liked it! My husband made fun of me and stuck his nose way up, although I was able to persuade him to try it...what a funny face he made ;-)
I love trying new things and reading about other peoples ingenious ideas, the cupcake project comes to mind, it's a very creative look on all the possibilities with cupcakes and I must say she takes it far like her most recent one "spam cupcakes" yelch  lol
but it's interesting nonetheless.
back to my daring choice in dessert today...I've been reading (for awhile now) that chocolate and bacon have become pretty much inseparable. Now I LOVE bacon and I definitely LOVE chocolate but I would have never ever put those two together!
Today...no I did not try bacon and chocolate...I went even further...I had a chocolate bacon sundae!!!
And I must say it was surprisingly good! never judge a food before trying, Europe taught me that especially France and Switzerland with all their absolutely Delicious but foul smelling cheese ;-p
The sundae had warm chocolate fudge and tons and mean tons of bacon bits all over the top. My only negative on it was the size, it was quite a large serving for such a rich dessert.
And do you want to know where I found this beauty of a treat????
None other than our hometown Burger King...shocked huh! I would have never guessed they would come out with something so daring! But I'm glad they did ;-)

PS: they also came out with awesome sweet potato fries!!! mmmmm

Well on to my favorites of this week:



L to R first row:
L to R second row:
L to R third row:
L to R fourth row:

Hope You Enjoy!!!! Happy Friday!


Thursday, June 21, 2012

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup


If you are wondering about this nice little "Tasty Thursday Treats" sigh above, you can catch up here.

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

I had made a huge roasted chicken for some amazing guests we had this past Thursday (you know who you are!). The chicken was good, but we had a tons of leftovers.
Usually I just pick the meat off the bones and discard the carcass ( I know...I know such a waste!). But you will be pleased to know I did no such thing this time.
I did pick the remaining meat off and stored it in a container. I looked up a fairly easy and straight forward recipe on how to make your own chicken stock. I must say (sheepishly) that this is the first time I've made my own chicken stock. I don't usually buy a whole chicken just for our family, but I'm starting to see why it would be a good idea to start. One chicken (roasted) lasted us a good 5 days and 5 good sturdy meals! so definitely worth the $8 I spent on the bird ;-)
The oh so good smelling fresh chicken broth...
ugly picture though 

This time I also came out with not only 5 meals but about 6 cups worth of chicken broth. I'm pretty darn proud of myself. I even wore my brand new frilly red and white apron (definitely a sight with me being pregnant lol)


I don't think the house ever smelled so good! The chicken and veggies (for the broth) cooked for a good 4 hours if not more. I look forward to using my fresh stock for more amazing recipes.
One recipe I did make was this really good spicy chicken tomato soup.
Serve it with sour cream, cilantro, cheddar cheese and some homemade tortilla chips....Yum!


It's filled with veggies, beans and chicken. It reminds me of a chicken chili. I'm not fond of the green chicken chili let alone chicken in chili but these flavors really went well and surprisingly chicken was the better choice for this soup.





Here is the recipe for this amazing spicy soup...enjoy!

Spicy Chicken tortilla Soup


Ingredients

2 qts water
skinless boneless chicken breasts (halves)
12  salt
1 tsp black pepper (ground)
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp parsley (dried)
1 tbsp onion powder
5 cubes chicken bouillon
3 tbsps olive oil
onion (chopped)
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 (16 oz) jar chunky salsa
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (peeled)
1 can (14.5 oz)whole peeled tomatoes
1 can (10.75 oz) condensed tomato soup
3 tbsps chili powder
1 can (15 oz) corn kernels (drained)
2 cans (16 oz) chili beans (undrained)
1 (8 oz) tub sour cream


Directions

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken.
  2. In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, chili beans, sour cream, shredded chicken and 5 cups broth. Simmer 30 minutes.
Adapted from Allrecipes


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Optimistic days of the week...filled with praise worship and thanks...Oh and treats of course ;-)

"Today has been a....HORRIBLE day, I was sooo tired and just couldn't get out of bed. My face feels swollen and I feel like i'm in the depths of despair...Pregnancy SUCKS!!!!!"

 Yuck yuck and yuck... I was confronted today on how horrible I sounded...yes granted it was a bad day and I did feel pretty crappy, but this was no reason to act as if I was dying and the whole wide world was falling down (it's not...far from it!) Today after going to a women's prayer time I felt totally convicted of my selfish attitude (I struggle with that a lot!). I needed a good positive change in my way of life.

 There are a couple of awesome blogs I follow that have cute little names for the days of the week, for example...

  •  Temptation Tuesdays By The doctorate Housewife - It's about food don't worry (for those of you already going there)She shares some awesome recipes and things she is learning in the kitchen, things her doctorate degree didn't teach her (she is also a good friend) 
  • Worship Wednesdays By Women's Bible Cafe - An online bible study for women who don't have a chance to go to a bible study in person, or for women who need extra spiritual food. 
  • Wordless Wednesday is everywhere 
  • Thankful Thursdays By the Cash Crew - Follow this amazing family as they follow God's calling to work and serve on the Mercy Ships. She faithfully shares her thankful thoughts on Thursday. A blessing to be sure!
 These are just a few I'm sure you can find TONS of blogs that dive into "the name of the week" game ;-) I don't blame them, it keeps them accountable to write or share something on a certain if not all the days of the week. So as you might have already guessed, I'm going to be diving into this cute craze (or try to). As I said above 'm ashamed of my attitude, I'm hoping this weekly schedule will help me focus on that said attitude.
I can't promise to write every day let alone every week. But it might keep me on track. 
So here is my week: 

  • Meaningful Monday: I'll be sharing something I've learned or something that stuck with me. It might be from my devos or bible reading, or something a friend sent me...you get the picture right?! Please feel free to send in meaningful thoughts or things that stuck out to you ;-) 
  • Thankful Tuesday: I'll give you a list of things I'm thankful for. And things God might be doing in my life. 
  • Worship Wednesday: I will share a good song or worship video that stood out to me. Everyone needs some uplifting songs or messages. 
  • Thursday Treats: I'll share a recipe that I have made lately, just like I ussually do. 
  • Friday Favorites: I have a huge favorites list for my blogs that I follow, they cover everything from food to crafts. I will share my favorites and the links to go with it. And believe me I have a lot...I just don't have the time to make or complete them all.
  • Sincere Saturdays: I will be totally honest on these days and will probably vent and go through my week in preparation of Sunday. My thoughts are my own but you are very welcome to share your opinions, just understand I'm just venting not looking for a cure ;-)
  • Silent Sunday: I will be...yep...you guessed it...silent, this will be my personal prayer and silent time of the week if you want to know more about searching for silence I highly recommend this book..."Invitation to Solitude and Silence - Ruth Haley Barton"
Have a most Blessed week! Love you all!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Chicken With Potatoes, Peas & Coconut-Curry Sauce



The kids have long gone to bed and so has my hubby dear. Laundry and chores are done. and I finally fine some rare alone time with nothing to do. (granted, I could go to bed lol but my mind wont let me) I have a hard time knowing what to do after kids have gone to bed and chores have been done (in all honesty...when ever are all the chores ever completely done???. So tonight I'm going to catch up to some much needed blogging ;-)       I'm sitting here with steaming earl grey in hand and an amazing recipe ready to share...A dear blogging friend (you can check her blog out here) sent me two boxes of absolutely amazing cookbooks. She had very sweetly written all her favorite recipes on a paper for each book. This recipe is from one of these books "Fine Cooking Annual" volume 1 pg 154. I'm continuing with her idea of writing down which recipes she liked. This one got 5 ***** !!! (stars...not cussing!)

       This recipe seriously is the bomb!!!!


Growing up I remember eating authentic Indian curry, all I remember was thinking it was very dry and spicy (not all curries are, but the yellow curry we were served def. was). I remember dreading "curry" night and finding unique and creative ways to make the yellow stuff go down...
One day a friend of a friend in college invited us over. She was Indian and an amazing cook I might add.
She taught me this wonderful trick of adding yogurt and bananas to my curry (I know...I know, I'm back with the banana craze, read more here) but I can honestly say..this made curry so much more enjoyable! I would go as far as saying that I didn't mind "curry" night as much any more, providing there was sufficient yogurt and bananas (you can imagine some peoples faces at the request of sliced bananas lol yogurt is comonly asked for, it cuts the spiciness).
Know at this point in life I had never been introduced to "Thai" food! a huge loss if you ask me! But don't worry to much, I quickly remedied that ;-)
I remember the day I tried authentic Thai curry....no...words...can ... describe what was going on in my mouth! It was AMAZING!!!
How could I have gone through life without ever knowing about Thai food???, Thai food became one of my favorite foods, i just absolutely LOVE the coconut milk mixed with the curry...divine!
I have successfully converted my husband to Thai food and we now love love love the dishes we've been served.

In my opinion this recipe is a mix of Indian and Thai curry. The coconut brings a creamy softness to the curry, and the potatoes add a unique touch. Of course I'm a huge cilantro fan and this dish definitely wore the cilantro well ;-)
Definitely try this recipe out...it is soooo worth it!

TIPS:


  • I found that using a spoon to peel the ginger works wonders, I used to use a knife, but would loose chunks of good ginger because of it. The spoon scrapes just the peel off...really easy!
  • You don't have to use the jalapeño, I have a 2 and 3 year old and I highly doubt they would have appreciated the added heat. I tasted absolutely amazing without it.
  • You can also just use the whole can of coconut milk. I stuck to the recipe and used the rest of the coconut milk for another recipe.
  • I just used regular yellow curry (not the red hot curry or the madras curry!)
  • Serve over basmati rice...mmmmmm




Chicken with Potatoes, Peas & Coconut-Curry Sauce


Ingredients

  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3) 
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 
  • 2 Tbs. vegetable oil;  more as needed 
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely diced (to yield about 1/2 cup) 
  • 1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger (look at tips above)
  • 2 tsp. seeded, minced fresh jalapeño (optional, I didn't add this)
  • 1 Tbs. sweet curry powder (not Madras or hot, I used regular yellow curry)
  • 1 cup homemade or low-salt chicken broth 
  • 1 medium (6-oz.) red or yellow potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (to yield about 1 cup) 
  • 5-1/2 oz. can coconut milk, well shaken ( for a thinner sauce, go ahead and add the whole 14-15oz can)
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas 
  • 2 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh cilantro 

Directions
  1. Trim the chicken, removing the tenders and slice on an angle into 3/4-inch pieces; season generously with salt and pepper.
White edges signal that it's time to flip the chicken
Picture courtesy of  fine cooking
  1. In a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it's hot enough to shimmer. Add half of the chicken and cook, flipping once, until lightly browned and just barely cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate; repeat with the remaining chicken. Cover with foil to keep warm.
  2. Return the pan to medium heat and, if it looks dry, add another 1 Tbs. oil. Add the onion, ginger, and jalapeño and sauté, stirring almost constantly with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables soften, about 2 minutes. Add the curry powder and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the pan with a spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the potato and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potato is barely tender, 7 to 8 minutes. 
  3. Add the coconut milk and peas; simmer uncovered until the peas are thawed, the potato is fully tender, and the sauce is somewhat thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. 
  4. Taste the sauce; add salt and pepper as needed. Add the chicken along with any accumulated juices to the sauce and turn to coat with the sauce. 
  5. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the cilantro.

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Annual volume 1 pg 154

                                     

Sunday, June 10, 2012

A call to prayer and an oppertunity to trust like never before!

Ever had a dream? Or a view of how your future will be?...
I definitely did I had my whole future planned out to the T... I was going to be married by age 21, have a great career, maybe children after the first 5 years... have a savings that people would envy! Never have to worry, my life would be perfect!
I'm sure any girl has dreams like that, especially about getting married... and having everything under control. You know, like the pictures we see in the magazines...
in my dreams I also had an awesome church and church family (well that part is true now). I was accepted, I was successful, and above all, in my dreams I was happy!
This was my "perfect plan" and it became my centerpoint, if my life did not go according to this dream I would not be happy and my mind (satan) would tell me that I was a failure.

God however did not share this dream of mine...
He had a different plan for my life...
I was married at 24... not 21!, we've have 2 kids and one on the way in the first 5 years, I do not have a successful career... unless you consider motherhood a career (heck I do!, it just doesnt pay well!). and because we've been in struggling ministries for the past 4 years our savings is non existent.
This was God's plan for our lives... not my perfect dream! But even though this seems to be a bad situation... God has been heading it up from the start. Unlike my perfect plan, that was orchestrated by myself, and had me at the front row... this plan was orchestrated by God.

I have struggled to accept that God is in control and have fought Him often.
My perfect dream still surfaces and tells me I'm a failure because I did not achieve all it had to offer.
satan has a way of inching his way into my head, and making me believe I am a failure... and if I'm a failure... why on earth would God do anything for me. This gets into my head, and my lifestyle, and makes me lazy and unmotivated to be a good christian. Leaving me feeling defeated and separated from God.

But what I am realizing, is that I am living God's plan. satan has no power. God's plan is obviously not my plan... and that's a good thing! Even though I don't have a career, a home of my own...God still uses me,
and has big plans for me. And I also know that God wants the best for his children.
His best not my best!

God has taken us through so many new doors, some He's closed at the last minute. Some he closed right away. Sometimes His direction was clear, sometimes it wasn't.
But the truth is He has never forsaken us, we have never been in need.
I find that when I put my trust in Him and put my dreams aside. He totally rocks my socks off :-)

A very known verse (and one of our favorite) in proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.

With all your heart means to give up any dreams and plans you might have for your own life and to give them to God... and let Him direct. cuz trust me He's better at it!
This is a daily battle, to die to oneself and to live in Him. But it's so worth it!

We have been so blessed! God has opened and closed doors.
and at the moment He has opened the door for us to buy our first home. I am trusting Him fully! knowing that He could close the door anytime... and I can honestly say I'm okay with that :-)
but I will say I am excited (and I would lie if I said I wasn't nervous... I'm human!) but above all I'm praying for God's will to be done.

So with all that said and done...here is the story of our new home to be :-)



My husband and I have been blessed emensely with the house we live in now. It's a rental but we knew it would be a stepping stone. With our family growing and my husband finally settling down into his new career we knew we would need to find a place of our own. I just expected us to buy a place in 10 years or so... not knowing the process and since we were just getting on our feet I didn't think we could afford it. so I had been looking at rentals around town. there were very little available and all the prices were sky high. I decided to take a break and trust that God would bring the right place into our path. let me be very honest... I was not doing well spiritually.. and was feeling very detached from God. that was 1 reason why I stepped back from finding a place... I was feeling frustrated and resentment toward our situation. I knew that this was not a good attitude. and knew I had to step back to take time and pray.
Finding a new rental was put on the back burner.



A couple weeks ago, my husband was driving home and decided to take a different route. On his way home he saw this house and a for sale sign that went with it. He felt compelled to stop.
he has not been too involved where is the house search. so for him to stop was something rare.
he told me he felt God telling him to give the guy a call. He did.
he got home told me we were going to visit home... I was not a happy camper... I had just stepped back from wishing 4 a beautiful home of my own... and all the frustrations that came with it. I knew that is this home with perfect... I would love it, but we wouldn't be able to afford it...
but my husband insisted that God told him to stop and call...
I decided to do the right thing and be a supportive wife ( I might add I did not have a good attitude)
and we went...
and sure enough I loved the place!



we both loved it... but had no clue how we would afford it.
within the last couple of weeks. God has provided a good christian realestate agent that we love.
he has made it possible for us to get pre approved.
he has also made possible for the bank (its a forclosure) to accept our offer.
as of now we are just waiting for the approval...
God willing our closing date will be july 13th!
now like I said, if God chooses to close the door... we will praise him anyway for everything He has done up until now.

So we ask you to please pray with us:

* For God's will to be done
* If it is god's will for the funds and
finances to come through
* For the loan to be approved
* For the closing to go smoothly

thank you so much for reading this and taking your time to pray for us.
we will keep you posted! God work is not done! Praise be to the Father and Lord of my heart.V

here are some pictures of our home... well soon to be home... we pray.