Mexico Mission Trip

We are gearing up for our Mexico Mission Trip. Hubby and son will be going with a group from the church to Mexico to build a house for a family next Spring Break.
I spent most of the day with a fellow church member collecting donations for the silent auction planned for next weekend. Our efforts have been so blessed that I cannot even begin to tell you how much. I have claimed the following scripture for our fundraising efforts for this Mission Trip:

Ephesians 3:20 says “With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine.”
I thank God that He has blessed our efforts so far and pray He will continue to bless beyond our imagination. I pray His hand will guide us in all decisions being made toward this effort. Please join me in claiming Ephesians 3:20.

School Clothes Shopping.

I ventured off with three children on Saturday to go school clothes shopping. This was an adventure in itself. After many meltdowns from my youngest (3 years)-she will be starting preschool this year and many arguments and disagreements between the older two (12 and 8), I was definately ready to return home and have a quiet evening. I just want to share one of the meltdowns that Val had. Here we go, we are in the check out line at Walmart and have one more store to stop at to buy her green dress that she wants for school. She has a total meldown and says in a whiney voice "Bubby, can you buy me some gum? But it has to be green gum to match the green dress momma is gonna buy me. Please bubby!!" I thought I was going to just cry but could not hold back the laughter. My thought was, "Oh my, my three year old is coordinating her gum to match her dress, what???" Needless to say, she got her gum and her dress and was once again happy.

I refuse....

I will not let the regrets and disappointments of THE PAST and the fears of THE FUTURE hinder God's blessings TODAY.
God's word is full of promises He has made for us. Why do we allow Satan to use the regrets of yesterday and the fears of tomorrow to steal our promises of today??? I refuse to let Satan have a hold in my life!!!!! We must push him aside in order to move forward with God.

Suffer the little children....

I am amazed as I walk into a local church to take my two girls to a VBS that is mind you well advertised and that we were invited by some friends that go there. I will not reveal the name of the church but here is the story.

I walk in, a lady comes up to me after standing there for a few minutes (I find out later that she is the VBS Director). I ask if there is paperwork to fill out for my children to attend VBS. Her first response is "I don't even know who you are. Are you planning on staying? Who are you?" I tell her my name and where I live. She then says "Well, this one looks a little young, how old are they?" I tell her their ages 3 and soon to be 8. She then says "Well, she is too little to stay, you can talk to the teacher, but she is a little small." She says "Well the other one can stay if she will." I asked Emilea if she wanted to stay (praying she would say no because of how abrupt this lady was being) Of course she wanted to stay. She had friends there. So I gave her my number and she said "It's over at 8:00, you will be back then?" I said yes and went to the car with my three year old kicking because she wanted to stay. I went to my friends house for a planning meeting. Got there and she asked why didn't Valerie go to VBS with Emilea and I told her what happened. She was one of the friends that goes to that church and also has a three year old which was at VBS. She loads Valerie up and here we go back to the church. I don't even get out because I am so upset. She takes her in and the pastor comes out and appoligizes. I explain that it is not his fault. I also tell him that I am over the children's ministry at my church and I would never turn a child away that is wanting to hear the gospel. I said when I walked threw those doors, she did not know if I was "churched or unchurched". What kind of testimony did she just set for your church. Again, he appoligized and said he would "make" her appoligize to me. I told him that was not necessary. He insisted that this should not have happened and he was sorry.

My meeting ran a few minutes over so I sent another friend (that goes to church there) to pick my children up. I receive a phone call from the director asking if it is ok for my friend to pick them up, I tell her yes that would be fine. She then abruptly says "did you arrange that?" I said you know what, I'll come get them. She ended up sending them back with the friend. I get a voicemail from her saying that she "evendentially owes my an appology". She quoted bible scripture to try and justify her actions....AMAZING!!! She said she just did what she would hope I'd do in her position.

I AM in her position every time I walk threw the church doors (responsible for the care of children) and I pray that I NEVER do what she did (turn a child away because I don't know the parent). Here I go quoting scripture but in Matthew it talks about the parents bringing their children to Jesus so he could lay hands on them and pray for them and the diciples getting angry and saying that they were bothering him. We all know what Jesus' reply was "Let the children come to me, Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children."
We so often forget that in order to inhiert the Kingdom of Heaven, we have to become like little children. It is a shame that we turn away children from hearing the gospel because it is not convenient for us or because we let out titles, education and sophistication stand in the way of the simple childlike faith that God so desires us to have.

Icing in my hair...

Yesterday, I went and got a hair cut. The style I got can either be spikey in the back or worn flat. The lady put gel in it to make it spikey. I had to tell you that to get to the rest of my story.....

Last night as I was laying in the bed with my three year old reading her nightly bedtime story, she was playing (or I should say pulling) my hair. I asked what she was doing and her reply was "Playing with your hair". I told her to stop it cause it was hurting mommy's head. Then she said "You got icing in your hair." I fell out laughing, told her it wasn't icing and tried to explain what it was and she just could have cared less.

I have nothing inspiring from this little story, I just wanted to share. It's amazing to me what little ones think.

SHAPE UP....

Yesterday morning I began on a journey that will change the rest of my life. This journey may not seem big to anyone else, but it is to me. I have decided it is time to get into shape. Yes, I am beginning a morning ritual to help in this great journey. I am getting up early and walking briskly for 30 minutes a day. So far, it is going good. Walking along with the proper diet and other exercise and I should be back in shape in no time. I am determined to loose at least 15-20 pounds. Be praying for me as I embark on my journey. Much love and hugs.
Tricia

PUSH BUTTON CONVENIENCE......

After I got my van, we were all pushing buttons and trying to get used to everything and my son pushed a button and the back windows popped out. He made the comment "Wouldn't it be neat if you could just push a button and the seats would disappear?" It was then that I realized that we live in a "Push Button Convenience" world.

What did we do before buttons were invented and how would we act if we had to go back to a manual way of doing things?
Think about it, we push buttons for the following just to name a few:
1. Push a button on the microwave and you get warmed up food.
2. Push a button to lock and unlock you car doors
3. Push a button and you get your car seat adjusted to fit your comfort.
4. Push a button (doorbell) to get someone to the door.
5. Push a button to set and disarm your house alarm.
6. Push a button and turn the t.v. on and off (same with computers)
7. Push a button to roll your windows up and down.
8. Push a button to turn the radio on and off.
9. Push a button to mute the t.v.
10. Push a button to set our alarm clock.

How many more things can you think of? I am totally amazed at the "Push Button Convenience" of our daily lives.

Why does EVERYONE want SOMETHING?

I wonder why it is that most people don't call anymore to just chit chat?
This week has been a very busy week for me (and it's only Wednesday). It seems that every time the phone has rang this week, it has been someone wanting or needing something.

Whatever happened to just calling to say Hey, how are you doing? I miss have conversations with people just because you enjoy talking to one another. Are those days finally gone forever? I remember growing up and my parents sitting on the porch just enjoying visiting with the neighbors. Why has our lives become so fastpaced that we don't take the time to even know our neighbors much less visit with them.

It's not because we have less time, its because we are trying to fit too much stuff into the time that has been given to us. We have lost our ability to use our time wisely.

A time to reflect......

on Mark 11:25 A scripture that God showed me several years ago when I was holding a grudge against some people that had done me wrong,Mark 11:25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.It makes me think if I don't forgive people, what right do I have to ask God to forgive me for ANYTHING? Someone once told me about our circumstances in life that you can either become bitter or become better because of it. It is our choice. Forgiving does not mean we necessarily forget, we may remember, but we choose not to allow the memory to keep us bitter. Also forgiving someone does not make that person right; it makes you free.

I don't want to be....

I don't want to be PERFECT, I know that will NEVER happen but I DO want to be all I can for God's purpose to be fulfilled in every aspect of my life and sometimes that means leaving some things and people behind in life. Over the years, this has happened but I believe that God has placed and does place people in our lives either to enrich his calling and purpose or to make us stronger in the process of shaping us into who we are to become.

A birthday celebration......

On Saturday morning, I was awaken by the smell of something cooking. My first reaction was to spring out of bed and see what was going on since both my hubby and I were still in bed. Then I realized what was going one. My 11 year old and 7 year old were making me breakfast for my birthday. I decided I would lay there and "pretend" to be asleep when they would burst into the bedroom singing Happy Birthday. They even had a candle on some candy I had made a few days before. I am so blessed to have such great children. Along with the grilled cheese, coffee and candy, they had made me a special card and sang to me. What a great way to be awaken on your birthday.

Then later that morning, my oldest sister called to wish me a happy birthday and asked if we'd like to go eat fish that evening. Who can turn down a meal on their birthday, right? So of course, we went. My family, my oldest sister and brother-in-law, niece and great nephew all enjoyed fish with all the trimmings. We ate way too much.

As the day progressed, I received many texts, myspace messages, and phone calls even into the night, wishing me a happy birthday. What an AWESOME day. Truly a day to be remembered for years to come. I felt so overwhelmed to be remembered by so many people (of which I love them all).

Thanks for remembering me on my special day!!