Most Valuable Lesson Learned

So I picked this blog topic before I even really knew what I was getting into. This will be cool; we'll be able to learn from each other. I began to think of certain life lessons God has taught me. He used some pretty great people too, friends family and strangers. Here we are: seek him first, quality of friends is better than quantity, treat others the way I would want to be treated, and so on. However, everything I was thinking of became better than the next until I realized the thing of upmost in importance in my life:

the love of God

I wish I could say it was a certain day I remember, but I dont. In fact, it has been many days I've encountered and days Ive had to reencounter. My whole life, I knew and trusted that God loved you. Its easy for me to believe that God loved everyone else and I always said he loved me too. But then when I truly thought about it...

God loves me personally!- not matter what I have done, and no matter how many more mistakes I will make, He loved before I was born. He knew I was a mess and He chose me!

Say that to yourself right now. Do you believe it? It brings it to a whole new level of God is Love. God is love but he is giving it to YOU! And He is right with you, wanting to show you how to live free!

For me, when I really think about it and really get how much He has done for me, sent His son to die for me, so that I could live forever with Him, its amazing and tears flow automatically.

I have to admit though, when I haven't spent time with Abba, its easy to forget how much he loves and is for me, nothing can be against us when were together! It would be the best to start everyday with that undefeatable thought. Truth is I can and you can. The best part is God is always there and my prayer for you and me today is that He will continually keep us at a place where we need and can't live without Him, that our lives would be wrecked until we come to him and see it through His eyes and His love.

Love you girls.

Heres some more thoughts on life's most valuable lessons by some awesome chicas...

Shelly and Emily

Consider it Pure Joy.

This is hard for me to write this morning. As I thinking of my greatest joy and biggest trial right now, I laugh because they hardly differ:

My time with Jesus is a sincere joy, and often I fail to meet with him on a regular basis.

Truly being a homemaker this year rocks my world, and at the same time trying because I know it would be easier and perhaps more instantly gratifying to step foot back in the barbershop.

Ministry loving kids in the Nursery is amazing, but I struggle in almost every aspect of running it.

I love doing hair, and have trouble managing my time.

Pregnancy is a great treasure, and at this moment I feel like I could a) nap b) vomit.

I long to have a me-moment (take 5 min n paint my nails), but hardly do it because I don't think I deserve it.

One of my greatest joys is helping others, but I can do it with the wrong motive.

I know all this might sound crazy to you. God is challenging me. I know that I can't stay the same. Things have to change. He is teaching me to be faithful in what I have. I'm learning to manage and make use of what I've been given. I want him to be able to use my life for His glory, and right now he keeps showing me how I must be faithful in what he has already given me.

I really think that in every joy we have, the devil tries to steal a part, if not all of it. Im determined not to let that happen. Im going to run this race. Heb. 12:1

God made me who I am, where I am for a reason. Im so incredibly thankful that He loves me enough not to leave me how I am, and Im so ready for Him to change me into what He wants me to be.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,

not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

A verse to live life by!

"Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.

Don't worry about missing out.

You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."

Matt. 6:33 MSG

I was raised "christian", around other "christians" and grew up in church. Although, looking back it wasn't until I truly grasped this verse that I began to truly live my life for Christ.

Story began when I was 19 yrs old, ya know the crazy stage where you're not quite sure what to do with your life. Im not a kid, and not ready to be old. I fell somewhere in the middle. And I dont know if this is normal for some people but I've always wanted to do things as fast and as soon as I could in life. I took drivers ed a week too early, so I had to -wait- patientlyfor my permit. I took my road test before I was 16, so I could walk in SOS on my birthday to obtain that license. I managed beauty school and high school at the same time, so that I could graduate early. By the time I was 18, I had my high school diploma and my license to do hair. I was proud of myself and where God had taken me, yeah. At the same time, believe it or not, I was quite upset with myself and God that I was not with the person I was supposed to marry. Like really God, my mom was married at 19 about to have her first kid, I need to be doing something with my life! It might sound crazy I know. But at 19, I thought getting married should have already been in the works. Anyway...I've had one semi-serious boyfriend in my life but I hung around a lot of guys, I figured someone was better than no one. Plus hey if they liked me it was fun to hang out. I knew I did not want to date them and it was wrong. Everyone could see it, me, my friends, family, and most importantly God.

Then I went to IHOPE (international house of prayer) @ 10mile n Frazho. I know y'all are thinking pancakes sound good right now, me too but lets stay on task. So I couldn't see truth from my friends and family about how I was living my life in sin, God decided used some older guy (think he might have ran the meetings) I have never met him in my life to come up & pray with me tell me these words...

"But put/seek God's kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all of those things (he inserted)- all the relationships and stuff that you crave- will also be given to you."

I was blown away, like really God I am that ignorant that you tried to use my family and friends and when that didn't work you cared enough about me to send some random guys to speak your truth and know what was going on in my life. It was stinkin' amazing! Plus, Everyone I went with was spoken to by God that night.

So then I had a decision, and many decisions after that. I chose to seek God with all my heart, drop everything that hinder me from getting to know and fall in love with my wonderful creator. Literally I came to a point, I remember sitting in my car thinking, God if I never get married, I will be happy as long as I know I'm doing what you for me.

I was in this life, and in it for Him. Honestly, soon after that...I became friends with my future perfect husband. It even took me a little to be fully convinced by God that this was what he wanted for me because I just told him I was okay if I never married, secretly hoping he had a back up plan. But thank God it didn't take me to long to see Raul was the one for me because I had a schedule of babies to have & keep before I'm 30.

This one's for the LLaaaadies!

When you read the title, think Baby Mama.

Okay so the JCM topic was Why girls need girls, why girl friends are important. In raw honesty, I have to admit my first reaction to hearing the topic was "ugh sounds sappy." FYI, Urban dictionary defines sappy as "something very lame, or something so sweet it makes you want to puke." Thank God for 2nd reactions...I began to think about it and got excited to write on the topic. Since everyone loves a list, Here, in no particular order, are the reasons I came up with- Why girls need other girl friends:

* I can't have guy friends when you're married. (Don't fight me on this, it's true. I would say 90% of my friends, and including myself have said they grew up hangin out with boys and not girls. I have come to realize why this was, at least for myself. Girls size other girls up, and compare, too much! Girls have an undying need to be cuter than the next and since girls cannot be compared to guys, girls hung out with guys. Every girl, including myself will simply state this "because boys are less drama." Not to mention its always easy to hang out with guys because GUYS like girls. One exception to having a guy friend while married is another couple you and your spouse hang out with)

*I need someone to tell me if its too low,short,tight and just ain't right! We have our girl friends because they are honest with us and our clothing choices. and We know guys are biased on this subject. ;)

*I might need someone to cry with. Again 90% of my friends, including myself would say they are NOT "criers" but in raw honesty, we cry sometimes and it's just a little easier when your girl friends feel ya on a given subject.

*I need opinions and advice. Whether its marriage to babies, girls need advice from godly women who might have been through the same things--& Guys dont pop out babies or have been through every weird thing that comes along with it.

*I need someone to listen. Okay guys might listen, and I have a great man who does. I do find that my girlfriends will patiently hear out my details of the story. I find most girls are good listeners and this is something I do need to work on.

*I might need someone to be excited about the 2nd, 3rd, 90th kid I am having. Boys don't get this, its cool for the first but not so much the second OR 90th. and if you a guy and reading this...Your woman needs just as much love and pampering as she got on the first baby, maybe even more because now she has both hands full. Girls get this!--and your really close girl friends will try to get scheme their way into your delivery room, just to show you love.

*Friends help me focus!

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm

not turning back.

Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal.So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it. (Phil 3)

I'm sure my list could go on, and although I can hate to admit I need other people, I surely do. And I am so blessed with friends around me who keep me accountable and tell me what I need to hear. They ultimately make me a better woman, and to quote Emily, "the woman God knows I can be."

Thanks to all my GIRL friends, I love you beyond words, and appreciate you more than you understand! <33

Check out 2 women that have made my life so much better! Emily & Shelly 's blog on this topic.

Ps. I can dig sappy.

A servant's heart

The motivate of a servant's heart shows it to be true or not.

Many moons ago a topic, chosen by my accountability group, was to describe yourself in one word. And in this one word we were to describe ourselves, the good and the bad. My first thought was how can that be possible? As I pondered the thought more, the first word to illustrate both the good and bad parts of my character was: servant.

I'll start with the unpleasant. One bad part about serving is that sometimes I can serve for my own benefit, serve so others will serve me, or serve so others will like me, mostly serve so things can work out my way. I see myself as a hard working person who loves to be appreciated much to the extent of doing things for others just for approval & apprecitation. Thank Jesus, he nipped this in the bud. How he did this was kind of interesting. I was at the barbershop cleaning my life away, and began to have conversations with myself (come on we all do it) about how if I wasn't cleaning it wouldn't matter because no one appreciated it anyway. I mean my peers or my boss didn't even notice! Then I heard the voice (we've all heard it) ya know sounded like my own but its the one that shows me how wrong I've been. It's the voice of God. What he reminded me of that day was Gal. 1:10 and how I was living quite the opposite. NLT states it, "Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant." It wasn't until I heard His voice, that I understood why I did not recieve appreciation and pat on the backs from people. He wanted me to get my approval from Him, and now thats all I really need.

I don't think I have to talk too much about the good side of it. It's pretty self-explanitory. I do believe its a desire God put in me and puts in all of us to serve and love him. By doing this, it most always means we have to serve and love others. When I am spending time with God on regular basis, to serve others is second nature. When serving now, God reminds me of this verse in Phil 2:5-7

In your relationships with one another,

have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God

something to be used to his own advantage; rather,

he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Please enjoy some other good blogs on One-Word descriptions by Emily-Kate & Shelly.

Resolutions to Revolution!

Carpe Diem. Its an old saying right? An awesome one at that. Lately Raul and I have been saying "Live it." To me, it means the same thing. Take the life that Jesus has given us and use it for a purpose to glorify him.

A lot of people, including myself, start off the New Year with a few resolutions. For me, I know there's changes to made, goals to accomplish and things I need to finish. Sometimes I just lack motivation or a reason to get it done. But why wait until the New Year to start?- Is that not procrastination all the more? That's why right now, I compiled a list of things I hope to achieve before the New Year even comes around. I encourage you as well, if you've been wanting to start, quit, get, or give...start today! You'll have more to celebrate when the new year comes around. Feel free to comment with your number one resolution to revolution!

Here we go:

• Hang pictures in my house
• Pray more on purpose.
• Read 2 books (Don't laugh.)
• Catch up and Stay on my Chronological- one yr. bible reading plan @ youversion.com
• Rejuvenate our church Nursery
• Redo some furniture
• Spend time with Family/Build relationships
• Learn frugality (Have a Pay Debt/ Save MoNey plan-actually have money in our savings acc. come Jan 1st 2012)
• Give more money and of myself.
• Do Small group homework before the day its due- Live on purpose.

No particular order, for anti-judging purposes. Haha :) This blog was inspired by Jesus and the Coffee mommas. Shelly, Emily and I ...were not out there to get big or rich, we love us some Jesus and like us coffee drinkin'. Our purpose is to inspire, encourage and motivate not only one another, but everyone around us. And Yeah we write some awesome blogs for anyones enjoyment, so be sure to click their links and see their resolutions!


"I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work." –Pearl S. Buck