Precious Christmas Advent

This is the first year that my husband and I have purposefully implemented a "Service Advent Calendar" and it was such a blessing!  It is hard NOT to think about Jesus and what He did for us when you are serving others for an entire month!  It was inspired last year and I didn't take the time to get organized to make it happen, but this year it was SO worth the organization and of course it wasn't nearly as overwhelming to find service acts as I made it out to be last year!  Thank you Lord for helping us make this Season all about YOU!  Matthew 1:21

Happy Mother's Day to ALL kinds of Moms!

I'm bummed it's been so long since I last wrote, but I'm not bummed for the reasons why:)  I have been enjoying the beauty of seeing my husband live his life as a bride!  We got our first placement as Foster Parents and my husband has fallen into the role of Dad SO well, what a beautiful thing.  We have really loved this opportunity and look forward to the next placement as we just heard this sibling set will be going back to their birth mom.  We're bummed we don't get more time with them (only 3 months), but we sure are happy that they are getting what their little hearts desire and pray that it will be nothing but positive!  What great kids that we will always remember!  I may not get to have them with me on this Mother's Day, but I sure am proud to say I am a mother now and wonder how many children God will have in store for my lifetime since it's just beginning!  Happy Mother's Day to all the Mommas out there...we come in all shapes, styles, names and types!  May you be blessed this weekend and always, knowing you HAVE made a difference!  1 Chronicles 4:8-10

41 Years and Counting

WOW! Today my parents celebrate 41 years! I am so happy to hear them so joyful about it. My mom says they took their vows seriously, till death do us part.

Well, we are only at the beginning of our journey, but I am so thankful to have a marriage to learn from in my direct reflections in life.  We recently got our photos taken together for the first time and I'm glad we waited because now I can always remember how mature we have gotten by this point in life and what sincere joy we have found in each other and never earlier on could I have felt that our photos were so genuine.  I love my husband and it's only because of my other groom that we are where we are...Jesus Christ!  And soon we will get to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS! Have a great month celebrating with your family and loved ones why our life can be so peaceful!

For all my www friends that I don't see every day...

What would I have to do to get you to see that Jesus Christ is real?

Once you see that Jesus Christ is real, would you be willing to surrender your life to Him?

Jesus died on the cross for our sins, according to scripture...
He was buried and then rose from the dead, according to scripture...
He's alive and living in me and can live in you as well.

What are you going to do with that information?

Please read John 3:16. I love you!

Just a Snippit about LOVE:)

My husband and I are going through the application process to become Foster or Adoptive Parents, whatever our future holds.  I know my heart wants to be an adoptive parent and I know when God's time is right, I will be.  But a thought came to mind today and that is that I am not eager to be a Mommy just because of the whole Baby thing...believe me, YES, I do know how precious that is, but I am eager to have children in my home because:
I just want to love and be loved and love those who need it...every day there is someone we walk by and that someone just might be that one person who needed a smile or a hello so just give it away. It's worth the chance of a slight bit of uncomfortableness to let them see that glimpse of Jesus that they may not have otherwise ever received in their entire lifetime!

If Fostering is what is going to give these children the only love, peace, joyful surroundings that they would know during this time of transition for them, then Lord USE US!  Psalms 51

It's Only about YOU and HIM!

It's all about YOU, Jesus..And all this is for you...for your glory and your fame...it's not about ME or that You should do things MY way...You alone are God and you are worthy...to be praised! I so often wish I had a better voice because music sounds SO good in my head, especially when it's worship songs! This one came to mind, so I thought I'd just go with it:)

Well, I noticed a pattern today and whenever I notice a pattern of the same topic coming up over and over, I know there must be many more who need to hear it so let me share about a recent and consistent topic of conversation these last couple weeks for me. It's ALL ABOUT YOU AND HIM!

As much as every single one of us would LOVE to have that PERFECT spiritual relationship with the man we call our husband, it does not exist for many of us, at least not to the levels of what we think of as PERFECT. It is then that we need to remind ourselves that it's not about having that perfect relationship here on Earth, it's about our relationship with the Lord individually that needs to be focused on. Just focus on your OWN relationship with your Lord and let your husband focus on his OWN relationship with his Lord. Once you both are spiritually ready, the Lord will bring you together for what is more beautiful than what you imagine right now (this could be 6 mths or 6 years down the road). Let God do the work, quit trying to make it perfect for Him because it won't be...until He has you just where He wants you AND your husband. Work on yourself!

Forcing a spiritual relationship can sometimes feel similar to being unequally yoked: 2 Corinthians 6:14. Even though both of you might be Christian, you might not be spiritually mature enough to share with each other as God has designed it for us to enjoy. Be Patient in this because it's a long journey, but I'm seeing it be more and more worth it every day. Let's take baby steps and we'll get there. I'd like to dedicate this blog post to my Mom and Grammie for their witness throughout my life of how to build an independent relationship with God FIRST and FOREMOST because it's all about ME and HIM! I love you both so very much and thank you for showing me this most precious piece to life everlasting!

Remembering a Legacy of a Bride!

It's been 1 year already since my precious Grammie passed away. We just buried her ashes on Friday and I am convinced she left a legacy that will NEVER be forgotten! The memories that were recalled among us ALWAYS referred to her sweet sweet personality that would never say anything bad about anyone, always on her knees in prayer when she was going through hard times and always encouraging others during their times of distress. My Grammie is a prime example of how we should live our life as a member of the Bride of Christ. Grammie quoted Ephesians 4:32 in the Memorial DVD from her interviews in 2006 when I recorded her talking about her life story.

What a Way to Celebrate!

For the second year in a row, I participated in a "Cross-Walk" in Temecula, CA. I had never heard of such a thing prior to last year and now I can't seem to stop spreading the word, but my ultimate plan is to continue in this tradition no matter where I live...AND if there isn't one, start one! Think BIG because God is in control:) We walk about the distance Christ walked to His crucifixion. Several crosses of varying sizes are carried along the route and last year a woman was playing a violin as we walked (how precious the sound was)!

This year, I walked with my cousin and her three precious children, singing youth worship songs towards the end. What a sweet, sweet time to think about our Lord and how grueling that walk must have been (already having been beaten, then being forced to carry a huge log-like cross, for hours because he could barely walk). Thank you Lord for saving me, what can I say, you are my everything, I'll sing your praise! Great are you Lord! Happy Easter! Read Luke 23 and John 19 to see it for yourself, read slowly and take in deeply what our Lord did for us!

Submit a post to share on the blog about what you did for Easter, or what touched you during this holiday that maybe you've never thought about before and I'll send you the movie Fireproof or the book Love Dare, whichever you prefer!

I can't stop saying THANK YOU!

I am overwhelmed by what the Lord is doing with my life! Every time I think, WOW He's really done it this time, something else happens and so finally I say..."Thank you Lord!" rather than "I can't believe this is happening!" I am a real planner, but I have learned that my way of thinking needs to have Faith that I will get what I want and more (WITHOUT thinking about it) if I focus on the NOW rather than my FUTURE.

I started this blog with the hope of putting a conversation starter out there for people to stumble across, see a heart being spilled out so that they hopefully get something that helps them in their walk with the Lord, then in turn spill out their heart so that it can help all of us who are reading it! My husband mentioned the other day that he has been thinking about what he is going to write for this blog and hopefully that will get more men involved as well. I know there are some awesome Men of God reading this and I hope you pass the word on, because Christian men and women, we are ALL the BRIDE of CHRIST (I know men find it hard to be a BRIDE, but you are:)). I try not to focus my examples only on being a bride to my husband, but life in general because this blog is about being the BRIDE of CHRIST more than anything!

All this to say, as I walk through life, the little things should get just as much attention as the bigger things that God is doing in our walk with Him. Thank God for it ALL and you will experience ongoing JOY because the little blessings are just as exciting as what used to be considered the big blessings! Matthew 6:19-22

Have you gotten to a point in life that the little blessings aren't paid attention to? Thank God for it ALL!

Fireproof Your Marriage With Us!

I have a fabulous GUEST BLOGGER today! For those of you who read and haven't yet participated in My 1st Giveaway!, my sister-in-law has some great words of encouragement from her time spent in reading the book Love Dare. It is very special to me to share her words since she sent the book to me and my husband without us knowing and I am overwhelmed with God's perfect timing for this book in my life. Please let me know your stories, they don't have to be about the book, just great things we can share with each other about life, love, marriage, our walk with our Lord and anything else that can be encouraging as we abide in Him and for Him throughout life.
May John 3:16 be your greatest comfort today:) I love you!
Since I read this blog, I have wanted to respond, not necessarily for the movie giveaway, but because I have read the book and it brought so much to me so here it is. I have finished reading Love Dare, and I have bought it and sent it out to the people I love the most, so that they too can benefit from it. Not because you try to fix their marriage, or because anything is wrong with it, but because I love them all and hope and pray that something in that book clicks and maybe just maybe betters them as a human being, Christian, and yes, even partner. But this is what I got from it. I got a positive outlook to marriage. Coming from a surrounding of not so positive outlooks, I learned "marriage" is not just a commitment, it's a covenant. Not just with your spouse, but with God. And in trying to work out a marriage, the good and the bad, you are also working on a covenant with God. In a marriage there REALLY ARE 3, but first you must know how to put God first and above all else. You must learn to trust and put your faith in God, that things will change, and things may hit rock bottom, but if you have a strong foundation with God, and hold on tight, you WILL survive. You will come out stronger and better. God gives you the person meant for you, you may not always like the packaging after awhile, but it is what God needs in your life. And we must remember that we OURSELVES may not always be the best packaging for our spouses, but we must never give up in trying to be who the Lord intended us to be in order to give our spouses whom they were intended to have. Many parts of the book struck and stuck with me, but one in particular makes sense. We can not change people, they are who they are until "they" choose to change, but you can have a part in that not by being negative or giving up or yelling or fighting, but by praying for them. Because ultimately, it is out of our hands. Ultimately, only God can change people. Ultimately, they will see that anything is possible once they accept God. And all you can do is be true to your God, and be true to yourself, and be there to support them in their path to God. We have to work on ourselves, and our relationship with God, and let God, and only God, work on them.

Beautifully written by Angie.

Pray different Today!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Usually I end the post with a Bible reference instead of starting with an entire Bible verse. Well, I can't help it today:) This verse has been more important to me in the last few weeks than anybody has known. I have learned how to PRAY these last few weeks and it's not because of some book I read, it's because my heart was broken and I turned to God. He had me right where I needed to be so that I could learn the value of prayer.

I've always know that God hears my prayers, so that hasn't been the problem...the problem is that I never have had to believe in something so strongly knowing that PRAYER was ALL I had to hold onto. What a beautiful thing, to have such strong faith and belief that MY GOD could make something happen that would have to drastically change something that I didn't think would change (before my prayer time started that is).

So I'm sorry I haven't posted much lately, but I've been busy having the time of my life with MY GOD! I write to you because I love you and He will ALWAYS love you...may you start your new Prayer Life with Him today, you won't regret it!

Do the Love Dare...You'll Be Glad You Did!

In my previous post "Don't Wait to Fireproof Your Marriage," I wrote to you about the movie Fireproof (based on the book Love Dare). I hadn't started the book at that point and honestly, I was being pretty stubborn not to. Well, I finally started it early December and it's only supposed to take 40 days to do it, but I'm only on Day 16 over a month later! It's not that I haven't been loyal to it, it's that I promised myself I wouldn't go on unless I fully accomplished the daily dare and I'm so glad that I have stuck to my word. The Lord has been working on me really hard so be ready for Him to mold you and break you and don't put it off like I did...you're ready now whether you think your marriage needs it or not. So go buy the book or if funds are too tight right now...I was on the Family Life website today (the same website I recommended in "Treat Yourself to a Retreat") and they email a dare every day and you can do it with them leading up to Valentine's Day.

I find it works best for me to review my day in the evening so I will reread my dare and make notes about it if I completed the dare or put the book away and work on it the next day. If I completed it, I will read the next days dare after I make notes and begin preparing my plans for the following day (beginning with prayer). Well, I was blown away yesterday with God's perfect timing because I had a really hard day in marriage-ville, which thankfully doesn't happen very often, but when I reread the dare for me to report on I immediately began to weep. The Lord knew all along that this was the exact Day I needed to be on on January 12 or it never would have affected me like it did...thus once again I am very glad I have taken my time in this book. 1 Peter 3:3-4 is what I needed to remember yesterday.

Don't wait to Fireproof your marriage!

I have been married to my wonderful Christian husband for over four years now. Little did we know that for the last four years, there have been three identical issues that have been on both our minds, but never discussed between us. A little over a month ago we exchanged some very unkind words to each other about one of these three issues and it was the last straw for both of us. We both broke down separately and knew we needed to do something about the way we were heading. I don't know if we were in denial the last four years or if we were just that bad at communicating, we both just held it in and tried to get over it. Well, obviously that wasn't working! That Sunday when we went to church, our pastor mentioned that he and his wife had gone to see the movie FIREPROOF and that if you have ever been married and had problems, been married and never had problems, never been married, were engaged to be married, might ever be married or ever knew someone who has married...that you need to go see this movie. You get it right? You should go see this movie! We did and it really did put a fire in our hearts about how we were treating each other. We have five local movie theaters and only one of them was playing the movie. I drove by the theater again today and it was still playing, so try to take a date night to go see it. I promise you won't regret it! And if you don't see it while it's in the movie theaters then rent it as soon as it comes out. Read Ephesians 5 for a great passage about Wives & Husbands...I am praying for the little big things in your marriage today.

For as long as you both shall live

So several months ago, it may have even been a year ago, my husband and I were talking...okay maybe I was talking and he was being a great listener (as usual)! BUT I was explaining to him how I pray for women so much when I hear about them getting married because I know how the mind works during this time for most of us. We immediately switch gears into focusing on the WEDDING DAY and completely ignore anything beyond that DAY because that DAY is what is important.

Well, I attended a wedding this weekend that was the most precious wedding I think I have ever attended! I know we all want Christ to be the center, but are we really making Him the center of our relationships? Every part of this wedding and reception that I attended this weekend gave me confidence that this couple was DEFINITELY making Him the center of their life together. No matter how perfect we want our wedding day to be, we need to focus even more on what will happen after that day and for the rest of our lives. If Christ is at the center of our life together than we have nothing to fear because He WILL get us through. We have a sweet God who wants us to enjoy a life together so that we can be a light for Him to others. That's what marriage is for...a testimony. Psalms 27:1

Laugh...It'll make you feel better!

Don't forget to smile, laugh, kiss, hug or any of those other feel good actions you do when you love someone. I know, sometimes I don't feel like doing it either, but have found that in those times when you least feel like it is when you should do it the most. It makes me feel a lot better because I know that's what God wants most...JOY in my life (Psalms 30)!

So next time your husband leaves the house and you didn't have a warm departure, be sure that when he walks back through that door at the end of the day...he only feels warmth and sees a smile on your face. That's how you would greet the Lord wouldn't you? I pray for us to have renewed love for our husbands daily through the Lord and that He may have JOY watching us interact with our husband knowing that we are just practicing for the day we meet up with Him in the clouds! Woohoo!!! 1 Thessalonians 4:17

With God, Nothing is Impossible!

Have you ever had one of those days where you think, "Man I need to call Dr. Laura and see what she has to say!"?? Or your Mom, or your sister, or that one friend, but then you realize the only reason you want to call that person is because you want to hear that what you think is RIGHT and they are that magic person who will confirm you are! Awe, caught! Well, today was one of those days for me, AGAIN. I really don't enjoy them at all, but when I look back on it, it was just another trial that had to be part of making me ME. ...oh I don't want to say it...ooooohhh, OK. Thank you Lord.
It has been a hard thing to learn, and it's only been with practice, but when I do want to call Dr. Laura, my Mom, sister or whoever...that is exactly when I stop myself and say, "No Baley, you need to be calling on your Heavenly Father right now and YES, He will give you the right answer even if it's not your right answer." Although I did not call anyone today, it still took me a long time before I went to the Lord because I didn't want to hear what I knew He had to say:) Caught AGAIN! Mark 10:27 can get me through and I pray it will get you through as well.
This is a picture of my brother and I, who lives over 500 miles away, but every time I think of him it lifts me up! Remember the things that make you happy in life and know they are worth living for.

Our Wedding Day

If you look for the Lord in the details, He's there! I discussed this blog with my husband a couple weeks ago to make sure I had his support. Many things I share will come from our life as the example, so it's only fair that I let him know that I will be writing to the world about our personal life right? Here is a picture of my husband and I so that you can know who we are as we write to you through this Blog. Yes, I have asked him if he would do some posts now and then too so that this may be a blog for both sexes, not just a girly, mushy blog from my heart, but that men might enjoy it as well!
I set up the account yesterday with hopes to write my first post this week. It only just dawned on me though, that today we are attending a wedding, which I know will be most beautiful, since it is a formal wedding being held at the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA. I am very excited since I have never been there, but also because a wedding ceremony will make it all the more beautiful of a location to me forever! All this to say, the Lord knows His plans and if we will let them fall into place and acknowledge Him along the way...He will help us to enjoy our life all the more. I enjoy the idea of blogging more and more, but I have been wanting to do it for the Lord, so with this right mind set, He's working it all into place and at His pace! Now, I must go get ready for the big day, but pray this first post will encourage you to think about your wedding day with the Lord! How will you dress your heart in preparation for our wedding day with HIM? (1 Peter 3:3-4) It is coming my dear brothers and sisters and we need to look forward to that DAY like we did our own wedding day. Oh, it gives me the tingles, I love you Lord!

~10/23/08~While we waited for the wedding to start, we viewed the headstones for Mr & Mrs Nixon. And in my eyes, the quote on her headstone topped off the setting for a wedding, "Even when people can't speak your language, they can tell if you have love in your heart." That is my goal in life, that people can see Christ so evident in my love for them...even without words. I pray this is also yours. ~