The Desert

Jarrell and I have been going through a lot of different things lately and we really needed to get away. One of our professors from college recently moved to Phoenix, which isn't too far from where we live, so we decided to go visit him and his family. We didn't do too much, but it was exactly what we needed. Highlights from the trip are below (they are in no particular order):

#1-Moses loved being around other kids, even though they were all older then him. He became most attached to Colan. He followed him around everywhere and climbed right up it the chair to sit with him. Colan did so well with him and even took him to the park.

#2-Raena loved Emery. She asked to hold her. After she sat down and I placed her in her arms, she decided she was too heavy, so she wanted her on the chair next to her. It was so cute! Raena had a little toy stroller for her stuffed animals that she wanted to push Emery in. It broke my heart to tell her she couldn't.

#3-Just spending time with Mike, Dezi, and Ashley. It was great to hear about how God was working in their lives and to share about how he was working in ours. God never ceases to amaze me with how he works things out, even in the worst of situations. I left feeling encouraged about the situations that we are facing and was reassured that God will take care of them.

#4-Streetlight Phoenix. This is a ministry that Christ's Church of the Valley started and it is amazing. It is dealing with the issues of Child Sex Slavery here in America. We were able to tour the facilities (there aren't any girls there yet) and it is an experience that I won't forget. What they are doing there is amazing and I pray that God uses it in mighty ways. Check out the link I provided, it has so much information.

I left feeling refreshed and semi-ready to tackle the rest of the month. We are going to Family Camp next week, my dad is coming to visit, and we have to pack up our apartment and be moved out by the end of the month. Needless to say, my posts may be few and far between until things settle down.

Service

The other evening was very interesting to me. I never go out alone anymore simply because I have two children. The other night Jarrell stayed out home with the kids so that I could have some time to myself. I decided to take the book I am reading, Sacred Marriage, my Bible, and my journal and sit at a fountain park bench with some Fro-Yo. (I live such a thrilling life, I know) As I was sitting there, I couldn't help but over hear the family sitting next to me since they were yelling at each other. You could hear the hate in the daughters voice towards her father and you could see the sadness that surrounded him. You could tell the mother was worn out being caught in between the two of them. I couldn't help but wonder what brought them to this point. Since I couldn't concentrate on my reading or journaling due to the noise, I decided to do a little window shopping. Once again, I witnessed another sad situation. A mother was picking up her children from their father and stepmother. They were yelling at each other and cursing and the kids were so embarrassed that they walked away, and their parents didn't even notice. The security guard for the plaza came out and intervened. These things just reminded me what a broken world we live in. I have been doing a study over Phillipians and these verses have really stuck with me:

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also the interests of others

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

who although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped." Phillipians 2:3-6

I feel like both of the situations I described above could be prevented if more people lived these verses out. Can you imagine what the world would look like if people took these seriously? Can you imagine how satisfying your relationships would be? Jesus did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped. That is such a powerful concept. The most powerful person to walk this earth never tapped into that power for his own gain, only for that of others. I am not sure about you, but there are many times that if I were Jesus, I would definitely pull out the God card. However, Jesus knew serving others was the higher road. I leave you with this quote, "The path to genuine greatness lies in serving others." -unknown

Worry

Worry by definition means a state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems. Worry is so pointless that it doesn't even have to be over something that is real. Unfortunately, one of my biggest weakness is worry. I have worried over the same problem for almost a year now. Can I tell you what is has accomplished for me... absolutely NOTHING. In fact, the situation has only got worse. Looking back I can't believe how much time, energy, tears, and sadness I have given this situation. I have let it rob me of so much precious time and for what? Thankfully, a lot of good has come out of this situation. That is how gracious that our God is.

Even though my situation hasn't changed, my perspective has. Saying you trust God and actually trusting Him are two completely different things. I can honestly say that right now I am at a point where I trust God completely. I have read these verses a million times before, but they mean so much to me right now:

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, that surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hears and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6,7

God knows my needs. Once I have made them known to Him (not because He doesn't know them, but because I need to show my dependence to Him) I need to trust that He will take care of them. That is it. I don't need to worry about it anymore. I need to accept the peace that comes with knowing Christ and having a relationship with Him.

The biggest lesson that I have taken away from this situation is that I spend far too much time worrying about temporal things. All the time and energy that I spent dedicated to my worry could have been spent for something eternal---->The salvation of the people I care about that don't know Christ. I have learned (and trust me this isn't a one time lesson) that I need to live more for eternity. Just like it says in Colossians 3:1,2 "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth."

Two is Better Than One

I forgot to do a two month update on Emery, so here it goes:

*She weighs 14 lbs. (which is the 95%)

*She is 24 3/4 inches (also 95%)

*She smiles all the time and is still really verbal. My guess is she will be an early talker.

*She loves to be propped up so that she can watch what is going on.

*For the most part she is sleeping 6-8 hours at night, which is amazing!

Emery has grown so fast that I don't even feel like she is a baby anymore. She is going to be one tough little girl thanks to Moses. He loves to "cuddle" with her, which entails him running and laying right on top of her (body tackle style).

Moses is seventeen months:

*He is becoming more verbal. His newest word is Carly, which is his "Aunt". He totally knows who she is, but says Carly all day long and to everything. This is always what he does when he learns a new word. Some other new words include: turtle, fishy, and poo poo.

*He is extremely interested in cooking which is really fun. He always has to help in some way or another and imitates me while I am cooking. I always have to check my oven now before turning it on because he likes to put stuff inthere. I burnt several forks in the last couple of weeks :)

*Moses LOVES to read. His favorite book right now is Moo Baa LaLaLa. It is so funny to watch him read it. He has it memorized and you can turn the pages and he makes all the sound effects just by looking at the pictures. It is adorable.

*He recently got two goldfish, Mac & Cheese, as his first pets. They died within eight hours. :( We decided to go with a Beta, who is Mac (2).

*Moses loves brushing his teeth and can usually be seen carrying a toothbrush (we have 5 just for him). If he doesn't have a brush available he reminds me to brush his teeth by sticking his finger in his mouth, pretending to brush, and pointing to the bathroom door.

Sewing

It all started one day when I was in Target. I really wanted to buy a pair of baby leg warmers for Emery, but I couldn't justify paying the amount of money they wanted for them. I came home and looked on the internet hoping that I could find them for less money. Instead of finding some to purchase, I found out how I could make my own. I use to sew with my mom all the time when I was little but probably hadn't sewed in 15 years. I called up my friend and asked if she would teach me the basics. From there, I have been learning things on my own. It has been fun and an outlet for me. I have some included pictures below of the things that I have done so far:

My beautiful Tu-Tu Model

The Tu-Tu

Leg Warmers

Dress

Dress Detail

Some of my friends have been encouraging me to sell my stuff through and online store or a craft site, but I am not sure that I am quite ready for that yet. However, if there is something you or someone you know wants made, I would be fine with custom orders at this point. Just email me at jdf922@cccb.edu or facebook me. I can do all the things above and also arm warmers too.

30 Things

So after reading Jill's, I decided to do this, but it was harder than I thought it would be. I didn't want to tell you all basic things that you already knew, so hear you go:

#1- I never liked Coke until after I had Moses. After giving birth, they asked what I wanted to drink and I said Coke. Every since then I have been obsessed with it.

#2- I have a dual favorite color. I love lime and pink, but not separately, only together.

#3- I am probably one of the most indecisive people EVER. I can't make a decision and stick with it. I am one of those people who keep tags and receipts for everything I buy because I often return it and purchase something else.

#4- My favorite movie of all time is Sweet Home Alabama. I could watch it every day. Every time I see it, I cry. It evokes so many emotions in me, because I can relate to it on so many different levels.

#5- I have a deep respect for single moms. I really don't know how they do it.

#6- I LOVE college basketball. My favorite team is Duke.

#7- A lot of people say that if given the chance to go back they wouldn't change things, but not me. There are definitely very specific things that I would do differently.

#8-I desperately wished that we lived closer to my family or Jarrell's family, but as of now, it is not where God wants us.

#9-If I could change one thing (outside of salvation) it would be that people didn't see color. It breaks my heart.

#10-I prefer watching movies at home because I have to talk through them. I have so many questions. (Jarrell gets so annoyed with me)

#11-I think it is silly when people give me flowers. They die. I do love plants though.

#12-In the last seven years I have lived in six different states, spanning from coast to coast.

#13-My favorite city on the east coast is Boston and on the west coast is San Francisco.

#14-My ideal place to live would be somewhere on the Oregon Coast.

#15-I prefer pearls over diamonds.

#16-Being in the midst of God's creation, especially mountains, is where I experience God the most.

#17-I don't like to drive, at all.

#18-I tend to over think most things.

#19-I would prefer a meaningful card over a gift any day.

#20-I value loyalty. To God, to love, to family, and to friends.

#21-The first time that I saw my husband, I knew that I would marry him.

#22-I strive daily to be three things: more like Christ, a good wife, and a good mom.

#23-Jarrell and I went on two honeymoons a month apart.

#24-I despise horror movies. I think that there is enough evil in the world, that it doesn't need to be re-created and shown in movies.

#25-I used to be dog walker when I lived in New York. I got ridiculous amounts of money to walk rich people's dogs.

#26-I am actively working on being a better listener.

#27-I almost never order first at restaurants, even if I know what I want.

#28-It is so hard for me to buy something for myself even if it is something that I need. I always think about other ways that I could spend the money.

#29-My favorite portion of scripture is Psalm 27

#30-I am so thankful for the sacrifice of Jesus and the way that God has completely turned my life around through Him. I can't imagine having a better life than I do. Jarrell, Moses, and Emery are the biggest blessings and bring me so much joy.

PS- Jill I just commented on yours, but I think I will Facebook message you soon.

Discipline

God has been working on my heart so much lately. Let me tell you---> It isn't easy. It is discouraging to see how many faults I still have. I have been really discouraged lately due to some life circumstances coupled with a heightened sense of my flaws. I think the circumstances, and my attitude towards them, have shown me the condition of my heart. I have realized how entitled I feel because I am a Christian. Sometimes I want life to be easy, comfortable. I have been feeling like I am doing something "wrong" because of the circumstances that I am in. Today God showed me that thinking is my small perspective. A lot of the time, circumstances (as long as they aren't due to consequences from choices that you made) are used to mold you, shape you, to be more like Christ. They can also be equipping you for a different phase of your life. I heard an awesome message today, which led me to study the verses further after I got home. In my Bible Study I came across this quote and it was much what I needed to hear:

Faith doesn’t make life easy; it helps us be faithful through the difficult times. -Henry Neufeld

I will leave you with these verses, which have greatly impacted me today ( I bolded the parts that really spoke to me):

Hebrews 12:1-6, 11

[1]Therefore, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us,

[2]fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

[3]For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart,

[4]You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;

[5]and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

"MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,

NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;

[6] "FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,

AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

[11]All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."