We have relatives in high places...

My friend has an uncle who owns a condo in Hawaii, told us that we can come anytime and stay in his condo.... My husband has a cousin who lives in Israel and last time they talked told us that we should come for a visit and stay in their house... Also, we have some distant relatives in Argentina, in San Francisco and other places. Some are very distant and we never communicate with them, some are nice, while others are strangers.... Its always nice to have relatives all over to be able to go and visit them, to stay with them, to safe money on accommodations.... Its also nice in troubling times when something happens, they are there to help out, to lend a comforting hand, to give you sometimes -unwanted advise... but its always nice to have family support, even if they are distant cousins.

The other day I read a passage in the bible that really touched my heart, I guess before I used to read that but never really stopped to think about it. But this time I felt blessed to have it in the bible.

"31Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."
33"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.
34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." Mark 3:31-34

Amazing! If we do God's will, we are a sister or a brother of Jesus! Imagine having a close relative who lives in the highest, most awesome places you can think off. If that's the case then it means that the creator of all, the powerful God is my Daddy!!!!!!!! Wow, I love it. And He loves me.... and you.

My children - are my blessings.

She stands in her summer dress, posing for the camera. Is this a good pose Mama?
Kisses are given freely in our house... even when they are not wanted....;)

Ariana loves her baby sister.... she is wishing for a baby brother....:))

The girls enjoy playing together, sometimes a bit too roughly for the little one.

Look at all those little rolls, just want to kiss them all.

So, these are my little blessing that God has blessed me with. Sometimes they are sure a handful, but most times they bring such joy...

1000 gifts from up above.

I am thankful today for all the beautiful things I see and the lovely christian music I get to listen to on the radio.

I am alive... I live today, I get to see and hear and breathe... its better to be alive than dead.

I am thankful that I am married to my friend and sweetheart. Its better to be married than to be all alone.

Thankful for my three precious girls. Wonderful blessings for me to enjoy and train for the kingdom of God.

The loveliness that surrounds me when I go on vacation: sunshine, ocean, fresh breeze, sand under nit my toes.

The not so lovely things that surround me in my everyday life: the noise of the busy city, the hot dry air, the traffic, the huge garbage trucks early in the morning picking up the trash and the constantly barking dog in my neighbors yard.

I am thankful for the sunshine which is Jesus that warms my soul, who hears my every prayer, and wipes every tear away. Thank you Lord for the gifts from up above.

I am joining Ann @ Holy experience to start counting my blessings.

The last days of summer.

The summer just doesn't want to let go here in the city. Some people I hear already state that they are tired of summer and cant wait for the coolness to arrive.... including my husband. I tell him that eventually it will get colder, we will get our first 'real' rain.

Driving home from church I noticed that we had some beautiful white clouds, like a stairwell to heaven. Thin, long, white clouds in straight lines across the sky- like in Jacob's dream a stairwell to heaven. I noticed when we start to love Jesus, we get little gifts from him, ranging from a favorite song I was dreaming about, that comes up on the radio at the exact moment when I need it. Or a beautiful miracle in the sky. Or you meet someone who just touches your soul and in everything you feel God.

Last week I heard a sermon on prayer, where the pastor was saying how we need to have specific times in our day to talk to God. Morning, afternoon, and evening- to go to our secret place where no one can hear or disturb us and pray.

'But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then you father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.' {Matthew 6:6}

It was a commitment I made and it was an amazing experience. I urge everyone who wants to experience 'Prayer' to its fullest, to set up times during the day, that you would stop everything you are doing and go to your secret spot and pray. You will be amazed. If I can do it, while working full time and having three little girls, then I am positive you can do it too. But I have to warn you, its a commitment you have to make for yourself. As soon as you do, you will experience a rush of so much to do, and just the craziness of life wants to sweep you away to prevent you from praying. I am sure you know who is against us praying, but God is stronger than what is against us.

After starting on the prayer path I got to experience so much joy and peace. All the problems of before just seem not as huge as before, I know that God has everything in his control. Well, of course!! Imagine me reminding Him every 2-3 hours. :))

'God did this so that men would seek him and grope out for him and find him, though he is not far from each on of us.' {Acts 17:27}

Dark moments.

My friend is going through some hard times. Her husband has cancer of the esophagus. The surgeon was going to do surgery and take the cancer out, but it spread, now there is no chance for surgery, just chemo. Today they even stopped the chemo, since it gave him sores in his mouth and all the way down his esophagus. Poor guy cant even eat, its so painful. He is going through mood swings, the ups and downs. One day he just wants to stop all the treatment and just die, while another day he wants to live and survive. Its heart wrenching to see my friend so heartbroken, while I know this is just the beginning of the dark times in her life.

The saddest part of all this is that my friend doesn't know Jesus as her personal saviour. She doesn't have His strong presence to fall on, when the going gets really tough.. Doesn't have the love of Jesus to wrap her in his arms when its unbearably dark and scary... And I don't know how to show her to Jesus. I pray for her and her family, I pray for a miracle... but is there anything more I can do for her? May God give me wisdom to help her in any way I can.

Let the light fill your soul.

I know that God has everything in control when my life seems so out of control to me. The everyday life is twirling me around and around in a big wide circle. Remembering to stop and smell the flowers is sometimes a bit too much on my to do list Then a little whisper softly tells me to stop and kneel before my savior to pray. To bow my head down-to open my heart and my soul to his light. I feel Him fill me with joy and peace. If only I stop the busy twirling in my life more often. To let go of all the things to do and to accomplish in one day, then I can hear his gentle voice. His voice guides me as it shows me the way. He is always with me, if I only choose to see Him. I close my eyes to go to sleep and he is there… I awake and He is still here with me.

He also knows you and waits for you. Come to him if you are tired and afraid and he will comfort you. Tell him all the decisions that are weighting you down, and he will carry your burden for you. Let him fill your soul with light, joy and peace. He is here if only you choose to let him into your heart. You will be glad you did.

She was left in a house fire...

They lived in a little, one room cabin after they got married, while their house was being built a few yards away. They didn't believe in birth control, so after 3 months of being married and not getting pregnant they thought that they wont be able to have children... but finally on the forth month she found out that she was expecting. She was due in September but the baby came in August. A little baby girl.

Building the house was slow progress, as they bought supplies when the money was available.

One day in the middle of winter, as the baby slept in her crib, the mother was doing laundry and had the stove top open to have more warmth seep into the room. They had an old fashioned stove, the one that still required wood or coal to work... the embers were red and seemed almost ready to go out, but suddenly a spark flew out the open top and landed on the pile of laundry as it ignited on contact. The woman jumped as she watched the yellow-orange flames dance on the pile of clothes and caught a hold of the curtains that were decorating the window. Not knowing what to do, she ran outside barefoot into the deep snow, yelling for the men who were working on the house. The first to arrive was her brother in law, he was 18, tall and awkward. At first he tried to stop the fire, until he realized that she was trying to tell him that her baby was inside. Then not thinking he ran inside into the heat, found the crib and wrapping the crying infant into a blanket he ran outside... As the men arrived and fought the fire.

After the mother calmed her baby she noticed a burn on the baby's forehead. She applied salve to it, but it left a round scar the size of a quarter on the baby for the rest of her life. But she was saved, and the parents praised God that night as they gazed at their firstborn, who slept in peace... that baby was me.