Whats been goin on?

Enjoyed Christmas with my family.  This Christmas was different for my three kids.  It was so wonderful to see them enjoy their Christmas with their Dad.

Micah & Dillon went to  Camp Verde for the week.  Micah is almost done with this job.  I can't wait, it will be nice to have him home all the time again instead of out of town.


I've been hearing the word "daddy" daily and watching them hug on their daddy.

I've been doing things around the house to try to de-clutter it, hoping to put a smile on my husband's face.

I've been doing a lot of driving around town helping my ex-husband get applications and leave resumes.

I have enjoyed the kids being off from school, we've played board games, watched lot of movies and just enjoyed each others company.

Just a little helper

A couple of weeks ago I got a text from my ex-husband telling me that things were not going very well for him since he's been living with a friend.  He mentioned times of not getting a long and times of when his friend would kick him out and that left my ex-husband no one to go so he would sleep outside or in a car.   I feared that I would get a phone call one day that I would have to tell my kids that they found their dad somewhere on the streets...never to see again.

I told my husband about it and he said that we should bring him here to Flagstaff and have him seek help in the Rescue Mission here.  I was a little surprised that he would offer such a thing but he said that the kids need to have their father in their lives and they should be in his.

I finally make that phone call to my ex and then we waited.  The kids were excited with the whole idea.  One week later he responded by texting me a message shortly after I had gone to bed that he was ready to make some major changes in his life.

Last night, actually it was 12:15 in the morning the kids and I went to pick him up from the Greyhound bus depot. 

Today with all of us together was a little awkward at first but I enjoyed watching the kids with their daddy.  We had a nice day.  Tomorrow afternoon we will get him checked into the mission.

The rest is up to him and God.  All we were in this were just little helpers in His big plan for my ex and his choices now.  Now its our turn to wait and see.

On a side note I think every needs second chances, third or fourth chances.  I think that it is up to each and everyone of us to just be little helpers in God's big plan.  Helping who we can, the lost, the poor, or someone who just needs a little help in a new and God right direction.  I feel at peace with bringing my ex here.  God has a plan for him and now he can get started on it with Him and there will be great rewards, one of them being.....involved in his kid's lives.

Lord I'm thankful for my husband.  He takes great care of me and my kids.  He has opened his heart to helping an important person in my children's lives and that is such a gift to them.

Lord my ex is here now he is yours.  I pray that he seeks you and starts his journey with you.  Help him to learn about you.  Help to remember what its like to be held in your powerful loving hands.  Help him to know you and develop a relationship with you Lord.  Humble him Lord and bring him close to you. He has a few things to let go of , one of them being pride.  He will have struggles but make it clear to him that you are not far from him and that he will grow in the ways that he needs to.  His life will come together with your all knowing, all powerful love, strength and peace and forgiveness.  Amen

Thank you Lord for showing us how we can be just a little helper in your big plan.

Christmas Letter 2011

Dear Family & Friends,

Merry Christmas!  God's presence with us is His greatest gift to us.

Sing to God! Sing praises to His name.  Exalt Him who rides on the clouds.  His name is Yahweh and rejoice before Him.  Psalm 68:4

We have continued to grow and change as we learn to love this blended family of ours.  Christ is at the center of it during all the ups and downs. We have discovered that there are three important things to focus on when it comes to family.   Hope, Faith & Love. 

1 Cor 13

Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly.  And the best of the three is love.

The one thing that always prevails is His love for us and in return the love we give to our loved ones around us.  Its through Him that we are able to love one another in all matters that may go on in a blended family such as we are.  Loving and forgiving, Loving and smiling, loving through the tears, loving and laughter, loving and living.  Loving Christ as he loves us.  Loving others as Christ loves us.

We love you.  Enjoy your Christmas this year.  

with Love,

Micah, Katrina, Dillon, Karlee, Kyle & Sara

May you have the gift of faith, the blessing of hope and the peace of His love at Christmas and always.

My Christmas Wishes

I want God's love to be poured
into every heart like He has
into mine.

I want to always remember
the true meaning of the season.

I want to encourage the hearts
of my family and friends
and the lost
and be a blessing to someone in need.

For My Family

Dear Lord,

I pray for my home to be filled with you Lord,
to be in the center of all we do.
A home full of love, kindness, peace,
patience and forgiveness for others.

For my family to know God's love for them.

For my family to always turn to you oh Lord and know that
you have a plan and a purpose for our family.

In your name, Amen

More Grace Please

Deep breath
now a deep sigh
walking away to take a moment
think before I speak
speak softly

Grace is letting someone hug you when you really want to walk away
Grace is returning that hug despite how you really feel
Grace is listening when someone wants to talk and you are hesitant on what they have to say
Grace is forgiving 
Grace is speaking softly back to them when inside you may want to shout
Grace is responding to their attempts to explain 
Grace is letting go of the negative situation and moving forward in peace
Grace can be hard to give but its so rewarding afterward
Grace is a start to making something better

Grace
More Grace Please

Above is what I experienced tonight.  Lord thank you so much for being there in that negative moment, helping me....giving me grace so that I could give it too.  It was because you were there that things were back to being peaceful.  Thank you 

One Twinkling Night

As I gaze upon the bright twinkling Christmas lights on my tree

I begin to think of the beaming stars that shone their twinkling light

above the little stable so long ago

where a newborn laid in a manger of hay.

I begin to think of the one who came to 

show our world that love is the only way to go

The twinkling lights...

to find the path to our home in heaven

to show us the way that fills our soul

with His heavenly light day by day.

Twinkling shining bright lights

we find you Jesus

in hearts each day and by our caring

and sharing acts we walk forward

with you day by day.

Mary and Joseph beside the babe

bright lights twinkling above

Never forgotten, always here

Living on eternally

Step by step with us each day

Living on eternally

Living in joy with us today!

Grace

Lately I've been thinking about grace.  God's grace for us and how we should give grace to others.  Giving grace to the ones we love may be easy at times but giving grace to the difficult people in our lives or strangers is not as easy.

I watched a movie the other night with my family.  It was called, The Grace Card.  There were moments that I saw some of us in the room fighting back the tears in their eyes (yes I was one of them).

The movie is about grace and forgiveness.  It touches on prejudice, loss and grief.  The movie reminds us that each day, we have the opportunity to rebuild relationships and heal deep wounds by extending and receiving God's grace.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; 

it is God's gift.

I think about a few people that I have came across in my life, they were hard to be around.  Right now in my life there are a few people that I find hard to love.  But it is those people that we should struggle with because within that struggle with God's help are life changing things for both people involved.

Grace is an amazing gift to give someone.  God gives us grace over and over again.  Things change when my perspective changes when I catch a glimpse of the purpose with Christ.  God's grace is always there to carry us beyond all that we go through and encounter in our lives.  God gives us the grace to handle it.  Therefore we can give grace to others.

Grace is real.  A gift with a power to change our lives and others.

Give grace.....

The power of Grace...

The Grace Card:  

 I promise to pray for you everyday. 

Ask you for your forgiveness.  

Grant you the same.  

Be your friends always

Wow! powerful words.  I want to give someone in my life the grace card.

I know and I thank you

I was looking through a pile of notebooks and papers in the closet today and I came across a folder that had sheets of papers in it.  It was a folder that I had started to collect things that I had written during a rocky phase of my life.  I looked through the folder and began reading the things I wrote ten years ago.  Wow ten years ago seems odd because as I read some of them I'm taken back to what seemed like just yesterday.

I found this that I had written on November 3, 2001.  It has more meaning to it now than when it was written because now I can look back and see God's hand in my life when maybe at the time I didn't know he was there as much as I know now.( and want him there)  I've grown spiritually since that day but just the same I think it speaks so much and wanted to share it here with you.

11-03-01

I know...and I thank you

I know you are there

You have given me your knowledge

I know you are there

You have given me your strength

I know you are there 

You have given me your protection

I know you are there

You have given me your hope

I know you are there

You have given me your kindness

Your joy

Your love

I know you are there

You have given me your life

Thank you

I know you are there Lord and you have been with me in my life when I...didn't know it....when I didn't think I needed you....and when I really needed you.  Thank you Lord for never leaving me and always being there.  You are my rock and I lean on you for all my needs. 

I know you are there.

My Baby is 9 years old!

I asked Sara when she was 3 years old to not get any older.....and you see how that worked out :)

I made these little guys for her sleep over party.....toothpicks come in handy for all sorts of things

There were 8 girls piled in the living room watching a movie

It was a busy Friday night.  The energy they all had, I wish I could bottle it up and sell it.  I liked watching them interact with each other and watch their little expressions as they talked.  I think they all had a good time.  It was a lot to keep up with them but it was worth the pictures and the memories that were created for Sara.  It all was good and fun but I'm thinking that this sleep over will go down in history for the last one....

Encouragement In Each Day

Today I felt encouraged and filled with more hope after spending the day with someone that I care about deeply.  While caring and loving for this person hasn't been easy and the road has had many bumps there is hope, and I won't give up.  We spent time running some errands and talked about various things.  During our conversations there were things said that offered great encouragement.  I believe that we are on a new road of hope, with God in between us as we walk along.

I think if I were to stop and look back on each day before going to bed I would find little things that offer encouragement in each day every day.

Sad Endings but New Beginnings

Before my grandmother left for El Paso she went to visit someone.  It was hard for her to do.  She lost this someone almost two years ago.  My mom and I went with her to the cemetery.  I watched her as she stood on top of his grave in silence as she chocked back her tears.  Her life in Flagstaff was ending but she would be starting a new beginning in El Paso with my mom.

I began to walk around and look at the other sites around me.  Close by there was a huge dried up rose bouquet, it was beautiful.  It was then I started to think about other people that had left sad endings behind as they said good-bye to their loved one before they walked away in a new beginning.

Both my grandpa's are buried in that cemetery.  My mom's dad, Jack Davis died when I was twelve.  My mom's step-dad Melo Sanchez died almost two years ago.  I didn't know my Pa very well but I remember playing with his hair.  I'd run my hand on the top of his head because it felt funny against my hand.  It was a short buzz cut.  My grandpa Melo was a delight to know.  He was so funny at times.  He was very thoughtful and giving. 

I couldn't help but take pictures of the moment that my grandmother was taking with her husband and the dried up bouquet of roses close by.  I think it was my way of preserving things and a reminder of how things end and begin again.

Its so comforting to know how God can take the "old" person of each of us and create a "new" person in us.  And that no matter where we are at on our journey in life He is there with us every step of the way.

My Grandmother's House

It's been six days since my grandmother has left Flagstaff.  She headed to El Paso Tx with my mom and step-dad.  After 31 years of living here in Flagstaff AZ she has started a new chapter in her life.  My grandpa Melo died Dec. 27, 2009 and my grandmother has been  a little lonely without him.  I think its great that she will be with my mom but I will miss going over to her house to visit with her on Tuesdays after ladies bible study.

My family and I when I was young would visit Flagstaff.  I remember walking down town and browsing at all the shops, driving up to the snow bowl without any snow on the ground.  I remember hearing stories of how much snow they would get during the winter months.  I never thought my children and I would live here in Flagstaff and have the opportunity to be around my grandmother often.

My grandmother's house is behind the Furniture Barn.  As a young girl I would get so excited to see the Furniture Barn because I knew we were close to arriving at her house after such a long drive.  My brother and I would walk to the park that is close by to play.  Sometimes we walked to Dairy Queen for a treat.

My grandmother's house is small but it was always full of so much life.  Family and friends going in and out.  I haven't driven by the house since she left but if I ever end up in the area my heart will be warm with wonderful memories that existed in that little house.

my grandmother always had flowers planted

down the street you could see the trains go by, as I kid I loved hearing them go by (I still do)

Little Faces God's Perspective

Today was a MOPS morning. (Mother's of Pre-schoolers) On the way there this morning my mind was heavy so I wasn't really in my happy cheerful mood as normal.  My outlook on the morning got worse at first when I was informed that we would be combining two classes and that the project involved paint.  I immediately  thought negative thoughts....oh no too many kids running around, being patient to paint with them, will we have enough help.....dread dread is all that I focused on. I even told a worker that I didn't have enough patience to sit with them and try to do the project that I would just take them to wash their hands. 

It bothered me the way I was thinking but I continued taking each child to wash their hands. Within a few minutes the room was filling up with children.  I started to stress a little but went with the flow of things.  Then a 3rd worker walked into the room and eventually a 4th one.  Before too long I noticed how smoothly it was all going.  The children were all busy playing so calmly and nicely together.  The painting was going well and each worker pitched in where needed and it all was well.  I thanked the Lord for things running so smoothly and said I was sorry for walking in with a  funky down mood in the beginning.

I enjoyed coloring with some of the girls.  I opened boxes of toys for some.  I helped some wash their hands.  I helped finish their projects so they could take them home.  I read them a story.  I watched their little faces while they watched a Veggie Tale movie.  I watched how they interacted with each other.

There was  two year old in the room, she was the youngest but she was a delight.  She was my little shadow.  I loved it.  I was smiling inside.  She sat on my lap and watched the movie.

I also noticed how much the children were so excited that it was snowing.  Several of them went over to the window and climbed up on some of the stacked chairs to kneel and put their little hands on the cold window with their little faces peering out the window watching in great fascination the big white fluffy snow flakes falling down on the ground, covering everything in a white blanket.  It was a simple joy that brought so much life to their little faces. 

They weren't worried about driving in it and getting home safely.  They weren't concerned about how much snow we would get and how the snow would inconvenience their lives.  They were simply excited that it was there and that meant they could play in it.

By the end of the morning I was excited to look out the window and knew I would get home safely and not to worry.  I left feeling much lighter in my thoughts than when I started my morning.  All I needed were little faces with a simple reminder of  God's perspective.

 Thank you so much for a wonderful MOPS morning.