Cardboard Testimonies

I know I haven't updated here in a while and I will be updating you in 'movie' form in the next day or so....I will do it before 4th of July, because that will be a whole new movie :o). Anyways, I found a new blog to read from my friend Angel. As if her blog wasn't inspiring enough, she posted about a friend she has that lost her son to adrenocortical carcinoma - a very rare and aggressive cancer when he was 6. Her name is Heather, and it took a lot for me to go check out her blog and I am not sure why. It may have something to do with fear in losing my children...who in all honesty are NOT mine, they are God's. Please go check out Heather's blog and see why she is such and inspiration...her FAITH is HUGE. I will be checking in on her blog regularly now.

Heather has this movie posted and her own comments about it.....I have copied both the movie and some of her comments below. She so eloquently wrote them and they really spoke to me. Here's my question, What does your cardboard testimony say? I will let you know when I can get mine figured out....



We all have problems in this life . . . bad choices we've made, hard times, sadness, pain, anger, sickness, death. But how amazing that God loves us through it all. He forgives. He turns our life around. He takes our broken lives and makes us whole again. He takes our trials and uses them to help others and bring glory to Him. He pours His grace on us everyday. He gives us the strength to persevere. He gives us peace when we don't understand. He gives us hope of eternal life with Him! All we have to do is TRUST . . .

But trusting God is not always easy - and I struggle with letting go and surrendering to His will everyday. Don't we all like to be in control? But I think God understands that struggle and even though we may have trouble letting go - he never does. He never lets go of us!

Trusting God does not mean we will have a perfect life. Trusting God is knowing that no matter what we face in this life, God will be with us . . . loving us. Trusting God is understanding that this life is not our home . . . Heaven is. Trusting God is praying and talking to Him not only when we have a bad day - but EVERYDAY. Trusting God is turning our anger into forgiveness, our hate into love, our fears into faith, our weakness into strength, our despair into hope and our grief into joy. Trusting God is knowing that we are not perfect but God loves us anyway. Trusting God is knowing that God's arms are always wide open - waiting for us to run into them. Trusting God is trying our best to live in His image. Trusting God is surrendering your will. Trusting God is always being thankful. Trusting God is knowing that all things are possible through Him. Trusting God is hard! *Posted by Heather

To toot a horn for someone else...{:o)

I must say that as I have started blogging, there are couple of blogs I hit at least once a day, sometimes more. Today's Creative Blog is one of those places. She always features someone creative, and I hope that one day, my card blog can be featured....we will just have to see. Until then, please go check out TCB and see what fun things she has going on. Thanks!!!

Extreme Poverty

So, I have finally finished the book, Red Letters: Living a Faith that Bleeds. It took me about a month to get it read. I read mostly at the gym on the treadmill or the bike. First let me start off by saying, my heart is breaking! God is convicting me on a VERY INTENSE level.

Most of you know that I am pretty big TV addict. Whenever the commercials came on talking about the poor children in Africa, I turned the channel. I couldn't bare to see those poor little children with flies around them, with their stomachs poking out, and sitting in the dirt with trash all around them. I chose to ignore the problem!!

Something changes in you though, when you become a parent. I have always been one who loves children. I loved to babysit, I loved teaching, I love those problem children that no one else wants to deal with, I love children. So, why has it been that I couldn't watch the commercials or do something about those children before now?

I don't know is the answer to that question. I have NO excuses, I honestly don't know why I have chosen up until now to ignore those poor, starving, and dying children.

We have some friends who have started the Red Letters Campaign. It was in them sending out the word about this that I began to really look and investigate what they were doing. I am not going to deny that God has been really TUGGING on my heart in regards to international missions for a little while. I was just beginning to get 'comfortable' about the idea of wanting to go on a mission trip to China with our church, before we moved to Round Rock. Since we have been here, we have begun to reach out in our neighborhood with helping with the Pregnancy Resource Center, as well as going to Giddings to help with their Food pantry once a month.

As I began to see what my friends were beginning over at RLC, God began that whispering thing again. My instincts as a mother began to kick in in the fact that I couldn't ignore this 'thing' anymore. Perryn and I followed Angel on her adoption journey to get Kaiya from China, and I really began to want and desire international adoption as a choice for us, not just domestic. I am beginning to have my eyes opened to what extreme poverty is and my heart is broken to know that I can't bring EVERY ONE OF THOSE CHILDREN home to love them, feed them, care for them.

As I read Red Letters, I would find my heart breaking and crying on whatever machine I was on at the gym. I found myself crying out to God, to send me, to forgive me, to show me what HE wants me to do. I don't have my answers yet, and Gabe and I are still praying about what God wants us to do with our family. Adoption is close to our hearts since Gabe is adopted. The book has opened up so much information and has challenged me in such a way that I want to do more than just give 30% of the sales from my business to RLC and Children's Hope Chest. I WANT to go to Africa, I want to love on those children, I want to adopt a child from Africa and/or China, I want to teach my children to do more than I have done before now, but I don't always get what I want. I have to be patient. I have to learn and teach myself and my children what it is that needs to be done to end extreme poverty. I need to show my children by my example, that I am going to be patient and follow God's plan in this area of my life. I have to get over the 'sheltering' part of this and show my children and explain to my children, it's more than just rescuing one child by adopting them. We have to find a way to help as many children as we can.

Please watch the following videos to see what it is that I am talking about, and what we ALL can do to help end extreme poverty.



Red Letters Campaign

A day behind..oops

So, I tried to write this post a few times yesterday; however, Google would not cooperate and load the pictures for me....No more excuses, this is a tribute to my great husband and the father of my children...

I can't believe that we have been married 11 years and have been together for 13 total. That truly amazes me. True, every day is not 'easy breezy', but I wouldn't trade the last 11 years of marriage for anything. Thank you so much for taking care of me and providing for us. I love your great singing voice, your strength, your leadership, your passion for things, and most of all I love you for who you are.

Who knew that 4 and half years ago we would have started a family with a fiery red head in so many sense of the words. She can challenge us, make us laugh, and has a heart of gold. She loves you like nobody's business. You are her hero as you are mine. Thank you for her and I pray that we can mold her into the princess, wife, and mother that God wants us to.



Thank you for this tough as nails little boy. I know that he can get a whine in like girl, but he truly is all boy. Thank you for showing him what it means to be a good father and husband. I hope that you will be able to 'hold your own' and not get any more concussions from him. He loves to play rough with you. When you walk into the room, he lights up. He asks about you multiple times a night when you are away at work. Thank you for all that you are doing for us. For supporting us, for making to where I don't have to work and for supporting me in my card business. Good luck on your test. I know that you are going to nail it!!

Happy Father's Day!!

Another Contest??

Ok, so in starting a giveaway, I am finding a TON of people online. Along with them, I am finding fun new things to enter as well. Today, while admiring the post for e[squared]c[squared] over at Tip Junkie, I came across 8 Crazy Designs. As I went exploring I found out she is hosting a giveaway next week for a new blog header or premade blog design. Since Blogs for a Cause just redesigned my business blog, I am entering this one in the giveaway to see if we can redesign it. Go check it out, you may win instead of me....I won't hold it against you for too long, I promise!!!

My Wooden Spoon

I am looking forward to possibly winning an ORANGE Kitchen Aid Mixer!!! I also wouldn't mind winning some:
1. Wholly Guacamole!!
2. The Wilton Muffin Pan & Handi Vac
3. And I ok with winning anything from the weekly giveaways!!

Go check out My Wooden Spoon and see what all she is giving away!!

CHECK IT OUT.....

I have a plug for the giveaway!! Go check it out here and here!!! YIPEE!!! Of course, you can still go to e2c2 directly too...heehee

GIVEAWAY!!

Please head over to e[squared]c[squared] to learn more about my giveaway! You could be a lucky winner!!