Revive our Hearts

As I talked about yesterday I have been listening to Revive our Hearts as I drive to work. I download the podcasts and plug my iPhone in and away I go. I wanted to share my excitement that Revive our Hearts is starting an expansion. They are starting to widen their ministry to Latin America, translate materials, a few countries one in particular the Dominican Republic lhave interpreted her talk show into Spanish and airs it 2 times a week, and they had their first conference in the Dominican Republic recently. As most of you reading know, I have a little place in my heart for this sort of thing so I was so excited as I was listening to her podcast. I watched a video and she said they need more Spanish translators and editors, so I couldn't resist commenting on the blog to let them know I would be interested in serving in this way! She will be continuing tomorrow about her trip to the Dominican Republic tomorrow, so if this interests you like it did me I would encourage you to either go on iTunes and add March 21-22 podcast or go to Revive our Hearts online and listen http://www.reviveourhearts.com/. They have even started a website in Spanish Aviva Nuestros Corazones. http://radioeternidad.org/category/aviva-nuestros-corazones

My way home

The Golden Gate Bridge

Her are two shots I took on my way home from work driving to the grocery store and one a bit later as I was coming home from the grocery store :)

Looking towards the marina and a bit of the city, can't really see the city because of the fog!

A job and a lesson to be learned

As a few of you may know, I have been blessed this week with a job offer. I signed my offer letter on Monday to be a Child Care Subsidies Caseworker at a Child Services Agency.  I am finishing up my tutoring position and moving on next week to my new position! To tell you the truth, in this time that I should be excited and thankful, I find myself feeling sad and disappointed. The way I see this job playing out is me behind a desk, at a computer most of the day, and sitting in my cubical. That is not really what I imagined God's plan being for me. I keep going over in my mind of all the things I would rather be doing, one in particular and a few plan B's that follow after. I think of how disappointing it is to not to be able to do what I want to do. I am confused by what God has provided but more on what God has not provided. The last few weeks before I got this job, or even the interview, I have been working on finding contentment in Christ alone, my attitude towards my husband, lack of job prospects, and not to be focused on things that I desire. I have struggled with contentment in the last few months. I was getting stuck on why I had to move to California, why I can't start a family yet, and if I can't start a family why I don't have a job yet.
       I am gradually trying to start to calm my heart about being in California. I need to serve God wherever I am and the way I have been is definitely not pleasing to God.  I need to make the best of where God puts me whether I like where I am or not. God has now provided me with a job but not only am I complaining about the actual job, which may turn out to be not so bad, we'll have to see as time goes on, the real reason I am not fully content is that I really had myself thinking the reason he hadn't provided a job was because he wanted me to be a stay home mom. I thought there was a reason why I never wanted to be that "big successful career woman" and why he has placed a deep desire to be a mom in my heart.  For as long as I can remember that is the only thing I thought I would be, a mother. I knew that I would have to work at some point, that is why I got a college degree. But, I really didn't think I would work for that long because I would have children and my job would be to take care of them until they went to school. I would say about the beginning of our second year of marriage I wanted to become a mother, but if you would ask my husband he would probably say since the day we got married haha!  I can't help it, I feel like it is what I am supposed to do. I also think that it is a natural feeling for a woman, especially a woman in her mid-late 20's to have the desire to be that nurturing mother.  I can barely wait to have that experience with my husband of starting a family of our own.  But, I know I have been sinful, selfish, and pushed as far as I could push my husband which actually made the opposite of what I wanted to happen.  I thought if I tried to convince him why it would be a good idea he would realize that babies really aren't that bad, they are a blessing! The opposite happened, it hardened his heart towards starting a family. I understand he may be scared of all what comes with having a baby, who isn't scared at least a little. I feel like there is no reason to fear, I could encourage him and God would prepare and guide us for what is to come. I think we are ready, there is lots of learning to be done but I think we could do it! No couple can be fully ready for what a first child brings to a family but, together you get stronger through issues that are hard and enjoy sharing the things that are joyful and beautiful.  Unfortunately, I discouraged my husband when I was angry.  It saddens me that I did that, but I am human and humans sin.  So, now is my chance to be the woman from Proverbs 31 and maybe by my obedience, God will make me a better wife, prepare me to be a better future mother, and melt my husband's heart by calming his heart about starting a family together.
    So in response to what I have been learning I wanted to share what I have been listening to. Lately on my way to work I listen to Nancy Leigh Demoss from Revive our hearts. The last couple days were about the woman from Proverbs 31 and her message really spoke to me. She focused on verses 21 and 25. She was talking about how it is a natural human instinct to fear the future but as Christian women we need to be proactive and not reactive. In verse 21 it talks about a woman who has no fear because she has prepared her family for any "storm" that may come. She thinks of God 1st, her family 2nd, and herself last because she trusts that God will make sure that her needs are met. She is not selfish. This woman is not caught off guard or in a panic when something doesn't go her way or worse, a crisis strikes. She is ready because she has fully prepared her family and herself not only physically but also spiritually.
     Then she went on to verse 25 and talked about how this woman is "clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." This encouraged me to want to be this woman full of strength and dignity. This woman did not fall to pieces, go into depression or despair at what God did or did not provide. She took care of her family, kept a clean house, fed her family, worked hard, taught her children about God, built up her husband, helped the needy, etc. So needless to say she was really an amazing woman!
     So, in this time of disappointment I am encouraged to gain strength and dignity like this amazing example God has given to us women by reading God's word and being in prayer to prepare my family for whatever is to come our way and to find contentment in Him alone! He has really provided so much for me and my husband, more than I really even realize! I am so thankful for this new job adventure He has provided, my supportive family and friends, and most of all my wonderful, supportive, loving husband!

Birthday wishes!

Today was my husband's birthday, the BIG 27! I hope he had a wonderful birthday weekend. We had yummy tarts from a little bakery down the street that were pretty yummy (which is what is pictured, the bakery) and celebrated mostly on Friday night! I only wish I could have been more creative this year to make the day even more special for him! I am so thankful for such a wonderful husband and look forward to many more years of adventures with him!!!! Happy Birthday to the best husband in the world!

Our weekend in Hollywood and Beverly Hills

Last weekend my husband had a work meeting near Bakersfield, we decided to take advantage of one night free hotel and gas money and spend the rest of the weekend in Hollywood and Beverly Hills. We went to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame, looked at the old hand and foot prints in front of the Chinese Theater, saw where the Oscars were held and the big stair case, drove around Beverly Hills to see if we could find any celebrity mansions (which we did not find haha)...and of course hiked up a ways to see the Hollywood sign. We then decided to go to Malibu to Zuma beach but then realized we may have liked closer to Orange County better, but it was really good weather except for the super cold ocean!!!! So here are some pictures of that, as you can see most of the Chinese Theater prints are old actors and actresses, there wasn't as many new actors as I thought there was but I am a fan of classic movies and love the old actors so I was content!

Antonio on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

Us in front of the Kodak Theatre

Chinese Theatre

Natalie Wood! Her hands and feet were tiny

Antonio comparing foot sizes

El Capitan Theatre

Antonio with the Star Wars hand and foot prints

Me with Elizabeth Taylor's prints

 

Me on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

This is our hotel's restaurant where I ate breakfast while my husband was a work

...and this was my yummy breakfast

Zuma beach- Malibu

Malibu

I loved this shot for some reason. This lady and her family sat in front of us on the beach and I really liked her hat haha. So I took a picture!

This street is off of Rodeo Drive

*Some of these pictures were taken with my iphone and these others were taken with our camera

The year of the dragon parade

On Saturday we went to the Chinese New Year's parade. It was downtown in the city and super crowed but we walked around quite a bit to see if we were missing anything. In made a snake-like route between different streets so unfortunately we saw most of the same part of the parade 2-3 times haha. We needed to actually get there early and sit to watch it beginning to end, but we had a nice walk around the city and saw parts of the parade. Here are a few pictures that I took and edited on instragram!

Plant killer

So my husband always says that I am a plant killer. The first night we bought a plant together was when we got married but it later maybe a few months in...died. According to him it was because I didn't water the plant...which probably is true. Once we moved, we decided it wasn't worth traveling with because it probably wouldn't make it. Once we moved into our 2nd apartment here I decided it needed to look a bit more homey. So, I bought 3 plants, one to hang in the kitchen (which still sets next to the sink since we haven't hung it yet), a little bamboo plant (which I thought was perfect cuz the lady said it is super hard to kill this plant!) and a bigger leafed plant for our living room. I continue to water it like the lady said. My husband didn't like where I put it so he put it outside. It started to wilt immediately because it is an indoor plant and it is winter! You can't put an indoor plant outside in the middle of winter! I moved it back inside and while we were gone in Mexico some of the leaves were super brown. My husband again went on to tell me how we shouldn't buy plants because i always kill them haha! But, I water them once a week exactly how the lady said so now the leaves are light green and spotted rather than dark green and they're starting to look brown on the edges. I clipped off the dried brown leaves so it doesn't look as bad now. Anyone have any suggestions on how to keep my plant alive???