I Want to Make Sure I Remember.

Whoa!  2 post in a row!!

Maybe I have too much time on my hands?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Ok, moving on.

This one is for me.  I want to remember this.

I am reading a book by Dave Kirby

I discovered Dave Kirby long ago.  He is a regular contributor to the NY Times.  I have enjoyed/learn from/ been challenged by his writings.  I also got a book of his over a year ago about vaccines as I
 was doing some research on pro/con.

Like I said, I like him.  Very thorough, smart, and not afraid of the truth.  Willing to be challenged and teachable.

I never knew he was a Christian until about 6 months ago.

I happen to be looking for another book of his when I saw this title that cause me to stop in my tracks.

Actually, it bothered me because the title is so...hard to take.  Specially from someone who I did not know was a Christian until I started reading the book.

ANYWAY, I bought the book on my nook because I was willing to hear what he had to say.

And it was hard.

But true.

Because he, too, struggles with this truth.  And did not want to write this book.  And did so out of obedience.



This is for me.

This is so I remember.

Most of the selfishness that passes for modern Christianity is an abomination before a Holy GOD.

Our growth and acceptance in the market place can be attributed more to marketing than GOD's blessing.

Instead of being the hands of Jesus reaching out to embrace a filthy world, we have taken it upon ourselves to become GOD's public relations firm.

If we can shine GOD up enough and make HIM interesting enough, people will flock to HIM.  If we can make our music sound like their music then they will accept it and hear about GOD. If we can make our church service more interesting and professional, then they'll show up and hear about GOD.

Whoa.

Where did we lose our focus? Our truth? Our humility?

This is from Chapter 1.

The book pretty much brings you through to fire and leaves you there.

Which is not a bad place to be.  After all, did HE not say, HE is our refiner?  And how does one refine if not through the fire??

This is the second time I am reading this book.

The first time I read it to see what he had to say.  Now I am reading it more slowly to see what HE has to say.

I will probably post on here as I go, to remind myself.

Because my brain is like a sieve.  :P

I think I will have my youngest son read it this summer.

See what HE has to say to him.

My guilty pleasure

Unfortunately, I probably have way too many to admit.  

Or try to think about right now, because if I do, I will have to go in a corner somewhere and cry.

BUT, one of my guilty pleasures is:

Country Music.

I know. How did a Hispanic from Jersey, entirely too close to NYC, who has never been south of Washington DC before my daughter lived in VA Beach for 3 years learn to like country music?

Who knows.

BUT come May, two friends and I will be driving down to PNC Center to go see Brad Paisley!!

Life is good.

Hands down though, Randy Travis' concert was my favorite.  It was just... I should not use any of the adjectives that come to mind.

Regardless, I am excited.

Ok, moving on.

I need a haircut.  It looks pretty wild.  

Or maybe a better word is weird.

Confession:

It takes everything in me to care.

About my hair.

About make up.( as if I own much)

About how I look.

My poor husband.

He is pretty handsome if I can say so. ( even with that long hair. Some things just have to over looked, and one has to enjoy the whole package because after all, **swoon** he has a beard, to top it off.)

And he is stuck with me.

This past weekend, I went to a weekend retreat.  It was not just for women, it was for couples, too.  So there was no ' its just us gals' mentality, not that that is valid either, because evidently we are suppose to impress ourselves.

I kid you not.  I forgot my hair brush.

Yup, I didn't comb my hair all weekend.

And once I left my room after 'combing it' with my fingers, I forgot to care.

I am not my mother's daughter.

My poor mom, too.

She is always up to the nines.

I think I hit about 2.5.

I hear about it every single time I walk into my parent's house.

'Don't you have a mirror?'

'What happened to your hair?'

'Poor John.'

'You better get your act together or he will leave you for someone who looks nice.'

I have heard stuff like this for the last 28+ years of our marriage.

Mind you, I translated all this for you.  It sounds way better in Spanish.  LOL.  

My poor mom.

Every so often, maybe once every other year or so, I walk in all made up, with a great outfit, and my hair done.

The look of pleasure on her face should encourage me to please her more often.

Maybe one day soon.

Still...about my hair, one of these days; when something special happens, like a wedding. 

ANYWAY,

I leave you with this country music audition.

One of my favorites.  <3

Grace Makes Beauty, Out of Ugly Things. ~ U2 ~

I am trying to live life differently.

It is so difficult to change sometimes.  It has been a few years in the making...this change. Seriously, it has been about...27 years.

27 years since I surrender to GOD's call.

27 years of continually seeking:

Grace.

It is difficult to extend grace on the very people who need it.  Piece of cake (sometimes) on those you love or are on the same wave-length that you are in, in general.

But extending grace to lets say...the president.  Or any kind of radicals who destroy instead of encourage those in their lifestyle.  Or people who are spiteful, proud, take advantage of others, defiant ( not ignorant.  Ignorance is lack of knowledge, defiance is knowing, but being too proud/arrogant to change.) Or those who judge on their preconceived thoughts about others, but never really get to know them.



And then there is those who seek to destroy life of the pure and helpless innocent, and call it a 'choice'.

Though I do not hate these people, they do anger me sometimes.  OK, always.

When I went to go see my grandsons yesterday, just for a few, I observed my daughter looking at her 15 day old son with such love and tenderness as she nursed him.  I thought about how so many of these children never had a chance.  I see how helpless he is.  How having to hear him cry, even for those few seconds to let his mommy know he is hungry, just takes any kind of heart to a compassionate place, wishing they could do something to help.

There is this story in the news.  Or maybe I should say, this story never really made the news, though it is so outrages, it is disgusting.

It is the story of Dr. Kermit Gosnell.  (click to get informed.)

I take so much offense to this story.  I take offense as a woman.  I take offense as a mother.  I take offense as a biological mother.  I take offense as a mother of an African-almost-American daughter.  And a mother of an Asian daughter.  I am enraged as a protector of life.  And I am offended by the media, who will be so quick to tear down and tweak a story to destroy a 'conservative', but as soon as one of 'their own' is on trial and the facts are repulsive, you can hear the crickets in the courtroom.

Non biased media?  I think not.

Then I this morning I read this post.

Not going to lie, though I really like her idea and her story, I am not a fan of HOW she writes it.  Just not my style.  But I read it anyway because she usually has gems not to be missed.

Like this one she said today:

The abortion debate draws women and children as unexpected enemies.

Read it again.

And again. 

Women and children as unexpected enemies.

How true. 

How unnatural. 

How tragic.

How hateful.

How unGODly.

When you study the history of birth control and abortion rights, yøu see the desire to destroy humanity. To destroy mercy.  To destroy self control, accountability, responsibility, integrity, truth.

They made it pretty and called it a right.  A choice.  

Pure unadulterated selfishness won.

This is where grace has to come in.

Though I am enraged, as anyone reading this post, all 3 of you should be, and rightfully so...  I pity the people involved.  What happened in your life that made you make these kind of choices?  Made you think they were ok?  Made you look the other way for 'rights' sake?  

What heartache you must have, because we all know...

...hurt people hurt people.

Or maybe it is just plain old greed and selfishness.

Still...that is where grace has to walk in. 

I will look through GOD's eyes, and allow grace to triumph.

I will pray for those who are blind.  Those who are 'wise' in their own eyes.  Those who sacrifice the wrong for something worse. Those who are lost.  Those who reject that which is the very thing their soul cries out for.

And I have to remember,

THE THINGS GOD CAN DO!!!!!!!

Seek HIM.

Let HIM change you.

Let HIM fill your life with love. And mercy. And humility.

And grace.

Because as U2 so honestly says:

Grace makes beauty, out of ugly things.

BABY you are AMAZING!!!!

You know...sometimes I wonder if I am a dope.

I have a feeling I am.  :P

My son was telling me about how something that was considered unconstitutional in a news article he was reading is actually protected by Article 4 section 2.1

Um...he just quoted that without looking it up.

Um...should I be embarrassed that I have no idea what Article 4 section 2.1 says??!!??!  Should I admit it to him???

Should I make him start reading comic books instead??!!?

To tell you the truth, I asked him to 'remind' me **cough cough**what that particular section said.  He did.  Again, without looking it up.  :P  And then he explained why the news article was wrong and maybe he should write the editor and tell him that their writers should check their facts.

Do people write the editor anymore?

He is finishing up his school work while I write this.  He is watching FoxNews and CNN while working on his science.  ( adhd) He hates science, and doing it this way helps to make it bearable.  His teacher is always impressed with his preparation and knowledge of the material, as well as making rational arguments during class.  So I guess doing more than one thing at a time works for him.

NOT ME!!!

I can only do one thing at a time or else I get super confused and usually have to start over.

He gets that from his daddy.

Anyway.. on to more important news...

My baby girl HAD HER BABY!!!!!!!

On Easter morning.

And he is beautiful.  <3

Granted his big brother is also beautiful.  They are different types of beautiful.  They look so different, but I can see their parents combinations.

Beautiful Boy2 is a another miracle.  Ok fine, all babies are miracles, but when I was holding him and he was making all his precious faces, all I can do is stare.  I can hardly give him up to be fed.  It is mesmerizing what a miracle of GOD humanity is.  And for some bizzare reason, HE thought it was a good idea to give me ANOTHER beautiful grandson.  Clearly I do not deserve it.  But I am humbly thankful.

The girls are in love.

When we went over yesterday, they made sure they took their Bitty Babies so they could be just like sister.  Christian told me all her girls had babies.

 Love that!!!

Speaking of the girls, They are growing like weeds.  They need a whole new wardrobe.  I refuse to buy them clothes.  The same goes for Samuel for that matter.  It is a mere weeks before they will need Spring/Summer clothes.  I cannot justify buying cold weather clothes.  Buy them big, you say? Who knows how much they will grow during the summer.  They sure did a good (better than I expected) job this winter.  Shirts that had growing room a few months ago, now look like belly shirts on Christian!!

My poor baby girl.

Speaking of summer clothes, I am making the girls t-shirt skirts.  My oldest son has enough t-shirts for a small nation.  I think his lovely wife will be glad to see some of them go.  They take up so.much.room.

Pulling out the sewing machine and going to sew for a week straight!

And speaking of Spring...

I need to clean out my garden spot and freeze my food co-op delivery for the summer.  I never understood why people do that during the summer when we can actually garden AND farmer's markets are all over the place!  I do our organic food co-op during the winter months because, well, duh.  Finding organic fresh fruits & veggies is more difficult.  But during the summer??!!?  I can go the the farmer's market every Saturday morning and pick whatever I want, as opposed to what is delivered!!!!  And the prices are much better.

Ugh.  6-ish more weeks before the race.  ugh.

I think I gained about 6 pounds back.  I will probably juice for a few days to get back in the groove with good eating.  I had a Coca Cola this week!!!!  Can you believe it??!?  It has been so long.  :P And please don't get me started on how much Easter candy I have been offered by my babies, AND I TOOK IT!!!!

Seriously.

Pray for me.