Where do you store your treasures?

We decided to put one of our cars up for sale on Sunday evening because we purchased a van last month to have more room with having a 10 month old, and God-willing, more kids in the future. My Husband and I were kicking around the idea of maybe having three vehicles, but it didn't make sense to us since we don't have room to store three vehicles. I think what really had us holding on (or maybe it was just me) was the sentimental value and memories with the car. 

Well, my Husband had someone wanting to look at the car after work on Monday but told me before he left for work that he would be coming home with the car and I could say "goodbye" to it. To my surprise, my Husband called, said they wanted the car and I needed to come pick him up. That meant I couldn't say "goodbye" to it. I felt the tears well up in my eyes and the goose egg in my throat. I choked down the tears and decided to give it to God and ask for comfort. The memories of the car were swirling around in my head:

• This is the car my Husband drove when we first met. (Big deal for me because I had been praying for someone like my Husband for a long time. I'll share our love story some other time because it's long, but God is truly amazing!) 
• This is the car that drove us to where he proposed.
• The car we drove on our honeymoon.
• The car we drove to follow the funeral home car to bury my Dad after he passed.
• The car we drove to the hospital when my water broke.
• The car we drove our little guy home in from the hospital after he was born.
• Etc. and so on

My heart was aching. I ended up crying halfway there and felt like I was saying goodbye to things that were familiar to me and were around when my Dad was alive - such as this car. My Dad was also around when my Husband and I met, married, and found out we were pregnant.

I know that it's just a car - a hunk of metal - no eternal value. Through all of this though, it's amazing how God has exposed things in my heart that don't need to be there. 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) 

Ugh - a punch to the heart when I recalled this Scripture. Where was my focus, really? I had been storing up more treasures on earth than in heaven. It can be so easy to do. So easy to focus on what we can see and what's tangible instead of what is unseen. Forgive me, Lord! 

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

I want to challenge and encourage you. Do a heart check. Where do you store your treasures? On earth or in heaven? Do things of this world consume you? Checking facebook, email, etc. is not bad, but do you enjoy watching TV or checking facebook more than spending time alone with God, our Creator? 

If you are struggling with storing your treasures on earth instead of in heaven, or are not sure if you are, pray that God would reveal to you the areas of your heart that are being held captive by things other than Him and that He would transform your heart, break your chains and give you a love for Him that is deeper than the love of anything or anyone else. 

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." - Colossians 3:1-10 (NIV)

Do I struggle as well? Of course I do. Know that things of this world will fade away. We are here on this earth for only a short time. Hold onto the hope we are offered from God through his Son Jesus Christ. Seek His face continually. One day there will be no more pain, hurting, darkness, sadness, struggle for those who are in Christ Jesus - hallelujah!

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39

Even though selling the car was a deep and painful reminder that I miss my Dad like crazy and it's still raw in my heart - I know that someday when I see him again in Heaven we will be rejoicing and praising the King of Kings! Until then, I will continue to seek the face of our Lord God Almighty and rely on Him for comfort, peace, joy, and wisdom in this temporary life.

Stay Tuned!

Hi all! A little background to this blog: In high school I loathed writing papers, but currently I love writing! I started this blog in 2010 because I thought it would be fun but have hardly written anything over the years. However, I feel that God has put it on my heart for almost the past year to start posting more in the hopes of encouraging other women to be who they can be in Christ alone, minus our society's standards, statuses and expectations. I actually have started and saved several drafts since then sharing about how God has changed my life and other life events that have happened such as my Dad passing, my love story of my Husband and I, becoming a Mother, everyday struggles, etc.

I've been in prayer about moving forward with this and plan on writing more in the near future but am waiting on God's timing. I feel it is very close! If God says no and doesn't want me to write, then that's okay as well! More to come!

Do you have your "spiritual bags" packed?

It was one year ago today that God reached down and took my Dad home. Even though we miss him dearly, we know that he's in a better place. My Dad was a trooper throughout his battle with brain cancer and would share with people that he had his "spiritual bags" packed. My Dad's "spiritual bags" that were packed was him being sure of his salvation and knowing that he was going to paradise after he passed. Not everyone is sure of where they're going after they pass. My Dad had confidence of where he was going because he believed that God loves us SO much that He sent his one and only son Jesus to die for his sins (and all of ours as well) and that Jesus was buried after he died and God rose Him to life again. My Dad accepted that he could not do life alone and let God take control of his life. 

But it didn't stop there. He was truly a new man. He had a desire to go to church, serve in the church by helping out where needed, to grow in his faith, help others in need, share about Jesus at his place of work - all of this to share the hope that he was given and that is offered to each one of us. We have the free will to do what we want with that gift of hope. We can either accept it and this new life or turn away from it. This change in my Dad happened after he went to men's retreat in February 2011. He came back excited and a new man. He was then diagnosed with brain cancer in April 2011. God's timing is perfect in such a way that He saved my Dad before he got terminal brain cancer. I feel like my Dad was filled with more pure joy in the 1 1/2 years before he passed than I had ever seen! I woke up every morning to him drinking coffee and reading the Bible. He was excited to share what he read!

Losing my Dad has really made me examine my heart over the last year. It has made me dig deeper in my faith and has drawn me closer to God. The awesome thing about Jesus saving us is that not only does He save us eternally so that we can spend that rest of our life with Him after we pass, but He saves us now. What I mean by that is He can help us find freedom from things such as from depression, pain, hurt, grudges, resentment, addictions, fear, sexual immorality, feelings of worthlessness, loneliness, loss, anxiety, the feeling of needing to wear or do certain things to have status...and the list goes on. We have to be willing to give it to Him and have our lives changed. There is freedom in Jesus Christ 

Do you have your "spiritual bags" packed?

Something Beautiful

Something beautiful hit me the other morning between my sleepy eyes. I was lightly rocking my baby boy in the rocking chair as he dozed off. I couldn't help but watch his sweet little face and told him that my cup overflows. (Anyone see the movie Hope Floats?) He smiled at hearing my voice and had a look of love, peace and contentment as he rested in my arms. It made me think of the love God has for us, His children. And how His "cup overflows" when we are resting in His arms. So safe, content, loved and at peace. He looks down at us and smiles lovingly. Good reminder for me to always trust Him and rest in His loving arms.

Are you thirsty?

Boy it's sure hot out! And I'm pretty sure half of me has melted away today. I'm sure you can relate. You know, I'm not a fan of really hot and humid weather like this, but I find it to be a blessing and a good reminder that it's not going to be a scorcher in heaven some day. We may think this is hot...well, hell is much hotter. Can you imagine how thirsty we would be down there?? Our mouths would be bone dry from the heat and with no water to drink. And we're talkin' 24/7 dying of heat and thirst. Good news is that we never have to go thirsty! Even on a day like today. You might be asking yourself, "How is that? It's 96 degrees out with a heat index of 114 degrees and I could seriously fry an egg on my sidewalk! Maybe even bacon!" 

You see, God loves us SO much that He sent his son Jesus to die for us. He died for our sins. He took our place on the cross and rose again and is alive so that we are saved from the hot scorching oven, roasting away like a kernel of popcorn ready to pop at any second. When we accept Jesus into our life as our Savior, we are forgiven of these sins and have hope, a future and eternal life. We never have to go thirsty again. This is what Jesus says, "but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14) We have eternal life in Him which is the best drink of purified water anyone could ever have! Drink up :)

Beauty of the Cross

Today is Good Friday! Remember the meaning and importance of it. Jesus Christ was beaten and died on the cross for us! He died for our sins so that we may live in paradise with Him! That is the best gift anyone could ever give! We are forgiven! We are free because of that! Words cannot express how thankful I am! He has changed my heart and my ways! I am a new creation! Jesus is my Lord and Savior! ♥


‎"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5 - We are healed!!! Hallelujah!!

"Beauty of the Cross" - Jonny Diaz 

At the cross I find the beauty of Your matchless grace

At the cross I see a King who died to take my place

It's the moment that You made me clean and pardoned my soul

Amazing grace that I would be allowed unto Your throne

Not by my own will but solely by Your will alone

I'm unworthy of this love you have shown to me

I see my desperate need

The beauty of the cross is that there's One who has redeemed my soul

Beauty of the cross is that I'm finally free and letting go

Beauty of the cross is that Your grace has found me just as I am

Not by my own works that I may boast or I may come

But simply through your Son the sinless and Exalted One

Only through the cross that I'm made clean to draw near to you

Saved so that you would receive all glory due Your name

Everlasting God from age to age you never change

A true love story remains for all eternity

That all the world would see

My sinful soul could only be

Redeemed by the blood of a sinless King

So you came to the world that You had made

Conquered sin on the cross and You rose from the grave

That's the beauty of the cross 

God and Dog

Check out this poem and video I ran across. It is sooo true!

God Spelled Backwards

When God had made the earth and sky,

The flowers and the trees.

He then made all the animals,

The fish, the birds and bees.

And when at last He'd finished,

Not one was quite the same.

He said, "I'll walk this world of mine,

And give each one a name."

And so He traveled far and wide

And everywhere He went.

A little creature followed Him

Until its strength was spent.

When all were named upon the earth

And in the sky and sea,

The little creature said, "Dear Lord,

There's not one left for me."

Kindly the Father said to him,

"I've left you to the end.

I've turned my own name back to front

And called you dog, my friend."

Author Unknown

A MUST SEE --> God and Dog video by Wendy J Francisco Click Here

I'm so thankful for having God and my dog Sophie in my life! They both brighten any day, pull me through the bad times, rejoice with me in the good times, have a great sense of humor, and love me unconditionally no matter what! Sophie really is a sweetie and a trooper. She can always sense if something is wrong or if I'm sad, and she has been so comforting and loving lately with everything going on in my life.