Thankful Thursdays- 29

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. - James 1:19-20

This week I am thankful for so so so many things...like,
261. that even though I have my own problems (everyone does) they aren't as bad as others.
262. for my family.
263. that Allison made it to Texas safely, despite the complications she had along the way.
264. that school is overrrrrrr!!
265. for friends who will sit there while you cry and when you're done, reassure you that everything will be okay and that God has a plan.
266. for the common sense that comes naturally to me.
267. for the self assurance I have within myself.
268. that I dont have to leave my house next week if I dont want to!
269. that even when things get tough for us we still help the needy.
270. that I know in my heart that no matter what anyone says EVER, I have God on my side.

What are you thankful for this week?
Talk to you soon,
J

Thankful Thursdays- 28

The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still. --Exodus 14:14

When times get tough, the weak will run or cower amongst themselves. I am not weak so I will not run or cower anywhere. I will stand still and I will tell the Lord what I need and wait for him to fight for me. Everyone goes through hard times, they just have different ways of handling it. I will stay thankful for what I have every day of my life, even the hard ones. I will stay positive and remind myself of all the good in my world.
Here are some things I'm thankful for this week.

251. For a husband who will do anything for us.
252. For our soldiers.
253. That I have a bright outlook on the future.
254. That we are finally finally finally looking at houses!
255. That we were able to book our tickets to Tennessee! (more on that in another blog)
256. That there is only 6 more days of classes left.
257. For my brothers and Allison who babysit my kids (for free) so I can go to these classes everyday.
258. That sometimes time flies. It's not always a good thing....but sometimes it is.
259. That I have a video camera to catch the kids dancing and Bella saying "wafffffllleeessss" like the girl looking for her dog on that one commercial, anytime it comes on the TV.
260. That I'm looking at my parenting style in a different light and hopefully making some smart changes.

What are you thankful for this week?

Talk to you soon,
J

Thankful Thursdays- 27

Life is crazy! That doesn't stop me from being thankful for everything I have so even though I didn't do a TOAT last week I wanted to do one today. I'm thankful for every second of every day for things like...


241. my ability to keep myself busy. Allison is leaving soon so I know I'll be spending most of my time with just my kiddies, keeping us busy will come in handy.
242. Bella's love of shoes. She is so much like her mama!
243. Max's ever expanding imagination, give him some Legos and he can tell you a whole story about whatever he creates with them.
244. the friendships that have recently come into my life.
245. for the quote "This too shall pass." I dont know who said it but it's amazing.
246. that the last installment of the Harry Potter movies is coming out this weekend instead of in November like they normally do.
247. that after today I only have two more weeks of my chemistry class and one more week of my sociology class.
248. that I can overlook some things...
249. when a prayer gets answered.
250. most importantly, the health and happiness of my children.

What are you thankful for this week?
Talk to you soon,
J

Another Fave is On The Way!!

I have been DYING to talk about the newest fave thats on the way!
Evette and Nick are having their first child together towards the end of this year and tonight was their gender reveal party!

Evette had a sonogram done on Wednesday and had the technician write the gender down, put it in an envelope and seal it. From there she took it to The Cake Shop and had them make a cake with blue and pink on it and instructed them to take whatever was in the envelope and dye the color of the cake inside the appropriate color. So the only people who knew the gender was the ultrasound technician and the people who made the cake.

Evette and Nick arranged to have all of their closest friends and family over to watch them cut the cake and be there to share in the joy of finding out if they were having a boy or a girl. I thought this was the most genius thing ever!! I will most definitely be doing this with my next pregnancy.

So I really really wanted to share this with everyone because the pictures that I got are so beautiful. I love to see people genuinely happy and thats exactly what I caught.

Mommy & Daughter share a moment right before the cutting of the cake.

Everyone was soooo into it!

These faces are priceless!

PURE elation!!

Blue for boy!

Mr. & Mrs. Sisneros

So...IT'S A BOY!!!!

I have already been planning the heck outta this baby shower but now that I know the gender its going to be even better!! ANDDDDD I cannot WAIT to meet my newest fave. He's going to be GORGEOUS!

Talk to you soon,
J

It's Independence Day

LET FREEDOM RIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGGGGG

Sorry for that haha. Everytime I think about Independence Day I think of the song by Martina McBride "Independence Day". The song is about a woman who gets freedom from an abusive relationship. I just love it. Youtube it and listen, its so good it'll give you chills!

Anywhoooo, We spent most of today with my mom and brothers at her house. We played in the water with the kids and ate a yummy Baked BBQ Chicken dinner that my mom cooked for us. We just hung out after it got a little too windy for the kids to be in the water and my mom, Ryan, and I watched HLN for more information on whats going on with the Casey Anthony trial. Its so fitting that the jury went into deliberation today on Independence Day/The 4th of July...hopefully we will start the new work week with a GUILTY verdict for that coo-coo bird. I dont really want to go any further than that because I can seriously type forever about the trial and what I think should happen to that loser. On a different note, we are also remembering a woman who touched many peoples lives. Today marks two years that her family lost their mother, sister, auntie, cousin, and friend. My heart and prayers are definitely with them. 

Tonight we will be watching fireworks from our driveway. This is Bella's first year that she will get to watch them since last year she was already asleep, and Maximus loves fireworks so it should be a lot of fun for him too.

I was so happy to be able to spend the last 3 days with my kids and my husband with no where to go. It was super relaxing. I did have homework to do but it wasn't too much so I got it done. I had a lot of fun painting me and Bella's nails to match. I did blue and red on our hands and feet. Its one of the many perks of having a daughter that I cherish so very much. Max and I spent some time watching 3 (yes THREE) Harry Potter movies in one day...we would have watched a fourth one but Ryan came home and he isn't into that haha. We also surprised Max and took him to see Cars 2! He was so pumped to see it, it was all he was talking about for a few days so we finally just took him. Ryan and I watched the movie A-Team one day while Bella was napping and the movie Fighting another day.

Overall I had an amazing three day weekend. I wish I didn't have to go to school tomorrow but I do. Luckily its almost over and I'll have a little break before the next classes start.

Here's a few pictures I wanted to share =)

Happy Fourth of July!!!

***UPDATE***
Unfortunately we didn't start the new work week with a guilty verdict for the child killer Casey Anthony. Instead we watched in horror as a murderer was essentially set free and a child's murder went unavenged. Its things like this that make a mockery of America's justice system. The saddest part of all of it is that for Caylee no one will ever have to pay for the things she went through in her short two years of life. The only thing we can do is pray that she is being rocked to sleep by Jesus and that she hasn't a care in the world. Casey Anthony will have her day of judgement in front of the one person that matters, God. He will be sure to give her the sentencing that she deserves, spending her eternity in flames with the devil.


Talk to you soon,
J

A Little Piece of a Miraculous Romance

I know an amazing mother/wife/sister/and friend. She is a good Woman of God and I have taken a lot of advice from her. She is also a fellow blogger. You can find the link to her blog Miraculous Romance a little farther down. I wanted to have a piece of her mind and of her blog on my blog to share with my readers. She is truly inspirational. So I hope you enjoy. =)

I just wanted you to let us know a few things that way my readers (now yours as well) will know a little more about you. Tell us your name and age...and anything else you think we may want to know. ; )
--My name is Crystal Nichole O'Rourke (Hooper). I am 24 years old. I have been married to an amazing man of God, by the name of Patrick, for almost 4 years now. I have 2 beautiful daughters by the name of Eden Neriah and Toula Michelle. If you would like to know more you can read my blog http://miraculousromance.blogspot.com/

I am so glad that you were able to do this for my blog. I LOVE your blog and I'm glad to have a piece of it on mine.

--Thanks Jacqui! I love you and your blog! I am so blessed to have this opportunity. :)

 

My Jesus: Lifegiver

 

A good friend of mine once said that, “…In this world you will have trouble…” Well, I can most certainly testify to that. The past few years of my life seemed to have been full of that detestable “t” word. I have been bruised, broken, and at my wit’s end on more occasions than you could fathom. My heart has cried out for rescuing from the hurt and pain that I have suffered in this “world”.

Let me start by giving you a little taste of my experiences these past few years. When I was about 6 months pregnant with my first daughter my mother was hospitalized during a near death bout of what would be diagnosed as stage 4 cancer during my 7th month. She fought a good fight against the disease but only 3 months after the confirmed diagnosis was taken home to be with Jesus; which just so happened to land on my sister‘s birthday, July 4th. Then, in what seemed like an instant after her passing, my father began to date my husband’s mother and they were engaged before labor day. My husband's mother and I have had many issues in the past and were not the best of friends to put it kindly, so as you can imagine this was most certainly not celebratory on my end… not to mention the fact that my mother had only been gone for a whopping 3 months before the engagement. There was many a battle between all of the relatives near and far, and my family who had once stood so close was as divided as the Koreas. This most certainly put a strain on my husband and I causing our marriage to be pushed to the brink of near extinction. Needless to say, there were many roles in my life that were almost immediately damaged or completely cut-off. I was without a mother, a father, a husband, and half of my siblings were pried from my life. Though, I can honestly say that throughout all of the chaos and heartache there was a hope that came anew every morning…

I began to cling (more strongly than ever) to the only thing that I knew could give me the strength to withstand any blow that this world, the enemy, or any human being could throw my way: Jesus Christ. I HAD to trust that He is who He says He is. I HAD to trust that He could do what He says He can do. I HAD to trust that His word is Truth. I had to have faith that my story wasn’t over. I didn’t have a choice in the matter. He loved me (or shall I say loves) and I am His anointed daughter. This was the only thing I had to ensure that I would be able to get myself out of bed and take care of my beautiful first-born daughter. He gave me strength to pray and believe Him for the miracles that He was going to do in my marriage and my life!

I could hear his still small voice through the storm raging in my life reminding me that I am richly filled with His love. That I am not alone. I had the comfort of a mother as he nurtured me through the pain and heartache, just as His word promises in Isaiah 66:11 as he speaks of His gospel and zion... “She will nurse and comfort you, just like your own mother, until you are satisfied. You will fully enjoy her wonderful glory.” As I prayed and fought with my flesh to continue to trust in Him, I had the companionship of a sister or brother… Proverbs 18:24 says: A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. This friend is Jesus! I had the support of a loving father when I need encouragement and discipline just as Psalm 89:26-28 clearly explains: “He shall cry to me, ‘You are my father, my God, and the Rock of my Salvation.’ And I will make him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. My steadfast love I will keep for Him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.” Most importantly I had God as my Lover and I as His beloved when my husband and I had a divided heart. He says of me (and you), “You have stolen my heart, my sister my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How delightful is your love my sister my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!” - Song of Songs 4:9-10. I began to see that God’s word was alive and active in my life and most of all in me! He was manifesting His Spirit deep within my being and I was finally coming alive after I felt that I could never really live again.

It’s true, God is my comforter. He has filled every role in my life that is or has been lacking and has never let me down. You know that quote I had written in the beginning of this article was actually something said by Jesus and is quoted in the bible in John 16:33… and it didn’t end there. He went on to say… “but take heart! I have overcome the world.” Sure, I have faced trouble. I have been up to my eyes in it. But the truth is that with Him, I was always able to find His peace.

Please know that it was Jesus who gave his life to share in a miraculous romance, a sacred bond, with you. He promised that if you would come into communion with him that he would never leave nor forsake you, His beloved. He died for the opportunity to have you fall in love with Him just as he is madly in love with you. His beautiful spirit is calling your name... Will you answer?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that whoever shall believe in him shall not perish but shall have eternal life.” -John 3:16

 

 

Talk to you soon,

J

Thankful Thursdays- 26

I know I haven't been able to do a TOAT in a while. But I'm doing one today!

Things have been super busy around here, so it keeps me away from my computer. Even with all the hectic go go go that is my every day life, I am still so thankful for everything I have. Here are some examples...

I'm thankful...

231. that this summer, even though I'm in school, is going so well.

232. that my brother and sister in law surprised me with a brand new video camera! I am now able to literally document the kids, every single day.

234. that Ryan and I are on the same page with where our life is headed.

235. that I have friends who actually like participating in my blog!

236. that Ryan understands when I need help around the house.

237. that I was not only able to go to almost everything I was invited to this month, I was also able to buy gifts. My goal for the rest of this year is to make it to every birthday party and baby shower we are invited to.

238. that I haven't had a bad day, for weeks. My family is happy...and so am I.

239. that I am not a liar. I wont lie about something small and I wont lie about something big. The TRUTH will always be the route I take, no matter what.

240. That the year is already half over...and its getting so close to all the holidays and stuff! My favorite time of year!!

So what are you thankful for this week?

Talk to you soon,

J