{Had to Share}

Times are tough...People are scared...but no worries..God is always there for you. 

From my Saturday Devotional today: 

{Purpose Driven Life} "A good example for us is in 2 Corinthians 8. Paul says this about the churches in Macedonia: “Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, they have mixed their wonderful joy with their deep poverty, and the result has been an overflow of giving to others” (2 Corinthians 8:2 LB). Joy and generosity always go together."~ Rick Warren

Slim and Fit. NO NOT ME!

Like it's the plague..I run from it.

I stand in front of the mirror every morning these days and see.....

a thinning hair line, flabby belly, giggly arms, an eeek complexion, and dark circles under my eyes and think... ok...lets get started....{I don't scare easy. I know what I look like. I have no shame.}

I tuck and fluff, and hide and conceal {well not really, I don't wear makeup!} and brush and move on....

And when it's all said and done..I head to work.

And low and behold... someone who doesn't  need to fluff and tuck...cause she naturally has thick straight hair, and her jeans look amazing on her and her arms don't have the giggle that mine have. {HA.}

I smile.

And think...I'M NOT 21 ANY MORE!!! {Ha.} Wow. What a difference 10 years makes....

And I think... God made me and He loves me. So, I love myself. My Husband loves me. My children love me.

That doesn't mean I don't plan on working on it. Because I do. One day. Soon. When uhm....I will. I will. In the end, I want to be fit to run around and chase Santi and I want to be healthy to one day see my daughter grow into a beautiful young lady. Because, I do care about myself. I just don't worry too much about what I "look" like. Does that make sense?

I have always, ALWAYS, struggled with my weight. I know that it's a lifestyle change and that you have to yes..you guessed it...WORK AT IT! Work at it. WORK AT IT. BUT, I am not going to obsess. God knows what and when, and how and where. I will simply attempt to live a healthy and active life as a Momma of Dos and Wife to One. That's all I can do. Is try...

Right?

{Thankful Thursdays} LINK UP!

This week I am most Thankful for:

Garage SALES {This week my Aunt came over, a chronic garage sale hostess, and she almost cleared out ALL of the things I didn't want in my cluttered garage..it was great!}

A Listening Ear {This week, I have had so much, SO MUCH on my mind and God has given me so MANY wonderful listening ears, who don't mind it...because in return, I listen to them..it's a win win situation. Really it is.}

Decisions {They are good. They are difficult. They are life changing. I don't like them, but secretly I crave them. They remind me that Thankfully, I have options. Options are not always a bad thing... I think.}


{And every week, every day, every minute, every second; I am Thankful for my Hubby, my Children, my Parents, my Siblings, extended Family {mine and my Husbands}, Friends and people who inspire motion!} 

Role Models.

{Praise & Worship Wednesday}

As a child I looked up to many, many women in my life, as an adult, it's the same. I don't think I ever expected anyone to look up to me.

That's changed now. I have children. I have a daughter. I want her to love me and admire me for who I am. For whom God has made me to be. BUT, I always remind others, that I am in the end...HUMAN. I do make mistakes. I do talk too much and I do put my foot in my mouth!

I was so convicted last night when my Husband pointed out a fault in my tongue last week. My questions are....How? How do you apologize after you've stepped out of your comfort zone, only to put your foot in your mouth? How do you speak your mind without judging? How do you let it all go? I am not only reminded of scripture and call for grace and redemption... but I am also reminded of that song...from John Mayer...."My Stupid Mouth"...and I feel horrible.

So, I pray.

James 3: 5-10
Taming the Tongue
5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by human beings, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Ephesians 4:29-30

Instructions for Christian Living
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

And, I change...

 

 

AS A MOTHER....

All we can do...

...is try!

Yes. It's true.

That's how it is in Marriage. You TRY and work at it.

That's how it is at a job. You TRY and work at it.

That's how it is in life. You TRY and  work at it.

So, when it comes to how I see parenting and the future {and current} upbringing of my children...YOU TRY AND WORK AT IT.

I haven't been a parent long, but I have parents. And, like many of us, they are human. They've made mistakes. And, as chronic observers, Ricardo and I note things and situations that we know we don't want to repeat in our children's upbringing and you know what...we TRY and work at it. Everyday. Together.

From what I have lived the last TWO years, I know it's difficult. To be all that God wants me to be. I fall back on Proverbs 31 and think...REALLY? And then think; well she did it, why can't I! And, so I try. Everyday. As I do with my Marriage. Never giving up. Always looking UP towards God for daily guidance and never slowing down! I figure to keep one step ahead of my kids I have to be floating on air!

I see other Momma's and think "wow.", "WOW!", "really?", "hmmmm" , "maybe I can try this instead?", and then think about it all and take it all in. At the end of the day, ONLY God knows the challenges, the accomplishments, the sacrifices, the journey that He has chosen for me as a Mother.

Only with Him, thru Him and for Him...can I prosper as a Mother.

There are so many things that as a young "Traditional Mexican Mother" born and raised in the U.S., I would like to instill in my children. For one, our Faith. Prayer. Alone time with God. Knowing that you don't ever have to be a people follower if you are a Jesus follower . That as a Momma, I will always be here for them but that they also need to learn to stand on their own TWO feet for when I can't physically be there. I want to teach them SPANISH. It's so important to me for them to know their roots, Mexico is such a beautiful place, amidst the current turmoil, it is rich in scenery and culture. I want my daughter to have a traditional Quinceñera. That, I think has been lost in recent years. I want my son to be a gentleman; independent, caring, loving, strong, courteous, hardworking, and dedicated. I want my daughter to know that she doesn't need a man in her life to make her feel loved, accepted and supported. But, only God can help me and ONLY He knows how much of this will reach their little growing hearts. {It tugs at mine everyday....}

I pray. That it will. 

All, I can do is try. 

I know it's an everyday struggle to be a Mother. But, you know what I am here, I have been called to this place and I have accepted my mission....and trust me, I will not just TRY. I will give it 110% to get things done.   

I also have an amazing group of Momma friends as support, to go to for further advice and counseling.

I will try and only God can pick me back up if I fail...

Mexican Baby's Diet {No, en serio...}

This weekend I got an idea for a post as I fed my Lil'Momma...

I wrote something about it HERE. But, not sure if I have ever expanded on it.

So, we know that I am Mexican. Mi familia es Mexicana. Mis hijos son..pues MEXICANOS! {HA.}

No fighting it...

Here is proof:

Therefore...it's true that you ARE what you EAT.

We are Mexican..so we eat Mexican..not people..the food! {Hehe...a little Mexican humor!}

Ever since my son started eating "solids"..more like "mushies"... he has been eating Mexican food or homemade food. {Pozole, Caldo de Res, Arroz con Frijoles negros, Bolillos, Tortillas con sal, Crema y queso fresco, Sopes, Elote en vaso, Barbacoa, Sopa de fideo con platano, Carne Asada, etc etc..yes most is not that good for you but homemade it's a little better than store bought.} We have made it a point not to make our children into fast food or processed food kids....in a PERFECT world that would have completely happened...don't get me wrong.... My kids do eat healthy homemade meals but EVERY once in a while..Momma is tired and Daddy gets home late, so those nights we allow not only ourselves but our kids as well to eat processed foods...more so than fast food.

We have planned meals most weeks and on days when things don't go as planned we make things like:

Frozen Pizza{Usually DiGiorno..it's pretty good} , Mac'n'Cheese {Classic favorite, sometimes I use the box and others, I make my own..just pasta shells and Velveeta cheese, super easy} and Instant soups {Spicy ones for us and non-spicy for the kids}....

These are actually pretty good {They have several flavors and there are other brands} :

One of the most used processed food in our home is BEANS. {Duh.} This brand is actually pretty good:

 
As for fresh fruits and veggies....

We eat them all!

Some of my son's favs are:

Watermelon, Bananas, Blueberries, Cherries, Apples, Peaches, Pears, Pineapples, Melon, Platano Macho and Grapes.

He will eat just about any Vegetable; Carrots, Chayote, Sweet Potato, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Broccoli, Cauliflower, you name he loves it. Raw or cooked! With Italian dress or without! He also loves Lemons and Limes!

When he was little I simply boiled or baked {baked it better!} and then mashed them up and gave them to him...NO SALT. NO EXTRA CONDIMENTS. Just the veggie or fruit.

I didn't take any pictures of the food. But, I love making them all for Santi and now for Cami!

Also, Santiago also loves CHEESE and Yogurt! LOTS! It's another thing we got him used to since he was a baby...but he loves Doritos and Kool-Aid the same....so who know what he will be like in the future; I do know that he will NOT eat chicken nuggets or hamburgers from any fast food restaurant and he will NOT eat any type of canned pasta! He definitely knows the difference and that was what we wanted to get at when we started him on "mushies".

He also loves fries but we limit them from fast food places and bake our own instead. He has only been inside of a  McDonald's once and once to Chuck-e-Cheese. We don't want to totally deprive him of the world but we want him to know that he has options and that home cooking for the most part is cheaper and better for you.

We also limit sodas, sweets and too much bread or tortillas. We cook most meals with Extra Virgin Olive Oil {Or as Rachel R. like to call it..the good'ole EVOO} and we try not to fry to much, our oven is used often and we cook as a family! {Clean up is all Momma's! HA.} 

On top of that both of my kids are super active...Santi could spends days at the park and never get tired!


And, we drink lots of water and don't go a single day without it...


And trust me, we do eat junk food but try REALLY hard not to! We try to be as healthy and active as our busy Momma and Daddy lives allow us to.....


Is your baby a Mexican baby?

{Again, I receive NO compensation what so ever for any type of product advertisement.}

Finding Friday {&Suggestion Saturday}

YAY!

One more NEW Feature to cross off my Momma Goals for this Blog!!


Here are some of my "cool finds" for the week:

I held on to a lot of my lil'daddy's{for newcomers that's what we call my son} clothes and just items from when he was baby just in case I have another boy and for sentimental value. Well the clothes and shoes I think look super cute on my lil'momma {for newcomers that's what we call my daughter}and well here is a picture of an old find that I think looks super cute on her!!!

They are chanclas from Cuernavaca, Mexico that my Grandmother brought back for my son when I was still pregnant.

Also in this picture is my new find for the week. This little thingamajig is quite handy when leaving the house. It's a powdered milk dispenser. I found it at my FAV store TARGET for about 4 bucks. It's worth it!

Also, while I was out at the local CVS, I found a really good deal on a round brush. I have the worse curly hair ever and I NEED a round brush in my everyday life. The one I had was OLD and the other day I had to save it from the mercy of my almost 2 year old, as he chunked it into the toilet. Don't worry I am so cool I caught it in the air! ::HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF::  Oh yeah and the brush was only $1.24! It was on sale for $4.24 and I got $3 back in a coupon! Pretty cool, huh?!

Did you find something cool this, week??

.....if so FEEL FREE TO SHARE!

{BTW, I don't get ANY type of compensation for doing reviews or promoting stores and sales...It's just for fun!}

{T.GOD.I.F} ♥

No really, THANK GOD.

Turning 30 has really, I mean REALLY messed with my emotions {hormones} !!

“Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes.” (Ephesians 4:23 NLT)

I mean. I cry. I dwell. I wallow. I blah, all over my Besties! Seriously. Seriously, Momma? Get a grip! Life is NOT that serious. It's. not. that. serious. it's not.

“You must put on your new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness—righteous, holy, and true.” (Ephesians 4:24)

The last few weeks I've had this line from the movie Tangled in my head {Not cause we've seen it about a billion times in the last 4 months but yeah...}: "You know, I can't help but notice you seem a little at war with yourself here.." It's that scene when she leaves the tower to venture out, to see her "life begin"...I guess that's where I am at right now.

 “For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT).

As a new Momma of Dos and Wife to a super busy Student and Intern...it just seems like "my" life has not yet begun...I know I am a super BUSY "OTHCWMWB" but some days..I still want more.

Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the bag. Luke 19:26 (MSG)

Eeek. I know. MORE. I hate the rut of want...but I think it's more the desire to serve!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Psalm 3:5-6 NIV)

I know God is working. His work is fruitful. I trust in Him. LOTS!

Psalm 42:11 “Oh, my soul, don't be discouraged. Don't be upset. Expect God to act!” (TLB).

BTW. I don't think a Blog post can ever be too scripture heavy....

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." New International Version (NIV)

{Thankful Thursdays} LINK UP!

I am up late. My son couldn't go to sleep. He finally does and I can't go to sleep! Go figure. 


Anyway. Really excited. It's been a crazy couple of weeks {or Month really}. And this week...God seems to be in my ears, on my mind and flipping my heart inside out! I know. I love it.

So, here we go....



This week I am most Thankful for:

Growth { In talking to an old college friend...whoa, makes me sound old, any who....in talking to an old college friend..I realized...that..I am NOT who I was....not even 3 years ago...I was crazy "young" not in age but in maturity. I know they say that with age comes wisdom but I never new it would be THIS true! Amazing what a few years does.  I feel strong and faith-filled. God has definitely brought me a long way. I can only grow more and learn more.}


Priorities { I was driving home last night and realized that I no longer drool over pretty little cars but instead am in dyer need of a nice roomy mini-van! I know. What 30 year old asks for a mini-van!? Ha. I do. I do. I am just glad that God has refocused my life and that I am no longer about things and situations but rather about a deeper meaning of family and faith as well as experiences and facing trials.}

Challenges { I've know for years now that God will not give you more than you can handle only that which will make you stronger and it's amazing how much He thinks I can take on! In the upcoming weeks my Husband will start what we pray will be his last semester in school, I will attempt to go to church more often, craft, and yes..the horror...workout more. ::insert screeching knife sound here:: Our schedule will be tight. My Husband also expressed that he may quit his internship to focus on his last semester in school and without hesitation I said..."do it." God I know You are here. I know You are with me. You will provide and give me peace!}

I guess you can tell the kind of week I've had...heavy..next week will be better...I promise. Ha. 

What are you Thankful for today?

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{Acceptance}

~Praise & Worship Wednesday~

July was a very, very, VERY emotional month for my family. {We lost my Tia Lola to a long time battle with Lung Disease early on in the month....it hasn't been easy....she lived in Detroit....It's been a ride..}

Personally, I have been struggling on a "professional" level. As a young girl it was emphasized that as a woman born to Mexican parents in the United States, the ONLY way I would EVER "make anything of myself" was if I received an education. The fact that you finished High School in my time was a HUGE deal. So, If I could graduate College...I'd be some type of a Hero to my family. The chosen ONE. To progress and bring riches to my family here and abroad. {No joke.}

Having a College degree was glamorized. I thought I would be one of the Sex in the City girls only a bit smarter and hopefully with some morals. {Ha. Don't get me wrong, I am total fan but you know what I mean.} I thought that after 4 years of school I would have the big house, with the fancy car and carry my suitcase in to work every morning, dressed in a different color pant suits every day of the week.

Boy. Was. I. EVER. SO. Wrong.

These days I don't care about what I wear or where I live or drive. I simply want to be happy in the place that I spend 8 hours a day in. And, I want to be assured that after 5 years of college {don't judge} receiving my degree WAS the smart thing to do! I want to be grateful and thankful that I can sit in an air conditioned office every day and love what I do for a living. Know that I matter, no matter what, feel like I make a difference in those people who I come in contact with on a day to day basis.

I've loved my work in the past; I worked at Texas Children's for 7 years and helping the Hispanic community came easy and was very fulfilling. Then I moved on to the Worksource and I had the same experience and was even taken into account by management. Then a "better" opportunity came along and things were amazing. Now, it's not the same... I must move forward and life must go on for me....

But, like many in this economy, I am suffering... and it makes me miserable to know that I am just here. Stuck. Not really making a difference in my community. The way I know I can!

But, you know what? I know who I have and what my heart is filled with!

I have Jesus in my life and joy in my heart!

This month has been difficult but as August begins God is slowly showing me His light and His presence once more in my 30 years....slowly but surely. I keep the Faith.

Just this weekend. Saturday actually as I busily helped my Husband complete his presentation on the DREAM Act {Which by the way went excellent!}..God spoke to me...In my most favorite way...Music.

My absolute favorite station here in Houston is KSBJ. I love it. Love it. Love it.

Here is WHAT God said to me:

"Oh, don't hang your head
It's gonna end
God's {I am} right there
Even if it's hard to see Him {me}
I promise you that He {I} still cares
When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He {I} knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain't gonna last forever
And things can only get better"~[Mandisa]
Be strong in the Lord and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's {I have} got His {my} hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,"~[Sidewalk Prophets]
And while I may not know you I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes does it matter at all
Well let me remind you it all matters just as long as you
Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
Cause {I}He made you!
... do every little thing that you do to bring a smile to {My}His face
And tell the story of grace with every move that you make
And every little thing you do.."~[Steven Curtis Chapman]
"wherever you are--breathe out and breathe in again

And know that life is hard but it's worth the breathing
Oh, listen to me now for love, oh, love is waiting for You just to say
Here come better days
And here come better days
Better days and a better place I know
...wait, oh wait, For grace has found me and shaken up my soul
And grace will follow wherever you will go
Listen to me now for grace, oh grace is calling just for You to say
Green grass and I am laying in the sunlight of You
And the wind is moving through the trees ushering You
And the better days You bring--and better places found"~[Robbie Seay Band]

I loved it. And felt so Blessed.
 
I know it's difficult right now and I don't see the light....but God is with me..I have grace and peace and YES..better days will come...and they will stay with me forever..in Victory!
 
Blessed day readers.