9000 Days Old!

Psalm 90:12

So teach us to number our days

that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Today is the 9000th Day of my Life!

My husband came across a website that had a little gadget to figure out how many days old you are. I was pretty close to 9000 so I figured out the day and wrote it on my calendar. Today is that day! 9000 days... that is quite a long time. I was thinking, wouldn't it be facinating if we could remember every moment of our lives? Of course there are many things I would like to forget about, but overall I would love to be able to recall anything at any given time. Especially now that my Mom is gone. I'm finding that my memories of her are starting to disappear. It's a little scary... it's only been 4 years and I can hardly remember what she was like.

Anyway...

We had a late night last night at Lifelight (which I will write about later) so we are pretty tired today. With this being Labor Day, Gage is out of school today. We're spending the day hanging out at home enjoying this free time.

Today is also day 10 of my Amish Friendship Bread making, which means that today is baking day! I made 4 "loaves" of bread.... 3 were disasters, 1 turned out pretty well. I'll post pictures of my bread disaster/accomplishment soon. I'm beginning to wonder what could be causing all of my bread disasters. I have attempted to make various breads over the past few years and they always turn out the same - crumbly, sticky on the outsides, chewy and hard as rock edges.

Our Story

Gage and I both grew up in San Diego, CA. We met through MySpace.com in August 2005. I had just created a San Diego County Christians group on MySpace and since Gage was a new Christian with no Christian friends, he joined with the hope that he would meet some new friends. I invited him to join my friends and I at a bible study and we met in person at Calvary Chapel Hidden Valley on September 8, 2005. Two months later we were a couple and a little over one year after we met we married on September 16, 2006. Our first kiss was on our Wedding day!

Our honeymoon was a 2 day stay at a bed & breakfast in Julian, CA and then a 10 day road trip to our new home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We made stops in Zion National Park, four corners, a couple towns in Colorado, and the Black Hills (Mt. Rushmore). It was an amazing journey! We arrived here October 1st. We have lived here for nearly 3 years now and we love it. We enjoy meeting new people and learning to adapt to life in the midwest. We love the different seasons (although we do wish winter was shorter than 5-6 months!), we are happy to live near Gage's family, and we have found a wonderful church, First Evangelical Free Church of Sioux Falls.

On March 12, 2008 we welcomed our first child into the world! A baby girl named Zoe Kimberly (named after her Grandma Kimberly, my mother, who passed away in 2005 just a month before I met Gage). She is the greatest blessing God has granted us with. She is such a joy to have and we look forward watching her grow.

Right now Gage is attending school at Southeast Technical Institute (STI). He has already received a diploma as a Software Support Specialist, and is continuing his work to earn an A.A.S. in Computer Programming. I am a stay-at-home-Mom now and I absolutely love it! I couldn't ask for a better job than this! God has truly blessed me. I spend most of my days at home, going to parks, going for walks, learning anything that I can, organizing/cleaning, teaching my daughter anything and everything, and in addition to this I love to write and I love photography. I have just earned a Diploma in Photography and hope to one day earn money through my photography. Right now my focus is entirely on God, my husband, and my daughter.

1 Year Anniversary of this Blog!

I have been blogging for 6 years now, my first blog was a personal journal held at Xanga.com. It still exists and I update it about once a year just so it'll stay up to date. I moved to blogger because I wanted a new design and a whole new start on blogging.

Today I decided to go look back at my first post here on blogger: Click here if you wish to read it. I created this blog with the purpose of writing about my many adventures in homemaking. I think I have gone through 3 different names for this blog so far and who knows if the current one (Motherly Love) will even stick... but overall I feel I have succeeded in what I set out to do. I want to document my life and whatever I am doing at the time happens to be what I write about. Right now I am a new mom, so a lot of my posts are about motherhood and the excitement of seeing my daughter try new things each day.

This is a personal journal / homemaker's blog.

I hope that by writing on this blog I am able to encourage other young women to pursue lives devoted to their families. I also want to have a document that my daughter and any other future children of ours will be able to read one day to enjoy and be encouraged by. I believe there is nothing more important for a woman to do, especially in this day and age.

California, here I come!

I'm going *home* to San Diego!

Actually, I am going to be in Los Angeles (Hollywood) tomorrow, then Riverside for the first couple days of the trip (which is my original hometown, where I was born.) I'll be spending a lot of time with family! Zoe is going to get to see all her little cousins. I'm so excited! I'm going to have to take a zillion pictures.

On the 5th I'll be meeting up with my friends and then making my way down to Escondido (San Diego for those of you who don't know Southern CA) where we'll be until the 13th. On the 13th we go back up to Los Angeles. Zoe and I will meet up with Gage and his family at a motel that night. Well sleep there then early in the morning we drive to Yosemite National Park. We will be there for a week, then we drive to Bass Lake, where we will be for another week. Gage's Dad's side of the family is having a family reunion up in Bass Lake. That'll be fun, I've never been there before. We return to Sioux Falls on the 27th of June.

I'm a little nervous about the flight tomorrow. For one, I'm not a huge fan of flying. Second, I am going to have my 14 month old on my lap for 3 hrs straight. I don't know how I'm going to keep her entertained for that long. Maybe she'll sleep a little! :)

I'm also sad to leave Sioux Falls for a month. I am thrilled to be going back to CA but I'm going to be out of my comfort zone (my home) for a month! Zoe is also going to be in new and strange places and we'll be without Gage for the first 10 days so it's a bit stressful, but I know God is in control and it will all work out. I really have nothing to worry about. I know I'm going to have a great time on this trip and Zoe will be loved by everyone.

I'm going to finish some laundry and get a couple more things packed tonight, that will allow me to just relax tomorrow until we leave the house at 1pm. Ooo, maybe we'll get Bagel Boy for breakfast.

I leave you with one of my favorite portions of scripture:

Isaiah 40:28-31

²⁸Have you not known? Have you not heard?The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
²⁹He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
³⁰Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
³¹but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

-Shaina

In 100 Days...

I will be 9000 days old!

Pretty crazy thought haha. A few days ago Gage was on some statistic website of some kind and he figured out how many days old I was. As of today I am 100 days away from turning 9000 days old. I wonder how I should celebrate. ;)

The past two days we have been pretty spontaneous. Yesterday Zoe and I went swimming (Zoe's first time "swimming" in an outdoor pool) at McKennen Park's little kid pool (it's only about a foot - a foot 1/2 deep and it has fountains and a little slide). First thing she does...lets go of Grandma and dives head first into the ice cold water. You should have seen the look on her face! I did happen to catch this on video though so I'll try to post it on here sometime soon.

Today my friend Rachel sent me a message on Facebook asking if we wanted to go to the Zoo. Gage was just about to stop by the house on his break from work so I quickly got dressed, got Zoe ready, packed a little food, and we drove Gage back to work and we made our way to the Zoo, which is a whole 5-8 minutes away from our house. It was a pretty fun trip. Zoe enjoyed the ducks of course :)

She's awake now from her nap so I guess that means I'm done here!

-Shaina

Fear of the Future

Jhn 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

I have always been a very sentimental girl. I own many things that are strictly sentimental value and do not really serve any other purpose than that. I have always been a documenter - writing, taking photos, scrapbooking, etc. Ever since I was a kid I have tried to make the most out of everything I did because I enjoyed life and wanted to embrace it. When I turned 13 I reveled in the fact that I was a teenager. I didn't follow in the footsteps of many teens but I did do things sometimes I think simply because I was a teen - hung posters on my walls, listened to music all day, dressed in "cool" clothing (while still modest), and went to concert after concert after concert. I remember thinking as a teenager that I wanted to stay that way forever. Young, healthy, with very few responsibilities. I was a little Peter Pan if you will ;) Never wanted to grow up. I took it all in, I didn't want to waste any moment of my teen years.

Ever since I watched my Mom take her last breath my appreciation for life has increased even more. So much that I think it has actually begun to have a negative effect on me. I've come to cherish moments so much that I never want to let them go. I want to stop time. I fear getting older (I dreaded turning 22, then 23, and now 24), I fear getting sick, and I fear dying at a relatively young age just as my Mom did. As with most people, it is my desire to grow old and watch my grandchildren grow up. I know that this is not my decision to make though - it is entirely up to God when I will go be with him. Most people my age simply don't think this way, young people expect to live until they are old, so they don't spend too much time thinking about their futures other than what job they will have or the number of children they want. Many people take it for granted that they will one day have grandchildren and even great-grandchildren, but we really don't know that for sure. With my Mom dying at a young age, it has nearly convinced me that I am going to die young also (which is an irrational thing to expect, I know, but nevertheless that is how I think.)

God has blessed me tremendously in my life so far and there are very few things that I would have ever hoped to be different. My life so far has been incredible, to say the least, and I want nothing more than to spend every waking moment of the day glorifying the Lord with all that I do. I cannot do this if I am constantly in fear of the future. Fear is a complete lack of faith.

My desire should first and foremost be a desire to be with Jesus Christ. Yes, family is a wonderful blessing, but I cannot allow myself to love them more than I love God. In reality, they do not even begin to compare to God. I need to look forward to the day that I die and not dread it, because what is in store for me as a believer in Jesus Christ is far greater than anything, even family.

The last week or so I have been realizing that in a short time, my baby girl is no longer going to be a baby. She will never be a baby every again. Now when I hold her I start to feel sadness, knowing that this beautiful stage of life will soon be over and will never return. I look forward to her toddler years but I am also sad that my little baby that I can cradle in my arms is growing so quickly. I wish she could stay a baby for just a while longer.

Even when I was a teenager my Mom called me her baby girl, I have a feeling I will do the same with Zoe. My Mom told me she loved me every single day of my life and she dedicated her life to caring for me and my siblings. My memories from growing up are so precious. I want to create a home filled with beautiful memories for Zoe, just as my Mom did for me.

I cherish every memory I have of my Mom, of my parents when they were together, of my sister dancing around and singing in the living room, of my brother and his obsession with the Muppets and chicken nuggets, all the fun Christmas' we spent together, the places we traveled to... These memories have such a profound effect on the way I live today. I loved my childhood and I really miss it, but being the sentimental person that I am (and was) I don't feel like my childhood wasn't long enough because I embraced it and enjoyed it to the best of my ability. I am in a new stage of life now though and if I don't "live life to its fullest" right now it'll pass me by and I'll wonder what happened to the time.

In the verse above, Jesus is telling his disciples not to fear because as believers in Him, they have nothing to fear. They were afraid of what was to come, but Jesus gave them the peace that they needed. My prayer on this day is that God would grant me the peace that I need to not fear what is to come. I pray that I will be able to cherish the wonderful moments of life and not worry about a time when those moments will be gone. I pray that I can keep an eternal perspective always - the more we realize how short our lives are the more we focus on our purpose - and that is to glorify the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Loving life is a wonderful thing and changes can be extremely hard on a person, but life is FULL of changes and each new change is a new adventure and each new adventure is a way to learn and grow in the Lord and it is a way to create new memories.

I know that I cannot get rid of this fear on my own. If my fear ever goes away it will be entirely God's doing.
.

New Years Resolutions for 2009!

I've never really made New Year's Resolutions before but I figured what better year to start than this year ;o)

I am going to try and make these resolutions realistic. I will set about 20 resolutions and at the end of the year I'll look back on them and see how many I managed to fulfill.

My New Years Resolutions:

1. Study the Bible daily.
   
2. Read the entire Old Testament.
3. Learn to be a better wife and mother.
4. Spend an average of $200 on groceries each month.
5. Have at least $3000 in the savings account at this time next year.
   
6. Make exercise a habit.
   
7. Loose 10 lbs. to get back to pre-pregnancy weight (Preferably 30 lbs but 10 is a good goal haha)
8. Read a minimum of 10 Books.
9. Write a letter (snail mail) to someone every month (Particularly my Great-Grandmother and our Compassion sponsor child, Fabiola.)
   
10. Try 100 new things (foods, sports, events, activities, etc)
    
11. Go on 3 road trips, even if they are short ones.
    
12. Learn how to use the Sioux Falls freeways. There are TWO of them, which is nothing compared to San Diego...you'd think I'd have this down by now, after two years of living here, but nope. My sense of direction here is pretty much non-existent. I always avoid using the freeways because I have no idea where they lead- what off ramps are on there or which direction they go haha.. I'm totally lost in this city most of the time.
    
13. Complete my Photography Diploma Program! I started in the summer of 2007 and have had to extend my time an additional 6 months - twice! If I don't complete this in 5 more months, that will be $1000 down the drain so... I really do need to finish it. Trouble is finding time to take a darn photo of a woman outdoors in this crazy cold weather. Why did that have to be my first project? Ugh.
14. Meet at least one new friend this year.
15. Complete the following Scrapbooks / Photo Albums: Our Honeymoon Album, Zoe's 1st Year Scrapbook.
16. Find, sort, and organize ALL of our photos (digital and prints) up until Dec 2008.
    
17. Learn to Sew.
18. Travel somewhere I have never been.
    
19. Work on my Family Tree
20. Get outside more!
    

If you're into setting goals and working to accomplish them, check out 43things.com! I started my list two years ago but kind of forgot about it for the past year. I plan to start using that site again. It's a pretty cool site.

Ok that completes my list of resolutions for the year of 2009.

Have a Fine 2009!
(I just couldn't resist!)

-Shaina

100th Post!

I have heard via To the Moon and Back that it is customary to post 100 things about yourself as your 100th post on your blog. I have no idea how I'm going to come up with 100 things but here goes...

1. I was born in southern California and lived there pretty much my entire life.
2. I spent one year living in Kentucky (year 2000) I also lived there for a couple months in 2005 when my Mom was sick.
   
3. My Mom died when I was 20 (three years ago). She was my best friend.
   
4. I have one brother named Paul that is autistic. He is two years younger than me. I also have a sister that is 5 years younger than me, named Gabby.
5. My parents divorced when I was 10. My Dad re-married when I was 13, so I have a step-mother, 3 stepsisters, and 1 stepbrother.
6. I love Dr. Pepper. Perhaps a little too much.
7. My first kiss was on my Wedding day.
8. My first boyfriend turned out to be my husband.
9. My first car was a 1991 Ford Taurus. It had been my Mom's and she gave it to me when I was 18.
10. I have a daughter named Zoe Kimberly. Zoe means life (eternal life) in greek, and Kimberly was my Mom's first name.
11. I'm a stay at home wife and mother which is one of the greatest blessings I've ever received!
12. I was homeschooled for 4th, 5th, and 8th grade. I went to school online for 11th, and did an independent study program for 12th.
    
13. My middle name is Christine. My parents named me Shaina Christine which together means Beautiful Christian. It's a good thing I chose to follow Christ and be a Christian, now isn't it? :o)
14. My favorite cookies are No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies. If only I knew how to make them... every time I try they don't turn out right.
    
15. I'm 23 and have never had even a sip of an alcoholic drink. I don't believe it is wrong to drink the occasional drink, but to be honest I'm not a fan of alcohol.
    
16. This isn't necessarily about me, but its about my family. Much of my family is very musical! My Dad has been the worship leader at our church as long as I can remember, my sister sings on the worship team now (and may I add, she has a beautiful and AMAZING voice!), my cousins are/were in a rock band called Echocast for many years, Black Signature - my cousin Adam, my Dad and Uncle Ken used to be in The Omega Band. Many other family members sing and play instruments as well.
17. When I was young I used to be a concert fanatic. I've been to over 100 concerts in my life. Hanson, Phantom Planet, Maroon 5 (back in the day...), and Lifehouse were my favorite concerts to attend.
18. I absolutely LOVE Mexican Food. But only the kind you can find in SoCal :) Albertos!!
    
19. I grew up in San Diego and only went to Seaworld a handful of times, and the Zoo maybe 3 times. How crazy is that??
20. Christmas is my favorite Holiday.
21. I have 5 friends named Rachel, one named Rachelle too. haha.
22. I have had the same best friends ever since I was around 7 years old.
    
23. David Crowder Band is one of my absolute favorites!
24. I rarely listen to secular music anymore. I find myself just wanting to hear uplifting and convicting lyrics rather words with no meaning (which unfortunately is a lot of secular radio). There are some that I will listen to occasionally though, but I think lyrics should have some sort of beauty and meaning to them and they most certainly should not be about self-love.
    
25. When I was in kindergarten, I told everyone I wanted to be a Chef when I grew up.
    
26. I believe the word divorce should not exist in a married couple's dictionary. NOTHING should be able to break the bond of a married couple. Nothing.
    
27. I was a HUGE fan of Hanson. I saw them in concerts, met them 4 or 5 times, was the editor of their online magazine, wrote articles for their website (Hanson.net) back in the day... my obsession ended around 2003 when I began to realize I was worshiping a band rather than Jesus. I still love their music though. Gage and I went to see them a couple months ago :)
    
28. I love scrapbooking, but I never put them together because they take up so much time and money.
29. Biblical discernment and good doctrine is very important to me.
30. I think burning copies of CDs is stealing. If you want the CD just buy it.
    
31. I've been stung by a bee only once in my life, when I was about 11... I did a cartwheel in the grass and my hand landed on a bee.
    
32. When I was pregnant I started struggling with intense sharp back pain at 15 weeks and it increased until my daughter was born, then it went away for the most part but I still have major problems throughout the day... maybe someday I'll get brave and we'll scrounge up enough money for me to go to a chiropractor.
33. I love photography, I'd love to become a good photographer someday.
34. I need glasses but can't afford an exam or glasses so... I just see everything with a slight blur.
35. I love the show Gilmore Girls! Lorelei and Rory remind me so much of how my Mom and I used to be.
    
36. One of my best friends (the one who just got married - Michelle) and I have the same birthday! We are a year apart.
    
37. I use cloth diapers on my daughter while we are at home. They work very well and they are not that much of a hassle to use... saves a ton of money.
38. My favorite beach is Oceanside (in San Diego). I love to walk on the pier! I've gone to that beach since I was a little girl.
39. My favorite ride at Disneyland is the Matterhorn!
40. I LOVE porch swings. We have a swing outside in our front yard (because we don't have a porch) and during the summer I went out there every day with Zoe.
    
41. We have a dog named Penny. She is a rat terrier and almost 2 years old :)
42. I'm bummed that Way of the Master Radio has turned into Wretched Radio only because it requires money now to get the podcasts. We'll probably end up paying for it but... still. We listened for a whole year for free! :oP
43. I love to make lists!
44. I have been a bridesmaid/matron 3 times (so far!)
45. Spinach Quiche is one of my favorite foods.
46. My daughter's name was actually *inspired* by the Christian group ZOEgirl because it was through them that I learned the meaning of Zoe and started to like the name.
47. I have been writing an online journal since 2003 - I used Xanga up until this year.
48. My husband and I hope to have 4 children eventually.
49. I have been to tons of Padre games in San Diego. My Dad used to buy season tickets. I haven't been to one in a few years now though! We never have time to go when we visit.
50. I love to decorate and organize! I love to make things look beautiful. I got that from my Mom.
51. Scrubs is one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. I just wish they were not so crude :(
    
52. I love Photoshop! I have been a fan of this software since 2002.
53. I love to use coupons. Free money!
    
54. A Walk to Remember is one of my favorite movies ever.
55. I never really knew any of my grandpas, they all died before I was 3.
    
56. I still have a great-grandmother, she is 95 years old! We have a 5 generation photo with my Great-Grandmother, my Grandmother, my Dad, me, and Zoe!
57. I love Snowmen! I have still never made one though. Perhaps I will this year.
58. I used to dance, a LOT. When I lived in Kentucky, I basically spent all my free time dancing. I lost about 30 lbs that year. I should start dancing again...haha.
59. My first job was at McDonalds. I worked there for over 3 years!
60. I have worked for 1-800-Flowers, Macys, Bath and Body Works, and Gerardy Photography.
    
61. I graduated from High School in 2003.
62. I am a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. No idea why. haha.
63. I grew up going to Calvary Chapels, now I am attending a First Evangelical Free Church.
64. I broke my arm one time...when I was 4. I was trying to jump to the 4th bar on monkey bars... yeah... stupid, I know. But my friend did it! ;oP lol
65. I hope to have four children someday. Although, some days I don't even know how I'll handle two haha.
    
66. I LOVE the rain! Love love love.
67. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is amazing. I am always shocked when I meet a person who has no interest in it.
    
68. For my 18th birthday, I went to Acapulco. The restaurant. ;o)
    
69. I remember what my husband was wearing the day I met him. I remember shaking his hand and hearing him say, "Hi, I'm Gage."
    
70. I was in AWANA for 8 years.
71. I went Whale Watching on my 12th Birthday... our 6th grade field trip just happened to occur on my birthday. It was awesome. My first time on a boat!
    
72. My 2nd time on a boat was when I was 21 :) In Hawaii.
73. My husband proposed to me at the movie theater where he worked. He went up to the front to introduce the movie (which is what he normally did while working) then he called me to the front and he proposed there. My sister & friends were supposed to be in the room when he did it but they happened to be in the bathroom at the time so they missed it, haha. They didn't know about it until the movie was over!
74. I actually like Ovaltine. :)
75. I have been working on this for way too long!
76. I had a birthday tradition every year until I was about 17. It was a sleepover birthday party and the cake was cheesecake.
    
77. I almost always order Fettuccine Alfredo at Italian Restaurants and Nachos at Mexican Restaurants.
    
78. I am going to have a list of new years resolutions for 2009 (I've never done it before) and I will stick to them!
79. I would like to meet Todd Friel, Kirk Cameron, and Ray Comfort someday.
80. I feel like I need to document every little thing that happens because I actually have a terrible memory. If I didn't write things down or take pictures, I'd always forget them.
81. This computer that I'm using was my high school graduation gift from my Dad.
82. I love the Muppets!
83. I'm a huge fan of Toby Mac and Switchfoot.
84. Chad from Switchfoot used to go to my old church Calvary Chapel San Marcos, his Dad was the Pastor.
    
85. I think "Jesus Freak" by DC Talk could be my favorite song of all time. I remember listening to it when I was 11 or 12 :) I know every word to that song, haha.
86. Many people would never guess this about me...but I really like Thousand Foot Krutch, Skillet, and Pillar!! (All of which, I just realized, my cousins (Echocast) have toured or done shows with. That's so neat!)
    
87. I got a new winter coat today! My mother in law Jenny bought it for me as an early birthday present.
    
88. I learned how to type when I was 11 years old.
    
89. I created my first website when I was 12 years old. I made my first website from scratch at 15 years old.
90. I love the smell of laundry rooms.
    
91. Our first outing together as a couple was to an Echocast concert (on Halloween), and our first date was a Switchfoot concert.
    
92. My Wedding dress was made by my mother in law :)
    
93. I have a MySpace account and a Facebook. I like things about each site so I can't really pick one. Plus some of my friends have one and not the other so its good to have both so I can keep up with just about everyone I've ever known in my life.
    
94. My friends and I used to record ourselves with my tape player. We sang songs (with my CD player in the background), created our own radio shows, and just talked. Those tapes are hilarious to listen to now!
    
95. My Mom was my best friend. I think of her every day. I'm trying very hard to not forget what she was like. The more time the passes, the easier it gets to forget her. I want my daughter to know a lot about her. Maybe as she grows up I'll be reminded of things my Mom did and said. I miss her so much. It is still hard for me to realize that she is no longer here. I miss her hugs more than anything.
    
96. I hope to go on at least one mission trip in the future. I've been on one to Mexico when I was in 8th grade but not since then.
97. I hope to travel a LOT in the future. Many of my favorite memories are of traveling with family and seeing God's amazing creation.
    
98. The Way of the Master by Ray Comfort is a book that I think every Christian should read.
99. My favorite place to be is at the end of a pier on the beach. Looking out at nothing but water for as far as you can see is an incredible sight.
    
100. My Mom, sister, and I memorized Sally (Meg Ryan)'s restaurant order from When Harry met Sally. Sally :"Yes I'd like the chef salad please with the oil and vinegar on the side and the apple pie a la mode." ...."But I'd like the pie heated and I don't want the ice cream on the top I want it on the side and I'd like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it, but if not then no ice cream just whipped cream but only if its real, if it's out of a can - then nothing." Waitress: "Not even the pie?" "No just the pie but then not heated."

My History with Christ

• At what age did you recognize you were in need of a Savior?

I attended church my entire life and I believe I first understood that I was in fact a sinner and I needed a savior when I was around 8 years old. However, I didn't fully devote my life to him until a long time after that. I honestly don't know when I officially became saved but I think it may have been at around age 18. That is when I fully understood my need for Jesus and my heart and mind began to be transformed. I wanted nothing else than to honor the Lord with my life.

• Who shared the Gospel with you (you don't have to share names unless you just want to)?

Initially, my parents and Sunday school teachers while growing up. I always knew I was a sinner (well after around age 8) and my life was spent trying to please God, but I think it was for the wrong reasons until I was in my late teens. After that I don't think I really had it explained to me in such a pure form as The Way of the Master uses. Their ministry has heavily influenced my life by their preaching of the Gospel.

• What was your first reaction when heard the Gospel for the first time?

I cannot clearly remember my reaction to hearing the Gospel for the first time, so I will explain my reaction to hearing it now. I am absolutely mind-blown at the idea that the God of the universe would love his creation so much that he would send his son to take our punishment (that we brought upon ourselves!). How incredible is it that we have this wonderful, beautiful and merciful God that is willing to forgive us of our sins if we just repent and trust in Him?! We deserve nothing and yet he died for us. It is absolutely phenomenal.

• How long did it take you to understand Jesus is the only Savior, repent and trust Him with your life?

Years. Only recently have I understood the importance of repentance and what true repentance is.

• How often do you share the Gospel with others?

Honestly, I hardly ever leave my own house and when I do it is to go to the grocery store or church. I guess I should start finding ways to talk to people at the grocery store, eh? :) This is mainly why I have a blog. So that I can proclaim to truth to anyone who reads this.

• What plans do you have to become more committed to sharing salvation in Christ with others?

Right now I am hoping that God provides me with the courage to preach the gospel to all of my unsaved family members. Unfortunately, many of them are big on debating, which I am not. I feel hugely burdened with the fact that I may not be able to stay on the right track and on topic if trying to preach the gospel to them.

• What scares you the most about sharing the Gospel and what Scriptures have helped you overcome those fears?

Basically my biggest fears are two things. 1) Not being able to preach the Gospel as a result of their 100 off topic questions or non-willingness to admit they have sinned against God. 2) The aftermath. I believe these two fears are the same fears that many people struggle with.

No matter what a person says, no matter how many random questions they bring up, we must stay focused on the heart of the matter: that we are all sinners and need a Savior. But when the person is not a stranger, such as a family member - it becomes more difficult to just ignore their questions and continue on with the Law to show they they've sinned. I'm afraid I won't get to the sharing of the Gospel part. And then if I do share the gospel, what will they think of me afterwards? Will they give me the silent treatment?

I recently shared the Gospel with my Grandmother and she hasn't spoken to me since (and that was about 2 months ago). I know that even if she never speaks to me again it was well worth it, but I'm afraid of doing that with *everyone* I know that is not saved. I fear that no one will ever want to even be near me again!

To overcome these fears I need to understand that God is in control and there is nothing that happens that is not according to His plan. I seriously have nothing to worry about. No man can harm me because I have the Holy Spirit within me. I must keep this in mind when sharing the Gospel. It is not up to me to change a person's heart - that is entirely God. All I can do is proclaim that His word IS truth and we have all sinned and we all fall short of God's glory. We need Jesus Christ if we want any hope for life after death.

Christmas is FOR Jesus

This is exactly why we must keep Jesus Christ at the center of all of our Christmas celebrations that are coming up. He IS the reason for the season (forgive my rhyming cheesiness). Christmas is celebrated to honor the birth of the one person that was able to forgive an entire world's worth of souls (past, present, and future)! All he asks is that we TRUST him and believe in Him. Only through this will true repentance occur, and we will turn from our sins and live as a light in this world of darkness.

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Time Warp!

My Daddy and Me (1985)

My Daddy and my Daughter (2008)

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Family Update and Random Stuff

Highlights of this past week:

-The Way of the Master class on Sunday was very intense but awesome. I love this Ministry. They are very Biblical, which is of utmost importance to my husband and me. Gage and I have been listening to their radio station for almost a year now and recently our church began their Evangalism School, which is something we had been hoping and praying for.

-The Sermon on Sunday really helped me figure out some aspects of my character that I really need to work on.

-We went to a Family Picnic Gathering at Sertoma Park with some friends. It was pretty fun, we met some new people too.

-Our Kitchen floor was torn up the day before yesterday. They are putting in new tile. Today they managed to put in half the tile and tomorrow they'll put in the rest. We cannot walk in the kitchen at all though because the tile has to set...so as you can imagine, this hasn't really been convenient. Tonight we can't use our stove/oven or microwave so we bought food and brought it home to eat. Oh, and currently our fridge is in the living room and our stove/oven is out in the patio room. You have to squeeze through the space between the couch and the fridge to get to the hallway or the front door. Fun fun!

-I have been reading blogs like crazy! I had no idea there were blogs for pretty much every topic you can think of. I've found a blog about bread making, blogs with awesome recipes posted every day, blogs with cleaning tips, blogs about coupons & money-saving ideas, homemaking blogs, bible study blogs... the list goes on and on. I have to limit my time of reading each day now because there is an endless supply of awesome information out there just waiting for me to read it haha.

-We're preparing for our trip to Minneapolis on Fri & Sat to celebrate our Anniversary :)

That's basically what we've been up to!

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Five things on today's "To Do" list:

1. Isaiah Bible Study
2. Call WIC and set up an appt.
3. Go to the Apple Orchard and pick apples! Yum!
4. Order a few prints of Zoe's 6 month photos.
5. Figure out how to live without a kitchen for yet another day.

Ten Years ago what were you doing?

In 1998 I was in 8th grade, 13 years old, living in Vista, CA. My Dad re-married that year. I was in public school for half the year then my Mom decided to home school me again. I spent a lot of time with my friends in the apartment complex that I was living in, when I wasn't with my friends, I was in my room organizing or creating something, learning how to make websites, or chatting online.

If I were a Billionaire:

Honestly, I've been given more than anything money could buy. I've been saved through faith in Jesus Christ. I wouldn't want to be a billionaire or even a millionaire, in fact I have no desire whatsoever for that to ever happen. However, if I did for some reason acquire a large sum of money...I'd probably buy a 5 bedroom house (since we hope to have 4 children), furniture for the house, a car big enough to fit our family, buy houses for my friends and family, throw a little chunk of it into savings, and then I'd give the rest away to people who actually need it and ministries that I support.

Three bad habits:

1. Being very quick to anger.

2. Not wanting to go to bed. But I love sleep.

3. Being "too tired" to exercise.


Five places I've lived:

1. Riverside, CA (where I was born)

2. Vista, CA

3. Escondido, CA

4. Danville, KY

5. Sioux Falls, SD


Five jobs I've had:

1. McDonalds Cashier

2. Bath & Body Works Sales Associate

3. Macy's Price Auditor

4. Gerardy Photography - Packaging

5. Current job: Being a Homemaker, Wife, and Mother.

Hanson

October 19, 2001
My 1st Time Meeting Hanson (at a Lifehouse/Michelle Branch concert)

Left to Right: Kelly, Isaac, Me, Katharine, Taylor, Zac, and Angela

I have many fond memories of all of these people. :)


If you knew me when I was young, you'd know that I was a HUGE fan of Hanson for 7 years, and then just a fan for the past 4 years haha. I have been a fan of Hanson for 11 years and we are going to see them on Friday night! I'm so excited!

I was such a BIG fan... I mean this was over-the-top! I practically lived on their website, Hanson.net. I won signed prizes for how much time I spent on that site. I was a Hanson.net Community Leader. I was the Editor of The Hanson.net Gazette on their website. I met them 4 times, saw them in concert 8 times, saw them at other people's concerts 3 times. I've EVEN been to the house they grew up in - in Tulsa, OK. I had every last bit of Hanson paraphernalia, and I knew all there was to know about each of the Hanson brothers and their family. When my friends and I were together, all we would talk about was Hanson.























Little did I know at the time that I was actually worshiping Hanson. They were my idols. Though I would never admit it to myself, they were more important to me than my relationship with Christ. When I was about 18 I finally realized it and I actually think that is when I truly got saved. I became a true follower of Christ (a Christian) and ever since then my life has been totally different. I still enjoy Hanson's music though, I think they have been blessed with a lot of talent. I'm totally looking forward to seeing them in concert again! It's been 3 years since I last saw them.

Some people have even pointed out to me that Hanson's youngest sister's name is Zoe and I named my daugher Zoe.... I can assure you though, it had nothing to do with that! haha. If there is anyone to blame for me liking the name Zoe, it is the Christian pop group ZOEgirl.

If you're wondering what these guys are up to these days. They are still making music, they have their own record label, and Isaac, Taylor, and Zac are all married now and all have children of their own. Taylor has 2 boys (Ezra and River) and a girl (Penelope). Isaac has a son named Everett, born last year. Zac has a son named Shepherd, who was born in May of this year.

Photo above: Zac Hanson and Me. Taken October 20, 2001 at a Phantom Planet concert

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