"VIVA CRISTO REY!"

Viva Cristo Rey

I saw the movie For Greater Glory the true story of Cristiada this evening. My husband and I don’t make a habit of going to R-rated movies but this was being promoted on Christian radio and sounded like a movie we should see or should I rather say, “stand behind.” This was a war between the people of Mexico against the atheistic Mexican government.

There is much about Mexico’s history I have no idea that went on. This particular story I was never aware of. the Cristero War where the Catholic churches were shut down in the 1920’s era. It is an amazing story of courage and a people that took a stand for what they believe in, the cause of Christ, freedom, family and faith.

This is a must see movie for Christians because I can see something like this happen in America. Little by little our freedom of religion is being taken away from us and before long we’ll be locked out of our churches, pastors will be hung or shot on sight for talking about Christ. We as Christians will be asked to renounce our Lord as Savior or be killed.

We must be prepared for what is to come. There are so many instances within the movie where you can see parallels of Christ and his disciples. Are we ready to die for what we believe in? This movie will challenge you in that respect, when you see this young boy being told by the much older priest as the Federales are coming to take him away. The young boy wants to hide him. The priest says to him, “There comes a time when you have to stand for what you believe.”

The dialog that goes on between General Valarde and Father Vega is the type of conversation many a person has had when they see so much bad going on around them.  Without giving too much plot away I encourage you to go see this movie and be convicted of what it does to you personally. The emotions you feel when the young boy Jose is tortured then walks his own “Via De La Rosa.” Then to see the impact this boy has made on the General. It took everything within me to keep from bursting out in tears.

Interesting that one of the female characters name is Adriana. The General is awaken to a voice that says, "the Child has to go before us!" CCV had the impact made on them through the life of a 15 year old girl named Adrianna. Her funeral service was a week ago. Adrianna had a huge impact on many people with her courage and was ready to see her Lord and King. Adrianna has gone before us. She has led the charge to not be afraid to face death. She is one amazing young woman and you see that in the life of Jose in this movie.

This is an incredible movie and I encourage you to go see it either in the movie theater or for sure rent it on dvd when it is available. If this could happen in Mexico I have no doubt that it will happen in America. Be ready to stand for what you believe. Viva Cristo Rey!

“Make Each Day Count”

I just saw Titanic in 3D on the IMAX screen for the 2^nd time this week. Both times I became emotional with the opening scene of the people waving good-bye from aboard the Titanic. Of course this was a movie made to represent these people but it serves as a reminder of the people that actually sailed on the RMS Titanic and as a person watching this movie I knew what their fate would be.

2,200 people were on board what was called “The Ship of Dreams.” You can only imagine the destination for each person on that ship. Some were coming to America to have a Dream Vacation of a Lifetime, while others came to make a new life. The fictitious story of Rose to her sailing on the Titanic was like a slave ship carrying her to a life she didn’t want. Jack on the other hand was a free spirit and by the luck of a draw he won his ticket to sail across the ocean on the Titanic. He had no idea he would never make it to the other side.

Here we have two lives with two different outlooks on life. Rose says, “I saw my whole life as if I'd already lived it. An endless parade of parties and cotillions, yachts and polo matches. Always the same narrow people, the same mindless chatter. I felt like I was standing at a great precipice, with no one to pull me back, no one who cared... or even noticed.” Then there is Jack who was invited to dine in 1^st Class and he says to the group, 

“I got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what's gonna happen or, who I'm gonna meet, where I'm gonna wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people. I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count.” The group all raise their glasses and give a cheer, “To make each day count!”

Those words resonated with me, “To Make Each Day Count.” We don’t know what tomorrow may hold. Sure we have our calendars and we plan but we never know exactly how things will play out. In a sense we are on our own Titanic and at this point we don’t know how our story will end. Near the end of the movie Jack tells Rose, “You're gonna get out of here, you're gonna go on and you're gonna make lots of babies, and you're gonna watch them grow. You're gonna die an old... an old lady warm in her bed, not here, not this night. Not like this, do you understand me?” 

Rose does survive and she grows old and she has a story to tell which she has been doing during the movie Titanic.

Rose is brought to the research vessel and one of the first objects she’s shown is a hand mirror that was taken from her State room, her response was, ”How extraordinary! And it looks the same as it did last time I saw it... The reflection's changed a bit.” She was 17 when she last held that mirror and now here she is almost 101 years old and sees how her reflection has changed. Rose doesn’t respond too well to seeing her reflection in the mirror but you can see how she’s worn her memories on her face. As you hear Rose tell her story you can still see a sparkle in her eyes and contemplation in her voice. A mirror has a way of forcing you to see things you might rather forget.

Rose went on and lived her life just as Jack said she would. I find it interesting that we first see Rose using a potter’s wheel and she’s shaping a pot which serves as a reminder of God as the Master Potter who is molding us. You can see Rose has lived life by all the photos she carries with her. Rose learned to lived life to the fullest. This is what we need to be doing. We have our tickets and are on board our own Titanic and we need to navigate our way in this life. We have been given this opportunity like Jack stated to “make each day count!” Rose is 100 years old and is making pots. When did she learn to do that? She lived a long life and was able to share it with a group of people to help them understand what it was like to be aboard the RMS Titanic. Lewis Bodine shows Rose on a computerized simulator how the Titanic sunk with his voice making crashing sounds as the Titanic hits the bottom of the ocean. Rose begins to tell him how she remembered it.

Now you have your own life. What are we doing with it? Are you looking for adventure like Jack Dawson or do you feel like Rose living a life that you wish you could break out of? Are we making each day count or are we waiting to have that lucky hand dealt to us? Or maybe we’re trying to make our own luck as Cal Hockley says he makes his own luck as he stashed wads of money in his coat jacket as the Titanic is sinking. There is so much in this world to experience and so many ways we can touch people’s lives and make an impact for the Kingdom of God. Are you waiting for life to happen to you or are you making things happen? Don’t sit on the sidelines and play spectator. Chart your course. Look for where God has you to go and take advantage of opportunities offered to you. There are a few times that Jack tells Rose to trust him. God asks us to Trust Him. 

Don’t ever feel like you have to jump ship like Rose was trying to do when she first encounters Jack. God hasn’t brought you this far only to have you take things into your own hands and put an end to it. If you feel that way I pray that you have a Jack Dawson in your life that will tell you if you jump they will have to jump in after you. At times we do need someone to save us from ourselves and this is where Jesus comes in to place. God sent his son, Jesus. to this earth to save us from ourselves.

Rose made the choice to avoid Cal

We are sinful by nature. We all have something or many things that cause us to sin and it’s a struggle or temptation we deal with on a daily basis. Every day we have choices to make. We can trust in God and look to him to help us or we can give in to our temptations and watch it suck us into the deep ocean until we settle on the bottom like the Titanic did in the wee hours of April 15, 1912. The warnings were there. The Captain knew they were headed into a field of icebergs and though the ship was mighty enough the Captain thought he would be able to steer clear of them. A Captain with 26 years of experience sailing the waters which goes to show that even the best can be steered the wrong way or think they know what is best. When Rose is rescued she is sitting on the deck of the Carpathia and she spots Cal Hockley looking for her. At that point I see Cal as the Tempter and Rose made the choice to avoid him. It would have been a life of luxury for Rose if she married Cal but she knew she wouldn’t be happy living that life. The Tempter of this world can make things in our life look really good but in the end may only lead us to destruction.

As I am writing this and look at the date of April 15^th I am reminded that I became a Grandmother in the early hours of April 15, 2012. I have a Granddaughter with a blank chart set before her. I have a blank chart set before me also as a new Grandmother. “Grand”. I just looked up the meaning of this word and it says, “Large and impressive in size, scope, or extent; magnificent.” That does sound more like the Titanic rather than a Grandmother. I do want my Granddaughter to see me in this way though. I want to be sure to leave an impression on her life. So like Rose I will continue to live this life God has given me and like Jack I will Make Each Day Count!

At the end of the movie Brock Lovett, Titanic’s treasure hunter, states, “Three years, I've thought of nothing except Titanic; but I never got it... I never let it in.” There are many that sail through life and may think of God from time to time. The main thing they have missed is that they have never let Him in.

As emotional as I get when I watch the movie Titanic I look forward to that day when God takes me home and I would hope to see many of those that perished that fateful night. I can’t wait to spend hours hearing each of their stories. I would hope to hear yours too!

"For Such A Time As This"

Esther 4:14b "...Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Last week I wrote my last blog of My Favorite Things. I thought I would make it a Baker's Dozen and write one more and it centers around this verse posted above. This is probably one of a dozen verses that are my favorites. I thought I had a list to write about but when I checked that list wasn't to be found. This verse was written in my notes and I knew I could write about this. This is what I have to say...

A few months ago I watched a movie titled, "Midnight in Paris." I don't want to give the plot away and I highly encourage you to rent it when it comes out on DVD and watch it with the one you love. So many times my husband and I would feel like we were born in the wrong time era. We love the late 1800's style of clothing as well as the turn of the century around 1912. After watching this movie I have come to the conclusion that I am content with the time I am living in. I can enjoy looking back in history and wish I could have been there but God has shown me how he wanted me here and now. All of life appears to be falling into place. Sure when my husband and I have conversations we talk about how late we were born. How much we wish we could have been some of the early settlers. Had we been born 100 years ago we could have been some of the movers and shakers in this world. How we could have started a town and maybe have it named after us. The closest we get is Vasquez Rocks located up the 14 freeway going into Lancaster/Palmdale. Trabuco Vasquez was a bandit a robber that hid out among those rocks thus naming them after him.

It would have been fun to have been born around the time the San Gabriel Valley was expanding. To have owned the 450 thousand some acres of land and have had streets named after us such as Workman, Temple, Rowland, Huntington or Baldwin. We might have been involved in the banking business like Crocker or one of the Big Four in the railroad like Crocker, Huntington, Stanford and Hopkins. There is so much to learn about in history and how many places had their start. That may be what I am more interested in is about History.

When I take Young at Heart on a Tour we have visited certain places like the Workman/Temple Homestead in City of Industry and as I walk around and through the houses I wish the walls could talk. I would like to know how the places made their start. To feel and understand how many of them had the vision to make so much of where they lived. I may wish I could have lived in another time era but I have come to the conclusion that God doesn't make mistakes and that he has placed me here at this time "for such a time as this." I have had many experiences with so many people that if I weren't here who would have helped them get through a certain issue happening in their life. It's kind of the "It's a Wonderful Life" syndrome. If I wasn't here who knows where YOU would be?

God has placed me in this time so that I may know you and that we may be able to walk this life side by side or at least to be here to make a comment that would help you think in a different way to your current situation. God has used me in so many ways to touch the lives of people here at home and across the border. I am so excited for what God has instore for me and look forward to seeing how this life unfolds. None of us know what tomorrow will hold let alone next week, next month or next year. All I know is that God has be here for a purpose and I am so happy to be living that out.

Have YOU discovered your purpose? Do you believe, "...Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” I encourage you to find your "sweet spot" and understand what it is God would have you do in your life. If you need someone to talk to to discover that let's get together for some tea. As I have stated in my blog description,
 "Everyone has a story, I'd love to hear yours."
Let's do Life together!  

#12 of My Favorite Things - Promptings of the Holy Spirit!

I have learned in recent years, actually within the last year that when the Holy Spirit lays something on your HEART you have to ACT on it! In the past the Spirit would prompt me but I wouldn't act on it and then I would forgot what it was I was suppose to do. Opportunity lost.

This past week on Wednesday morning I was woken up abruptly by my alarm. I distinctly remember shutting off my alarm before going to sleep the night before so I KNOW it had to be the Holy Spirit that wanted me to wake up. I lay there on my bed trying to go back to sleep to no avail. The Spirit was prompting my heart to "write" and to share this as our morning devotional time with YAH. SO I obeyed and I wrote the following message. There is a SPOILER ALERT here so if you happen to read this you can only make comments following this blog. If you post anything on FB I will have to delete it if you say anything in response to the SPOILER ALERT. Now you are wondering what the SPOILER ALERT is all about. Continue reading...Private message on FB are "OK".

The Abundant Life

How many of you feel you are living “The Abundant Life?”

In the Bible, God’s Love Story to us he says in John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” 

Most people don’t know the first sentence in this verse but many know the second. I think as we grow older in life we become one of two people. We are either “joyful” in our old age or we become “melancholy.” As we grow older we stand the chance that we out live many people. Women tend to outlive one or two husbands. Friends move away or die off. Our families have their own lives and we may feel like we are just in the way.

Our life is what we make of it. I discovered that many years ago and more recently it has been brought to light in the lives of a couple of my girlfriend’s whose life have been wrapped up in their children and now their children are going off to college and they have no idea what to do with their lives. It is good to have so much of yourself invested in the lives of your children but there has to be balance. At some point we should have discovered what we love to do, what God lays on our hearts to have a passion for. I learned long ago that my life will not always revolve around my children. It will revolve around my “grandchildren.” I am just kidding!

I am entering a new phase in life that as of “grandmother.” In my heart I always thought that when I became a “grandmother” God would turn my focus to my Grandchildren and it would be time to say “goodbye” to the Ministry of Young at Heart. Two years ago I thought God was telling me to leave the ministry but it was a struggle. That decision didn’t come easy and I can look back and know it was because that wasn’t what God was telling me. Now I am standing in the threshold of a “new” life, a life to live “more abundantly,” more abundantly?

As much as I loved my children I wasn’t satisfied being a wife and mother. I knew God had more in store for my life and I was frustrated with that. It was a good friend that did make me realize that my mission field was my family and I learned to be content. In my times of feeling like a failure as a wife, mother, even a “Christian” I would have those times of depression that I would let no one know about. I worked out of my home for a number of years so I would have that feeling of accomplishment. Home life for me was never ending. The dishes, the laundry, house cleaning. All of that was tedious but I did enjoy my children. We would be off here and there. I would find places to visit that wouldn’t cost anything to take my kids. I have those memories locked in my heart that no one can take from me. I was passionate about spending time with my kids and my husband didn’t care what the house looked like as long as the kids were happy and I had spent time with them.

I can look at my children’s pictures on Facebook that they have found in our piles of photos and know what each of them loved most about growing up. I know without a doubt that this life is meant to be relational. I post pictures on Facebook and I get so many comments about the fun I am having. I appear to be “the traveler” always going from place to place. All that I do is “relational.” Every once in a while you can find me going off by myself but it is always best to have someone with you to experience life with. You always need someone to be able to say to them, “Did you see that?” When I post pictures on Facebook those that look at my photos have that feeling like they are there with me. I can carry my friends with me where ever I go and then take a picture, load it up on Facebook and wait for the comments to come. It is a lot of fun to hear their reactions and at times it’s a little sad especially when one would wish they could be there too but they are stuck in their job. But I may post something that would brighten their day, they smile, I smile and we have relationship.

Christ came that we would have life and have it more abundantly. What does “abundantly” mean to you? When I go off places with many of you (the YAH people) and I hear your comments that if it weren’t for Young at Heart you would be sitting at home rocking your life away. I look at this world that God created and I am so fascinated by everything. In everything you can see God. You can look out at the water and what comes to mind? Jesus walking on the water or Jesus with his fishermen disciples telling them he would make them fisher’s of men. Yesterday we walked in a store that had so many varieties of seashells. Amazing how God would create so many different ones. The palm trees remind me of the desert where Jesus would go and find rest and solace. There is so much in this world that God created for us to enjoy. He came that we would have life and have it more abundantly!

When I think of the women in our group that can no longer go out and enjoy life it makes me sad. Thelma and May would probably give anything to be able to be with us. Margaret Moore wishes she could remember things like she used to. Mary Martin always said, “I wish you would have started 10 years earlier.” (Mary is now with the Lord.) We should all be thankful for what we do have. That we can share this life that God gave us and that we can share our experiences with others. Any of the women I mentioned would love a phone call and have you tell them about the time we had in San Diego. It will jog their memories of places they have been to. As I am writing this I am looking out my sliding glass door and I see a young mother with her 3 year old son taking pictures, making memories. She has no idea what the next 20 years will hold for her but she will have those photos she took on this day and will cherish those memories in her heart.

I imagine each of you have those snapshots in your mind that you can recall. Don’t allow the “thief” in the night rob you of those. When you find that you can’t sleep start praying. Pray for each of your children, pray for your grandchildren, pray for your GREAT grandchildren. Start from the oldest to the youngest and when you go through your entire family then start on the families of your siblings. Remember each of them one by one. Before you know it God will lull you back to sleep.

Is my time with Young at Heart over? Not a chance! God has placed me here to do HIS work and it includes each of you. All you have to do is enjoy it. God gave me life and wants me to have it more abundantly so now he’s given me a grandchild. Have a life more abundantly so that it will spill over to others if you allow it to. Share your experiences with your children, grandchildren and greats. Let your family see you as one that is still enjoying life! As my husband shared with us yesterday in our devotional, “It’s not how you start but how you finish.” Will you finish with a “joyful heart” or one that is “melancholy?”

Don’t lose your “wonder.” I believe that is why God gives us grandchildren and greats so we can continue to see the world through their eyes with “wonder” AND “excitement!”

Prayer: Dear God in Heaven, creator of the universe, I thank you for the life you have given me, for the ability to still walk this earth and to enjoy your creation. Lord, help me to see life with new eyes each day that you give to me. Help me to be thankful for all your bountiful blessings! Each day show me something new that I can see your love for me.

Lord, Thank you for everything, Amen.

#11 My Favorite Things – Glendora Christian Women’s Connection

#11 My Favorite Things – Glendora Christian Women’s Connection

I have been attending the Glendora Christian Women’s Connection since the early 90’s. I started attending when it was still called Glendora Christian Women’s "Club" and they change the Club in their name within the last few years to "Connection." This group is one of many ministries within Stonecroft Ministries. It wasn’t long after I attended my first meeting that my mom and I joined the board to help plan the luncheons. I actually started as the Assistant Nursery Coordinator since I had the most kids in childcare. This was one of the reasons I enjoyed going so I could put on a dress and makeup and drop my kids off where I knew they were in a safe environment so I could enjoy myself with other women. I served in different positions on the board then in 2010 I was asked to be Chairman of the Board. I no longer need to use their childcare but they still offer it and it is free childcare. I enjoy being out with women and the location where our luncheons are held are at the Via Verde Country Club in San Dimas. It has a beautiful view overlooking the San Gabriel Valley which I absolutely love!

One of the other things I love about being on the board is the way they have the board positions organized. Positions are divided up so you aren’t overloaded with a ton of stuff to do. If everyone does their job everything comes together perfectly. The Chairman, me, arranges for speakers and facilitates the luncheon and meetings, the vice-chair does the invitations, the Reservation Coordinator handles all the reservations with her team. Finance takes care of all the finances and ticket sales with her team. The Special Feature Coordinator arranges, well, our Special Features which is the main draw for our luncheons. It all runs very smoothly if everyone does their part. I have two positions yet to fill and then I would like to be able to have assistants for every position also. Some of the ladies have been members of the board for a number of years and a few are new to the ministry.

Over the years I have enjoyed each luncheon to hear the various speakers. I love the way God will send a speaker to address the group and how their message may fit exactly what I have been dealing with. I have been a Christian for a number of years and am always inspired by the speaker’s message and feel this is one of the ways I have grown in my walk with the Lord. The women of the board through the years are the ones that have taught me how to pray and have always enjoyed their “mothering” when I would come up against various issues in my life. They were all there for me when I lost my baby Debra in 1992 and showed me sorrow and love. I have known many women that have served on this board and am lucky to still have some of them in my life. We have also lost many precious women I will never forget like Diana Yingling and Ruth Maurich.

I never tire from attending the luncheons. The speakers are really good and it is the best tool any Christian could use to bring friends and family to hear the gospel message in a fun and inviting way. There is always a Special Feature which is the draw to get people to come. We also have a person tell us about the projects Stonecroft is working on so they can give towards it. There are no dues or memberships to be a part of this Women's Connection. I would have to say this is probably one of the best kept secrets around. I wish I had the time to contact the surrounding Women’s Ministries of churches so they could take advantage of bringing unbelievers to our luncheons. It’s meant to be a party type atmosphere to invite people to. I highly encourage you to join me sometime to try it out. If you have never been I would love for you to come as “my guest.” The next time you come you could bring a friend and treat them to lunch. I always love letting my friends know I was going to go have lunch at "The Country Club." I feel like high society and I love being able to dress up!

I welcome you to join me sometime. There are various groups that meet all over the United States. You can visit the link above to find a group near you. Who knows, this could be the start of something great for you to reach those that need the Lord in their lives. It’s also great for the Christian to receive Spiritual Food too!

#10 of My Favorite Things - God's Orchestration of Life!

Romans 8:28 (NIV)

 ²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I love it when you can see the hand of God at work. I also love the way you can look back in life and see how God orchestrated things to work out in an incredible way. I love hearing stories of those that know God and see how everything lined up to give God all the Glory.

Many of us could share stories of how God has worked in your life. I have many stories I could share and once again could write a book if I could remember them all. God can work in the tiniest thing like when my husband and I knew we needed a set of bunk beds for our kids and we prayed. One of my husband’s co-workers that very week said they were going to have a yard sale and were putting a bunk bed set out to sell but wanted to know if we might need bunk beds. We bought them for $50. God is so good!

I had another incident where I was to go to a friend’s house but I had forgotten the directions to her house. I had read them but wasn’t quite sure which way to turn. There happened to be a billboard of Touched by an Angel and everyone in the billboard was looking to their right, my left, so I turned left. It was the way to get to my friend’s house.

Last year when my Aunt passed away I was leaving right after her funeral for San Francisco. I asked God to give me a sign to let me know my Aunt was okay. I was having a difficult time getting my directions right in San Francisco and they have a lot of one way streets. I had to make right turn after right turn to get to where I needed to go and at one of those turns I saw the street named “Jessie St.” That happened to be my Aunt’s name and I smiled and said, “Thank you God for letting me know she’s okay.” Recently when we were in Palm Springs I was driving down the 111 towards Rancho Mirage and I drove past “Perez St.” That was my Aunt’s last name. Once again I thanked God for the little reminder of my Aunt.

I can look back and see God’s hand in my life even when I didn’t even know who he was. I know God gave me the Father I was meant to have. He wasn’t my biological Father but when I finally saw a picture of my “real” Father I had to do a double take with the photo. He looked exactly like my Dad that raised me. It was God letting me know that I never missed a thing not knowing my biological Father, that God had given me the Father he meant for me to have.

Is it a coincidence that my birthday and my husband’s birthday are the exact opposite? Mine is 7/12 and his is 12/7. Makes me believe we were meant to be together. 7 and 12 happen to be favorite numbers for us. 7 children later…who knows maybe we’ll have a dozen grandkids! At the least! God only knows how many we will have.

God always seems to give me themes to things. When we went to Georgia in 1995 on our travels back home everything lead us to The Wizard of Oz. We saw the Yellow Brick Road in the east side of Kansas. We then saw a replica of Dorothy’s house in a museum with a tour you could take of The Wizard of Oz all made out of recyclable materials. We stopped in Las Vegas and stayed at the MGM where they had the Wizard’s Magic show and then Frank L. Baum’s grandson was there signing his book he wrote as an addition to The Wizard of Oz. I had the kids picture taken with him. Then when we made it to the Barstow Station McDonald’s had in their Happy Meals toys of The Wizard of Oz. It was absolutely incredible how everything fit in together. I forgot to mention that my kids were all in the musical of The Wizard of Oz at school before we left for Georgia. I couldn't have planned that even if I had tried! I just love it when God shines on us like that.

I love it too when you can sense that you are where you should be at the right time. When you have someone on your mind that you know you need to talk to and God allows that person to cross your path. I know when those times happen I have to act on it. God never ceases to amazing me when he does that. Even when I’m looking to buy something God places it in plain sight and I can say, “Thank you God!” Sometimes things seem so trivial like asking for a set of bunk beds or looking for that certain blouse that you want, or seeing a beautiful rainbow, sunrise or sunset just so God can cheer you up. He is so good!

Then there are the times when I hear someone’s tragic story but they can tell you they knew God’s hand was in it all. God helped them get through the tough times. I know he has helped me many times like that. I love those times when I’m reminded of God’s love for me. 

God spoke to my heart and he wanted me to go to Mexico and I responded to his call. I will never regret it with everything he showed me at The Restoration Home for Women. To build relationships with these ladies, to sending for help for the mattresses that were needed. And now coming back and knowing God wanted me to involve other people in the lives of these women. The call has been answered and women have come forward to help these ladies in Mexico. I absolutely love it!

If you have ever had doubts about whether or not God is really there or if he really listens to your cries, just ask him for something. Ask him to reveal himself to you. He’ll show up…BIG TIME!

#9 My Favorite Things - Traveling

We rode in a car similar to this.

I believe my love for traveling began when I was very young. I can remember going to places as a little girl with my TiaTaya driving my mom, grandma, Tia Jessie and my brother, Fred. We'd go to places like Tijuana, San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco, Hearst Castle, Las Vegas and who knows where else.

Once my brother Fred was old enough to have his driver's license he would drive us places. I remember the trips across the U.S. my Dad took us on to visit my grandparents in Michigan and seeing Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Greenfield Village, Niagra Falls and the Grand Canyon. I love being on the road.

My dream job would actually be as a truck driver in an eighteen wheeler on the open highway! I would love driving from state to state and seeing as much of this great land as possible.

God has been so good to allow me to work in ministry for him and have a part of that where I can take people to places they have never been or to take them back to places they haven't been to in many years.

I piled our kids in a station wagon like this.

In 1995 I drove my then six kids clear across the U.S. by myself to spend the summer with my husband when he was working in LaGrange, GA. That was such a fun trip! I have the videos from our trip and I wish I could watch them and relive some of the places we visited.

When my children were little I would always look for places to take them to that were free or inexpensive. I loved it when my husband was working in Irvine and in the summer months they would have bands play on Fridays so I would take the kids to have lunch with their Dad and listen to the music play. Afterwards I'd take them to South Coast Plaza or Fashion Island. Sometimes we'd go to the beach and I would say my favorite beach was Corona Del Mar. I'm glad I was able to do that when they were younger because nowadays it would be cost prohibitive with the price of gas.

I loved my trip to London and I loved my trip to Mackinac Island. Check out my blog about Mackinac on the tab above. This so far has been my most favorite places I've been to so far.
Mackinac Island Tourism

When I grow up I think I would like to take over Huell Hower's California's Gold or maybe I should come up with my own show "Traveling the Nation with Beckie Vasquez." You can follow my travels through my photo albums and the photo albums on the Young at Heart Fan Page.

Oh, I'm a Travelin' Gal,
Yes, I'm a Travelin' Gal.

#8 My Favorite Things - My Bible

I don’t have just one Bible. I have many versions of the Bible. I cherish my Bibles, God’s Holy Word. We have so much to learn from God’s Word. This is the basis for everyday living. From learning about His Commandments and how we should live, I wouldn’t know how to “Do Life” without God’s Word. I could look through the Bible and find passages that mean so much to me but you have to take His word together. From the beginning to the end, the alpha and the omega from Genesis to Revelation God shows us His love for us and how we are to love others. In the Bible we have God’s promises that he will be with us even unto the end.

In God’s word he gives us His commandments in Exodus 20: 1-17. Can you imagine the type of world we would live in should we live by the 10 Commandments? And God spoke all these words, saying:

2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 [1] You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 [2] You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7[3] You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
8 [4] Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work; you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 [5] Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
13 [6] You shall not murder.
14 [7] You shall not commit adultery.
15 [8] You shall not steal.
16 [9] You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 [10] You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, not his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any thing that is your neighbor’s.

This all sounds pretty simplistic if we could only all live according to God’s commandments.

In Deuteronomy 6:6-9 is where God tells us: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

What kind of world would we be living in if these were taught to our children? It only takes a few generations to make things a habit. There is so much to be learned in the Bible.

If we would only teach and have our children memorize Psalm 1 the Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly.

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

If our children could only understand this maybe they would avoid making some foolish mistakes in their lives. Maybe WE would avoid making foolish mistakes in our own lives.

There is so much that we can learn as we read God’s Holy Word. If we read through Proverbs, which coincidentally can be read a chapter a day every month, we would gain wisdom to help us on a daily basis.

Most of all we can read God’s Word to help us listen to His Spirit and know when he wants to moves us.  On Saturday, July 16^th I left for Mexico. My devotional for that day gave me this scripture: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.” – 1 Timothy 1:12 NIV. That was my confirmation that I was on the right track with God. He spoke to my heart last October at the Women’s Retreat and told me to go stay with the women at The Restoration Home in Pipila, Mexico. I questioned God, Why? He said he would show me when I arrived there. I did have some idea as to why he wanted me here and in talking with Marcos and Rebeca the ones that run the ministry they told me that they knew why I was there. Someone needed to come and see what the needs of this ministry truly are. Marcos shared with me it is the Spiritual needs that are needed here. It’s easy to give money or to buy material things but what is really needed has to do spiritually. Now what we need are people that are committed to come and share with these women and children.

Read God’s word, pray and listen to what He says to you.

Isaiah 6: 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send,  And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

What is God saying to you through His Word?

#7 Of My Favorite Things: MY CHILDREN

This is from last week’s blog:

“I had just given birth to Duana and was so ecstatic that God blessed us with a baby girl that I was in 7^th Heaven!  Or maybe it was Cloud Nine? Here I was holding my baby girl in my arms and feeling like, somebody pinch me! I have a Baby Girl! After having 2 boys and losing a baby the year before that I believe was a boy, and with boys dominating the Vasquez Family, I was in dreamland holding my baby girl!. I could not see the end to being pregnant. I loved being pregnant, I loved the process of childbirth, and I loved the sound of hearing my baby’s first cry, and I absolutely LOVED when the nurse would place my newly born baby in my arms and they were mine to take home. I’m getting ahead of myself here since this is what I’ll write about in my #7 Favorite Things.”

In the beginning I was afraid to get pregnant because I was afraid of miscarriage. My grandmother and an aunt had a miscarriage so that always loomed in the back of my mind that this could happen to me.

The day came when I went off “the pill” and the waiting game began. It was always so fun to make the announcements to the family but I think by the time we announced baby #4 on the way it was met with eyes rolling…another one?! I know my Grandma McClung was rooting for me when I told her we wanted to have six children. She told me the story of her grandparents and that her grandma gave birth to six children so her grandpa told his wife, “You had your six so now it’s time to have my six.” They had 12 children!

The day came when I took that first test and the plus sign showed I was pregnant. Oh what an exciting time this was! God showed his favor and blessed us with one of His creations! I had good pregnancies. My body felt healthy, my skin had no blemishes and my hair was perfect! I had my “What to Expect” baby book in hand and I marveled at the life growing inside of me. God was using ME to bring Life into this world. There was no mistake that this baby was wanted and was loved from the very start. My tummy grew…and grew…and grew!

The day came in the wee hours of the morning as I tapped my husband and said, “I think we’re gonna have a baby today.” Off we went to San Dimas Hospital and was all checked in by 7:30am. The doctor checked me and said that baby was over 8 lbs and it would be a miracle if I delivered this baby naturally. The nurse came up to me and said, “We’ll show the doctor miracles do happen.” That afternoon I gave birth to our first boy and we named him John Neal after both his grandpa’s.

If I continue giving you details of each pregnancy I’ll end up with a book. I did have rather easy pregnancies. I felt the best carrying my boys and my girls gave me a little morning sickness. I did have my worst time carrying my Diana but again that is another story. I would feel sick around the 5 o’clock hour but I did figure out that if I took my prenatal pills at night I wouldn’t have that “Evening” sickness.

Each of our children had a special reason for choosing their names. As you saw above Johnny was named after both Grandpa’s. Our second was Robert Frederick who was named after Grandpa Johnny’s brother and my oldest brother. I did lose a baby at 12 weeks so it was too early to know if we had a girl or boy. I tend to think boy for some reason. I’ll be pleasantly surprised when I reach heaven. Duane didn’t want a Duane Jr. and what were the chances of us having more than one girl? Duane agreed to the name of our first born daughter, Duana Rebecca. Next would be Donald Laurence. Donnie after Duane’s brother who died at the age of 7 and his middle name after my younger brother. Duane has always liked the name Diana so he gave her the name. Her middle name is after both her grandma’s Ruth Consuelo because what WERE the chances we would have another girl? Next came Dawna Linda. We chose Dawna because after naming her sisters with a “D” and ending in “NA” we thought just changing the second and third letters would be fun! Besides she was born at the Dawn of morning. Four months after her birth I was pregnant again and this is story in itself. We lost our little girl Debra Lois in the 6^th month of pregnancy. I thought we were done with 3 boys and 3 girls.

I did have some problems physically and the doctor said I should consider a hysterectomy. I didn’t do anything about it for a number of years until it was obvious something needed to be done. This was a hard decision to make to know that I would never carry another child in this body. I asked the Lord if I wasn’t done having children if he would allow me to get pregnant one more time and then I would take care of myself. The next month I was pregnant! Our bonus baby, William Joseph, came 7 years after Dawna was born. We never told our children if he was a boy or girl so they all called him, Baby, while he was in my tummy. That name stuck with him for quite a few years. Billy was named after his great & great, great grandfathers.

There you have it. All My Children! I could tell you so many stories of each of their lives. I did have difficulties during their growing years when I would feel God tugging on my heart to do more for the Kingdom of God. I spent many a time talking with the Children’s Pastor, my friend Winona Stradley, and share with her the way I felt. When I would tell her I wish I could serve God on the Mission Field she opened my eyes and told me that my Mission Field right now were My Children. So if anyone out there feels like their family is sapping the life out of them you need to see them in a different light. We are raising the NEXT generation and us as mother’s have the most important job anyone else could have. No one on this earth can do a better job at raising your kids better than you can!

Recently I have also learned something else from seeing the movie, “Midnight in Paris.” Have you ever felt you were born in the wrong time era? My husband and I both have felt that way. We love the turn of the century time era and both feel we were born at the wrong time. Since seeing this movie I have come to the conclusion that I was born exactly in the time God wanted me to be here. Each of us was born exactly where we should be. I was placed here to marry Duane and together with God would give life to these children. We would raise them to know and love God and teach them to use their talents to glorify God and to expand His Kingdom. The verse that sticks in my mind too is found in Esther 4:14b (NKJV)Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 

We all have a purpose for being where we are when we are. I pray that you find your purpose.

A friend of mine posted this on my Facebook Wall and it means a lot to me. I want my children to remember as well as those that read this blog…Psalms 139

‎

13 For you created my inmost being; 
you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
your works are wonderful, 
I know that full well. 
15 My frame was not hidden from you 
when I was made in the secret place, 
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; 
all the days ordained for me were written in your book 
before one of them came to be. 
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! 
How vast is the sum of them! 
18 Were I to count them, 
they would outnumber the grains of sand— 
when I awake, I am still with you.

One day I’ll have to share with you how “I came to be.”
I know All my days were ordained by God for me.
I just now need to be obedient to what God has planned for my life.
I pray you discover that too.