He's raining on me

There is NO ONE who can throw me a better birthday celebration than my Creator. Almost 3 years ago in July, our family was in a valley similar to the one we were in these past few months. What else is Satan going to attack us for but in health, finance, relationships, and finally spiritual health?

Back in 2008, we had been in seminary for just over half a year. Phill was working 3 jobs to support the family, we hadn't had a tenant for our condo since we had left in november2007, i wasn't working, we felt called to try for the third baby, we were under God's mercy completely. We didn't have insurance at all and no held from the government. I never want anything for my birthday when phill or my parents asked, but God knew what I needed. On my birthday 2008, we found out we were pregnant, our friend found a tenant for our condo finally, and most of all, a random guy in the gym approached Phill to take over his seminar job that would pay for tuition! THAT was the best birthday ever!

Ups and downs in 2009 and 2010... attacks only when phill or i had ministry duties. But the huge attacks started half a year ago, with finances. It just got worse with the evaders in our property. Then our car and my dad with the JWs. We just KNEW we had to hang on. I spent my 30th birthday crying for my dad and didn't really celebrate it. My dad just wanted to be with us and that's totally fine. But i truly wasn't worried about my birthday. But again, God knew exactly what I needed for my birthday. He prepared me 5 months prior my dad's visit so He can outdo any gift ever to reach out to my dad for my birthday. He gave me the monitor i needed for the business path He has chosen for me in this season of life. And...... drumroll please, we just found out we have a buyer for our condo shortsale! which means, someone is willing to pay off our 1st and 2nd mortgage!!!!

LORD THANK YOU! BEST PRESENTS EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know You watch over me and You take care of me. You are my Father and You know what is the best for me. I have NO DOUBT You are sovereign and that You have EVERYTHING in Your control. Help me to continually let go of everything and let You have control. Remind me that even when I have no resources, that You are the One with KINGDOM RESOURCES. GLORIOUS GLORIOUS GLORIOUS! It is true, PS23.... I LACK NOTHING. I shall NOT WANT. because You've got it. I don't have to plan it, I don't have to get it, I don't have to chase it force it buy it have it. YOU've GOt it. You have taught me to pray, sit and wait. Now help me to teach my kids to do the same. Help me to teach them let YOu write their stories. THANK YOU. AMEN.

amazement

as y'all know, we have surrendered everything we are to God including financial security. He IS our security. we believe He is sovereign, and is our Provider. He is the Creator and therefore has all the resources we need. since the condo incident with our evading "friends", we have been really tight on the finance side of things. phill had actually sat me down and told me to send all 3 kids to school and work full time again. i begged him and God to give me a chance to use my gifts to do something where i could stay home and be with the kids. that's how ElevenOnePhotography got started.

again just as God prepared me to face my dad 5 months prior to his visit, God prepared me for this adventure. He gave me a passion to take pictures, a husband who owns and knows how to use photoshop, and is willing to invest in any gifts he sees in me. So in Dec, phill bought me a 2nd hand Canon. So... I take pictures. Tons of them. I learn to use photoshop, without knowing i'd NEED this skill now.

So a few weeks ago, when phill told me about going back to work, i thought, what can i do so i don't have to be a full time career woman again??? and it dawned on me, God has been equipping me step by step. Back in Feb, i was editing some pictures, and my screen kept going bad and phill had to bang the monitor or fix the cable, i pleaded with God for a new monitor. i really did. i said, "please LORD, if this is the path You have provided for our family, i need the equipment to do so."

In May, phill found this samsung monitor out in a dumpster with cracks all over the place. He brought it in and was so excited about it. i moaned and said, we do NOT need any broken down electronics in the house! get rid of it. phill calmly said to me, let me check the info on this monitor. i might be able to fix it or send it to a warehouse to fix it. and so, he did.

Today, this afternoon, the monitor was shipped back to us from Samsung. it's a flat screen 22" monitor that can also be used as a TV. it still has a crack on the top corner, but IT WORKS! i am looking at it right now! and the only money we had to spend was $10 on shipping! PRAISE GOD!!!!! :)

LORD, You're so good to me and my family. Thank You for looking out for me and taking care of me. Help us to rely on you continually. Let me glorify You with my life gifts skills speech etc. May You bless my ministries and provide for us. AMEN.

feeling like samson

it's been an eventful few weeks with inlaws visiting and just this past weekend my dad and my brother were here from florida. if i hadn't shared before this, my grandmother, my dad's mom, has been a jehovah's witness for more than 40 years. actually, that was a big reason for me to have invited M and S to come study every Monday for 5 months now. If my grandma knocked on an evangelical Christian's door, i would've wanted him or her to have talked to my grandma or at least not slam the door on her face, affirming the hostility and "persecution" she suffered. jenn abbie and i have gone through ups and downs with M and S, persevering through it, getting frustrated, getting mad, getting headaches, doing tons of research, etc etc. all we knew was that God has opened a door and no one can close it.

skipping 5 months forward to last Monday, since we had found tons of discrepancies in a WT booklet M and S gave us, a thought came to me while i was on the phone with jenn. why don't i ask my dad to see if he could get some WT literature for us from grandma? so, that's exactly what i did.

thursday, dad and brother arrived. they emptied their goody bags for the kiddos and gave me a stack of WT booklets. i said thanks, we could really use these. how did you get them from grandma? dad said, oh well she gave me some but also the man i've been meeting with gave me some.

here i am, trying to stay very calm so i don't explode. long story short, the first night i was very upset and mad at the Devil, then Friday (my 30th bday) night, i cried to God from 3-5am, He gave me Isaiah 61. that's when i confessed that i truly did not feel like samuel but samson instead. He calmed me and told me it's ok, He used Samson anyways.

i was also ashamed how i thought for the whole time that i was being obedient to His open doors for the jehovah witnesses, but He actually was going before me because He loves and is chasing after my dad. Sat and Sun I was an emotional time bomb. I cried waking up, cried in the shower, cried when i prayed, cried when i worshiped, got choked up when i talked to friends or fb or texted...

so sunday evening, i was gearing up for a good talk before he got on the plane the next morning. he stood up from our living room conversation at 9 saying, well it's time for bed. as you can imagine, i was shocked and felt totally helpless. i stared at phill while we walked them to the bathroom area. dad asked phill if he wanted to take a shower first, he was polite and said, no you go right ahead. we walked defeated back to the couch, and i hit phill on his shoulder.

"why didn't you say yes?"
"cuz he wanted to take a shower"
"but if you did, i'll have a chance to talk to him again"
"i've talked to him, pastor frank talked to him, don't overdo it"
"but it's my dad. (tears)"
"i just don't want to make him feel forced"
"5months of equipping us and a few days with him. i'll listen to you. you are the spiritual leader of the household. if you say it's enough i will let it go and cry a lot, if not, we have to talk to him"
"well there's a part of me....."

dad suddenly shows up at the hallway holding a towel asking phill again, hey phill r u sure you don't want to take a shower first?

phill walked up to him and said, as a matter of fact, yes. i will a quick shower.

dad, a little surprised, walked over and sat down. phill looked at me and i stared at him in amazement with God's goodness. as soon as phill walked away, dad said, "hey what's wrong? why do you look so sad?" and you know, when people ask you why you are sad, all you do is bawl. so... that's what i did. i bawled for so long, he kept saying it's ok, you can tell daddy anything.

well short version is, i confessed to him that the waiting on God and praying and pleading for his life is hard. i also told him that him meeting with the JW was very disturbing and he quickly promised he will never meet with that guy ever again. he was surprised to hear that the core theology of WT teaches that Jesus was made and is Michael the Archangel, that only 144000 get to go to heaven, and that you cannot use aluminum for cooking etc etc. he told me not to worry about his salvation because he doesn't want me to cry anymore. but of course, i had to say it's not possible ever since God has given me His love for him. I told him the function of Jesus is such as this: when i die and stand before God. God will declare me guilty. God will declare all of us guilty. but because i received Jesus to be my lawyer and savior and Lord, He stands before God and defends me. it was generally a great conversation that allowed us to show God's love for him and understand why he couldn't decide which religion is true.

This morning, i cried again. i had to share with the kids as they jumped on my bed and kissed me. they had been praying hard for their grandpa too. isaac and esther went on playing while i cried but abigail, she came and hugged me, held onto my neck as i cried, she asked questions, we prayed. i told her, if you want stories like these in your life, all you have to do is obey God. let Him write your stories and you will have amazing stories like these to tell others.

Father God, You are SO good to me, my family, and my daddy. I praise you and I thank You for being sovereign, being strong when i wasn't, faithful when i lost faith, sustaining me while i was broken, leading me when i was lost, and anointing me when it was time. You are an AMAZING God who is living and breathing. Help me never to put you in a box, but to seek your path and follow it even when it doesn't make any sense. You surprise me and overwhelm me. You have reached down to me and now so obviously too reaching down to my father. Help me to remember that You are also reaching down to my kids with the same zeal and fervor. You, are a wonderful God. Give me grace to continually lay down all I have and all I am. AMEN.

Genderless classrooms....?!

MUST READ ARTICLE

"Have you heard about the recent report from Sweden about the staff of a preschool no longer using pronouns like "he" or "she" when referring to students? It's another example of what happens when marriage is redefined to include same-sex couples.

The preschool's approach to gender is a reflection of Sweden's national school curriculum that includes the mission of breaking down gender roles. For example, when playing "house," teachers suggest students role play with two or three taking the role of "mom."

These attempts at social engineering—impacting kids directly—aren't just happening overseas. An Oakland elementary school recently spent two days on "Gender Spectrum Diversity Training." Their reading list for second and third graders includes My Princess Boy and 10,000 Dresses, in which boy characters wear tiaras and magical dresses."

nothing more to say...... LORD have mercy on us and our next generations to come.