With the many changes that our family will be going through in the next few months, I decided to start a new blog to document our journey.
"A new blog in the middle of a move?! Are you nuts?!" I said to myself.
I must be! I know it seems so low on the priority pole but, I NEED to write down God's many, many blessings during this time! So I hope that you'll visit us at Island Diaries.
Aloha!
Showing posts with label Answered Prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Answered Prayer. Show all posts
UPDATE ***All I want for Christmas is my...
You guessed it! A few days later, the other tooth came out! Way to go, Coco!!
...two front teeth.
OK, I know it's almost Spring but that's the song that came to my head.
We've got some news...Princess lost her 3rd tooth today! Yay! Poor girl has been trying to get it out for some time now. After weeks of waiting, praying and pulling it's out.
Hooray! Praise God!
This experience of hers got me thinking about a certain situation that God has put us in lately. We've been waiting and praying for God to answer some prayers of ours. Because I'm so inpatient and wanting things done my way rather than waiting patiently on the Lord (yes, I'm willing to admit that for the sake of sanctification), I end up hurting myself. Maybe not like the physical pain that Princess felt while she waited for her tooth to fall out but something close to it.
Anxiety and worry...they only lead to distrust in what God is doing. I need to just wait and allow God to "pull and tug" on me so that His good and perfect will can be accomplished in my life.
1 Peter 1:6-9 comes to mind,
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
I'm thankful that even though there is suffering in our trials, He can still make me full "with an inexpressible and glorious joy" as I wait for Him to answer my prayers in His perfect time. Praise the Lord!
BTW, did I mention that her other front tooth is loose too?
...two front teeth.
OK, I know it's almost Spring but that's the song that came to my head.
We've got some news...Princess lost her 3rd tooth today! Yay! Poor girl has been trying to get it out for some time now. After weeks of waiting, praying and pulling it's out.
Hooray! Praise God!
This experience of hers got me thinking about a certain situation that God has put us in lately. We've been waiting and praying for God to answer some prayers of ours. Because I'm so inpatient and wanting things done my way rather than waiting patiently on the Lord (yes, I'm willing to admit that for the sake of sanctification), I end up hurting myself. Maybe not like the physical pain that Princess felt while she waited for her tooth to fall out but something close to it.
Anxiety and worry...they only lead to distrust in what God is doing. I need to just wait and allow God to "pull and tug" on me so that His good and perfect will can be accomplished in my life.
1 Peter 1:6-9 comes to mind,
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
I'm thankful that even though there is suffering in our trials, He can still make me full "with an inexpressible and glorious joy" as I wait for Him to answer my prayers in His perfect time. Praise the Lord!
BTW, did I mention that her other front tooth is loose too?
What can I say?
I suppose the question should be...how can I say it? So many times I've sat at my desk, contemplating how to describe the happenings of the past few months. But to my dismay, nothing happens. Here I am again, attempting to post but with success my fingers start typing...
Summer came and went with a blink of an eye. Summers go by faster and faster if you ask me. This year marked 15 years of Summer Volleyball Ministry for me and 18 for my beloved. Sad to think that there's going to be an end to that ministry for us soon. :( This year's summer camp was extra special for me because my little sister was there. My prayer for her is to cling on to Christ no matter what! I was able to share my testimony in front of all the students, shared things that I've never shared before. Got to see my beloved as the Commandant for the last time. Witnessed lives changed, souls saved....I'm really, really going to miss this!!! If you haven't already, click here (or just scroll down) to view a slideshow of Summer Camp 2009.
Throughout the summer months, hubby's work had him assigned in the southbay. He spent most of the summer in the San Jose then Fresno area. During volleyball season, he'd drive up for practices and games. During the tournament he'd have to leave a little bit early so he can make it back in time. Some thought it was crazy for him to drive back and forth, he didn't. To him, it was just a small hurdle to climb as served the Lord. He'll do anything to serve our King, if that means driving back and forth then he'll do it (that's what first attracted me to him. His desire to do whatever it takes to serve our God)! The children and I supported him all the way.
Daddy made extra effort to spend lots of time with us. I really appreciated that, so did the children. Lots of drive-in nights, water park visits, things like that made our week with him special. Thanks Daddy!
This biggest event, I suppose, this summer is MOVING! Yes, we just moved into this house a year ago but this move means that God is working to bring us closer to Hawaii. It is both sad and exciting (I should add exhausting) to go through your house, sort through our belongs and keep ONLY what is neccessary. It's absolutely AMAZING what we gave away and sold at our yard sale! We really didn't need all these things that we thought we needed! I'm thankful that God has been showing me not to be attached to worldly goods but to treasure Christ, ONLY Christ!
I'm floored when I look back at all the prayers that God has answered this summer! HE IS GOOD!
Summer came and went with a blink of an eye. Summers go by faster and faster if you ask me. This year marked 15 years of Summer Volleyball Ministry for me and 18 for my beloved. Sad to think that there's going to be an end to that ministry for us soon. :( This year's summer camp was extra special for me because my little sister was there. My prayer for her is to cling on to Christ no matter what! I was able to share my testimony in front of all the students, shared things that I've never shared before. Got to see my beloved as the Commandant for the last time. Witnessed lives changed, souls saved....I'm really, really going to miss this!!! If you haven't already, click here (or just scroll down) to view a slideshow of Summer Camp 2009.
Throughout the summer months, hubby's work had him assigned in the southbay. He spent most of the summer in the San Jose then Fresno area. During volleyball season, he'd drive up for practices and games. During the tournament he'd have to leave a little bit early so he can make it back in time. Some thought it was crazy for him to drive back and forth, he didn't. To him, it was just a small hurdle to climb as served the Lord. He'll do anything to serve our King, if that means driving back and forth then he'll do it (that's what first attracted me to him. His desire to do whatever it takes to serve our God)! The children and I supported him all the way.
Daddy made extra effort to spend lots of time with us. I really appreciated that, so did the children. Lots of drive-in nights, water park visits, things like that made our week with him special. Thanks Daddy!
This biggest event, I suppose, this summer is MOVING! Yes, we just moved into this house a year ago but this move means that God is working to bring us closer to Hawaii. It is both sad and exciting (I should add exhausting) to go through your house, sort through our belongs and keep ONLY what is neccessary. It's absolutely AMAZING what we gave away and sold at our yard sale! We really didn't need all these things that we thought we needed! I'm thankful that God has been showing me not to be attached to worldly goods but to treasure Christ, ONLY Christ!
I'm floored when I look back at all the prayers that God has answered this summer! HE IS GOOD!
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
~Proverbs 3:5-6~
Moving On
It sure seems like the past few months things have been so busy and there's no letting up in the near future. Many of you know that God provided a new home for our family. This move was somewhat unexpected but something that my beloved and I have been praying for. Is that an oxymoron? I don't know...anyway...
For a few months now, he and I have been praying for wisdom regarding our living situation. We were renting a huge house that had enough room for everyone and everything we had and then some. Our landlords were wonderful, in fact, they are very close friends of ours and we love them dearly.
So why would we ask God to provide something different?
Well, during these difficult financial times we were going over our budget and after cutting back on everything, except for our giving, there was only one other area where we could cut back. That was our rent amount. So we started to pray. We prayed for God to give us wisdom and for Him to give us direction. Oddly enough, I can only remember praying one time for a certain amount. But my beloved kept on praying for that amount.
A few months had passed when we received word of a house that may be available for us. It was still in the remodeling phase but it would be ready a few weeks later. So again, we got our knees. We asked God to close the door if this is not His will for us. We informed our future landlords of our budget and I was sure that they would say "Sorry, it's not going to work out." But to my surprise, they came back to us and gave us a new number. Guess what that number was...the exact same number we prayed for! WOW! Even then, we wanted to make sure that this was exactly where God wanted us to be, so we asked them to give us a couple of days to pray and we'll give them an answer. By this point I was excited and ready to say yeah, let's do it. But thankfully, my beloved wanted to pray and make sure this is where God is leading us. To make a long story short, we thought God had closed the door but He didn't. He opened all the doors for us to move into our new home that's more within our means. The new house is much smaller than the other house but it doesn't matter because I know what this house means. It means that God is providing for us.
I unintentionally tested my husband during this time. I didn't meant to but with my urgency to make a decision I tested his patience without knowing it. I praise God that my beloved wanted to pray, seek counsel and just be still to hear God speak. We've made too many rash decisions in the past and this time, he wanted to make sure that it's where God is directing him to lead our family.
Thank you, honey, for being an example to me of what it means to "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6). Because of that you helped me to experience the next verse, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). I love you for leading me to to seek Christ!
So now we embark on new adventure....unpacking. We're so blessed, we have so much stuff!
For a few months now, he and I have been praying for wisdom regarding our living situation. We were renting a huge house that had enough room for everyone and everything we had and then some. Our landlords were wonderful, in fact, they are very close friends of ours and we love them dearly.
So why would we ask God to provide something different?
Well, during these difficult financial times we were going over our budget and after cutting back on everything, except for our giving, there was only one other area where we could cut back. That was our rent amount. So we started to pray. We prayed for God to give us wisdom and for Him to give us direction. Oddly enough, I can only remember praying one time for a certain amount. But my beloved kept on praying for that amount.
A few months had passed when we received word of a house that may be available for us. It was still in the remodeling phase but it would be ready a few weeks later. So again, we got our knees. We asked God to close the door if this is not His will for us. We informed our future landlords of our budget and I was sure that they would say "Sorry, it's not going to work out." But to my surprise, they came back to us and gave us a new number. Guess what that number was...the exact same number we prayed for! WOW! Even then, we wanted to make sure that this was exactly where God wanted us to be, so we asked them to give us a couple of days to pray and we'll give them an answer. By this point I was excited and ready to say yeah, let's do it. But thankfully, my beloved wanted to pray and make sure this is where God is leading us. To make a long story short, we thought God had closed the door but He didn't. He opened all the doors for us to move into our new home that's more within our means. The new house is much smaller than the other house but it doesn't matter because I know what this house means. It means that God is providing for us.
I unintentionally tested my husband during this time. I didn't meant to but with my urgency to make a decision I tested his patience without knowing it. I praise God that my beloved wanted to pray, seek counsel and just be still to hear God speak. We've made too many rash decisions in the past and this time, he wanted to make sure that it's where God is directing him to lead our family.
Thank you, honey, for being an example to me of what it means to "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6). Because of that you helped me to experience the next verse, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). I love you for leading me to to seek Christ!
So now we embark on new adventure....unpacking. We're so blessed, we have so much stuff!
Battle of the Bands
Every summer our youth ministry hosts a Summer Camp for Junior High and High School students. For at least 8 years now (probably more), other churches from different cities join us. We've met some great brothers and sisters in the Lord this way.
I'd have to say, this is the highlight for our youth ministry. We get to spend a whole week hearing from the Bible, fellowshiping with other believers, enjoy some super fun games, build relationships with new people and draw closer to the Lord without the everyday distractions of life. What REALLY makes this week worth all the months of preparation and labor is to witness a young adult give their life over to our loving Savior!
God granted me the priveledge to witness a young lady who started off the week as one who's life is on the path to eternal seperation from God, to one who will inherit the Kingdom of God. Her original intention was to go to summer camp for the fun experience. Little did she, or anyone else, know that God had other plans for her soul. As she sat there in the chapel, listening to another student give her testimony, she couldn't help but to think of the sin that separated her from God and the freedom she has in Christ. After our discussion group time, we sat outside and talked more about the Gospel. With tears of joy streaming down her face, she prayed her first prayer as a child of God. I'll never forget her words, "Lord, please don't ever leave me! Please!"
PRAISE GOD! This is what our ministry is all about. I'm not just talking about the youth ministry, I'm talking about the ministry that God has given all His people. He's given us a command to go out and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). May we never lose sight of our purpose here on earth.
I'd have to say, this is the highlight for our youth ministry. We get to spend a whole week hearing from the Bible, fellowshiping with other believers, enjoy some super fun games, build relationships with new people and draw closer to the Lord without the everyday distractions of life. What REALLY makes this week worth all the months of preparation and labor is to witness a young adult give their life over to our loving Savior!
God granted me the priveledge to witness a young lady who started off the week as one who's life is on the path to eternal seperation from God, to one who will inherit the Kingdom of God. Her original intention was to go to summer camp for the fun experience. Little did she, or anyone else, know that God had other plans for her soul. As she sat there in the chapel, listening to another student give her testimony, she couldn't help but to think of the sin that separated her from God and the freedom she has in Christ. After our discussion group time, we sat outside and talked more about the Gospel. With tears of joy streaming down her face, she prayed her first prayer as a child of God. I'll never forget her words, "Lord, please don't ever leave me! Please!"
PRAISE GOD! This is what our ministry is all about. I'm not just talking about the youth ministry, I'm talking about the ministry that God has given all His people. He's given us a command to go out and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). May we never lose sight of our purpose here on earth.
Answered Prayer
For the almost 2 years now we've been praying for God to provide ALB with a new job. Praise God! He answered our prayers in His perfect time. Today is Al's official day at his new place of employment. He is now a Kaiser Permanete employee.
This has been a long trial. And even though there were times that our trust in God seemed to slip a bit, the Lord continued to be faithful to us. He kept reminding us that He is our Great Provider.
Thank you to those who've kept us in your prayers. The Lord has heard you!
Psalm 34: 17-19
"The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all."
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