This is so cool!

Rules: put on your itunes/mp3 player on shuffle and then write the name of the song as the answer to these questions. And NO SKIPPING SONGS!

How would you describe yourself?
I do believe (Steven Curtis Chapman)

YES I DO!!

What do you like in a guy/girl ?
Whatever (steven Curtis Chapman)

I don't think I'm THAT laid back!

How do you feel today?
Vogue (madonna)

I actually do a little bit!~ haha


Our life's purpose ?
Axel f (crazy frog)

Ummmm.....I'd have to disagree!



What is your motto?
There's got to be more to life (stacci orrico)

For sure! Always looking to go deeper, to know more!



What do your friends think about you ?
Daddy's girl (KJ 52)

I hope so, cause that's who I AM!!!!
That's what God showed Joe a while ago!



What do you think of your parents ?
Electronic Pleasure (N-Trance)

Ummm....not really



What is 2 + 2 ?
Ungrateful (detrick Haddon)

???



What do you think of your best friends?
Ain't no other man (christina aguilera)

Well, my BEST friend, ain't no other man like him! He's the kinda guy a girl finds once in a blue moon, with style, class...



What do you think of the person you like ?
Speed of light (avalon)



What is your life story?
Please don't stop the music (rihanna)

My life has definintly been very dramatic! And as a sanguine, I never like the party to end!


What do you want to be when you grow up ?
No air (jordin sparks)
hahaha
Yes, I've always wanted to be no air!



What will they play at your funeral ?
If you really knew (out of eden)

If you really knew jesus! YES...I would want people to KNOW JESUS!



What is your hobby/interest ?
Open up the sky(deluge)




What is your biggest fear ?
Matchless (aaron Shust)



What is your biggest secret ?
How great is our god (passion)

That is a secret, that I hope I tell often!!!

What do you think of your friends ?
My hope (Rebecca st.james)

Well, God is my hope, but God gives me hope THROUGH my friends LOTS!


What song best describes you ?
The word is alive (casting crowns)

YESSSS!!!!! The transformations happening in me are all becuase THE WORD IS ALIVE!!!!
AMEN!!!!

What song best describes your crush ?
east to the west (casting crowns)
Yeah.....that would be my hubby. Forgiven and redeemed....



What did you think of this quiz?

Wanna love you (pinel family)

I'm posting my comment!

I actually loved how God communicated through a response I gave in my comment box, and it's my heart for ALL my sisters!!!

YOU ARE SUPER BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We NEED to let go of this idea of what's "beautiful"!!!
Seriously! God made us spirit, with bodies, not bodies alone. Our bodies are the carriers of who we really are inside. I've always right from the start wanted to loose weight to be healthy, to take care of the body/temple that God gave me. I have got caught up in looking like a certain "package" and still do at times. Thin isn't what makes a person beautiful, but their heart. their spirit. There are many people I know that are so "pretty" on the outside but are so lost on the inside! And it actually takes away from their physical beauty!
You are a very pretty woman on the outside! But more importantly....YOUR HEART is what makes you shine! You have so much passion for the Lord, for your family and to walk righteously.
I hope and pray that when people meet me, they see a heart for God, not just a pretty face.

I have been convicted for many many years about taking care of my health. I love to run so that I can build a strong heart. I love to do abs because I want a strong core. It helps me take care of my kids better, I'm not as tired and I just feel better. If you feel led to loose weight, do it for your health, not to look a certain way. Going after a "package" will leave you empty and void. There isn't any fruit in it except for a lower self esteem and you're more open to the enemy's lies, becuase you are playing his game.

Together, let's walk towards how God sees us. Through that, let's let Him change us through conviction of sin, overeating and laziness. And to be motivated through His unconditional love for us, that we don't need to look a certain way for Him to accept us! He is always telling us we are beautiful!
I read in Song of songs about a month ago
"YOU ARE THE LOVELIEST OF ALL WOMEN!" Coming from my Daddy God, that's all a woman wants to hear.....
That's my heart in all this
LOVE YOU SO MUCH MY DEAR FRIENDS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST!

body image

Last week I put the scale away. In my time of desperation and high heat (courtesy of God) I have come to a place where healing and wholeness trump all else.

God has called our family to radical healing and wholeness. But our every second, every moment choices are crucial to this process. I know that in order to become all that God has called me to be, I need to get comfortable in the skin I'm in. I need to show my beauty from within.

My prayer is to become meek, quiet and gentle. Of course, the way God created me isn't the meek and quietness of someone else. I know other women whose meekness looks totally different than someone else's meekness. Quietness can come in many different forms too. I am thankful that God is telling me all the time how beautiful he made me....which actually is animated, full of spirit and passion!

One of the truths I stand on a repeat when nesessary is, 'I am not a body. I HAVE a body, but I am a spirit"

Back in Sept when Joe wasnt' with us for a couple of weeks, I lost 10 pounds due to extreme stress. But since he's been home and we are slowly approaching normal, my eating patterns have just come into line. And I am now in a healthy range for my height. I am officially no longer "overweight" Something really broke for me in all this. That's another thing to give God thanks for! His timing is perfect, He thinks of everything! When God was rooting out my bulimia back in February, He knew that hard times were coming. He knew that it was time to leave that part of me behind to prepare me for now. If I had not dealt with my eating disorder, I'd be a severe mess!

To truly come to healing with my body image and become secure with how God sees me, I have taken further steps to walk towards this. It's been very hard, and I've been very scared, becuase this is all I've known. Even tho adopting God's opinion of me would be the very best for me, it's not what's comfortable. We humans like to stick to what's familiar. Even if it's bondage.

Since the scale has been away, I haven't "labeled myself" with a number each morning. I don't wake up and say to myself, "I'm Sarah, 138 pounds" I am just Sarah! It's freeing. It's way more peaceful. And I also find that I don't eat according to the number. If I'm "sarah/140" then I am constantly making sure I don't eat much that day. If I'm Sarah/135, well, then I deserve a treat! This is so dumb!

These days, I eat 3-4 meals a day, stop when I'm satisfied and choose foods that make me feel physically good. I NEVER in a MILLION years thought I'd ever say these words, knowing that I was free. Such an amazing, humbling thing. God is so good and patient. And He LOVES ME! And He says I"M WORTH IT!

Peace be still

I've spent most of my christian life having a WHOLE lot to say, and could have listened way more. Now that the fire is hot and my eyes have been opened to HOW MUCH I NEEEEED GOD, I realize how much I need to learn to be still.

My mind goes 24/7. And even in the last couple years, it even goes while I'm trying to sleep! If I wake from a deep sleep, my mind will start going and I'll toss and turn the rest of the night. I know this isn't God's desire. His word says that His burden and yoke are easy and light. He is a God of peace. He tells us to be anxious for nothing and with a thankful heart, lay down your cares and fears and He will fill you with peace that you cannot understand....

I want to learn to be quiet, to be still. I want to hear Him speak....clearly. I want to KNOW His voice, without doubt......I can't be physically still, I have 4 kids! I am always moving! But my spirit needs to learn this. To be still in the storm of marriage, kids and personal walking with God.

I trust that God will break me. It's amazing to me how fears and cares can just creep up on a person over the years. This is a need for control. Rooted in fear. God is totally breaking this in me. There's more and more freedom as I surrender to Him. Learning to trust Him with our very fragile hearts can be very hard.

In Song of Songs, He calls us, saying, Come to me, unveiled, so I can see your face!"
And the bride responds with, "Then please protect me from the foxes and wolves"

He will protect me.....May my life forever show a surrendered soul in the process of becoming like my Maker.

this and that

Noah at homeschool gymnastics. Let him burn off some of that energy!!! If that was even possible!This is what the girls do while Noah jumps around. Sometimes I take them to parables for hot chocolate while Noah jumps around.

Elishah being cute
Noah in Tae Kwon Do. He tests for his yellow belt in 2 weeks

Isaiah in 3rd year ballet. She's skipping backwards! Can you do that?
Our hot tub that we rented for our anniversary! We should have taken more pics than we did :(
Here's the kids running in the snow with steamy hot bodies!
Elishah loved it! well, so did everyone!
I put this on facebook, but I wanted my mother in law to see this. If you click to enlarge the picture, you can actually see a rabbit, an insect, a sperm and other things if you use your imagination!
This is what my mom and my auntie ninette do when they want to visit! They occasionally give us candy so they can get in a few minutes of talking! But they didn't really get to visit anyway, cause we were making everything sticky!
Daniel enjoying his treat.

Our 12th year anniversary

Honestly, it is by God's grace, mercy, love and compassion that Joe and I have celebrated (and I mean celebrated!) our 12th year this year.

God hasn't released the story yet, but when the timing is right, we will be able to encourage and help many people.....not just yet tho.....

This year, we changed everything. We used to stay in a hotel every year and go to our favorite anniversary restaurant, Mr. Rizo's. This year, we farmed out the kids and rented a hot tub!

I am so blessed to have a man like Joe. His heart is amazing. I wish I could share more! But all I can say is that God is making us stronger than we've ever been. Our foundations are being rebuilt and our faith solidified in the One true rock...Jesus....Daddy....Savior.....

EVERYONE has faith

I'm reading this amazing book called, "Out of control and loving it" by Lisa Bevere. So so good!!! Just what I need right now. Each chapter just hits home for me. God told me to buy this book and it sure was the one for what I've been going through!!

Fear vs. love. I always thought it was fear vs. faith. But it's not. Will your faith work for you or against you? You choose to believe either the lies or the truth, there is no such thing as in between. Fear will choose to believe in the SEEN and love will choose to believe in the UNSEEN.

Love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, is not rude or self seeking, and keeps no record of wrongs. love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.
Love ALWAYS protects,trusts, hopes and perseveres.

Fear is impatient, unkind, envies, boasts, is proud, rude and self seeking. Fear keeps a record of wrongs, fear delights in lies.
Fear never protects, never trusts, never hopes or perseveres.

LOVE NEVER FAILS.

Fear will fill you with questions. That bring unrest, anxiety and a need to control
Love will fill you with peace, rest and a surrendered heart

God's word is love
Fear is a spirit that needs to battled with His word (His love) in your mind
It's a process of disciplining your thoughts, your flesh and speaking what God's word says instead of looking at what is seen with the naked eye.


This is the refining that God is doing in my life and there are times I take joy in this process and there are times I just sit and bawl at how hard this is.......
But HE IS GOOD FAITHFUL AND JUST
He will see me through...He always has and always will.....

9 months today

3 quarters of a year.....never in my life have I seen that kind of clean time in 18 years. I found this post 2 years ago of when I was still wrestling with bulimia. It's such fresh air to live without it! God used to tell me that someday, it will be a distant memory. Not that I would be able to forget the pain because it will be the pain that He will use to glorify Him someday!
. 18 years, I wrestled that beast. There were so many days, I thought I thought I'd take that beast to my grave....

Praise God! Only through His death and resurrection have I been able to experience a death and a rising to new life!

Here is a post from a couple years ago. When I was in the thick of the cycle.

Joe's home now

On Saturday, Joe pleaded with the doctors to let him come home. The surgeon said that he was okay with that as long as his fever didn't come back and he didn't get any sicker. Joe is recovering from a nasty abdominal infection. He's on some bigger gun oral antibiotics and is resting as much as he can.

This journey.....God is moving so deeply in this home. As both of us willingly confess together that we are open to the refining process....God wastes no time. He uses everything for His purpose. I am so amazed at WHAT He uses!!!!
Everything from the hospital God chose to put him in, to Joe's physical weakness. Every one I run into, every thought that enters my mind. He uses it all. Or at least He wants to, if I let him.
There's been even more breakthrough in our marriage through all of this. I have about 40 pages of loose leaf journaling since the middle of September! When God rebuilds something, he doesn't just stand around and sip coffee....He works day in and day out....through the night and in our dreams. He never slumbers and never sleeps. He is 100 % dependable is the God of wholeness.....

You know, when God brings two people together and makes them one flesh, they go together like a lock and key. I know sometimes i've said, "I could NEVER be married to that person! " or "How could that person be married to him!" Well, it's simple. When God makes one flesh from two people, only those two people are anointed to be together and stay together. No matter how hard marriage can be, you just can't separate what God made one.....

I'm officially old.......er.....

Today, I turned 30. At 12:55 pm
So I'm still officially in my "20's" for 4 more hours......LOL