So this morning was our first snowfall...yeah I know it wasn't much but a light dusting of snow. I woke up to my car doors frozen shut. Not a big deal unless you pulled 4 kids out of bed at 600am and got them out in the 31 degree weather only to find out the doors were frozen shut. I proceeded to pull on the doors until the front open got them all in the car and pulled out. It was 645am and now all my interior lights came on and the car was beeping at me because the doors were open (but still frozen shut) confusing I know. So we sat there for 20 minutes. I stared at the clock knowing that i now had missed the girls latchkey bus and would have to take them to school at 820am. Making me 1.5 hours late for work. Finally we were off and I was beyond frustrated with my morning. I mean come on I have a remote start and it didn't work and all 5 of us had to sit in the car waiting for it to thaw and thaw!
And then the Holy Spirit slapped me in the face (that's how I like to look at it)! I felt like God was saying "Really Mariana you are angry that your remote start didn't work and you had to wait for your car doors to thaw?"
I started thinking about all the people in other countries where it is cold and they have to walk and maybe not with even a warm coat. Then I thought about our own local homeless people. It was COLD out and they don't even have a warm place to lay down at night! I couldn't believe that I let a little thing like my car doors being frozen to complain about for as long as I did this morning. Don't get me wrong I am not saying that we cant have bad days and I am not saying that I felt like God was yelling at me because I don't believe that is how he works (although at times it is the only way we will listen). BUT I do believe that he was allowing the Holy Spirit to convict me right then on how I look at things.
So I decided to have a better day and realized that the kids and I had an extra 1.5 hours together this morning listening to Christmas music and laughing at how Issy says "Elephant" kinda sounds like "ELMOFIT" (as someone pointed out to me today) :)
So next time I have a bad day I am going to do my best to look at things differently and thank God for a new lesson to be learned!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Music
I love music! When I was younger I loved Alternative and then R&B and then Rap and then back to Rock and then Country...ok I guess I loved it all! As I have gotten older and began my relationship with God my music choices have changed. Don't get me wrong I will totally play Biggie or Boys II Men or the Goo Goo Dolls but my first choice always goes back to Christian Rock. I think because when I was growing up I would turn to music that helped me get through things that I was dealing with or the perfect love song at the time. As I lean closer to God I am lifted and encouraged by the music that brings me to a place of peace. I love at church when I close my eyes and feel like it is just me and God a true time of worship...tears flowing but a smile on my face. Have you ever had that same experience maybe in the car or at home listening to worship music? I have and its amazing almost a little gift from God and always at the right time... I have posted videos on here in a while so I am going to try to post a couple songs that I love right now!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Friendship
So I posted earlier about how thankful I was that God had brought me some amazing women that have walked along side of me and shown me what it means to have real godly friendships...
Leah P. who lives in California that I have never met is just one of them. It is totally God how he brought us together and I have faith that one day we will meet :) I had contacted her to talk to her about some things that I knew she was going through and really felt like God was telling me to tell her about my past and that he would use me to encourage her. I was nervous because how do you start a conversation with someone you have never met or even talked to and tell her that God told me to call her? The call I think lasted a couple of hours and was the start to an amazing friendship via phone calls, facebook, texting,letters (more her to me I am bad about writing letters lol) and emails! I can honestly say that only God can form such an amazing friendship between two women that have never met. I may have been an encouragement to her that night and months to follow but God has used her many times to encourage me as well. I really do believe that God would never allow our paths to cross if he never intended us to meet! I am truly thankful for her and I know that this is a friendship that will continue to grow until we are old :)
A couple of years ago I was co-leading a group for women who had been sexually/physically/emotionally/verbally abused and the leader was someone that is truly an amazing woman of God. For two years she told me that I had to get together with her sister because we were exactly alike and she knew that we would get along. Then just a year later I was approached to lead another group for college age women who had been abused and the co-leader was going to be Jenny S. (the sister to my friend) I was excited because her sister always talked so highly of her but was nervous that I would fall short some how. From that day on it was like looking in a mirror our personalities were so similar it was crazy. We both talk waaaayyy too much so our phone calls can last a really long time lol. We both have an amazing love for God and our kids drive us crazy. This past year we both had some really hard struggles and it would be easy to steer each other in the wrong direction instead we both continually steered each other back to God. I have never experienced a friendship with someone that has walked my life (a little different but very similar) and we both choose to be better than what has happened to us. I am so thankful that God put us in that group together because it was a start to a friendship that has grown so much in the last 5 years.
I really believe that yes we are to always go to him first (which I still have to remind myself or a certain friend does :) ) but I am amazed that he created us to be in fellowship with others. Jesus had his 12 disciples but he still had his close circle that he went to. Jesus had friends that he loved, that lifted him up in prayer and walked along side him. I am so blessed that God has given me lots of women..ones that pray for me and I for them and ones who are older that I can look to for wisdom and guidance and ones that are in my close circle that lift me up and steer me back to GOD!!
Leah P. who lives in California that I have never met is just one of them. It is totally God how he brought us together and I have faith that one day we will meet :) I had contacted her to talk to her about some things that I knew she was going through and really felt like God was telling me to tell her about my past and that he would use me to encourage her. I was nervous because how do you start a conversation with someone you have never met or even talked to and tell her that God told me to call her? The call I think lasted a couple of hours and was the start to an amazing friendship via phone calls, facebook, texting,letters (more her to me I am bad about writing letters lol) and emails! I can honestly say that only God can form such an amazing friendship between two women that have never met. I may have been an encouragement to her that night and months to follow but God has used her many times to encourage me as well. I really do believe that God would never allow our paths to cross if he never intended us to meet! I am truly thankful for her and I know that this is a friendship that will continue to grow until we are old :)
A couple of years ago I was co-leading a group for women who had been sexually/physically/emotionally/verbally abused and the leader was someone that is truly an amazing woman of God. For two years she told me that I had to get together with her sister because we were exactly alike and she knew that we would get along. Then just a year later I was approached to lead another group for college age women who had been abused and the co-leader was going to be Jenny S. (the sister to my friend) I was excited because her sister always talked so highly of her but was nervous that I would fall short some how. From that day on it was like looking in a mirror our personalities were so similar it was crazy. We both talk waaaayyy too much so our phone calls can last a really long time lol. We both have an amazing love for God and our kids drive us crazy. This past year we both had some really hard struggles and it would be easy to steer each other in the wrong direction instead we both continually steered each other back to God. I have never experienced a friendship with someone that has walked my life (a little different but very similar) and we both choose to be better than what has happened to us. I am so thankful that God put us in that group together because it was a start to a friendship that has grown so much in the last 5 years.
I really believe that yes we are to always go to him first (which I still have to remind myself or a certain friend does :) ) but I am amazed that he created us to be in fellowship with others. Jesus had his 12 disciples but he still had his close circle that he went to. Jesus had friends that he loved, that lifted him up in prayer and walked along side him. I am so blessed that God has given me lots of women..ones that pray for me and I for them and ones who are older that I can look to for wisdom and guidance and ones that are in my close circle that lift me up and steer me back to GOD!!
Turkey hangover
I actually did not eat too bad but I still have that Turkey hangover feeling, you know where you slept so good that when you wake up your eyes burn and your hair is all over the place. I feel really bad that Nathan had to leave for work this morning at 615am hopefully it is not too crazy at the dealership.
So I was reading all my past blogs and I stopped in July of 2009! I have had a ton of things happen since then...Had a baby, found a new job, got promoted at new job, lost a friend (not to death), gained some amazing friends, and now moved. I really have so much to be thankful for because each of those things (and much more) have taught me more about life and myself.
The new baby of course is about to be 2 years old and has taught me the most. I may be crazy and my life may be crazy but when she starts dancing or telling me how pretty she is I can not help but look around and see how truly blessed I am to have such a crazy life :)
The new job is working for an amazing Chiropractor! I started there and then was promoted just months later and I love it. I love the people I work with and the patients are awesome! I can see this being the place that I retire from but that would mean the Dr. would still work there in his 90s lol
The part of loosing a friend was the hardest thing I went through :( it was not to death which is good but still was very hard. I think as I get older I realize what it really means to have friends and who those friends should be. Who do I want speaking into my life and who brings out what is best in me? Those are really hard questions to answer when you really care about people. Some things happened and when they did I needed to look at those questions and answer them honestly. It may sound really harsh like"oh if you cross Mariana she will cut you out" not true at all but I think we were bringing each other down and it was not healthy. Just as much my fault as hers. But that doesn't mean there were not some great times that as friends we shared and I do miss that part.
The part about gaining new friends is really all God. The cool thing is that some of them I already had a relationship with but once God showed me what it meant to be a good friend and what a real friend looked like I was blessed way more. I have some great friends that point me right back to God. Some that are not afraid to tell me that I am wrong and I am not afraid to tell them when they are. I love how God has used them to bless me and I know that I have returned the favor. Plus I have been in a bible study on Thursday nights and it has really been a blessing!
The move...well that has been harder to handle and harder to see the bigger picture. We could no longer afford where we were living and had to move :( I miss my Susilane Peeps and the house was a great house with lots of memories. Saab was not treating Nathan too well and was no longer getting the hours and since he worked on full commission it was really hard to make it. We are blessed and thankful that his parents not only have the room in their house but in their heart as well to allow us to move in with them. A family of 6 moving in with them is bound to create even more craziness than we already had :) Nathan has a new job and it really is a blessing from God!
So the last two years in a nutshell....I knew I would be happy to find this blog again! Happy turkey hangover everyone!!
So I was reading all my past blogs and I stopped in July of 2009! I have had a ton of things happen since then...Had a baby, found a new job, got promoted at new job, lost a friend (not to death), gained some amazing friends, and now moved. I really have so much to be thankful for because each of those things (and much more) have taught me more about life and myself.
The new baby of course is about to be 2 years old and has taught me the most. I may be crazy and my life may be crazy but when she starts dancing or telling me how pretty she is I can not help but look around and see how truly blessed I am to have such a crazy life :)
The new job is working for an amazing Chiropractor! I started there and then was promoted just months later and I love it. I love the people I work with and the patients are awesome! I can see this being the place that I retire from but that would mean the Dr. would still work there in his 90s lol
The part of loosing a friend was the hardest thing I went through :( it was not to death which is good but still was very hard. I think as I get older I realize what it really means to have friends and who those friends should be. Who do I want speaking into my life and who brings out what is best in me? Those are really hard questions to answer when you really care about people. Some things happened and when they did I needed to look at those questions and answer them honestly. It may sound really harsh like"oh if you cross Mariana she will cut you out" not true at all but I think we were bringing each other down and it was not healthy. Just as much my fault as hers. But that doesn't mean there were not some great times that as friends we shared and I do miss that part.
The part about gaining new friends is really all God. The cool thing is that some of them I already had a relationship with but once God showed me what it meant to be a good friend and what a real friend looked like I was blessed way more. I have some great friends that point me right back to God. Some that are not afraid to tell me that I am wrong and I am not afraid to tell them when they are. I love how God has used them to bless me and I know that I have returned the favor. Plus I have been in a bible study on Thursday nights and it has really been a blessing!
The move...well that has been harder to handle and harder to see the bigger picture. We could no longer afford where we were living and had to move :( I miss my Susilane Peeps and the house was a great house with lots of memories. Saab was not treating Nathan too well and was no longer getting the hours and since he worked on full commission it was really hard to make it. We are blessed and thankful that his parents not only have the room in their house but in their heart as well to allow us to move in with them. A family of 6 moving in with them is bound to create even more craziness than we already had :) Nathan has a new job and it really is a blessing from God!
So the last two years in a nutshell....I knew I would be happy to find this blog again! Happy turkey hangover everyone!!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
I AM BACK
After months of randomly trying to get back to blogging and being denied access because I forgot my password...I finally got in and I am so excited :)
I can not believe that the last time I posted a blog was in 2009! Wow have things changed but are also the same. So much to write but I feel the need to filter myself lately,which if you know me than you know that I NEVER filter myself. I have always been an open book, I have always believed that if you are open about what you are going through than it opens the door for others to be open and we stop walking around with plastic faces saying things like "I'm good", "I'm fine", "It's nothing" and my favorite (with a huge smile that I feel looks fake but seems to pass the test) "everything is great".
So how am I doing?
Well for know I am going to answer with I am fine until I am comfortable on here once again to blog my little heart out and not care who reads it or finds it offending or tries to use it against me ;) But I am back and it feels good so more posts about the craziness of my little Cathers Crew....
I can not believe that the last time I posted a blog was in 2009! Wow have things changed but are also the same. So much to write but I feel the need to filter myself lately,which if you know me than you know that I NEVER filter myself. I have always been an open book, I have always believed that if you are open about what you are going through than it opens the door for others to be open and we stop walking around with plastic faces saying things like "I'm good", "I'm fine", "It's nothing" and my favorite (with a huge smile that I feel looks fake but seems to pass the test) "everything is great".
So how am I doing?
Well for know I am going to answer with I am fine until I am comfortable on here once again to blog my little heart out and not care who reads it or finds it offending or tries to use it against me ;) But I am back and it feels good so more posts about the craziness of my little Cathers Crew....
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