Yesterday

Yesterday, my mom and dad and sister and I attended the visitation of a very good friend!! The visitation was for the daddy of one of my sweet childhood friends!! She and I, along with another girl hung out from the time we were 5 year's old until we got to Jr. high! Even after settling into different friendships and taking time to figure out who we were, we were all still very dear friends!! We were the 3 C's! Courtney, Chrystal and Christina!! :) My friend Courtney was an only child...it was SUCH fun to go to her house because we had the run of the place, her mom and dad were very laid back and just enjoyed hearing us laugh and giggle!! They had a three story house and we would run up and down those stairs like lightening in our crazy dress up outfits, our outrageous make-up and our music blaring!! :) Courtney's mom and dad always took us to McDonald's and then over to TCBY, but Joyce would ALWAYS say she needed to "...Count her pennies before we could go!!" I LOVE that phrase, and she always said it with a sweet gleam in her eye!! Courtney's mom, Joyce died about 8 years ago, and now her dad, Larry is gone as well!! I can't stop thinking about her! I am SO thankful for my mom and dad and I couldn't imagine life without them!! I am SO thankful to have a sister, and even though we don't always agree on everything, I know she is always there!! I am thankful for health and for life and for my family!! I am SO thankful for God who loves us and takes care of us at ALL times! I know my sweet friend Courtney is going to be ok, her parents both loved God very much and you could tell that in the way that they lived every day, and she loves God!! Today I am VERY thankful for the life that God has blessed us with!! We have a healthy family, a family who LOVES to love and a Heavenly Father who loves us SO much!!!

Meals

I am not a very good cook!! I know it and I am ok with that!! My mom and sister are AMAZING cook's, they can create just about any gourmet dish out of about 5 ingredients!! I got the crafting/baking gifts, and for them I am SO THANKFUL!!!! I love to be crafty and to make NEW decoration for our house out of the simplest of things!! I also love to bake and measure out ingredients and then enjoy the finished product!! However, since my little family cannot possibly live on decor and dessert alone...I have started really challenging myself to make new meals and enjoy the time I get with my kiddos when they want to help!! There have been some really delicious meals, and some that are not so great!! :) However, meals for my family is not what this post is about!! :):) Gotcha! :)

  Have you ever made a meal for a family that is in need, or that has been through trauma, or even that is just having a rough time!?! God has just recently brought several of these situations to my own families hearts and we have ENJOYED making food for these families in need, together! I would not say that I enjoy cooking, or being in my kitchen all afternoon several days in a row!! Actually I dis-like it greatly, BUT, when God calls you to help, you cannot say no!! God has recently showed me the blessings in helping to provide for these families!! God laid them on my heart and asked me what I was going to do to help!? If, I ask them "How can I help?" I need to be willing to DO something to help...not just ask because it sounds nice! We are all really good that this...it is almost like the "how are you" question that many of us immediately follow up with the quick and easy answer... "Fine!" However, the question often tends to be "If there is anything I can do to help...let me know!" And then we go on with our business and forget about those families in need!! I am here to tell you friends, there is ALWAYS something we can do to help, even if it is something as simple as cooking a meal!! This is a way God stretched me this past week...!! Never ask "if" ALWAYS ask "how!!??" :)

What Matters?

WOW!! It has been a LONG time since I have posted!! :) I have several drafts typed up, but could never perfect just what I wanted to say...so apparently I didn't post them!! Ha!
 
  Of course we have been in the New Year of 2013 for 12 days now which is SO exciting! :) I hope you all rung in the New year with lots of JOY and love!! We got to spend some time with some dear friends and their family (this will hopefully be another post!! We LOVE our New Year's Eve tradition:))

  The week before Christmas I was pretty sick so I had A LOT of thinking and praying time... and there is something that God kept laying on my heart!! I would pray for wisdom and guidance in several different things and He kept bringing to my heart...."What Matters?" "What matters Christina...do any of these things bring ME Glory?" I am constantly thinking about all that we have on our plate as a family, and all that I am doing as a wife, mommy, sister, daughter and friend!! Is what I have committed myself to and my family to for these next few days, weeks, month and possibly years...do they MATTER for God's Kingdom!!?? I desperately want to shout "YES!" but I know that probably wouldn't be true!! I suppose that we all struggle with this, it is kind of our nature...God WANTS us to choose Him!! God wants our attention, our affection and our GLORY to be focused on Him!! One of our BIGGEST goals as a family for this year is to make everything that we do, matter!! Trips to the store, our time at school, time with friends and family...we want that time to MATTER!! :)  I am very excited about how God will lead us this year!!!! :)