Please Pray Now!

So it's almost New Years and I am overwhelmed with fatigue. Victor and I have been sick with a bad flu for the last few days fighting chills, coughs, and fever among other things. Matthew now has it and has been getting a fever up to 104 and more. He is in the tub now as I write this. Please if your reading this stop now and say a prayer for our little boy. These are scary temperatures and we need wisdom on what is best to do for him. Please pray for Victor and I to get better as well as both of us being sick has made it difficult to function. Also please pray Rachel does not get this.. Thank you for praying.. We need it!

Lost Adapter :(

I have so many fun pictures I want to post but I can't find the adapter that takes the pics from my camera to the computer.. I guess the fun pictures will have to wait....At least you have something to look forward to when I do find it (whoever you are).

Praise God!

My mom recently went through multiple tests to see if she had breast cancer. She has a big lump that was hurting her and had doctors concerned. Our family has been waiting to see if the tests confirmed cancer and Praise God they did not find anything! We are so happy and give God thanks for that answer to prayer.

Christmas and a Christ-like attitude

Christians are called to carry a Christ-like attitude everyday, in all that we do and say. Obviously I think this is important year round but I feel this is especially important around Christmas time because we claim the reason we celebrate this season is because of Jesus Christ's birth. In my opinion our attitudes should reflect that belief.

I believe that this season gives us a big temptation to be selfish people and to think primarily about what we can get... Hear me out.. I'm not saying it's wrong to want a Christmas gift but what I am saying is that if this season truly is about Jesus Christ then our overall attitudes should reflect that. I have personally been convicted that my heart should not be about what can I get or even burdened to find gifts for those who already have it all BUT it should be Who is in need? How can I help? Where can Christ use me? Do you see the difference? My prayer is that God would help me reflect this more, especially during a time where we are celebrating Christ and the things that made His character amazing as God of the universe. I'm convinced that Christmas and a Christ-like attitude should go hand in hand. Have a blessed Christmas.

Thoughts on Women Pastors...

So I just deleted my last post on women building their homes and church. Some of you may have read the article and some of you may have missed it. Basically the article was a Biblical perspective on a women's role in the home and church... it pretty much was encouraging women who have families to respect and build their husbands and love their children as a primary ministry to the home and church.. which I still agree with and is why Victor and I have made the decision for me to stay home with our kids.. What Victor kindly pointed out to me is that the article basically said in a round about way that anything else is sinning against our calling as women.. which I cannot agree with fully because I know many women who do not stay home for a variety of reasons that I can't call sin (until God shows me otherwise). I do think that if your family suffers because of another ministry that comes before them.. then YES I would agree that is not a good thing... but I can't fully agree with the content of the article and that's why I took it down.

Now this got me thinking about women pastors and that whole confusing topic.. I think it confuses me because the Bible talks about Elders and Overseers... Elders and Overseers are clearly talking about men in 1 Timothy Chpt 3.. Clearly an Elder or an Overseer cannot be a women.. So no problem there for me.. The question I have is this : Is a pastor equivalent to an Overseer?? (i think it is but I have to study it more).. because if so then women pastor's should not even have that title or place according to that chapter.. or is a pastor a complete other description that I'm missing..

I know this is another controversial topic but it's one of importance in the church and culture that we are apart of. Any thoughts?

Cell Sin.. I'm guilty.

This is a post by Mark Driscoll and his experience of being away from technology.. I agree with what he had to say and I think this is a good thing to talk about.

Cell Sin
Author: Mark Driscoll


POSTED ON: 10.16.07
This past summer I enjoyed some great vacation time with my wife of fifteen years, Grace, and our five children. We went to the high desert and spent most of our time enjoying the sunshine by playing catch, swimming in pools, inner tubing down rivers, going for walks and the like. For the first time in my life, I actually did not turn on my cell phone and did not take any calls or emails while on vacation. I made it a full three weeks of fasting from digital demons such as my BlackBerry, iPod, and second cell phone. Within a few days I also stopped wearing a watch and stopped really caring about time and instead enjoyed my wife, kids, and vacation. In short, it was wonderful. Unplugging my technology and simply having nothing on my body that required a battery seemed like a new kind of spiritual discipline for our age that refreshed and renewed me more than I could have imagined.

Being unplugged from my technology also made me more aware of how much lords over us as a beeping, ringing, and vibrating merciless sovereign god. I was grieved when I went to the pool every day with my kids to swim and play catch in the water and looked around the pool only to see other parents not connecting with their children at all but rather talking on their cell phones and dinking around on their handheld mobile devices while sitting in lounge chairs. When we went out for meals we saw the same thing. Parents with children were commonly interrupted throughout the meal by their technology and spent more time talking on the phone than to their family. To make matters worse, these people were actually quite loud and were incredibly annoying to the rest of us who do not want to hear whether or not their friend Hank’s nasty inner thigh rash had cleared up.

Sadly, the trend continued even late into the evenings. At night my kids like to go for bike rides and walks before heading off to bed so we spent our nights doing just that. At the resort where we stayed, it was amazing how many other families were doing the same, but the parents were not speaking to their children but rather chatting on the phone via their wireless headset (which I keep expecting to include an option to be surgically implanted into one’s head between their ears since there is apparently a lot of extra space there).

A recent article confirmed this is actually a tragic national trend and a cell sin to be repented of. An AP-Ipsos poll found that one in five people toted laptop computers on their most recent vacations, while 80 percent brought along their cell phones. One in five did some work while vacationing, and about the same number checked office messages or called in to see how things were going. Twice as many checked their email, while 50 percent kept up with other personal messages and voice mail. Reasons vacationers performed work-related tasks included an expectation that they be available, a worry about missing important information, or in some cases the enjoyment of staying involved (Source: Associated Press, June 1, 2007, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18983920/).

I know in years past I too have been guilty of these same digital sins against God, my family, and my own well-being. Now that I see it as a sin that destroys silence, solitude, fellowship, prayerful listening, and meaningfully and attentive friendship, I am deeply convicted that there is a new spiritual discipline of fasting from technology to be mastered. In this way, we can enjoy the life and people that God puts in front of us rather than ignoring them while we peck away with our thumbs and chat about nothing, which in the end is rarely as important as the people we are ignoring all around us.

Model Mom

My mom is such a model to me of putting her full faith in God. My mom had an M.R.I a few days ago to check a lump in her breast that may be breast cancer. I asked her if she was concerned about it and her reply was "no..there is so much technology these days if it is something and also God has the ability to heal me if He wants to." Wow.. I was so blown away by the confidence in her answer.. I hope I never face anything like that in my life but if I do I want to have the same confidence and faith that God is in control and that is what matters. I love my mom and thank God for her constant example of trust in the One who is able to do above and beyond all that we can think or imagine.

Did I Just Say That???

I went to a girl's night out event tonight that was hosted at one of my friend's house. I was away from my little munchkins but I still was very much in mommy mode.

Picture this in your head... I had this little dog on my lap.....somebody walked by and said hi to the dog and without thinking twice I looked at the dog and said in a nice voice "can you say hi back"? Oh my gosh!!! After I said that.. I said... "did I just say that"? I'm so used to saying that to Matthew when people say hi to him that it just came out so naturally when that person said hi to the dog. I kept myself laughing about it randomly throughout the night. I'm definitely my biggest source of entertainment.

Hormonal Beast

When Victor and I got married, I was on the pill and continued to be on it for the first 2 years of our marriage. I was a wreck emotionally and I had no idea the pill was to blame. I had an idea it was giving me my bad headaches but I didn't know it was affecting my emotions until I was off of it (although I should have guessed it since it makes your body believe it's already pregnant). When I got off of them I felt so much better and vowed that I never, ever wanted to feel that way again. I got pregnant about a month and a half later which of course sent my hormones into crazy mode again. I have been pregnant or nursing ever since. I feel like i'm in a constant state of trying to resemble a normal woman while fighting the hormonal beast. My hormones have not been normal our whole marriage.. I honestly can't remember what it is like to be "normal". One day I will but for now the fight continues.

Quotes from this week..

Since we've announced our 3rd pregnancy we've had so many people say things to us. Some good and super encouraging, some not so good. I think that people's reactions have been funny and entertaining to say the least. Honestly I don't care what people think because I know God is in control.. but here are some of the quotes I heard this week:

"wow, congrats!"

"are you serious?"

"you're young, you might as well have more"

"are you surprised or just stupid?"

"how old are your other two??"

"hey might as well get them all out at once"

"you're brave"

"yay, another estrada to baby sit"

"you're going to be busy"

"you're going to need a lot of help"

"you're body isn't ready to have another one"

"you and Victor have been blessed with fertility"

Can you imagine how my emotions could be all over the place if I allowed people's opinons to rule over me? I thank God that He really has given me confidence in what He is doing in my life... Thank God that my identity can be found in Him.

A second look at " Wild at Heart"

Wild at Heart is a very popular book that so many people love. I actually really liked it when I first read it too and the ideas that John Eldredge presented seemed great. I've always heard good things about the book and I've never really heard any negative critiques on it until I came across an article on the resurgence website. After reading the critique on it, I suprisingly had my mind changed about the book and agree with the points made in the article. If your interested in seeing what I read, here is the link: Is God Wild at Heart?

Halloween..

I know these pictures from Halloween are old and it's almost Thanksgiving.. oh well..The kids had a great time at Calvary....They had lots of fun stuff to do...Here are some highlights from our night there.

Good Times

I love these moments and I love my family!

God is writing my story...

Lately I've been thinking about my life and the work God has been doing ever since He convicted me to surrender my plans and life to Him..

I been thinking about the past 5 years and how they have not been even close to what I used to imagine this time of my life would look like....... but they have been better than my imagination and absolutly perfect for my life.. You see in my story I would be married much later in life, financially established and well off, have kids that were a few years spaced apart and basically have a life that was so comfortable that I really didn't need to look to God much because I had control (that's what i used to picture)... BUT that has not been my story.. I got married at 20, i'm always looking to God to see how He is going to get us through financial issues, and baby # 3 is not too far apart from my other 2 babies.. I feel that every time God has changed my story I'm always surprised and perplexed about how His story is going to out do mine... but whenever I look back and see what He has done... His story has ALWAYS been better than mine. I've got a peace about the plans God has for my life and I'm grateful for that.
Proverbs 16: 3,9,33

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

In his heart man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decsision is from the Lord.

What's God's story in your life??

Weaning Woes...

So today I had to officially wean Rachel from nursing because of several reasons that I'm not going to give. The doctor's recomendation was for me to completely stop nursing and wait for Rachel to get hungry enough to accept the bottle.. So today I nursed her for the last time at 11:30am and she refused to take the bottle until 7pm...I'm so glad she finally took it but she had me worried. I never had this much difficulty weaning Matthew so I was not used to this long, drawn out, emotional rollercoaster.. I've actually been trying to slowly wean her for the past week but I guess she needed to do it cold turkey.. Oh well. I'm just thankful that finally she got some liquids in her. Thank God!

The Betrothed

“Suppose, brethern, a man should make a ring for his betrothed, and she should love the ring more wholeheartedly than the betrothed who made it for her… Certainly, let her love his gift: but if she should say, "The ring is enough, I do not want to see his face again” what would we say of her? The pledge is given her by the betrothed just that, in his pledge, he himself may be loved. God, then, has given you all these things. Love Him who made them.”

Augustine

Time Flys!

I just ran across this pic of me a few weeks before I had Rachel ( i know it's not the most flattering pic)... I can't believe how time has gone by so fast already.. Rachel is now 5 months old which was how old Matthew was when I found out I was pregnant with Rachel.. I can't believe how fast time has flown by...I love my two little munchkins and I am cherishing every moment with them.

God Provides...

I think I need to keep a journal specifically on ways God has provided for my family and I.. I seriously can't even explain it.. I will tell you about this month alone.... but God has done this for Victor and I ever since we got engaged....

Just this month I've seen God provide in amazing ways... 1)Matthew needed some new clothes and without saying a thing my sister decided to give us some of her son's out grown clothes that were the perfect size for matthew... 2) I'm throwing my sis a baby shower this month and I didn't know how we were going to buy all that we needed.. many friends and family decided they wanted to pitch in to help without me saying a word and now we don't have much to buy at all 3) When Victor went to Y.S last week he found a pair of my old contacts in the bag he was taking.. I saw it as God providing... then just tonight some very sweet person gave me a sweet note, some hot tamales, and some $$ to buy contacts.. Wow!! Honestly this is what God always does.. He is so good!! He has provided for all of our needs and even some of our wants..I pray that I can look to these times as a reminder on how faithful God is and how He does take care of His children.

Insecurities and Lies

So my post on "my dorky self" really got me thinking about insecurites that I grew up with as a child, teen, that led into my adult life. I feel like God has been shedding light in my heart this week about where those really came from and His desire to remove those from me. I can't write too much detail about specifics but I can say talking out my life with a close friend this weekend helped me realize how much my insecurities are wrapped up in demonic lies that were constantly attacking me hard at one point in my life (and obviously they find ways to try and come back) . I got confirmation of that with Dave's message this Sunday and I couldn't help but cry.. I can't even remember the last time I cried on a Sunday morning... But the message hit me hard because it made me realize that I have been deceived for many years by someone I care for very much (no, it's not Victor)... but what made me even sadder is the deception in that person's life that they are blinded to. I thank God for that revelation because it has helped me make sense of confusing things in my life and feel the freedom to move on in God's truth and see myself as He sees me and it has given me a heart to pray for that influential person in a new way.

Holy Hip Hop

I love all types of music but the kind that I like to listen to the most is Rap... Yup it's true. I have no idea why that's been the case ever since I was in highschool. When I started getting serious about my faith as a highschool student I realized that I had to stop listening to a lot of the music I was listening to because the lyrics were simply unedifying and altogether wrong. I had no problem letting that music go but I did wonder if there was any similar types of music with good lyrics.. Well since then thanks to my friends Natalie and John Barry I've found two hip hop groups that are edifying and fully God honoring in their lyrics. Priesthood and Crossmovements have become some of my favorite beats to listen and dance to. Now it's all good in my neighborhood :)

My Dorky Self...

Who is that girl with the puffy hair and glasses?? Oh yes, it's me alright.. That is what I grew up looking like in that awkward stage of life... I got made fun of by other kids and I pretended I didn't care but I can't tell you how thankful I was the day I got contacts..

Well, with that background I ran out of contacts last week because my last pair tore and I can't order new ones yet until we take care of some other more important expenses.. So guess what I'm back to wearing glasses. I really don't think they make me look too different but deep inside there is a little voice saying "you look like your little dorky self again." I'm trying to pretend like I don't care but I hate to admit that I kind of do..Funny how silly things like that never completely go away.

Dining with the Doans

Last weekend we had the pleasure of having the Doans over for dinner. We had such a wonderful time with them and are grateful that God allowed two crazy schedules (matt's and victor's) to slow down enough to spend time enjoying each other's friendship. It's nice to have a couple that can identify with us so well... from crazy family stories, to struggles and joys in ministry, to sharing stories about God's work in our lives. I'm bumbed that I forgot to get a picture with them but I did get a pic of Matthew and Lily when we went out for a walk.. Thank you Doan family for being such a great encouragement to our family :)

conviction vs. guilt

I've come to the conclusion that it's important for us as follower's of Christ to be obedient to the conviction God has given us. (okay i know that's not too new of a discovery but the second half is what needs work).. Not only do I think it's important to follow God given conviction but I think it's just as important to say NO to guilt given by people. I think the line between the two can be a bit blurred if we are not continually seeking God for His clear conviction in our lives. I pray that me and my family would be in the habit of being still and listening to God's voice and be discerning on what is from Him and what is not.

In Need of Prayer..

Hey Friends,
I'm in need of some prayer right now. I don't think it's wise to say to the world why because of the circumstance but if you think of me and my family please send a prayer our way. Thanks in advance.

An Unchanging Message in a changing World

I've had this battle in my head about how to stay relevent to the culture we live in while staying faithful to preach the truths of the gospel. Today I happened to stumble upon this blog which I felt described so well what has been going on in the inside of me... It's a pretty long post but it describes so well what I wish and hope to be apart of. If you care about this type of stuff, it's well worth the time of reading.



"The fight goes on. Like a giant tug of war, each side is pulling hard. The battle lines: Cultural relevance versus biblical faithfulness—a classic tyranny of the "OR." Yes, cultural relevance can be confusing.

On the one hand, the church can be so focused on cultural relevance that it loses its distinctive message. Don't think it won't happen—it has happened to countless churches and denominations. On the other hand, it can decide that culture does not matter. That leads to a church whose message is indiscernible and obscure to those who are "outside." Let me propose an alternative: our churches need to be biblically faithful, culturally relevant, counter culture communities.

Not everyone buys into what I've just said. Whole ministries exist just to tell you not to pay attention to culture. To them, a virtuous church is one that is culturally irrelevant. In their view, a mark of holiness is not just being disconnected from sin but also being disconnected from sinners and the culture they share with us every day.

Preaching against culture is like preaching against someone's house—it is just where they live. The house has good in it and bad in it. Overall, culture can be a mess—but (to mix metaphors) it is the water in which we swim and the lens through which we see the world. And the gospel needs to come, inhabit, and change that and every culture (or house).

Preaching against culture is not the pattern of the New Testament church (see Dean Fleming's Contextualization in the New Testament), the historic church (see Ruth Tucker's From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya), or today's church (see Breaking the Missional Code).

Culture clearly does matter! For 2000 years, missionaries have courageously sought to take the message and make it understandable. Through these two millennia, changing cultures have impacted the church and its missional strategies. Conversely, in many cases, the church has also impacted culture. The reason ministry models have to change is because they have an unchanging message that must be conveyed in a changing world. That message is Christ, the gospel, and the Scriptures. Jude 3 says that we are to "contend for the faith once delivered for the saints." That's essential.

But, the Bible also clearly gives us a mandate to make the message understandable. We do more than just translate it into a language. We also have to translate it into a culture. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23, "I have become all things to all men." Why? Because the message needs to be contextualized. The "how" of ministry is, in many ways, determined by the "who, when, and where" of culture. That's also essential.

We have to both contend and contextualize. This brings a balanced focus in our proclamation and practice. When we contend for the gospel, we remain biblically faithful. When we contextualize, we communicate the message effectively. When we contend and contextualize, our churches are biblically faithful, culturally relevant, counter culture communities.

Those who preach against culture are often unaware that they live in one. But the dynamic culture around them is often not the culture of their church. What they yearn for is typically not a scriptural culture, but rather a nostalgic religious culture of days past. The irony of this is that every church is culturally relevant. It is simply a matter of whether the culture of the church is in any way similar to the culture of its community or only meaningful to itself.

Contextualizing does not mean that your church needs to look like Northpoint (Atlanta) or Mosaic (LA). It may mean something very different, and a culturally relevant church in your community may look very different from culturally relevant churches in other communities. Yet, many of us miss that. Why? Because too many leaders pastor their churches in their heads and not in their communities. But the truth is, if you can't pastor the people God has given you (not the ones He's given Andy Stanley or Erwin McManus), then you don't love them. John Knox said, "Give me Scotland or I die." He had a passion for the people of Scotland. We need to have the same passion for the people where we are, and to love them and their culture (though parts of every culture should make you uneasy and call for a biblical critique—see Acts 17 and my message from The Resurgence conference).

The alternative to this kind of passion is "community lust" and "demographic envy." Lots of pastors are lusting for someone else's community. They want a church that is culturally relevant to Los Angeles, Seattle, or New York even though they live in Des Moines, Iowa. But that's not the answer.

Biblically Faithful

Before anything else, the church and its ministry must be biblically faithful. A lot of great conferences on creativity and ministry are helpful. But, we need to remember that our purpose is to apply that creativity in biblically and culturally relevant ways. The reason we engage culture is not to be cool, trendy, contemporary, or cutting edge—words that have become idols to us—but so that those who live in culture can hear the message of Jesus. That message is more than just "come to Christ," it involves how we live and structure our lives, and it matters deeply. Our churches should share the gospel message wherever they are and whatever their cultural context. They should be known as people who love God's Word and seek to live differently because of it.

Culturally Relevant

Churches that are biblically faithful to God's mission will work to relate to people in culture. We who are Christians should look similar to, but not be identical to, our culture. If we don't, people will assume that being a Christian simply means being different—dressing differently, listening to different music styles, and voting the same way. They'll confuse Christianity with a change of clothes, music, and political party registration. That means that Christians should use language, dress, and live life in the "house" of culture, while living differently because they are in the family of God.

Counter Culture

Jesus said that we should be "in" the world but not "of" the world. Many churches today do just the opposite. They are "of" the world but not "in" it. We must teach people to look similar to the world, but live differently. Most churches in the U.S. today do just the opposite.

For example, born—again Christians divorce at a higher rate than the unchurched, while many of their church services feel like a trip to a museum. It's like going back to a time when culture was more "holy" and divorce was unheard of. Today, we've kept the museum culture but jettisoned the biblical morality—the wrong choice. Rather, Christians should be counter culture—in family life, values, finances, and every other aspect of their lives. They should reflect their culture while living in contrast to that culture.....

Why, if we have the timeless truth of the gospel, do we need to concern ourselves with culturally relevant ministry? Because if we don't, the message of the gospel gets confused with the cultures of old. The unchurched think that Christianity is a retrograde culture rather than a living faith. Our job is to remove the "extra" stumbling blocks of culture without removing the essential stumbling block of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:23). Unfortunately, the stumbling block of the cross has too often been replaced by the stumbling block of the church. Most people aren't being recruited by other religions; they are being confused by the practice of ours.

The easy route is to go to a conference, read a book, and create a great church "in your head"—a cutting edge, cool, trendy, and contemporary church. But the biblical route is found in Paul's activities in Acts 17. Wander through your Athens. Look at the cultural idols. Let this break your heart and burden your mind. Let godly passion drive you to say "Give me Athens or I die." Then confidently take the gospel to those who'll see its uncluttered message, trust its validity, and receive its Savior—Jesus Christ."

Post Machine..

I have no idea why I'm posting so much tonight... I think Victor's blog addiction is rubbing off on me. I have to stop and go to bed!

Judgement..

It's funny because I hate to be judged or have my husband judged and I'm realizing I unintentionally judge others..funny how that works. I pray God would change that within me.

Too Cute!!!

I love our two little cuties!!

Head Pastor...

I was listening to a message given by Mark Driscoll a couple weeks ago and he said that he knows who is new to his church and who is not when he asks the church who the Head Pastor is.. Those that are new reply: Mark Driscoll.. Those who have been there for a while reply Jesus Christ. I think that is such a great perspective to have. Don't get me wrong...Dave is a great Head Pastor..But Jesus Christ is even better!!!

one word: Sick!!

iphone..

Here is one reason why I don't mind Victor having an iphone.

When Small issues Become Big...

Well, it's almost 3 in the morning right now and I'm not looking forward to the exhaustion I'm going to feel later today. I've had this overwhelming burden for issues that are going on not only at Calvary but in churches all around us. Let me explain. I feel like many christians are hung up on small issues in the church from (these are random examples that i've heard from different people from different churches) the color of the carpet, to the way the people upfront dress, to songs that are sung, to whatever minor thing you want to fill in the blank with... Now when people become passionate about these small issues they suddenly become Big issues. Sadly enough they are things that are for the most part opinion based and are divisive among christians. We as believers in Jesus Christ should be united and fighting for justice in our world, loving mercy, and walking humbly..But instead I see us fighting among each other, not showing much mercy, being apethetic about the true issues at hand, and walking with pride as if we know all the answers and have it all together. My prayer for myself and for my fellow followers of Christ is that we would not allow small issues to become big and that we would be united, walking humbly, loving mercy, and seeking justice for the things that concern the heart of God.

A Heart Like David's...

Pastor Dave delivered a great message this past Sunday on having a heart like David's. He went on to say that we can tell if we have a heart like David's when critisism comes our way and how we respond to it... Well that message really got to me this week because we had an experience that really exposed where my heart was at.. I know that God is working on me in this area to respond more like David would. I admire Victor so much because he really does have this type of heart which makes him a great leader not only at church but more importantly in our home.

Appreciation for Calvary Church

I have to admit that I'm realizing how much I have taken my church for granted. I feel like recently God has been opening my eyes more and more to appreciate what He's given us at Calvary and not to take what we have for granted. We've got amazing friends, people that we hardly know that encourage us, staff that is wonderfully supportive of each other, a place that anyone can get involved if they want to, and an overall pursuit as a body to have the heart of God. Of course it's not perfect and as long as there are humans involved it won't be.. BUT I can see that there has been a significant change in my heart that only God can be given the glory for.

Mini Victor

This is what Matthew likes to do for fun these days...

The Back Bay

Victor and I feel so fortunate to live right by the Back Bay. We took a walk from our house to the Back Bay in Newport. We decided to take a random trail that was not really well paved and kind of suspensful because we did not know how we were going to get out of it. We had sooo much fun. It almost felt like we were on a cool journey in the wilderness but actually we were practically in our back yard (we live very close to it).. I hope to have some more of these times because I love being with my family and I love having adventure!

Mini Celebrity

A few days ago Victor and I were having dinner outside the coffee shop at church and a very nice lady started talking to us like she's known both of us for so long. I of course go along with it and have a short conversation with her. I assumed that she must know Victor some how so when she left I asked him who she was.. he responded that he had NO idea. It's kinda wierd being apart of a church where people know who you are but you don't know them.. This happens to us pretty often obviously because Victor is an up front guy. It's almost like he is a mini celebrity. I'm still trying to get used to it.

Awkward Hugs

Before I started dating Victor I used to be a big advocate of giving hugs.. Of course thinking back on it, I really limited it to the cute guys. After I started dating Victor there was no need for me to do that anymore because the underlying fact of the matter was it was my way of being slightly flirtatious. Now as a married woman and mother of two I really try to avoid hugs with the opposite sex like the plague. There are a few acceptions like family and friends that are close to both Victor and I. Other than that, I just feel awkward if some guy that just an aquantance wants to hug me. On the flip side I feel awkward if girls that are not in the above categories want to hug Victor.. I wonder what their underlying motive is and I feel very uncomfortable inside.

This leads me to think about some pastors who feel an obligation to be huggy with everyone. I wonder why they feel that way and I wonder if they think twice about how it might come across to the opposite sex.. I sure am glad that Victor and I are on the same page with these things.. I feel very blessed to have a husband that constantly reassures me of his love by the actions and decisions that he makes for me and my family no matter how small they may be.

Behind the Scenes of Ministry..

I realize I've been posting a lot of things about ministry recently.. I guess this is the only place where I have a voice to speak up about how I feel and the things that go through my head. There are some very good and postive things about it and some not so positive things. I mostly wish to give insight into my world and what it looks like.. So if your tired of it already.. too bad.. find another blog to read.. For the rest of you.. keep your eye out for what ever topic I may wright on next.

Pastors Perspective

I wish more pastors and leaders in church had this perspective...It's a simple concept but unfortunatly not the norm on how ministry is viewed. Thankfully I have a husband that Does have this perspective :) This video is between 10 and 15 mins but well worth the time if you want to encourage your pastor to live this way or if you are a pastor and need some good perspective on what order your priorities should be in.

Death by ministry # 11 - Mark Driscoll

Meant to Be a Musician

I remember when Matthew was a month or two old people would talk to him and say "I bet your gonna grow up and play the guitar like your daddy." At first I thought..... sheesh my kid already has expectations put on him and he barely just got introduced to the world.. But as he has gotten older his favorite toys are musical toys (which by the way were all purchased by other people).. I can see now that Matthew has a love for music and he especially likes the guitar and drums.. I'm thinking just maybe he will be a musician when he grows up but only because that's what he likes to do..not because that's what people expect him to do.

Highlights from the Weekend

I wanted to highlight my hair this weekend but I didn't want to fork out $80 bucks to do it.. So instead I picked up a highlighting kit at target and had my sister in law hightlight my hair. At first I was very pleased with the outcome but when my hair completely dryed I realized that I had left the highlights in way too long and I had streaks of yellow , orange in my head. I really tried to make it work but I just couldn't pull the funky, punky look. Today I dyed my hair again and now it's not so drastic. I think next time I want to do something like that I will go the professional route. I guess I better start saving my pennies.

Dinner with the DiLisi's

This weekend Victor and I went up to Temecula to visit our good friends Shane and Katie. Shane and Katie pampered us with an amazing dinner and dessert. We felt blessed not only by the good food but by being able to spend some time with them. They also have a cute little guy named Micah who unfortunatly went to bed when we finally decided to take the camera out. Even though we don't live as close to the DiLisi's as we would like, I'm very thankful that our friendship is still close. What a great blessing.

Homosexual Agenda Targets our Children

The Homosexual Agenda obviously cannot have children to install their values into so instead they are targeting ours.This by far is one of the most serious issues that I am posting about. I realize that I have to be involved in politics if I would like to make a difference for our children and our country's future. Right now there are 7 bills on the line in California that would "teach public school children age 5 and older to be accepting of homosexuality, cross-dressing and bisexuality; end local oversight of school discrimination policies; legalize same-sex “marriages"; and allow HIV-positive men to donate sperm, with no guarantee that the child conceived in the process would be HIV-free."

This is sooo scary to me. The leaders of these bills are also trying to over throw the constitutional amendment that 62 percent of voters passed in 2000 that states , "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." If you would like more information on this topic go to family.org and click on the social issues section.

Here is a letter I have personally written to the governor:
Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,
I am writing you to urge you to veto the seven bills that are opposed by the Focus on the Family Action. I am a mother of two young children and those bills will impact the education that my children receive in the future. Please take into consideration those of us who do not want our children to have these types of lifestyles to be part of their school education. Thank you in advance.

Mrs, Kimberly Estrada

Please join me in this political and spiritual battle by contacting the governor via email and phone calls. You can contact his office at (916) 445-2841. Select "7" to speak with a staffer. Tell them you want the governor to veto all seven of the bills opposed by Focus on the Family Action. If you call after hours, you can leave a message. You do not need to list the bills by number. Also you can email him at http://www.govmail.ca.gov/.

Brothers and Sisters it's time to take action!

Camping Outside

Monday was a great day for our family. We spent the day swimming in my parents refreshing pool and then we came home and set up the tent and camped outside. We had so much fun right in our own back yard. I love that we have a yard! Here are some pics

A Great Night

Tonight we had such a great evening.. We had carne asada burritos, ice cream sundaes, and a great time hanging out with our friends Tim and Natalie Nellis. We love the Nellis's and are grateful that we have friends like them who we can be Real with and not worry about being misjudged. We thank God for bringing them into our lives.

Happy Birthday!!!

Yesterday was my beautiful mother in laws birthday.. She is 59 years young.. she has 5 children and 12 grandchildren.. I think that is so neat.. Here are some pics from the birthday celebration..

Park Pictures

Recently we went to this awesome park in La Mirada. We had such a good time hanging out as a family and just enjoying the beautiful day. Matthew had a lot of fun exploring the new territory and making a new little friend.

Opinions vs. Fact

I heard a funny quote recently that said "everybody thinks their opinion is right because if they didn't they would get a new one." I thought the truth behind the quote was funny.

I really like hearing people's opinion when it's just their opinion. BUT when somebody's opinion all the sudden becomes presented as fact then I have a problem with it. Let's take the easy example of music... I love to hear what music people like and why.. especially when it involves worship music... BUT I don't like it when people start to make statements like" hyms are the best way to praise God".. Now if they personalized it and said for them it's the best way,then I have no problem with that but when people apply their opinion as a fact for everybody around them then I have a Big problem with that. This has happened to me on a variety of topics not just music.. My question is why do people have a need to push their opinion on others as if it were fact??

Sunday Mornings...

Sunday mornings are great for me and difficult all at the same time. They are great because I get to interact with other believers, meet new people, and connect with old friends. They are difficult because I have to get two young kids fed, changed, dressed and out the door all by myself.. oh yeah and not to mention get myself ready and fed as well. I usually have to nurse Rachel after I drop Matthew off at his class and therefore miss half the service (well i can't attend the service but I do catch it on t.v in the nursing room). I also have to leave the service early to pick up Matthew because if I don't I usually get stopped many times to and from picking him up so much that it literally can take up to an hour for me to leave.

Sooo with that said I know many people hardly get a glimpse of me on Sunday mornings and wonder where I'm hiding.. Well, I'm not hiding , I just don't have a typical Sunday morning.. If there was a message on pastor's wives that I could preach it would be this one....

Death by Ministry - Pastor's Wives / Mark Driscoll

What is he dreaming??

My dear sweet husband is sooo funny when he is awake but also when he is sleeping. He often talks in his sleeps, laughs in his sleep, and occasionally gives commentaries in his sleep. Last night for the first time he tickled me in his sleep... Well at least I thought he was. I came in from the bathroom around 3 am and layed down. All of the sudden Victor turned over and started tickling me. I sure was surprised and thought he was awake at first.. but then suddenly he snapped out of it and woke up wondering what was going on and why the heck i was jumping around. Wow.. that was crazy funny because he really was sleeping while he was tickling me. After he woke up and realized what happened he just laughed and went back to sleep. This morning I asked him what he was dreaming about (which he typically doesn't remember) and he laughed saying that he was dreaming about playing the guitar.. I laughed even more when i realized that he really wasn't tickling me but I was the guitar that he was playing in his sleep.

Accountability Time...

My husband Victor Estrada started this whole chunky chicano thing and is supposed to blog about it weekly. We started July 1st and so far I've only seen one update. So because I love you sweetheart and I know many have joined us I'm calling you out to post an update on how you are doing.. This is what accountability is all about.

Prayer Please!

Hey Blogger Buddies,
We are in need of some wisdom and prayer and maybe some advice if you've been in a similar situation. Our little Matthew was born with an "undecended testacle" and he is supposed to have surgery for it in a couple of weeks (Aug 31s to be exact). I have been praying about this for so long and his testacle has come down quite a bit since he was a newborn. I feel like I just want a little bit more time to see if it will resolve on it's own. I feel like waiting a little longer can't hurt. Please pray for us to have wisdom from the Lord and please comment if you or anybody you know has been in this situation. Thanks in advance!

Update #3

Ok, so I'm trying not to be a slacker on updating you guys on my progress. So here it is... I've done a little bit better on making myself go out for walks but I think i still can impove in that area. My eating habits havn't been the best the last couple of weeks as we've made small compromises here and there. I've noticed that the more I compromise on eating junk the easier it gets to do it the next time around. So yes, I do need to work on being more disiplined in that area as well. I still weigh the same as last time I updated. Hmmm. Hopefully I'll have a better update the next time around. How about the rest of you?

Wow!

So I didn't think Matthew and Rachel looked too much alike until I compared these two pictures. Wow.. I think my mind is changed now. What do you think?