Moment by Moment

Loooong Over Due Post.....He's Here!!!!

2010-05-06T10:55:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday, April 7th, I went to the Dr for my weekly check up. I was still dilated at 3 CM and thick. I hadn't been noticing very many contractions so the Dr decided to strip my membranes in hopes to kick start contractions. The 1st few hours after the Dr visit I could really feel a difference and was excited that things might start happening soon, but then the feelings stopped and I didn't know what to think.

When I left work on Friday, April 9th, I told my co-workers to say goodbye to my pregnant belly cause it wasn't going to be coming back. For the past week or so I had been predicting that he would be born the end of that week/weekend and I was convinced I wouldn't be returning to work Monday, April 12th.

About 6:30 PM Friday night I felt the first contraction....then about 10 minutes later, another one. The contractions continued to come every 10 minutes and I couldn't help but get excited. THIS WAS IT!!!!!! Soon I'd be meeting that squirmy little guy inside of me. Efren had been outside working on the yard w/ a buddy and it wasn't until about 9PM when I told him that I was actually having contractions and that they were 10 minutes apart.

I was able to sleep some throughout Friday night, but the contractions did keep me up a little. Efren's alarm went off about 5:30AM Saturday morning and the contractions were about 8 minutes apart. We were debating as to whether or not he should go to work. I told him to go ahead and go cause they're only 8 minutes apart and there would be plenty of time for me to notify him and get to the hospital. About 6 o'clock I noticed the contractions were about 6 minutes apart and they were a steady 6 minutes apart for about an hour. We then decided that Efren wouldn't go to work cause we were thinking this little guy would be here by the end of the day. I went ahead and called my parents to give them a heads up as I knew they had plans for the day. They decided to come on up to Tulsa and hang out at Jonathan & Emily's until we decided to go to the hospital.

That morning, Efren and I went for a walk around the neighborhood and played a couple games of Horse to help get things moving. However, by noon I had noticed that instead of getting closer, the contractions had actually gotten farther apart.....about every 8-10 minutes. Not only had they gotten farther apart, but they had also intensified. By mid-afternoon, I was frustrated, discouraged and to the point that I couldn't talk thru the contractions due to the intensity.

That evening, Emily kept texting me trying to convince me to call the Dr or go to the hospital, but I didn't want to. So, she finally decided to call Efren and was easily able to convince him that I needed to go to the hospital. My whole family was getting worried that I had been contracting for 24 hrs and was in pain and were afraid it might be dangering our little guy. So, around 7 o'clock or so we finally loaded up and headed to the hospital. As were getting in the Jeep, I told my husband I was going to cry if I hadn't dilated any.

Sure enough, when I got to the hospital, I was still 3 CM and thick. I couldn't believe it....and it frustrated me even more. All that contracting and for what? NOTHING!!!! My parents had decided that they couldn't hold off any longer to see me so they came up to the hospital and walked the floor w/ me and prayed w/ me. After about 2 hrs, the nurse checked me again and there was VERY LITTLE progress so I was sent home. The nurse gave me a sleeping pill in hopes that it would help me get some sleep, but it didn't do a whole lot....the contractions were to intense for sleep.

Around 3:30 Sunday morning, I woke up and the contractions were 3-5 minutes apart. I sat there breathing thru the contractions for about 3 hrs and then finally decided it was time to wake up my hubby and go to the hospital. When the nurse first checked me, I was at 4 CM and had thinned a little. Once again my parents were headed up to the hospital to sit w/ us and walk the floor w/ us. After a few hours the nurse checked me again and there wasn't a whole lot more progression and the Dr was really wanting to send me home. Thankfully the nurse could tell that I REALLY didn't want to go home and she was able to convince the Dr to let me stay. It was official....I wouldn't be leaving until our little guy was out!

I wasn't progressing fast enough for the Dr so it was decided that when he came and made his rounds that he would break my water. By that time I was totally exhausted and the nurse was suggesting that I get an epidural cause once he broke the water things would only intensify and she could tell that I was exhausted. So about 11 AM or so they came and gave me an epidural and right afterwards the Dr came in and broke my water. My dad has decided that every man needs access to the drug used for an epidural. He couldn't get over the change that took place in me sooo quickly. I had gone from tired and exhausted to wide awake, full of enery.

After the Dr broke my water, the nurse kept coming in to check on me and I still wasn't progressing like they wanted me to, so they started giving me Pitocin. Every hour or so she kept coming in and uping the dose of Pitocin....things just weren't progressing and this little guy wasn't coming out fast enough for them....or for me :-).

FINALLY at about 5:20 PM, I felt the urge to push. The look on Efren's face was priceless when the nurse told him to hold my left leg while I pushed. He thought he was going to be able to stand up by me and miss seeing everything, but he was wrong. So as Efren and the nurse were counting and watching golf on TV, I was sitting there pushing as hard as I possibly could. By the time the Dr made it to my room, Alex's head was well on its way out. After a few more pushes, Alejandro Gonzalez was born at 5:48 PM weighing 7 lbs 13 oz and 20" long.

Thoughts on Month #9

2010-01-26T11:34:00.003-06:00

When my mom found out that I was expecting, she gave me a Bible Study called "Nine Months to a Miracle: Spiritual Preparation for moms-to-be". Well, today I started month #9...Delivery.....and the beginning of the chapter really hit home to the situation that I've been facing throughout my pregnancy.

I've been VERY blessed w/ a smooth pregnancy. The one part of my pregnancy that hasn't been smooth is my Dr situation. My official OB is Dr. Cox. I saw Dr. Cox for my 1st OB visit in September where she confirmed my pregnancy and we got our 1st look at our little guy. Then, right before my 2nd appt, I got a phone call that Dr. Cox is on bedrest and that I would be seeing a nurse practicioner. So, for every Dr appt since then, I've been seeing a NP and/or a fill-in Dr.

In December, I asked the NP who would be delivering our little guy if Dr. Cox wasn't back. She informed me that Dr Cox had already had her baby and that she would be back in February and therefore be able to deliver our baby. Then on Friday, I went in for my monthly check-up and I was informed that Dr. Cox wouldn't be back until March or April which makes it questionable as to whether or not she would be available for delivery. So, as of now, I don't know who will be delivering little Alex. It could be Dr Cox, perhaps Dr. Baldwin, or whoever is on call.

I'll be honest, not knowing who will deliver Alex hasn't really bothered me. The way I look at it, that little guy is going to come out no matter who's down there. But I must say, the 1st paragraph of month 9 in this book was quite comforting to think about:

" Two doctors will assist in the delivery of your new baby. One is your medical professional. The other is the One whom we know as the Great Physician."

I may not know which worldly Dr will be there at my delivery, but I know that the Great Physician WILL be there. The Great Physician who knows all and sees all. I know that when the time comes, HE will open the doors to allow the Dr that best fits my needs to be there. Therefore, I can rest in knowing that God is ultimately in control.

The second paragraph continues:

" What a comfort to understand that in addition to the hands of your doctor, God's gently, loving spiritual hands will guide your baby down the birth canal and into your world!"

Psalm 22:9-10- " You are He who took me out of the womb...I was cast upon You from birth. From my mother's womb You have been my God."

Psalm 71:6- "By you I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb."

Pregnancy is making me CRAZY!!!

2009-11-19T13:50:00.002-06:00

So things around the Gonzalez house have been quite entertaining recently cause you just never know what I'm going to blurt out in my sleep.

It all started a few weeks ago, I fell asleep on the couch while watching a Cavs game. All of a sudden I woke up, pointed at the wall, and started ranting about this HUGE spider that was climbing on our wall. Of course my hubby just looked at me like I was crazy. I insisted that there was indeed a spider on the wall...."don't you see it....it's climbing up the wall.....now it's going behind the tv....GET IT QUICK!!!!."

A few days later I fell asleep on the couch...yet again....while watching a Cavs game. This time I woke up..."Ohhh, that was a nasty fall". Once again, my husband looks at me like I'm crazy. My response...."Didn't you just see that nasty fall Lebron took? That looks like it had to hurt. Is he going to be okay?" Turns out Lebron wasn't even playing....the Cavs weren't even playing. Their game had ended and the 2nd game for the evening had started.

The next morning, the alarm went off and I rolled over to wake Efren. Only instead of saying "efren, time to get up" I said, "Dad, time to get up".

So, things calmed down for a little bit and I was starting to think maybe the crazy spells were over. Then Monday evening rolls around. Efren had gone over to his brother's to hang out for a while and I had opted to go to bed early. Efren comes home and starts to crawl into bed when I quickly stopped him and told him, "watch out....don't squish the food". Of course there was no food. The second I said it, I came to my senses and realized what I just did and was like, OH.....I did it again. I then laid in bed going over things in my head trying to convince myself that there was a reason for me to say what I said, but alas, I couldn't find a reasonable explanation.

My final story....for now....happened last night. Once again, I fell asleep on the couch watching the Cavs game. I woke up exlaiming, "look, that guy's photocopying his butt". I have absolutely NO IDEA where this came from. This was BY FAR the most random outcry that I've had as of yet. And once again, as soon as I said it, I realized what I had done.

So, other than the crazy outcries that I'm having, the pregnancy is going really well. I've been sooo fortunate in that I haven't experienced any morning sickness. For the most part I feel the same that I did before I was pregnant. I'm 19 weeks today and still can't believe I'm almost halfway thru the pregnancy. I can feel the baby move....in fact today it's been rather active and I feel like it's doing flips. I go back to the Dr on Monday where I hope we can get the official word as to whether or not Baby Gonzalez is a boy or a girl.

Another Ultrasound Pic

2009-09-19T08:51:00.002-05:00

I was going thru my goodie bag from the Dr this morning and found this 1 stray ultrasound pic. So, I wanted to share it w/ you all

Our Wiggle Worm!!!!!

2009-09-17T19:12:00.004-05:00

Holy cow....today's experience at the Dr's office was absolutely AMAZING!!!!!!!

I must confess, I was EXTREMELY nervous cause I halfway expected her to tell me I'm crazy....I'm not pregnant. I guess because of the fact I haven't had morning sickness, I couldn't help but doubt that I really was pregnant. But any doubt that I had before today, is now gone cause I've finally seen the proof. Take a look for yourself :-)

At first the baby was just laying, sleeping peacefully. So, the dr decided to give it a little poke to see if she could get it to move. Boy, did it ever start sqirming all over the place. Waving its arms, kicking its legs and even rolling over on the side as if to look at us. The Dr called it a wiggle worm. It was soo cool to be able to see it move like. Once she poked the little thing, it didn't stop moving.

It was definately a GREAT experience and I was soo glad that Efren was there to share w/ it. He was extremely amazed at how developed the baby was. He wasn't expecting to be able to see it's little arms, legs, hands and feet. We also got to hear the heart beat, but what I thought was even cooler was seeing the little flicker on the monitor of the baby's actual heart....totally amazing.

We're scheduled to go back October 22nd and I'll be 15 weeks at that visit.

Seeking Him: Struggling for Words

2009-08-13T08:37:00.002-05:00

Thought this could be a good reminder for all of us:

Struggling for Words

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: When our nation experiences a sudden crisis, what do most people do? Flip on the TV. We want the very latest information and analysis. But do you ever find that commentators and reporters struggle for words—especially when faced with severe shock or grief?

There’s nothing wrong with watching the news, but ultimately, it’s not the most reliable source of information.

In dark times, the Word of God gives light, understanding, and wisdom. That’s why we sometimes need to unplug, and open the Bible.

Scripture gives us perspective. It reminds us that God is our refuge. A present help in time of trouble. It gives us faith in times that are fearful. We’re reminded that we don’t have to fear even though “the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.”

Where do you go for true perspective? To the television, websites, or blogs? Or to the Word of God?

Weekend w/ the Family

2009-07-27T15:49:00.002-05:00

This weekend my parents came up for a visit. I was sooo excited to have them come as they were our first official houseguests to where they stayed over more than 1 night and I actually had to plan meals. I had soo much fun planning the menu for the weekend and getting to play hostess.

They arrived around noon on Friday and Efren and I took them to a local BBQ restaurant that we recently discovered called Wild Bill's BBQ. It sure was fun to see my dad's face when he whipped out his wallet to pay and I stopped him and handed the cashier the money. He definately wasn't expecting that.

For dinner, it was just me and my parents and I made some Chicken Enchiladas w/ chips, salsa and home made guacamole. The last time I can remember making these enchiladas was for Jonathan when he was still living at his 1st apartment...that seems like forever ago. I'm soo glad they popped into my head when I was creating my menu cause they're sooooo good. Here's a link to the recipe

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Chicken-Enchiladas-2

I must say, these enchiladas are no way AUTHENTIC....my husband gave me the hardest time about making these enchiladas and stating that he was ashamed that anything other than authentic Mexican food was coming out of our kitchen. However, he sure did like them when he finally got to try some :-)

For saturday breakfast I had planned on pancakes, eggs, sausage and bacon. However Efren and my dad indeeded up leaving at 5 o'clock that morning to go fishing so my mom and I just had a light breakfast and then worked on preparing some food for that evening/Sunday's lunch.

We met up w/ Efren's parents for lunch on saturday at a local Chinese buffet. My dad is such a people person and he doesn't let any language get in his way. It started off a little akward at first, but eventually they got a good conversation going and I think overall it went pretty well.

Jonathan, Emily and William came over for dinner Saturday night. Efren went all out in preparing a meal for them. For my dad and Jonathan he had filet mignon and lobster tail. For my mom, Emily and myself he had halibut and/or salmon. All of this was plated up (no family style serving is allowed w/ my husband) w/ rice, squash and asparagus. Each fish also had it's own sauce. It was a WONDERFUL meal and my family absolutely loved it. For dessert we had homemade brownies w/ ice cream.

Saturday evening I mixed up an egg casserole that I could pull out of the fridge and bake for breakfast the next morning. The recipe called for ham, but instead I used sausage. I had never made this recipe before, but I thought it turned out pretty well.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Overnight-Egg-Casserole-2

For lunch we went over to Jonathan and Emily's along w/ Jim & Karen Lindamood. Needless to say, w/ this group of people, the converstaion was very lively. Efren and I just sat back and listened and laughed. Jonathan had smoked about 15 lbs of brisket that was REALLY good and then I brough potato salad (which my mom made) and baked beans for the side dishes. Karen brough a delicious apple crips for dessert.

I sure was sad to see my parents leave that afternoon. It had been such a fun weekend and i had really enjoyed playing hostess. I can't wait til they come back up and we get to do it again. Efren is already talking about how next time he's going to have to come up w/ an even nicer meal than he had made on saturday.

Dancing Down the Aisle

2009-07-25T09:12:00.003-05:00

If you haven't seen this video yet....You really should take the time to watch it. It's really awesome.

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/2009/07/dancing_down_the_aisle.html

Bunwiches

2009-07-08T18:36:00.004-05:00

Bunwiches......they are definately a fond childhood memory. And for some reason, the last package of ground beef that we had in the fridge just screamed "BUNWICHES" so I made some this weekend. I can't remember the last time I had bunwiches, but boy did I enjoy those growing up. Overall, it's a pretty simple receip and I thought I'd share it w/ whoever out there see this :-).

Dough

1 c. milk

1 t. salt

2 t sugar

1 pkg yeast

1/2 c. warm water

4 c. flour (i used half all-purpose and half whole wheat flour)

Filling

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

3 T chopped onion

1 T oil

1 1/2 t salt

1/8 t pepper

small can tomato sauce (I used 10 oz of spaghetti sauce)

1 1/2 c. grated cabbage

Scald milk, stir in salt and sugar; cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir lukewarm milk mixture into yeast. Add flour and mix well. Turn out on floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Place dough into greased bowl. Cover and let rise in warm pluace until doubled in size.

Meantime, brown hamburger and onion in oil. Pour or spoon off fat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Roll dough very thin on floured surface. Cut into 12- 6" squares. Divide beef mixture into 12 portions; place one portion in center of each dough square. Fold over; seal like a turnover. Place on lightly greased baking sheets. Let rise in warm place for 25 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

I wasn't planning on using any whole wheat flour in my dough, but it turns out I only had 2 c. of all-purpose flour so I used whole wheat for the additional 2 c. I was a little hesitant about it, but they actually turned out really nice.

Here's a pic of the finished product

Through the Eyes of a Child

2009-06-02T11:01:00.002-05:00

I thought this was sooo cute and just had to share it. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did:

A child was asked to write a book report on the entire Bible. Tis is amazing and brought tears of laughter to my eyes. I wonder how often we take for granted that children understand what we are teaching???

Through the eyes of a child:

The Children 's Bible in a Nutshell
In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that.

Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.

Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve . Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one badapple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden.....Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain , who hated his brother as long as he was Abel .

Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except forMethuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah , who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham , Isaac , and Jacob . Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau , because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses , whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.

God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses ' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David . He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore.

There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Democrats.

Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount.

But the Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus . He just washed his hands instead.

Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

The Saga of William Joshua

2009-05-31T18:19:00.003-05:00

About 5 o'clock Friday morning, I received a phone call from Jonathan that Emily's water had broke and they were on the way to the hopsital. It was BABY TIME!!!!! So, I rushed up and got ready and about 6 o'clock I called Jonathan to tell him I was on the way. That's when he told me to hold up cause it could be a false alarm. I decided to go into work early just incase he came later that day. As I was driving to work, about 7:15, Jonathan called and told me that they were sent home. Apparently, what Emily experienced was a pre-labor discharge. The good news was that she had now dilated to a 3.

Later that morning, about 9:45, I received a phone call from Jonathan that they were on the way to the hospital again. The contractions were 1 1/2 minutes apart and apparetly Emily was already in a lot of pain. I arrived at the hosptial about 10:30 and the long wait in the hospital chairs began.

About 11:45, Emily's water finally broke and shortly after, my parents arrived......I was relieved to finally have someone to talk to and not be sitting by myself.

At 1:49PM I received a text from Jonathan that the contractions were on top of each other w/ no rest in between.

At 4:55 PM I received a text from Jonathan that it shouldn't be much longer as she was almost to a 10

Finally at 7:24 PM we receive THE text message...."HE'S HERE".

Accoring to Emily, the actual labor part went pretty smoothly and she was dilating to the next level about every hour. The hard part was the pushing. Emily started pushing about 5:20 PM. However, it turns out that her tailbone curves up making a little hook and poor William got caught up and couldn't get his head past it. In addition, his little head was turned sideways which also made thing more difficult. The doctor and all the nurses were starting to get worried. Apparently the dr has a strict rule where the mom can push for 2 hours but after that, they do a C-section. Fortunately, William arrived just in the nick of time, right at the 2 hr mark.

I think the very 1st thing Emily told me when I finally got to see hear about 10 PM that night was to get an epideral whenever it was my turn as she had opted not to get one. However, we all feel that God was really looking out for her when she opted not to get an epideral cause the pushing was already EXTREMELY difficult and if she would have had an epideral, it probaly would have made it even harder since she wouldn't have been able to feel the need to push.

It was a late night for all. I think around 9PM they finally moved William into the nursery to where we could see the 1st glimpse of him. Then around 10PM they were ready to move Emily into her new room and we were able to see her for a few minutes.

At last, our little William is here

More Pics!!!!!!

2009-05-30T15:14:00.003-05:00

He's Here!!!!

2009-05-29T22:59:00.002-05:00

William Joshua Watts has finally arrived. He arrived somewhere around 7:30 PM tonight and he weighs 7 lbs 6 oz. It has been a long, exhausting day for all, but especially for momma and daddy. Emily didn't get moved into her new room until 10:00 PM tonight so we haven't seen much of her or baby yet. I'll try to post more later, but for now, here's a pic of little William

Nancy Leigh DeMoss Two-day Sale

2009-04-29T14:21:00.003-05:00

If you’ve been thinking about stocking up on some of Nancy’s books, now is the perfect time! Revive Our Hearts is having a special sale with 40% off of every book by Nancy in our store.

This special sale will last for two days only—April 30 and May 1—so be sure to mark your calendars. You won’t want to miss this limited time offer to get Nancy’s books at a never-before-offered discount.

Whether you’re looking for a Mother’s Day* gift for that special woman in your life or would just like something for yourself, our two-day sale is the perfect way to get meaningful resources—at an affordable price.

Check it out here: http://store.reviveourhearts.com/nancyleighdemoss.aspx

Chicken Florentine Soup

2009-04-19T18:16:00.003-05:00

So I thought I'd share a recipe for the soup concoction that I made tonight. I had a bag of fresh spinach and carton of sliced mushrooms that I wanted to get used up. I knew I had some chicken breasts in the freezer and decided to make a soup. I love soups AND it's a great way to clean our your refrigerator and/or pantry.

So, here's what I came up:

4 chicken breasts
3 qts of water (approximately)
1-2 Tbsp chicken base
1 bag fresh spinach
1 carton sliced mushrooms
1 can sweet corn
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 c. rice
2 Tbsp pesto
salt & pepper

1. I started by boiling my chicken in a small pot until done and then I diced the chicken.

2. In a large stock pot, I added the water and chicken base and cooked until dissolved.

3. To that, I added the spinach, corn, mushrooms, stewed tomatoes and chicken (I didn't drain the corn or tomatoes)

4. Then add about 2 T of pesto salt and pepepr to taste

5. Add the rice and cook the soup until the rice is done.

I think the main thing I would do different next time is chop the spinach some before adding it. Also, I didn't check my can of tomatoes before I added them, and they were tomato halves. Other than that, it had great flavor.

Before I went to culinary school, I couldn't even imagine making anything w/out a recipe. But now, it's one of my favorite things to do....especially w/ soups.

The Tile is complete!!!

2009-04-06T17:45:00.005-05:00

Well, Saturday morning my father-in-law came over and finished the grout work for the bathroom tile. Then Sunday he installed our new toilet. I'm very pleased w/ the outcome and am looking forward to when we'll be able to complete the master bathroom.

Here's the finished product:

Eventually I'd like to stain the cabinets/ vanity a different color brown and possibly get a new vanity top. But for now, this is already a big improvement from the carpet that was previously in there.

Our next project was going to be tile and new toilet in the master bathroom, but I'm not sure when we're going to get to that. We've been having issues w/ leaking in our master bathroom and we finally got confirmation today that the leaking is from the shower pan. The seller had told us up front that the shower pan was broken so we had it in our contract that she would would fix it before closing. Apparently whatever company she used didn't fix it properly. We've notified our realtor and he's on the case. Lord willing, they'll be able to get everything resolved to where we won't be out any money.

Saturday I started work on the front flower bed. I'm real excited about having flower beds although I'm absolutely clueless and have NO IDEA what I want to do. All I know is before I can plant anything, I've got to get the bed cleaned up and ready to go. I decided the best way to do that is to totally start from scratch and take everything out. Here's a pic of the garden bed (after the work that I did on Saturday. I didn't think to take a before picture)

Here's a view of the part of the flower bed that runs directly infront of the house. I haven't even touched this part of the flower bed yet.

Here's a picture of the part of the bed that runs along the sidewalk. I started w/ this section of the flower bed. You can see some holes in the dirt from where I pulled up some of the greenery right next to the walkway. The whole area was covered with rocks which was on top of one of those special tarps that helps to keep weeds from going up. However, it must have been there a long time cause there were plenty of weeds springing up. I pulled up all of the tarps which helped get rid of alot of the weeds. I'm wanting to finish digging up everything that she had planted as well as pick up all the rocks and then move on to the other section of the flower bed.

In the rocky area of the flower bed, the seller had these 2 pots. Not sure what she had in them, but whatever it is, they're gone now. For now they're just chillin' out on the walkway waiting for me to decide where and what I'm going to do w/ them.

So, I definately have a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG ways to go and who knows if I'll even get anything planted this year. If you have any suggestions/ideas of what I should do w/ this space, PLEASE SHARE!!!! I have no idea if I have a green thumb and am kinda thinking I don't.....but I'm definately willing to give it a try.

Once I get the front flower bed complete, then I can start thinking about what I want to do in the back flower bed area....if anything :-)

Wall Art

2009-03-31T09:11:00.002-05:00

So I'm real excited about THIS post by How About Orange... I've been trying to come up w/ some type of wall art for our living room that would also be an easy way to incorporate colors into the room. Our living room is very open and spacious and right now is overwhelmed w/ brown and natural colors w/ lots of wall space. So, I was excited when I saw this post and was even MORE excited when I saw the 3rd idea....making from Ceiling Rosettes/Medallions

This should be a rather inexpensive decor and it'd be a great way to incorporate the colors that I want in our living room. I checked it out and Ace Hardware carries ceiling medallions along w/ Lowe's. I couldn't find any online at Home Depot but perhaps if I went to the store they'd have some.

Anyways, I'm really excited about this cool idea and thought I'd share it. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas (especially on where to get ceiling medallions locally) please share

Busy....but fun.....Weekend

2009-03-29T18:37:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a fun, productive, and busy weekend. Efren was off yesterday so we got to enjoy the snow together.

We left the house at about 11AM to go buy a new toilet for our guest bathroom. The roads weren't to bad so we thought it'd be okay to venture out. I'd say we were in Home Depot for all of 30 minutes and by the time we got out, the snow had majorly picked up and the roads were horrible. It was a fun adventure getting home...but at least we had our toilet.

When Efren talked to his dad, he suggested that we wait to install the toilet until we laid the new flooring in the bathroom. So, about 6PM or so last night, the roads had majorly cleared up and we opted to venture out to Lowes. I have to say that Broken Arrow is AWESOME w/ cleaning up the streets. On the way to Lowes we had 2 snow trucks in front of us and 1 behind us. This was a huge difference from driving around in Tulsa

Our initial plan for the flooring was to buy the vinyl flooring stuff where you just pull the back off and then stick 'em on the floor because we thought it'd be cheaper than tile. However, I couldn't find any of the vinyl flooring that I liked and asked Efren if we could at least go look at the tile and see how much more expensive it would be. The majority of the tile was definately a lot more expensive, but I was very excited to find some that I liked for $0.98/tile which was only $0.10 more than the vinyl stuff. So, for about $50 we were able to get the tile, the grey stuff you use to place the tile, (don't you just love my terminology) and the grout. We were both very pleased and very excited cause the tile will look SOOOO much better.

Since church was cancelled this morning, my in-laws came over so my father-in-law could help Efren lay the tile. They were able to get the tile laid this morning and then later this week they'll put the grout in and install the new toilet.

While the guys were working on the bathroom, my mother-in-law was dusting for me and I was making a new recipe that I'm experimenting w/ for Emily's baby shower.

I got the idea from a new blog that I recently discovered called bakerella. One of the themes for Emily's shower is balloons so I thought this would be a cute idea for one of the desserts cause in a way they look like balloons. I decided to try them out this weekend and see how they'd work. Overall, they turned out pretty good. I'm glad I did a practice run so I know how to better make them for the actual shower.

I'm really getting excited about Emily's shower cause I'm getting to do quite a few new things that I've never done. Hopefully it'll all turn out for the party :-)

At some point during the morning, my parents also came over. They had planned to come up for the weekend to help Jonathan and Emily w/ some stuff at their house and of course we all expected to get together at some point for a meal and family time together. I woke up Saturday morning fully expecting them to say that they weren't coming, and was quite surprised when I called and they informed me that they didn't have hardly any snow and were well on their way to Tulsa. At that time, we already had a decent covering of snow on the ground. As we were talking, they were getting close to Sapulpa and they said it was starting to rain/snow so they were just getting ready to drive into the mess. Fortunately they made it safely to my brother's house, although my dad did say there were some scary moments. Needless to say, we didn't get to see them on saturday, but perhaps it was for the best cause they were able to get a lot done at Jonathan and Emily's and had a great visit.I'm just glad that the roads cleared up so that they were able to stop by this morning on their way back to OKC.

Chicken, Mushroom and Polenta Lasagna

2009-03-29T17:55:00.000-05:00

So, I'm REALLY excited about this new recipe because it uses polenta. If you're like me, you grew up on potatoes, rice and pasta for starches. But when I went to culinary school I was introduced to a whole new world of starches and polenta was one of them. The possibilities w/ polenta are numerous which is what makes it soo fun to work with.

As I'm sure you've started to discover, it's hard for me to make a recipe w/out making some additions/changes. So, I'm going to give you the original recipe and then write my changes in red. This way you have the option as to how you want to make it. I will start off by saying that the recipe starts w/ you making your own marinara sauce, however, I opted to use a 2 lb. 13 oz container of store bought spaghetti sauce.

Ingredients:

6 large tomatoes, diced (omited)
6 large tomatoes, pureed (omited)
6 cloves garlic, minced (omited)
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil (omited)
1/4 c. chopped fresh oregano (omited)
2 T honey (omited)

salt and pepper to taste
10 cremini mushrooms, sliced (I used a carton of regular sliced mushrooms)
1/4 large onion, finely chopped
2 T olive oil
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
2 (16oz) tubes polenta, cut into 1/4" thick slices (I made my own polenta)

4 oz pesto sauce
1 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a saucepan, combine diced tomatoes, pureed tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, honey, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 45 minutes, allowing to thicken. Stir in mushrooms and onions. Cook for 15 minutes. (my version: sweat onions and mushrooms in saucepan over low heat...about 2-3 minutes. Open pre-bought spaghetti sauce and pour over onions and mushrooms. Bring to a boil)

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and partially cook the chicken on all sides until no longer pink on the outside. remove and set aside. In the same skillet, sear the polenta pieces in the remaining olive oil until the outsides are crispy. (I did add some poultry season to my chicken to give it some extra flavor)

Cover the bottom of a casserole dish w/ half of the polenta slices. Thinly spread about half of the pesto over the polenta. Then cover the polent w/ 1/2 of chicken, 1/2 tomato sauce and 1/2 of cheese. Repeat the layering of polenta, pesto, chicken and sauce

Bake in Preheated over for 25 minutes. Remove and top w/ the remaining mozzarella cheese. Return to oven, uncovered, until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Like I mentioned above, I made my own polenta for this recipe. What's cool about making your own, is that you can make it any flavor that you want. For this recipe, I made a spinach, mozzarella, garlic polenta and this is how I made it:

3 c. chicken stock

1 c. cornmeal

1 bag of spinach

1 T minced garlic

1/4 c. shredded mozzarella

Bring chicken stock to a boil, then slowly stir in cornmeal and stir constantly until it comes to a boil.

While waiting on your chicken stock to boil, cook spinach in saute pan w/ garlic.

Once spinach has cooked and polenta is boiling, add spinach mixture and cheese to the polenta.

Pour the polenta on a greased cooking sheet and spread into a rectanble about 1/4" thick. Place in refrigerator for a few hours to let it set. Once set, cut polenta into 12 squares. I used 6 squares per layer.

Making polenta really isn't that difficult and the pros to making your own polenta is that you can make it any flavored you want to. I've never used the store bought stuff and quite honestly didn't even know they sold pre-made polenta until I saw this recipe. My mom said she's seen it on the aisle w/ all the pasta fixins.

Southwest Chicken & Brown Rice

2009-03-22T14:03:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm still trying to recover from the huge fiesta we had at our house last night/this morning so I've opted NOT to cook anything today. Fortunately we still have some hamburger patties and hot dogs left over that I can eat on during the week.

However, I've had a lot of positive feedback about me posting recipes and thought I'd go ahead and post one of Efren's favorite recipes.

3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 t each of ground cumin & chili powder
1/2 t salt
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, sliced & separated into rings
1 jalapeno
1 garlic clove, minced
8 oz canned diced tomatoes w/ green chilis
1/3 c. salsa, picante sauce or 1/4 c. water
1 c. quick cooking brown rice
8 oz. black beans, drained & rinsed
1/4 c. shredded monterey jack cheese

Sprinkle chicken w/ cumin, chili powder and salt. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir til no longer pink. Add onion, jalapeno & garlic; cook & stir 2 mins.

Drain tomatoes, reserving liquid. Coarsely chop tomatoes & set aside. Add water to reserved liquid to make 3/4 c. Add liquid and picante sauce to skillet; bring to a boil.

Stir in rice; reduce heat. Cover tightly & simmer 5 min. Stir in beans & chopped tomatoes. Remove from heat. Let stand covered about 5 min. til liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle w/ cheese.

This version tends to be a tad bit on the spicy side since we both like spicy foods. So, if this is too spicy, trying omitting the jalapeno or using diced tomatoes w/ out the chilis.

Skillet-Style Lasagna

2009-03-15T21:09:00.000-05:00

This week's recipe, Skillet-Style Lasagna (my version)

8 oz ground ground beef (recipe calls for turkey sausage)
1/2 c. chopped onions
2 c. spaghetti sauce
1 c. water*
2 c penne pasta (recipe calls for wide noodles)
10 oz frozen spinach ( recipe calls for 1 1/2 c. chopped zucchini)
2 T grated parmesan
1 T. fresh parsley
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

In large skillet, cook beef and onion until beef is browned. Drain off fat. Stir in spaghetti sauce and the water. Bring to a boil. Stir in uncooked pasta and spinach. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 12 mintues or until pasta is tender; stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and parsley.

Drop cheese mixture into 6 mounds over the beef-pasta mixture in the skillet. Sprinkle mounds w/ mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook on low het for 4-5 mintues or until cheese mixture is heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

*I found that I had to use another cup or so of water since I was using penne pasta instead of wide noodles.

Party Beef Casserole

2009-03-10T19:23:00.000-05:00

Now that I have a house w/ a kitchen that actually has counterspace, I'm inspired to cook. However, w/ my husband working nights, I don't need to make a meal for everyday. So, what I've decided to do is every Sunday, I'll prepare a big casserole or some type of dish that I can eat on throughout the week. And if my husband wants, he can eat it for lunches although he's not a leftover guy.

This week I made a Party Beef Casserole recipe that I originally got from my mom. However, everytime I make it, I seem to change the recipe a little. Here's what I did this time

3 T. flour
1 t. salt
1/2 t pepper
2 lb. round steak, cubed
2 T. cooking oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 c. water
1/2 c. beef broth
1/2 t dried thyme
1/4 t dried rosemary
2 c. sliecd mushrooms (I use canned)
2 c. frozen peas
1 can of corn
3 c. mashed potatoes
cheddar cheese, grated

In large resealable bag, combine flour, salt and pepper; add beef cubes and shake to coat.

In skillet, brown beef in oil. Add onion and cook 3-5 more minutes til onions are done. Place beef & drippings in a greased shallow 2 1/2 qt dish.

To skillet, add water, broth, thyme and rosemary and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms. Pour over meat and mix well.

Cover and bake 350 for 1 1/2- 1 3/4 hrs or until beef is tender.

Sprinkle peas and corn over meat. Spread potatoes evenly over top. Sprink cheddar cheese on top.

Bake 15-20 minutes.

ENJOY!!!!!

New Address

2009-03-03T16:07:00.001-06:00

For those of you interested, here is our new address:

Efren & Adriel Gonzalez
132 W Jefferson St
Broken Arrow, OK 74011

New Opportunities

2009-03-02T21:39:00.000-06:00

One of the possibilities that my husband and I are excited about this year is the possibility of doing more caterings. The Saturday before we closed on our house, we prepared a 5-course meal for the SweetHeart Banquet at our chapel. I must admit that I was crazy insane for agreeing to do the banquet w/ our closing only a week away. However, it was an amazing experience that I am so thankful for.

I love that my husband and I both have a passion for cooking and that through the chapel we have the opportunity to minister to others w/ our skills. Not only can we use our skills for the Lord, but we're able to serve together which makes it even more awesome and exciting.

This year for the banquet, my husband and I decided that we really wanted to go all out and treat the couples at the chapel to a fine dining experience. We started off w/ just an appetizer, entree and dessert, but by the time my husband got done w/ it, we ended up having a full 5-course dinner. Together w/ the Erbs and the Benschs, the night turned out really nice and elegant.

We started off w/ a time of mingling and hors d'oeuvres

For the 1st Course, we served a Shrimp & Lobster Bisque

The 2nd Course was Pan Seared Duck w/ garlic mashed potatoes and a soy-pineapple emulsion.

The 3rd course was an "Intermezzo" course which is used to cleanse the palate. For this course Efren made a blood orange-lemon sorbet that was really good. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures.

The 4th course was an airline chicken breast w/ parmesean spinach risotto and asparagus

For the last course, we served cream puffs w/ chocolate covered strawberries.

The exciting part is that it looks like we might have booked our 1st catering gig. Lord willing, if all works out we'll be catering the reception for Chris Erb's wedding in September. It'll be exciting to see what comes from this new opportunity and what doors will be opened.

The Big Move

2009-03-02T21:28:00.000-06:00

Well, the Lord was sooo good and allowed us to close on our house late Friday afternoon. It got a little scary as to whether or not we'd close, but God is faithful. Our loan officer informed us right before the closing that we were the next to last loan that was processed that day. I was soo thankful that we made the cut off seeing all of our belongings were already loaded up on the truck, plus if we didn't close on Friday, we would have lost our interest rate.

It still seems sooo unreal to think that this house is ours. I keep thinking that we're on vacation and eventually have to go back to that little apt....but we don't!!!!!

It was soo amazing to watch and see how the Lord provided us w/ this house and continued to provide throughout the whole process. The seller was absolutely wonderful and went far beyond her responsibilities and made our 1st time home buying process an enjoyable experience. In addition, we were able to get this house at such a great price that we walked into the situation w/ a bunch of equity already in the house.

My parents came up Saturday and Sunday to help w/ the house and it was so fun to watch my dad. You could see the excitment and joy in his face as he and Efren worked on things around the house and talked about future plans for the house. While the guys were off doing there part, my mom and I were hard at work trying to get the kitchen in place. We still have some boxes in the garage, but for the most part we're situated in our new home and excited about the new chapter in our life.

It's been fun watching my husband and listening to him make plans. He's already plannning his garden, bought fertilizer for the yard and is talking about planting peach trees. And I kid you not we weren't in the house one whole day before he started dropping the "b-a-b-y" word. Don't get me wrong, I'm not at all against having a baby and most definately want a child in the not so distant future, but I definately want to give us plenty of time to get situated in our house before we make that big leap of faith.

It'll be exciting to see what the Lord has for us w/ the new year and in our new house.

Busy, Busy

2009-02-06T13:09:00.000-06:00

So, I've gotten really behind w/ my blogging about the women's Bible study at the chapel. I guess I've just been soo distracted and over-whelmed w/ work and......THE HOUSE. I can't believe how much God has blessed us this time around w/ the house search. I always knew that when God closed the door to the house we tried to buy last summer, that it meant He had something better for us.....I just never could of imagined how much better it would be.

Overall, it's been a very smooth process. We put an offer in on the 24th and w/in 3 hrs we heard back from the seller. Apparently they were in the process of negotiating w/ another contract when we swooped in with our offer. The listing agent said that if we would have waited 15 more minutes, the other deal would have been signed.

The following week we the inspections and overall the report was really good. There was a slight foundation issue, but for the house being 23 years old, it was very minimal. The really cool thing is that the house is built on sand and the inspector said that basically whatever movement there's been in the past 23 years and really all there will be. Such a huge relief and a huge answer to prayers.

Yesterday we officially heard back from the seller and she has agreed to fix all of the repairs we requested which is well above what she is legally required to do. She had made the comment at the inspection that she was giving away everything that was in her house so we've talked to our realtor to see if she'd leave us the fridge, washer/dryer and possibly a bed.

Right now we're currently watching the interest rates closely before we lock in our rate. If we wait to lock in until the 13th, we'll only have a 15 day lock which will lower our interest rate. As of today, the interest rate was 5.5% which is down from yesterday's 5.625%. So, yeah, something we're definately praying about. At the beginning of January when we first got approved for a loan, interest rates were at 5%. We'd really like to see them get closer to 5% or else we might end up buying a point.

As of now we're still looking good to close on February 27th.....My Birthday!!!!!!

Oh me of little faith

2008-12-30T20:20:00.000-06:00

In December, our study was on The Mind. As part of our text, we studied Proverbs 31: 16:

"She considers a field and buys it;

From her profits she plants a vineyard"

This verse became quite convicting as we started relating it to modern times. The question was asked....who prays before they go grocery shopping? I would never think to pray before going grocery shopping. In my mind, prices are what they are & what can I do about it. I can doing nothing about it....but there's plenty that HE can do. What about gas prices? Here we had this huge road trip planned to go to Mexico....a 24 hr drive one way & gas prices were almost $4/gal. What could I do....nothing. What could HE do......lower the prices to as low as $1.39/gal right before we left. What a blessing!!!!

As I've been considering this issue of prayer, I've been convicted of all the little things that I fail to pray about whether it's because I don't think to pray about it or because I feel like it's totally out of my control and it is what it is. Oh me of little faith.

May we all be reminded to "pray without ceasing" no matter how big, how small, or how impossible it seems.

Obedience vs Submission

2008-12-30T20:15:00.001-06:00

In our November study, the question was asked....

"How does obedience differ from submission?"

I was intrigued by this question & desired to look more into it, but w/ the holidays & our trip to Mexico, I never got around to it. However, I did come across this website that discusses this issue & I thought I'd share it with you.

http://www.rfugate.org/tosotg_3.htm

Proverbs 7

2008-10-27T13:34:00.000-05:00

We are all sooo familiar w/ the Proverbs 31 woman, but I wonder how many of us are familiar w/ the Proverbs 7 woman. I, for one, was not aware of such a detailed example of what we are not to be. What an amazing contrast between these 2 women.

"And there a woman met him, with the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart." Proverbs 7:10

"Strength and honor are her clothing;

She shall rejoice in time to come." Proverbs 31: 25

"She was loud and rebllious,

her feet would not stay at home" Proverbs 7:11

"She opens her mouth with wisdom;

and on her tonue is the law of kindness" Proverbs 31: 26

"at times she was outside, at times in the open square. Lurking at every corner" Proverbs 7:12

"She watches over the ways of her household;

And does not eat the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27

"With her enticing speech she caused him to yield;

with her flattering lips she seduced him." Proverbs 7:21

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tonue

is the law of kindness." Proverbs 31:26

"Till an arrow struck his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare,

he did not know it would cost his life." Proverbs 7:23

"she does him good and not evil all the days of her life"

Proverbs 31:12

"Now therefore, listen to me, my children; pay attention to the words of my mouth. Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths." Proverbs 7:24-25

"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:10

"Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all." Proverbs 31:29

"Her house is the way to hell; descending to the chambers of death." Proverbs 7:27

"Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband

also, and he praises her." Proverbs 31:28

From Ann Reese

2008-10-27T12:35:00.000-05:00

So, the 19th should of been our last women's Bible study, but due to the chapel conference, we obviously didn't have Bible study. However, i thought it was really neat how in the breakout sessions, Ann Reese was discussing Proverbs 31. Unfortunately, since my husband and I were 2 out of the 3 cooks for the weekend, I only got to sit in on 1 breakout session. Anyways, I thought I'd go ahead & create a blog based on the handouts that my mom was so thoughtful to pick up for me.

This first handout I thought goes really well w/ my first posting about a foolish woman:

Only A Minute.....But Eternity is in IT

"See then that ye walk circumspectly (accurately, carefully)

not as fools (those who take on a recklass approach),

but as wise (believers endowed with spiritual and practical wisdom),

Redeeming (making the most of every opportunity)

the time, because the days are evil.

Wherefor be ye not unwise (reckless, inconsiderate)

but understanding what the will of the Lord is."

Ephesians 5:15-17

Every day we have a choice to make about how we will spend that day. If we choose to build on the shifting sands of undisciplined living or if we build our lives on the sandy philosophies of this world, we will one day wake up to see the tide wash away our little sand castle. We must determine, with God's help, to choose to build our lives on the solid bedrock of God-honoring principles that will withstand the crashing waves of time and trials. When the storms of life subside and the waves calm, then, by God's grace, there will stand a life that will bring glory to Him.

Here are some Biblical examples that she shared:

Biblical Examples of Women Who have left us with a Godly Legacy

Rahab....Joshua 2:1, 3, 6, 17-24; Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25- Rahab teaches us that God can forgive & change a life
Naomi...Book of Ruth- Naomi teaches us that God can be trusted
Ruth....Book of Ruth- Ruth teaches us that it is possible to be a virtuous woman without a husband or children or money.
Esther....Book of Esther- Esther teaches us that God has a wonderful plan for each of our lives and that He reveals that plan as we walk in obedience to Him
Priscilla...Romans 16:3-5; Acts 18:1-3, 18-19, 24-26; 1 Cor. 16:19- Priscilla encourages us to be a helpmate to our husband.

Biblical Examples of Women whose Legacy to US is a Solemn Warning

Miriam...Numbers 12:1-15, Gal 5:15, 1 Cor. 5:6- Miriam teaches us that criticism is destructive and has a far reaching effect
Rebekah...Gen. 24-27- Rebekah teaches us that peace of mind has a price tag. It cannot be bought with deceit, or favoritism or lack of submission to one's husband.
Bathsheba...2 Samuel 11-12- Bathsheba teaches us how destructive immorality can be.
Euodias & Syntyche...Philippians 4:2- Euodia and Syntyche teach that discord (an argumentative tongue and spirit) is disruptive and can affect the whole Assembly

In Everything

2008-10-05T19:14:00.001-05:00

So tonight was another inspiring lesson from Proverbs 31. This weeks lesson was on marriage & was inspired by verses 11,12 & 23:

"The heart of her husband safely trusts in her;

so he will have no lack of gain.

She does him good and not evil all the days of his life.

Her husband is known in the gates,

when he sits among the elders of the land."

In this lesson, we looked at the characteristics of a Christian woman based on the scriptures. The passage that really jumped out at me was Eph. 5:22-24, 33:

"Wives, submit to your own husbands,

as to the Lord.

For the husband is head of the wife,as also Christ is head of the church;

and He is the Savior of the body.

Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ,

so let the wives be to their own husbands

IN EVERYTHING.

Nevertheless let each of you in particular so love his own wife

as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."

What jumped out at me in this passage was the phrase "in everything". As women, we are to be submissive to our husbands in everything & not only in the areas that we feel like being submissive in. Not only is it important for us to be submissive to our husbands, but I think it's important for us to be submissive & supportive even when we think the decision he's making is not the best decision....as long as it's not detrimental. By submitting to our husband, the head of our household, we show him the upmost respect & it can be a growing lesson for him & a lesson in trust for us.

I tend to struggle w/ this issue when it comes to finances. I'm 5 years older than my husband & I've been on my own & out of my parents house for over 6 yrs. I understand the importance of budgeting & having to say "no" to something I want or else I won't have the money for the bill that's coming in next week. However, my husband, up until the day of our wedding, had lived at home w/ his parents & doesn't have the financial/budgeting experiences that I have. So many times, It's easy for me to overstep his authority & tell him what we're going to do instead of giving him my thoughts & then letting him make the final decision. I realize that I need to start allowing him to make the final decision, step aside, & trust God. If I keep telling him what we're going to do, how is he ever going to learn to step up as the financial leader of our household?

Today's lesson reminded me of some things that I've found at ReviveOurHearts.com that I thought I'd share.

31 Days of Praying for Your Husband

http://www.reviveourhearts.com/pdf/uploads/31DaysofPrayingforYourHusband.pdf

30 Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives

http://www.reviveourhearts.com/pdf/30DayChallenge.pdf

The Foolish Woman

2008-09-28T19:46:00.000-05:00

The Women's Bible Study at ETBC started up last week & the topic this year is Proverbs 31. I had no idea that it would be such a life changing experience in such a short time.

For our study, we studied several verses in Proverbs that had to deal w/ different types of women. One of the verses we read was Proverbs 14:1, "The wise woman builds her house. But the foolish pulls it down with her hands." At first glance, I didn't think this verse had much to say, until we started discussing it as a group.

We were discussing what it meant by "pulls it down with her hands". It was brought up that she probably wasn't literally pulling the house down w/ her hands but that it was more of a figure of speech. Perhaps she was "tearing down her house" by not being a good steward of her free time, having idle hands, not doing things that she should be doing in order to prepare for the future. That's when it hit me how much this verse DOES relate to me.

It struck me that I need to become more disciplined w/ my time. I tend to waste so much time every day instead of cleaning, getting things done, or more importantly, instead of spending time in God's Word. It's so easy for me to come home after a long day at work & the gym & zonk out in front of the tv & stay there for the rest of the night. I realized how important it is for me to become a good steward of my time & to develop a daily quiet time w/ God, NOW.

By changing my habits, it won't just affect me, but it could also have a huge impact on my husband. My husband is still a rather new believer. He's been saved for 3 years, but he came from a non-church going background & still hasn't grasped the importance of spending time on a daily basis w/ God & fellowshipping w/ other believers. I am ashamed to say that I have not been the best of examples. However, if I can turn my life around & truly change my habits & get into a daily routine, perhaps my excitement & my desire will rub off on him & he'll understand the importance & the joy that one gets out of a daily quiet time.

I am determined to use this verse to motivate & inspire me to change my daily habits. I'm going to get up early everyday to spend time in God's Word, I'm going to be more productive w/ my time at home in the evenings. Even if I just start w/ doing one chore a night & then work my way up. I no longer want to be a foolish woman, but a wise woman who builds her house.