Adoption

I finished reading this book by Russell Moore last month! It really helped to stir my mind and heart about adopting a baby or child Lord willing in the future! Jose had first mentioned the idea to me when we first began dating- and honestly it hadnt crossed my mind. Then slowly I began to see how adoption was such a huge demonstration of how God loves and raises me. I hope to explain more of this passion and growth in the highlights from thr book. I loved it and am prayerful to one day adopt!!!!

We were all once lost, now found. Once strangers, now children. Once slaves, now heirs. We are a part of a brand new family, new tribe and new story. You are being callled out by the One who has come to know you and our Spirit is calling out Abba Father! The gospel is this: that While we were still orphans, Christ became a substitute orphan for us. He took on the humiliation as a slave and the horror of death. In our place he hung on a tree as the sinless human. God lifted Jesus out of death, and gave him the universe as his inheritance. We are unable to grasp the home that is awaiting for us and how glorious and harmonious it is. Dont sell the inheritance for a mess of pottage. Do not get comfortable with this orphanage universe and be easily entertained to the point of losing sight of Christ . We have the need for a crucified Christ, we endure suffering because we know that it is only in his shed blood and pierced flesh that the universe will be restored. We are conformed to Christ image from our adoption.

What God calls a blessing, we often grumble at as a curse because it disrupts our life plans. This was convicting for me. Barrenness is part of the curse, but it is not condemnation for you. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! God delights in answering prayers, where our groaning is too deep for words. He intercedes for you and brings prayers into conformity with God's will for your Christ conformity. Be weary of becoming envious, bitter, or covetous. Instead of mistrusting God's goodness and being unable to rejoice with those who rejoice, seek repentance. Cling to Christ and your community. God doesnt often explain his providence to us, but He asks us to trust him to endure and to know he is silently working towards something joyous.

Anyway I will go into Joseph- Moore went into how Joseph adopting Jesus, protecting and providing for him. We too, are called to do that. Parenting requires sacrifice. when we welcome children from abusive homes, abortions, disappointing times we are announcing something about Jesus and his kingdom! Let us affirm life through Christ! We need to be prayerful to care for a child who is wounded or disabled before entering into parenthood. Families may be disapproving but gently love them and encourage them.

Finances. Risks. Limited Information. Interruptions. Setbacks. Paperwork. Expensive. Emotions. Note these, but do not be anxious, for God takes care of all.

Boy or girl, young or older, parents are to bring up the children in the instruction of the Lord and form the character and eternal destiny for them. Even if the kid seems less adoptable- we too were once hostile to God, yet he loved us. Through deeply wounded times and being traumatized, while we were weak, God died for the ungodly. Our new family is not based of the flesh or skin color, but a Spirit who blows invisibly where he wills, showing in less visible characteristics- peace, joy, love, righteousness, gentleness, kindness, self control.

it takes a village. pastors need to proclaim adoption in churches. Churches will then pray and look for others interests above their own. the church can preach the gospel and care for the vulnerable. we can encourage and equip the adoption of infants and children. we can provide funds and prayer support.

Laptopless

jose has been borrowing my laptop these last two weeks so i havent been able to update my blog with pictures of my week! we switched and hes letting me borrow his keyboard to bluetooth to the ipad so im writing this blog on my ipad now

Giving Thanks
-jose and i had dinner with my parents at yardhouse :) that was great!!!

-getting my hair colored again by the fab mae and being treated well at panera by the best sandwich maker- jose!

-vday was so awesome. loved loved being with my dear at eureka burger. we love a good burger and it was so nice to dress up and share our love.

-zumba with tita yollie and pamela was so fun!
-been able to exercise and hang with fiona a couple times!
-had suchi with marcelino and kim and we got to share stories and enjoy one another!

-went to disneyland with jose and he got to meet my first cousins from hawaii! em and her husband james :) caught up a little enjoyed that!!!

-went to the habit with ruby and pamela
-celebrated joses sisters allys graduation by going to bjs!
-enjoyed dinner, singing, and learning more about social justice with the city group
-celebrated sammie as we gave her lingerie!

-we read john 6 at church and I was encouraged to be a true disciple and to not compromise Christ or my faith! we also had some bomb food, convos, and heard some wonderful singing. i had such a freeing and encouraging time talking with frances and pj at their home. im attempting to memorize romans 8 as well this next month and a half! WOOOO!

Passion and Purity

This is my third book I've read this year but Im writing this blog entry before my other book for the valentine holiday. It was such a well written book by Elisabeth Elliot on how to to keep pure that is God honoring when you feel so passionately in love with someone not yet your spouse! I can definitely relate at the moment. I will take you through my favorite parts.

First of all what stuck out to me was how carefully I should have guarded my treasure and sanctity of my virginity. I so so wish I guarded that better throughout my life. So I first encourage you to not forfeit yours through the casualness of sex that our culture has breaded more so every day. Do not lose notions of fidelity, renunciation, and sacrifice. You and I can definitely have a conversation on that whenever. 

Bring your affections under the authority of Christ. God wants you holy. We cannot make up our own minds on what will give us happiness. that my desires are handed to my Master, knowing that the desires still exist and are definitely strong and natural, but are purified and corrected as I live in obedience and faith. Know that The Lord yearns for me to long for something better. Remember that god is not reluctant, that he is willing, and he will carry you through if you want to be carried through.

Purity means freedom from contamination, from anything that would spoil the taste or the pleasure, reduce the power, or in any way adulterated what the thing was meant to be. It means cleanness, clearness- no additives, nothing artificial - in other words, "all natural" in the sense in which the Original Designer designed it to be.

Always remember that men are SINNERS ALL of them. ALL OF US. It is possible to resist temptation. 

There is pleasure in doing things in the proper order. Understanding patient waiting. learning what to be silent about until we have talked them out thoroughly with god. In those moments god will hopefully bring peace when I am eagerly asking for it and when I am being silent to hear it. This is a big discipline I need to learn. I hardly have a filter so often my heart is just  out there. 

Pray that THY WILL BE DONE.

Prayer Days

I honestly suck on praying consistently and having these quiet times to speak with The Lord and trust him in my life. Specifically i will lift up what I'm praying for for Gods will to be done, knowing He hears and answers my prayers. So after meeting with my dear friend Hilary I am going to pray daily for specific people and things so that I will grow in my communion with God. I'll write it out here so I can visualize my week. Of course this list isn't restricting to just the list but simply a guideline for me:)

Sundays

Church. This first and foremost will be me praying for my church family. Crossview church. For the members and those regularly attending. For their needs, for the gospel to be piercing their souls to grow in sanctification and holiness, for them to make disciples and for us to spur one another on in the faith. It also includes other churches god puts on my heart to be praying for. For the gospel to be preached, heard, and lived out.

Mondays

Jose. I'm dating this guy, hoping to marry him. I will pray for him to be a man preparing himself to sacrificially love The Lord, his family, the church, and the world. I will pray he is consistently repenting of sin, and points others to our savior. That he is utterly dependent on god and not caught in pride or self reliance. That he is a guy with self control, patience, and dies to himself and selfishness. For us to build one another up in our faith and love for Christ and others.

Tuesdays

Family. For immediate and extended. For them to hear thr gospel and to receive Christ as their savior. For them to leave their traditions and pride, and to fall in love with Christ as their supreme love. I pray for softened hearts, and for them to have a saving faith that desires to makes disciples. For them to deny all they know and worldliness to know Christ truly, fully, and treasure Him above all. Oh how my heart would rejoice if that would be Your will God.

Wednesdays

Myself. For me to stop depending on my ways, my wisdom, my control. For me To stop depending on my accomplishments, or how many people like me, or how I come off to others. For my soul to love The Lord with all I have, to worship him in every moment, to cling to Christ as my strength and come boldly to the throne. To be a girl of repentance, gentle, loving, encouraging words. To love others and to be an example of loveliness and holiness. And in all circumstances, praise god for he is lord and sovereign in my life. To thank god daily for his mercy and saving grace.

Thursdays

Missionaries. For them to be faithfully spreading the gospel in all nations and especially those nations that are not much travelled to. For them to endure all trials and trust god because of his grace. To not be weary of struggles and persecution, but persevere! To make disciples and watch them grow into disciples themselves. To be kept in Your favor God, financially and to remain healthy to carry on by your grace. To plant churches that will stand strong in the foundation of Jesus.

Fridays

Non Christians. To see the good news as indeed good news and absolute truth. To turn from their sin, and receive redemption in Christ! To be hearers of the word and to rejoice in the truth that Jesus is savior. That god would cause them to believe and trust in his kindness, goodness, and mercy. To see that their way of life no matter how good it seems leads to empty treasures, and Christ is the one to save us from our sins, from Gods just wrath, and an eternal hell. 

Saturdays 

Friends. To keep life in life relationships with sweet friends. To encourage them, to rejoice with them, to sympathize with them. To listen and support and be an example and learn from them. To love them well with a selfless heart and one who doesn't have to compare myself to or be jealous of. Have a heart filled and prayerful life. To speak truth to them, to eat with them and hang out intentionally and communicate well.

A Gloomy Weather Type of Week

This week it got COLD!!! Alas it feels like winter in socal!

-It was exciting to be at Dave and Busters to celebrate Kims birthday! We loved eating and playing all the games!!!!! What a blast!

-I had the day off work Wednesday for Chinese New Yr and to be honest I just rested. Had a lovely lunch with Jose and had a chill day. Ive been finding I have been needing more of those lay back type of days!

-I got to hang at home with fam and exercise :) Sammie had come over a couple of those days to exercise and talk :)
-Friday I got to hang out with my church fam at yardhouse
-Saturday was my bffs Sammies bridal shower!was soooo fun! games, presents, laughter, food! The Zeemans did a great job and we were able to give her lots of love!

-After I had dinner with Hilary- 4 HOURS of catching up, spurring one another on in the faith! What a great night. Although we dont see each other as often as wed like- we pick it up the last time it was off! What a blessing!

-Today we read in Matthew chapter 3- and it was a big blessing for my question to be answered- What is all the righteousness that Jesus fulfills through his baptism of repentance? As us ALL being sinners, we are inadequate to stand before God. Through faith through Christ's death and Ressurection, we are able to stand before God in heaven and be declared righteous. Also, Jesus is baptized to identify with us and our need to repent of our sin. We are weak in our repentance and Jesus is the one who took God's wrath and is repenting on our behalf. We need to see that as an example to repent constantly. Also, Jose finished teaching alongside PJ church history- it has been a privilege seeing his growth in knowledge and the grace of our Lord!

This Month Flew By!

I am typing this post as I watch one of the worst superbowls ive ever seen! haha i hate blowouts! MY COWBOYS COULD OF PLAYED BETTER! heh ANYWAYSSS

Giving Thanks
-Monday and Tuesday I was really happy to have rest days at home to read, relax, and hang out with Jose and my family!
-I was able to have a sweet night with Ruby- being accountable with her and catching up :)

-My company went out to eat at one my fav kbbq places- wang chos to celebrate our year and the chinese new year! It was so fun! And the bosses got us sick solar powered globes with our names on it!!!

-I was elated to get together with my friend hannah!!! we ate and hung out at her house telling all sorts of stories of our lives!

-Friday i got to hang with kat and felibe at starbucks then we went to our group and learned more about social justice and how our church can do that in our city.

-I did yoga saturday morning with fiona that felt tremendous but i am sore today!
-today i learned at church more how to repent truly- that is coming to your senses- and not being trapped in the sin that is killing me. it was good to grasp beter that i need to be fruitful along with consistent repentance from my sin.