Happy Birthday Bubba!

Posted on November 18, 2013 by fromthecommittedheart

My brother, Robert Martin, is an amazing person and today is his 30th birthday! I wanted to do something special for his big 3-0 birthday….this is what I came up with…I asked family and friends to send cards and letters of encouragement to my home address two weeks ago. I collected them all and hung them in my brother’s room this afternoon, along with 30 $1 dollar bills, 30 snickers (on the window), and 30 decorative silly strings. Thank you everyone that helped make this possible with your cards, letters, and emails.

Happy 30th Birthday to the Best Brother Ever! I love you so much!

Forgetting the Order

Posted on November 8, 2013 by fromthecommittedheart

Around eight o’clock, in the morning, my husband comes home from the gym. I’m usually making breakfast for the kids, packing Kayla’s lunch for pre-school, and attending to our one year old, all while eating my breakfast standing up. This is my norm, but there is something missing in the equation…my husband! There were times he asked me to make him breakfast and I would smart off something like, “can’t you see how busy I am?” He has also asked me, to make his lunch and I would say, “I don’t have time this morning”. He had heard these answers for so long that he stop asking and it broke my heart, once I realized what I had been doing.

I was so use to juggling everything for our four young children that I had placed him last after their needs. This is not the order God has planned for marriage. Your husband must be your number two, right after God, not your number three, four, or five. You are here to serve him, help him, and support him!

Women can develop blurred vision when they become a mother. They take on this responsibility of caring and nurturing for a child and lose sight of dad, their mate, their husband. I want to help you today get your vision corrected. Here are some ways to strengthen your focus.

1. Get up earlier than normal, so you have enough time to take care of your husband’s needs as well as your children’s.
2. Go to bed early or at least a decent hour so you are able to remain strong throughout the day. The last thing your husband wants, is to see an exhausted wife laying on the couch, after he has been working all day.
3. Practice telling your kids to wait instead of your husband. Unless it is a life threatening matter, they can wait.
4. Make it a habit to say yes or sure when your husband asks for something.
5. Pray for him, everyday, all day. When you are continually praying and thinking about someone how could you push their needs aside.

In Matthew 6:21 it says, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”…in this case, I want you to think where is all your time and effort going. Over investing in your children and under investing in your husband can cause problems that can lead to horrific conclusions. It’s not too late. Evaluate your vision. Once you do, I guarantee your husband will look better than you have ever seen him before!

Elizabeth George says it best in her book A Woman After God’s Own Heart, “Nothing just happens, including great marriages! As much as you and I might desire to be a wife who lovingly supports her husband, such loving support comes only with planning.” So plan alone times, plan dates, plan special dinners and plan special deeds of kindness, then reap a happy husband and a healthy marriage.

Dear God, help us to correct our order of priorities. Give us wisdom on how to organize our time and our day. Thank you for blessing each of us with a man that leads and supports our family. May we honor our husband by placing him second after You, therefore obeying Your Word. In Jesus Name, Amen

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
~Ephesians 5:22-24

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
~Ephesians 5:31-33

30 Acts of Thanksgiving

Posted on November 1, 2013 by fromthecommittedheart

What does it mean to be thankful? My favorite definition comes from a free online dictionary…thankful is to be aware and appreciative of a benefit, expressive of gratitude.

As Thanksgiving Day approaches I think on how I could teach our kids to be thankful. In years past, we made a thankful bucket. Last year we made a thankful chain. Each day we wrote down something we were thankful for. This year I want our kids to dig a little deeper…to go beyond just writing down what they are thankful for.

For each day in November we are going to express our thankfulness in a tangible way.

Below are some tangible examples of thanksgiving:
1. I’m thankful for food.
-give food to a food bank

2. I’m thankful for my house.
-go volunteer at a homeless shelter

3. I’m thankful for my sister.
-make a craft for your sister
-give her a card telling her why you are thankful for her

4. I’m thankful for our car.
-help vacuum or wash the car

5. I’m thankful for our neighbor.
-bake your neighbor some cookies or invite them over for dinner

I’ll be updating this list as we go through each day in November, so stop by again to see creative ways the kids came up with to show their thanks.

November 1st
Alayna: My Mom! She sat back and thought how she could show her thankfulness…then she leaned forward and gave me a big hug and a nice kiss on the cheek. (Yes, my heart melted! There was no greater way for her to show me that she was thankful for me like that hug and kiss!)
Victoria: Josiah…she also chose to give a kiss to show how thankful she is for him.
Kayla: My Sisters! Kayla has decided to let her sisters pick the games they want to play and she will do whatever they want to do for the day, to show how thankful she is for them.
November 2nd: Friends…we made homemade cookies for them.
November 3rd: Daddy…we made Chicken Marsala and special cards expressing how thankful we are for him.
November 4th: Made Christmas thank you cards for our military men and women.
November 5th: Donated to our local christian radio station.
November 6th:
November 7th:
November 8th:
November 9th:
November 10th:
November 11th:
November 12th:
November 13th:
November 14th:
November 15th:
November 16th:
November 17th:
November 18th:
November 19th:
November 20th:
November 21st:
November 22nd:
November 23rd:
November 24th:
November 25th:
November 26th:
November 27th:
November 28th:
November 29th:
November 30th:

Are You Annoying?

Posted on October 28, 2013 by fromthecommittedheart

“And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?” Luke 18:7

In the Parable of the Persistent Widow, you find a woman desperate…day after day she pleas her case to the unjust judge. Day after day, she returns stating her petition, until finally the judge says, “I will see that you get justice, so that you won’t eventually wear me out with your coming!” Ha, can you imagine being so persistent with your appeal that a person waves a white flag and basically says, “okay, okay, just leave me alone, you’re annoying me!”

The judge doesn’t grant her justice because he was a christian. The Bible tells us, he did not fear God. The judge also didn’t grant her justice because he felt sorry for her, in Luke it states he did not care about men. No, the judge granted her justice because she was persistent in her prayers.

Jesus gives this parable to his disciples to show them that they should always pray and not give up. In verse 8 of Luke chapter 18, it says, the only time we should stop praying for something is Christ’s return…“When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” The demonstration of that faith is persistent prayer. When you stop believing a prayer will be answered, you stop praying. You have given up hope.

What if I were to tell you that your answer is only a prayer away? What if I were to say your healing is around the corner? What if I were to say peace is just a breath away? Let me encourage you friend to not give up! Be persistent and faithful in your prayers.

Persistent prayer is the demonstration of faith in God who, while at times may delay His answers, will always act decisively and justly with respect to His people.

Like a father or mother wants their children to come to them, even more so does our Heavenly Father.

Getting Back on Track

Posted on October 2, 2013 by fromthecommittedheart

“Show me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths.” Psalm 25:4

For the past three weeks my life has been consumed with boxes. It started with packing boxing, then moving boxes, and yes, then you guessed it, unpacking boxes. During this time I have fallen away from my daily routine.

It’s easy to get into the wrong habits, like not working out, going out to eat rather than cooking at home, or even not brushing your teeth at night before bed. Wrong habits always start with an innocent one time….you don’t workout one time, you don’t read the Word one time, you don’t go to church one time, but if you aren’t careful the one time turns into many times and a wrong habit is formed!

I have great news though, it is possible to reverse/change bad habits. Make a decision to get back on track, get your plan together on how you will start the process, and then if needed, write it down or share it with a spouse or friend so they can help keep you accountable.

Grace is nice, but it can be an enabler that only helps you continue down the wrong path. Be careful when you fail that you don’t give yourself to much grace or you will never change.

What’s stopping you from getting back on track?

Just Go to Bed!

Posted on June 28, 2013 by fromthecommittedheart

I have often heard moms say they can’t wait for their kids to go to bed…I have never understood what they meant by this. I don’t just love my kids, I enjoy them…I like to be with them 24/7 and more…they are my pride and joy. Then it happened! Last night I had a revelation…the kids must go to bed, early!

Josiah had been diagnosed with a virus on Tuesday that showed up in his throat with blistering red ulcers and 103.7 fever. On top of it, his molars are coming in, so he was extremely fussy and if that’s not enough, he wants to nurse 3 times a night again! Then Thursday morning Kayla looked like she had pink eye, come to find out she’s positive for strep. Are you kidding me?! All three of the girls just had viral gastroenteritis three weeks ago…can’t my kids just be healthy?

This Mama was tired and weary and these babies needed to go to bed. Better yet, I needed to go to bed early! That’s actually the best thing we can do after praying. When we push and push ourselves daily we can run out of fuel, out of patience, out of mercy.

Friday morning I woke up with my batteries recharged and ready to take care of my sick babies.

Thank you God for your strength daily, thank you for giving me wisdom yesterday to know when to say enough. Your presence gives me comfort and assurance that I’m not alone. I pray you will continue to give me wisdom as I raise women and men of God. Amen

And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.” For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. Mark 6:31

The Circle of Safety

Posted on April 16, 2013 by fromthecommittedheart

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3

I have heard and read this scripture many times over the weekend. Our pastor preached from this scripture on Sunday morning and then I read it again last night during my study time.

Any time I go out to run errands, I constantly tell my girls to stay close to me. Being a mom of four I can’t hold all of their hands, so I have taught them to either hold each others hands and my pockets or to walk right beside me. At least once a week, I explain to them that their safety depends on them listening to me. If they are not aware of what’s going on around them and are not listening and obeying my voice something terrible could happen to them.

I like how Tedd Tripp explains, “Children’s obedience is not secured so that you can be obeyed for your sake. You must be obeyed for their sakes!”

As long as our children are honoring and obeying our words, they can receive security, safety, and blessings from above. Obedience is willing submission of one person to the authority of another. It means more than a child doing what he is told. It means doing what he is told without challenge, without excuse, and without delay.

One morning the girls and I were making our weekly trip to the grocery store. As everyone was getting out of the car. I saw another car driving up quickly to park into the spot beside us. I quickly told my daughter, getting out of the van, to stop. If she would have questioned me or went ahead anyways, she would have been hit! When a child steps away from your guidance, rules, or instructions they are putting themselves into harms way. They are walking outside the circle of safety.

Demonstration:

Blindfold your child. Tell them to listen carefully to your words. Now give them a couple of spins around. Next walk them through the house by giving them clear instructions, take one step forward, two steps to the left, etc., but be very specific so they do not fall or hit anything. Now with the blindfold still on, tell them they are free to walk any where they want to, but no one can help them. They will most likely run into some walls or furniture.

The same things happen when a child decides to go on their own and not obey their parents. They can stumble and fall but if they choose to obey their parents their walk will be smoother and may enjoy long life on the earth.

We can talk, lecture, and scold until we are blue in the face, but when we lead by example, something powerful happens. Our children actually have a model to follow after when they see Mom submitting to Dad and their parents submitting to the state and the church, it then goes beyond the words and a connection is made.

At Last We Can Be Happy

Posted on January 21, 2013 by fromthecommittedheart

Today Alayna chose to read, “The Magic Fish by Freya Littledale”, for family reading time. If you haven’t read this book with your kids, I would definitely recommend it. It’s a great lesson about contentment.

In the book, the wife keeps asking for more and each time, when she gets what she wants, her husband says, “at last we can be happy.” Her reply back is always, “we shall see.”

Teaching contentment is a priority in our family. When we spend time with family or friends and it’s time to leave, our children will sometimes complain about leaving. I quickly remind them to be thankful, grateful and content for the time we had with our loved ones. When birthday or Christmas time comes, again I remind them to be content with their gifts and toys. A life of always wanting can lead to bitterness and resentment. They are young and still have to be reminded at times to be content, but if we can learn at an early age what this word means and let it take root in our heart, our life will be so much more enjoyable.

Prayer: Thank you God for supplying every need and even our desires. Thank you for a roof over our head, food on our table, and clothes on our back. But most of all thank you for giving your only son to die on the cross for our sins. For that we should be content in all things. We are blessed and I pray that we all see beyond our selfish wants and at last can say, WE ARE HAPPY!

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6

Who’s your Cheerleader?

Posted on January 10, 2013 by fromthecommittedheart

Happy New Year! Here’s the first blog of 2013!

Have you ever thought about your actions and feelings? When someone or something crosses your way that brings anger or bitterness do you feed those negative thoughts? Do you sit and dwell on them?

Today I had my daughters sit down and picture in their minds themselves getting mad, angry and even losing their temper. Then I told them to picture the devil in hell. Yes, the devil in hell standing there rubbing his hands together and smiling while they hit their sister or pitch a fit. The opposite happens when we are quick to forgive and we act selfless to others. Now imagine with me, God your father smiling in heaven as you share your toys with your friends.

This also works the same with adults. Think of when you talk bad about someone, just because you didn’t like what they did or what they said. The devil is having a cheering party. He knows the more you feed those negative words and feelings, the harder your heart will become. But if we would stop and pull out those four letters that everyone use to wear on their wrist (WWJD) our hearts would be quick to forgive and share the love of Jesus with others through all circumstances.

I asked the girls who they wanted to be their cheerleader. Without hesitation they said, God! I explained they will have to think about their words, feelings and actions toward others at all times.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

1 Peter 5:8

Picture Reflection “2012”

Posted on December 31, 2012 by fromthecommittedheart

Happy New Year 2012

Lego Land

Happy 3rd Birthday Baby Girl

Happy 5th Birthday Toria!

Josiah’s Baby Shower

Junior Bible Quizzing Camp

This Quarterback is Ready…

Any Day Now…

Room is almost ready…

just need to finish curtains and hardware

Proud Daddy

Welcome Josiah Javier Boy!

Happy Easter

Our Precious Baby Boy

One Silly Mama on Mother’s Day

Victoria graduated from VPK…way to go Toria!

Happy 7th Birthday to my Mini Twin ❤

Happy Father’s Day

First Time on Skates

Fourth of July

Family Vacation at Siesta Key

Josiah’s 1st Time at the Beach

Back To School!!!

JJ’s 1st Haircut

Animal Kingdom Fun

No Training Wheels!

It’s Fall Time

Our Disney Crew

Sneak Peak at the new Fantasy Land at Disney World

Happy Thanksgiving

Fun Time in Snow Bubbles

The Girls Baptism & Josiah’s Dedication

Thank God for our amazing 2012 year! We were and are blessed in so many ways and we know it all comes from our Heavenly Father, Thank You! Now as 2013 approaches quickly, my prayer for our family is to laugh longer, to always listen with compassion, to never be too busy to stop for a friend or family member, pray without ceasing, look at others through the eyes of our Father, Hug more, Love more, Give more, live selfless, encourage and compliment often, take chances because they may not come around again, and may we do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that we may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”Then we will shine among them like stars in the sky. For my heart’s cry is to be a reflection of you, Lord. Help us to be your hands in 2013. In Jesus Name Amen!

From The Committed Heart

Category Archives: Life