Bible Study Follow Up

Back in September I wrote I'm Birthing and shared what God told me to do and move forward in His will for my life.  Well, here I am, 8 months, 4 bible studies and 12 precious souls later.
That's right, I've completed 3 bible studies (Frazzled Female, Victoriously Frazzled & Made To Crave).  I'm currently starting a new study out of the book, Coffee Hour With Chicklit Power  by the name of  'Balance of the Mind, Body & Soul'.
I honestly didn't think that I would have gotten this far in this ministry, but man, when you step out and allow God to step in, you NEVER know what is going to happen!!!
The only regret that I have is that I didn't blog more frequently about the things that I was going through as long as what the study was doing for me.  Especially this last one, Made To Crave.  Oh man has it jacked me up in a good way!  I am on a journey of learning to love myself, accept myself, take time for myself and learn that I AM MADE FOR MORE!
I'm currently focusing on my health, eating, physical activity (yes, exercising will be a part of it, as soon as my body is aligned with God's healing power!  I'm crippled with a horrible sciatica nerve that just recently got messed up again down at the San Diego tournament.  It hurts in places I didn't think your back would effect.  But anywho).  I have a few people in my life, including my 73 year old Gramma that has successfully lost significant amounts of weight by using the BodyBugg.  After doing who knows how many different diets, "life changes", trying this & that, I decided that I would do something that has shown effectiveness in the lives of real people around me (including my Gramma).  So, Melissa bought herself a Mother's Day present.  Oh yes, I went and bought myself a BodyBugg.  I have been on the 'program' for 3 weeks now, and even though I haven't lost a significant amount of weight (due to this bodybugg, I've learned that I am physically active without working out.  I can easily burn over 2,500 calories a day just by being me and doing my daily chores/running around/taking care of kids & house.  My biggest problem when I'm focused on my eating is that I don't eat enough.  I'm lucky if I get in 1,400 calories a day sometimes.  Therefor my metabolism shuts down and thus the reasoning for not losing.).  But it's not the numbers on the scale for me anymore, it's feeling content in who I am, knowing that I made better choices that day for myself and no one else. That if I did have a slip up, there is always tomorrow to make it right.  And that putting God first in all I do means more than devouring those Oreo's with a big 'ol glass of ice cold milk!
Yeah, I've come a ways from where I was regarding my weight, but even further in where I am in my walk with the Lord.
I'm really going to try hard to blog daily.  The new bible study that we are starting requires us to journal.  And my way of journaling is on my blog.  I do have many journals that I've kept notes in for my bible studies, but they get tossed to the side.  Here allows me to look up by subject, dates, etc to see where I was, what I was going through, etc.
I pray that whomever reads this is blessed & can see God's hand at work.  It is all Him & I am utterly overwhelmed and humbled that He would use a broken little girl to reach the lives of those that I'm reaching.  I don't know where this journey is going to take me, but I do know that as long as I seek Him first, it will be successful...

Christmas Blessings

WOW, what a difference a year can make! This time last year, Jose & I were struggling, stressed, not knowing what we were going to do for anything. The Lord came through and blessed us tremendously! I praise Him & give him ALL the glory! This year, God spoke to Jose & I both, separately and we were able to bless a family in our church that wasn't able to provide Christmas for their family. And still have a great Christmas for ours...What an AWESOME God I serve!
This year, we were more focused on the "needs" of our children and what we bought to be more "useful" rather than just "another toy/game". Also, God spoke to my heart and told me to bless a special somebody in my life...my Honey! I saved up and was able to make a couple of Ben Franklin's since resigning with Pampered Chef. So I teamed up with my compadres and had Noe help me buy my Honey a GUITAR! Jose has had a yearning to learn the guitar and start playing. This is something I believe God placed in his heart, I don't know why, my husband can't keep a beat to save his life, but OK, if it's God's will & doing, I'm all in!
So Christmas morning, we all opened our gifts. After we were all done, Jose went to go get more coffee & we stopped him. I pointed to the note on the tree that just had a few things written to him & explained to him that he was going to go on a hunt. WAIT, let me back up...I wrapped up his new picks & guitar strap (he has a guitar my grandpa gave him, so I made it look as though I bought stuff for that guitar). Well, the hunt began, to each of the kids' rooms. Everyone wrote something positive to him on the note & sent him to the next destination, ending in my mom's room, behind her door, where he found his case (I told him he had to open the case to find his "strings"). Inside the case was more than "just strings", it was his guitar with a note that I slipped inside, pouring my heart out to him of what God has instructed me to do. Well, needless to say, there were LOTS of tears!
He got to enjoy his guitar for a while, the kids their stuff and we prepared to head off to my Grandpa & Grandma Roof's house to have dinner. Here's some pics from our day...

Jose & I

Ooooh La La


My Cute Grandpa


My GORGEOUS Cousin Lourdes & Bryan


My cute Grandma with her Pippy


Aunt Vonnie playing ball with the kids


Grandpa & Alli


Bryan & I


Mexican Train with Lourdes, Ant, Alli, Adrian, Adi & Jose


What it's all for!



Family tradition of getting the olives onto ALL 10 fingers!


Then to eat them off...



The Little Sisters


My babies & I


Little & my crazy socks


My pretty little girl


Look at Miss Santa Baby


The littles


Time for Wii


The journey for his gift begins...




Tears of joy


Isn't she purty!!!


Checking it out

The smile says it all


And those are just the pics Honey, you just wait ;-)



Opening her first Christmas present

Letter To Robin

Boy have I had a hard time writting this! I've really been dealing with depression & heartache over not being able to be at her service. I decided to write this and let it go. I am praying it brings some healing to me.

Anyway, here it is...

November 14, 2009

Dear Robin,

Well, this has been erased about 1,000 & 1 times. I keep trying to write you in the past tense, but just can’t seem to put the words the way I want them. I should have written this 2 months ago, when you could have read it, but I let that time pass me. So here I sit, writing to you & knowing you can’t read it, but I’m sure you hear it.

I want you to know how much I love & appreciated your friendship. I know you will say it was our friendship, but I suck at friendship. It’s something the Lord has been dealing heavily with me about & has once again used you for me to see something. I let my time go to tell you, while you were still here with me, and am now kicking myself for it. I guess a lesson learned…procrastination won’t get me very far.

You have become a true beacon of light in my life, honestly!

I have been in some situations where I have called upon you as a support. You stood with me, not only as my cousin, but as a sister in Christ. Giving me scripture to claim over the situation, prayers to pray over it, love to get me through and support to hold me up during my trying times.

You didn’t feel me with bologna, but truth. As much as it hurt, you said it…Now if that isn’t something we all need to learn!

You are someone who, no matter the circumstance, stood against the raging storms. Not only did you stand against what was given to you, you stood with your head held high, not backing down and ready to take it on, no matter what was thrown your direction. Standing on God’s promise…He is in control at ALL times.

You taught me to take every day as a blessing, no matter what it gave me.

Not to take my health & life for granted.

Robin, there are so many of us, including me, who take our bodies, temples, lives for granted. You fought everyday for yours. So many of us are capable of walking, running, playing with our children, even simple tasks of cleaning our house, mowing our lawn, grocery shopping, and the list can go on! When you wished you could do it, we are capable of it.

Watching you, taught me not to take those little things for granted.

I remember when you had your lung transplant and told me you were training for a marathon. I was awe struck! It made me reflect on what I was doing with my life. I started Weight Watchers and finally said to myself…I am doing this for Melissa! If Robin can do it in her condition, then damn it, why aren’t I?!?! I was working out on my elliptical everyday and told myself I was going to run & told everyone I knew how you inspired me. Robin, I’ve NEVER ran in my life! It killed me in school, but I knew if you could do it, so could I. Well May 24, 2008 was my first time I had Jose take me out to go running…Girl, I did it! Because of you, I did it! It didn’t last long, because a month later I found out I was pregnant, but it doesn’t mean I’m stopping. You have inspired me to take my health and run with it! I am taking hold of my life and making it the best I can, and one day, I promise you, I will be in a marathon.

Who knows, with all the effort I put into my local Relay For Life, I may start a Great Strides Chapter, here in Riverside County, in remembrance of Robin Joyce Stocking! Now wouldn’t that be something…something I need to start praying about =)

Robin, I am truly at a loss of words of what you mean to me! For years, I was envious of the relationship you had with Lourdes. But I now see, He saved the best for last! Who knows, if we were as close as teenagers, maybe we wouldn’t have had the relationship we had as adults. I can’t say. But what I can say is…Our Heavenly Father knew & had a plan all along!
Before I wrap this up…I have a confession to make. I haven’t told anyone, but my mom yesterday what I’m about to tell you.

When we were about 7 & 8 years old, my grandma and one of our Aunts, or even your mom took me out shopping at a department store. When we were there, they showed me a rack of sweaters and told me that they wanted to buy one for you for an early birthday present. Well, for whatever reason (I’m sure you & Lourdes were being “really nice” to me), I was pissed off at you. So they told me to pick out a sweater that you would like. So in my anger, I looked for the ugliest, most disgustingly ‘old’ looking sweater on the racks I could find. After all, I was MAD & I wasn’t about to get you something cute. After I picked it out, they asked me, “Are you sure this is what she would like?” Of course I replied with my sweetest voice, “Yeah, she’ll like it!” Then they asked, “Well, is it something you like & would wear?” Again…”Yeah, it’s way cool (or whatever the ‘hip’ word was)”. And off we went. Later that night, or even the next day, there was this surprise party of some sorts. I happened to have a surprise. My surprise was that my grandparents were taking me to Idaho that summer! Then they handed me a box to open up…It was that UGLY SWEATER I PICKED OUT FOR YOU! They wanted to surprise me with a sweater to take to Idaho & I was able to pick out my own sweater! I had to act surprised & excited to get that god awful sweater…After all, it was supposed to be your ugly sweater.

Robin…I love you! More than words could express, cards could describe or flowers could show!

Until that meeting in the sky…Your Cuzin…Mis, Mit, Mel

Well lookie here

My Grandpa made the paper! If you know my Grandpa, he is a VERY knowledgeable man that has been gifted of knowledge in politics...Not my favorite subject, but that's ok. He informed me through an email that Rep. Jerry Lewis (who was a local Senator that assisted in bringing Jose back to the states when they tried deporting him) was planning on having a rally in Redlands. Like I said, I'm not too big into politics, so I didn't think twice about going.
Well, my Grandpa & all his wisdom submitted a question to ask Rep. Jerry Lewis & was chosen. He just so happened to be the second person to ask the question & the paper snapped his pic and put him on the front cover on the PE.
My Grandma called me Friday morning & said, "Your Grandpa said to go buy the paper." I of course said, "OK." But then asked curiously, "Why?" She said, "Grandpa just said to call you and tell you to go buy the paper, it's a surprise. Call us when you get it."
So I told my mom & she ran out to get it.
She came home with paper in hand and this is what I saw...


HEY, That's My Grandpa In There!!!!!!!!
Isn't he handsome!?!?!?
If you didn't know, I love my Grandpa!

Baby Shower in pics

So, finally pics of my baby shower...
My Grandma Wallace (dad's mom), Delayna & I

My gorgeous cousin Lourdes...she did the decorating

A bag that I really liked, from PT & Mishelle

Another from Gail

Lourdes checking out a diaper

Glenda & Jessica

Arlene & Delayna...She was the first to 'predict' I was having a girl. She claimed it "In Jesus' Name"


The Goods!

Jaime, Jessica & Teresa

Sheila & Kim

Becca & I

The food line...Great Job Mom & Gail!!!

Grandma Roof (mom's mom) & Delayna

Courtney, Jessica & Glenda

Teresa, Lillian & Lisa

Mom, Grandma Wallace, Delayna & I







Sarah, Jackie & Delayna