I HATE SICKNESS!

Actually, I hate the devil! After all, he is the author of sickness & every evil.
Last week, I got really sick. Wierd, some sort of 24-48 hr. bug... was not fun...3 days later my little son, Max came down with some sort of illness.

I absolutely do NOT believe that God teaches you through sickness, like some ignorant people believe, however .... through this trial, I feel like God reminded me of 3 great slogans that increased my faith & spirit:

Number 1: Trade your Worry, For Worship. I had heard this saying before, but it is sooo important to literally take every negative thought captive as the Bible says, and begin to worship & thank God for his completed work on the cross. The Bible says we "are" and "were" healed from his stripes.

Number 2: Focus on your Position and NOT your Condition. The devil wants us to focus on our condition, whether it be deteriorating health and/or lack of finances, etc. He wants us to forget our position, that we are the righteousness of God in Christ. If you can remember this it will give you the power to change your condition. If you pray against lack, abundant supply shall flow. If you pray for healing, sickness will have to leave. These things can't happen by our own doing, but by Christ power & life flowing through us. Remain conscious of WHO YOU ARE.

Number 3: Focus on Healing and NOT Feeling. Sometimes we get so caught up in how horrible we feel that it is hard to remember the price Jesus paid for us on the cross. As I saw Max sick, it broke my heart. No one wants their child to be sick. And even more so... God as our Father hates to see us sick and unhappy. His desire for us is to be full of joy, strength & life!

Fourthly, - I would encourage you to start to take communion everyday. Mark & I have been taking it every morning. Jesus said... DO THIS... and REMEMBER ME. It's so good to be reminded everyday of his forgiveness & healing that he provides us.

Well, new adventures are awaiting... the fam is coming in town this weekend and we have some great things planned! Will try to post again soon.

Easter Break

Because I work for a school I got the priveledge to have off the same time our students did for Easter Break. I traveled back to Indiana and got to spend some valuable time with the folks. Here are some of my favorite pics from our trip.

Go Ahead & Laugh

Go Ahead & Laugh!

Today I had one of those great "belly" laughs. Really it was over something that most would not even consider that funny. Out of no where a thought came to mind, and I couldn't contain it... and I had a great kackle! One of those laughs that bends you over to your knees and makes you cry and almost pee your pants... oh, how great! :)

Did you know there are great benefits to laughter some being:

• It strengthen's your immune system (through the release of certain endorphins)


• Provides an emotional release from negative feelings such as anger, guilt & stress


• Prevents Heart Disease (when we laugh we lower our blood pressure)


• Relaxes Your Muscles
  

How often do you laugh?

It is estimated that a child laughs approximately four hundred times a day while an adult engages in some humor only fifteen times a day.

So laughter is a great therapy...

Share with me what makes you laugh.

Work Perk

Here's the incredible perk of working at a job/school that provides daycare for your child.

Max & his friends came on a mini field trip to visit us at the High School. Aren't they adorable!

One pic is from a couple of months ago... and the other is from today.

Happy Droolin'

One Thing I Miss....

One thing I miss about living in the Midwest is the Thunderstorms. I've lived in California for almost 10 months and it has not stormed here once, and rained very seldom. In Indiana in the Spring we would have a powerful storm every couple of days.

There's just something thrilling about knowing a storm is coming. I love the calm before the storm and how you can sense it's on its way by the way the wind blows through the trees. There's a chill in the air. I love to get on the radar and watch & detect when it's coming & how strong it will be.

I love the security of being all tucked inside. I love to turn off the t.v. & radio and step outside watch the clouds roll in and listen to the thunder. I love the smell of the fresh air after it rains. It's calming, relaxing & comforting.

Do you like storms? Or do they scare you?

Jaw Dropper!~

Over the weekend my check engine light on my car came on. Yesterday I dropped my car off at a repair shop only to find out it was going to cost $800. to have my car fixed. Over the phone I told them to NOT fix anything.... that I needed to think about what I was going to do, how to come up with the money, etc. and that I would be back later in the day to pick up my car.

When I arrived they had ALREADY done all the work, without my consent!! I was shocked, irrate and my jaw dropped! I made the decision right then not to blow up on the people, but to keep my cool. I guess there had been another Amanda who brought her car in and she called and told them to go ahead and repair her car, that her grandmother was going to pay for it.

Long story short, after waiting 1/2 hour they came out and said, "you better just thank God, because we are going to just "eat" this". They went on to explain how it was their mistake, and unbelievably I had $800. worth of repairs/work done for FREE! Yes, free! Totally Incredible! I give God all the glory!

Roll Over

Roll Over.... nope not talking about cell phone rollover minutes....I'm talking about MIGHTY MAX!!!! Last week he started rolling over from his back to his tummy for the first time. Here's a pic of him playing on his belly last night. "He guys, look at my tongue! Naa Naa Naa Naa Naa Naa!"