To you....

I'm not going to recap my whole year (most of it is blogged anyways) but I will say that next year holds a lot of excitement for us! I won't even try to guess where we will be this time next year but that's what makes life adventurous! I want to get closer to God as I try to be a better wife, mother, and worker and I think that's going to be my continued focus. 
If you're reading this, you might be planning your New Years resolutions in your head, or reminiscing about this year and years passed.  But I want to say that even if I don't know you, I pray for everyone who reads my blog.  I pray that you will know how amazing God made you. I pray that you take a minute to ask God, no matter what your relationship is with him, that he will show you his plans for your life, that he will help you.  If you are going through a tougher time now, just know that this is part of a bigger plan.  A great example of this is to think of your life as mosaic tiles.  The white and light colored tiles are the wonderful, happy times - and the dark tiles... well you know.  But in the end there is a beautiful, full picture.  You see that without every single tile on the board, light and dark, you would not have the same picture in the end. 

If you are a full time mommy, keep doing what you need to do.  You are growing and shaping your kids and teaching them the most from example.  Even if it seems like no one notices what you do every day, they will.  There are moms all over the world who are putting themselves on the backburner to enrich their family and years down the road you will see the pay off! God wants you to do what you are called to do, not what your husband thanks you for, or what the easiest thing is to do.  Remember to get dressed in the morning, do your hair, and put on some makeup.  This will really help you feel like  you're still you, and you're husband will look forward to seeing his beautiful wife at the end of a hard day.
Many of you moms work and don't spend the majority of your day entertaining tots.  I know you wish that you could, but you're doing what you are supposed to be doing also.  Providing for your family is so incredibly important and you're children will love you for it.  They always know who mommy is though so don't think you're not teaching them because you are.  And just remember that the grass is always greener on the other side.  There is plenty of hardships, stress, and frustration when working at home. I really miss having co-workers, and going to lunch and getting to enjoy my home as a haven instead of a workplace. If you have a deep desire or longing to be in a different situation, don't be afraid to pray for it! God doesn't always give you an answer that you were wanting, but it's probably because his is better. Just keep knowing that you are doing the right thing (and by the way, I haven't met a mom who doesn't have 'mommy guilt' just about every day - it's usually just in our heads).

If you are curious to take a leap of faith in a certain area of your life and want to know where God leads you, I think you'd be surprised to find out just how much good he wants for you. I will keep on praying for you all and thank you all for your encouragement to me. I love you all and hope that wherever you are you know that someone is praying for you.
Happy New Year!  Love, Heidi

Some things happen in God's timing...

Just a fun little update I had to share!
Not only did we receive our November home loan statement last month to find out that we 'accidentally' over-payed by one month back in March so we didn't need to pay for November (really, who pays without remembering... apparently me because I do the bills!) but today we received a check in the mail for a few hundred dollars that says it's our escrow overpayment amount! I've always payed about $30-$40 more than what was due figuring it can't hurt, but apparently you need to fill something out stating exactly where you want the overpayment to be applied otherwise it goes nowhere, and in this case it came back to us! Then just now I opened our dreaded water bill, the last bill due this month to see what we owe, and it says "Do not Pay. Payment made using Credit" Meaning that again we over-payed and the extra amount covered this month's full payment!! Wow! Now that's how God works in our lives constantly!! He is AWESOME!!!!!!

God, what are you planning?...

I'm not a fool to think that I'm not blessed.  My husband is my rock, my best friend in the whole world, and the love of my life... and he is healthy! My daughter is more perfect than words can say, she has shown me a whole new kind of love that I never knew existed... and she is healthy! And as far as we know there are no complications with my current pregnancy.  I would have never imagined that this is where I would be in life right now, I don't think I ever thought I would be so lucky in life. 
While I know that God has a plan for us, I have to rely on what I know to be true.  He has taken care of us time and time again.  Just when we think we might not make a bill, unexpected money comes to us. Just when we thought past jobs were our whole future, plans changed.  When we talked about starting a family and I was so sure that I wanted to wait just one more year, we found out we were pregnant 6 days later. When we decided to move back to where I grew up and rent an apartment there in southern CA, we bought a house in Arizona.  When I cried and cried about having to back to work after having Addy because there were no other options, I learned how to use a sewing machine and discovered a hidden passion.  These are only a few of the thousands of answered prayers in mine and my husband's lives together.  We pray and pray and pray for things to work out in our time, our way, and just when we let go and pray for God to intervene we realize that he had a much better plan all along.
I know that right now, with my husband still looking for a way to bring home the bacon on a consistent and steady basis, his grandmother holding on for life in the hospital, another baby on the way, bills stacking, stress mounting, sleep lacking, there will be a light. 
I woke up last night at about 2am and couldn't get back to sleep (just like the last few nights).  I usually go downstairs to my sewing room to work, grab a snack, and then try to watch tv until I feel tired again.  Well last night I had been praying and talking to God for hours and started to get into a very anxious mood.  I wanted to hear God's voice.  I wanted him to answer me RIGHT NOW. I wanted to know what his plans were for us (not that I could ever guess because they are usually way better and so different than anything I could think of).  So I grabbed my bible and journal and went downstairs.  I didn't want to do the typical 'open your bible and point' thing so I looked in my journal for the book that I was going to read next and figured I'd start there.
Wha'da you know?...
James 1:2  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, (3) because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
I went on to read the notes in my bible about this verse, which I know very well yet tend to forget when I am facing trials.  In the notes it says "James doesn't say IF you face trials, but WHENEVER you face them. He assumes that we will have trials and that it is possible to profit from them. The point is not to pretend to be happy when we face pain, but to have a positive outlook ("consider it pure joy") because of what trials can produce in our lives. James tells us to turn our hardships into times of learning. Tough times can teach us perseverance." 
Time after time, just when we think we have it all figured out, God has taken us and shown us that when we have faith in Him, he will reveal his plans to us. 
I don't know if this is a lesson that I will have to learn over and over throughout my life, but I am so incredibly grateful that I am not in control of my world.  I can give all of my stress and worry to God and he always, always takes it!
I am praying for all of you who have struggles right now and can't see the end of the road.  It won't last forever! God asks us to cast our cares upon him because he wants us to be willing to give up control.  When I get the courage to do that, my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.  I know better, and I pray for that reminder every day that God DOES have a plan for ME!
And like I said, I am blessed!

And the Winner is....

This was such a fun Giveaway! Thank you everyone who entered and shared this on your FB wall with all of your friends!  I had to wake up early this morning and I used my random generator to select a winner!
And the winner is....

 ANGELA INGLIS STINSON!!!!

For everyone who wants to take advantage of 20% off going on until December 5th be sure to use coupon code: TURKEYSAVINGS at checkout on my Etsy site.  www.etsy.com/shop/adelaidesboutiqueLLC