Please notice the sweet little fingers AND toes she has pulled up to her little face!!!
Our mission is to help parents and teachers to prepare our little arrows to approach life with bravery and courage; to love learning and God's Word, and to be given the tools to grow and develop into strong individuals, in body, soul, and spirit.
7.24.2004
7.19.2004
7.17.2004
Well!!! This is my littlest star!!! Born February 10th 2003, Caeden Nicholas is temporarily reigning as prince of the palace!!! He is all boy just like his big brother...but of course is still infatuated with his "Bah" (binky), "Bee" (silky blankie) and his "Aah-aah"(sippee cup). The little dance he does while anticipating his fresh cup of juice or a popsicle is so hilarious!!! At 17 months he might ought to have a larger vocabulary but when "Aah-aah" and "Bah" work why try anything new? Its probably not something you can see in any pictures but Caeden's eyes are a very unique hazel color and they are so transparent of what he is feeling. His entire being is so innocent and pure, just holding him and kissing him melts all my troubles away. I have to remember those still, precious moments...especially when I'm cleaning up a dumped out bag of dogfood or a freshly frosted couch!!!(frosted with Balmex)
Oh Caeden little lovey!!! How can I express my love to you!!! I don't know how I lived till you were born! You have truly come into my life during a dark time but the light you are to me makes everything sweet. I love you "sugar darlin' " you are Mama's Baby!!!
7.16.2004
Only fourteen months after our daughter was born, we were blessed once again with this little guy, Chandler!!! He is ALL boy meaning that he loves working with Daddy, has an extreme fixation with his play station and is usually dressed in either full army attire, football uniform or cowboy garb!!! My "little boy blue" I've always called him as he is our blonde blue-eyed special little boy. He turned five years old on April 18th and absolutely cannot wait until Kindergarten! Notice how he did not let his big sis have anything up on him-he lost his two bottom teeth right after she did...I think he wiggled them continuously in order for that to happen!!! Chandler, you mean the world to Mama and I love you beyond words!!!
7.13.2004
7.12.2004
Meet Princess Elise...the toothless superstar!!!
This is my six year old daughter Elise Laurenne!!! She just graduated from kindergarten!!! She is quite a prissy little thing-loves dressing up, creating new hair-dos and playing with her dolls. She is a great big sis...helps give baby brother his baths and often feeds him breakfast while Mom is still snoozing!!! She is a dream come true child-I never thought I'd ever have a daughter as precious as this one. I love her beyond words and hope you think she's as cute as I do!!!
7.11.2004
A Sunday Song for you...
This song is so beautiful...it was sung at the "going home" service of a dear friend of mine who passed from this life due to IBC. She left behind 18 month old twins who were the light of her life. We don't understand these things and I refuse to try. I know that only God knows and only He can make all things beautiful in His time.
When God Unfolds the Rose
Verse 1
There’ve been times when I thought my prayers
Didn’t even reach the ceiling of the room
Where I knelt to pray
And a voice inside kept asking me
Did I think God was really listening
To anything that I had to say
But I just kept on a’praying
And holding on by faith
Knowing God was always in control
And I waited like a rosebud in the garden
For only God can unfold the rose
Chorus
When God unfolds the rose
He always does it right
When the petals are in place
Its such a beautiful sight
God knows when to hold on
And the perfect time to let go
So let God have His way
And let God unfold the rose
(Refrain- bold)
Verse 2
There are trials and tribulations
We must all go through
When it comes to heartache
We’ve all had our share
But when times are the hardest
We need to hold God to His promise
He said He’d never, give us more than we can bear
So I’ll just keep on a’praying
And holding on by faith
Knowing God is working all things for my good
And I’ll wait just like that rosebud in the garden
For only God can unfold the rose
When God Unfolds the Rose
Verse 1
There’ve been times when I thought my prayers
Didn’t even reach the ceiling of the room
Where I knelt to pray
And a voice inside kept asking me
Did I think God was really listening
To anything that I had to say
But I just kept on a’praying
And holding on by faith
Knowing God was always in control
And I waited like a rosebud in the garden
For only God can unfold the rose
Chorus
When God unfolds the rose
He always does it right
When the petals are in place
Its such a beautiful sight
God knows when to hold on
And the perfect time to let go
So let God have His way
And let God unfold the rose
(Refrain- bold)
Verse 2
There are trials and tribulations
We must all go through
When it comes to heartache
We’ve all had our share
But when times are the hardest
We need to hold God to His promise
He said He’d never, give us more than we can bear
So I’ll just keep on a’praying
And holding on by faith
Knowing God is working all things for my good
And I’ll wait just like that rosebud in the garden
For only God can unfold the rose
7.10.2004
This is my "kick off" blog...WELCOME!!!
First of all, I would like to give you a brief description of my family and I and what we are all about. My husband has been a minister with the United Pentecostal Church International for 14 years. He evangelized or travelled throughout the United States visiting different churches for all of that time until nearly three years ago when we took a position here in Sacramento CA. We have been married for eight years and have three children. Elise is six, Chandler is five and Caeden is seventeen months. I am due in October with our fourth child!!! Hopefully this gives you enough information to understand my life and situation-I will be posting much more in the future!!!
I am beginning my blog with an article that I was asked to write for the Apostolic World Report Magazine which is affiliated with our church. It is a basic overview of my journey. I will be adding my personal journal pages shortly!!!
Diagnosis: A Cup of Suffering
Prescription: Sustaining POWER
After living in a travel trailer for most of our marriage, our dreams were coming true-we attended the greatest church on earth where my husband was youth pastor and also pastor of a brand-new branch work in Davis CA. We had three of the most beautiful children in the world and we had just purchased our new home!!! We were elated…life was sweet.
I must take a glance back at the old trailer days where I pulled my laundry in garbage sacks across a field to get it done. As tiring and old as that routine became, each time I made the trip, I would thank God from the bottom of my heart that I was not sitting at the bed of a sick child of mine. I would thank God for life, for health and for all that we had. (then I would sweetly ask Him for a house!!!)
During that time, we had two dear couple friends of ours to endure extreme hardships with the long sicknesses and eventual passing of a child. My heart broke with theirs during these times. I could only pray that sustaining power would befall them in a miraculous way.
One Sunday evening during a ladies meeting, our Sr. Pastor’s wife Mrs. Wilson opened up the meeting for discussion to anything anyone might have on their heart. I was hesitant to step out but my heart had been so heavy for my friends and I was so overwhelmed by the fact that they had indeed received that precious sustaining power, I did say very briefly what I was feeling along those lines. Mrs. Wilson looked at me and said “God is going to use you in that!” I immediately felt an unbelievable heaviness come upon me knowing that I indeed was going to be used but that first I had to experience it first hand. I prayed earnestly,” Okay God, just don’t let it be through one of my children!!!” For several months I endured this extreme heaviness seeking God to be sure I was well equipped with this great sustaining power.
We were elated on March 12th, 2004 to find that we were to be parents once again! This would complete our planned family of four children and we were overjoyed. It was during this week however, that I had been experiencing an strange twinge in my left breast. I thought perhaps it was due to my pregnancy but there was this nagging thought that it was more than that. After a few days I felt the spot where it had been hurting and sure enough there was a lump as big as an eyeball! One of the biggest fears I and I’m sure many women had was taking place in my life! I still hoped it was nothing…perhaps it was just a clogged milk duct. (I had just weaned my one year old six weeks prior.) So I made the dreaded appointment and my ob/gyn confirmed that there was indeed a lump that needed to be tested right away.
Three days later I had a needle biopsy performed. The next day, my doctors office called and advised me to come in right away and to be sure not to come alone. My husband quickly made arrangements for the children and also told me that our pastor’s wife, Mrs. Young was also going to accompany us. When we arrived at the doctor’s office Pastor and Mrs. Wilson were also there as well as their other daughter Rebecca and her husband, Doug Salters. I was so grateful for this great display of support, yet I knew in my heart that they knew things were more serious than I had hoped.
We all trooped into that office! Were we ever a sight to behold! They ushered us all into a room and one of my doctors very kindly informed me that I did indeed have breast cancer and that I was to see a surgeon that very day. I did not fall apart or weep and cry-it was as if I was simply carrying out a task for the Master and I knew that He was in total control!!! There were plenty of strange stares as we all filed out, I was already praising and thanking God for the miracle He was doing in me. We all traveled together to the surgeons office where I was immediately scheduled for a modified radical mastectomy. Then we went out to dinner!!!
My surgery was scheduled for Tuesday, four days away. The Sunday prior to that day, we received a telephone call very early in the morning before I had even risen. It was my husbands previous pastor from Texas, Pastor Wayne McClain. He called to say that in prayer he felt impressed to tell us that “The symptoms were going away.” We wept and thanked God for His awesome “Sustaining Power” once again. I knew that from that point no matter what I faced, the situation was always going to be getting better.
We had no insurance when all of this took place therefore, we had no idea how we were going to pay for all these expenses. To make a long story short, the day before my surgery, I went to the office of a woman who was also a breast cancer survivor who was over a special state program for people like me. In less than thirty minutes she handed me papers that guaranteed complete coverage from beginning to end!!! This was such a miracle as the hospital would not process my admissions papers without some sort of insurance verification.
On Tuesday I went in for surgery. I had such an awesome team of prayer warriors and supporters! Mrs. Wilson had even changed our regular ladies prayer time from ten o’clock am to two o’clock pm which was my scheduled surgery time so that all the ladies would be praying throughout my surgery! It was incredible.
I made it through the surgery just fine, thank God! I knew though, that my biggest mountain was when the pathology report came back to tell us how serious this cancer was and if it had spread etc.
I was told later, that during the surgery, the surgeon had come out to give my loved ones an update on his/my progress. He told them at this time that I was fine but that it looked to him as if the cancer had already spread to many lymph nodes. He was very downcast. He said we could not be sure until the lab reports came back.
I was released from the hospital after two days. The next day I had an appointment with the surgeon to review my test results. Again, my support network was absolutely amazing. Pastor and Mrs. Wilson, Pastor and Mrs. Young, Doug and Rebecca Salters, my parents, my brother and his wife and my husband all piled into that little office. When the doctor handed me the report I did not want to look at it fearing I would misunderstand what I saw there, so I waited for him to give the review himself. He said, ”Well I took out 22 lymph nodes because many of them looked suspicious to me however, only one was malignant!” I was overjoyed! I had certainly been prepared for worse news. I had temporarily forgotten about the reports only getting better and better!
He did tell us that the cancer had been quite aggressive and large and that chemotherapy would definitely be advised.
I cannot begin to write of all the miracles and obvious workings of the hand of God throughout this time! From helping me to find incredible doctors to giving me the strength to actually complete this journey. His hand has been upon me every step of the way.
My cup of suffering is not completely empty yet, in fact there are times when I feel I’ve only been sipping from it slowly. I wish sometimes that I could gulp it down and get it all over with but that is not possible…it is so good to know that in spite of this, my never ending source of Sustaining Power is like a Super Size with free refills!!! I believe that no matter what I face, ONLY GOD can give me the power to sustain through it all. This is part of my brokenness towards Him and I can truly and sincerely say that I know I was not simply called but chosen for the bearing of this suffering and though rough it has been a beautiful road.
While there have been doctors to say that it is probable that there is still cancer in my body and that it is very likely for me to suffer a recurrence, I KNOW SO MUCH MORE ABOUT MY HEALER!!! Today, I am six months pregnant and I believe I am cancer free. That is a promise I plan to hold on to ceaselessly in the precious name of Jesus who is truly the author and the finisher of our faith.
I cannot begin to adequately thank the precious members of The Rock Church in Sacramento CA for their endless generosity of their time and selves in aiding me in my recovery. My heart is so full of thanksgiving to this wonderful body of people. I thank my pastors Bishop and Mrs. Wilson and Pastor and Mrs. Young for their incredible support during this journey. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for them. I thank my husband who is my best friend in the whole world for standing by me through thick and thin and for being such a strength to me during all of this. Most of all I thank my Heavenly Father for allowing all these tremendous people to be a part of my life. Without Him I can do nothing.
Though I was diagnosed with a Cup of Suffering, it is easily remedied with Heaven’s greatest prescription of Sustaining POWER!
I am beginning my blog with an article that I was asked to write for the Apostolic World Report Magazine which is affiliated with our church. It is a basic overview of my journey. I will be adding my personal journal pages shortly!!!
Diagnosis: A Cup of Suffering
Prescription: Sustaining POWER
After living in a travel trailer for most of our marriage, our dreams were coming true-we attended the greatest church on earth where my husband was youth pastor and also pastor of a brand-new branch work in Davis CA. We had three of the most beautiful children in the world and we had just purchased our new home!!! We were elated…life was sweet.
I must take a glance back at the old trailer days where I pulled my laundry in garbage sacks across a field to get it done. As tiring and old as that routine became, each time I made the trip, I would thank God from the bottom of my heart that I was not sitting at the bed of a sick child of mine. I would thank God for life, for health and for all that we had. (then I would sweetly ask Him for a house!!!)
During that time, we had two dear couple friends of ours to endure extreme hardships with the long sicknesses and eventual passing of a child. My heart broke with theirs during these times. I could only pray that sustaining power would befall them in a miraculous way.
One Sunday evening during a ladies meeting, our Sr. Pastor’s wife Mrs. Wilson opened up the meeting for discussion to anything anyone might have on their heart. I was hesitant to step out but my heart had been so heavy for my friends and I was so overwhelmed by the fact that they had indeed received that precious sustaining power, I did say very briefly what I was feeling along those lines. Mrs. Wilson looked at me and said “God is going to use you in that!” I immediately felt an unbelievable heaviness come upon me knowing that I indeed was going to be used but that first I had to experience it first hand. I prayed earnestly,” Okay God, just don’t let it be through one of my children!!!” For several months I endured this extreme heaviness seeking God to be sure I was well equipped with this great sustaining power.
We were elated on March 12th, 2004 to find that we were to be parents once again! This would complete our planned family of four children and we were overjoyed. It was during this week however, that I had been experiencing an strange twinge in my left breast. I thought perhaps it was due to my pregnancy but there was this nagging thought that it was more than that. After a few days I felt the spot where it had been hurting and sure enough there was a lump as big as an eyeball! One of the biggest fears I and I’m sure many women had was taking place in my life! I still hoped it was nothing…perhaps it was just a clogged milk duct. (I had just weaned my one year old six weeks prior.) So I made the dreaded appointment and my ob/gyn confirmed that there was indeed a lump that needed to be tested right away.
Three days later I had a needle biopsy performed. The next day, my doctors office called and advised me to come in right away and to be sure not to come alone. My husband quickly made arrangements for the children and also told me that our pastor’s wife, Mrs. Young was also going to accompany us. When we arrived at the doctor’s office Pastor and Mrs. Wilson were also there as well as their other daughter Rebecca and her husband, Doug Salters. I was so grateful for this great display of support, yet I knew in my heart that they knew things were more serious than I had hoped.
We all trooped into that office! Were we ever a sight to behold! They ushered us all into a room and one of my doctors very kindly informed me that I did indeed have breast cancer and that I was to see a surgeon that very day. I did not fall apart or weep and cry-it was as if I was simply carrying out a task for the Master and I knew that He was in total control!!! There were plenty of strange stares as we all filed out, I was already praising and thanking God for the miracle He was doing in me. We all traveled together to the surgeons office where I was immediately scheduled for a modified radical mastectomy. Then we went out to dinner!!!
My surgery was scheduled for Tuesday, four days away. The Sunday prior to that day, we received a telephone call very early in the morning before I had even risen. It was my husbands previous pastor from Texas, Pastor Wayne McClain. He called to say that in prayer he felt impressed to tell us that “The symptoms were going away.” We wept and thanked God for His awesome “Sustaining Power” once again. I knew that from that point no matter what I faced, the situation was always going to be getting better.
We had no insurance when all of this took place therefore, we had no idea how we were going to pay for all these expenses. To make a long story short, the day before my surgery, I went to the office of a woman who was also a breast cancer survivor who was over a special state program for people like me. In less than thirty minutes she handed me papers that guaranteed complete coverage from beginning to end!!! This was such a miracle as the hospital would not process my admissions papers without some sort of insurance verification.
On Tuesday I went in for surgery. I had such an awesome team of prayer warriors and supporters! Mrs. Wilson had even changed our regular ladies prayer time from ten o’clock am to two o’clock pm which was my scheduled surgery time so that all the ladies would be praying throughout my surgery! It was incredible.
I made it through the surgery just fine, thank God! I knew though, that my biggest mountain was when the pathology report came back to tell us how serious this cancer was and if it had spread etc.
I was told later, that during the surgery, the surgeon had come out to give my loved ones an update on his/my progress. He told them at this time that I was fine but that it looked to him as if the cancer had already spread to many lymph nodes. He was very downcast. He said we could not be sure until the lab reports came back.
I was released from the hospital after two days. The next day I had an appointment with the surgeon to review my test results. Again, my support network was absolutely amazing. Pastor and Mrs. Wilson, Pastor and Mrs. Young, Doug and Rebecca Salters, my parents, my brother and his wife and my husband all piled into that little office. When the doctor handed me the report I did not want to look at it fearing I would misunderstand what I saw there, so I waited for him to give the review himself. He said, ”Well I took out 22 lymph nodes because many of them looked suspicious to me however, only one was malignant!” I was overjoyed! I had certainly been prepared for worse news. I had temporarily forgotten about the reports only getting better and better!
He did tell us that the cancer had been quite aggressive and large and that chemotherapy would definitely be advised.
I cannot begin to write of all the miracles and obvious workings of the hand of God throughout this time! From helping me to find incredible doctors to giving me the strength to actually complete this journey. His hand has been upon me every step of the way.
My cup of suffering is not completely empty yet, in fact there are times when I feel I’ve only been sipping from it slowly. I wish sometimes that I could gulp it down and get it all over with but that is not possible…it is so good to know that in spite of this, my never ending source of Sustaining Power is like a Super Size with free refills!!! I believe that no matter what I face, ONLY GOD can give me the power to sustain through it all. This is part of my brokenness towards Him and I can truly and sincerely say that I know I was not simply called but chosen for the bearing of this suffering and though rough it has been a beautiful road.
While there have been doctors to say that it is probable that there is still cancer in my body and that it is very likely for me to suffer a recurrence, I KNOW SO MUCH MORE ABOUT MY HEALER!!! Today, I am six months pregnant and I believe I am cancer free. That is a promise I plan to hold on to ceaselessly in the precious name of Jesus who is truly the author and the finisher of our faith.
I cannot begin to adequately thank the precious members of The Rock Church in Sacramento CA for their endless generosity of their time and selves in aiding me in my recovery. My heart is so full of thanksgiving to this wonderful body of people. I thank my pastors Bishop and Mrs. Wilson and Pastor and Mrs. Young for their incredible support during this journey. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for them. I thank my husband who is my best friend in the whole world for standing by me through thick and thin and for being such a strength to me during all of this. Most of all I thank my Heavenly Father for allowing all these tremendous people to be a part of my life. Without Him I can do nothing.
Though I was diagnosed with a Cup of Suffering, it is easily remedied with Heaven’s greatest prescription of Sustaining POWER!
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