A Spiritual Experience

This weekend was busy but good.  We (Angie and I) started our day by going to help the volleyball team clean the citrus trees in a new purchased home.  The backyard had about 20 to 30 trees and they were all overgrown, lots of fruit still hanging, lots of dead branches and lots of overgrown grass.   We had to remove the spoiled fruit and put the good ones in boxes, we had to rake everything that was on the ground, we had to prune trees and carry dead branches to a big dumpster outside...  It was hard work but everybody was in a good mood and enjoying the nice morning.  Besides, the trees were so close together and overgrown that we were in the shade almost the whole time!

Then, we took a whole box of oranges home.... yummy!  :D

Later in the day, we attended a baptism for a new sister, Idolina Quintero (Karina).  The service was very special and spiritual.  She is such a strong faithful woman who gave us the example of doing what you know is right even if you are hurting for some reason...  About 3 or 4 days before her baptism, her brother died and we thought she wouldn't go through with it because she might need soe time to grieve; but no, she said: " I know what I'm doing is right and now more than ever I want to be a member of the church and I have a lot of faith."  She is a great example of strength to me.

Then on Sunday, we had a wonderful lesson about the Spirit World and the teacher presented it in a most beautiful and inspiring way that I felt very uplifted and thankful to have this knowledge of the mercy of the Lord toward those who have passed away without the blessings of the gospel.  Sacramet meeting was as inspiring as Relief Society.  A member of the High Council came to speak and he just shared with us the wonderful virtues women have and how we need to develop them even more, things like:  Patience, love, willingness to sacrifice for others and a couple more. 

His words were sweet and my cup was full.  It truly was an inspiring Sabath day.

I am so grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and to enjoy the blessings of the gospel in my life.  The gospel is as sweet, calming, and cleansing as the clear, crystal waters that run in the river and not only delights my ears, it delights my soul...

 

So PROUD...

Angie made the volleyball team.  She couldn't believe she'd made it when most of the girls who were at the tryouts didn't.  But then the real test began with her coach.  He is a tough guy who likes to constantly yell at the girls and according to Angie, most of the time he gets so frustrated that he

doesn't explain what the mistakes are.  So it is frustrating for everyone.  She was this close to quitting

the team until she realized that nothing good would come out of that.  She had a little conversation with herself and decided there was nothing to do about her coach, but she could change HER attitude.

She's been giving it 110% to improve her skills and not take the yells personally, and it is working!

She has been improving and her face just radiates happiness and satisfaction.

On Saturday night, we had an appoinment with the sister missionaries to visit an investigator.  She has a 15 year old daughter and that's why they invited us.  The sisters began their lesson and talked about Sunday and why it should be a day very different from the rest of the week.  I gave a few times my

testimony and shared some of the things we do as a family on Sundays and how special they have become.  Then Angie stopped me and asked me if she could say something.  She started talking (in Spanish if I may add) and bore her testimony about the Sabbath.  She spoke from her heart and directly to the mom, and asked her if she ever felt she wanted to be closer to God?  Then Sundays

are exactly for that, to feel closer to Heavenly Father and our Savior and show them we are willing

to set apart time in our lives to just think of them and worship them.  This was not a short testimony,

it was a long, clear and powerful testimony.  I was just watching her and feeling like crying because

this is my little girl, and I had never heard her talk like this before.  It truly makes all sacrifices

we do to go to church worthwhile.  After we left, she was feeling shocked.  She said: "Mom, I think I felt the Spirit because for some reason I couldn't bring my self to shut up!"  Then she confided in me that for some time she had been praying because she wanted to know if she really had a testimony...and she said, 'I think my prayer was answered tonight'.  I wanted to cry more...

Yesterday we went to Pam Bowman's house so she could record the music for a video the Mia-Maids

are making.  As a sat there hearing some kind of incomprehensible talk about music, notes, and

computer programs, I thought about how even though she is my daughter and I've known her since

the day she was born, she is growing up and I am becoming more of an spectator who enjoys

the kind of person she is becoming.  After a few unsuccessful tries with the computer they decided

to just have Angie play her guitar and Pam would record her.  Again, I moved my chair away from

hers and just watched...  My mind was just delighted to see her, playing so beautifully, so

confident in herself, so talented, and I felt so PROUD of her.

I am so thankful to have her as a daughter.  Since she was little, she was so active and always moving from one place to another.  She hasn't changed.  She is learning to play guitar, she plays piano, she plays volleybal, wants to do basketball, wants to learn to play the organ, writes stories, poems and songs, wants to learn to design clothes and become a marine veterinarian...so much to do and just one life to live!  I am not just an spectator, I am her number ONE fan, her cheerleader, her friend, her mom.  I want her to live her life to the fullest without ever forgetting she is a daughter of God

and many eyes are looking up to her, including mine.  She was born to be a leader, a star; and so far

her glow is bright and beautiful and sometimes makes me squint my eyes, and that's okay. 

I know we become parents not only to teach our kids but also to let our kids teach us, and I'm more than willing to learn. 

I LOVE you Angie and I am PROUD of you.  :)

Salsa!

Yesterday we had a church activity.  We learned the basic steps to dance salsa and we also brought homemade salsas and had a contest.  It was great!  We had a big outcome.  Lots of people came and especially lots of investigators.  We really felt the spirit there and there was lots of smiles and happy conversations.  We also had to say good bye to sister DeWitt who is leaving on Tuesday to go home, sniff,sniff...  We bought a beautiful cake for her, so we had chips and salsa and cake.  YUMMY!  Pedrito had me on the edge the whole time because he just kept running around the church and went outside to the parking lot several times, so I really didn't have time to learn ALL the salsa steps but I still enjoyed it.  Then we came home around 10:30 p.m. (of course after cleaning the church) and watched "Soul Surfer" with my family.  What a great way to end the day....

 

I've also registered  both of my kids in high school and taken them to get sport physicals and made long lines to turn in all these things.  Yes, the past three days have been really busy but we are all excited for school to start.  Angie is super excited about going to high school, Erik is too but doesn't show it too much, and Emma just can't believe she's starting kindergarten and will be going to school all day now.  My little girl... sniff, sniff, she's grown really fast, and Pedrito is right behind her since he's already three, so next year he'll start preschool.  I just feel as excited as them, I know my kids have their whole future  ahead of them and I can't wait to see them take their own path and experience many wonderful things.  I just hope they make the right choices.  I know, I know, they will make some wrong ones and learn from them, but I hope they won't be that bad.  I love them TOO much to see them suffer for their wrong choices.  But anyway the future looks great and as President Monson says:  "The Future Is As Bright As Your Faith".  And I have a lot of faith...   :)

                                                                              

Eagle Scout



We went to Yuma this last weekend.  My oldest nephew Joshua had his court of honor to receive his Eagle.  It was a lot of work for the family since the ceremony would be in their backyard and they had prepared all these goodies to share after the ceremony.  Court of Honor was at six and thankfully the weather was a little cooler than usual with a slight breeze.  We felt very proud of Joshua and the kind of boy he is, always reaching for new heights and achieving his goals.  He is setting a good example for the rest of the family.  Angie enjoyed our stay there especially when they went night swimming in the backyard pool around 10 p.m.  I wasn't feeling well so I didn't.  I had this headache and nauseous feeling in my stomach.  I took a pill and after some time I felt better. So I did the dishes to help out my sister-in-law.  We ended up going to bed at around midnight. 

One thing they mentioned during the ceremony that I really didn't know about its meaning was that Joshua was the "creme of the crop"  ( I hope that's how you say it in English), because the "creme" always rises to the top, and that's the kind of boy he is.  So that made my mind start working and thinking, as members of the church we all should strive to rise to the top, not settle with just being part of the bunch, staying in the bottom.  I know I want to see me, my husband and my children rise to the top in any situation or challenge we may face.  That's why we are here on Earth, to grow and learn wisdom, and not just "cruise" through this life without achieving any success, both temporal and spiritual.

Excited!



I am so excited.  Next week the youth of my branch and Meadowgreen ward are going to Spiritual Survivor campout.  What my kids don't know is that I'm going too as one of the "family" leaders.  It will be awesome!  There will be a Historical Trail and I will be portraying Abish.  I'm still not ready and I still have to come up with a costume to wear that night.   I know, I know, I still get excited as if I was 14 or 15 years old, but that's just who I am, a little kid at heart  :D.

Surprising Grandma

Yesterday we worked hard to surprise my mom.  We were supposed to meet at her "old" apartment @ 4:30 p.m. to clean it completely and turn in the keys to the landlord.  I decided to surprise her since she would be coming straight from work and be already tired.  Angie, Emma, Pedrito and I got there at 1 p.m. and started the messy assignment.  3 hours later the carpet had been, first sweeped then vacuumed, bathroom and walls cleaned, shelves dusted, tile floors sweeped and mopped, nails and pins taken out of the walls, dishes washed and put away in boxes (yes, there were some still left over), Pedrito was sleeping on the floor, Angie having "facetime" with a school friend, Emma had a nap and woke up to watch sister have conversation with friend, and I was collapsed on the floor tired and thirsty.  We wanted to see my mom's face when she came in the house and saw how clean it was.  The only problem was that she didn't get there until 5 p.m. and I was about to leave before my kids and I were dehydrated.  It was worth it.

I told Angie:  'It's Monday and your lesson for today's Family Home Evening was -"When you are in the service of your fellowmen, you are only in the service of your God".  Hope you learned this lesson well.  :)

Pretty in Pink



I am exhausted.  I started my day at 6 o'clock in the morning to help my mom move to her new duplex.  It was a LOT of work, especially because she lived in an upstairs apartment so the whole morning was about going up and down the stairs carrying stuff to the moving van.  But it was exciting to see how happy she was.  We (Pedro, Erik and Me) practically stayed at this the whole morning and I should say we did this on a day where the temperature was 110 degrees.  Yes, I sweated A LOT. 

But then we came home, took a nice shower and then we headed for the adult session at stake conference.  This particular session is my FAVORITE!  We have a WONDERFUL stake president whom I love and respect very much.  He is a great leader and truth to be said, he is very spiritual without being boring, which is why I love it when he speaks.  This time, he and his two counselors, President Rapier and President Shumway, chose 3 different mormon messages to share with us, and they based their talks on them.  I loved the first one and it's main message:  For some, blessings come soon, for some blessings come later, and for some, blessings don't come until heaven.  But for members of the church, they always come.   I've seen this truth in my life unfold many times in many different circumstances and I do testify of that.  I also thought about some sisters in my branch who could have felt the spirit so strong while listening to this, but I don't think they were actually there.  :(

The second one was just as powerful, about 5 different people testifying how they found the power to change their lives through Jesus Christ.  Isn't He THE answer for us all?  Yes!  All he is waiting for is for us to open the door and let Him in.  Everything else in this life is SO secondary.  Only God and our families are what's truly important.

The third one I've seen before.  It's about Stephanie Nielson and her new life.  How she emerged from this trial triumphant and more strong spiritually than ever before.  She counsels us on how we should view our role as mothers as something divine and cherish motherhood for the privilege it is.  Motherhood and beauty go together.

Then I remembered something that happened this morning while I was driving to my mom's new house.  My niece Karmina was riding in the front with me and she was wearing her pink sunglasses.  When I saw them I thought "Oh I guess she likes to see life through pink colored glasses, like little girls usually do.  Then they grow up and discover life is a little harder and bad things happen sometimes to good people.  BUT then...as I was at Stake Conference I realized the gospel is my Pink Glasses.  Life is still hard, we still face trials, we still cry...but the gospel lets me see that there is SO much GOOD in this crazy world. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives us hope amid the darkness and there is so much to learn even from those ugly storms.  So yes, I am grown up and I still CHOOSE to see life through "Pink-colored glasses" because it makes me happy and it gives me peace...