Tuesday, June 12, 2012

My Events

So I just wrote a long post about my son's first jungle/zoo party. So if you wanto to read and look at the cool pics, check out My Event and Creations

Friday, March 16, 2012

Proverbs 31: My Utmost Highest Calling

So it's been a while since I have written! Sorry, have been REAL busy with school, and trying to fit home, gym, and church in my schedule. Well see this is exactly what I want to talk about. Did you notice how I listed my priorities here?

1) School
2) Home
3) Gym
4) and the Church

I have it ALL backwards again. Those who know me, know my testimony as a WIFE! And those who don't know me, will read about my testimony soon. See when I first married, I had my priorities out of place, which led to a very hard beginning, and it looks like I have done it again. But I have been listening to this awsome women of God, Ruth Harvey. God has used her preaching to speak to my heart and put me on a path to discover my Utmost Highest Calling.

God brought me out of darkness, to shine, not to sit on the side and hide among the clouds. (Hope what I'm saying makes sense, the thoughts come in Spanish, and I'm translating them as I write.) I know that I am not yet complete. See I once heard a preacher say that when we are asking for healing, we should asked to be whole again. God wants our faith to be like that of the woman with the blood issue. He wants to make us WHOLE, in mind, spirit, and body.
  "And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee WHOLE; go in peace, and be WHOLE of thy plague." Mark 5:34

So why am I not yet complete, or whole? God said "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Genesis 2:24
If we are one, then if my husband is down, so am I, and vice-versa. My marriage went through a very tough time, which I came out of much more victorious than my husband. He strayed away from God during that time, and has yet to return, like the progidal son. I will be WHOLE, when my marriage is not only healed, but made WHOLE with his return to Christ.

Now what does that have to do with my utmost highest calling and my priorities? Well first and farmost, if I am trying to win my husband back for the Glory of God, I have to begin to shine in my home. I have to be the light among the darkness, and for me it begins in ME. Now I know many will say that my husband already knows the way, and it's his responsibility to return to God. But "the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a help meet for him." Genesis 2:1 I am my husband's hel meet, and not just physically, spiritually too.

I posted this on FB: Don't spend more time in front of a dressor preparing your outer appearance, than you do on your knees and in the bible developing your inner beauty! I heard this from Ruth Harvey's preaching. That's when it hit me! I changed it a bit for my situation, don't spend more time in your school books, than you do in the word of God. I have been putting School first, and it's not like that. My priorities should fir my Highest calling.

My Utmost Highest Calling is to be A Virtous Women...
The Provebs 31 woman has 10 virtues that God is calling me to fullfill.

1) A proclaimer of the gospel of Christ. Faith - A Virtuous Woman serves God with all of her heart, mind, and soul. She seeks His will for her life and follows His ways. (Proverbs 31: 26, Proverbs 31: 29 – 31, Matthew 22: 37, John 14: 15, Psalm 119: 15) My relationship with Christ is more important than anything else. I have to keep my intamacy with my God alive. This will produce an inner holiness that will then be reflected on the outside, not just how I act, but how I dress. Holiness is not a burden, it's a blessing. It's not our problem, it's our previlage. 

2) Marriage – A Virtuous Woman respects her husband. She does him good all the days of her life. She is trustworthy and a helpmeet. (Proverbs 31: 11- 12, Proverbs 31: 23, Proverbs 31: 28, 1 Peter 3, Ephesians 5, Genesis2: 18) God has been working in me for some time now about the wife He wants me to be for my husband. If I had opened my eyes earlier, it would have saved me alot of headaches in my marriage. God wants me to be submissive and please him. In doing so, I'm pleasing God. My home comes next, after God.

3) Mothering - A Virtuous Woman teaches her children the ways of her Father in heaven. She nurtures her children with the love of Christ, disciplines them with care and wisdom, and trains them in the way they should go. (Proverbs 31: 28, Proverbs 31: 26, Proverbs 22: 6, Deuteronomy 6, Luke 18: 16) Even if I'm on a Solo rescue for now, I have faith that one day my husband will rejion me and together we will instruct our children in His ways.

4) Homemaking – A Virtuous Woman is a homemaker. She creates an inviting atmosphere of warmth and love for her family and guests. She uses hospitality to minister to those around her. (Proverbs 31: 15, Proverbs 31: 20 – 22, Proverbs 31: 27, Titus 2: 5, 1 Peter 4: 9, Hebrews 13: 2)

5) Health – A Virtuous Woman cares for her body. She prepares healthy food for her family. (Proverbs 31: 14 – 15, Proverbs 31: 17, 1 Corinthians 6: 19, Genesis 1: 29, Daniel 1, Leviticus 11) This is where my gym comes in. I have been battling with my weight for the longest time. But you see, my weight is not the true problem. My self-control is. I have to take control of my life, and that includes my weight. This brings me to the next priority on my list.

6) Beauty – A Virtuous Woman is a woman of worth and beauty. She has the inner beauty that only comes from Christ. She uses her creativity and sense of style to create beauty in her life and the lives of her loved ones. (Proverbs 31: 10Proverbs 31: 21 – 22, Proverbs 31: 24 -25, Isaiah 61: 10, 1 Timothy 2: 9, 1 Peter 3: 1 – 6) This is inner and outter beauty. Remember: Don't spend more time in front of a dressor preparing your outer appearance, than you do on your knees and in the bible developing your inner beauty!

7) Finances - A Virtuous Woman seeks her husband’s approval before making purchases and spends money wisely. She is careful to purchase quality items which her family needs. (Proverbs 31: 14, Proverbs 31: 16, Proverbs 31: 18, 1 Timothy 6: 10, Ephesians 5: 23, Deuteronomy 14: 22, Numbers 18: 26) Though I may not be the sole provider, we are living off of one income. What I buy affects how we live. I must save every penny I can. I must live a frugal life, which I by the way, enjoy living. I  love getting good things at a cheap price. And if I calculate right, I can still enjoy many things, more so now than I did when I was working. But of course, not forgetting to give God what belongs to Him. I must always be faithful in my tithes and offerings.

8) Service - A Virtuous Woman serves her husband, her family, her friends, and her neighbors with a gentle and loving spirit. She is charitable. (Proverbs 31: 12, Proverbs 31: 15, Proverbs 31: 20, 1 Corinthians 13: 13) In order to be a leader, I must first learn to be a servant. Jesus, being the almighty God, came to serve us. Us, who were full if sin, and he did it with a willing and joyful heart. There is no point in serving if in your heart there is no will to do so. Service to my church is next.

9) Industry – A Virtuous Woman works willingly with her hands. She sings praises to God and does not grumble while completing her tasks. (Proverbs 31: 13, Proverbs 31: 16, Proverbs 31: 24, Proverbs 31: 31, Philippians 2: 14) I am the drum player at my church. I also teach Sunday School to preschoolers. I am pleased that God has given me these talents, and I will use them for his glory. Although I have been leaving church to the side for everything else, I realize that it's not God's will, and I asked myself this question: Who's in control? You or God? And I want God to be the captain of this boat.

10) Time - A Virtuous Woman uses her time wisely. She works diligently to complete her daily tasks. She does not spend time dwelling on those things that do not please the Lord. (Proverbs 31: 13, Proverbs 31: 19, Proverbs 31: 27, Ecclesiastes 3, Proverbs 16: 9, Philippians 4:8 ) God is teaching me time management. I have 168 hours in a week. 42 of those, I use for sleep. 12 hours I spend in class. 9 hours should be used for church. 3 hours at the gym. 28 hours for studying. That leaves me with 74 hours for spending time with God in becoming a good homemaker of what God has given me.

So my NEW PRIORITY LIST:
1) God
2) Home
3) School
4) Church
5) Gym
6) All other

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Managing school, baby, and hubby!

So as you know I have been in school. Full time school, mom, and wife...it's a hard job! So before I got married, I was in school, studying for my bachelors in Business, but I stopped going in 2010. I had my baby, and do not regret it! I just wished I would have finished before 2011. I was suppose to graduate in Dec 2010, but that didn't happen, all my fault. But it's never too late to finish. So I want to finish what I started, without neglecting my home.

Thank God, I have class at 7am-7:50. So that gives me enough time to go to my class and return home before my hubby leaves. Then my next class is at 5:30-7pm, and by then my mother is home to take my baby for me while I go to school. So I'm at school Mon-Fri, but home all day with my son, and food is always on the table. That's a huge PRO!

It's hard, yes, but not impossible. I have to study when I can, and that's mostly once the baby is asleep. I usually put him down by 9pm. That gives me time to get ready for bed, and then hit the books. I usually study from 9:30-12am everynight. I wake up at 5:35am to nurse baby and get ready for school. I'm home by 8:15am and baby is up ready for breakfast. So then my usual day begins with all the chores and cooking. By 4:30 I'm done and ready to head out the door. When I return, my husband picks me up on his way home from work, so we have dinner and spend our quality time together.

So it's not impossible to return to school. What I will do with my degree...only God knows since I don't want to ever leave my child in the care of anyone else. I'm praying that God uses my education for HIS work, but for now the books it is!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Tight Space?

So fitting a baby and 2 adults into a one bedroom is hard, but not impossible. I searched all over the internet to look for ideas or pics on how to accomodate everything in one small room, but found nothing. I mean the one bedrooms I saw were like King size rooms compared to what I have to work with. So if anyone else is having this problem, here's how I did it.


It is a bit crowded but has everything I need. This is my bedroom and baby's. I had to find somewhere to put his toys. Whoever thought such a small little person could take up so much space. But he can, well at least his toys can. Since I have a small apt, meaning more like a studio because I only have a room, kitchen, and bathroom, I have to do with what I can. That TV is about all my husband has as a MAN CAVE. He can't have one yet....but he's fine as long as his TV is avaiable.



So much for baby's play room. This is it. He plays with his toys in this little area. He is starting to crawl more, so I bought a rug to put where he can crawl .


 

Purple walls? Yep. That's my favorite color. I didn't think about the fact that baby is a boy, but since room number 2 will be his, and my hubby had no problem with purple walls.
So as you see we are made to fit for now, at least until the other room is done. My bed hits the wall, and it's a queen, so you can imagine how small the room is, but it's cozy and it's my home.




Tuesday, January 17, 2012

An open letter to working moms

An open letter to working moms

Ok so I stumbled across this letter that caught my attention. I like the idea, it is affordable to be a stay-at-home mom if you change the way you live. I mean, sacrifice some things to get better ones. I could not imagine  being away from my baby too long, and am glad that God gave me a providing husband to be able to stay at home with my son. You don't have to be rich to be a stay-at-home mom. I certainly am not, and many of my other friends out there are not surrounded by $$, yet they get to enjoy their kids much more than most working mothers.

You should read that post, click on it and then you will understand my comments. I agree to an extent what she says, but I feel like she makes it seem as if a stay-at-home mom, can't look her best or enjoy things that a working mother would. I mean I love thrift stores. They are my number 1 place to shop. You get good things, sometimes even new, for a couple of bucks. But that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy a trip to the mall. My #1 rule when I go to the mall is to  never buy anything at full price. Everything I get, I get reduced. I go to JCPenny and head to the clearance section. I recently bought a couple of shirts for $2 each, you can't top that. She mentions that we can't be up to date with fashion because I guess we can't afford to look good, but I disagree. I always look my best (well at least when i go to  church or the store), but I try to, even though I rarely go out, because I have a husband. I must look pretty for him, because men are men, humans with temptations and they have eyes, and I make sure my husband's eyes are always on me. Plus my body is the Lord's temple and you wouldn't like to go into a messy looking church, would you???

 "They might be among the sad minority that does not possess a laptop or cell phone." Sad?? Really?? She make it sound terrible. I don't think it's "sad" not to have a cell phone. I grew up in a very low-income house, and my parents couldn't afford many things. Yet I was never sad because I didn't have a computer or cell. Thank God for public libraries, in which I spent most nights finishing essays and reports. Thank God for Black Friday. I got a laptop for $200. Of course it was many years of savings, but I got there.

You don't have to settle for less. Isn't our God the almighty? Isn't he the one to provide. He is our father and he does tell us to seek and we shall find. I don't have a beatdown car, I have a 2005 Mazda 6. And you know how much I paid for it? $3,000. I bought it at an auction. It had been crashed, but praise God for my husband. He is my everything...literaly...my everything. I need a mechanic, he is one. If something breaks, he fixes it. He is a construction worker and a mechanic and does many other trades. I never have to pay to fix anything because he does it all. Thank God for my DH, I love him sooo much.

Any ways, if you want to be a stay at home mom, it's possible. The problem is that this world is used to having too many wants and can't settle with just the needs. Sure it would be nice give your kids eveything they want, but what they really need is you, their mom. They need to be under your supervision, not someone else's. I have a dear friend who is a stay at home mom, but hasn't always been. And she has only been home about 10 months, and already she is desperate to find a job, because she can't "afford" it. She could if she would give up many things that to me are a waste of time. She could stop going out every weekend. Yes you do need to spend quality time with your husband, but dinner and a movie is alot cheaper if you do it at home. I usually do that every Sat night. Rent a movie and cook something he loves, or something we would get at the movies, like hotdogs and popcorn. If she would change her plan. She pays double what I pay, and my plan is better. Unlimited is avaiable with most prepaid companies, but some people just don't want to leave those expensive companies like Sprint and Verizon.

Another thing is couponing. I love coupons. Everything I get, most has coupons. Look for places that double like Kmart and save even more. I get tons of Colgate and Crest toothpast for almost nothing. I stock up on shampoo, Pantene, for $1 each.

So what I am saying is that if you start living a frugal life, you can affor to stay home. You don't have to live like a poor person, because we can't be poor. Our father is the father of riches. He will provide if you trust him. Give Him a try, and I garantee He won't let you down.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Let me tell you a little about ME

Hi, my name is Titania. I am a full time mother, wife, daughter, and now student. I am christian and proud of it. I am very active in my church, First Pentecostal Church La Vina. I am in the chior (singing and playing the drums), I am the drama director, and events planner, and I am also the Sunday school teacher for toddlers.All this for the Honor and Glory to My Lord Jesus Christ!

I am about to start school next Mon and am very excited, but also nervous. How will I ever get it everything done?? That's a question I have been askign myself since I was last in school in 2010, and did was not a mother. But I know that it will be tough, but not impossible. I also know that I am not the only like this. I know many of you ladies are going back to school, or thinking about it. It's never too late..so follow me through this year as I post my blogs on letting you know how I will manage it ALL!

I have had help from a couple of friends who give me advice on how to prioritize my what-to-do list, but sometimes I give myself too much to do in such a little time. But like I said earlier, nothing is impossible and I can do all things through Christ. More blogs coming soon, and I will post some easy Spanish recipes for those interested in trying something different. NOTE: It's not Mexican food, because I am not Mexican, and I can't stand that generalization. It's Spanish food, because most spanish countries cook what I cook. BTW I was born and raised here, but I my parents are from Guatemala, so I cook Guatemalan style some times, and Honduran style others, because my DH is from Honduras.
Anyways...stay tuned. I will post tomorrow my "baliadas" recipe.

In Christ's Love,
Titania Montoya