Take it or leave it.

Here is an excerpt from something I have been working on that I wanted to share... I wrote it so that we ladies would feel encouraged and motivated!

" I am a beautiful, strong woman who is important and worthy of every good thing Jesus has prepared for me in this world. I will work hard at whatever it is I do and focus my entire life on the promises Jesus has provided for me in his word. I can do anything I set my mind to so long as I trust Jesus to guide my every footstep.  I will live a life that is purposeful, meaningful, and always helpful to others. I will stop trying to prove myself to the world, but rather, dedicate my life to encouraging those around me to show them how beautiful and important they are as well. I will stop complaining and start doing. I can be used by God to make a difference in this world but I’ve got to have faith. I have decided today to think positively and expect only the best from life. I will stop trying to figure out everything on my own and learn to lean on my sweet Jesus for anything I will ever need in this life."

I too, need to be reminded of this! I am certain that if we do not continually remind ourselves, that we are bound to forget!

Woman to woman: Getting to the heart of things.

Let's face it, women have sensitive, gentle hearts. We are the ones who cry for no reason and get our feelings hurt. It is the way we were created. If our hearts have become hardened through the years, it is most likely because we have been hurt and put our guard up. We hide from our feminine traits and put our tough skin on.

We are protecting ourselves from our greatest fear: abandonment. We don't ever want to be alone in this world, and I'm not talking about alone time on occasion, I mean we want to be surrounded by people who love us and approve of us on a daily basis. 

As single women our greatest fear is that we will never find that man who will love us in that "fairy tale" sort of way and as married women, we fear that our husbands and/or children may one day leave us somehow. 

God created a woman to be lovely and graceful, something we fight against in our world today. In this day and age, women are expected to be sweet, but also tough. We are supposed to be submissive but also overly independent. 

We are given the word of God but live in a world that tells us to go to college, find this amazing career, and prove our worth and independence because after all, we can do anything a man can do, right? None of this is bad, it's just so confusing.

Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful to have a freedom that allows me to do just about anything a man can do in this world, but it is time that I focus on and embrace the true beauty of womanhood. Every woman longs to be feminine and lovely. 

We want to be the most beautiful thing in the world to our husbands or future husbands. We want to hear from our men that we are the woman of their dreams, and when that doesn't happen on a daily basis, we doubt ourselves and complain that our husbands are not showing us enough affection.

This is where the holy spirit comes in. Before we can feel lovely for a man, we need to understand that our creator thinks that we are the most amazing, beautiful creatures on the planet. We want to feel needed and worthy, and sometimes we don't get that from the men in our lives, so we get down on ourselves. 

We, like men, need to seek wisdom and realize our true worth. I'm not talking about proving ourselves as being like men, I am talking about embracing our gentleness, our inner beauty, and our lovely spirits; all things that have been considered weak in this world. Our confidence needs to come from the holy spirit, not man. 

If we want to be that adored woman that is surrounded by people who love her and think the world of her, we need to know that God designed us a specific way, and embrace it. I'm not saying be weak, but rather, a strong Godly woman. We need to dig in the word of God and become praying warriors. 

We often under estimate how much men really do need us in this world. Our husbands, if anyone, need our encouragement and our prayers on a daily basis, just as much as we need that affection from them. We often have no problem complaining to them about what they are doing wrong, but very seldom do we take a step back and look within our own hearts and realize that we may not be giving them what they need as well. 

Everyday, they are living in a sinful world and trying to be the men that God created them to be. They are trying to influence the world as well and let's just face it, they want to be needed and admired in their "man worlds" too. There are days when he feels like his work wasn't good enough or he didn't provide financially the way he had hoped.

 He may come home from the office feeling like a failure, then just imagine.... he gets home and opens the door and the first thing he sees is a lovely woman who had been praying for him all day, a woman who greets him with a sweet smile and nothing but a big kiss and words of encouragement. She is lovely. She reminds him that he is truly admired and he sees God's beauty in her face.

Now, some of you may want to puke right about now, or say, "That will never happen in this house", but what if it did? Doesn't practice make perfect? Do you think that if we would pray daily for our husband's thoughts and our own hearts that it could be a reality? Why get married if you are not going to work hard and give it all you've got?

Do you think that if we would focus on the positives traits of our husbands that he would want to love us more? It's totally up to you. I'm not saying I am perfect or that this happens everyday, because I don't even have children yet, but I am certainly determined and I am going to start now. 

There have been plenty of older woman who tell me, "just you wait, give it 5 or 10 years and you will see that none of this lasts". Well, I have faith that God loves me, thinks I am lovely and wants to bless my husband and I with a glorious marriage. I'm tired of trying to be tough and acting like I don't need "man" in general to take care of me.

 God designed me to be feminine and lovely, something a man can never do. Women, today I challenge us, whether you agree with this entry or not, that we would pray for our husbands and try to be the woman he adores. 

Also, I pray that we would understand and truly grasp how lovely we are to the one who created us. Being a woman is not easy, and I'm sure it will get much harder as the years go on, but we have our Jesus to help us, every step of the way.

For the single ladies, you keep your focus on God and his word, and I promise you (from experience), God will bring you a man who will be worth all of this. Obedience is key.

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." Proverbs 31: 10-12

(To any woman reading this that has been in an abusive relationship, I cannot give advice in this area, but I pray that you would realize your beauty and worth, have faith in God, and seek help as soon as possible from a pastor or local authorities. No woman deserves to be physically or mentally abused.)

1 year anniversary...

On Sunday, Marcos and I will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary! So without getting too sappy on you, I just wanted to express my thanks to my hubby. This first year of marriage has been an amazing start to our journey together. I am so thankful that God has blessed my life with Marcos. I love being a wife, and I pray that God will always keep me motivated to be the best wife I can be to my husband. 

Going from single to married is a big transition. It's not a cake-walk but it is such a blessing. There were certainly many nights when I felt I couldn't get dinner cooked just right or I turned my hubby's khaki pants pink on accident. And how about when I buy too many groceries and half of them go bad... Well these are just a few things I've experienced that I am really trying to work on. But my husband was always there to tell me I did a great job and to keep on truckin'. 

I'm sure my husband has felt the pressure of learning to take care of someone as well, but the beauty is that we are both learning and growing together. I'm sure I can speak for my husband and I both when I say we are so grateful for all of the married couple's who gave us their time and advice when we were faced with an issue we weren't sure how to deal with. 

I have been blessed to be surrounded by some Godly women who have taught me so much this past year. I feel like I have learned a lot this year about being a Godly wife, and I know I will continue to learn something new everyday. 

To name a few ladies who have truly showed me by example the beauty of a Godly wife and mother, Heidi Gostanian, Cassie Beardsley, Brandi Huff, Kelly Nordstrom, and Wendi Kuhl. These ladies have taken time to share their lives with me and each one has given me just a little more motivation to be a better wife every time I am around them. 

I just wanted to encourage all of the wives out there, this is why it is so important for us to love our Lord and our Husbands... so that the young wives will learn to do the same. I am a blessed wife with an amazing husband, and I thank God everyday for my marriage. My prayer today is that I will become the kind of wife that encourages other women to be the best wife they can be, just like so many ladies I know have done for me.

Here is a picture of the "love fern" Marcos and I planted in our wedding ceremony.... it was really small then, and after a year of TLC in my parent's yard, that thing is growing!

Colorado.

My husband and I are still in Beautiful Colorado and this is the first time in awhile I have had the chance to get online. We are having fun spending time with Marcos' dad's side of the family. We went camping for a few days, stayed in a cabin for a few days, and now we are staying with Marcos' grandmother in Ft. Collins, Colorado.

I have personally enjoyed getting to know my husband's family and hearing tons of stories. I never had the opportunity to meet Marcos' grandfather, Johnny Clark who passed away a few years before I met Marcos, but after hearing many stories about him, I can tell that so many of his Christian ways have been passed down to my husband. It is neat to see a good man, generation after generation.

I do miss my own family, but the beauty of marriage is that you gain even more wonderful family members and it has been fun getting to know them. Well, hope everyone is doing well... and when we get home, I will probably be back to blogging some more. Take care friends.

Clark Casa.

Here is a peek into our new little home... nothing too fancy, just sweet and simple. A place where we can grow as a family and enjoy our loved ones. I don't usually blog about our "stuff" but this is more than just a possession, it is our home-- a safe place for us to call our own. I am grateful for my husband who has provided for me. He is a good man.

Lots of dirt... but lots of time =)

Oh and here's a shot of our adorable nephew Broc-- just because.

Pride.

I know it's a little late for the Independance day blog, but hey... better late than never.

Right now I'm sitting at my little brother Timmy's computer, waiting for my mom and dad to get home so that I can hang with them for a bit while my hubby has some man time playing golf with one of his buddies.

I was just sitting here thinking about how incredibly blessed I am, and how incredibly blessed so many of us are.

I know it's easy in this world we live in to always want the best things.... but if we could just take a step back and really look at what we have, we would probably be blown away with the abundance of blessings God has showered on each one of us, even the non-believers.

My dad constantly reminds me of how blessed we are to be living in this country. Believe me, I am not a big political guru, but I do know that this country is so fortunate compared to so many others in this world. I've never seen someone with more pride for this country than my dad.

One time we were driving in the car and the song by Lee Greenwood came on called "God bless the U.S.A." and my dad had his hand up to his forhead in salute while he was driving and told the rest of us to do the same! Maybe not completely safe but very memorable for me! Sometimes we joke about how cheesy he gets but it is also very admireable.

I was asking my husband the other day, "How do you think God decides which people will be born into such fortunate conditions, and others are born into poverty, and go days without having anything to eat?" It was just a lingering thought that prompted me to thank God again for blessing me with above and beyond what I will ever deserve.

Today, I thank God for running water, a cozy bed, a warm shower in the morning, food to eat, my health, freedom to think and speak the way I want, opportunity for education, and for my amazing family and friends. Sometimes I think of how spoiled I am just to be typing on a computer!

Regardless of my views on the war or our president or future president, I am so very grateful for all of the men and women who give me my freedom. I will forever pray for our troops. Thanks dad, for always telling me how important it is to show my respect for that red, white, and blue flag. And thank you God for blessing us all.

Billy and Adriann.

Well my big brother Billy popped the question last week to his amazing girlfriend (now fiance) Adriann Williams. Many of you don't know Billy and Adriann but my family is so excited about their big news! Adriann is a beautiful, talented young woman with a huge heart and loves my brother so much!

Adriann is now a kindergarden teacher. Before that she worked with autistic children and she was also very involved with Special Olympics in Grand Junction, Colorado. My brother is one lucky man and I couldn't have asked for a better future sister! Besides the one I have already... Domonique (Marcos' sister) who I also love very much!

Congrats Billy and Adriann! I have been praying for this day! And I can't wait to see what God has in store for your future!