Seeking

In my last blog, I shared that my in-laws had to move back into the house my husband and I were renting. Almost two years ago, while our two boys were warming up for a soccer game, my husband and I saw a garage sale across the street that I had to check out – you know what I’m talking about. While there, Rick and I began talking to a husband and his wife. Next thing you know, we’re asked to tour their house next door that they had just built. Not to mention, they began sharing details about their life, faith and the wife even gave me her cell phone number. And in talking with her husband, he mentioned his intention was to rent out their old house. Fast forwarding, as my husband and I began exploring housing options, my husband asked me a few times to call "the wife". I dragged my feet and thought: they won’t remember us; we’ll find something else; or my husband will forget. Let’s just drive by, I told him, finally. Boy was I wrong! On a normal Tuesday evening, my hu...

Context: 2018 was a  year like no other  – went to court twice for custody matters, laid off from my job, interviewed 11 times for 6 different positions, my sister moved out over the summer, and on the eve of the week of Thanksgiving, my in-laws moved back into the house my husband and I had been renting for two years. So sets the scene... Who doesn’t like to be on a warm cozy couch, snuggled up in a blanket on a cold night? While I don’t do that often, I sure do savor those moments! The word “comfortable” is defined as support, ease, relaxation and as is needed. But  everything in   moderation , right? In terms of life,  getting too comfortable is debilitating . The moment things switch around, anxiety and fear can cripple anyone. I had my share of moments in 2018 alone. When I pray, I typically utilize the acronym ACTS [1] . Last year, I was thanking God for our house, asking to keep us here or move us when and where he desires. On our way to a marria...

In the month of September 2017, my husband and I received a promo for three free days and two nights at a hotel in Henderson, Nevada. The Sunday before our trip, I remember receiving an update on my phone that there was a shooting in Las Vegas. Details trickled in. October 1, 2017 was the Route 91 Harvest music festival where 58 were murdered and almost 900 more were injured. My husband and I took a step back to pray and consider whether it would be safe/wise to go. Not long after, we came to the understanding that people would be hurting and in need of encouragement – so we went to love on, talk to, uplift and pray with the people of and in Las Vegas. It was our first “mission vacation.” Fast forward to September 2018, we received the same offer. Immediately, I knew we were called to go, and, this time, we knew how to share the “gospel.” No coincidence, the weekend that was available was the first anniversary of the shooting. Our concern for this trip was finances. But we w...

Two months post Dallas Harvest America, the anticipation was swirling as the 39 th annual Harvest Crusade neared. Again, my husband, Rick, and I were asked if we would join our two boys, Jacob and Zachary, with the SWAT team. (Finances had yet to improve. In fact, they got worse, but the Lord continued to provide for our every need, including the costs for Jacob’s Summer High School Church Camp and the trip…again!) As was the case in "Waiting to Say Yes: Dallas," it was not an issue if I was called to go. This time, it was a matter of if we would be physically able to go. Cost aside, there were spiritual attacks that surfaced to prevent two of us from attending about two weeks prior and then directly on one, three days prior and even during the first day of the trip. No surprise. But God’s will always prevails . On the morning of day one, I read through 1 Corinthians Chapter 2 where it is packed FULL of power and truth. In sum, when we share with others, the messa...

I am thirty-one years old, and I began attending “SWAT” (Students with a Testimony) in February 2018. Two weeks earlier, Rick, my husband, and I dropped off our two sons, Jacob (going on 16) and Zachary (13) to attend for their first time. After asking them about their experience, my husband and I began talking, and the question came up, why are we not going? Neither of us could come up with a valid excuse, other than our age, but, rather, we came up with a list of reasons why we should go. Thirty minutes of worship. Thirty minutes of teaching on apologetics (how to defend your faith). Head to witnessing location, which is typically Tyler Mall. Men are paired or grouped up with other men, as is the case with women. One by one, each group disperses into the mall, praying, seeking whom the Lord would have hear the message of the full gospel – we are sinners, separated from a perfect and holy God; but he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross, pay for our sins and rise from the...

Have you ever heard the question: just wait until you have kids or you’re married? I have yet to hear these in positive contexts. Mainly, it’s been a discouragement. And most often, it’s been followed up with, your life will be over. Not too long, but my husband and I are going on four years of marriage, and my life is not over (but my life as I know it could have been – more below). The contrary, my life is new! Our bond is stronger than ever, and I am beyond thankful I waited to marry Rick Valadez. Going back to when I was 20 years old, I was dating this man, and I did what I swore as a "Christian woman" I would never do while dating. I had sex before marriage. You see, I accepted as fact that Jesus was born and came to die to forgive me of my sins (much like a fire insurance policy) and make me morally good and blessed. But,  while I thought I was forgiven of my sins, I continued walking in and towards them . I was ready to walk down the aisle with him, but almost ...

Our SWAT team is back from our mission with the Harvest Crusade in Anaheim 2018.  The mission was fruitful, productive, exciting, encouraging, physically/mentally/emotionally draining, spiritually invigorating.  There was spiritual warfare, laughter, tears, joy, intense prayer, unity, and a laser focus on the guidance of the Holy Spirit to share the love and hope of Jesus Christ.  Hopefully, some of these words will enable you to picture the AWESOME work God did in Anaheim this week August 16-19. Where to start…which story to tell you about… they were all diverse, unique, and divinely appointed.  Let me start by telling you that God allowed our team to bring 63 people to a commitment or re-commitment to Christ.  Additionally, keep in mind that the majority of the time our team was successful in sharing the gospel and leaving people with something to consider.  It reminded me of a passage I read recently in my devo, 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, where some pl...

A fellow Swatian and I were walking back from lunch at the a mall in Dallas Texas. I was late Saturday afternoon and about to wrap up our day.  When we see this young African American man from afar sitting on a white bench alone.  As we get closer we notice he’s sharply dressed, wearing a navy blue suite, red tie and has his earbuds on.  He’s tuned out on what’s going on, but as we approach, My Swatian cohort engages the young man and we introduce ourselves to him.  Anthony was his name, he was 25 and was very warm and welcoming.  We told him about harvest America and invited him to come out to the event.  He hadn’t heard of the event so we began to share what the event was about.  There was going to be a concert with a couple of Christian bands and following that our pastor was going to be sharing the gospel. We explained that he was going to be talking about God, and his Son Jesus.  How he sent his one and only son on a rescue mission to ...