GUEST BLOGGER: Sonya Gonzalez

Sonya is a Pastor's wife and a stay-at-home mom to 4 children (2 boys, 2 girls). She and I met at Edgemont Bible Church in Fairview Heights, IL, more than 20 years ago before we each attended college. I always enjoyed her friendship while I attended Edgemont. We recently connected again through Facebook and, after reading an article she wrote, I asked for permission to put it on my blog. Thanks for allowing me to share this, Sonya! 

The Little Things

May 2010

There always seems to be a debate on whether or not God cares about the little things in our lives. Whether or not we should pray for little things that don't seem to matter in the grand scheme of God's plan in the world. Well, I still pray for little things...especially when it comes to my children. One day God confirmed to me that He does care.

My mom and I decided to take Abby and Mason to the aquarium while the little kids were in preschool, to give us some more undistracted time with them.

This was not our first visit to the aquarium...we had been there many times before, and Mason, my 7 yr. old had quickly discovered there were certain aspects of the aquarium he didn't like. The parts where you could touch the creatures or they could touch you. You see, Mason is not really an animal lover. He appreciates them from afar but doesn't care to touch them. Even having dogs doesn't help. He tolerates them, but would be just as happy without them.

Abby, my 10 yr. old, is just the opposite! She loves every animal she sees, even the ugly ones, and wants to keep and take care of them. So when we get to the stingray tank, she is all ready to stick her hand in and pet them or even feed them shrimp when she gets the chance. When we go into the butterfly house, she can't wait for a butterfly to land on her!

Mason knows this and I wonder if it makes him feel inferior to his older sister. But he is also the type of child who will sometimes work to conquer certain things he can't do or personal fears that he has. I love that about

him.

When we got to the stingray tank, he tried. He really did. He would stick his hand in a little, but when the stingray got close, he would pull it out again. I have to admit, it is a little scary, they are so slimy, and all. It takes guts for me to do it. We stayed at the tank awhile, waiting for him to finally pet one. Soon everyone was getting anxious to move on. I told him that we could try again another day. He didn't object too much, and the next stop was the butterfly house.

The last time we went in there, he was afraid. He doesn't like bugs. I guess most boys do, but he is not one of them. All these bugs flying around sometimes landing on you was too much for him. But he was determined that this time would be different.

He told me, "Mom, I want one to land on me today."

"Really, you do? That's great, honey! You can do it!" I tried to encourage him.

We spent lots of time in the butterfly room. He walked around to many different butterflies, holding his fingers out in front of them, trying to get them to crawl on his fingers. I was so proud of him! He really was trying to conquer his fears! Since he didn't pet the stingray, I especially wanted this to work out for him. I didn't want him to feel discouraged the rest of the day.

It was almost time to go, and no butterfly would land on him or crawl onto his hand. "What is up with these butterflies today?" I wondered. "Please God," I had been praying, "please let a butterfly land on him. It means so much to him." I know that might sound silly to a lot of people, but it didn't feel silly at all to pray that. This was a big moment in my little boy's life. And God knew that.

We were about to give up and head out when it happened. A butterfly was on his hand. He was so happy! He walked around the room so proud of his accomplishment. And do you know what? That butterfly would not leave him. It stayed and stayed and stayed longer than I had seen any other butterfly stay on anyone else. My mom and I were amazed.

And in that moment I realized how much God listens to my prayers. And to the heart of my son. He truly cares about my boy. And about what is important to Mason.

Before we left we had to gently get the butterfly to fly away. Mason had conquered something huge that day in his young life. I was able to share with him how Mommy had been praying for him and how God answered my prayer for him. I want him to always remember these moments and realize how much God cares about him and wants to help him have victory in his life. I know sometimes he prays on his own for the little things, and no matter how God chooses to answer him, I pray that his faith will grow more and more in each
moment.

In the little things.

1 Peter 5:7 - "Give ALL your worries and cares to God,
for He cares about what happens to you."

.

Our Song - Still True After 18 Years!

My husband, David, and I were married 18 years ago today. The wedding took place at a small church in the Chicago area - at 6:00 p.m. A cassette tape of beautiful piano music, recorded by my husband’s college roommate, began the ceremony. The last song on the cassette was “Jesus Loves Me.” It played as the mothers and my grandmother were seated.

Following that song came OUR song. It played as my nephews lit the candles, and my brother and brother-in-law rolled out the “white carpet.” It played shortly before the groomsmen, bridesmaids and flower girl made their procession; and before my dad walked me down the aisle, to hand me over to another man.

Our song is not a “religious” song, but a love song released by a popular Country-Western group in the late 1980's. The words are what are most important to us, as they express how our lives have been changed by each other’s love, and how we have committed to love each other for a LIFETIME - through better or worse....

The words were typed out and included as an insert in our wedding bulletin, and I’d like to share them with you here. (To hear and see the actual song performed, you can also click on the title below.)

Restless Heart - I’ll Still Be Loving You

LYRICS:

Changing my life, with your love, Has been so easy for you,

And I'm amazed, every day, and I'll need you

'Til all the mountains are valleys, And every ocean is dry, my love.

I'll be yours until the sun doesn't shine, 'Til time stands still,

Until the winds don't blow. When today is just a memory to me, I know,

I'll still be lovin’, I'll still be lovin’ you. I'll still be lovin’ you.

Never before did I know, How lovin’ someone could be.

Now I can see, you and me, for a lifetime.

Until the last moon is rising, You'll see the love in my eyes, my love.

I'll be yours until the sun doesn't shine, 'Til time stands still,

Until the winds don't blow. When today is just a memory to me, I know,

I'll still be lovin’, I'll still be lovin’ you.

Thankyou to everyone who shared in that day with us, as we made a commitment to love and honor each other for the rest of our lives. 

Thankyou, David, for keeping your promises to me. Happy Anniversary! I love you!

We're Home! ~ Thankyou for your prayers!

We are home from our trip up North. My husband's dad did really well with the surgery. They removed his spleen and 40% of his pancreas, along with the nasty cyst that was attached. We won't know until later what kind of cyst it was. He had almost no bleeding, and they were able to do the surgey laparascopically. He has 4 small incisions and one larger one. The larger one is the most painful, of course. But, the pain has decreased as time has gone by. We are all thankful the surgery was done in the minimum amount of time and there were no complications.

We are glad to be home safe and sound, and thank YOU for your prayers! Please continue to keep them coming. Pray that pneumonia, blood clots, and other complications do not develop. Also, pray for "Mom." She will continue to travel back and forth to the hospital everyday until he is discharged, which is a 45-minute drive one-way, and in big-city traffic. She will need strength and endurance these next few days, and also as she cares for "Dad" back at home.

God bless!
Victoria

P.S. - A BIG thank you to my mom, who traveled with us and took care of the kids so I was able to join my husband and the family at the hospital. It was really great to have you along, Mom. I appreciate it so much! Also, thankyou to Dad for bringing her to us and picking her back up. Love you both!
.

Prayer Request for My Father-in-Law

I’d like to ask for everyone to pray for my father-in-law. This Friday morning, he will be undergoing a tricky surgery to remove a cyst on his pancreas. Please pray for guidance of the doctor’s hands, no complications, and a speedy recovery.

Also pray for the family for traveling mercies, as well peace during the waiting process of this lengthy surgery.

My mother will be staying with the kids while my husband and I join the rest of the family. This will be a great help to me!

I will update you as I am able.  Thankyou!

Should We Get Used to Disappointment?

One of my favorite movies from the late 1980's is The Princess Bride. For those of you who don’t know, it's a humorous “fairy tale” about a young woman who is being forced to marry a prince, while her true love does whatever is necessary to keep that from happening. There is a theme of vengeance in the movie, as well as one bad word. So, I would caution allowing children to watch it without the parents. But, for those of you who enjoy a goofy love story, filled with action and adventure, this is the one!

There is a scene in the movie (you can watch it below) where two of the main characters are having a sword fight. In this scene, they meet for the first time and, during the “chatty” fight, they have a conversation that goes like this...

“Who are you?”
“No one of consequence.”
“I must know.”
“Get used to disappointment.”
“Ok.”



The scene usually brings a lot of laughs. However, the last time I watched it (we own the DVD), it got me to thinking about disappointments. As long as we live in this world, we are going to experience them. So, should we just get used to them and not let them bother us at all? That could solve a lot of our problems, couldn’t it? After all, if we were to get used to them, we would be less likely to become discouraged and depressed. So, is that the answer?

No, its not....

While there is something to be said about not letting the “little things” get you down, it is practically impossible for anyone to become so used to disappointment that it will not affect them at all. If it didn’t affect us, we would be heartless and unfeeling robots - not human beings. So, rather than getting used to disappointment, we should instead get used to having the Lord by our side, carrying us through those difficult times.

Through all the ups and downs of life, God is there right along side us. When we are happy, he is happy along with us. When we are disappointed, he is there for us to pour our hearts out to. The key, I would say, to keeping those disappointments from moving us into “the pit of despair,” is not to ignore them, but to trust in the Lord and realize He has our best interests at heart. He is able to take our disappointments and use them as growing experiences while, hopefully, drawing us closer to Himself.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (NAS)

Isn't is funny how we can learn something from a goofy love story?
.

"Embracing Your Second Calling" - Bourke

I recently joined Book Sneeze, through Thomas Nelson Publishers and, as a member of this group, I am able to choose a complimentary book to have sent to me. In return, I am obligated to write an honest review of the book on my blog. So, I've been busy these past few weeks, reading a new book. 

This first book I chose was “Embracing Your Second Calling” by Dale Hanson Bourke.

It is geared towards women over the age of 40 but, more importantly, for those who are now without children and/or a husband in the home to care for. In other words, those who are in an “empty nest.” As the back of the book says, the author “challenges women to respond to God’s call specifically for this season of life and offers practical ideas for finding new meaning.”

My children are still quite young at the ages of 11 and 7, so this book did not completely apply to me. However, I was still able to glean some helpful insight. I especially enjoyed the way the author incorporated the book of Ruth (the story of Naomi) into this book. It was almost like a study guide for me, in that regard. She had a lot of interesting facts and insights about this book of the Bible that I hadn’t thought about before.

I would recommend this book to women who are entering middle age or have been there for awhile, especially if your children are grown (or mostly grown), or to someone who is trying to determine her purpose for living during the 2nd half of her life.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE REVIEWS

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THOMAS NELSON AND SEE A PREVIEW OF THE BOOK
.

A Meal for Daddy

It doesn’t take much to get a child excited about encouraging or helping someone else in a special way. Earlier this week, I had some excitement in my voice when I asked the kids, “Hey, would you like to help me make one of Daddy’s favorite meals?” Of course, they said YES! I believe there were two reasons for that...

(1) They knew we would be having some fun, quality time in the kitchen...working with our hands, spending time together, learning how to cook, and don’t forget taste testing everything that we make.

(2) They also knew we would be doing something special for their Daddy, whom they love and want to please.

So, with all that in mind, we set up to begin making Baked Spaghetti.... First, the kids sliced some green olives while I boiled a pot of water.

Once the olives were done, the kids helped put the spaghetti into the pot. Then, we prepared the baking pan and found the other ingredients we would need. After draining the cooked spaghetti, they both helped mix in the sauce and olives. The mixture was poured into a large baking pan, then the kids had fun sprinkling cheese all over the top (and mushrooms only on half, since Daddy is the only one who likes them. Yuck!).

Then, wahlah! We were done! The only thing left was to allow it time to bake in the oven, ready to be eaten when Daddy got home from work. Well.... aside from washing the dishes - and the kids actually did most of that as well! Our son will do anything if he gets the chance to play in the water. Ha!

The kids were so happy about the job they did, and were excited to tell Daddy what we were having for supper. By making one of his favorite meals, they took the time to not only TELL their daddy they loved him, but to also SHOW him. I know it was satisfying for them to see their daddy was pleased with his meal. It was also satisfying for me to have given my husband some positive attention after a hard day at work.

Doing something special for someone doesn’t have to happen only on a holiday or special occasion. It can (and should) happen OFTEN throughout the year.

1 John 3:18 – Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (NIV)

.

Hide Thou Me

I know I’m not alone when I quote this phrase from a favorite old gospel hymn, Hide Thou Me:

Sometimes I feel discouraged,
and I think my work’s in vain.

I’m tempted oft(en) to murmur,
to grumble and complain.

Sound familiar? Life can be so hard sometimes, can’t it? And, it can be just as hard to refrain from grumbling and complaining about it. This phrase has been on my mind more times than I can count, especially during these past few months. But, thankfully, this is not how it has to end. The next phrase of the song says:

But, then I think of Jesus and all He’s done for me.

Then I cry, “Oh, Rock of Ages, hide Thou me.”

God never said we would be exempt from difficult times. However, He did promise to be with us every step of the way. So, instead of complaining about WHY life is so hard, and WHY God hasn’t eased our discomfort, we should be taking refuge in Him, allowing Him to shelter us from the storms. It is only then that peace will come from within. 

Psalm 18:2 - The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

There are many hymns that have been written around the Lord being our rock. The traditional hymn Rock of Ages was written by Augustus M. Toplady in 1776, when he took refuge among some limestone rocks in England, during a violent thunderstorm. He was the author of several different hymns, but Rock of Ages seems to have been the most popular of them all.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me

Let me hide myself in Thee.

Click here for the tune, lyrics, and more info on this hymn:

ROCK OF AGES

Later in the 1800's, Fanny Crosby, another popular hymn writer, wrote the first version of Hide Thou Me, which also talks about our refuge in the “Rock of Ages.”

In Thy cleft, O Rock of Ages, hide Thou me!

When the fitful tempest rages, hide Thou me!

Where no mortal arm can sever

From my heart Thy love forever,

Hide me, O Thou Rock of Ages, safe in Thee!

Click here for the tune, lyrics, and more info on this hymn:
HIDE THOU ME - Fanny Crosby

In 1926, another version of Hide Thou Me (mentioned at the start) was written by L.R. Tolbert and Thoro Harris. I had a difficult time finding information around this song, but did find it has been recorded by several musical artists throughout the years, including Elvis Presley, The Cathedrals, Iris Dement, The Melody Boys Quartet, and many others. My guess is it’s because people can relate to this song in a personal way. It lets us know we are not alone in feeling discouraged, but also gives us hope and reassurance during the trials we face.

The version of Hide Thou Me which I have enjoyed the most over these past few months is sung by The Gaither Vocal Band from their album, “I Do Believe.” This video below shows them singing the hymn with great harmony and passion. Enjoy!

 



The Life of a Flower

With Spring under way, we are seeing beautiful flowers popping up all around us. I thought this would be the perfect time to share this little story I wrote in my younger years. Keep in mind as you read it, I am not much of a flower expert, and I don't believe I've ever actually seen a green flower. But, there is a point to the story, I promise. Read through it to the end and you will see what I mean....

THE LIFE OF A FLOWER

Once there was a blue flower that sat all alone in a big field. It was an old flower, yet very beautiful. It had a lot of exciting stories to share with anyone who wanted to listen. But, no one was interested in the old flower's stories. So, there it sat with all it's beauty, neglected and alone.

In another part of the field, there was a little yellow flower. This flower also sat alone, but for different reasons. It was a late bloomer and no one thought it had any value. Everyone who passed by would either ignore it or taunt it. The yellow flower grew very lonely and began to wilt with sorrow.

One day, someone came along and noticed the two flowers. He cared about both of them and decided to do something to help them. Very gently, he uprooted the blue flower, carried it over to the yellow flower, then replanted it. He hoped the two would keep each other company and become close friends.

Right away, the blue flower wanted to become friends and started telling it's stories to the little yellow flower. At first, the yellow flower was skeptical and wondered why something so beautiful wanted anything to do with it. As time went by, the yellow flower became more trusting. Soon, it loved every inch of the blue flower's petals and wanted to hear the same stories over and over again. Yes, the yellow flower finally allowed the blue flower to reach out and touch it's heart. When that happened, the yellow flower changed to a lovely shade of green and began to bloom and grow. The flowers were never alone from that day on.

(Now, go back and read the story again. But, this time, think of the blue flower as being the Bible, God's holy Word.)

-Victoria L. Stankus
.

Worthy of Praise at Any Time of the Year

Last Sunday was Easter Sunday (also known as Resurrection Day). My family and I had a very nice day as we celebrated what the Lord has done for us, and especially the empty tomb. Because of what He has done for us, because of His victory in overcoming sin and death, our Lord is worthy of glory, honor and praise at ANY time of the year - not just at Easter - even during those times when we are feeling overwhelmed and discouraged by the things we are dealing with in this life.

Chris Tomlin wrote this song (below) to help us know we can praise and worship the Lord, even during our deepest, darkest moments in life. The grave has been emptied and, because of that, we have the greatest hope of a new life to come.

Take a moment to worship now, and to thank Him for His love for you....



.