God's wonderful grace to start of the year

Hi All,

God is so great! He has carried me through and walked with me during some very low valleys. If you want to know just how much He has done for me over the past many years and see the vision he placed in my heart, please visit my website at www.riversofgraceministry.org. I am so grateful to have a new start in 2008! The last year has been a tough one at times, but has been so much better than year's past. I have grown so much in my walk with God, decluttering my life, and trying to set my priorities in order. That is often hard to do. Setting our priorities in order. There is sooooo much that I want to do, so much that I want to give or share, and some very basic things God has set on my heart. Unfortunately in this world, it is often hard to do those things as we are so busy with just doing the daily things required for survivial.

I have been a single mom since my son was conceived over 16 years ago. My parents died when I was younger as did my grandparents, so it has been the two of us and some cousins here in San Antonio since 1992. It has been a hard road, sometimes impossible, but made a bit better by God and His grace. Just because you are a Christian does not mean life will be rosy all the time. In fact we can count on having trials and struggles. But with God carrying us or walking right along side us, life can be a little easier. Since all of my time and energy has been focused on raising my son, my health and myself has always been last. Over the years of rushing around with college, work, trying to be supermom, I have put on an astonishing amount of 140 pounds. My busy lifestyle is the main culprit, as well as, late night dinners and drive thru's. Every year the pounds have crept up until to my horror recently, I have had to face the harsh realities and numbers (both on the scale and with blood sugar,etc.). Praise God for a New year! I have discovered Weight Watchers and am now learning the tools and information I need to choose wisely and eat more nurtitious and smaller meals, more times a day. Instead of only eating a microwave lunch or one from a fast food place about 11:30AM and then getting home around 7PM and being ravenous and tired that a trip by the drive thru was in order (can you imagine the havoc I was creating in my body going that long without eating and then having junk food) I now can eat many different things, just smaller portions and wiser choices. With the help of Weight Watchers and God's grace I know that by next year I will be down to my goal weight. What a fantastic achievement to look forward to!!!!!

God has given me a heart for hurting people. I was in an abusive marriage, moved to a new city in 1991, was alone & virtually homeless AND pregnant in 1992, started college and work soon after my son was born, and have been through all the hardships and heartaches that come along with all of that. My heart cries out for those women who have been abused or abandoned and for children who have no one. I have a burden in my heart for those people and God has given me a vision to help in some way which is why I started Rivers of Grace. Of course, because of the day to day grind and the responsibility associated with being a single mom and a public school teacher, graduate student, and part-time work, Rivers of Grace tends to be put on the back burner until I have a moment to spend quiet time with it and setting goals for the present and future. Another category of people God has given me a burden for is orphans. I want to adopt someday, but know that right now is not the time. I can do other things to help these groups of people, but I do still have more to get straight before I can actually proceed with the bigger vision. God DOES answer our prayers...He may say Yes, He may say No, He may say Slow (not the right time, take it slow), or He may say Grow (we need to grow some more first). Because of the continued burden on my heart, I know God has not said No. However, I do need to grow and take it slow. In otherwords, I still need to get my house in order, help my son finish school and get into college, reset some of my employment priorities first.

I saw the San Antonio Living Show today and there was a family on there who hosts orphans from the Ukraine. OHH...that really grabbed my heart!!! Thinking of kids who are alone always does. Children should never have to be alone in this life. Check out their website if you are interested in making a difference in the life of an orhpaned child. You can check out graceadoptionministry.com or godsspecialkids.org for more information. Well, I must go and do some more tasks that are on my list of jobs during the holiday break. School will be starting again on Monday and so will the very hectic daily race! Be blessed as you start this new year!