What I've Been Doing....

Well, well, well....It has been nearly two weeks since I last posted and I must say that I've got nothing people! Now that I can not post pics of my niece and nephew...blogging is just not as fun. I guess that I could still write about what fun things they do when they are here but I just cannot put the pics up :(....so sad....
So what have I been doing for the last 2 weeks? Pretty much NOTHING! I have diligently worked on my Esther study (summer bible study for Big Valley Grace) and have watched my niece K and nephew C a few times. I have to say that my little niece does not seem to enjoy being at Aunt Bethany's house....she just cries and cries and cries...so much so that today I had to call her parents to come and pick her up. I don't get it....she is so clingy. You who are parents, can you relate to this? K is 11 months old (on the 4th) and seems to be in a very clingy stage. I don't know if it has anything to do with the fact that my SIL had some trouble with post partum depression a few months back and was away from the kids for a week or so. Think that maybe that could have affected my niece in a detrimental way. Sad for me to think that no one is immune to pain in this life not even a 11 month old baby. But thank the good Lord that He is in control and that He knows all and works all things out for the good of those who love him. And my SIL does love him very much.
School starts back up in 3 weeks and I am so NOT ready! Where did the summer go??!! It was not this short when I was a kid! I hope that my students will quickly fall back into the swing of things and that this year will go more smoothly than the last. I am sad that I will be losing my right hand girl Nicole....she is getting married in October and will be moving to North Carolina so is definately consumed with all things wedding right now. It made no sense for her to come back to work for a few weeks only to take the month of September off anyway. So...your prayers for my group are welcomed! I know that I am starting with 9 kiddos for sure (they are preschool age autism). That is a rather high number to start the year off with and I know that I have at least 3 who are going to be very challenging. I want to get off to a good start though so am brainstorming ways to work all things out. How can I best serve the children and their families yet still maintain boundaries with my personal life. This was a big problem for me last year as I found myself giving WAY MORE than I should have to my job. I want to be balanced in my life and I know that when I give anything more time, effort, devotion, and commitment, than I give to the Lord, I will suffer. Don't want a repeat!
Let's see, what else have I been doing??....I attended the walk for AIDS in San Francisco last weekend. My church's missions ministry goes each year to minister and lend support to those impacted by this awful disease. It was an amazing experience! Wonderful fellowship with new friends from church and just amazing to see how many people are affected or feel need to be in support of such a cause! Of course, because we were in SF...I did get to see some, shall we call them,... characters??!!!!! I'll spare you the details but I bet you your wildest imaginations is what I saw!!! Only in San Francisco...and I love being a California girl so I would not trade it for the world! Total different ball game being a Christian in liberal California :) (beth moore even mentioned that at her event in San Jose a month ago!)
That's pretty much all that I've been up to lately! I have some pics that I will post soon but for now...gotta head to bed!
Nighty Night all!

Women of Faith 2009

Wow...2 women's events in a row! This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Women of Faith conference in San Jose, Ca. with some of the ladies from Big Valley. This was the 3rd WOF conference that I've been to and I loved it as always! I just love hearing the ladies share about their lives in absolute openness and from their heart. My favorite this year was Marilyn Meberg and Lisa Whelchel. Interestingly enough...I did not get a photo of either of these ladies!


Nicole C. Mullen with one of her guys doing her thing! This girl is so amazing with her talent in singing and dancing but her love for the Lord is just contagious! I've loved seeing her the last few times.


All the girls dancing with her. The one performance that I loved was The Hem of His Robe (think that is what the song is called!). She performed it with this group of girls and it just touched my soul. If you've ever seen her perfom it you know what I am talking about!


Anita Renfroe...the new Grandma! She was so excited to share that she became a grandma last week and showed pics of her new little guy! So very cute. I love Anita's humor and ability to bring many laughs to tired women!


Patsy Clairmont shared a story with us about her experience on her new red scooter, affectionally nicknamed Firefly (although it was definatly not small and cute but big and intimidating!). I love how Patsy shares stories...so much sweetness and silliness. It was extra special this year because she shared her heart pain of losing her sweet friend of 50 years, Carol, to cancer. My heart broke for Patsy's loss and I found the tears flowing freely.



Natalie Grant with her husband on the keyboard. I love Natalie's music so it was a great treat to hear her. She overflows with passion for the Lord and I can see why she is such a hit with the teen girls at the Revolve Tour. She had her little girls, Bella and Grace at the event. They are oh...so cute!

Our Women's Director, Connie Grover, her daughter in law Amber and Amber's mom (can't remember her name). I had a great time getting to know some of the ladies from Big Valley like Connie and Amber. I look forward to spending more time in fellowship with them!

Sonna, Me, and Gail. I had the great opportunity to room with Sonna and Colleen for the event and it was so much fun getting to talk with them and get to know them better. Gail is a sweet lady too. I was delighted to find out that she works in Special Education too! Intereresting how God places people in my circle who I can completely connect with!

My BVG sisters: Gail, Colleen, Sonna, Connie, and Me!

The weekend was marked by wonderful new memories and sweet fellowship!

Thank you Lord for how you bless me in sweet meaningful ways!

LPL Stockton

This past Friday and Saturday I had the awesome privilige to attend the Living Proof Live event at the Stockton Arena to hear first hand my favorite bible teacher, Beth Moore.

The conference was amazing! The fellowship with my sisters in Christ was also sweet to my soul.

Here I am with my roomies Kay and Julie. We were quite blessed to get a room close to the event center however, we got absolutely no sleep Friday night! (partly due to the smokey conditions of the smoking room and the inability to stop talking!). It was a comfort when Beth shared Saturday morning that she did not sleep either...


Loved the yellow jacket that Beth wore on Friday night...she is always attentive to important things like hair and clothes! But never more than making sure that people get a fresh revelation from God!


A precious long time friend and some new friends....Julie, Sue, Robin, and Tracy


As Julie and I chatted over the weekend, we figured out that we've shared a close friendship for the last 11 years...I thank God for her! She has blessed my life in so many ways.


Part of our group shot...me, Julie, Cheryl, don't know this sisters name, Sue, Robin, and Tracy.



The theme was "From Bridezilla to Bride: A 7-Step Makeover".
Beth taught from Revelation 19 about the wedding feast of the Lamb. I love her teaching regardless of what she chooses to teach but this lesson impacted me so deeply. It was very personal and God spoke tenderly to my heart through Beth's messages.
Here are the 7 points on how to go from Bridezilla to Bride

1. Have a Fresh Fear of God: Rev. 19:4 talks about the 24 elders and 4 living creatures that are praising God. We are taught to reverence God in such a way that we retain the mystery of revelation. One thing that Beth said was that God is not just into property but into people.
2. The Thrill of Gathering: Rev. 19:1, 4, 5, 6 listed all those in attendance at the wedding feast of the Lamb. All in attendance are focused on worshipping the Lord. One interesting thing that I learned was that the redeemed are louder than the angels in the worsip and shouts. Another main point that Beth stressed on was the importance of diversity in the body. We were challenged not to get hung up on the non-essentials but rather, to embrace diversity and to guard against narcicism.
3. The Glee of Brideship: Rev. 19: 7 Let us rejoice and be glad. This phrase is only used 2 times in the scriptures. The other occurrence is in Matthew 5:12. It is a salutation that simply means "happy". The word glad denotes excessive joy, dancing, leaping. So rejoice and be glad is joyfully greeting the body of Christ in happiness. Moreso, it is being this way with the Lord. Major truth that Beth shared that I want to remember: THIS TURNS OUT WELL!
4. Recapture the Hope of Romance: Psalm 45:11 says "The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord." Other scriptures used that solidified this point were Ecclesiastes 3:11-eternity is set in the hearts of men, Hosea 2:14-20-bethrothal to God forever, Ephesians 5:31-32-it is a mystery, 2 Cor. 4-outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. Main point: THIS IS OUR FUTURE, IT IS NOT A FAIRYTALE!
5. The Priority of Purity: 2 Cor. 6:17 says that he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 1 John 1:9 says that our confession of our sins will result in His forgiveness and the restoration of our purity. Beth encourages us to BELIEVE GOD ABOUT YOURSELF. And that instead of trying to regain innocence, go for integrity instead. Trust that Jesus Christ can change your habits! Remember we are pure in Him.
6. The Anticipation of Arrival: Matthew 3:16-17. Heaven was opened at Jesus's baptism and he saw the Spirit of God. No human has seen visible manifestation of the Lord and lived. Rev. 19:11 shows us that we will see. It says that the writer of the revelation saw heaven opened and a rider on a white horse called Faithful and True (Jesus).
7. The Power of His Name: Rev. 19:11-16-Faithful and True. He will act in justice for those who love him. Eyes like fire (burning into you like they can look into your very soul...he can). Many crowns on his head signified his power over all. Kings back in time were pictured with as many crowns on their head as empires they ruled. Our King of Kings is the head of all! He also has a name that no one knows. This is so wonderful because there is a name that he will be known by that no one can slander. Rev. 2:17 says that we also have a name that we do not know and is not associated with any of our sinful state. The Word of God (logos: pronounced lawgaus), He will overcome all evil simply by speaking. Powerful! The final name is KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Full representation of our adoration of him. Beth made a final point that while appreciation is biblical, adoration is for God alone.

Bethie teaching....amazing how much energy, enthusiasm, and excitement wells up in this TINY woman! It was an amazing weekend! I will be forever impacted and changed.

Michael Jackson

I just have to say that it was an utter shock to hear this afternoon, via text from my 14 year old cousin and later confirmed by every news station known to man, that Michael Jackson died this afternoon from an aparent heart attack in his home in LA.
I loved Michael Jackson's music from the time I was a little girl. I remember clearly one Christmas, (I think that I was around 10 years old), I got a book full of pictures of Michael Jackson. I loved it to say the least! I had cassette tapes and records of Michael's music. My favorites were Bad, Billie Jean, and Thriller. You guys remember those songs??!!
As I got older my love for music by Michael Jackson diminished but never went completely away. I tended to follow him and his music less and less as the years went on. Especially after I became a Christian and started listening to Christian music more than rock or country. But I paid attention to the news stories that he was always a part of. His marriage to Lisa Marie Presley shocked me, then that picture of him holding his baby over the ledge freaked me out as well as the rest of the world. The allegations and publicity about his supposed scandalous behavior at his Never Land Ranch broke my heart. I actually felt sorry for him during that time.
I don't know...having celebrity status sometimes appears to be so wonderful....we all think of the money, the fame, the attention but in the end...it does nothing to stop the fact that we all have an appointment with facing our own mortality. Today Michael breathed his last here on Earth...I can only hope that at some point in his life he responded to the Lord's call and love for him and is in Eternity this very minute.
My prayers go out for his family at this time.

Strawberry Delight and God's Delights

This is so yummy! I had to share with you...this recipe is from my friend Julie (who got it from one of the ladies in her bible study). Thanks Julie!


All it is is 1 container of marshmallow cream whipped together with 1 block of lowfat cream cheese (got to go with the lowfat because you can really eat way to many of them!...my tummy kind of hurts now..have not been able to get off the cream cheese even though I am slightly lactose intolerant!)


This is a little yard decoration that is in my back yard. Very good reminder for me that we do not walk by sight...but by faith! Lord, help me to remember.


My newest pics to go into my God's Delight book...I absolutely LOVE getting these types of photos. It helps change my mood when need be...

This pretty flower is my Hydrangea...it makes me think of my mom because it is called an Hortencia in Portuguese and Spanish (I think)...that's her name :)



These next 2 are already in my little book but I was playing around with my Memory Manager 3 program and figured out that I could add and delete color! That program is so much fun!

Muffins, Snails, and Dirty Little Feet

Okay...so I have not been around for a few days! I have been reading all of your blogs as I am lazying around the house enjoying my first week home on summer vacation! This is one of the BEST perks of being a teacher!

What follows is a photo story of what I have done over the last 24 hours....My nephew, now to be referred to as Bean in order to protect his anonymity, spent the night with me last night and we had so much fun! I love having him over because life is just different through the eyes of a 3 year old!

So the first pic is what we did this morning...that would be making banana chocolate muffins! (I will post the recipe at the end of this post...it is SO EASY!). They are soooo yummy! But of course Bean is a little bit picky with his eating habits so Aunt Bethi had to eat them by herself!

Here Bean is pointing out which muffin he wants to eat....Did he eat it? Of course not! Thank you God that he LIKES his gummy vitamins....the way that child eats, he needs them! (Course...banana chocolate muffins are not the healthiest choice for breakfast either but I'm the aunt not the mommy!)


Last night Bean was checking out a leaky spot by my water faucet...it is hard to see but there is a snail that he was playing with in the water....he was fascinated by it but funny enough, he also was a bit afraid. I tried to get him to touch it but he kept saying "no...it bite me". I tried to tell him that snails don't have teeth (as far as I know....I've never been bitten by one) but he would have nothing to do with the whole thing! At one point he did say that he wanted to kill it! I said "no, the snail is one of God's creatures!". It was so cute!

And this my friends...is a photo of the ridiculously dirty feet of my little string Bean! I got him these new flip flops and a pair of cool sunglasses to match at the Disney Store....(great buy: 2.99 for the flip flops and 3.99 for the glasses!) He lived in these flip flops the entire 24 hours (somehow he came to me with 3 pairs of flip flops for only a 24 hour visit!) and would not take them off! I had a pair of brown ones that matched better with his outfit today and I TRIED to convince him to wear those but he INSISTED on wearing the "owenge" ones!

Another highlight of the little visit is that Bean stayed dry the entire 24 hours that he was with me! YEAHHHHHHH!!!!! He is trying to get potty trained so that he can go to preschool and is doing pretty good (except for thinking that poop is supposed to happen on his back patio). I only had to wash poop out of his superman underwear 1 time last night (and hose him off in the front yard...what a sight!) but then he stayed dry and poop free!

Okay ladies...I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!

Praying for you and asking the Lord to work mightily in your lives!

Here's the recipe for the banana muffins :)

One Pan Banana Bread (Courtesy of my friend Robin)

1/3 cup vegetable oil (I use olive oil and it works out fine)

3 large mashed bananas

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup egg beaters (or 3 eggs)

2 1/3 cup bisquick

1 cup sugar

1/2 bag semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350*. Grease loaf pan or muffin pan. Stir all ingredients until well blended. Bake 55-65 minutes for loaf. Bake 25-30 minutes for muffins. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on baking racks. Enjoy warm!

Last Weekend in Pics

Pics of my family...brother Marc, me, Grandma C., Lorie, and Ashley

The Cortez sisters and brother: Irma, Mary, Jr., Hortencia, and Olivia

Cole took this picture of me and my Grandma C. Not bad for a 3 year old!

Kendra made this BEAUTIFUL and yummy fruit basket...isn't it lovely?! I told her that she shoud take orders and sell them!

The following pics are just fun things that I shot while waiting for my family to return from the cemetery....

My moms wine barrel water fountain...I love this thing, it is so peaceful to sit near it and hear the water running. Funny thing, my nephew Cole was washing his face out of it on Sunday!

My parents place is full of old, large oak trees. Here is one that I was awed by because of its enormous size....this pic will definately get into my God's Delight book.

I'm constantly on the lookout for cool little creatures or beautiful flowers to document the delight that God brings me in His creation. I had been thinking this particular morning that it would be so great if I could get a pic of a lizard but wasn't sure if I'd see one. In God's amazing timing, and because of His great love...He caused one to crawl right in front of me....so amazing!

This pic was one that I took Sunday morning....had some trouble sleeping so got up to see the sunrise....

Pretty flowers....God never fails to delight me in the beauty of his flowers!