Sick!

So the little boy has been sick a lot lately. His throat lining must be so thin, it gets scratched easily. Just when I thought we were finally off the nebulizer, the nanny tells me I need to get more Ventolin because he has started coughing again. All he had were mangoes. And he was fine that day. I'm thinking, allergies? I hope not. He loves mangoes!

We haven't been back to see the kids' pediatrician in months. I know, I know, I'm a bad mom. I am blessed to have a doctor/surgeon for a neighbor though, (Hi, Rin and Doc!) and he's my go-to person when it comes to small medical issues. Thank you, Lord, for Doc A!

Hmmm... why do some doctors charge an arm and a leg for services anyway? Just last month, with the Measles outbreak scare, I had called another pediatrician's office (reco'd by a friend) to ask if the kids can go get their shots. I was quoted a whopping amount for it! I need to give up a month's worth of groceries just to get my kids' boosters updated! And to think the neighborhood health centers are giving those shots out for free. I need to seriously invest in Health Insurance. Argh! It's so hard when you're the sole provider. You have to give up one thing to have another.

My mom says health is a great investment, and I shouldn't even think twice when spending for it. You only live once, right? My emergency fund has been put to good use last year. I just hope none of the kids get anything serious this year.

Speaking of doctors, here's a doctor I'm sure your kids love! And she's part of this week's giveaway! Why yes, it's DOC MCSTUFFINS! I know, I'm a few days late (I had to search the attic for it), but better late than... well, next week. LOL!

WIN THIS DOC MCSTUFFINS PURSE!

I sold toys for Christmas last year (a breadwinner's gotta do what a breadwinner's gotta do). This bag came from the second batch of toys my aunt sent from the US. This is original Doc McStuffins merchandise from toysrus.com! Anyway, I've always wanted to use one for a giveaway (given the lack of Doc McStuffins merch in the Philippines), plus I thought it fits the post. The giveaway will end on Monday night, February 24, at 1159PM. I will announce the winner the next day. This giveaway is open to anyone with a Philippine address.

How to join? Just follow what the Rafflecopter app tells you to do. The more options you follow, the more entries you earn.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Invest for FREE!

What a great weekend! We had an extra long celebration for A, who turned ten last Saturday. Yes, ten! Where did all those years go?

After a long Friday at the office, A and I finally got to catch Hunger Games. I haven't read the book (I started reading Saturday) so I didn't quite know what to expect. Turns out the story line was too disturbing for A (Yes, I've been hiding under a rock and didn't bother reading reviews) and I wasn't quite prepared with her death questions. But God makes all things beautiful! He meant that movie for good. On the way home, I took her Qs as an opportunity to discuss eternity and salvation, and how a relationship with Jesus was necessary for her to overcome death. A has been attending Kids Church and her foundation, although fairly new (a few years), is pretty solid. But our talk about the movie (and a clearer view of how it is to die, yes, thanks to Hunger Games O_o) made her realize what all those Sunday service messages meant. I thank God for the chance to discuss this further with A! What an answered prayer!

Do you pray for your kids? Your loved ones? Do you pray for their salvation? God promises He will save your household from eternal death. All you need to do is believe in Him - that He is Lord and Savior - the only way to Heaven. I have been praying for my kids, for R, and I know this is the best investment I could ever give them. What's more, it is FREE. 

Beautiful Sunday Service yesterday!

Yesterday, as we capped A's birthday weekend with Church, Pastor D confirmed this with his talk! The message this Sunday was about investing in the future of your kids - and how investing in their faith can spell life or death for them. His call to action was for everyone to get on their knees and pray for future generations. To protect them from the sins of their fathers (and mothers!) and introducing them to God. A sound investment that comes FREE, after all, prayer entails nothing but a willing heart open to God.

"My people are being destroyed because they don't know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children." - Hosea 4:6 (NLT)

If you've been reading my blog for years, you will remember this post on Generational Curses.

"...I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected--even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me." - Exodus 20:5 (NLT)

This applies to my little family today, and I have been praying (hard!) for curses to be broken. For my kids to live according to God's will, for God to spare them from punishment. It takes more than just praying for that curse to break though.

You have to walk with God. You can't continue sinning and expect God to save your family from the consequences of your sin. Repent and turn away from evil.

Your children have to know the One, True God that saved them from sin. How do you keep them from the curse of their father's sin, if you don't teach them to love God and shun sin themselves? 

If your family means anything to you, link them to the Church, introduce them to God, invest in their faith!

I've often wondered how my life would have turned out if I didn't know the Lord - if I didn't have parents who took time out to pray for me and my salvation. I've been in the pits, and who knows how I would have dealt with life's circumstances if I didn't have God? I recently got to talk to an old friend, and he had asked how it was with the R situation. After a lengthy update as I haven't seen him in years (we were officemates - R, him and me), he exclaimed how great it was that I had God to hold on to. That my parents took time to pray for me. He wondered aloud about possibilities, had I not been a child of God. I am most grateful for that fact - I am thankful that God has His Eyes on me. And that His mercy allows me to live the way He has planned. I am where I am today, because my parents took time to kneel down and pray for me.

"But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!" - Psalm 103:17-18

ARE YOU STORING MERCY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS? PRAY FOR YOUR CHILDREN. PRAY FOR YOUR FAMILY. MAKE THAT SOUND (and FREE!) INVESTMENT! IT'S THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN EVER GIVE.

~~~

Happy Birthday, A! Momma loves you! God has His Eyes on you. He will never leave you! He has you in the Palm of His Hand. If you stumble and fall, remember this: His mercies are new every morning.