LIFE IS

10 % what happens to you and 90% your response... " Lord help me to respond like you would at this moment.." This is a prayer I have been praying a lot lately. I desperately need Jesus Christ to live in me more than yesterday and more tomorrow. Today I am asking God to reveal His heart to me. This quarter the Sabbath School lessons have challenged me and greatly encouraged me. There is nothing like passing through the furnace of refinement. OUCH! But the neat part is looking back watching Jesus be in there with me. Have you ever felt like you are on the brink of something huge? Today is one of those days for me. I want so much to live my life for Jesus and to follow where He goes. Maybe that's what you want. Let's pray for each other.

Delights of Fall

Sabbath morning I caught these leaves still covered in the night frost. Beautiful! I have decided just this year that fall is definitely my favorite season. It is so active with change and that's what I want in my own heart. I'm so thankful that God is always working to change and restore us. He exchanges better for best! I also included some pictures from today, Sunday. We had so much fun riding bikes around Saugatuck, MI. As you will notice, we found a lot of crazy places to take pictures too.

One of many more posts on Elijah

Tia and Elijah!

Best Day of the Year. Elijah Christian Martin

The local surgeon. Christian. Awesome new dad!!

Grandpa and Grandma!!!!!!!! This was the moment that they saw him for the first time. It's like your mind is just in awe. What a miracle that 9 months can make such a beautiful baby.

It's Official!

Elijah's friend and guard dog.

Elijah is the cutest baby in the world. He is so precious, sweet and quiet. His cry goes straight to my heart. As you can imagine that day was full of many different kinds of emotions. Mostly I couldn't believe that he was apart of our family. It was awesome! We sang him Happy Birthday...

So cuddly.

I'm peaking to make sure it's not too bright to open both eyes!

Heidi with her son. Oct. 28, 2007 was proof of God's amazing love for our family. Elijah Christian Martin. What a beautiful example of purity and perfection. We praised God for all 10 fingers and 10 toes, for his precious cry, his really cute nose, that he has a really great mom and dad, and for the promise that because Jesus lives, he can face uncertain days. I know that he will grow to love Jesus!

Pier Times

Today I spend a considerable amount of time at the piers in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. My idea to come sprang out of yesterday. I learned a huge lesson over my lunch hour. First of all the waves were huge, and the next thing I knew I was observing how to surf michigan white caps. So maybe where there are real waves it doesn't take much work, but I watched as these two guys started stretching before entering the water. Interesting. I didn't realize it could be so strenuous. Then I was expecting to see some cool moves. But after 10 minutes they were still paddling out. To my surprise it was a long time before they decided to challenge a wave. What I saw next was a bright yellow board flying through the air attached to the ankle of it's owner. Ouch! I decided maybe they were beginners and that I probably wouldn't see a successful attempt.

After eating my food I decided to check and see if the surfers were still persevering. By that time two had turned into one. Pulling up a chair I started watching again. Maybe this one would ride the big one. Just before my time was up... he did! I wanted to clap and cheer. He stayed up for a long time too. Then the lesson hit home. Patience. Never give up. Endure until the end.

So that brings me to today. I had to go and take pictures. Unfortunately the waves went back to Chicago or something but still the sun was shining brightly.











Benton Harbor Lighthouse. The time I spent there was so quiet even though nature was so loud and I could feel it all around me.

The camera and I having fun!

Should I send this one to National Geographic? I thought it was pretty creative?!

The wind and waves were wild. The fish must have been having a blast!

Much thought happened on my day trip to the piers.

October 22 passes by...

If you are lacking an education on what the word "overdue" means, than please visit Martinology. They have some great information to share that might shed some new light on your understanding. Thanks. This has been a special message from the proud sponsors of MI VIDA.

Experiencing Autumn

Old times with sprite and coke! Could I have some soda with that rust?!

Sit on a pumpkin day!

Two Drivers, Two Steering Wheels...watch out corn field!

Big nose and buck teeth! But still soooo cute!

PICK IT OFF

So the other day our office went out for bosses day. We usually order ahead so when we get there we can just sit down and start eating. This day was no different but my food was. Out came my Quesadilla Explosion Salad with nicely grilled pieces of chicken or some other flesh on top. Oh great! That's what went through my head. So the next thing was my reaction with all the meat eaters around me. To them it's no big deal to just "pick it off" while my imagination goes wild thinking about the animal juice that has just penetrated every leaf on my plate. Yuck! So I kindly told the waitress my salad was supposed to be without meat. Of course there was no problem.... she would be right back with a new one. For some odd reason I just knew that today was a different day and that she was going to "pick it off" and bring it back.

No joke!...She was back in 1 minute flat or less. Maybe they do have lines of the same salad in the back but she was fast. And no sooner had she set the salad down and I saw the lovely little pieces of chicken still nesting atop my salad. HELP! I was annoyed at that point. Luckily my boss chimed in with some encouragement about his daughter being vegetarian for animal rights reasons and would want her salad remade too. So he called the waitress back over and I imformed her of something she already knew. " Um, there is still chicken on my salad. In fact, it's clear to me that the cooks just "picked it off." She gave this real surprised look and took my salad again. Meanwhile everyone else was enjoying their food. One of the assistants always reminds me that..." you don't know what you're missing." ( refering to meat).

So finally my hopefully new salad arrived and it tasted great. The last few days I have been reading about Daniel and yes I realize that that meat was offered to idols but I still believe that there had to be some health benefits that the king noticed. Then tonight I went to a health class at our church and the topic included fiber. I couldn't help thinking about the reality that a lions intestinal system is something like 8 ft. long but ours is 30 ft. long. Think about it...we are much better off eating things that will move right along because it has to cover a longer distance. Anyways, we were not made to digest animals. I'm trying not to crawl on top of my soap box so if any of you are just dying to bite into a juicy something right now just remember that it will probably be in your system for up to 3 days or more. Plus your cells love fresh food... so go have a salad!


For those of you who are asking if my nephew has arrived yet... no he hasn't, but you can believe that when he does that this website will be dancing with announcement and praises to God for the life of that precious little baby.

Also, to the prayer warriors out there. Please pray for meetings being help in Stevensville right now by my wonderful parents. God is blessing them tremendously! The people are excited and learning new things. Today my dad spoke with power about how Jesus is bringing peace and freedom to hearts. My mom also encouraged people to live a healthy lifestyle by drinking water and lots of it! God has really given my parents a special ministry so if you could pray for them and for their protection from the enemy that would be great. God is so GREAT!

10 years ago...

I graduated from Great Lakes Adventist Academy in 1997. So last weekend I spent some time there remembering. It was really great to see some old friends! Some people have married, or have kids. And others, like me, are chillin in singlehood...ah no kids! The thing I realized the most was how wonderful it is to still have Jesus in my life. Some have unfortunately gone in other ways and lost sight of the cross. I pray that we look towards the cross more often because Jesus is coming soon!



Melissa, Me and Michelle.

A reminder of the "delights" of cafe food.

DEAD

Just a note to our readers who are following the story. The mouse died at approximately 12 a.m. this morning. He got a pretty good sized meal of natural peanut butter before the big.... BANG! That's when I woke up. Fortunately since my parents are here for their meetings in Stevensville, my dad was the "trap emptying hero". Then back under the stove it went with more bait, just in case that mouse was dumb enough to tell his friends about how great my house is. Anyways, thanks for tuning into this mornings addition of MI VIDA MANANA!

NO MICE ALLOWED!

Like I said in my last post...this mouse will not survive. This is a PEST FREE ZONE!
The trap of choice!

Bye Bye Mouse!

Someone to the Rescue!!!

I have a mouse in my house!!! This may mean that I need to just sell and move besides the reality of the centipede population. Actually mice are better than centipedes. That may come as a surprise to some of you but it's no joke. Anyways, stay tuned for the story of how the mouse dies. My house will be a rodent free zone no matter what!!

How we do birthdays on the ranch

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIZABETH!
Now don't break your teeth on that corn!!!

Who can find the most suckers in all that hay?!

Needle in the haystack!

Who can eat the donut the fastest... no hands!?

Every good cowgirl needs a whoopie cushion!

Trying to whistle with a mouth full of saltines! There were crackers flying everywhere... sooo funny!

Trying to say "YEE-HAW" louder than the girls.

Howdy Partner!

Go for it Elizabeth!



God bless you Elizabeth!! For more pictures of this special day visit, thecountryprincess.blogpsot.com