Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Boy have I been waiting for this one!!

Words can not express the emotions that have gone on these last few weeks or month in our home!  We literally have had an abundance of support and blessings, "the heavens have poured out her blessings" on us! Brothers and Sisters, Friends, Family, perfect Strangers...the Lord hears and answers our prayers! If you didn't know this, KNOW it, if you KNEW it, don't forget it, if you want to know, ASK Him, go to Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit!!!

First of all....I have been waiting, some days not so patiently, waiting to post this:

JOSE GOT INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL, he has been invited to Indiana University's School of Medicine's class of 2016, that is right, he did it and as I stated above...the Lord answers prayers!  I know Jose will do wonderfully in medical school, I know that he can compete with the best of them.  I also know that the Lord's hand was in his getting accepted!  Jose worked hard after very difficult back to back semesters, when we found out about Eva's diagnosis and when Eva was born.  He spent the next almost two years trying to recover.  On paper and by grades and scores, he did not seem so competitive(in the MD arena anyway)...shame on you schools who did not take your opportunity to interview him and really get to know who he was, shame on you not seeing this diamond in the rough!!


Hooray Indiana...for your insight in choosing first of all to interview Jose and then for inviting him into your class!

Jose got into Indiana (top ranking medical school by the way) after only 2 rounds of interviewee considerations (2 rounds from his interview date).  His interview trip to Indiana was full of blessings from the moment he got his interview day (on his birthday), to finding a great person to stay with (transplant surgeon), to getting a great interviewer, a physician (who first hand had experienced having a very sick child)...coincidence or the Lord's hand at work?  My husband is a hard worker, honest and true! But we ultimately thank our Father in Heaven for His constant watch over our family and Jose!

Heavenly Father, clearly, asks us to do the work, Jose did just that, he also encourages us to not only remember Him in thanksgiving but to ask for what we want (righteously of course)!  What have you done for Him lately or for your neighbor?  I ask myself this question all of the time.  In our case I feel that Heavenly Father's blessings are this constant reminder for us NEVER to forget to serve His children.  I may not have grandiose means to serve His children, but I am reminded that I can serve Him without grand gestures, just pure intentions!

I can't really begin to explain the wonderful wonderful inspired people that we find in our lives.  Amazing, thoughtful, generous and kind people who have taught us the meaning of being a servant of Christ.  Where I have seen the dark in people I have seen 10 more with love, generosity and kindness!  That has been a blessing.

I hope I never forget this moment in our lives....

I have been waiting to blog about these feelings, waiting to get that oh so big news, but as I sit her typing I realize, there are no words powerful enough to express the way I feel!  Its BIG and I'm with a full heart!

I hope friends and family that you can help hold me accountable for these words I share with you today, for these feelings that are so big and that you help me remember!!

Jose and I are fully aware that any journey we take in life big or small does not have to be alone, we have never been alone.  Even in the furthest place from people we knew, from our family....we were never alone.  Loneliness is a feeling we chose to have or not to have.  I had to tell myself that many times, we really are never alone.  Jose and I welcome this new journey and chapter in our lives, we maybe moving 2,000 miles away from our family but we know we are never alone.

The world is smaller than we know and time goes faster than we care to acknowledge.  Let's make the most of this wonderful chance at life we have been given, that's how it should be from the get go, right?

Anyway, its been an overwhelming month, weeks and few days!

I can't wait to see whats around that corner!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The Articles of Faith

So I committed to myself this year I would blog more, I've committed to that like a hundred times so bare with me...LOL! Anyhow this post came from a small prompting as I was thinking of what I would like to share, outside of my family situation, in a blog. The Articles of Faith are thirteen statements of LDS beliefs, they were written in order to explain our beliefs as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! Here they are:

1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression

3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; Second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists and so forth.

7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.

8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul--We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Writing this blog has allowed me to remember the promises I made in baptism and the covenants I entered into. As I share these beliefs, these Articles of Faith, I am reminded that there are some things I do not honor so well and that I must do a better job. If you have any further questions on these articles or other beliefs of the LDS church, please feel free to stop by at LDS.org or Mormon.org

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Happy Happy New Year!!!





Looking back on 2011, as years past, it was pretty memorable and full of learning opportunities!

Jose graduated from BYU, Evandro celebrated his 1st birthday, Eva has continued to gain weight, and work hard for her physical therapist and well for myself, I went back to school and felt pretty triumphant with finishing the semester with all As (if you know me and know my past academics, that is quite a triumph!). We moved twice in 2011, celebrated 4 years of marriage and the best news of all came on December 16th in the way of a phone call, Jose was invited to A.T. Still University for medical school. I can't explain the weight that was lifted with that phone call for both of us (temporarily anyway, to be explained later).

I have watch for the last 4 years as Jose has met every challenge that this career choice has put in front of him, personally, academically and spiritually. He has risen to every occasion, some times gracefully and well, some times not so gracefully...LOL!! There is much much more to face, and it is a lot more complicated than just getting this first acceptance, I won't bore anyone with the immediate details but if anyone's children are interested in medical school or if you are planning on that path, feel free to ask!

This New Year was wonderful, basking in the Arizona sun, it was 77 degrees on New Year's Eve, chilly at night but the days were amazing! We got to spend time with family, both Jose's and mine, we hadn't done that in a long time. Ironically, we have only began to enjoy the outdoors here in Arizona, when we moved back in late April/May, Provo was still chilly, and we had been just coming out of our winter hibernation...LOL! When we came to Arizona, it was 100 (million) degrees and well we went into a summer hibernation! So fall time in Arizona is heavenly, hiking, playing in the park, biking, running! Its just gorgeous from October to about April.

What will 2012 bring? Well, so far it has brought a new wheelchair stroller for Eva, she looks like such a big girl in her chair and it helps her interact so much more than her baby chair did! In a few weeks Ms. Eva turns 3 years old and once again reaching a milestone. 2012 will bring one to two moves (my favorite...not!), the start of Jose's medical training, and I'm sure many more challenges to face as well as lessons to learn.

I am grateful for the selfless people in our lives that have helped us face our challenges, that have supported us when we didn't know where to turn or where help would come from. This last year was full of the Lord's blessings and merciful love. He has touched our hearts to help us serve, he has touched others hearts who have served us!

I have a very strong testimony that our Father in Heaven hears our prayers and that He knows our every thought, desire and heartache. I know He loves us and is ready to help us if we are just willing to ask and humble ourselves.

I have high hopes for 2012, I pray that I will be ready to meet any challenge with the help of my Father in Heaven!

Happy Happy 2012 to you my friends and family!!