The Jimenez Family

Mommy...is this a bottle? a pacifier? a chew toy?

Whatever it is...it feels good on my sore gums!

And water keeps coming out!!!

Refiner's Fire

My heart's one desire

Is to be - holy

Set apart for You, Lord

I choose to be - holy

Set apart for You, my Master

Ready to do Your will

Where there is sin...inevitably there is a dross. Where there is dross...there must be a fire to draw it out. Where there is fire...there is pain. But where there is pain...there is removal of the waste...restoration with the Father...and intimacy with the Savior.

With the sparks still smoldering and the smell of smoke still lingering, my heart is reeling from this last fire. It was painful. My pride is still smarting from the knee-jerking wound. But through it all there was dross that was getting in the way of the finished product. There was sin lurking in the darkest parts of my heart - sin that too often gets overlooked. Sin that only a fire can remove.

Thankfully, it is a refiner's fire. One that does not destroy, consume, or demolish No, it is a fire that has a purpose and a plan. It is purging in its essence. It softens, divides the impurities, and burns up the unwanted matter. And finally, it leaves the gold - intact - cleaner, purer, and brighter than when it started.

Purity is hard to come by in this body of flesh. And it comes at a very high price. But purity is my ultimate desire...to be set apart...ready for the Master's use. Thus, I see many a fire in my future. I pray though...that after the fire...He will see gold.

I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.
They will call on my name and I will answer them;
I will say, 'They are my people,'
and they will say, 'The Lord is our God.'
Zechariah 13:9

Amy: Mom, I made a new friend today.
Me: Really?
Amy: Yeah, she's my best friend.
Me: That's great. What's her name?
Amy: I don't remember.
Me: (quietly chuckling)
Amy: Mom, why are you laughing? She really is my friend!
Me: I know...but you don't remember her name?
Amy: No....but I remember she's a GIRL! (smiling proudly!)

Ha ha! And that is the beauty of five-year-old friendships! No drama, no pretense, no commitments...just "friends"!

So what does Jackson do while we are homeschooling?

He manages to stay quite entertained!!! :-)

Tyler and Amy have been ~~cursed~~ blessed to have a mother that gives in to complete random bursts of song. While growing up, I remember records being played all the time, musicals shown for entertainment, and Bing Crosby, Ginger Rogers, and Doris Day were among my favorite actors. In high school, I was in several musicals, on the ensemble, praise team, and in the choir. With all those songs filling my head its no wonder my life isn't a musical!!!

Yesterday, we bought some cheap umbrellas at Target (yes...we needed those before Monday...oh well!). When we got home I was unloading the bags and pulling the tags off the umbrellas. I couldn't stop myself. I launched into a full volume - extreme force - heart felt version of Singin in the Rain. (Complete with my version of the dance - minus light poles!)

Now, my kids are quite used to this. It is considered "normal" at our house! They laugh, they dance, and at times join in the song. But this was a new song...so we crowded around the computer after I was done singing and I showed them the youtube clip of Gene Kelly stomping in puddles and dancing in the rain.

I am sure they will remember all these crazy moments. I just wonder how their memory will serve them - and how they will tell the story to their kids about their zany grandma! :-)

The weekend flew by. Too much fun...not enough time. It came...it went...and it was a blur of activity.

Friday - the kids had a little Valentine's party. Several of their friends came over to make cute crafts, some yummy cookies, and of course...watch Charlie Brown's Valentines! As everyone was leaving the snow started coming down. And down. And down!

Saturday - we were greeted with a beautiful white blanket of snow. I wish pictures would do the scenes justice...but it just doesn't seem to capture the crisp, clean sight of a freshly fallen snow! The kids were quick to make their own imprint and displace the snow in forms of angels, snowmen, and snow balls!!! After bundling everyone up, playing outside for a little bit, "un-bundling" everyone, changing clothes - we headed off to Olive Garden for a family Valentines date! We have had so many different activities lately that the kids have not been involved in...we were excited to spend our Valentines as a family! And Olive Garden is definitely a treat!

Jackson all bundled up to go out for our lunch!

With our bellies full, Amy and I went on a "girls-only" date to get our hair cut!

Saturday evening we put the kids to bed and had several of our friends over for a some yummy dessert and coffee. Jay and I love being around the high school kids...but occasionally...it is nice to have adult conversation! It was a great night!

Sunday - after church we took Jason for his Valentine's dinner which HAD to include sushi! Tradition has held true in the Jimenez household - Celia = Olive Garden and Jason = sushi! So typical - so yummy!!! :-)

Monday - our friends invited us to Plaza Fiesta. There is a giant play place in the mall for the kids to get every single ounce of energy out! They played with their friends non-stop for over two hours (with only several "water-breaks")! I had packed lunches for all of us...but the moment I set foot into the mall - I knew it was out of the question to eat a measly turkey sandwich. With authentic names like La Poblanita and Churro Station my stomach was grumbling well before lunch time. And true to their names - they lived up to their authenticity! It has been almost a year since I've been back to Arizona - but I almost feel like I stepped right out of the rainy Charlotte weather into a taqueria in Tucson!

The girls stuck close together all day long!

The boys - wild and crazy after their romp in the play place! (or should I say sweaty?)

The moms - just chillin and relaxing whilst the kids hard at play!

Good buddies!

All good things must come to an end...and Monday night marked the end. Laundry, bathrooms, making dinner, finishing taxes, budget...were all calling my name. But this will definitely be a weekend we remember for a long time! :-)

It wasn't the Daytona, but with all the hype going around our house it was definitely a night to remember. AWANA Grand Prix...basically a souped-up pinewood derby race. This is Tyler's first year in Sparks and so it was his first opportunity to enter the race. (Or should I say - it was Jason's first opportunity?)

This whole week was dedicated to prepping the car, weighing it, and making it look fast - even if it doesn't go fast - at least it'll look good! Jason took this race very seriously - keeping me up late at night asking me what I thought of the design and explaining the aerodynamics (whoopee!).

Tyler was included in all the action...he even got to pick out what color to paint the car. Wow! But when it came to strategically placing the racing stickers we deferred to Daddy's professional "opinion" (that's code for executive decision making in our house!)

Each car gets to race two times. Tyler's first race was smoking! His car zoomed right into first place. He was able to race two more times after that and got second and third place. I'm not quite sure who was more disappointed with the results...Jason or Tyler? But for all the work they put in...it was a great race. And it was so fun to see all the creative designs of the other cars. This was one of the biggest races they have ever had...close to one hundred cars!! (Yes, it was a very LONG night! :-) Jason was watching carefully as the race went on and I think he's storing up ideas for NEXT year's race!!!

Tyler's Car is 48 - the silver one!

The boys and their toy!

How far is too far to get a crumb?

Mission accomplished...

How ironic is it that we have a guest preacher on Sunday morning and his topic is "mercy"? How ironic is it that Jason's message for the youth on Sunday also revolved around "mercy"? And then the most ironic...that very thing...mercy...is what saved the lives of FOUR of our seniors on Saturday night?!!!

Let me back up.

Saturday night we met with our senior class at Chili's for dinner. Afterward they headed over to our house for several rousing rounds of Spoons and Catch Phrase. It was a great night - full of laughter, bonding, friendship, and encouragement. Our time with these students is beginning to fade and we treasure each moment spent with them.

As the night got later, it was apparent that our bedtime had approached (yes, we go to bed at 10pm!!! not 1am!!!) and we began to kick the students out! Safety for their ride home is our main concern - not really our sleep! So we got them all safely out the door and started to clean up the house.

Little did we know...God's ministering angels were hard at work! The first accident was just a fender bender. Thankfully no one was hurt...and there was minimal damage.

The second accident was a head-on collision that involved TWO of our students. Both of them were unscathed. The car - totalled.

The third accident involved 485 and a car going over 60 mph. Again - our student walked away completely unharmed (but quite terrified!) and the car - totalled.

Four students - on the same night - all leaving our house.

Jason had each of them come forward on Sunday morning in youth group. Talk about a sobering moment...you could have heard a pin drop. Life is so very fragile. And there is a very REAL enemy who's goal is to steal, kill, and destroy.

But he can not claim the victory over last night - and thankfully he will NEVER claim the victory over our life. Sweet mercy! Sweet grace! Thank you, Jesus!!!

Two years have flown by with Jason and I working in the youth. As you can imagine, we get quite attached to these kids and end up pouring our hearts, time, energy and most of all - prayer into these amazing students! It is hard for us to watch the seniors gear up for graduation, spend a summer loafing around, and then sprout their wings and take off for college! But the sweetest thing is when we get those occasional phone calls, emails or "drop-in" lunches from these new adventurers. To hear how God has taken them to new heights and definite lows...and the wonder of a faith that has stood firm through both.

One of our graduates from last year, Bethany, is definitely one of those adventurers. This is the one that had several pranks awaiting me at camp, put a For Sale sign in my yard while I was on a missions trip, made a video of her impersonation of me leading a Bible study and many other crazy antics. But she is also the one that has a solid walk with God and an exciting calling on her life. It has been hard to gradually let go of my role in her life and watch as others walk alongside of her and challenge her in new ways...but knowing all the while that God has her firmly in His grip.

I have no greater joy than to that my children are walking in the truth
3 John 1:4

And now I can always keep my eye on what she is up to...she has joined all of us in the blogging world and taken a piece of the action! :-) Bethany's thoughts about life...

Its dark outside as he finally makes his way to his car. A long day of work followed by a meeting has drained him and left him wanting to be home. As he drives out of the parking lot he turns his thoughts to his family...wondering what they are doing at this late hour.

There are no laughing, excited children to greet him at the door tonight. The lights are off...the kitchen is closed for the evening. Baths have been finished and devotions are read...the kids are snuggled deep in their beds. But still there is a quiet noise trickling down the stairs and he follows the sound to his youngest child's room. Although the baby is struggling with a stuffy nose and a wheezy cough...he is keeping a running chant of his most favorite new word...and that is what greets this most beloved Daddy after a long day of work....

"Da-da-da-da-da..."

When the object of this chant peeks his head over the crib...the most beautiful smile stops all time and sound. Love has washed away all feelings of weariness...and a deep sense of belonging settles him in for the night. There truly is...no place like home!

Those were the ingredients of our weekend. Throw in cancelled church and one sick baby and that about sums it up!

Jay and I headed out on Friday night for a much anticipated, much needed date night! We had a yummy dinner and then spent several hours at a very empty, quiet Borders...just sipping on hot cocoa, reading, and talking.

Saturday morning greeted us with a blanket of snow! The kids were jumping around in our room first thing - begging to go outside. We held them off till about mid-morning and then bundled them all up (bags on shoes included) for their snow adventure. Jackson and I opted to stay snuggled up inside by the fire - we're both getting over a very nasty case of bronchitis!

After spending Saturday afternoon studying for our Sunday classes - we found out late Saturday night that church was cancelled. This was a first for Jay and I - church cancelled??? But apparently there were several car accidents dotting the highway leading to our church on top of a very very icy parking lot! So...thank goodness for a wise decision and some quick foresight!

With a wide open day stretching out in front of us...we decided to start painting Amy's room (or rather - I decided and Jason painted! :-) Amy wanted a pink room with a yellow stripe in the middle. It didn't get quite finished yesterday but the hard parts are done!

Sunday was bright and cheery with snow still on the ground - it was round two for bundling everyone up and heading outside. (More accurately, I'm sure it was round four or five...I don't know how many times I heard, "Mom, can we go play in the snow?") I'm sure the snow was all the more appealing by the treat of hot cocoa that immediately followed. I did have to put a few stipulations on how often hot cocoa gets passed out!

Tyler "boogie-boarding" in the snow!

Jackson working on sitting up all by himself! And reading a book about the beach - and all things WARM!!!!

I have been struggling to get out of bed in time to work out before everyone wakes up. If it hits the 6:15 mark then I've lost my window of opportunity. But the last couple of days I've not given up completely...I've just settled for doing my Boot Camp video at home. There is quite a difference! At the gym...no one talks to me, asks for more cereal, spills milk on the table, needs more toilet paper in the bathroom, cries for a bottle, loses their pacifier, needs help getting the markers out, etc. Even with all those distractions - the workout still gets done - it takes a lot longer than the allotted hour of the video - but it is done.

There is also a significant difference in the amount of encouragement I get at home - and a bit of critiquing as well. While Jackson just laughs at everything I do while working out - he thinks I'm jumping around, hopping on one foot, waving my arms in the air just to make him laugh - Amy and Tyler join in on the fun. They cheer me on and push me to finish when I'm tempted to quit. During push-ups, they notice that my feet are in the air while everyone on the video have their feet on the floor. And why did I only do half of the sit-ups and am now lying on the carpet exhausted and groaning instead of completing the set?

And of course, I make it look so easy they think they can do everything I'm doing. Tyler even made "weights" out of his toys so that he wouldn't be missing out!

So, until I can get myself out of bed in time...this is how my workout well transpire. I'm not sure I'm accomplishing anything other than bonding with my kids...but that is worth it! :-)

There was never any question that the Jimenez name would be passed on. Boys sprout up everywhere in the Jimenez family but girls are definitely a rarity! When we were pregnant the first time...it was a no-brainer...a boy(yeah, Tyler!). But the second time, we hoped and prayed that we would be blessed with a girl. And sure enough...five years ago today...we were blessed with our sweet Amy-girl!

As a baby, Amy delighted everyone with her chubby-cheeks and scrunched up faces (she made some funny faces!!!). She kept Tyler laughing with all her different antics...and not much has changed! She is a bundle of energy, full of thought-provoking questions, a sensitive heart, and an extremely affectionate nature!

Our lives have forever changed having this precious little girl...and we are praying that she will continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Him.

Happy Birthday, Precious!!! We love you!!!

I was getting ready to give Jackson a bath and I laid him down on the rug next to the tub to get the water ready. As is our routine, I took off his shirt and began to tickle his chubby belly...but immediately stopped when my fingers came in contact with a sticky, thick green substance. Yes...we all now what it is...and all of us moms have been there a time or two (or four or five). It was all over my hands, his backside, his neck, the rug, my sweater, and of course his clothes.

So...here is my plea can someone please create/invent/design a diaper that actually does what it is supposed to do!! Is it that hard to make? Come on, there are a lot of brilliant people out there...surely someone can do it! Please...

Spent five hours at the eye doctor with Amy and Tyler - not fun times!

Folded six loads of laundry when I got home - again...not fun times!

Did the budget and paid bills - definitely not fun times!

Unloaded the dishwasher, cleaned the bathrooms, and mopped the floors - ugh!

After all these not fun times I did NOT want to make dinner! So, Mr Fun himself took us all out for dinner! And not just any dinner...he took us to Kabuto's - a Japanese steak house!

A crazy chef, loud atmosphere, smoking grill and flaming onions made Amy and Tyler a bit apprehensive. But the yummy food definitely won them over. Even Jackson had a great time...albeit a little nervous about the flying shrimp!

Having fun with the fam!

Chopstick wars!

Tyler - future Japanese Chef...

Everything tastes better hibachi style...

To make it all the more fun...we used a gift card that we had gotten at Christmas! Yippee! Definitely more fun when free!

Pain, suffering, loss, despair...a few thousand miles separate us and those that have lost EVERYTHING! They woke up this morning with little to look forward to. Their sky forever dark and the horizon of their life is bleak. How do you start over when everything you have once known is gone...vanished...FOREVER!

Although we did not suffer through the earthquake this last week, our family had its own "earthquake" of sorts. And pain is pain...though its source may be different its affect can be paralyzing.

Thankfully, the God that spoke this world into existence is the same God that reigns over Haiti...Charlotte...Tucson! He has not changed. His heart has not changed. His love for His creation has not changed! His sacrifice, and redemption remains forever the same...

My eyes grow weak with sorrow,

my soul and my body with grief.

But I trust in You, my Lord.

Be strong and take heart,

all you who hope in the Lord!

Tyler is a very clever little boy.

Last night, we had cookies after our church service. Apparently there were quite a few left over and Jason brought some home for us. There were a variety last night but as of this morning (thanks to Daddy - aka Cookie Monster) there were only the oatmeal rasin cookies. We also had a sweet friend make us some chocolate chip cookies yesterday as well. So today the kids had to make a choice which cookie they wanted to try. Amy chose the chocolate chip - Tyler the oatmeal rasin. As soon as he bit into it I could tell that Tyler was rethinking his choice. But little did I know he was thinking of a way to rectify his decision. Here is the conversation that followed:

Tyler: My cookie is so good. Probably better than yours, Amy!

Amy: NO! Mine is better.

Tyler: Well, I can't tell unless I taste yours.

Amy: You can have one chocolate chip.

Tyler: No, I need a whole bite. There are ingredients.

Amy: Oh, okay.

Tyler takes a bite of Amy's cookie and says, "Yeah, this is really good. I think your cookie is better."

Now, here's the kicker...the "cookie-transaction-taste-test" took place AFTER Tyler FINISHED his cookie!!!

Nice! Very smooth!

He definitely takes after his FATHER!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Mommy! Don't worry...I can change it myself!

What do I need first?

I think I need the wipes for this one!

These diapers sure are chewy!

Actually, can you just do it, Mommy?

Varying emotions and feelings are stirred up by this single word.
Accountability.
Down it's path we find - humility, brokenness, responsibility, truthfulness, and ultimately sanctification and transformation. The destination is one we all desire...but the route is sometimes too difficult for our pride to endure.
Throughout the ages, God's people have all struggled with this method of personal holiness. Being accountable to anyone is a complete admittance that I am not capable of handling life's pressures on my own. That I am a a sinner who's heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. It is a vulnerable stripping of whatever pretenses I have allowed others to believe about me and it is the bare naked truth of who I really am, with no excuses or rationalizing. It is knowing that I am simply a sinner redeemed by God's grace...and nothing more. All value, worth, acknowledgment belongs to the Lord and is given to me through His Son.
Too often, I have compared myself to others and dismissed myself as passable. Using their righteousness as a measuring stick rather than the Word. But a searing conviction in this area has repeatedly been drawn to the surface. God is calling me closer, higher, deeper, farther...and the only way to get there is to be honest about my sin. To keep short accounts with Him and confess them for what they really are.
Thus, as this new year beckons me forward, I have made out a list of very specific questions. Questions that can not be answered with teetering sincerity. Only the truth will be accepted. There is no hiding once these are placed into the very trustworthy hands of my accountability partner. No turning back to comfortable complacency!
The year of 2010 will be one of undeniable truth. I pray that it has its lasting effects in my life, my home, and my crown in heaven!

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