Pregnant!!

If you haven't heard, I'm pregnant! Our new baby is due October 4th.

We started a new site for the little one at www.babyvelasquez.weebly.com

Community as a verb

Community is a word that we all know, but something that we rarely experience.

I know that it is not something I have experienced often or even totally understand. Luckily, we are experiencing community at it's best every Sunday. Our small group has been one of the highlights of our 2008. It is the place that we cry, laugh, tell our stories, and find what the Lord intended for all of us as Christians... community.

If you don't have any type of community in your life, and I'm not just talking about "hanging out", but people that get into your life, hold you accountable, and share the good and the bad with you, then fight for it. Fight to find that environment. It is so worth it.

Thanks to everyone in our small group. You guys make community a verb.

I am ONE

I grew up going to church. I loved the community and warmth I felt every time I walked through the doors. When I was 16, I went to a girls retreat called Chrysalis and pray "the prayer" for probably the 10th time, but this time something was different. I stopped living off of my parent's faith and took on the responsibility of serving the Lord for myself. Unfortunately, accepting Christ into your heart was not a magic pill that fixed everything instantly. I was a fiercely independent person and I really believed that I could do everything on my own... including getting to heaven. On my journey, I have learned to be dependent on Christ and interdependent with those around me. I know that the only way to the Father is through His Son and no matter what I do to get noticed by people or by God is pointless. I was placed on this earth to share this story and to build relationships with others that bring Glory to Him and make Him famous.

My name is Kristy Velasquez and I am ONE, that the world may know...

Humility

I was reading an article today about how Bill Hybels, Rick Warren & Joel Osteen navigate pastoral pitfalls. I ran across a quote I really liked and thought I'd share.

Rick Warren was asked, "How do you handle percieved success and keep your pride in check?"

Amoung his answer was this quote. "When you're focused on other people - as Jesus said, you lose your life; then you find it. Humility is not denying your strengths, but is being honest about your weaknesses."

Amen.

When it rains it pours...

We leave tomorrow on our week long vacation! We are going to Nashville for my sister's wedding on the 15th and then driving to Washington DC, then to New York.

The planning of this trip has not been without it's challenges and immense blessings. Many of you know that Bobo & I got into a bad wreck a couple of weeks ago. The driver had no insurance and we don't have uninsured motorist coverage. Needless to say we were left with a badly damage, suspension broken, airbags out truck that we had to pay to fix. the original estimate was above $4,000. There was just no way... we were going to cancel our trip & junk the truck for whatever scrap metal money we could get out of it. We also have a little old Ford tempo, our only remaining vehicle. 1 day after the accident, it died.

When it rains, it pours.

I was so upset about cancelling our trip & stressed from the financial strain that I started having these episodes. I don't know what a panic attack feels like, but I think I had a few. Dealing with insurance & cancellation & dealerships... I quickly reached the end of my rope.

And that's where I found Jesus. Just waiting for me. Opening His arms & welcoming to the end of my rope.

Philippians 4:6-7 - Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

After I put all my stress & burdens on His shoulders it all started turning around...

• My uncle who has a beautiful apartment in New York in Greenwich Village on Bleeker Street called & said that he would be out of town & we were free to use his apartment! (Saved $600 on a hotel)
• We had a garage sale & sold some bigger items that we will never use again. ($400)
• We sold our refrigerator that we had in our rent house in Dallas ($550)
• I was asked to video a wedding last week (how they knew I used to do wedding videography only God knows) ($200)
• I found a charter bus that goes from DC to NY for $21 per ticket (Saved $200+ in rent car fees)
• If that wasn't enough... a guy I only met once called me and offered us free tickets to a broadway show while we are there!

When it rains, it pours

We don't serve God for the blessings... He loves us & wants to bless us, even with silly things like broadway tickets and a little spending money. He is and always will be our provider & burden carrier. He's waiting for you at the end of your rope...

Little Joys

As I was giving my nephew a bath the other night, he looked up at me and smiled. By the end I was soaking wet, but laughing right along with Alex.

Thank God for little joys...

Bring the Rain

I love lightbulb moments! I think God does too. He's probably saying, "Finally! She got it!" This week, as I struggled with the pregnancy issue, I had one. I was listening to the Mercy Me song "Bring the Rain".

bring me joy

bring me peace

bring a chance to be free

bring me anything that brings you glory

and i know there'll be days

when this life brings me pain

but if that's what it takes to praise you

Jesus bring the rain

Right now, as bad as I think my situation is, it is bringing Him glory. I have been able to share with and comfort those that are experiencing infertility... Glory. I am learning and growing tremendously in my personal walk with the Lord... Glory. I am daily in emotional and sometimes physical pain, but I choose to still praise God for this season... Glory.



Life isn't pretty or easy all of the time. I'm glad. God will always bring glory to His name. Who am I to tell Him what that should look like. Right now it's painful, but God will fulfill His promise to me. He always does.