We're here, at Crystal Cove, First night!

I'm having a fantastic day today! We're here at the Crystal Cove campsite. This is our first night here; we'll be here for three nights (until Wed at 11am). We love Crystal Cove! This is our third summer in a row, staying here! It seems to be becomming a Nguyen Family Tradition!

This morning was so awesome at church! It was just Kenny, Zach and I (Thao and Vincent stayed home to prepare for the camping trip). The worship service was amazing! I was in tears; the holy spirit was very strong this morning! God was in that place! There was even a message by one of the ladies at the church, talking about how God wants us to know how much we are loved by Him. It was awesome! After fellowship, Amber preached a sermon called, Identity Theft, Robbed By Relationships. "What a person desires is unfailing love." - Proverbs 19:22. It was about how people who don't know God, put all of their faith into human relationships, only to be disappointed and longing for unfailing love. It was very good!

Praise God for this awesome day!!

God is so faithful!!

So, there's a lot of exciting things that have happened this year that I've been meaning to write about and today, I finally feel like writing about them, so here it goes:

On Friday, Feb 8, 2013, at dinner time, I mentioned to Thao that I wanted to check out the new church (The Master's Plan). Upon hearing this,  the kids asked if they could come with me and then Thao said, "Well, if the kids go, I want to go too!" Well, of course, this blew me away! I NEVER thought he'd ever say that he wanted to go to church!! So, this was a very big step for him and a very special event for the kids and I! It is something I will never, ever forget!!

Saturday, February 16, 2013 was the first time we went to church as a family at The Master's Plan! It was very special and exciting, yet I was kind of nervous, not knowing how it was going to go, but all went great! Both the kids and Thao had a great time and of course, everyone was very welcoming and sweet. I met Heidi that day and got reaquainted with Roby. I also met Jessica Di Bella. 

Sometime in February, I started going to the Women's Bible Study at Heidi's house. We studied the Book of Daniel, using a workbook by Beth Moore. It was so interesting and came at the perfect time, since I'd been reading the Left Behind Series and had a bunch of questions about what the Bible says about the end times. I also met a bunch of wonderful women, whom I will never forget: Heidi, Jessica, Julie, Julia, Courtney, Roby, Jana, Jordyn and one more lady (can't remember her name, right now). And of course, Sharon was there too! :)

Friday, March 1st, 2013 holds a special place in my heart, which is when Zach asked Jesus to come into his heart, so that he could live forever. He wanted to do this after asking me about Jesus. I told him that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and if he accepts Him, he will live forever with Jesus. It was so sweet and special and I'll never forget it. He was 5 years old. I remember I was 4 when I accepted Jesus into my heart. I was at Cecile's house and she helped me pray to Jesus, asking Him to come into my heart.

3/25/13 -  At church in the main sanctuary with Zach (he wanted to stay with me - Thao stayed home that night), Zach saw me clapping to a song, so he was clapping his heart out and then, when he saw me lifting my hands, praising the Lord, I looked over and he was raising his hands, praising God too! It was so sweet and special. <3

3/30/13 - Zach and I were driving in the car and Zach was talking about how daddy doesn't believe in God and he asked me if I could pray for his daddy so that he will know that God is real. So, I prayed with him that God would reveal himself to Thao and show him that He's real. It was special and sweet of Zach to ask for that.

3/30/13 - There was an Easter Seder at my church and Jessica, Janet, Nick, the kids and I went. We had a great time. It's so interesting, learning all about the Easter Seder, which they've been doing since Jesus was on the Earth.

Sometime in March, Jana (who is a chiropractor and nutritionist) put me on a gluten free, dairy free diet and so far, I've lost 6 lbs. I've also discovered that I'm allergic to gluten because I have a bad reaction when I accidentally eat it. I get a bad headache and body aches (in my muscles and joints) for 2 or 3 days! I'm also starting to wonder if the meds I'm on are messing up my gut because the gut and the brain are tied in together. The gut is made up of the same material that the brain is, so if your gut it damaged, it can affect your brain. So either 1.) I've always been allergic to gluten and it's the reason for my mental issues and being underweight in the past or 2.) the meds I'm on have messed up my gut (actually, I know they have) and caused me to gain all of this weight in my stomach. Or all of the above! It seems that before I took my meds, there was an imbalance in my system and now that I'm on the meds, there is an imbalance in my system. So, I need to find the proper balance somehow, which may mean, getting off of these meds! Oh, in addiction to the diet I am on, I am also taking a bunch of vitamins, as well as some Chinese medicine (Mood Enhancer TCM and Liver Balance TCM) and they all make a big difference in the way I feel. I also need to start exercising again! I am so out of shape, it's not even funny! I even have back issues now; it's really bad!

In other news, last Sunday (Mother's Day), Thao, the kids and I tried out the Vineyard Church, which is across the street from our new condo. It's called Vineyard North OC. It's so close that we walked there, which was nice. The people there were very welcoming, the kids made friends (except for Zach, because he sat with us. He was too shy to stay with the little kids), the sermon was good and the worship was awesome! Some people noticed we were new and introduced themselves to us. We also introduced ourselves to the pastor, Sid Rogers. He's real nice and I liked what he had to say, during the sermon. 

Then this past Thursday, I went to a women's bible study at Amber's church and had a great time! There were 6 of us, including Amber and I and they were all so friendly, sweet and easy to talk to! We were all talking up a storm, in between the study. Two people there, besides Amber and I, are into natural health, so we had a lot to talk about. :) I'm planning to go every Thursday because it feels good to get out and have "me" time with the girls! I love the support I get from them too! And they have lots of good info about health and God! So every other Thursday is a bible study and every Thursday in between is a women's night out! So much fun!! So, it was Amber, Rebecca, Dana, Jessica, Tamara and I. 

And this Sunday, we are going to try out Amber's church, as a family. It's called Faith Community Nazarene. From talking to Amber, I've realized that we both have the same beliefs. I've also listened to two sermons from her pastor online, as well as one from Amber (she's the assistant pastor at that church) and I've really liked what they've had to say. Plus, the people I've met from there, so far, are so friendly and easy to talk to, so I thought we might as well try it out! It's in Yorba Linda, so it's a 15 minute drive, rather than a walk across the street, like the Vineyard, but I figure it's good to try out a few churches before settling on one. 

So anyway, that's it for now. Time to go relax before we head out to The Master's Plan, to visit our friends! TTFN!! :)

God's ways are amazing!!

I love the way that God works! The kids and I were in the car, driving Vincent to the doctor (he's been having stomach aches, headaches and dizziness. Turns out to be a viral infection that will heal on its' own) and we saw Tristan Greth and his son Tristan on the corner of Trabuco and El Toro (they were on bikes). We waved and as we drove by, we started talking about how Tristan and his family recently started a new church (which is around the corner from us, off of Bake, near McDonald's). Then, Kenny asked me if he could go to church with me. I told him that it was fine with me, but to ask his dad. So, he asked his dad and his dad said, "Maybe". It's just amazing how God works! He puts certain people in our paths to lead us in a certain direction. It's so cool! I really think that church would be good for the kids; I always have! God always makes a way!

Psalm 28:1-9

Rejoicing in Answered Prayer

A Psalm of David.

28 To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock:
Do not be silent to me,
Lest, if You are silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
² Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

³ Do not take me away with the wicked
And with the workers of iniquity,
Who speak peace to their neighbors,
But evil is in their hearts.
⁴ Give them according to their deeds,
And according to the wickedness of their endeavors;
Give them according to the work of their hands;
Render to them what they deserve.
⁵ Because they do not regard the works of the Lord,
Nor the operation of His hands,
He shall destroy them
And not build them up.

⁶ Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
⁷ The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him.

⁸ The Lord is their strength,^[a]
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
⁹ Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever.

The Lord is my shepherd

Psalms 23:1-6

1The Lord is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.

2He lets me rest in green meadows;

he leads me beside peaceful streams.

3He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

bringing honor to his name.

4Even when I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

protect and comfort me.

5You prepare a feast for me

in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

My cup overflows with blessings.

6Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me

all the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the Lord

forever.

Proverbs 5:22-23

22An evil man is held captive by his own sins;

they are ropes that catch and hold him.

23He will die for lack of self-control;

he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

With God, nothing is impossible!

I am learning a lot about the history of God's people! It is very interesting and I look forward to reading more about it everyday. I am currently in Exodus. God is about to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. God is amazing and always answers! I have found that I really enjoy reading Psalms and Proverbs! My mom says she likes reading Psalms too. Here are some verses that I like from today's reading.

Psalms 21:1-13

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord!

He shouts with joy because you give him victory.

2 For you have given him his heart’s desire;

you have withheld nothing he requested.

Interlude

3 You welcomed him back with success and prosperity.

You placed a crown of finest gold on his head.

4 He asked you to preserve his life,

and you granted his request.

The days of his life stretch on forever.

5 Your victory brings him great honor,

and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty.

6 You have endowed him with eternal blessings

and given him the joy of your presence.

7 For the king trusts in the Lord.

The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling.

8 You will capture all your enemies.

Your strong right hand will seize all who hate you.

9 You will throw them in a flaming furnace

when you appear.

The Lord will consume them in his anger;

fire will devour them.

10 You will wipe their children from the face of the earth;

they will never have descendants.

11 Although they plot against you,

their evil schemes will never succeed.

12 For they will turn and run

when they see your arrows aimed at them.

13 Rise up, O Lord, in all your power.

With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.

Proverbs 5:1-6

1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
listen carefully to my wise counsel.

2 Then you will show discernment,

and your lips will express what you’ve learned.

3 For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,

and her mouth is smoother than oil.

4 But in the end she is as bitter as poison,

as dangerous as a double-edged sword.

5 Her feet go down to death;

her steps lead straight to the grave.

6 For she cares nothing about the path to life.

She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.

Matthew 17:14-20

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

14 At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt

before Jesus and said, 

15 “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into

 the fire or into the water. 

16 So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him."

17 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with

 you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”

18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy

 was well.

19 Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”

20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith

 even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to

 there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

Renewed Spiritual Growth!

So, I've decided to start a spiritual journal, where I can post scriptures that stand out at me and write about my walk with Jesus. It's the beginning of a new year and as a start to walking close with Jesus again, I started a Bible plan on www.youversion.com. I'm on Day 23 of 365 on The One Year Bible and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

A little background info: Due to slight depression, I stopped going to church last year (probably about 6 months ago...around July of last year) and I haven't been back since. It's just hard to get going again once I stop, but I lately I've really wanted to go; I've just had trouble getting up early enough. The first thing I did to get closer to God again was to start listening to worship music again, in both the car and on my computer, MP3 player and my phone. It was actually Zach who requested that I put music about Jesus on, which I thought was so adorable and special. So, I think I put some gospel reggae on and then that was the start of my renewed relationship with Him. And then, like I said above, I started reading the Bible daily, which has really helped bring me closer to Him! The next step is going to church and Lord willing, I will go next Sunday!

So, on that note, here is some scripture I read tonight that really struck me:

Psalms 19

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

The skies display his craftsmanship.

2Day after day they continue to speak;

night after night they make him known.

3They speak without a sound or word;

their voice is never heard.

4Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,

and their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.

5It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.

It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.

6The sun rises at one end of the heavens

and follows its course to the other end.

Nothing can hide from its heat.

7The instructions of the Lord are perfect,

reviving the soul.

The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

8The commandments of the Lord are right,

bringing joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are clear,

giving insight for living.

9Reverence for the Lord is pure,

lasting forever.

The laws of the Lord are true;

each one is fair.

10They are more desirable than gold,

even the finest gold.

They are sweeter than honey,

even honey dripping from the comb.

11They are a warning to your servant,

a great reward for those who obey them.

12How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?

Cleanse me from these hidden faults.

13Keep your servant from deliberate sins!

Don’t let them control me.

Then I will be free of guilt

and innocent of great sin.

14May the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

be pleasing to you,

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.