An Icky Thanksgiving

Have you ever had to cancel ALL your Thanksgiving plans, trips and family festivities because EVERYONE got sick?  URGG!!  That's us this year.  I woke up to my little guy crawling into bed with me and snuggling close.  And about an hour later woke up to him suddenly coughing.  And as a Mommy you know that cough! The cough that is not like all the other coughs.  The cough that has liquid coming behind it!  I jumped up just in time to snatch him up out of our bed and fly him to the toilet, flung open the lid and splish splash it came!  Eeew is right!  After a few seconds of nonstop vomiting my little guy flushes the toilet and says, "NO!  That's enough!  No more!  I don't want to do that again"!  I about broke into tear and laughter all at the same time!  But unfortunately it didn't stop there.  He kept throwing up until his little body was tired out.  He'd fall asleep for 20-30 mins and then wake up vomiting again.  A short few hours later we were sitting in the pediatricians office.  The verdict:  Stomach Flu!  GREAT! 

There I go calling everyone to cancel everything from Thanksgiving lunch, an afternoon at Disneyland, a trip to Grandma's house and a HIS 3RD BIRTHDAY PARTY! 

We went to the drug store and picked up all our meds, then went to the market to pick up our Thanksgiving meal and snacks, cans of chicken noodle soup, Gatorade, jello, Imodium AD, Pedisure and NyQuil.  :0(  So far Harrison has lost a pound and I have lost 2 pounds. My sister said at least the silver lining in all this is that we would have lost weight instead of gained it!  LOL  Well I guess she's right! 

I found this video on youtube that just cracked me up!  It makes me want to buy a guitar and write a song about being sick!  LOL!!!

Maybe we can do a REDO Thanksgiving next week!


Stephanie Lainez
Author/Speaker/Mommy-SuperHero
www.mystoryhousebooks.com
www.hephzicreations.blogspot.com
http://chicabeverlyhills.blogspot.com

Moving Forward!!!

In this economy we have entered into a vortex that has a downward downing effect to it!  I remember 6 years ago we had good jobs, great insurance, savings, retirement, money for play and money to invest.  We were in a great season!  It was upward and onward for us!  Then 4 years ago I lose my job then 6 or so months later my husband loses his job!  We deplete our savings just to eat and maintain gas in our car, start cashing in our retirement, borrow and ALMOST begging!  We went from shopping at upscale stores to getting on WIC just to eat!  And now a short sale! 

 

You naturally go from security to FAILURE in an instant!  We tried to strategize, move assets, sold stuff and still none of that seemed to work!  At the end of the day you sit in a corner with your hands on your head and cry!  The part that is so sad is that we're not the only family sitting in this pool of tears!  There are millions of us devastated in this economy!!!  Yet when all is said and done, the house gone, the special things sold and your soul ripped apart what do you do next?

 

 

You rent, you collect yourself, and you work harder than ever to REINVENT yourself!  You kick the enemy of your mind in the balls!  You shut out the negative talkers in your life EVEN if that means your family and friends.  You get on your knees and you get yourself ready to jump into the fire head first! 

 

 

In the fire you become renewed, restored and revived!  The old is burnt away and new skin is able to grow, spotless and pure!  You have nothing stopping you to start a new and a fresh in a TRUE season called SPRING!  You're able to breath freely with each breath refreshing and complete.  The past soon becomes a vague memory! 

You choose to leave the ash filled clothes in the furnace.  You step out of that still blistering hot furnace and step into that quiet place allowing The Maker to wash off the scent of smoke and soot!  The scent is replaced with a fragrance of new hope and zeal!  Laughter comes and joy flows through your veins!!  The season of LACK is now over!  Your mourning turns to dancing and Psalms 30:11 becomes your life’s anthem! 

 

 

So if you're in your drought season and everything you once held dear is now gone get EXCITED because the NEW is literally right around the corner!!  Look up because the rain is coming!  So put on joy because your mourning is OVER!  Your time to move FORWARD is here!!

 

 

Now the choice is yours!  Stay stinky in your soot filled clothes causing those around you to carry that ill scent OR tear off those clothes and dance your heart out!  Become better, greater and contagious!  Again the choice is yours!!

 

 

 

 **Someone you know needs to read this SO PLEASE pass this BLOG POST on!**



Stephanie Lainez
Author/ Speaker/Mommy-Superhero
www.mystoryhousebooks.com

Leaving A Legacy

 When you think of Legacy what instantly comes to mind?

Do you think of the handing down of things such as property, money, jewelry?

A synonym for the word LEGACY is INHERATENCE!

When I think of those two words I think of royalty, a kingship, priesthood handed down to survived sons and daughters. I don't only think of earthly possessions being handed down to the next generation but I think of the character, heart and mindset of a person being gifted to someone. The responsibility of that person being gifted is immense!! Will they choose to carry that LEGACY with care and purpose or will they choose to forfeit it?

 

What have you been handed down? In my family I have been handed down; FIGHT or a tenacious hope, a strong will, a NOT GONNA QUIT type of spirit, rich family values, a sharp tongue, opinionated mind, hands that can harm and judgment and on the other side I have been handed down; a quieted mind, a soft tone, a love for alcohol, strong hope for a better tomorrow, hope in family and a love that loves no matter what! All that greatness intertwined with dark patches. Which will I choose to carry and which parts will I choose to forfeit? In the end what will I choose to hand down to my family? Will I hand them all my bad habits and negative defaults? Inevitable yes, they will get a degree of that!! YET I will CHOOSE to leave a LEGACY of LOVE and HOPE! I will gift my family with an inheritance of PRAISE, ENCOURAGEMENT, BLESSINGS, MAKING WRONGS RIGHT, FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION! My family WILL BE RICH IN LOVE, PURPOSE AND FAVOR!

So what will you leave as a LAGACY?

 

Stephanie Lainez

Author/Speaker/Mommy-SuperHero

www.mystoryhousebooks.com

Roar Like A Lion!

The other day I was really feeling HEAVY HEARTED like the pressures of the world were crashing in on me!  I would shake it off but still I felt like those around me were walking around injured, closed and depressed!  No matter how much I would stay positive or have positive words to share nothing seemed to penetrate that horrible layer of crass and negativity. 

So I decided to leave and take a drive with my little one in tow.  Suddenly the LION began to rear up in me and I began to scream at the top of my lungs while my toddler watched wide eyed and intrigued from the backseat.  I’m sure if the cars to the left and right of me cared enough, they too, would have heard my rants!  I began to yell and slam my hands on the stirring wheel saying things like,

          “Satan you’re a LIAR!  You CAN’T have my home, my family, my spouse, my child, my future, my business, my will, my atmosphere, my surroundings, my thoughts, my outlook, my laughter, my song, my hope, my blessings, my talents, my joy, my love, my dreams, my vision, my focus, my determination, my health, my passion YOU CAN’T HAVE ANY OF IT’!
 
I suddenly became enraged and if yelling LOUDER was possible, I did it!  I was SO ANGRY that I started to SCREAM saying,

          “And you know what you can’t take my home hostage or my husband either!  You let us go RIGHT NOW!!  In Jesus Name, I CLAIM THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB over anything and all that belongs to me and reclaim it!  You have NO AUTHORITY OVER ANY OF IT!  I want our healthy finances back too!!  I want our INCREASE BACK TOO!  I demand you to release it ALL or else I will DESTROY you and you will wish you never even looked my way”! 

 
Meanwhile as I’m screaming Harrison is in his car seat shouting, “YEAH”, “THAT’S RIGHT”, “YES”! 

Suddenly a peace came over me as I ended my ROAR and said, “In Jesus Precious Name, AMEN”!  Harrison began to cheer and scream, "AMEN"!  I looked at him through my rear view mirror and suddenly we both started to laugh uncontrollably!! 

When is the last time the enemy of your soul heard your roar?  Is it time to take back what belongs to you?  Is it time to get back what has been stolen from you?  It’s time for you to ROAR!!

Stephanie Lainez
Author/Speaker/Mommy SuperHero
www.mystoryhousebooks.com

Happy Anniversary

    Six years ago today I married my ANSWER TO PRAYER, Robert.  I was entering my mid-30's and I wasn't married yet.  I was the eldest of three and all were happily married but me!  I remember taking a dating sabbatical after a gut retching break up and thank God I did.  Because without taking the time to heal and trust the Lord I would have never been ready for Robert.  I would have been injured and forever victimized, or so I thought. I dove deep into counseling, wanting to know myself more deeply and completely!  

    I entered a honeymoon period with the Lord and even planned an actual HONEYMOON with just me and the Lord.  So I sailed away for a week on a Caribbean cruise.  Most of my friends thought I was insane yet those who knew me best, knew it was just what the doctor ordered!  I set sail off the coast of Florida just me and the Lord in a beautiful honeymoon suite!  Everywhere I looked were blissful newlyweds and I was freshly out of a 3 year relationship with a man whom I thought was the one!  I ate my meals alone and dressed up every night and went to the breathtaking ballroom to dine at a 12 person table, just God and me!  The people who sat at the tables around me felt sorry for me FOR SURE!  Some people invited me to dine with them and their families.  I giggled and thankfully declined their offer. 

 

    The next day I remember deciding to stay in my room all day and night. Worshipping and spending some REAL time with the Lord!  I was sunbathing on my balcony on the very rear of the ship and can recall the water being very choppy, windy with LOTS of rain.  During this cruise Katrina was hitting the Louisiana coastline and I was none the wiser!  I stood at the edge of my balcony and shouted, "Lord, I love you SO MUCH! (As I began to cry with intense emotion!) God I trust you with my heart and my future!  Lord, you said in your word that if you care for the birds of the air and feed them then how much more do you care for me!!  Well Lord I want to feel you!  I want to know that I am more special to you than the birds of the air"!  Suddenly the rain stopped and out of NO WHERE and very small bird appeared tweeting away singing a song that instantly brought me to my knee!  I wept as that little bird sang and sang over me!  Still weeping I stood up with my face facing up to the heavens, arms out stretched and eyes closed and the rain began to fall again with such power that it was hurting my skin!  I began to dance and spin celebrating God's love for me!  Some would have called me CRAZY and others would have witnessed the sweetest move of the Lord!  I walked back into my room dried of and fell to sleep!  

     That next morning I woke up with a new zeal, a new song on my heart!  I was complete again!  The wrongs and words that were said against me where erased!  The hurt seemed like a vague memory and the details where foggy!  If you have ever asked if God could erase hurt and bad memories let me tell you He CAN!  I watched those newlyweds be close and giggly and it tickled my heart where a few days before I was broken and would have to turn away! 

 

      A few months later I met Robert!  We dated for a few months, engaged for 2 and quickly married!  And through this marriage God has become more present!  My relationship with him has intensified in ways I can't explain!  These short 6 years has brought happiness, hope, joy, victory, heartache, loss, doubt, desperation, challenges, financial woes, death, blessing, strength, courage, tenacity, laughter and SO MUCH MORE!

     If you were to tell us 6 years ago that we'd go through all of that we would have laughed at you!  And yet we are STRONGER for it!  And we know that there's still more challenges and TONS of victories yet to celebrate!  And so we pray for God's way to be demonstrated in our marriage!  And for you that are yet to be married we pray GOD'S BEST for you!  That you be all about your relationship with HIM and let HIM show up and show off!  And for those of you marrieds out there we pray that you remain resilient and fortified making HIM your core and standing fast on HIS word because it NEVER come back void!

 

So Happy Anniversary to you Robert Lainez!  My love grows deeper still and our future is forever in the Master’s hands! 

XOXOXO


Stephanie Lainez
Author/Speaker/Mommy-SuperHero
www.mystoryhousebooks.com

 





    

Have A Merry Heart!!

I was in the grocery store the other day and I was CLEARLY not in a great mood and my 2 ½ year old started to sing. 

Jesus loves me this I know,

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong

They are weak but He is strong

Yes, Jesus Loves ME

Yes, Jesus Loves Me

Yes, Jesus Loves Me,

The Bible tells me so!

The gal that was shopping on the same isle as us looked up from the jars of pasta sauce with tears in her eyes and said, “I needed to hear that today”! 

Harrison giggled and smiled with that contagious smile of his and all three of us started to giggle! 

His MERRY HEART broke our bad attitudes!  His joy was our good medicine! 

Choose to be good medicine today!

 

 

Stephanie Lainez

Author/Speaker/Mommy SuperHero

www.mystoryhousebooks.com

Do more than hear, LISTEN

When I think of this blog title I cringe!  Most of us ladies, I'm sure, have COUNTLESS arguments with our spouses or the people in our world about this topic right here!!  I'm constantly saying, shouting and or yelling, "Why don't you LISTEN to me when I'm talking"!  Yet how many times do "I" do the EXACT same thing? 

This is how I know I'm not listening:
Harrison (my 2 year old)-Mom
Me-(Busy doing something, anything)
Harrison-MOM
Harrison-MOMM
Harrison-MOMMY!
Harrison-MOM!!!!!!!
Harrison-HONEY!!!!!
Harrison-BABE!!!!!!!!!
Harrison-STEPHANIE!!!!!!!!

It's usually when I hear my name that I think to myself, "WOW, how long was I not paying attention that he had to resort to using my NAME?  It might sound funny but it happens a lot!  And now Harrison will grab my face and say, "MOM, LOOK AT ME"! 

If I do this to my son I wonder how many times I do it to my husband and the other people around me, family and friends.

I have come to a place where stopping what I'm doing to interact when someone is who is talking to me is a must!!  So what, move the pan from the fire and take a moment!  So what if you have to stop the shower wrapped in a towel about to go in!  So what if you have to mute your favorite song while driving to the market to give that little one in the back seat your attention.  So what if you have to pause "The Real Housewives of Orange County" in order to give your spouse your eyes, mind and heart as he's telling you a story about his day! 

Stopping long enough to hear is great BUT stopping long enough to LISTEN is KEY!! 

Do you HEAR or do you STOP long enough to LISTEN?


Stephanie Lainez-Children's Book Author
www.hephzicreations.blogspot.com
www.mystoryhousebooks.com