My Rose with no thorns

Um....Myranda, who is that kid and why are we looking at her broken arm?

Well, that is my youngest daughter Brooklyn Rose Morales.....I thought it might be fun to show you then and now pictures over the course of the next few days and talk about the changes that have gone on.  (ALSO, I am trying to play around with this thing and learn how to make a groovy looking blog)  Let me know what you think......

This photo was taken about one month before we departed for Zambia when Brooklyn was about 14 months old.  August '07 to be precise.   She was wiggling around and fell off a bed and WHAMO, fractured her wrist.  I thought for sure they were going to take her away, but alas the nurse didn’t take my daughter away and Brookie is none the worse for the wear.  We had to delay our departure by 4 weeks, but all's well that ends well..or however that silly saying goes.

Little foot note, Brookie got out of TWO, yes I said it TWO full arm casts during the course of her treatment.  The doctor told me that in all the years of pediatric orthopedic practice he has NEVER seen a kid at her age get out of TWO casts.  I just calmly nodded my head and said WELL THATS MY BROOKIE ROSE!!!  

Watermelons and Obedience

Through the death of our beloved Pastor David Wilkerson and the loss that has left in all of our lives, I am sure it has given many of us pause to consider the impact our own lives are making.  Will people say “WOW SHE WAS AN AMAZING WOMAN WHO MADE AN IMPACT FOR CHRIST IN HER LIFE?”  I don’t know, but I have realized that I worry to much about what people think, and to many times that has made me afraid in being more bold in sharing the gospel.   

As I was pondering this thought the other day I stopped at a road side stand to buy some watermelons for my kids.  There was a man there who came up to sell them to me.  He had no front teeth, had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and was holding the Zambian equivalent to two Thunder Bird beers in his arms.  They call it Shake Shake.  NASTY stuff!  Anyway, to make a long story short I decided to go for it and began to share the love of Jesus with him.  I told him about how God has a plan for his life and that he is destroying himself with that aweful stuff.  Before I knew it there was a small crowd around me and I was having church with these precious people.  It was so simple, all I wanted to do was buy watermelon for my children and God brought an opportunity right to my face to share Jesus with some lost and hurting souls.  I left feeling elated and joy filled.  It was AWESOME!!  How many times have I walked right by someone that Jesus Christ has died for and has PUT in my path because he wanted me to see His power at work in their lives?  God met us there right next to that watermelon stand and I watched the love of God touch lives!  It ROCKED.   

Pastor David’s life was lived in simple obedience to what God has told him to do.  He was told to go to NYC to minister to the gangs in the 50’s so he did it.  He was told to start Teen Challenge and he did it....the list goes on and on.  He NEVER sought fame and glory for himself and ALWAYS ALWAYS gave ALL the glory to Jesus.  

He and Sister Gwen choose to take up their crosses and follow Jesus.  They have suffered well for the name of Christ.  I want to suffer well for the name of Jesus, don’t you?