Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Little White Lie?

I think Not!

When I looked this Idiom up on thefreedictionary.com (a website I use pretty much daily) this was the definition: a small, usually harmless lie; a fib.

The key word here is
HARMLESS...
And I want to give you a FACT Check: NO lie is harmless.
Lies compromise our Integrity and by compromising our integrity we are compromising our healthy character, and who we are!

Integrity is defined as being complete; sound; whole; honest; Steadfast adherence to a moral or ethical code; the state of being unimpaired; being reliable and Fair. All of which are positive characteristics that help us through life, that do not hinder us. All of these things are what I want to be.

The opposite of integrity is: dishonesty; unreliability; violation of moral; incompleteness; brokenness... need I say more??

Every time you lie, even if it is a 'white lie' you are compromising who you are. You are chipping away your moral character, the very person that you are and what you stand for is being wavered. SO next time you contemplate lying think of who you want to be.

The only reason I am able to say this is because it has been something that has been a challenge in my life. I am aspiring to be a woman of integrity, because that is what I am called to be, who I WANT to be, and not only that when I have integrity I am much more comfortable in my own skin, knowing that I am living truthfully and honestly!

"A person is not given integrity. It results from the relentless pursuit of honesty at all times."

"Losers make promises they often break. Winners make commitments they always keep."

Thursday, March 26, 2009

blog in 10

1-more month and madi will be a year old!

2-is the number of serious car accidents that I have been in (as a driver), neither were my fault, wrong place wrong time, one of them the stoplight came down on top of my car

3-classes left before I have my BA in Social Science, unfortunately they all have to be done consecutively I cannot do them all in one semester... s 3 more semester left for me :(

4-might be the number of kids I would want in a perfect world... my perfect world would be: the ability to be a SAHM

5-is the average number of glasses of water I drink a day... it should be more, but atleast I don't drink soda or anything else for that matter

6-is the number of children my sister will have in June, it is 4 right now, but she has two more on the way, crazy.... I know!

7-days a week I think of how amazing God is and how blessed I am!

8-is the number of hours of sleep I WISH that I got every night, unfortunately it is usually around 5-6 leaving me sleep deprived

9- months is when Madi started to walk, can you tell I am a proud Mommy!?


10-years and 11 months is how long I have been a resident of Minnesota, I couldn't imagine California feeling like home now, although it would be dreamy to live in a warmer state near an ocean.

What Matters Most in life?

The ending of Crown Financial happened much too soon. we still have yet to have our get toegther, which will happen in a couple of weeks... As we ended our session last night we talked of what is really important, what is eternal, and what truly matters in this life. Lyndy brought up an insightful poem that I thought would be good to share. So here is a fortune cookie for today:


The Dash
The following is a poem by Linda Ellis © 1998. Consider the implications for your own life's choices

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on earth...
And now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own; the cars .... the house... the cash.
What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard ... are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left. (You could be at "dash mid-range")

If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real,
And always try to understand the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger, and show appreciation more,
And love the people in our lives like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile...
Remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy's being read with your life's actions to rehash...
Would you be proud of the things they say about how you spend your dash??

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Sean and April

I feel a little sick to my stomach to be honest, and maybe a little overwhelmed for my sister and her family. BUT I know that God is going to work this all out, and I know that they will see better days.

Sean was officially diagnosed with MS after numerous days of exeriencing symptoms. His legs were completely numb, he was able to walk, but things have worsened and now he can no longer walk or stand for that matter. He has even began losing sight in his right eye, but through it all he still laughs and smiles, and asks the doctors questions with kindness in his tone. Even though he was experiencing these symptoms quite some time ago, he was turned away from the hospital three times before they finally admitted him. It is somewhat frustrating because we know now that if he had started his treatments sooner they could have prevented it from becoming so severe. But now he is just thankful, I love his heart, it is golden.

I have been updating his caring bridge site. I started one up for them becuase April was feeling a bit overwhelmed with 4 kids and being pregnant with twins, as well as having gestational diabetes - being insulin dependant would be enough to wipe me out. But somehow I think that I am sorta right when I say that April is half wonder woman and half human, some of the things that girl has survived through... it is amazing she is still alive. I love her so much!

So here is the update on Sean and for all of those that want to get regular updates link to his caring bridge site via the photo of him and his 4 kids, on my sidebar.

I just got home from visiting Sean in the hospital. He seems to be doing well, especially because I brought him cosettas, cookies, and Twilight! He is a bit nervous for tomorrow though. They will be inserting a tube into his neck by cutting a hole, so he is definetly dreading it, as I am sure anyone would. They are inserting the tube because it is much more effective to perform plasmapherisis (plasma-fer-ee-sis) via a large tube in his neck vs. a small tube in his vein.

While I was at the hospital they were performing the plasmapherisis on him through a vein in his arm. What he is having done is also known as TPE (Therapuetic Plasma Exchange) This is where they remove the blood from his body, filter out the plasma through the blood via a large machine, dispose of the plasma, and replace it with new plasma. So we got to see his plasma, and even thinking about it right now makes me a little sick to my stomach, needless to say when the nurse first started the procedure I felt a bit faint, and sick to my stomach...

I was there for a little over an hour and it was still being conducted as I left. The nurse said that when they do it through the vein it takes quite a bit longer, a few hours.

But so far so good, the procedure is going just fine and Seans nerves calmed as time passed. Just be praying for tomorrow, they will insert the tube then perform the procedure again tomorrow, then every other day to follow.

I asked Sean about his symptoms and he said that nothing has improved. His eye sight hasn't worsened though so that is positive.

He has a great attitude, which is fabulous for him and the whole family. I know April is a little overwhelmed with the kids, she wants to be there as much as possible for Sean but sometimes it is difficult to find a sitter. So if anyone is free or would like to help out in any way, this might be something that is quite helpful for April. But their love for eachother amazes me, I don't doubt that they will be happy and in love until the day they die. They have been through so much together, and they just celebrated 11 years.

Thanks to Tracy and Graham for watching Ember and Cole. And thanks to all of the visitors, Sean has told me about each and every one of you who have come to visit, it is very encouraging to him and it really does mean a lot!

If you have any concerns feel free to contact me via email.

Thanks,

Becca

50 Pictures for 50 weeks

I am doing this #1 becuase I am a picture fanatic and thought that it would be fun and #2 I have been Reminiscing over the last 50 weeks of Madilynns life, plus the 39 that she was growing in my womb... I love her more and more everyday that passes by! And she becomes more and more beautiful everyday.
















































Monday, March 23, 2009

Why is there Pain and Suffering?

Without pain, suffering and tribulation we wouldn't understand Love, we would have no compassion or faith, we would have no appreciation, we would have no strength and courage, no endurance or patience, no character at all, but most of all we would have no clue how amazing our God truly is. This is my own take on why there is pain and suffering, it is not a curse but a gift to unvweil our human eyes to reveal Gods goodness... so, why there is pain and suffering...

"A man went to a barbershop to have

his hair cut
and his beard trimmed.

As the barber began to work, they began
to have a good conversation.

They talked about so many things
and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the
subject of God, the barber said:

'I don't believe that God
exists.'

'Why do you say
that?' asked the customer.

'Well, you just have to go out in
the street to realize that God doesn't exist.
Tell me, if God
exists, would there be so many sick people?
Would there be abandoned
children?

If God existed,
there would be neither suffering nor pain.
I can't imagine a loving
God who would allow all of these things.'

The customer thought for a
moment,
but didn't respond because he didn't
want to start an argument.

The barber finished his job and the customer left the
shop.

Just after he left the barbershop,
he saw a man in the street with long,
stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.

He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer
turned back and entered the barber shop
again and he said to the barber:

'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'

'How can you say that?' asked
the surprised barber.
'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just
worked on you!'

'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't
exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair
and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when
people do not come to me.'

'Exactly!' affirmed the customer.
'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist!

That's what happens
when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help.

That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'"

Friday, March 20, 2009

Seans condition is getting worse!

Please be praying!

Sean cannot walk or even stand, his legs buckle if he attempts to. April is really concerned, and they are both having a hard time facing this realization. I got off of the phone with her about an hour ago.

Please, if you are able to, go and visit Sean he needs support, encouragement, and prayer!

United Hospital
333 North Smith Ave
St. Paul, MN 55102
room #7922
Direct Line: 651-241-7834

Link HERE to visit his caring Bridge site

I will praise You in this storm

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain"

I think that I am learning to dance in the rain, God has revealed so much to me these last few months. There have been ups and downs but overall, I am dancing in the rain right now. Although I am struggling because I am drenched with water and cold, figuratively speaking of course, I am still making the best of it :) with Gods help of course. I am learning to lean on him, because I cannot do it alone.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Videos are easy

Wow, Youtube is pretty amazing! All I do is dock my video camara on my computer and the videos upload, no conversion. So I have started uploading videos. Everyone is welcome to stop by and see them,
this is the URL: http://www.youtube.com/rrosario2156
Sorry they are not in perfect order. I left the numbers on them though 1 is the earliest video and the higher the number, the more recent the video is... if that makes sense, happy viewing my beautiful daughters life.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Caring Bridge For Sean

Sean, my Brother in Law, is in the hospital. Please keep him in your prayers!

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009

Approximately 3 weeks ago, the end of February 2009, Sean began feeling tingling in his feet, it felt as though his feet were falling asleep. The following day his feet were completely numb. It proceeded to his legs, and now everything below his hips are completely numb. He is still able to use them, it just takes extra effort. He is extremely uncomfortable. He still has control of his bodily functions. He has lost movement in his toes on both feet, and now his left knee is buckling making it difficult to walk. His symptoms are progressively getting worse as time goes on.

He is now admitted to the Nuerology unit on the 7th floor at United hospital and they are running numerous tests trying to find a diagnosis. They are currently seeking a second opinion and they are pretty sure that it is Multiple Sclerosis,.

They have done multiple tests including 3 MRI's and a spinal tap. They have confirmed that there is inflamation around his T10 vertebrae, a spot was detected on his contrast MRI on 3/14.

As he is in the hospital they are also going to be addressing his hypertension and high blood pressure. They think that that as well, is of some serious concern. They informed Sean and April that they may need to put a stint in his heart during his stay, but this is not yet concluded, we will let you know as updates regarding this issue come about.

Visitors are welcome. His room number is 7924.

His direct phone number is 651-241-7834. Please don't call for updates, as they have been bombarded by phone calls, repeating the details over and over. That is what this site is for, we will keep you updated here with any new news!

Just a quick tid bit : Sean and April just celebrated their 11 year anniversary, at the hospital. They have 4 children and two more on the way.

Thanks, and if you have any questions reply to his Caring Bridge site.

UPDATE 3/20/09: He can no longer stand or walk due to the buckling of his knees. The physical therapist is wroking with him. They found 3 more lesions on his brain in addition to the one on his spine.

UPDATE 3/23/09: Sean is now experiencing partial loss of sight in his right eye, due to the inflamation.

UPDATE 3/26: They are now performing Plasmapherisis, to try and treat his symptoms.

Thanks, and if you have any questions reply to his Caring Bridge site.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Pray For Sean


If you want to know more, visit his Caring Bridge Site!
Thanks Becca
www.caringbridge.org/visit/seanervin

Friday, March 13, 2009

Lets support the Locals - Here in Saint Paul, MN


A fabulous girlfriend of Mine's Mom, owns a beautiful shop on Grand Avenue in historic Saint Paul, a block away from Summit Avenue. I just love it!

They carry top of the line, name brand, consignment. The shop is truly filled with treasures galore! They have vintage wear, gorgeous handbags, one of a kind jewelry, clothes for every style and size, and so much more.

Not only that if you have fabulous clothing that is maybe a little too snug or even too big, that you couldn't bear tossing, you can consign it! What better than to consign your clothes, to make a few extra dollars.

It has a cozy comfy atmosphere that anyone would love to go to just to take in the atmosphere of an adorable, inviting, small shop.

so feel free to visit the webstie here to get all of the details : My Sisters Closet