A Year in the Life: 1998

3/30/2008 Estreitta 1 Comments

My friend Andrea wrote a similar blog for 1997 and she asked that I write one for 1998.  so here I go...  I am writing from what I remember.

=========

The Fall of 1997 I had returned to Minnesota after a 2 year "Sabbatical" in Texas.  I had left Minnesota in Nov ’95 for a guy that ended up being the most horrible man.  Praise God Jesus delivered me out of this relationship.  So by the Winter Quarter I was just getting back in the swing of School. In the Spring of 1997 the Lord had restored me and released me to go back to Northwestern.

I had started a Job in the Fall 1997 as a wedding DJ and pretty much made $500 bucks a weekend getting people to do the chicken dance.  I really enjoyed my job, in the winter the owner asked me to work in the office to do presentations to brides & Grooms.  He wanted me to work 30 hours a week.  I worked Monday through Thursday in the office and worked every Saturday, and some Fridays.  This was the year I met my friend Rio de Garcia Sarzoza.  He was a very interesting guy.  He and i were like nite and day.  He was brought up in church, but he had a lot of pain in his heart and really tried to punch my buttons about my faith, but i was persistent about showing him the True Love of God.  We would have long hours of conversations about the Lord... even though he never recommited his life to the Lord... when ever he was having difficulty he would always ask me to pray with him.

I lived in on the second floor of Moyer with Jackie Kliner, Sara (now Phillips), Laurel (???), Irma Brito, Elisa Cellan... i cant remember who else it was... It always worked out for me that I would get a room to myself which was nice cause i had my privacy.  I have to say that these ladies were wonderful roomates.  out of the 33 roomates I had, They were very sincere and i didn’t have to worry about them talking about me behind my back like i had experience in the past.  It was always peacful for me to come home!!!

I had continued to go to Speak the Word Church in Golden Valley like I had before.  It was good reconnecting with the friends I had made there also.

I had begun talking to this guy who lived in Utah his name was Raphael Cordova.  We had "met" while I was making reservations for a trip to Texas with Delta.  We just started talking and i found out he was a Christian and we had a similar back ground we began talking on a regular basis.

I also was still infatuated with Jon Schock. We did a radio show with each other.  We were in a lot of classes together and i really enjoyed my friendship with him. Although by the summer I had realized that it would have Never worked as we had very different views on very important issues to me and I finally let that go by the summer of 1998.

In August 1997 My brother was diagnosed with Manic Depression and Schitzophrenia.  This was the most Challenging thing i went through because i was now in MN and i couldn’t be in Texas to help my brother.  I convinced him and my parents to let billy come up to MN for the Spring Quarter, hoping that him being closer to me would help.  At first it went well, he stayed in MN with me until the Fall of 1998 when the depression had become overwhelming for him.

Friends I remember making during this year were Cathy Ibanez, Sarah Harder, Kelly Thoulouis (From church), Jack McBain, Anne Marie Munsell, Iliah Grant (Fall of 1998), Beckie Reeves (Fall of 1998)

 

Meeting Iliah was a God send for me.  I had prayed for years that God would bring me a Friend that we would be spiritually in-sync like Kindred spirits (as Anne Shirley would say from Anne of Green Gables) and Iliah was that for me.  Her zeal and Passion for God was very encouraging to me.  She reminded me alot of my self when I first came to northwestern.  I am so very blessed that God brought her too me when he did!

Nothing else really sticks out to me if I rememeber any more I will post another blog!

I’m Finished!

3/16/2008 Estreitta 1 Comments

Well I got a surprise when I went to the radiation treatment on friday!  When I got there they told me that Dr. Neilson wanted to see me as there was a change in the radiation treatment prescription..  I thought, "oh no They are going to extend it again."  So as I waited in the doctors office I just prayed and said

"Ok Lord only you know what I need, and If I need to go Longer then I'm ok with that.   I trust you to know exactly what I need and you have given Dr. Neilson the wisdom to take care of me"

So then Dr. Neilson came in and started by saying,

"Today will be your last treatment."

I said,

"So you mean, I'm done"

Dr. Neilson replied,

"Yes,  I have looked at your charts and after speaking with a few of my colleagues, I think that the treatments you have had is good enough.  There is no clear data to say you having more treatment than you have gotten will have any effect."

She then said I needed to come back in a month for a followup appointment and said that I needed follow up with Dr. Perry.

Can you believe it at the End of April it will be 6 months sinc emy surgery???  Time has flown by alot faster than I thought it would.  Dr. Nielson also said that I should wait for 3 months to schedule a Mamogram to allow tissue and skin time to heal.  The skin is VERY Dark. The Therapist, nurses and Doctor all commented that My skin did very well with the treatments.  Apparently it does get worse for those who are lighter complected.  I am thankful All I had was a little fatigue and soreness.  So  Pray that My energy level bumps up quickly, so I can get back into the swing of things!

Prayerfully,  I am completely finished with ever getting radiation.  And I do appreciate all of your prayers!  God has given me strength an endurance  and your prayers have been a great source of peace for me!

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Hebrews 4:16 (New International Version)

The Search for the Right Church

3/09/2008 Estreitta 1 Comments

Since Easter of 2007, Erik and I have been looking for a church. We have visited probably 20 churches and have been to a lot of good bible based churches with maybe only 5 that have aligned with what we are looking for in a church. Ya'll can pray for us as we continue to look for a home church as it has been difficult but we keep on looking. 

Last Easter Erik and I made the difficult decision to leave the Church I grew up in and that welcomed us back with open arms.  When My dad went to be with the Lord, This church had truly stood up to it's name "Family Christian Center"  They were/are more of a family to us than my dad's side of the family was.  They helped us and my mom through a really difficult time and for that I am eternally grateful and thankful for.

But as time went on Erik and I felt more and more disconnected not by anything they did but more because I believe that God wasn't knitting us with them for a purpose.  Plus we lived about 45 miles away and it was difficult to be more involved during the week.  They have a great heart to serve the community they are in and yet we just didn't get it.  I think mostly again cause God was pulling us in a completely different direction than where God was taking them.  there's nothing wrong with that it just became evident on Easter of 2007.  The pastors had gone to Europe and they had a guest pastor from a neigboring town.  His message was "Where's the Fruit?"
The message changed our thinking about church and where we should go.  Not because this church was doing anything wrong it just became evident to us that it wasn't the place for us.  We had gotten into the maintaining mode.  going from one thing to the next and not growing spiritually.  We got too Comfortable.  The Message showed us that there was no fruit in our life.  We asked ourselves why isn't there any fruit, its cause we were in this maintaining mode.
So our search for the right church began.

I think that making a church your home shouldn't be taken lightly.  it's like the spouse you marry.  you have these stipulations and requirements they have to meet in order for them to be even datable.  If they don't align with your list then you shouldn't hesitate and run the other way.  If they have most of the qualities then building the relationship and getting to know them better to see what they are really about.  That is kinda of the method we are using for our search for the right church here are some of our list items.

1. We are looking for a Church that is multicultural.  a Church that is ethnically diverse and has a desire to be reach those in our community.
   
2. A Church where the pastor is not afraid to challenge the congregation to be all that God wants us to be and teaches out of the Word of God.
   
3. A Church that actively pursues the Gifts of the Spirit allows to Holy Spirit to be present and move in the services.
   
4. Where worshiping the Lord is central to it's ministry.
   
5. The Church supports Missionaries and provide opportunities to go on missions trips to young people and adults.
   
6. Where the Children and Youth seek the face of God and desire to know him more.
   
7. A Church where its about serving God not personalities

I know that our expectations of the church we are looking for seem kinda lofty, but we are tired of maintaining and just going to church everyweek and it not impacting us deeply. 

Erik and I want to be a part of the Last Day revival and be used by God to Minister to the Lost and dying world  ministering the truth and the Love of God.  We want to see miracles and have visitations from the Lord on a daily basis.  We are tired of the maintaining mentality.
I want to start seeing the purposes and plans that God has for me to come to pass and my maintaining isn't going to get me to where God wants me to be.

Last week we attended this church that's mission is to train and equip revivalist.  The Pastor asked something that has been resonating in me all week:

You need to ask yourself why those visions and dreams and words from the Lord to you haven't come to pass.  Have you Gotten in the way of God's Purposes or are your positioning yourself to be activated at any moment?