Prayer Request - My abuela

Today is the third day my abuela (abuela is grandma in Spanish) has been in the hospital. She has had Crohn's disease for almost her whole life and my uncles are doctors, so when she gets sick, she just stays at their house. (If you don't know what Crohn's disease is I would suggest you look it up on Wikipedia or something rather. Crohn's disease bad, but not always fatal if you treat the disease well and a person can have a long life with it - but you get sick frequently every year for the rest of your life.) Since she stays at my uncle's houses everytime she gets sick, her going to the hospital is rather shocking and nerve-wracking. She's in her seventies and very weak right now.
She went to the ER because she had a fever of 104 and the fever would not leave. The doctors found out that the infection is actually spread in her bloodstream so her whole body is infected right now and I think they were thinking of a transfusion.
I went to visit my abuela around 6 PM and found out that she would have surgery around 12:30. My dad, my twin sister, more relatives, and I stayed there till the surgery was done and a little after.
They did surgery on her because they had a feeling her intestines were blocked and her intestines were blocked. Food wasn't going down her intestines and she couldn't use the restroom for a day or two. If they hadn't done the surgery on her she would have died in a couple days. Right now her body is fighting the infection and recuperating from the surgery and the intestines that had to be painfully expanded by the food. She'll be in the hospital for at least two weeks if not more weeks at the hospital.
I didn't get home till 3:30 AM this morning but my evening and day had been productive by just visit in the hospital and spending time making her a huge banner with my cousins and siblings.
The banner my cousins and I made for my abuela says, "Las abuelas sostiene nuestras manecitas por un rato, pero nuestros corazones para siempre." The saying we put on her banner means, "The grandmothers hold our hands for a little while, but our hearts forever." All of us cousins traced our hands and signed our names.
My abuela was too incoherent at some point to see the banner but she saw it later and she seemed pretty happy about the banner. Her words don't come out loud and clear, but the adults who know Spanish very well will put their ear down and understand what she's saying.
(My twin sister is the girl in the picture.)
My abuela has been in ICU since Saturday night and she's been there all of yesterday and she's there today. Please pray she heals.

God bless,
MaidenOfEmmanuel

New Years 2010 - Life as we know it and DON'T know it

[[EDIT: I actually didn't realize that I have at least one or two other posts relating to this topic. Your Time]]

Well its the New Year (and a little bit after it). Finally 2010 and most people have been planning on making changes and keeping their New Year's Resolutions.
And then some people aren't.
This post isn't to depress anyone, but its definitely to make you all realize some something if you haven't.

Let me start of with a fact.

According to records of births and deaths (the average): Did you know that every twelve seconds someone dies? And every eight seconds someone is born.

That's a lot of people being born-- and that's a lot of people dying.

But here's something else.

I've already heard of TWO little boys who have died right around New Years.

The first I heard, was in a bad neighborhood New Years Eve, and by the time it was New Years, someone (drunk, assumingly, since people get a bit insane) shot him.
The second I heard, choked on food.

Both were their times, but I'm pretty sure neither of them knew they were going to die. And so far only ONE of them heard the gospel and it is unknown if he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour.
But when are any of us ready to die?
--When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, believe that He died for us, and repent of our sins (becoming a Christian), we're ready to go to heaven. Truth be told, that's when we're ready. But you don't know WHEN you will.

So becoming a Christian is not something you should delay.

There are a lot of people who don't realize how much God is in control of our lives. You can die in the next moment.

Think about it.
In ten seconds you could-- if God wants you to.

The rapture.
Every Christian could be gone from this world-- whenever He wants to come back for us.

What is everyone waiting for? Those times? Because they won't be able to accept Him the moment death hits them physically.

The poor little boys. One was probably exposed to a lot of junk. Who knew if he really listened to the Gospel. The other one, the same.
I bet you that the one who was eating during lunchtime at his school (in Brazil, I think), had NO idea that the next moment he bit into whatever he had on his utensil or plate, was going to suffer (by CHOKING) and die.
It kind of makes you realize that you don't know how much time you have left.

Since when did we all think about that?
~LIFE is about GLORIFYING the One who MADE YOU~

You know that He sees what you do, what you think, what you say, what you see, what you hear, what's in your heart.
But some people don't listen and don't care. So they spend an eternity in severe incomprehensible pain. Fire, ladies and gentleman.

Which would you rather choose? Glorious golden streets -- or a lake of fire?
Yes, I would like to pick the golden streets, thank you very much.

Life as we know it-- living in peace, knowing exactly where I'm going to go (which is Heaven)-- and as we don't know it.
How long will it take to glorify His name before you lose the opportunity? And how long will it take to realize you only have so much time?

New Year's resolution - Living more for Him.

Blessings,
MaidenOfEmmanuel

P.S. Info I got from those two facts are from the site http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html .
Also, the kids I found out through my cousin, and through a missionary from my church (the one who choked was a student the missionary taught).

Your Time

Yesterday was very tragic.
Why?

A girl in a school somewhere here in my city (I believe), got stabbed to death.
&&&&
Someone got shot, thirteen rounds put in him, and was put to death.

This reminds me of a very old post of mine, when I wasn't very good at writing. It was called Me or You?

The person who stabbed that girl to death yesterday-- he or she hasn't been found out, I don't think.
I'm pretty sure, though, that whoever shot that boy, he was arrested.
--I'm not exact on these though, because I hate reading or wtchings the news, so I just listen to everyone else telling their stories--

The point about this, though, doesn't have to do with how they were killed. It's that they died. And by some of the stories, I'm doubting they were saved. I'm not completely sure, but there was a police officer I know that saw the boy who was shot to death, the night before, assuming he was robbing a house, but didn't have proof. He just lectured him.

This is sad. Really sad.
Do you realize that neither the boy or girl knew they were going to die?
That they didn't know they only had several hours to decide where to go (heaven or hell) left?

Because I think a lot during car rides, my car ride back home last night, when I was out, was spent thinking about this.
Everyone, no matter how much someone might supposedly "hate" life, have dreams and something they're hoping for. Whether its for the end of the week, the month after, a year later, a decade later, etc.

They didn't know that they only had so much time to decide a very important life choice.

A friend of mine and I had been discussing the new school year a few months ago. We were excited, and we had worries that are small compared to the new one we both have now.
Suddenly we find out her dad has a tumor in his head, probably placed in the worst spot. And it MUST be treated right away. Must.
Yes, they're all Christians, and that's absolutely AWESOME, and if her father DOES die, he'll be heading to spend forever with Jesus. YAY!! :D
But the less yay is, what if he wasn't? He is, but if he wasn't, he now only has so much time left.

I honestly don't know what's going to happen tomorrow to me. But I do know for a fact that I'll be in heaven if I die on the spot. I DO believe in Jesus, and I've repented, and I've made a commitment to spend an eternity with Him.
But what about you? Or the people around you? It's so sad to see people you know for a fact that haven't made that positive decision I've made.
I keep thinking about it, and the only thing I CAN do is pray.

Pray for the people around you to be saved.
It CAN make a difference, even if it doesn't seem like it at first.

God bless,
~MaidenOfEmmanuel

I appreciate living a little more...

Okay, well... WOW. I wonder if my title brought curious visitors to those who have me in there blogroll/update thingy. ;) Hahh.
YESTERDAY was just full of excitement--and pain. I really do mean that I appreciate living a little more.
June 06, 2009, I was going to a baby-shower and I was in bascially my church clothes (except for my jeans), and all happy-go-lucky. It had just finished POURING and my mom parked the car across the house from where the part was being held, and along the street (parallel, on the grass). I hopped out of the car with my twin and while my mom started crossing the street, we were faced with a pretty long-- and kind of wide-- puddle right on the street. We basically couldn't go around it, and I didn't want to get wet, but I didn't have my sneakers on. But my sister did. She held my hand and we were about to jump, but then I hesitated and didn't. She made it across, but I was still standing on the street before this puddle.

Alright, news-fact for the people who didn't know: I'm not only scared of heights, but I'm scared of jumping things. Those kids that jump off those high stairs, making it to the ground all excited and not hurt--oh man, I could never do that. BACK to my story...

-----So then, my sister looked back at me and started laughing. And I was not happy with that, it made me look like I was just really scared or delicate--so I jumped. Here's where everyone rolls their eyes and calls me stupid, idiotic, etc.
The moment my church shoes (which DO have line 1-inch heels) hit the ground, they went flying up in the air.

[[Okay, remember in those cartoons how when a character would fall, their feet would REALLY fly up from underneath them, just making it look even more fake? Yeah, IT CAN BE REAL. Because it literally happened to me.]]

Nahh, my back didn't hit the street first. --My head did. Oh man, oh man, was it painful. All I remember is jumping and then my head exploding on me. My sister came running over to me, because while she and mom were walking away, my collision with the ground made a pretty great sound.
The first thought that came to my head was
"Oh, Lord, I love you."
-I was so thankful. Why? Not only did it not SO MUCH sense INTO me, but I hadn't died. Just a little worse and I probably would have lost consciousness.-
I had a SEVERE headache for two hours. None of the two "*starts quoting in commercial voice* Extra-Strength Tylenol" worked. I was at the baby-shower for an hourand a half, starting to feel nauscious-- I ended up at our Children's hospital, and FOUR HOURS of being there, the CAT Scan said I was clear, all I have is a mild-concussion.
Guess what I FEEL LIKE doing (because I'm not permitted to doing so) right now?
Happy-dancing. =D
I cried at how many times people called to check up on me. My sister left her Facebook status that I was in the ER, and so many people responded to it. Everyone that said they were praying/hoping I felt better and asking for updates either called or e-mailed. --And it made me feel so much better. I didn't realize that even adults cared about whether I was feeling alright or not. I also realized that life was a little more precious to me than I thought.
You know how there are some people that say they really couldn't care whether they were alive or not. How they absolutely hate life? Most people call them emo or something, but there are people that aren't even stereo-typed and they act like they couldn't care what life is. I started JOKING around with people who were like that, I would always pretend that maybe it wasn't so important as I thought--as some people would say it was.
I probably wasn't close to dying, but my head got hit pretty ridiculously hard. When I had left I had rushed out the door, but this morning I just sat with my youngest sister because I was making up for the time I hadn't said goodbye to her yesterday.

God IS awesome, amazing, powerful, merciful, great, all-mighty, and everything else great you could ask for. He's BIG and He can carry you anywhere, anytime.

*~*~*~*~*~*
So there's my story. :P It's okay if you didn't even read the whole thing, it was pretty long... I'm stuck here at home while everyone's at church, so I had the time. ;)
Though if you did, I hope you got my meaning in the whole thing. It's pretty clear. I used to love life. I just love it even more now.

God bless,
~Bookie