Trees Of Hope – Page 6 – Welcome! Here is a place to receive encouragement in your daily walk with God, to bond over motherhood and parenting experiences, and to share ideas for teaching your children. I pray that you are renewed, encouraged and inspired to be a tree of hope for the world to behold. ~Krystal

23Oct 2018 by Krystal 2 Comments

A Tree of Hope to Me!

Recently I have had my share of times to cry, with personal struggles and some emotional days. A lot of people ask me how things with my book are going and I seem to have lost enthusiasm to even talk about it. Yet, I want to remember that GOD gave me all the ideas for the book that I wrote entitled Mommy's Inspirations. I started writing it when my oldest was two and finished after he turned three. I didn't have any plans to publish my writing until I got further along and God took me all the way to 52 chapters. Once I finished this weekly devotional, I literally stopped writing for four years, and the book "sat." All I can say is that I had a God-given push to…

07Oct 2018 by Krystal 4 Comments

~Let Christ Alone Set the Tone~

Faith

Fall is here in Western New York where I live: the crisp, cool, flannel-shirt and jeans, soup-making weather. 🍜A neighbor was walking a few weeks ago with her two children, her son whizzing by on an electric scooter. He is a young five year old and I commented that he is very coordinated to have mastered that at such a young age. Her response struck me as she replied, "Yes, well I originally saw your son doing it and I thought he should have one too." We can set the tone for others and their decisions, both big and small.Davin pointing at YOUto let Jesus set the tone~Tone in the dictionary states, "the general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc." Some synonyms include mood, air,…

24Aug 2018 by Krystal 4 Comments

WHY “Trees of Hope?” Read about our daughter to find out….

Personal Testimonies

Our little girl, Laurelle Esperanza, turned four a few weeks ago! Having two older brothers and one younger brother, she got stuck in the middle and has changed our lives. Princess power!2017 My baby girl and I!What is this princess power you may ask? Let's start from the beginning: when she was born I literally saw and felt myself in her. I have heard others say, "Newborns are newborns," or "Babies are babies," but it was a unique experience from the get-go to have a girl in my arms this time around. As Laurelle grew she also began to resemble me more physically. My dad has commented to me, "You're back" when looking at Laurelle. How cool, right?!Being a girl myself, and a mother to my children, I have discovered…

07Aug 2018 by Krystal 2 Comments

An Anxious Heart Lacks Peace

Faith, Personal Testimonies

It's been a few weeks since I've shared, which feels weird because of having gone through a summer where I plunged through writing one or more entries each week! This post will explain why.I recently met with some faithful women who intentionally followed my blog this past month, and I asked them to write down what word encapsulated their last four weeks. I myself wanted to have a happy, uplifting one to describe my month, but I was honest and wrote ANXIOUS; that was how I had felt more often than not.ANXIETY in the dictionary reads, "a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome." WORRY and UNEASINESS were overtaking my spirit and ultimately my ability to not only enjoy but to…

24Jul 2018 by Krystal 4 Comments

Learning from the Latinos.

Personal Testimonies

We had a lovely visit over a week ago now with some of my husband's Latino family: his sister, her husband, and his brother. I was reflecting on the first time I went to their home in New Jersey and the difference I felt.Our Wedding Day December 15, 2007We were newly-weds and Jorge wanted to take a trip to see his family after our honeymoon. One of the main surprises I found was how instantaneously we were welcomed. I also never expected to feel so comfortable in their kitchen of all places! We were given full-access to the refrigerator in a way that was authentic, not just polite or courteous. As a new sister-in-law at the time I was still a bit nervous, not wanting to overstep and offend. But it…

17Jul 2018 by Krystal 5 Comments

Ahoy There Matey! Pirate Summer Learning

Teaching Your Children

Summer is a great time for teachers and students alike to take a much-needed break. Being a homeschooling mom, I have looked forward to summer for that very reason! However, I do find that some structure and fun learning can be easy, helpful, and intriguing even in the summer. Here are some ideas for you:1. Pick a topic or theme for your kids or better yet, have THEM choose something they are interested in (this is called a "unit study" in formal, teaching terms!)2. Go to the library and check out some interesting books on your topic of choice3. Begin learning together and make some easy, fun activities/games as you go (It's not meant to feel like school because it's summer!)This summer, we are doing PIRATES and SHIPWRECKS. We started…

10Jul 2018 by Krystal 6 Comments

Everyone Needs Compassion

Faith

I've been thinking a lot about compassion recently. It can take many forms, but the end result is really a love that moves us to action. One definition of compassion that I found is, "a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is hurting, in pain, or has misfortune and is accompanied by a strong desire to help the suffering."In my travels, I have had what I like to call "easy compassion" on the "least of these." During my time in the country of Bolivia in South America, compassion for the poor children I saw in the streets came naturally, as I believe it does to most in similar situations. My heart longed to take care of them, to provide for what they were lacking, primarily through food, clothing…

03Jul 2018 by Krystal 6 Comments

Confronting FEAR: Who Do You Run To?

Faith, Personal Testimonies

Today was a scorcher, a whopping ninety plus degrees Fahrenheit! My children and I headed to a splash pad by 10 a.m. to meet some friends and stay cool. After all the water time, we made our way over to the adjacent playground area for awhile. All seemed well, until I noticed someone was missing. I was pushing Laurelle and Davin on the swings; Bennett was with us at times too, and then would go to the park to climb and slide. My oldest son Luke, on the other hand, was out of sight. At first, I assumed he could have gone to the bathroom and just didn't tell me. This tamed my fear a bit, although my heart still lacked peace.Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, and rounded up my three…

28Jun 2018 by Krystal 6 Comments

Summer FUN Without Breaking the BANK!

Teaching Your Children

Summer is finally here where I live in Western New York! Let's take advantage of this time, and save a penny or two in the process! Here are my TOP TEN ideas, in no particular order, for a low-budget and high-fun summer!!1. THE BEACHWhen I think of summer, I have a beach in my mind. My husband definitely does, being from Ecuador! Locally, we have been to Olcott Beach and Niagara-on-the-Lake beach in Canada (pictured above). Olcott Beach and Carousel has the most quaint environment with rides and games for kids that cost only a quarter each (photo below); if you haven't checked out this gem yet, put it on your list! Niagara-on-the-Lake is an enjoyable ride over the Canadian border, passing gorgeous vineyards and countryside. It's a small beach but…

25Jun 2018 by Krystal 10 Comments

God is Taking Care of YOU

Faith, Personal Testimonies

Our family (my husband and children), visited my twin sister and her husband this past weekend. They live a few hours away, and a month ago now my sister delivered her first baby, a girl they named Kadence Marie. It was our first time meeting this little miracle! We brought a meal to share, and spent the day at their house. I was going to pack a game to play or some blocks for the kids, but in the end I didn't. It wasn't necessary: the new baby was entertainment enough!The moment we arrived and saw precious Kadence, we were enamored. She is a preemie, so tiny, just over four pounds now. I had never seen a baby so pint-sized, and our children were in awe. At home, all of…