Palabras.

A follower of Jesus writing of His radical Love for you and me.

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He provides, always

This week has been busy, so I just would like to take a moment and praise Jesus for that. 

I moved back to Corpus this summer. I was officially settled in August and I didn't think I would have a hard time finding a job - I was wrong.  Although to some people two months without a job is nothing compared to six months, a year, or even two years, to me it seemed like a very long, depressing time. 

In the two months I was looking for a job, I got call backs and I went to a few interviews but I was not getting hired. It just wasn't happening. I remember getting a phone call from one of my friends one morning, he asked me what I was doing and I just broke down crying and said 'nothing, I am not doing anything!' I felt really useless. 

And you know what, I was probably exaggerating, because thanks to the Awesome God I serve, I am staying with my parents so, I didn't have to pay any bills at all. But I just couldn't help it, I felt defeated. 

Then, I realized that when I was living on my own, working full time, working on Saturdays, paying bills, never really having enough money to get a dog, never really having enough money to eat organic (ha!) or anything I selfishly wanted - all I wanted then, was to NOT HAVE TO work. And God, you know, He just loves me, He brought me out of the dark pit I was in, He changed my life and here He had me, on a mini-vacay. How selfish of me!

I was too focus on my needs to realize that during this time, He wanted me to trust Him, He wanted me to be patient, because we all know how inpatient I am!

He knew, and I knew too that the jobs I was applying for were not where I needed to be. God kept shutting doors on my face for about two months because He was going to open some new doors, and these were some great new doors, y'all. 

And I just want to praise Him because I have been working, doing something I love, learning, and getting back on my feet. I want to praise Him because for the longest time my prayer was to be able to finish what I once started, and He is working in my life and He is answering my prayers.

I want to praise Him because I have met great people in the last month, people that love Him and love to be in His presence. And to me, there is nothing sweeter than talking about God and His character and about the amazing things He can do. 

I want to praise Him because He provides. He loves me. And I hope you can see how much He loves you, too. 

 "By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope"  Ephesians 3:20

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Genuine Love.

Last year I had the privilege to organize two reach out projects with my church in the DFW Area. God had put a desire in my heart to get up from my very comfortable seat in the church, and actually go and share this joy I had with others. So, I contacted some people and talked to my pastor about going to Downtown Fort Worth and give out lunch bags to the homeless.  I am grateful that my pastors were very supportive and had my back -- you should know that every time you try to do the will of God, people and certain things will happen to prevent you from doing it so, support is key.  We handed out about 60 lunch bags that time, it was the first time the church had ever done something like that. The youth helped us out that day and I kept hearing comments from them about how they had no idea that there were people out there, with no food and no place to live.  God definitely moved that day. 

Another project we had was around Christmas time, we put together another 60 bags full of toiletries and a blanket --- these bags were handed out to the Arlington Life Shelter residents.  Although unfortunate things have happened in the last few months - I will forever be grateful to God for the love He has for me. It is so overwhelming to know how loved I am by Him. He is allowing things to move forward and He is putting beautiful people in my life that love Him and love to serve Him.

I want to continue what I started -- last night I read II Corinthians 8,

"And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."

 There are other verses in the scripture that talk about giving and taking care of those in need - but this talks about genuine love, and it shows in how these people were able to give, even in their poverty. The ability to do that is a gift from God. It is a work of grace, the willingness of the Macedonians was a gift.  Once we experience the love and the joy of God he allows us to share it, He changes our heart, therefore, the Macedonians in their own poverty -- they were joyous. This joy overflowed in generosity and also made them look for opportunities to give of their possessions to meet the needs of others. In this chapter Paul wants the Corinthians to understand how the Macedonians loved doing this.  This is beautiful and this is my prayer, to grow in such a way that I stop worrying about myself - I have everything, I have a roof over me, I have lovely friends and an amazing family that supports me, bust most importantly I am loved by the one and only King -- I want to share this. 

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."

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Cómo amar a alguien que te ha ofendido

Escrito por: Pastor, Michael Perkins Tenemos que admitirlo, todos nos hemos sentido ofendidos por alguien en algún momento. Y si nunca te han ofendido, o eres la persona mas bendecida o estas viviendo en una burbuja. Una ofensa llega de diferentes maneras: algún comentario cruel hacia ti o tu esposo(a), alguna evasión intencional, alguna mirada, o hasta algún estatus de ataque pasivo-agresivo en Facebook.   Si asiste a alguna  iglesia estoy seguro de que has escuchado a gente decir, “solo ignoralo” o “necesitas amarlos” los cuales son buenos consejos, porque son bíblicos.

Pero cómo hacemos para poder hacer esto de verdad?

Como le hacemos para amar a alguien que nos ha ofendido tan profundamente, que todo lo que queremos hacer es encerrarnos en un cuarto y llorar?

Debemos orar por aquellos que nos han ofendido.

Ahora, si oramos algo como, “Dios hiere a mi enemigo!” entonces no estamos entendiendo el significado de orar por ellos.

Debemos pedirle a Dios que derrame su gracia sobre la persona que nos ha ofendido. Debemos orar para que Dios nos ayude a perdona a la persona que nos ha ofendido.

Debemos orar para que la Dios acerque a Él a la persona que nos ha herido y ofendido.

Lo que he aprendido al orar por la persona que me ha ofendido a mi o mi familia es que aunque Dios puede que no cambie el corazón de ellos, pero Dios definitivamente cambia mi corazón en el proceso. Dios llena mi corazón de amor, gracia y misericordia.

Y honestamente, amor, gracia y misericordia son definitivamente las cosas que nuestro corazón necesita para poder amar a la persona que nos ha ofendido.

Necesitamos reconocer que nadie es perfecto.

Es muy facil enojarnos con la persona que nos ofende, pero debemos reconocer que nosotros también hemos ofendido a alguien en algún momento. Aunque me cueste trabajo admitirlo, estoy seguro de que he ofendido a alguien alguna vez. De hecho, la semana pasada tuve un desacuerdo con alguien a quien ofendí sin querer. Y esa persona me ofreció amor, gracia y misericordia que no mereci.

Y acaso no es eso lo que Jesus hace? Ofrecer amor, gracia y misericordia cuando menos lo esperamos y cuando menos lo merecemos? Cuando nos damos cuenta de que no somos perfectos y que hemos hecho cosas que han ofendido a otros también, eso nos ayuda a superar lo pasado y seguir adelante con amor.

Repite los pasos ya mencionados.  

Amar a otros, más que nada a aquellos que nos han ofendido es algo que debemos hacer por nosotros mismos, es algun que no es facil. Aveces es dificil que la gente simplemente nos simpatice.

Pero hemos sido llamados a amar sin condiciones.

Debemos siempre quiere buscar primeramente a Dios, en oración. Debemos pedirle que nos ayude a amar y a perdonar a la persona que nos ha ofendido, y también pedirle que nos ayude a recordar que no somos perfectos. Y ojala despues de algun tiempo, Dios nos ayudara a curar nuestro corazón, ayudándonos a amar de la manera en la que Él nos ha llamado a amar.

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For God, praise is the sweet echo of His own excellence in the hearts of his people. For us, praise is the summit if satisfaction that comes from living in fellowship with God. 💗 Jeremiah 32:40-41 NKJV And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.

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My notes on "If God is good, why does evil exist?" lecture by Greg Koukl

Most people see this question as controversial, I personally don't. I know that my God is good ALL the time, during the good and the bad.I also know that if there is evil it is because this world isn't the way He planned it. But I also firmly believe that this isn't something 'I learned' from going to church, this is something that was revealed to me. And I also know that this statement is only easy to comprehend by those who believe. But what about those who don't believe? That's the whole point of this. Last night I had the opportunity to go to this lecture by Greg Koukl, MA in Phil. of Religion and when chances to learn like this come around, I don't ever take them as coincidences.

Evil is not a 'thing'

Koukl gave this example: Donut holes are actually what's left when the middle is cut out of a donut. There's a space called a hole, a 'nothing' what's left when something is taken away. Same thing with a shadow. Shadows don't exist as things in themselves; they're just the absence of light.

Koukl explain that Evil is like that. Evil is the absence of good, a privation of good, not a 'thing' in itself.

In the beginning everything was good -- but why would God, in all of His power allow evil to infect his creation? God did not create Adam and Eve with evil in them but he did create them with a choice, and yes we understand that Satan is in the picture, but he didn't infect them with evil, they are responsible for their own evil. In the same way, evil doesn't cause our actions. In fact, it's the other way around. Our actions are what cause evil or the loss of goodness in us, which then obviously has consequences. Relativism

The doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute.

If you don't believe there is a God, because of the existence of evil, then there's no possibility of ever redeeming that evil for good. In a Relativistic world there is no specific definition of evil. But there is evil in the world! Evil is possible because of something good God did. He created human beings with choices. Koukl went on to saying, "And so, instead of saying, 'God created all things, and evil is a thing, therefore God created evil,' we start from a different point. 'All things God created are good-which is what the text says-and evil isn't good, therefore God didn't create evil.' Then we can progress to, 'If God created all things, and God didn't create evil, then evil is not a thing.'"

What is God doing about Evil?

Koukl explained that there are four things God has given us to help us deal with evil.

1. Family, Government and the Church 2. God has given Himself to anyone that wants Him in their lives 3. There is a promise He has given us that He will restore the world in which we live in 4. God sent his one and only son to save us

We have to understand that we are part of the 'evil' issue. But we must trust that God does allow a privation of 'good evil' to influence our lives, He does it not for evil designs, but ultimately for good purposes. It is ultimately ALL for his glory.

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It is OKAY to be joyful through the storm.

I had someone ask me a few days ago if I thought that it was normal to feel at peace after just going through a tragedy. I said, yes. Once I started having a relationship with God I have always felt like, if I was ever sad, troubled, worried, afraid, then I wasn't really in communion with Him. To know God is to be at peace, to have joy and to trust that He has your back no matter what. I started reading, Desiring God by John Piper last night. He expands on being happy in God and how this is ultimately all for His Glory. Our joy in God should not be based on what we will get from it but in Him alone. We shouldn't focus on what heaven will look like or the people we will get to see once we get there, but we should be looking forward to seeing Him and being in His presence. It is not sin to find joy during tribulation, that's how we Glorify God by finding joy in Him.

"All who cast themselves on God find that they are carried into endless joy by God's omnipotent commitment to His glory" p. 54  "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’" Jeremiah 32:40-41

"The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy." Psalms 147:11

 It is all simply for His glory, the good and the bad -- that is how we grow spiritually in getting to know Him better. Being grateful to God should simply come naturally to us if we truly know that He is God.

"Once we were not, then we existed -- for the Glory of God. Even without the Bible, all people have access to the knowledge that we are created by God and therefore are dependent on Him for everything, thus owing Him the gratitude and trust of our hearts. Deep within us we all know that it is our duty to glorify our Maker by thanking Him for all that we have, trusting Him for all we need and obeying all His revealed will."

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Not only is all your affliction momentary, not only is all your affliction light in comparison to eternity and the glory there. But all of it is totally meaningful. Every millisecond of your pain, from the fallen nature or fallen man, every millisecond of your misery in the path of obedience is producing a peculiar glory you will get because of that. I don’t care if it was cancer or criticism. I don’t care if it was slander or sickness. It wasn’t meaningless. It’s doing something! It’s not meaningless. Of course you can’t see what it’s doing. Don’t look to what is seen. When your mom dies, when your kid dies, when you’ve got cancer at 40, when a car careens into the sidewalk and takes her out, don’t say, “That’s meaningless!” It’s not. It’s working for you an eternal weight of glory. Therefore, therefore, do not lose heart. But take these truths and day by day focus on them. Preach them to yourself every morning. Get alone with God and preach his word into your mind until your heart sings with confidence that you are new and cared for.

John Piper

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The darkness and the light are both alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. **I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;** Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

Psalm 139:13-14

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Here I am, God.

I have been so preoccupied with so many things that I haven't written anything personal in a very long time.  I thought I was doing well, because in all of those things, God was included - somewhere.  My mistake, though - I was not making him a priority like I thought I was.  A lot of things have happened in the last year and a half, several things that I am very much grateful for, but it saddens me when I look back and see how God wanted to do great things in my life and how in one way or another, I did not allow it.  So many mistakes, bad decisions, lessons learned, failed relationships, broken promises, broken hearts - and the answer has always been right there, right in front of me.   "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33  Timing is everything and God's timing is PERFECT.  Things are so clear to me now, while I was still in Dallas all I wanted was to be around my family, I needed that so much. I wanted to be there, laughing with them, praying for them and praying with them. I have been here in Mexico with them for a month today, and I can really say that God has me exactly where He wants me to be and where I need to be.  What better thing than to pray for them where I can see them and spend time with them. I can't do anything else but to give thanks, it humbles me when I realize what He is doing and how He is moving and working in their lives.  If you're reading this, and if you know me well, you know that I tend to fall in love quickly, it takes up all of my time, all of my attention, in every relationship whether it was long or short, I know I was always genuine, I gave so much -- these last few days I have been thinking a lot about it, and I have asked God to forgive me. I have asked him for forgiveness because I want to fall in love with HIM just as easily, I want HIM to be my focus, I want HIM to take up all of my time. It has brought me to tears, knowing that I never did that in the past --- and HIS promise for my life has always been so clear, but I never wanted to see, or listen. I want to seek HIM first and I know that everything and anything I need WILL BE according to HIS purpose. This is my prayer tonight.  Allow me to seek YOU first, I want to know You. Use me, I am Here for You.  

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No deja de asombrarme, cada vez que hablas a mi corazon. 

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No deja de asombrarme,

La manera en la que Dios me habla - anoche el Señor me dio la palabra que necesitaba escuchar. 

Mateo 18:21 Parábola del siervo despiadado

21 Pedro se acercó a Jesús y le preguntó:

—Señor, ¿cuántas veces tengo que perdonar a mi hermano que peca contra mí? ¿Hasta siete veces?

22 —No te digo que hasta siete veces, sino hasta setenta y siete veces[f] —le contestó Jesús—.

23 »Por eso el reino de los cielos se parece a un rey que quiso ajustar cuentas con sus *siervos. 24 Al comenzar a hacerlo, se le presentó uno que le debía miles y miles de monedas de oro.[g] 25 Como él no tenía con qué pagar, el señor mandó que lo vendieran a él, a su esposa y a sus hijos, y todo lo que tenía, para así saldar la deuda. 26 El siervo se postró delante de él. “Tenga paciencia conmigo —le rogó—, y se lo pagaré todo.” 27 El señor se compadeció de su siervo, le perdonó la deuda y lo dejó en libertad.

28 »Al salir, aquel siervo se encontró con uno de sus compañeros que le debía cien monedas de plata.[h] Lo agarró por el cuello y comenzó a estrangularlo. “¡Págame lo que me debes!”, le exigió. 29 Su compañero se postró delante de él. “Ten paciencia conmigo —le rogó—, y te lo pagaré.” 30 Pero él se negó. Más bien fue y lo hizo meter en la cárcel hasta que pagara la deuda. 31 Cuando los demás siervos vieron lo ocurrido, se entristecieron mucho y fueron a contarle a su señor todo lo que había sucedido. 32 Entonces el señor mandó llamar al siervo. “¡Siervo malvado! —le increpó—. Te perdoné toda aquella deuda porque me lo suplicaste.33 ¿No debías tú también haberte compadecido de tu compañero, así como yo me compadecí de ti?” 34 Y enojado, su señor lo entregó a los carceleros para que lo torturaran hasta que pagara todo lo que debía.

35 »Así también mi Padre celestial los tratará a ustedes, a menos que cada uno perdone de corazón a su hermano.

  Si Dios es tan misericordioso con nosotros y perdono, y nos sigue perdonando - porque se me es tan dificil a mi dejar ir todo aquello que me lastima? El perdonar a los que nos lastiman es un mandato y una decision que debemos tomar -- no podemos esperar a que ellos cambien -- debemos tomar la decision por nosotros mismos y orar por ellos primeramente. 

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Dame tus Ojos

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Reconocer.

Nada de lo que tenemos lo merecemos --- todo lo que tenemos es gracias al amor y la misericordia de Dios.  Estos ultimos dias le eh estado pidiendo al Señor que me ayude a ser mas como el y menos como yo quiero ser. A pensar mas como el y hablar como el. Cuando voy manejando me desespero mucho! y me enojo! me enojo porque los que van adelante de mi nunca ponen la direccional o por cualquier otra cosa - y despues me doy cuenta que debo de dejar de ser asi, porque si lo hago cuando estoy sola tambien lo voy a hacer cuando vaya alguien conmigo.  En el trabajo tambien me desespero con mis clientes y con mis compañeros de trabajo y tengo que reconocer que es algo que debo cambiar. Mi temperamento a veces me gana.  Quiero pedirle al Señor que me ayude, que examine mi corazon y que busque y saque cualquier mal pensamiento, cualquier mal temperamento, que me llene con el fruto de su amor de los pies a la cabeza. Que me de fuerza para derrotar esos malos habitos y me de contunuidad para seguir y poder hacer mas de su obra.  Reconosco tambien que a veces me falta humildad, reconosco tambien que se me olvida del hoyo tan profundo del que el me saco. Y le ruego a el que me de las armas necesarias para poder seguir. Y confiar, confiar en el todos los dias, porque al final debo recordar de que a su lado ya tengo la victoria. 

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Anoche al estar en mi apartamento sola, empeze a pedirle al Señor que me diera fuerza y sabiduría para poder ser obediente y poder hacer de su voluntad. Le suplique que me ensenara el camino y que me diera una señal para saber si las decisiones que eh tomado han sido las correctas. Le hable sobre mi necesidad y le pedí mucha fuerza de voluntad para no recaer - porque hay días en los que estoy mas fuerte que nunca y hay otros en los que siento que no puedo.  Esta manana lo puse todo en sus manos y le dije que estare quieta y que confiare en el, y que tendre fe.  Fe en que el tiene mi vida en sus manos, fe en su poder y fe en el grandisimo amor que me tiene. 

El reto aquí es: no mirar para atrás - JAMAS. 

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Yo quiero ser esa mujer,

Mujer ejemplar,¿dónde se hallará?     ¡Es más valiosa que las piedras preciosas!

Su esposo confía plenamente en ella  y no necesita de ganancias mal habidas.

Ella le es fuente de bien, no de mal,     todos los días de su vida. Anda en busca de lana y de lino,  y gustosa trabaja con sus manos.

Es como los barcos mercantes,

    que traen de muy lejos su alimento.

    Se levanta de madrugada,

    da de comer a su familia     y asigna tareas a sus criadas.

Calcula el valor de un campo y lo compra;     con sus ganancias planta un viñedo.

Decidida se ciñe la cintura     y se apresta para el trabajo.

Se complace en la prosperidad de sus negocios,     y no se apaga su lámpara en la noche.

Con una mano sostiene el huso     y con la otra tuerce el hilo.

Tiende la mano al pobre,     y con ella sostiene al necesitado.

Si nieva, no tiene que preocuparse de su familia,     pues todos están bien abrigados.

Las colchas las cose ella misma,     y se viste de púrpura y lino fino.

Su esposo es respetado en la comunidad;     ocupa un puesto entre las autoridades del lugar.

Confecciona ropa de lino y la vende;     provee cinturones a los comerciantes.

Se reviste de fuerza y dignidad,     y afronta segura el porvenir.

Cuando habla, lo hace con sabiduría;     cuando instruye, lo hace con amor.

Está atenta a la marcha de su hogar,     y el pan que come no es fruto del ocio.

Sus hijos se levantan y la felicitan;     también su esposo la alaba:

«Muchas mujeres han realizado proezas,     pero tú las superas a todas.»

Engañoso es el encanto y pasajera la belleza;     la mujer que teme al Señor es digna de alabanza.

¡Sean reconocidos sus logros,     y públicamente alabadas sus obras!

  Proverbios 31:10

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El fruto del Espíritu es amor, alegría, paz, paciencia, amabilidad, bondad, fidelidad, humildad y dominio propio.

Gálatas 5:22-23a

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Los cambios.

“El unico sobreviviente de un naufragio estaba Orando fervientemente en una pequeña y solitaria isla. Despues de pedirle a Dios, observaba todos los dias, esperanzado, el horizonte.

Cansado de esperar socorro, empezo a construir una pequeña cabaña para protegerse y cuidar sus pocas pertenencias. Pero un dia, despues de buscar comida, encontro la pequeña cabaña incendiandose en llamas.  A los pocos instantes la cabaña estaba literalmente consumida por el fuego

  Furioso, discutio con Dios:

“Como has podido hacerme esto? no te bastaba con que estuviera perdido en esta isla desierta sino que ahora quemas la cabaña que me costo tanto construir?” y luego se quedo dormido en la arena. A la mañana siguiente, se desperto con el sonido de un barco que se aproximaba a la isla. Venian a rescatarlo! Entonces le pregunto a los tripulantes: “Como sabian que me encontraba aqui?” y la respuesta fue inmediata: “vimos las señales de humo que hiciste…”

Todos lo que experimente en el 2012 tienen un proposito que tengo fe en que han elevedo y seguiran elevando mi vida a otros niveles de bendicion. 

"Para darte lo nuevo, debo quemar antes lo viejo"