For Your Mental Health's Sake~

New Year’s Eve already? Shocking, but true.

This morning I was listening to a jazz version of “Auld Lang Syne,” and I realized that even though I have mumbled the words to that song for ever, I don’t really know what they mean. I looked it up, and the first line in this song is basically asking, “Is it right that old times be forgotten?” The implication is that friendships should always be treasured and remembered.

The Bible has an answer.

Isaiah 43:18 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”

1 Thessalonians 5:21 “…hold onto that which is good.”

Take just one more moment to think about 2013. What was good, beautiful, and memorable about it? Whatever was good—hold onto it. Treasure it in your heart. Keep it nearby when you hit a rough spell because it will bring a smile to your face. Like when my handsome son-in-law held my infant nephew for the first time and the baby vomited a half gallon of milk all over his guayabera. It was so funny, and the rotten suntan lotion aftersmell was even better.

What about the rough parts? The heartbreaking parts? The scary parts? The embarrassing parts? FORGET THEM! Don’t dwell on them. Leave them filed away forever in a folder labeled, “DO NOT OPEN.”Since I am practicing what I preach, I will not share any of the negative stuff.

By the way, I am not being bossy; I am passing along some really smart advice from God.

Why would the Lord go through all the trouble of telling us these things? He cares about our mental health.

Proverbs 23:7 “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is his.”

We become what we think about. If we constantly engage in depressing “what if” scenarios, we become depressed. If we always meditate on the things that scare us, we start to live in constant fear.

Conversely, if we forget the junk and embrace the lovely, we become lovely, happy, delightful people.

So tonight, when we mouth the words to “Auld Lang Syne,” (cause we all know we don’t know the lyrics), let’s make having good mental health a priority in 2014.

Happy New Year!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We choose to think straight and think right. We choose to forget the bad stuff from the past and treasure the good beautiful moments of life. Thank You for helping us each step of the way. In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

A Gift From the Heart~

A rainy, post-Christmas day greeting to all:)

I trust you all had a lovely day yesterday.  Today's DEVO might have come in handy, but I couldn't find the time to write it.  Then it occurred to me that Christmas time isn't the only time to give gifts.

Joni Tada, one of my faith heroes, wrote something earlier this week that once again struck a chord and a nerve and my conscience. 

For those of you unfamiliar with her, over 40 years ago she was in an accident as a teenager that left her paralyzed from the shoulders down.  God opened a door for her to minister to disabled people, and she has reached out to MILLIONS.  Therefore, when she speaks on the topics of suffering, contentment, faith, fear, you name it, it is so profoundly credible that it always stirs my soul.  

She writes:

"Every Christmas I think about what it was like to be on my feet during the holidays.  There were parties and plays, decorating, hitting the malls.  Then came my accident.  That Christmas I spent at a rehab center.  Adding to the hurt I was already feeling was that I couldn't but gifts for anyone.  The way I saw it, God was asking too much of me. The use of my body was taken away at Christmas time, but also the joy of giving.  On the afternoon of Christmas Eve I felt like a martyr.

"But Christmas morning my heart softened...as I focused on Christmas's meaning, I realized the best gift I could give was myself.  My mom didn't want a new dress; she wanted to see me smile.  My dad didn't need a new bridle for his horse; he needed to see me laugh.  My sister didn't need another sweater; she needed to see my grab hold of hope."

Joni's point, and it's a great one, is that there are some gifts we can't buy, but they are extremely valuable because they are "gifts from the heart."

Maybe you've been grumpy lately and everyone in your family knows it.  Maybe you've been self-absorbed and your spouse feels it.  Maybe you're dealing with a big problem and haven't smiled a lot lately.  Joni is not saying we don't have good reasons to feel these ways sometimes, but she is saying that everyone can benefit from a gift from the heart--especially those closest to you.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I already know who could benefit the most from a gift from my heart. I already know who would love to see me enjoy life and smile.  Give me the strength to follow through.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

BEHOLD!

Luke 2:10-11
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.




Merry Christmas Eve!  I pray for all of you to be richly blessed today and everyday:)
Even though today's verse was yesterday's verse, there is one word I want to focus on: BEHOLD.
Look at all these synonyms from dictionary.com--consider, contemplate,discern, distinguish, earmark, eye, eyeball, feast one's eyes, note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, survey, view, watch, witness...
Fear will come, but the angel who spoke these words really wants us to actively engage--to purposely consider how great and incomparable our Jesus is, to keep our focus on Him, to get Him into the depths of our souls through prayer.  Yes, it takes effort, but it's so much better than being passive and allowing fear to consume us.   
We have a choice to make; let's choose to behold.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Christmas, for family togetherness, for good food, for presents, and most of all for the good news of great joy, which is Jesus.  Amen~

Our Savior is Born~

Luke 2:10-11"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Good morning, and Merry Christmas Eve Eve:-)

It is no secret that I love this time of year, and it's probably not for the reasons you think.

Yes, I have fun shopping, and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas – especially those who say Seasons Greetings or Happy Holidays. I also have fun spending time with my family, which is growing by leaps and bounds, and I enjoy opening gifts!


This year, my super amazing generous boss gave us the whole week off, and I can't wait for the ugly sweater contest at my mother-in-law's house, which I know I am going to win. (On a side note it's a little unsettling that both my daughter and daughter-in-law have asked me if they could borrow one of my sweaters).

But even though all these things are awesome, they are not why I love Christmas.

I love Christmas because of the verse above. My Savior was born, and it's the best news ever.

I love how the angel who spoke this verse powerfully reminds us that because the One Who saves has arrived, we do not need to fear ANYTHING!

Anything?

That's right--NOT ONE THING!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for sending the baby Jesus. Because He lives in us, there is nothing to fear--ever! He has us covered! In Jesus' name, Amen~

Make Room for Christ~

Christmas greetings!

Today let us all rejoice! A precious DEVO reader who has been carrying a heavy burden received an awesome answer to prayer today. Her father had a successful operation, and is expected to make a full recovery. Her load just got a little lighter! AMEN!

Yesterday we looked at how Christ strengthens us for EVERYTHING we have to do. A lot of difficult stuff falls under the definition of "EVERYTHING," but He's ready, willing, and able to help.

Before He can help, however, there's one thing we have to do.

Luke 2:7 "And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

There was no room...

Look at what a tremendous blessing the innkeeper missed out on because he had no room for Jesus.

What's that one thing we have to do to access Jesus' help? MAKE ROOM FOR HIM!

Once You invite Him into your life, then everything else is taken care of.

Matthew 6:33 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for answering prayer! Every time we gather here to pray, we are making room for Christ. We invite Him into every area of our lives and ask that He fill us up with blessings of peace, joy, and health. In His holy name we pray, AMEN!

Christ Gives us Strength

Good afternoon all you beautiful and blessed children of God!

Monday's DEVO topic continues to bless our hearts. A lovely gal reached out to me to say that she is so very weary of carrying the load she has been carrying. Sometimes--okay--most of the time lately--she feels she can not take one more step.

Well, that got me thinking. I guess we all have felt, at some point or another, that we are at our breaking point.

Now is a good moment to think about Christ. We are all bustling about preparing for Christmas, and the whole point is that He was born. And because He was born, we have a Savior Who understands us. And one of the things He repeatedly teaches us is that He is with us to help us carry the load.

Philippians 4:13 "I can do everything through Christ, Who gives me strength."

Here's an assignment for all of us to keep in mind. The next time, which could be just a few minutes from now, that you feel you are about to be crushed under the weight of your load, take a moment to tell the Lord that you believe this verse. Tell Him that you receive by faith the strength He gives to do EVERYTHING that you need to do. Amen!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank you that you put no limitations on the things we can do when Jesus strengthens us. Glory hallelujah! Strengthen us now in Jesus' name. Amen!

Encouraging Words~

My dearest brothers and sisters,

I love love love it when a DEVO hits home, and yesterday's did. An overwhelming amount of you wrote back and said things like:

"I have a renewed sense of purpose when I pray. Even though I am tired, I realize that my efforts are not in vain."

"I have been struggling so much lately, but now I clearly understand that each labored step I take brings me and my family one step closer to a place of joy and well-being."

"Life hasn't been easy lately, but now I suddenly understand that as a wife and mom I have a clear purpose. I must love my family and pray for them. Every time I do that, we all grow closer to God."

"Sometimes I feel as though God is not listening. He seems so far away...But I will not give up. I choose to activate my faith and pray, and I have been encouraged to believe that my life is meaningful and beautiful, especially because I am hanging in there!"

"Like most people I guess I feel confused and afraid when something bad happens, but I have been learning to pray through things. This DEVO has reminded me that no matter how heavy the load, I have a positive end in sight."

And some of you wonder why I write these DEVOs. It's because I am selfish! My heart is so blessed right now! Glory to His name.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We praise You and thank You for these encouraging words. Our lives are beautiful, every single word we utter in prayer is valuable and precious to You and has purpose, we choose faith over fear, we will not give up, and we thank You for the glorious and happy ending that belongs to all of us. In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN!

A New Perspective~

My dearest brothers and sisters, Thank you for your patience these past few weeks while I have been away. I was busy as a bee preparing for Rachel's wedding, but it was truly a beautiful and sacred experience. I will share pictures soon. But for now, let's re-focus on what is most important: Our relationship with Christ. That is the only thing that lasts forever, and it deserves our loving care and attention. And even though I haven't written in a while, I did take many notes for DEVO topics, and I am eager to share these insights with you. Today's DEVO was inspired by Joni Tada. I have never met this amazing woman, but you all have heard about her before because she is one of my faith heroes. The morning of Rachel's wedding, amidst all the controlled chaos, I took a moment to read an email she sent, and it changed my perspective forever. These are her words... Suppose you're walking down a street when suddenly you're forced to carry a huge and heavy basket on your back. You're ordered to walk three blocks, turn left, go two blocks, turn right, then proceed straight on. Staggering under the weight, you stumble on, bewildered and angry. The whole thing is meaningless and crazy. When you are halfway down the third block, you finally scream, "What gives?!" The truth is then revealed. The burden you are carrying is your child, injured and unconscious. "Whaaaaat?" On top of all that, you discover you are not walking aimlessly around, but you are actually taking the most direct route to a hospital emergency room. Immediately you straighten up. Adrenaline and fresh energy quicken your pace and you move forward with a new attitude. Why the change? The suffering you're going through involves a relationship. Not just any relationship, but one with your child. Your relationship gives your burden meaning. Even your twisted path makes sense. You know where you are going. Your journey has a positive end -- the hospital -- and this instills hope. Suffering has no meaning in itself. Left to its own, it is a frustrating and bewildering burden. But given the context of relationship, suffering suddenly has meaning. ___________________________________ Right now, dear one, that "burden" you have been carrying can either weigh you down, or you can give it purpose by carrying it toward the Lord in prayer. You can allow yourself to become crushed under the weight of it, or you can purposely aim in the direction of where the healing is and find new meaning. Every single time we pray we are taking a step in the right direction. Every prayer brings us and the one we are carrying in prayer closer to the place of healing and hope. We may not always know or understand the route we are on, but if we can focus on that finish line, we will be renewed. I have a new appreciation for this verse: Isaiah 40:31 "But those who wait for the Lord--who expect, look for, and hope in Him--shall renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up close to God as eagles mount up to the sun; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired." PRAYER: Dear Lord, We are the kind of folks who hope in You. We look to You to renew our strength. Thank You that our suffering and our burdens have meaning and purpose, and thank You that as we pray, those we pray for as well we ourselves get closer to You. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Rest in Peace, Abuela Maria~

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

Monday night greetings~

Today my husband's grandmother, Abuela Maria, passed away; she was 89 years old.  It was peaceful; it was sacred.  I saw her all weekend long, and I was there this morning to kiss her one last time before I see her in glory.  I will forever remember how she always managed to find a few bills to slip into my kid's hands when we visited.  Every time I snap open a can of Diet Coke, I will think of how she insisted on serving us soda, in a glass, with ice, and a napkin wrapped around it.  Whenever I see a chihuahua, I will remember how she had three of them, Cookie, Candy, & Ricky, and lovingly fed them until they looked like piglets.

And I am always amazed, how even at these difficult moments, the love of God is evident, strong, and comforting.

My mother-in-law, God bless her, was calm and tranquil.

Family and friends quickly gathered and shared memories and yes, even laughter. 

Her hospice nurses were angels from on high.  So loving, so patient...

And the chaplain who arrived shortly afterward, with his Oklahoma drawl and genteel spirit, spoke in such a soothing tone that I did not want him to leave--ever.

It impressed me to tears that his wife passed away six years ago from Lou Gehrig's disease, and he was so comforted by the hospice chaplain who visited with him that he turned around, left a management job at  Walmart, and became a chaplain himself.

Today I share my gratitude with each of you because I promise that if you look for reasons to be grateful, no matter what you are going through, you will find them.

And when you find them you will become mightily aware that God cares for you each and every moment of your life.  God bless you all.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, One day we will all rejoice together forever.  It will be so grand that You tell us that we are incapable of understanding just how AWESOME it will be.  Amen to that!  In Jesus' name, Amen~

 

I am Not Thankful...

A Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving to all!!!

This morning at exactly 6:16 AM I read the following:   

A five-year-old girl was asked to say the blessing at Thanksgiving dinner. She began by thanking God for all her friends, naming them one by one. Then she thanked God for Mommy, Daddy, Brother, Sister, Grandma, Grandpa, and all her aunts and uncles. Finally, she gave thanks for the turkey, the dressing, the fruit salad, the cranberry sauce, the pies, the cakes. Then she paused. After a long silence, the young girl looked up at her mother and asked, “If I thank God for the broccoli, won’t He know I’m lying?” And the point of the story that followed was that all of us have "broccoli" in our lives that is hard to give thanks for. Ain't that the truth!   1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you." God knows this, which is why we must look closely at His Word.  We are to give thanks "in" everything not "for" everything.   I am not thankful that Jorge's grandmother is in the hospital right now, or for her weak heart that makes breathing difficult.  But I am thankful that she is surrounded by loving family, that she is receiving excellent care, that she is comfortable, and that she knows Jesus. Big difference. I never said, "Thank You, Lord, that Jorge has skin cancer! Yippee!" But I did say over and over again, "Thank You that Jorge kept the appointment with the dermatologist because he really didn't want to go, and Thank You that it was caught early, and Thank You that You watch over even our tiniest cells..." Giving thanks opens our eyes to God's presence in our lives, and it strengthens our faith. No matter what "broccoli" you have going on, there is some aspect to be thankful for.  Think about it:) PRAYER: Dear Lord, We are thankful for You.  You are aware of every single thing that we are going through, and by encouraging us to be thankful, our faith is strengthened.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Suddenly~

Monday greetings~

Lessons from Peter's story cont...

Acts 12:1-4 "King Herod got it into his head to go after some of the church members...he arrested Peter—all this during Passover Week, mind you—and had him thrown in jail, putting four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. He was planning a public lynching after Passover."

Four squads of four soldiers were guarding Peter; that's 16 dudes for one man. Humanly speaking there was no way out!

Maybe today you don't see the out to your mess. You feel outnumbered and overwhelmed.

I HAVE A VERSE FOR YOU!

Acts 12:7 "Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists."

Suddenly, when Peter least expected it, BAM! an angel appears and the chains fell off. I LOVE THE BIBLE! When we pray, chains fall off. When we pray, even 16 soldiers can't stop us. When we pray, we get set free. When we pray, God will send an angel if necessary. When we pray God causes a "suddenly" and the problem that had you paralyzed and bound no longer exists!

Glory, glory, praise Him, and hallelujah!

Let me just refresh our memories, however, Verse 5, "All the time that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him most strenuously."

Prayer is the precursor to your miracle!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We pray today because we need You & Your angels to break these shackles off of us. Shackles of disease, rebellion, hatred, poverty...ALL OF IT! In Jesus name, set us free! AMEN~

The Time to Pray is NOW!

Let's continue with Peter's story...

Acts 12:1-4 King Herod got it into his head to go after some of the church members...he arrested Peter—all this during Passover Week, mind you—and had him thrown in jail, putting four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. He was planning a public lynching after Passover.

Sometimes people get it into their head that they are going to go after us, and sometimes life just happens and we feel trapped. We feel like we are in a prison of fear or despair. And this verse clearly shows that just because we are Christian it doesn't mean we will live a trouble-free life.

Peter was a close friend and disciple of Jesus, and he was going to lynched for it. We do not get a pass just because Jesus is our friend.

Precious life-changing truth of the day: But because He is our friend, He will help the trouble pass.

Therefore, rather than waste time trying to figure out how God could allow this or that of the other thing to affect us, let's do what Peter's buddies did in verse five. The Message version of the Bible says, "All the time that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him most strenuously."

They didn't hold a meeting to discuss strategy, they didn't wring their hands in worry, they prayed most strenuously right as the problem was taking place.

Precious life-changing truth of the day number two: The time to pray is now--not later.

CHOP CHOP!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We think about Peter today. He was about to celebrate Passover week when he got arrested. Sometimes stuff happens when we least expect it--sometimes even we are planning a party! But we know that You are aware of it all and always accept and welcome our harried, hustled, and strenuous prayers. We are listening for that knock at the door signaling that our miracle has arrived. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Somebody's Praying~

Greetings in the name of our mighty Lord!

I grew up singing a song called, "Somebody's Praying For Me," but I never fully appreciated it or understood in until I was an adult. And over the years these lyrics have come alive in my soul.

If you feel as though no one is praying for you, think again! I am:) Better yet, Romans 8:34 says, "Christ Jesus who died, who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." That means you and me, people! Jesus Himself is praying for us! Happy Dance time!

As we take a mini-break today from Peter's prison rescue, I want us all to read these lyrics and let them bless us.

Somebody's praying; I can feel it
Somebody's praying for me.

Mighty hands are guiding me
To protect me from what I can't see
Lord I believe, Lord I believe
That somebody's praying for me.

Angels are watching; I can feel it
Angels are watching over me.

There's many miles ahead till I get home
Still I'm safely kept before your throne
Cuz Lord I believe, Lord I believe
Your angels are watching over me.

Well, I've walked the barren wilderness
Where my pillow was a stone
And I've been through the darkest caverns
Where no light had ever shown.

But still I went on cuz there was someone
Who was down on their knees
And Lord I thank you for those people
Praying all this time for me.

Somebody's praying; I can feel it
Somebody's praying for me
Mighty hands are guiding me
To protect me from what I can't see.

Lord I believe, Lord I believe
Somebody's praying for me.

Somebody's praying for me.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that Jesus lives and breathes for us--always praying for us. We receive it. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Gather Your Friends & Pray~

Monday greetings~

This week we will look at a passage of scripture that will encourage us mightily. It is filled with truths that will bless us while taking the pressure off that we somehow have to achieve a degree of spiritual perfection to warrant a miracle from God.

The Disciple Peter was in jail and miraculously freed when in Acts 12:8 an Angel rescues him. He goes to the house of Mary where, "Many people had gathered and were praying," for his freedom.

Acts 12:17 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel. But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

There are so many precious gems in this passage, and we will examine them all.

Precious truth of the day: "When someone you love is in a crisis, gather your pals and pray! Maybe, just maybe, while you are still praying, there will be a knock at the door!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your Word. It teaches, inspires, and brings hope. Bless us with peace, health, and joy. In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN

Mr. Right~

I am not sure who originally wrote this, but it's worth repeating. I sent this DEVO out October 6, 2011. Have a blessed day :)

1 Corinthians 13:13

Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

True story about Mark White when he was the governor of Texas:

Governor White and his wife were driving through the open Texas countryside one-day, out for a relaxing drive and talk. The couple happened to be around the area where Mrs. White grew up, and as they pulled into a gas station to fuel up and check out the car, Mark noticed a little nervousness with his wife. He didn’t say anything, but when the gas station attendant came out to their car, Mark began to notice what was really going on. Both his wife and the attendant looked surprised to see each other, and they acted with that awkwardness that two people have when they’ve been close in the past, but weren’t anymore.

Governor White pretended not to notice this. They finished at the gas station and continued back down the highway. The car fell silent and neither said a word. For a long time they remained silent, and all the while Mrs. White kept looking out the window, staring off out into the distance. Mark was considerate and patient with this silence, and he continued to drive in the silence. But after the silence had gone on for almost an hour, he interrupted, trying to break the silence.

“Honey, I couldn’t help but notice how you and that gas station attendant looked at each other. You were involved with each other at one point, weren’t you,” he asked?

“Well, yea,” She responded, quietly.

“Well, I guess I know how you feel. You were probably thinking about that and needed some space, right,” he continued?

“Yea,” she said again.

“I guess you were probably thinking about how different your two lives had become. I guess you were thinking that if you had married him, then you’d be the wife of a gas station attendant now, instead of my wife. Right,” he said?

“Well, No. Actually I was thinking that he’d be the governor now.”

 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, When I believe in my family and encourage them and love them with my words, there is so much potential. Help me to be the kind of person who speaks life into everyone I come in contact with. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Divine Inspiration~

Greetings :)

Nehemiah 7:5 "So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families."

Nehemiah spoke those words above, and he credited God with inspiring him with finding a way to strengthen his beloved Jerusalem. He needed those on the outskirts to relocate to the holy city, and a census did the trick.

Our goals may be different from Nehemiah's, but isn't it great to know that God speaks to our hearts?

This is a life-changing truth. Maybe you can't get through to your child's or your husband's thick skull. And constantly trying will get you labeled a nag. But there's another way. We can ask God to do what He does best: Speak into the heart of those we love. When He does, great things happen!

I personally love the idea of getting some alone time with my Maker and asking Him to embrace my family--one by one--and speak beauty and wisdom and guidance into their hearts.

Let's pray!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for speaking into our hearts. We all give credit where credit is due, and we know that You are behind all Divine Inspiration. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Everlasting Love~

TGIF Greetings, all you beautiful, magnificent, and highly-blessed children of God!

Here is another blast from the past--January 9, 2013. It's highly reminiscent of a DEVO I wrote earlier this week, but (a) as I grow older I repeat myself a lot, and (b) this topic never grows old!

~~~~~

Last Friday night I took Jorge to see Les Misérables. He enjoyed a nice two-hour nap while I sat enthralled by the story. I will admit that dialogue in singing form takes a little getting used to, but the message in the film was inspiring. None of us would hesitate to make a sacrifice for one of our children, telling the truth at all cost is a noble pursuit, and being gracious to someone when they have been ungrateful is a powerful thing. But the one resounding theme that always gets me is LOVE. Sigh :)

There's a scene when Cosette and Marius see each other for the first time, and it's love at first sight. Immediately they know they want to be together forever, and I, well, I just thoroughly enjoyed the way they stared at each other.

Do you remember what it was like at the beginning of your relationship? Jorge and I would talk on the phone--the one connected to the wall--starting at midnight, and we would fall asleep talking nonsense and the phone would be off the hook all night. And then we would wake up and say, "Good morning. I missed you..." It was so silly, but it was love. More than once I recall my momma getting upset because there was drool on the phone.

I am still madly in love with my man, but let's be honest. The days of chewing each other's gum are long gone. But what if I told you that God has always been crazy about you, and He is as passionate now as He ever was?

Look at how God describes His love for us.

Isaiah 62:5 "As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, God rejoices over you."

Jeremiah 31:3 "I have loved you with an everlasting love."

Please let those verses above really sink into your soul.

God rejoices over us with the same zeal a bridegroom does over his bride on their wedding day, and it never wears off. IT'S EVERLASTING.

Are you having a rough day? A rough patch? A rough spell? The Maker of your soul loves you to infinity and beyond. He will take care of you. Never doubt it.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord,

We are so glad You rejoice over us. Not everybody does, and even when they do, it's not every single day of our lives. Sometimes relationships on earth are not so great, but how comforting to know that no matter what, we are passionately loved by You forever. Heal our hearts and comfort us with Your goodness. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

The Quality of Your Journey...

Ecclesiastes 4:12

By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst.
Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

 

Today's DEVO is a blast from the past. January 13, 2013 to be exact.

Random Comment: "I'm as happy as a bird with a french fry."

Years ago I chaperoned an overnight field trip with Rayray's soccer team all the way to glorious Tampa Bay, also known as the Lightning Capital of the World!

The bus trip was a lot of fun--for her and her buddies. For me not so much. Since one never knows how far reaching ones words might be, I will follow my own advice and not leave a papertrail of info. Suffice to say that another chaperone on that trip sat next to me the entire time for the sole purpose of complaining--ABOUT EVERYTHING.

The bus smells, the girls are loud, the seats are uncomfortable, why can't we use the on-board bathroom?, the driver swerves too much, these snacks are stale...on and on it went for four torturous hours. When we finally arrived at our hotel, I was exhausted but also immensely relieved to know that each of the chaperones had been assigned a private room. Glory!

I thought about this story yesterday as my fabulous Pastor Bill made the following comment: The quality of your journey depends on the people you travel with.

Isn't that the gospel truth?

Those of us who are parents know the extreme importance of our kids having the right friends, and those of us who are married, were married, or want to get married, know the importance of settling down with the right person too. Why? Because the quality of your journey is at stake.

When one of my children started 6th grade, I noticed that one friend had made a noticeable transformation over the summer. Their mind was clearly on the opposite sex, and my child was still very much questioning the existence of Santa Claus. I did not want them hanging out because I could see where this was headed, and let's just say I was right. How do you navigate these waters without hurting your child or somene else's?

I asked God daily for that friendship to end. Does that sound mean? Read on. I asked for the friendship to end but for God to bring another more compatible soul to my child. As I look back to the margins of my prayer book where I made numerous scribbles about my concerns and worries, a beautiful picture of how God cares for my child emerged. Within two weeks of my pouring out my heart to God, this little friend basically left my kid in the dust for another crowd. At the same time, another friendship was already underway that turned out to be a fountain of bountiful blessings for both families all through middle school.

What has been the quality of your journey so far? How about for your kids? The good news is that we can ask God for His help when the road gets bumpy, dangerous, or lonely.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, So much of the peace we enjoy comes from us and those we love being in the right relationships. A strain in that area brings so much heartache. Spare us, Lord! Help our children choose wisely. If they encounter the wrong crowd, change the crowd. And for those of us who feel stuck because of vows we took, thank You that we have hope in You. Turn any rocky relationship around so that we can live in joy and peace. And no matter how old we get, we could always use a good friend. Bless the friendships we already have, and help us open our hearts to new ones. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

God Rejoices Over Us~

Good afternoon, all you mightily-blessed and loved children of God!

"Love," has been on my mind a lot lately because everyday I get to see Rayray and her fiance all googly-eyed and sappy.  And a couple of days ago she suddenly jumped up and ran out the front door, scaring me half to death.  I followed her to see what was wrong and got there just in time to see her lean in and kiss Emilio, who did a quick drive-by on his way to the gym.

The first thing I thought of was that it's been a long long time since I got that excited to see Jorge.  And while we are being honest, it's been a while since he went out of his way to drive by the house so I could smooch with him on the way to wherever he was headed.  (Maybe he thinks I wouldn't come out?)

Nevertheless, look at what Isaiah says 62:5 "God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride."

This means He takes pure delight in us.  He loves spending time with us.  He never grows tired of us. We are perfectly beautiful in His eyes.  He just can't get enough of us.  It's one long perpetual honeymoon...

The very next time you become afraid of something, the next time you encounter a difficulty, before you do anything else, remind yourself that God rejoices over you.  That He loves You with an even better fierceness and passion than the love between young couples, and even better, His love never wanes. Never ever!

He will always always always go out of His way to show us His love--even to the point of doing something so amazingly radical as sending His son to die for us.  I have said it right here before that I love you guys.  I pray for each of you.  I would do almost anything to help you.  But give up Hormone?  NOPE!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your mighty love for us.  We cling to that truth today, and we ask that You remind us of it whenever we are about to forget it.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Working-it-out Power~

TGIF Greetings~

Wednesday's DEVO struck a chord--a melodious one. Many of us finally realized that no one is the picture of perfection.

No such thing, perfection that is!

And it's not that we are happy that we're all in the same boat as much as that we are happy that Jesus is in the boat with us. There is a difference.

And it is a cause for celebration to realize that not one single soul on this earth can truly judge us or our smelly kids. There are those who will try, but they will never get away with it!

And in the midst of all this craziness we are told to consider it pure joy...

God knows that when reassess our problems--when we redefine them as situations that He can fully and totally handle--when we dig in our heels and declare that we aren't going anywhere until God blesses us--when we make up our mind that perseverance is a good and an invaluable life skill to possess--when we by faith fully accept this verse, Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them," then joy becomes possible.

Notice how it doesn't say, "Everything works together for our good," but rather, "GOD CAUSES everything to work together for our good."

God is active, alive, engaged, near by, hovering, loving, leading, protecting, providing, and causing that thing that you thought would nearly kill you to bless you instead.

Excuse me while I do my happy dance.

I'm back. We need to pray!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We fully embrace Your promises and open our arms wide to receive You and Your working-it-out power! __________ could especially use Your power today. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Never Give Up~

James 1:2-4

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance...

Greetings~

The reason God asks us to consider it pure joy when faced with trials is that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. Maybe that doesn't sound like a good enough reason to consider our hardships an opportunity for joy. On the surface these verses might even seem harsh because we face trials of many kinds, and our faith is tested.

But let's not let these trials to go to waste. Let's let the testing of our faith produce something awesome and wonderful--PERSEVERANCE!

Can any of us really succeed at anything if we don't persevere?

P-E-R-S-E-V-E-R-E, as defined by our friends at dictionary.com means to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly. All this reminds me of a friend who had some struggles with her child.

When the problem first surfaced, he was in middle school. At first, his parents were in denial and then they panicked at his behavior. One day, about three months into their ordeal, they realized they were in for the fight of their life and they hunkered down. Every day started with their reminding their son that they loved him, that they would never disown him, followed by their going off to pray desperate prayers. It might be easier to pray if the answers come quickly, but more often than not, we must dig in our heels and decide that we aren't going anywhere until we get the answer. Asking God once or twice is hardly perseverance. Asking Him day in day out for a couple of years is a better definition.

I do not know why some answers take a longer time than others. But I have discovered that focusing on the "whys" of life is distracting and debilitating. It is much better to focus on the "Who" in charge.

Nevertheless, these parents persisted in loving their child and in spite of tremendous difficulty, obstacles, and discouragement, they maintained their purpose, which was to pray their child out of his wrong behavior. They never gave up. Some days were better than others, and some days all my friend could do was lay hold of one particular promise of God and repeat it over and over again until she fell asleep:

Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Well, she never gave up, and has been reaping that harvest for several years now. Her child is on track and a phenomenal young man! The most amazing thing is the attitude shift that took place.

In her own words...

"Yenise, Some days I was so mentally and physically exhausted that I thought I would never recover. But a few months into our season of struggle, I noticed that God was really encouraging me with gems of truth from His word. His words became so real to me, and though some might never believe it, I can honestly say I found myself having joy. Joy that God was in control. That He had enough power to fix things, and a desire to do so. That ultimately, nothing or no one--including my rebellious son--was a match for God's love. Once I decided that I would not give up no matter what was when the joy really took root..."

What an inspiration! I hope this will encourage us all to look at our trials differently.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, It makes no sense to ask someone to consider their struggles as an opportunity to have joy, but considering our options, we choose joy. Your verse tells us it is possible. We accept it as truth and call on You for Your help. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Get Rid of It~

Monday morning greetings:)

Praise God from Whom ALL blessings flow. If it's a good thing, only He can take the credit!

Back in the 90's I had a little Nissan that I sold, and when I did I turned the tag in. I figured that I already hoard enough stuff, so I might as well get rid of it. All these years later turning that tag in proved to be a smart move. I recently bought another car and because the other tag was in the DMV's custody, the fine government of the state of Florida gave me credit for it to the tune of $261.75. Glory to God for that lovely surprise:)

Let it go...

Why is it so hard sometimes to let things go? I am one to talk because while I did turn in the tag, I have held onto a bunch of other things through the years. Just ask the ladies at my daughter's bridal shower who got to see one of my mom's negligee's from the 60's.

Yet, for our own sakes, God encourages us to get rid of certain things.

Ephesians 4:31-32 "Get rid of your bitterness, hot tempers, anger, loud quarreling, cursing, and hatred. And be sweet one toward another and affectionate, and be forgiving one another, just as God in The Messiah has forgiven us."

Most of you might have a hard time believing that I am not always sweet. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I am sorry; I had to laugh at that because, let's face it, we have all had our hot-tempered, bitter moments, sprinkled with a bad word or two or 10...

Please take note of this verse above because God is not asking us to get rid of this bad behavior--He's telling us to. He knows that before we can have pure joy, we have to make room for it. He understands that actively pursuing a clean soul will come back to bless us later, and it will bless us considerably more than $261.25. He knows that we have enough burdens in life and cannot afford to add more negative weight to our already heavy loads.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We need Your help. There are some things that have a way of hanging around that bring us down. We desire to be sweet and forgiving, so help us. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Newfound Greeting~

Dear friends,

I am proposing a change in the way we typically greet people.

Instead of, "How's it going?" or "Hey there!" or What's up?"  How about we say,  "I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit." 

Those words are found in 3 John 1:2 in the Bible, and they are lovely! And it would be lovely for all of us to embrace the beauty of desiring the best for one another and celebrating the fact that God wants us well - mind, body, and soul.

A few moments ago my former boss invited me and a few of my former colleagues for lunch. Later today when I meet up with them, I am going to use my newfound greeting on them.  I can't wait to see their reaction, but I suspect they will be pleasantly surprised and powerfully blessed!  

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for verses like this one that remind us that You care about every single thing about us - not only our souls. We pray today that we and those we love would be well and healthy in body and strong in spirit. We declare that all is well because You are with us. We volunteer to be ambassadors of love toward our family by praying for them. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Pray the Joy In~

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds...

Greetings,

It's been a busy few days for me, but I am back :)

Pure joy...we've been talking about it because while we all want to genuinely live and breathe it, sometimes stuff gets in the way.

Ironically, it's the stuff that gets in the way that is supposed to spur us on to joy in the first place.

But I completely understand the challenges of trying to have joy when there's a lot going on. So does our amazing Lord. The Bible is not just one verse that we take to heart, but hundreds and hundreds of verses that lovingly and wisely intertwine resulting in one beautiful and encouraging love letter to us all.

Therefore when we can't consider it pure joy because of the problem, rest assured there's a verse to help you take a step in the right direction.

For instance: "Yenise, How can I have joy when I can't even sleep because of all the fear I have?"

Psalm 118:6 The Lord is with me; I shall not be afraid.

It's always a win-win with Christ. He wants us to have joy and will always provide a verse to help us redirect our focus off the problem and onto Him.

"Yenise, How can I have joy when I am so anxious about ...?"

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And peace will guard your heart.

"Yenise, How can I have joy when I am so hopeless..?"

Isaiah 40:31 But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

What is keeping you from experiencing joy today? No matter what it is, you can pray it out and invite the joy in.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We will not be afraid because You are with us and because You are with us, we have joy. We will not be anxious because prayer welcomes You and Your power into our lives and that is a cause for celebration. Our hope is in You, and we feel strengthened already! In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Pure Joy Part Two~

Happy TGIF ~

We've been looking at God's gentle encouragement to "consider it pure joy," when faced with problems. Not just joy, as though that weren't hard enough, but PURE joy.

Let us turn to our on-line resource, dictionary.com, for clarification.

Joy means, "the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying." Pure means, "free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind; free from extraneous matter: pure gold; pure water."

That's a simplistic definition for all us spiritual giants, but there is a lot of truth here. Obviously we can have joy when exceptionally good and/or satisfying things are happening. But God puts the word "pure" in front of the kind of joy He wants us to have because our level of happiness and delight should not depend on how many struggles we are facing. He wants us having joy no matter what--free from external influences. The junk of life so easily contaminates our joy, however, so what are we to do?

Just this morning I received an email from Max Lucado that thoroughly blessed my soul.

I love love love him and highly recommend ANYTHING he has ever written. He brought something to my attention that I had never noticed before.

“On the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it.” (I Corinthians 11:23)

What frame of mind do you think you or I would be in if we were about to face the greatest struggle of our life and knew it was coming? Yet our Lord takes the time to say thanks...

This is only possible if we make having joy that is free from external circumstances a priority. And we get better at it by practicing. And one of the ways we practice is by being thankful.

Allow me to share a prayer that someone prayed yesterday. Some details will be omitted to protect privacy.

"Dear Lord, Thank You that You preserve my life and the life of my child. Thank You that while I am waiting for You to open up my child's eyes to the error of her ways, I can have joy in knowing that You will never get frustrated or weary of hearing me and helping me. I have joy because even though I do not have all the answers, You do. You have never let me down before, and knowing that strengthens my soul. You have all the answers, all the solutions, and all the power for my situation, and You are willing to share. You are a sharing and caring Father, and You sings songs of love over me, which settles my heart. You have not taken Your eyes off my child for one second, and You are busy busy busy bringing about a change in the direction my child is headed. I have joy because of Your great promise that You will work everything out for my benefit and my child's benefit..."

That's just a small portion of what my buddy prayed. Isn't that fantastical? Sometimes only the melding of two words--fantastic and phenomenal--can explain an emotion!

Pray that prayer for yourself and edit according! Our Lord has set the example and shown us what we need to do when facing the greatest storms of life.

In Jesus' name, AMEN~

No Match~

Tuesday greetings~

A part of yesterday's prayer said, "We must take the focus off our trials and focus on the One Who sees us through every single one."

How do we do that?

Psalm 34:3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!

Yes, that's an invitation, and I am extending it to you!

Magnify means to enlarge and make bigger. And we magnify the Lord by praising Him more than worrying about our struggles. We make Him bigger by praying more then fretting. We enlarge Him by thinking about His goodness, strength, and unmatched power, and when we do that, our problems begin to pale in comparison.

It is natural to worry. We are good at it. There is not one place in the Bible that says, "You beautiful humans are so strong and able to rise above and never worry; good for you!"

On the contrary. Verse after verse, including the one above, encourages us to take proactive steps in order to have that joy and peace that seem so elusive at times.

No need to RSVP to my invitation. Let's do it!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We magnify You now by calling on Your powerful name! Help us, heal us, guide us, protect us, provide for us, give us peace and joy, and do the same for those we love. Nothing or no one can even come remotely close to Your magnificence, and we know it. All discouragement, suffering, and problems are no match for You. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Test Grades~

Greetings brothers and sisters,

I hope you all had a lovely weekend:)

James 1:2-4

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Have you ever felt as though your faith is being tested?

I certainly have, and more than once I have felt as though I am failing the test. And it is at those times that my sweet Lord comes to me and whispers in my ear," Yenisita, Jesus lives in your heart. He has set up a permanent home there. When I look at you, I see my Son in you. I have never rejected Him, and I will never reject you. I do, however, desire perseverance produced in you because you will need it. I am allowing this test to further bless you..."

And then I do my happy dance :)

I discovered a long time ago that I can not truly control anyone or anything. He knows this, which is why He offers His help, His love, and His Son. He accepts us exactly as we are because He accepts His son. We are worthy only because Christ is worthy. We are lovely because Christ is lovely. We are His because Christ is His. None of it depends on our test grades, or I might be in trouble. But He loves us too much to leave us the way we are. Just like we all desire to see our children grow up and make wise decisions, He also desires to see us mature. Maturity is a great thing. Being complete is a awesome thing, and not lacking anything is the bomb. The testing of our faith will produce this, and we must trust Him.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, It's not about us; it's about You. We must take the focus off our trials and focus on the One Who sees us through every single one. Strengthen us as we persevere. Thank You that the result of all our prayers and faith will mightily bless us. In Jesus; name, AMEN~

Pure Joy~

Good morning:)

James 1:2-4

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Yesterday's DEVO was one of those that really got a bunch of us thinking. I will confess that I don't think I have been as proactive as I should in having joy in the middle of difficulties, which is why I want us all to do something that we as a DEVO group have never done before

But first I want to clarify something: The joy we are supposed to be having is not because of the actual trial we face, but because we face the trial with Jesus on our side. We don't ever say, "Jesus, thank You that my house is being foreclosed on." Rather, we say, "Thank You that You are with me in this circumstance and because You take care of me I can be calm and happy."

There's a big difference!

Nevertheless, the perspective God wants us to have means we have to make an effort. The word "consider" is a verb. It requires action on our part. When we find ourselves feeling anything less than joy, it's time to re-direct our thinking.

On to our group assignment. Think about what trials you are facing today. If it is hurting you or bothering you or if it has you down--no matter what it is--God wants you to consider this as an opportunity to have joy. Even if you don't feel like it, take a step faith today and pray:

Dear Lord, Thank You that this trial I am in is an opportunity for me to have joy and stronger faith. I admit the concept seems foreign to me, but I take a step of faith today and thank You that I am not alone. Help me to really not only believe that joy is possible while I struggle, but that because I am praying, You will help me have it. I need it! In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Faith Under Pressure~

Faith Under Pressure

That's the title under Chapter One in the book of James, and I think we all know about pressure.

I certainly have been feeling it lately. And my hubby, God bless his honest soul, was pulling out of the driveway last night and hit my soon-to-be-son-in-law's new car. Ouch!

I always say that if material damage is the worst of it, then no harm/no foul. It's still a bother and an expense sis boom bah, but Rayray's future husband took it in stride, and I love him :)

But what about other pressures? Health, relational, emotional, financial, familial...that's where we really feel the strain sometimes.

Is it possible to have strong, unwavering faith in certain circumstances?

Yes, but before James One even addresses that, look at what it says:

Verse 2-4

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Pure joy? Really? Is that even possible? Is God toying with us? I am supposed to look at the mess I am in and have joy? So what if testing produces perseverance? What if I don't want to let perseverance finish its work so that I can be mature? Maybe I like being a spiritual toddler.

First thing to consider: Like it or not, no matter what, you will face a trial. Not wanting to go through one won't help you avoid it. It's called life. So now that we have agreed that trials are an inevitable part of life, let's proceed with the attitude that if God is telling us to have joy in the middle of them, then it is possible and it will lead to good things.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You know our hearts and You know that we don't always--okay--practically never ever--have joy as we suffer through a difficulty. But because you are encouraging us to go for it, we ask You to fill us with joy no matter what. We do not want to be lacking in anything. In Jesus' name, AMEN!