100%, 100% of the Time, With Leftovers

"The people ate and were satisfied, and there were seven large baskets full of leftovers." Mark 8:8.

Greetings,

The verse above refers to the famous passage of scripture where Jesus took a little boy's lunch of seven loaves of bread and a few fish, multiplied it, and fed a crowd of thousands.  And He fed them to the point of satisfaction. Miraculous, yes, and such an awesome indication of how generous our Lord is.  Nothing He does is half-hearted.  It's 100%, 100% of the time with leftovers!

Compare that to last night...

Jorge and I went to a local pasta place, and he ordered a stromboli. All throughout the meal Jorge kept saying that I should really try it, and I finally did. IT WAS SO GOOD! Actually, it was one of the best things I have ever tasted.  But there was no going back for more because I took the last little available bite!

If that stromboli would have been in Jesus' hands, it would have been enough for me, all the other diners, and even those waiting to be seated, plus there would have been doggie bags galore.

In Jesus' hands, a little becomes a lot.  Limitations become possibilities and obstacles become blessings!

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, As we say goodbye to 2017 and prepare to welcome 2018, we thank You for Your faithfulness.  Here we all are, alive and well, and trusting You to take what we have and make it bigger and better! We offer You our peace, health, faith, trust, hope, dreams, expectations, and love, knowing that in Your capable hands it will be multiplied, blessed, and brings us fulfillment! In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Prepare for God's Arrival

“Prepare for God’s arrival! [clear away the obstacles]; Make the road straight and smooth” (Isaiah 40:3).

Greetings,

In less than two weeks a little baby will be joining our family, and we have been busy preparing for months!  The nursery is painted, the diapers and burp cloths are neatly stacked on the changing station, along with every conceivable lotion and potion, and all the clothes and shoes are organized by size in the closet.  There has been a meet and greet with a pediatrician, a government-approved car seat has been installed in the car, and there are enough toys to stimulate the baby’s brain for years.

Also, the mommy-to-be has been keeping up with all doctor visits, and was even taking pre-natal vitamins behind my back for the past couple of years! Talk about being prepared!

Imagine if none of the above had taken place yet, or if we waited to start doing it all until a couple days before the birth? It would be reckless and irresponsible!

God is on His way as well, and we have things to do to be ready to receive Him.  We must clear away anything that stands in His way. Sometimes it’s busyness, and sometimes it’s harboring unforgiveness.  Whatever is blocking our relationship with God needs to be purged and removed. 

Being prepared makes for a beautiful and easier arrival. 

God is giving is a choice in how easy or how hard we want to make it for Him to get to us.  I hope we are all saying “YES!” to making it straight and smooth because in doing that, God will get to us in a jiffy.     

PRAYER: Dear Lord, How wonderful that right now as we pray, we are preparing for You in our lives.  Come to us, precious Lord, and bless us and our families.  Grant us wisdom, health, peace, joy, and hope.  In Christ’s name, AMEN!

He Came For You!

Luke 2:11 “For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord.”

Greetings, 

Christmas is a few days away, and I am excited because even though it's about Jesus, it's also about me and you.

Who was Christ born for?  Was it for them, for those, for others, for him, or for her?  NOPE! He was born for you!  I love inserting my name in verses like these, and I invite you to do the same.

"For today in the city of David there has been born for Yenise a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord."

Amen and glory.  Jesus came for me!

He didn’t have to, but He did because He knew that You and I could not live without Him.  

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for coming for me.  You knew how much I would need You, and You did not hesitate to leave Your glorious Heaven to come and save me.  Happy Birthday! 

Merry Christmas

  

Good News!

Luke 2:8-11

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.'"

Greetings,

Every day somewhere in our world there are folks receiving good news.  

"Here's your raise!"

"Congratulations, it's a girl!"

"Here are the keys to your new car!"

"I've met the man of my dreams!"

"You're approved for a mortgage!"

All those things are fine and dandy, but not necessarily of great importance to everyone on the planet.  However, the above verse is good news for every single person, because Jesus was born for the benefit of everyone.

As our Savior, He brought peace, joy, wisdom, hope, faith, love, grace, mercy, and salvation for anyone willing to receive these blessings, and it all starts with prayer.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, Our hearts are thinking about You and how You came as a little baby with so many promises for our benefit.  We need every single one! We open up our lives to You today, and we receive all of You.  Glory to Your name, and peace on earth. In Your name, Amen.

Making Room~

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

Christmas is right around the corner, and if you are like me, you are already in the hustle and bustle of all the preparations.  There are gifts to wrap, cards to be sent, Christmas carols to be practiced, decorations to be put up, and food to order.  I get so busy that sometimes I have to remind myself to make room for Jesus.  How ironic considering that He is the reason for the season!

The innkeeper missed out on having the Savior of mankind being born at his establishment because there was no room.  Maybe he could have made an exception. Maybe he just didn’t realize the magnitude of the situation.  Maybe he didn’t care.  Regardless, there was no room and no room was made; Jesus was born somewhere else.

We all know better.  When we open our hearts and homes to Him, He shows up and the blessings flow.  

It all starts with prayer.

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 hope, faith, provision, peace, joy, and health. In His holy name we pray, AMEN!

When God Speaks~

Greetings,

Right at the very beginning of the Bible we read that when God speaks, amazing things happen:

"God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light'" (Genesis 1:3).  

And by the time God was done speaking, all of creation was established, and He declared that "it was good."

God will speak into our lives too.

Whether it's a financial breakthrough, a relationship rescue, or a health need, no matter what it is, let's ask God to "let there be..."

enough resources to cover the bills...

peace and mutual understanding between us...

a miracle of healing and strength...

When God speaks, situations turn around, order is brought out of chaos, and it leads to good things. 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, "Let there be..." Such simple yet powerful words because of WHO speaks them.  We all have an area where we welcome Your creativity, strength, and goodness.  Speak a miracle into our lives today.  Especially for _______.  Let there be _________.  In Jesus' name. AMEN~

YOU ARE SPECIAL

Greetings,

There certainly is a lot of hoopla over the latest royal couple.  They are planning a fairytale wedding next spring, and every picture of them shows them making lovey dovey eyes at one another.  It seems as though the entire planet is obsessed with this good looking duo, and it is impossible to see any magazine without them on the cover.  I also haven't been able to go one day without someone assuring me that the future princess's $3000 coat is within my budget if I will settle for a knock-off at $29.99.  Honestly, I wish them well, and I love a love story as much as anyone.  But I am sure that not one of us has ever had so much attention lavished on us.  It can make a gal, or a guy, feel unspecial by comparison.

Except...

Luke 15:10 "The angels in heaven throw a party every time a lost soul turns to God.

The day you turned to God seeking His forgiveness and guidance for your life, the angels threw a party in your honor" (The Message Version).

Can't you just hear them now?

"That Yenise is a lovely and special, precious child of God! Hip Hip Hurray! She trusted Jesus with her life, and she will be crowned with the crown of everlasting life! At the right time we will share a delicious piece of angel food cake with her!"

Insert your name above: YOU ARE SPECIAL!!!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, When we turned to You it was an awesome day for us on earth, and now we know the angels had a big party in heaven. Thank You that even if the world doesn't know it, You think we are worth celebrating over. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Clap Your Hands

Psalm 47:1 Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise!

Greetings,

I am a big clapper. Whether it's Hershey Pie using his wee wee pad for the first time, the Dolphins pulling off a win, a movie that has a great victorious ending (Gladiator anyone?), my kids doing practically anything, Jorge setting up the Christmas tree.  You name it, and if it makes me happy I will clap.

Psalm 47:1 invites us to clap for God and to shout joyful praise to him.  And this invitation is for everyone. Clapping is a universally accepted sign of approval, and the longer the applause, the more it shows that something resonated with us in a positive, life-affirming way.  When directed to God, our clapping is an outward expression of the inward joy we have.

Sometimes, however, and even though we are technically in the season of joy, we don't feel much like clapping for anything or anyone, even, GASP! our Lord. It's tough to be all gleeful when troubles lurk around.

Yet...If we are holding on to the blessed hope that eternal joy will be ours, then I think we can muster up a clap or two, and before we realize it, we will have a full blown round of applause on our hands, and the joy that comes with it. 

PRAYER: (Let's clap as we pray)

Dear Lord, We literally applaud You; You are the best.  Sometimes we feel low, but as we shout praise to You, our spirits are lifted again.  Praise Your high and holy name.  You are the King of kings and the Lord of Lords.  You are magnificent and in control.  Thank You for the amazing life that awaits us all because we believe in Jesus.  In His name we pray, AMEN~