God's Greeting Card

Greetings,

I have been in a purging mood lately, so this past week I tackled a crate filled with every Mother’s Day, Birthday, Anniversary, Valentine’s Day, and Thank You card that I have accumulated for the past 30 years.  It was a pleasant trip down memory lane, and also bitter-sweet reading some of the messages that my now-grown children wrote when they were little. 

“Mommy, you’re the best.”

“Thank you for making my favorite lunch every day.”

“I promise to cuddle for 20 minutes.”

All that reminiscing made me think about what God would write to me if He were to give me a card: “Dear Yenise, I know the plans I have for you – plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Those are some of the best words ever written in the Bible and a powerful promise for all God’s children.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You that Your plans for my life are good.  You are willing to provide a hope-filled future, and I receive it.  In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

God Never Declines an Invitation

Greetings,

As you may or may not know, I am currently learning French via an app on my phone.  This has been going on for almost three years, and I am ever so slowly but surely making progress.  One of the things I love about studying this romantic language is seeing how some of its words have infiltrated our American culture.  RSVP, for example, stands for rèpondez s’il vous plait, which means please respond. 

I am sure each of us has, at some time or another, issued invitations and then waited for folks to respond.  Sometimes people say “yes,” and sometimes people say “no.” And we respond to invitations the same way; sometimes we can go and sometimes we can’t. A couple of years ago, Jorge and I were invited to a wedding that was on the same day as our 30^th wedding anniversary.  We had already made plans and had to politely decline. 

Oh, but do I have some great news: GOD NEVER DECLINES AN INVITATION!

Matthew 7:7 “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.”

In other words, every single time you invite God into your situation, answers are given, solutions are found, and door are opened.  I would feel a lot differently if this verse said, “Ask, and keep on asking, and I, the Lord your God, will get around to helping you at some point but not right now.” Or, “Seek and keep on seeking, but I am busy right now so who knows when you will, if ever, find what you need.” Or, “Knock all you want.  I don’t feel like getting out of bed this morning;I have a bigger better party to attend to and can’t deal with you right now.”

How much better would your life be if every single time you prayed and asked God to show up, you accepted as fact that He did and always will? That You never ever have to include a “please RSVP” because He only has one response? His response is simply that He responds.

Psalm 120:1 I cried to the LORD in my distress, and He responded to me.”

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You always respond. And if we have to wait for a situation to improve or change because You know the best timing, we know that in the meantime, Your answers to us are always filled with peace and assurances that once we seek You, You’re are in control. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Open My Eyes~

Greetings,

Last night Jorge and I went out to dinner to celebrate our 31st wedding anniversary; I cannot believe how quickly the years have flown by!  As always, I take a few pictures, and I asked Jorge to really make an effort and open his eyes wide before snapping a couple shots because I read somewhere it makes you photogenic. I WAS WRONG.  No matter how much he tried, his eyes were either completely closed or just plain weird looking.  I couldn't stop laughing, and we both gave up.  But it got me to thinking: Having opened eyes is actually a big deal.

 "Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in Your instructions" (Psalm 119:18).

There are so many necessary, helpful, life-blessing truths in God's Word, but sometimes we can't see them.  Sometimes we can't understand why forgiving someone is the better option.  Why being a peacemaker is a wiser choice. Why praying changes our circumstances.  Why patience will ultimately lower our stress. Why choosing our friends wisely will avoid us a lot of trouble, and on and on and on and on and on...

The good news is that God opens our eyes when we ask Him.  That takes the pressure off of us trying to do it on our own. We don't want to be hit or miss in this important area of our life; there's too much at stake.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Open our eyes!  We need to see You clearly. We need to know Your truths, Your principles, and Your gospel are our powerful and right guide for living. We don't want to miss it. We don't want our kids to miss it either; open their eyes as well!  In Jesus' name, AMEN.

The Most Precious Dog in the World!

Tomorrow will mark the two-year anniversary of my husband finding Hershey Pie  - the most precious dog in the world - in the middle of the street and bringing him home.  We have THOROUGHLY enjoyed having him in our lives, and I can't believe how much he has grown!  Long gone are the days when he would chew any flip flop he could find, and at long last he is free to roam the house without restraint.

Hershey Pie has matured, and I hope we all have as well.  I hope we all have more peace, joy, faith, trust, and joy.  I hope we are all exercising more self-control and patience.  I hope we are reading the Bible more and tuning out the negative news that bombards us daily. I hope we are prioritizing spending more time with the people we love. And I hope we are all praying more and complaining less.

Hershey Pie's excellent behavior has been rewarded because he no longer has to go into his cage whenever Jorge and I leave the house.  Our willingness to do things God's way has rewards as well.  The Bible promises long life, blessed relationships, protection, gladness, peace, and answered prayer when we do!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Look at how far we have come! You have been faithful to teach us and guide us, yet we are rewarded when we accept Your instruction. Life works better when we stay calm and depend on You.  We have great hope because of Your goodness.  We know there are still areas where we fall short.  Come into our lives and gently lead us into more righteousness an obedience.  We want all the blessings You have for us! In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Isa's Eulogy - Part Four

Isa's Eulogy - Part Four

Today we continue with Isa's eulogy.  She was my beloved mother-in-law for over 30 years, and on July 19, 2017 she went home to Jesus after a 17-day battle with cancer. I was blessed with the task of trying to condense her well-lived life of almost 71 years into a brief speech.  Of course, the most important focus was on what mattered to her the most, which is family.  Below is a continuation of her eulogy.

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Now where is Chini, my precious Chini Chong, Isa's wonderful husband and a PERFECT    EXAMPLE    of devotion.  I, whom am known for my big mouth,  am at a loss for words.  Thank You for being the finest, unparalleled example of what a soul mate is. You would not could not leave her side.  Isa went into the hospital on the day of your 51st wedding anniversary, and the love between you really was epic. I love you so very very much.

And of course, I can barely mention my husband, also known as Yoyi, my brother-in-law, also known as Papo, or the fabulous Llamarama, Andrea, my sister-in-law, because I just might lose it completely.  You all know what you meant to her.  The greatest testament is our unity as a family, while we enjoyed her on this earth and as she departed.  

A special word to Andrea.  You did for her in private and intimate moments things I couldn't do.  So did her nieces...You guys are my heroes.

A word to the grandchildren...Isa had recently found passion in praying for each of you with even more intensity.  She was using a devotional prayer book written specifically for grandkids and realized that when she went to the hospital she forgot it.  She made Chini bring it to her. Think of the enormity of what I just said.  She was in the fight of her life, but thinking of each of you. She was asking God to bless you and protect you, to fill you with His peace and goodness.  She made sure to let God know how important it is for you to have wisdom and make good choices. She desired that you all would keep your ways pure and your eyes on Christ. Her peace  came in knowing that God was hearing her prayers. May we all grasp the blessed significance of knowing these prayers will last for all eternity.   

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Of all the things I will remember about Isa during her final days, the one glaring detail that will stay with me forever is her prayer book for her eight grandchildren.   This blesses me immensely, and it's the one thing I think of daily.

Sometimes I think we all flounder a bit.  We wonder what our purpose is. We ask ourselves if we have somehow missed the mark, missed our calling.  We question if we are making a positive difference in this world, especially in the lives of those we love. 

No matter what, it is always God's purpose for our lives to pray for others, especially those we love the most. Prayers make a difference, and I can think of no greater legacy to leave behind than prayers that God holds dear forever.  Not only does He hold them dear, but He answers them too!    

James 5:16 "The earnest prayer of a believer has great power and produces wonderful results."

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We need wonderful results in our lives.  Thank You that the great power in prayer is YOU. Draw us close to You. Draw our families close too.  We all need You, and we are amazed that the words we offer up to You are treasured by You forever. Send Your blessings. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Surprise!

Mark 7:37 "People were overwhelmed with amazement. 'He has done everything well,' they said. 'He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.'"

Last night Rayray called me at 8 PM and asked me where I was.  I was about to take a bath because somehow - I totally blame myself - I thought the dinner she had invited me to was for tonight not last night.  I threw on my favorite t-shirt, put a whimpering Hershey Pie in his cage, hurried out the door with Jorge, and arrived 45 minutes late! 

To be honest, I sort of had a clue that we were invited in honor of our 30th wedding anniversary, which is today. And I was kind of relieved that the dinner was last night because what kind of child asks their parents to dinner on the actual day?  But it was still a night of surprises!

When we arrived, Hormone and his lovely wife, Lis, were there.  Shiny helium number 30 balloons were strung up. The girls, with full support of their husbands, had prepared our favorite foods, presented us with our favorite dessert, gifted us a family tree complete with pictures of each one of them and my granddogs, and even had a Q&A game for me and Jorge to play. When asked what my super power would be I replied, "I want to squish people." In retrospect, I should have said something better, but I was overwhelmed and feeling grateful and nostalgic, and then I started a teary-eyed speech about how much I love every one and they poo-pooed it saying I was too dramatic... Jorge's epic advice of the night was, "Pray and laugh every day." 

Nonetheless, surprises can be wonderful, and the Bible is full of them.

Surprise, Hannah,  you're finally having a baby!

Surprise, King Darius, Daniel is still alive even though you threw him in the Lion's den!

Surprise, Pharoah's daughter, there's a baby in this basket you just found in the river,  and he will grow up to deliver the Israelites!

Surprise, Mary, you are going to have  a baby, and He will be the Savior of the world!

Surprise, all you onlookers, Jesus makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!

Surprise, Peter, Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, is going to wash your feet!

Surprise, all you judgmental people, Jesus hangs out with sinners and protects adulterous women!

God always does the unexpected, but whatever it is, the Bible verse above tells us that He does everything well!  So as we pray today and every day,  let's embrace God's awesome unpredictability.  He will answer our prayers above and beyond our wildest dreams (see Ephesians 3:20),  and we should all live in holy anticipation of God doing something wonderful in our lives!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You surprise us in miraculous, wonderful ways.  We open our lives up to You today to receive more blessings than we ever imagined.  Many of us our praying about our families, jobs, health, emotional well-being, which direction to take, and relationships.  Whatever our need may be, surprise us with Your power, love, and might as You answer us.  Thank You that we can trust You to do everything well in our lives. In Jesus name, AMEN!

A Whopping 50 Years!

Psalm 23:6 "Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell throughout all my days in the presence of the Lord."

Greetings,

This past Saturday my in-laws, Isa and Chini, celebrated a whopping 50 years of marriage!  Their closest family and friends gathered to commemorate this amazing anniversary, and Mariachis showed up and played nostalgic tunes from the past.

One song in particular's lyric translated to this: My how the years have passed, but my love for you is still growing.

Of course, as soon as they started dancing to that song, my eyes welled up.  As I discreetly wiped away my tears - after all, I did not spend all afternoon getting ready just to let my sentimentality mess it up - I found myself thanking God for His goodness in allowing my husband to have his parents for so many years.  I praised Him because my children have had the blessing of grandparents who are happy together.  I worshiped Him for providing me with a living-proof example that marriages can go the distance, and I expressed gratitude for my in-laws whose love I have witnessed growing stronger as time goes by.

God is good, and I pray He will open our eyes to see His goodness, which follows us every single day.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for being GOOD.  You give us good gifts, and You bless us with Your goodness.  As we pray we open our hearts to receive from You every single thing we need to live a blessed life. In Jesus' name, AMEN~