Embrace Your Territory~

Acts 17:26 "From one man He made all the nations, and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands."

Greetings,

One of my all-time favorite TV programs is Little House on the Prairie.  I love that there was such a huge emphasis on family and faith, and I have often wondered what my life would have been like if I would have been born in 1865 as opposed to 1965.  Riding horses everywhere and using outdoor toilets anyone?

Come to think of it, why did my family choose to live in Georgia after immigrating from Cuba?  Sure, other relatives had already established roots there, but most settled in Miami.  It took us 17 years to head far south to the Magic City.

And why were my kids born the day they were born? If either of them had been born a couple days later, they would have started school an entire year later.  That would have meant a whole other group of friends for them and for me. 

All these questions have an easy answer: We were born when we were born, to the parents we have, and we live where we live, work where we work, and are friends with the friends we have because every aspect of our time in history and the boundaries wherein God has placed us is a result of His purpose for our lives. 

Nothing happens to us by chance or accident.  In God’s infinite wisdom, He decided we should be where we are and with the people we are with.

Maybe you are reading this from your desk at work surrounded by some colleagues you love and some who frustrate you.  God has placed you there, so embrace your territory and be happy.  It has meaning, and it has purpose.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, how might our perspectives change if we truly embraced that You marked out this time for us in history and established our little corner of the universe for us?  Today we choose to believe that You know what You are doing and that nothing in our life is by chance.  Thank You for giving us life.  Thank You for our families.  Thank You for our friends. Help us live life to the fullest by filling us with Your peace, love, hope, faith, joy, wellness, and goodness.  In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Magnify The Lord With Me~

Greetings,

Last Thursday was my anniversary, and we celebrated by staying in, for a change.  And right when Jorge and I had settled in to digest the carb-laden pasta feast from our favorite Italian restaurant, our dog, Hershey, started going bonkers.  He was outside, and his barking was more animated than usual.  More than when he spots a squirrel running along the electricity lines.  More than when pigeons pick at the ants in between the pavers.  And more than when a cat dares enter his territory.

I begrudgingly got up to see what was going on. That’s when I saw a blob on the rug outside on the terrace.  Initially, I wasn’t sure what it was.  But as I got closer and closer, it came more and more into focus.  IT WAS AN OPOSSUM!!!

It was either playing dead or actually dead; I couldn’t tell at first.    I immediately started screaming my head off, like the house was on fire, and Jorge sprang into action and managed to get Hershey inside where he cleaned his mouth with baby wipes.  It was a maddening scene. 

I finally composed myself.  Perhaps Jorge saying, “Compose yourself, woman,” was what brought me back to my senses.  I grabbed my phone, took a picture, and suggested we turn off the lights to see if it would leave before risking touching it and getting rabies.  And not even five minutes later when I turned the lights back on, it was gone.  Thank the Lord!

Getting close and drawing near helps bring focus to what might be otherwise blurry or obscured.  This is a good thing.  Because once you know what or Who you’re dealing with, you can make wise decisions. In the case of Hershey, now that I know he is a vicious rodent attacker, I will be extra cautious before I ever open the door when he barks.  But as for the Lord, I know that as I take steps to magnify Him, to enlarge Him, to draw close to Him, to worship Him for His goodness, power, and willingness to intervene in my life, everything else, my fear and my worries will dwindle. As He gets bigger and bigger, my problems will get smaller and smaller. 

“Magnify the Lord with me! Let’s praise His name together! I sought the Lord’s help, He and answered me; He delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:3-4).

Let’s magnify.

Dear Lord, we draw close to You and praise Your name.  Thank You that when we seek Your help, when we approach You, when we focus on You and Your greatness, You answer us and take away our fears.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

More, More, More~

Greetings:)

I just spent six days on a jury, and it's good to be back. As the judge held up a folded copy of The Constitution to remind us of the foundation upon which this country's legal system was founded, I was moved by the enormous responsibility and privilege that comes with sitting on a jury. I repeatedly asked the Lord for the wisdom to make the right decision, and I fully believe justice was served. Amen!

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Yesterday yet another one of you precious souls wrote to me to say that you sent your oldest child off to college. But rather than it being a time for tears, it was a time for rejoicing. You are happy that your son has found passion and are trusting his life to God.

You are confident, that just as your parents invested in you through loving you and teaching you, that your investment in your son will have a huge payoff. AMEN TO THAT!

And this is one of the points the Jabez Prayer makes: Ask God to bless you and increase your territory so you can enjoy a lifetime of good and solid communication with your child.

Several years ago one of my children was ticketed for speeding. It happened while they were at another friend's house. This child was so upset about it--worried about how I might react--that the friend's parent did a big no-no. They swept it under the rug and paid the ticket clinic behind my back.

Oh! Where do I begin?

Of course, these things have a way of coming out, and sure enough, when all these advertisements about traffic schools started coming in the mail, my spidey sense started tingling.

Before I could confront my child, said child was overwhelmed by guilt and spilled the beans. Somehow, not confessing was worse than confessing. It was a powerful learning moment because I realized the importance of asking God to always have my childrens' hearts turned toward Jorge and me and not anything or anyone else--even well-meaning adults.

And I also realized that if I was serious about having an ongoing powerful influence on my children, I better not blow the opportunities to lead by example. So, with my child in front of me, I called the mom who grossly overstepped her bounds. Rather than sever all ties with her, I spoke with her about how important it is for our kids to own up to their mistakes. How every mistake is an opportunity to learn something that will help in avoiding mistakes in the future, and most importantly, open communication in the smaller things will open the door to the bigger deeper conversations about life.

Let us pray.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, There are really only a handful of people that we love deeply, and these are the ones You want us intimately connected to all our lives. So again today we ask for more blessing and more increase. In Jesus' name, AMEN~