Our Journey~

I saw a saying today that made me smile. "I'm as happy as a bird with a french fry."


Monday morning greetings! I trust you all had a lovely weekend.

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 people you travel with depends on the quality of your journey.

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~

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.

God's Lullaby~

TGIF Greetings~


Last night I was talking with a gal pal, and one of the verses that popped into our conversation was this one:

Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He takes great delight in you, He quiets you with His love, He rejoices over you with singing.

One of my earliest memories is of my granny sitting me on her lap and singing a song to me that loosely translated goes something like this.

"My little hand is burned, and all the little bones are gone..."

I know it sounds horrible, but if you're Cuban you know it was a very common lullaby and actually very sweet. Lord, I miss my granny! In those tender moments, the world was a perfect place. Not a worry in the world, and just 100% contentment.

And then we grow up and BAM! Life comes at us hard, which is why it is such a relief to know that no matter how old I get or you get, God still quiets us with His love and rejoices over us with singing.

Sometimes I just sit and think about God, the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, leaning in close to me and taking me in His arms and breathing peace into my weary soul. And all the while He rejoices over me. He takes great delight in me. (Close your eyes for a moment and envision this as best you can).

NEWS ALERT: Not everyone takes delight in me. Why, there are those who might even say that I am loud, obnoxious, and annoying. Shocking, right? And yet, my Lord takes GREAT DELIGHT in me and in you. It is no small thing that our Lord loves every last little bit of us. So much so that He takes the time to cradle us--especially when life gets hard.

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Thank You for singing over us. Thank You for quieting us with Your love. Fill our souls today to overflowing with Your goodness and peace. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

My Help Comes From The Lord~

Good afternoon~


Before we go I must issue a slight retraction. Jorge reminded me that just two weeks ago he swallowed my gum when we found ourselves at a nice restaurant and there was no other place for me to put it. Still, you all know what I mean...

Today we will engage in a faith-building exercise. Please read the Psalm below--more than once if necessary--until it penetrates your soul and brings you joy. Blessings :)

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let my foot slip—He who watches over me will not slumber.
The Lord watches over me—the Lord is my shade.

The Lord will keep me from all harm—He will watch over my life;
The Lord will watch over my coming and going both now and forevermore.

AMEN~

Notice the resounding emphasis on the Lord. It ain't your momma, your daddy, your spouse, your neighbor, or your friendly neighborhood Spider Man who helps you. It is God Himself. He helps us, watches over us, won't allow our feet to slip, is our shade, keeps us from all harm, and watches over our lives forever. Let us give credit where credit is due.

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Thank You that You and You alone will see me and those I love safely through this life into eternity. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

To Infinity and Beyond~

Good afternoon, all you beautiful, magnificent, and highly-blessed children of God!


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.

Let me take this opportunity to tell you all that I am sick and tired of all the bad news. I have made it my mission to be joyful, hopeful, and encouraging all year with each of you and anyone else I come into contact with. Therefore, 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,
I am so glad You rejoice over me. Not everybody does, and even when they do, it's not every single day of my life. Sometimes relationships on earth are not so great, but how comforting to know that no matter what, I am passionately loved by You forever. Heal my heart, comfort me with your goodness. Thank You that You love me. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

It's a Great Day to be Alive~

Travis Tritt, a country singer got it right when he sang, "It's a great day to be alive..."

And why? Because God says in Hebrews 13:5 I will never abandon you or leave you.
Amen and glory! Whoop whoop!!!!

Over and over again God reminds us that He is here to stay. He isn't going anywhere. The reason for this, dear people, is that over and over again we need the reassurance.

My precious Rayray went out last night to watch the BCS Bowl game with some friends. Afterward she decided to spend the night with some of the girls at their place. She forgot to call that she had arrived safely and always always always as I am dialing that phone to hear her sweet voice I find myself praying, "Dear Lord, Thank You that You are with Rayray."

I truly believe I would have gone crazy by now if I didn't believe that He watches over my little chickadees. My son is in New York while his wife is living alone in their apartment, and even though Rayray lives at home, she is constantly on the go.

I can not be everywhere at once, but thank God that He can and He is. It's one of the profound blessings of being His child. Let us purpose in our hearts this New Year to believe every single thing God says.

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, If You say that You will never leave us or abandon us, then we believe it. It is a source of great joy and peace for us that even when we are not with those we love, You are. Thank You, in Jesus' name, AMEN~

Seven Truths~

I am re-settling into work after a 17-day hiatus. It felt great to have all those days off, but back to reality.

So as I sit here and shuffle papers and return calls, I also find myself reminding myself of seven truths-truths that were right on target in 2012 and already blessing me in 2013:

(1) God loves me, yes me!
(2) God cares for me and every little detail of my life, some of which you may find incredibly boring. But not God; He is totally engaged in it all.
(3) God is compassionate toward me.
(4) God understands me. My own husband, who knows me better than anyone else on the planet can not compete with God. Sorry. But it's ok. In fact, it's great! How many of you know that your husband doesn't want to hear it all the time anyway? And yet my Lord always has His ear inclined toward me ready to hear my heart. (Please do not misunderstand what I am trying to say here. Jorge is AWESOME, but he ain't Jesus!)
(5) God satisfies me.
(6) God heals me.
(7) God renews me.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, The New Year is in full swing, and we are grateful that You are with us loving us, caring for us, being kind toward us, understanding us when we sometimes do not even understand ourselves, satisfying us, healing us, and renewing us. Thank You that with You on our side, anything is possible. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Happy New Year!

Once upon a time in 1989 Jorge and I went on a cruise. We docked In Jamaica, and one of our activites was climbing Dunn's River Falls. It was truly majestic and beautiful, and there is one thing that stands out mightily in my mind. It wasn't the clear wading pools waiting at every landing or the way you could stand behind the falls and watch from the inside out or even the fact that Tom Cruise had filmed part of his movie, "Cocktail," there.

The one overwhelming memory I have is of Jorge holding my hand really tightly. The rocks we had to climb to get to the top of the falls were super slippery. All along the way there were folks with bloodied knees and sore elbows. I lost my footing one time, and from that moment on Jorge grabbed my hand and did not let go until we got to the top. It was not your typical husband and wife holding hands tender moment. It really made an impression on me because I had not until that moment ever had my hand held that way by Jorge.

And so as I sent out the Bible verse yesterday it brought back the memory. Let's refer to that verse again today.

Isaiah 41:13 (Message Version)
I, your God, have a firm grip on you and I’m not letting go. I’m telling you, ‘Don’t panic.' I’m right here to help you.

Aren't you glad God's grip is firm? It's not half-hearted or limp. Living life is way more perilous than climbing a slippery rock, and God knows it. He's not letting go!

PRAYER:

Dear Lord,

As we start this New Year we thank You that You wrap us tightly in Your love and protection. We move forward into 2013 hand in hand with You. Anything is possible! In Jesus name, AMEN~.