Chain Snapper~

Psalm 107:13-16 "Lord, help!" they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; He snapped their chains. Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. For He broke down their prison gates of bronze. He cut apart their bars of iron.

Greetings precious children of the Most-High God,

I spoke with a friend of my mom's yesterday.  This precious saint is in her eighties now, but her passion for Jesus is so powerful that whenever I need a pick-me-up I call her because her passion is contagious, and her faith is inspiring.

She went through a time of trouble, distress, darkness, and deepest gloom as only a mother of a child with a drug problem could understand.  Interestingly enough, both she and son were bound by chains.  He by his addictions and she with a paralyzing fear of what would happen to her son.   

What was the first step to freedom for both of them? She cried, "Lord, help!"

He saved them! He snapped their chains of addiction and worry! When she felt like there was no way out He broke the prison gates!

Can any of us identity with her experience? Have any of us ever experienced trouble, distress, darkness and deepest gloom? Have we ever felt imprisoned by our circumstances and shackled with chains?  When we are chained to something it is always with us and never gives us a reprieve. 

The great and beautiful news today is that God is a chain snapper, and it all starts with our crying out in our trouble.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that when we cry out for help You act.  You snap, break, and cut apart the messes of our lives because of Your great love for us.  Thank You for answering us. In Jesus' name, AMEN~ 

Following our Handler's Commands~

Greetings,

This past weekend Jorge and I, along with our Hershey Pie, accompanied Hormone, Lis, and their dog, Trooper, to a hidden plot of land near the bay that provided acres of wide open spaces for our furry babies to run free in.  

Up until this point Hershey had never been off the leash in public for fear that he might take off running and never look back.   There has been a time or ten where Jorge has had to stuff his pockets with liver treats just to get Hershey to come inside from the backyard.

So imagine my surprise when Jorge said, "I'm doing it, Babe. Hershey has been enrolled in the Miami Obedience Class for 14  weeks, and he is trained to come when I call; I am taking off the leash!"

Before I could get melodramatic and insist he do no such thing, Hershey Pie was free like a bird, running loose, and loving it.

I was shocked that Hershey actually came trotting up when called.  He also stopped when commanded, and stayed by Jorge's side until given the go ahead.

What a difference obedience class has made.  Precious Hershey Pie would have never learned these behaviors without some professional instruction and dedication on Jorge's part.  (Excuse me. Jorge would rather be known as the Handler.)

Hershey's following his Handler's commands, instructions, and yes, even restrictions, allowed him to enjoy his day to the fullest.

Could it be that when we heed God's commands, instructions, and yes, even restrictions, that we are setting ourselves up to enjoy our life to the fullest as well?

When we pray, trust, believe, forgive, share, honor, serve, love, and sacrifice - when we open up the sacred scriptures and activate them in our lives -  we will indeed be blessed. 

Psalm 1:1-3 "Happy are those who find joy in obeying the teachings of the Lord, and they reflect on His teachings day and night. They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do."

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your Word; it is the Ultimate guide for our lives that when obeyed, make us happy.  We become firmly planted and deeply rooted in You and will always have everything we need at the right time.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Hershey Pie, Trooper, and the Handler

God Granted His Request!

1 Chronicles 4:10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

Greetings,

I love the Bible. It has eye-opening verses that were written from God to you and me so we can pray confidently.

When we ask God to bless us, increase our sphere of influence,

and invite His hand to guide and keep us from harm, it all works together like one big powerful and heavenly umbrella to shield us from pain. Could this mean that if we don't pray this way we will suffer needlessly? Maybe, but I don't plan on finding out! 

Life is full of pain already it; God knows it.  But He also knows that when we pray to be spared and protected, we are - from a lot of junk.  

Several years ago Jorge, the kids, and I were on the Palmetto expressway headed to my in-laws in the middle of a bad rainstorm.  Suddenly, the car directly in front of us swirled out of control and did several complete 360s.  This started a chain reaction of several other cars, ours included, slamming on their brakes and steering to get out of the way at 60+ mph in the pouring rain.  When it was all said and done, the traffic was at a standstill, car upon car sat within a few harried inches of one another, and our car was completely facing west instead of north. It was so close to another car that was facing east that not even a child could have fit between the two cars. But there was not one accident in sight.  

My family and I were kept from harm and pain that day, Amen.

Let's take God at His Word, be as bold as Jabez, and ask to be kept from pain. Look at how the verse ends: GOD GRANTED HIS REQUEST!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Bless us! Enlarge our territory.  Prosper us with the finances we need to meet our obligations, prosper our bodies with health, prosper our relationships so that those we love are receptive to learning about you. and prosper our souls with peace, joy, and hope. And keep us from pain - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Extend Your hand over us all like a mighty shade of protection, and deliver us from evil. Thank You for granting our request. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

God Rejoices Over You

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

A post Easter greeting to everyone!

I was so very blessed this past weekend because the words of last Thursday's DEVOs came to life in a powerful way. 

A few weeks ago Hormone and his lovely wife planned a weekend trip to Tampa to help a friend, Mario, with his proposal to his girlfriend, Erica.   Their job was to capture the moment on camera.

However, on Wednesday of this past week, Mario started to feel queasy with an unsettling pain in his stomach.  And no, it was not pre-proposal jitters.  Turns out his appendix ruptured, and he had to have emergency surgery.   Jorgie and Lis made the trip anyway and helped out by taking care of their fabulous Husky, Ace, and by spending long hours in the hospital keeping this young couple company.  They are from New York and no family lives nearby etc...

Mario was in the hospital three days, and when he went home on Saturday no one would have blamed him if he would have postponed the proposal.

But no - heck no!  

Mario had already covered the bases.  He had the ring, Erica's father's blessing, and most importantly, the desire, which nothing, not even a ruptured appendix was going to squelch.

So on Sunday, when Erica least expected it, Mario, in a heroic post-op feat, got down on one knee on the Anna Maria Island Pier and popped the question.  Erica said yes, Lis captured it all on camera, and I am very happy for this lovely couple.

I am also reminded why the Bible describes God's love for us as a bridegroom rejoicing over his bride: It's the best way for us to try and wrap our mortal heads around the indescribable pure joy and commitment of everlasting love.

Take a look at the beautiful picture below. Thank God for young people who make a commitment, and then thank God for His eternal commitment to us.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Today we rejoice at how You love us.  It's powerful, and we need it.  You are committed to us,  and we are grateful. As You rejoice over us today, fill our hearts with peace and joy. In Jesus' name, AMEN.   

Infinity and Beyond...

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

A while back I took Jorge to see Les Miérables. He enjoyed a nice two-hour nap while I sat enthralled by the story. There's a powerful scene where 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 sighed....

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 dramatically silly, but it was love. More than once I recall my mom getting upset because there was drool on the phone.

Fast forward 30 years, and I am still madly in love with my man. But let's be honest; our relationship motto nowadays is, "There's no one else I'd rather lay in bed and look at my smartphone next to." 

(There's a sign in my bedroom that actually says that!)

God, however, has always been crazy about us, and He is as passionate now as He ever was. Look at how the Bible 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.

The verb "rejoices" as used in this scripture is a present tense.  For those of us who have been out of high school for more than 30 years, wordcentral.com defines present tense as, "a tense that expresses action in the present time and is used of what is true at the time of speaking or is always true."

God rejoices over us right now and with the same zeal as a bridegroom does over his bride on their wedding day. It never wears off, and it has always been that way.  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, Thank You that right now You rejoice over us. No one else has that kind of passion for us! It comforts us to know that no matter what is going on we are loved by You forever. Heal our hearts and heal our hurts. Comfort us with Your goodness. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

My Husband is Pregnant!!!

Blast from the past...Originally published May, 2015~

Tuesday greetings, all you blessed and beautiful children of our Almighty God!

God blessed me with two lovely children who nonetheless, were responsible for months of agonizing morning sickness.  I also suffered from pytalism (excessive saliva production) during both pregnancies for all nine months, and I could not wait till it was over.  I apologize to the weak-stomached, but the pytalism was so bad that I had to sleep with my mouth open and just allow the saliva to trickle out on its own into a bucket because I just could not swallow.  Weird, but true! This literally went on the entire time those kiddos were in my belly. (Please note that literally, the minute I delivered Hormone and Rayray, it stopped and I felt great!)  And even though Jorge was so patient during both pregnancies, it highly annoyed me that he did not feel sick – ever – and that he could speak to other people without having to excuse himself to spit in a cup.  One time in church, the youth pastor, God bless him, actually asked me for my “special cup” during the bible lesson, and imagine my horror at having to deny him in front of everyone.  He playfully insisted a few times, and I playfully countered that I couldn’t do it. He was not able to make his point that day, and I was mortified at having to explain it to him later.  Wouldn’t it be great if Jorge could feel what I felt even for one moment?

Actually, MY HUSBAND IS PREGNANT!  That’s right! Jorge is pregnant!  But wait, it’s not what you think.  

Romans 8:22-25 “All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy (The Message Version).”

Simply stated: Me, Jorge, you – the entire creation – are all pregnant with the very real hope that someday soon all the evils, troubles, injustices, problems, sin, sickness etc…will give way to a glorious existence with Christ!  It does not matter that the world is utterly crazy and chaotic right now.  (Right before I sat down to send this DEVO I learned of the bombing in Brussels this morning.)We have a hope that does not diminish, but grows grows grows.

Another version of the Bible say, “The whole of creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth…” What I like about these verses is that it reminds us that we are all in this together.  We understand each other.  We all get it.  We are all united in our understanding of how difficult life can be.  Jorge gets me, I get him, we get you, and you get us!

Some of us may be feeling the “pangs” a little more intensely lately; we are desperate to give birth already.  But as we labor, we must remind ourselves that what we are going to give birth to is worth the wait.  As bad as I felt being pregnant with Hormone, that did not stop me from getting pregnant with Rayray because the end result was a precious life. Yet spiritually speaking, what we will give birth to is something so much infinitely better that God reminds us in His Word that there are no human words capable of describing the magnificence and perfection of it all!

As we swell with anticipation, it is important to connect with our Father.  He will guide us along as we wait.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, It’s not easy being pregnant sometimes.  It hurts, yet we know that this is part of the process to finally having and seeing and experiencing all that we have ever hoped for and then some.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

Our Lord Responded~

In Tuesday's DEVO we learned that Jesus forgave the criminal who was crucified next to Him. 

I want to go back and take another look at this passage because we need to remember that the whole exchange between Christ and the criminal took place while Jesus Himself was nailed to a cross.

In the midst of His suffering He takes a moment to reassure the poor lost soul next to Him.  It would be hard to blame Jesus if He would have kept to Himself. But He didn't. A saved criminal is in Heaven today because our Lord responded.

I don't know about you, but I feel as though I have no excuses.  It doesn't matter if I am having a bad day, if I have a flat tire, if Hershey Pie dug a trench in my newly-planted grass, if my bank took it upon itself to send me a new credit card because they suspected a breach, and I spent a very frustrating hour entering in the new info for all the folks I have on auto-pay...

If someone reaches out to you or me, let's view it as a Divine assignment and respond.  Amazing things will happen when we do!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for the example of Christ.  If He can respond, then so can we.  And thank You that You always hear our prayers! In Jesus' name, AMEN.