All Because of Love

All because of love. That’s the reason Jesus suffered the worst death possible. The death of the cross. His motive? Love for us. It’s difficult to grasp the amount of love Jesus has for each individual person in the world. Remember, God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and make us right with Him again. “When he (Jesus) sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.” (Isaiah 53:11)

What does it take to be a loving person?

How do we become a loving wife or husband, a loving brother or sister, a loving daughter or son, a loving mother or father, or a loving neighbor? We choose to do it. We are intentional about it, and we ask Jesus to show us how. He gave us tons of examples on how to be a loving person during His ministry days. God also tells us what to do in His Word. To love others is a command.

Below are several Scriptures where we are told to love others and how to do it.

Romans 12:9 tells us, “Don’t just pretend that you love others. Really love them…Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”

Romans 13:8 encourages us to “Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that! If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God’s law…Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God’s requirements.”

Ephesians 6:2-3 reminds us to “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first of the Ten Commandments that ends with a promise. And this is the promise: If you honor your father and mother, “you will live a long life, full of blessing.”

Ephesians 5:2 inspires us to “Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him.”

Ephesians 5:22-23 motivates women, “You wives will submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior.”

I know this is a controversial verse for women. But notice why and when we are to submit. The husband’s responsibility and expectation is way bigger and harder:

Ephesians 5:25-26 commands men, “And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God’s word.”

As you can see, we have plenty of encouragement to become a loving person in whatever circumstance you may find yourself throughout your life. I hope you are inspired to become a loving person and love others as Christ loves you.

During this Easter, meditate on what Jesus did for you personally and thank Him for that eternal gift of salvation. Happy Easter!

What Is a Giant, Mimi?

What is a giant, Mimi? My grandson asked me on the way home from preschool. Henry and I were talking about the story of David and Goliath. I explained to him that David conquered Goliath, who was a “giant.” When he asked me to describe a giant, I explained “a giant is a person that is very, very tall. Giants are taller than everyone else and they can even see over our heads because they are so, so tall. Henry thought for a few seconds, and then said, “My daddy is a giant.” Trying to contain my laughter, I explained that his dad is indeed very tall (he is 6’ 6”!) but he’s not a giant. He’s just taller than all of us. I also told him one day he will grow to be as tall as his dad.

Reflecting on this funny conversation, got me thinking that from Henry’s perspective as a child, everyone is taller than him. Therefore, everybody seems like a giant to him. From the spiritual perspective, I also asked myself, who are my giants? In a way, somedays I feel like David facing my own Goliaths. A “giant” in my life can be anything that I feel is so much bigger than me. A situation that I cannot conquer on my own. I need help—supernatural help. The giant can be a workload that is unsustainable or a series illness in the family. It is watching one of my loved ones turn away from God or a relationship that breaks. It is a circumstance or situation too big for me to handle alone.

That supernatural help only comes from God. But before He can interfere to help us, we need to take several steps:

·        Recognize that the battle we’re facing is too big for us to handle on our own.

·        Ask for help, both from our friends and family as well as from God.

·        Accept the help with humility understanding that the “giant” is simply too big to face alone.

·        Arm ourselves with the armor of God—especially faith that we will be victorious with God’s help.

·        Understand that it is only because of Jesus that we can win the battles.

·        Release and let God take over the situation.

The story of David and Goliath

I encourage you to read the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. The Israelites were to fight the Philistines. Here is the description of Goliath: 4 Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall! 5 He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. 6 He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder. 7 The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield.

No wonder the Israelites were terrified of Goliath! He challenged the Israelites and requested them to send one person to defeat him. If that person defeated him, then the Philistines would become slaves to the Israelites. But if he won, then the Israelites would be slaves to the Philistines. When David, a shepherd, heard of the challenge and how scared the Israelites were, he was furious. 26 David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?”

When King Saul heard about David’s question, he asked to see him. David told the King, “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” After being told no several times, David insisted and told King Saul: 37 The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” and so he went. 40 He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine. As the giant approached David, he told Goliath that the God of Israel would conquer. The battle is God’s, he proclaimed… 48 As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. 49 Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.

There are so many lessons learned from this story. For today, I ask you: What are the giants in your life? Nothing is too big for God to help you conquer the battle. Trust God that He will deliver you from your situation, and He will.

I Found the Fountain of Life: Living Water

How many people would like to claim that they found the fountain of life so they can live forever? Not only do human beings desire to live forever, but they also want to look young, strong, and healthy. Multiple movies filmed and books written about the fountain of life, yet they are just fiction. And thousands of health and beauty products claim to restore your youth. But the truth is, no one and nothing can stop humans from growing old, let alone make anyone live forever. And lastly, every person will someday experience physical death. So how can we live forever?

Don’t get discouraged just yet. First, God created us in His image and that means we have an eternal spirit that lives forever. In Genesis 1:26, Then God said, “Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves.” (God uses the pronoun “us” to refer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit because they are One) Secondly, there is indeed a fountain of life, a fountain of living water that only comes from God. He gave it to us through His Son Jesus who had to die and resurrect so we could then have the Holy Spirit which is the living water.

We don’t have a choice as to where we are born. But we do have a choice as to where we want to spend our eternal lives when we die physically. In the story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman in John 4, Jesus sat next to a well after a journey, and a Samaritan woman came soon after. Jesus asked the woman (v.7) “Please give me a drink.” The woman responded “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink? (v.10) Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” When the woman asked Jesus how could you give me better water than our ancestor Jacob who built the well? Jesus replied (v.13) “People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them giving them eternal life.”

Later in John 7:38, Jesus promises living water: “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit being the “living water.” However, when this took place, God had not sent His Holy Spirit yet because Jesus had not died on the cross. It was after Jesus died and resurrected that, before leaving us, He promised to leave us with His Holy Spirit so He could be with all of us at the same time, in our hearts.

Later in John 20:19-23, Jesus appeared to his disciples after He resurrected, and told them “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Then he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you refuse to forgive them, they are unforgiven.”

In Mark 24:49, Jesus told his disciples when he appeared to them, “And now I will send you the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

In the Old Testament, God spoke through his prophet Jeremiah, in Chapter 2, verse 13: “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!

As you can see, God refers to himself as the “fountain of living water.” Then Jesus says anyone who believes in Him can drink of the living water that then will flow from their hearts. And Jesus refers to living water as being the Holy Spirit that Jesus left us with as He went to heaven. Therefore, we can claim that we found the fountain of life – the living water – the Holy Spirit that Jesus gives us because He died and resurrected so we could have eternal life with Him in heaven.

Are You “Self-Made” or “God-Made”?

Are you “self-made” or “God-made”? I just recently learn of the old saying “Self-made, dues paid.” I had never heard of that saying and it inspired me to write this blog for you. The saying means that you are successful because of all your hard work. It means you have paid your dues and earned your reward. The formal definition of this saying is “rich and successful as a result of your own work, and not because of money from your family.”

It is commendable when a person works hard to earn their success. However, I encourage you to view this statement from God’s point of view. Additionally, it feels great to say, “I paid my dues.” But consider that all your dues were paid by someone else—Jesus. Let me explain.

When we say we are “self-made,” that implies that no one else helped us—not even God. In our lives, there are always people who helped us arrive at where we are now. And be assured that your talents and ability to create wealth came from your creator, God. You didn’t choose your talents. God did.

Romans 12:6-8 (NLT) says that God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

As you can see, God gave talents and abilities to all people. Our part is to use them to help others. In addition, it is He who gave us the power to get wealth. Deuteronomy 8:18 (KJV) reminds us, But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

God wants us to know He gave us the talents plus the power to get wealth to begin with. So, are you self-made or God-made? I am definitely “God-made.” There is another saying that goes “give credit where credit is due.” Therefore, God deserves all the recognition and glory instead of me and I choose to give Him all the credit.

The other part of the saying is “dues paid.” Paying your dues in your career means you start at the bottom and climb the ladder of success. It means you prepared yourself in many ways including investing time and resources in your education. You also probably worked longer hours than others and took risks beyond what some consider normal. But what about paying your dues for your sins? How do you pay for that? You can’t. Jesus did it for you and for me when He died on the cross for our sins. That’s when He paid our dues. And we can never repay Him back. The only thing we can do is accept His amazing gift of salvation.

Allow me to share how Jesus paid our dues. It’s described in detail in Isaiah 53 (I encourage you to read the entire chapter):

3 He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.

4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth. 8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.

10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

So, are you self-made or God-made? Have you paid your dues or has Jesus paid your dues?

I will leave you to reflect on these deep concepts. Thank Jesus for what He did for each of us…

I Can’t Take You to Heaven with Me

I can’t take you to heaven with me. And that’s a fact. The first thing we want to do when we become a believer in Jesus Christ is to take our loved ones to heaven with us. Becoming a follower of Jesus is a personal choice and no one can make it for you. You can fake it in front of others, but God sees your heart and knows if you’re truly a believer.

God created human beings in His own image. (Genesis 1:26, Then God said, “Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves…”) What that means is that we each have the will to choose God or the world. In this passage, God says “Let us” referring to the Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Watching our loved ones make wrong choices is difficult. But watching them reject Jesus is the hardest thing to hear because we understand the eternal implications of that decision. Every decision we make during our lives has consequences. Some of them are financial, relational, or career decisions that carry consequences we must live through. But the most important decision of one’s life is to accept the gift of salvation. That one decision is what gets you into heaven.

Allow me to share the story of the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard found on Matthew 20:1-16 (NLT). The landowner went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. He found a few and offered them a denarius to work for the day. The landowner went out several times throughout the day and kept hiring workers that were idle. He offered a “fair pay” to each one—even to the ones hired at the eleventh hour. At night, the landowner ordered his steward to pay the last ones hired first. And the ones he hired first, got paid last. Everyone got paid a denarius.

Those who were hired first were angry. They asked the landowner why he paid the same to the ones who only worked one hour. They assumed they would get paid more since they had been laboring all day. The landowner responded it is his right to pay whatever he wanted to his workers. He assured them he had been fair with them by paying the agreed amount.

The point of this story is that the landowner (God) is always seeking for workers. Everyone who responds “yes” to His invitation gets the same reward—the gift of salvation. God prefers if you choose Him at the beginning of your life and walked with Him your entire journey. But if you choose Him during your last hour on earth, He will still take you. He’s interested in you choosing Him while you are on earth and then spending your eternal life in heaven with Him. That is the main point of this story.

The second point of this story is that there is plenty of work available. And God is always inviting everyone to join Him and become His worker. But few respond. He takes all who accept His invitation. Personally, I rather walk my entire life with Jesus alongside me than live through this life without Him. Living life without Jesus is like going on a long journey to climb a mountain alone and without any equipment or tools. If at the end of your life, you repent and accept Jesus, we will both spend eternity with Him in heaven. But I much rather you accept Jesus now and not wait until your last hour. You will miss the blessing of having His love, wisdom, discernment, peace, joy, and His overall blessings in your life.

I leave you with these beautiful Scriptures to encourage you to choose Jesus today:

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Never Stop Asking “Why?”

Never stop asking “why?” and let your curiosity live on throughout your life’s journey. Children are naturally curious and the best way they learn is by asking the one-word question: Why? I am reminded of this amazing ability by my four-year-old grandson who always inspires me to write and share with you. He is in the season of life where he wants to know why everything happens and how things are made. Every time you tell him to not do something, you can count on his next words to be “why not?” He asks “why?” repeatedly on the same subject until we run out of answers or until he satisfies his curiosity.

When someone asks you “why?” on the same subject several times, it challenges you to really think of each answer. And the deeper you get the more challenging it gets to respond. It’s like you start peeling an onion with never ending layers! Here was my conversation with my grandson:

Mimi: Henry, never stop asking “why?”

Henry: Why?

Mimi: Because it’s good to ask questions.

Henry: Why?

Mimi: So you always learn new things.

Henry: Why?

Mimi: So you never stop being curious.

Henry: What is “cu-ri-ous”?

Mimi: It’s when you never stop asking questions.

This funny conversation led me to think of us as children of God asking Him all kinds of questions. He created us to be curious naturally and therefore, we are always seeking for answers. Let’s study what the Bible tells us about seeking:

Matthew 6:33 (NLT) Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. The King James Version says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” When we put God first above everything else in our lives (career, money, and even our children) and also seek his righteousness, only then all these things that we put after God will be given to us anyway. All God wants is for us to put him first.

The other important point to make is that God wants to be found by us. He wants us to pursue seeking him above all and He will make sure that we find Him. Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT) tells us that “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” This is an amazing promise! God does not play “hide and seek.” He desires to reveal himself to each one of us. But because He gave us free will, we must initiate the pursuit of Him and His righteousness.

Don’t let your curiosity die away. But be careful what you seek and where you seek for truth, pleasure, and riches. I will leave you with these Scriptures that guide us in our journey.

Seek truth: John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Seek the eternal: John 6:27 Jesus replied… “Spend your energy seeking eternal life that I, the Son of Man, can give you. For God the Father has sent me for that very purpose.”

Seek righteousness: Proverbs 11:28 (KJV) He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

So, never stop asking “why?” and let your curiosity live on throughout your life’s journey. God will not get tired of your questions and knows the answers to all of them!

We Need Constant Communication with God

One of the biggest challenges business leaders face is the poor, or lack of, communication amongst the leadership team or with the staff. There are many communication programs in the market to help leaders improve their communication skills. But there aren’t that many resources to help us communicate better with God. Except there is one – the Bible! The Word of God is our best source to teach us how to communicate better not only with each other, but most importantly, with our Father in heaven.

When Jesus left this earth to be with God, He left us a comforter, a helper, an advocate. He left us with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the only way we, as humans made in the image of God, can communicate directly with God. Remember the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

To survive all the struggles that we go through during our life here on earth, we must be in constant communication with God. We need to remain in the vine and stay encouraged daily. When we are communicating with the Lord, He refreshes our spirit, renews our hope, and gives us wisdom to navigate every aspect of our life.

The Holy spirit is the translator of the Word of God. In other words, it is through the Holy Spirit inside our hearts, that we can truly comprehend the Bible. Otherwise, we read it as a history book and absorb nothing. The Holy Spirit is the revealer of truth. Jesus is the truth, and the Holy Spirit helps us understand that mystery. Jesus left us His Holy Spirit to comfort and help us through our journey. He guides us as He gently nudges our hearts when we’re about to do something wrong. He guides us when we ask for direction in everyday matters of our life such as which job to apply for. He encourages us to not give up and to continue following Jesus no matter how hard it gets.

Let’s study these concepts from the Word of God in the following scriptures:

John 14:26 (Jesus is telling his disciples.) But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

Matthew 12:31-32 “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.

Matthew 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Mark 13:11 But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

John 8:31-32 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

John 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

I hope this message encouraged you to be intentional about staying connected with God through the Holy Spirit. Remain in Him. Spend time with God and talk to Him. You can! He hears our prayers and our cries when we are in trouble. Thank God when everything is going well. And when you want to know the truth, seek Jesus and you will find truth.

Are You Joyful or Are You Happy?

Are you joyful or are you happy? It is important to differentiate these two emotions or feelings as they are actually different. Happiness is momentary whereas joy is a matter of the heart.

The dictionary defines happiness as the “state of being happy.” Happy means being “delighted, pleased, or glad over a particular thing.” Joy means “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying” and “a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated.” Being joyful means “full of joy, as a person or one's heart.”

Now let’s look at what the Bible says about joy. When I looked up the word “joy,” 333 verses came up! But today, I want to emphasize the two that I believe to be the most important ones:

The Joy of the Lord is Your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10: And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

I encourage you to read the story of Nehemiah to learn how God sent him to rebuild the walls around the city of Judah that had been destroyed by their enemies. It was a monumental task that took an immense amount of effort, but they rebuilt it in only 52 days, only with God’s help. On the day of celebration, the people were tired and unhappy. Nehemiah told them to not be sad and to recognize that the joy of the Lord is the source of their strength. And that hasn’t changed today. The joy of the Lord is supernatural and when it fills our hearts, it gives us supernatural strength to go on and face whatever life throws at us.

Jesus endured the cross because of the joy awaiting him.

Hebrews 12:1-3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

That same joy that comes directly from God was the source of strength that helped Jesus go through the process of the dying on the cross. Jesus knew that after the suffering came His reward—our salvation and eternity in heaven with Him. We are each His reward! And that is how He was able to get through it all. If Jesus endured crucifixion because of the joy as His source of strength, we also can bear our lives’ struggles.

It is okay to be happy and enjoy life… But it is better to live with joy in your heart and share it with others. I leave you with Scriptures to lift you up and fill your heart with the joy that comes from the Lord:

Deuteronomy 16:15 For seven days you must celebrate this festival to honor the Lord your God at the place he chooses, for it is he who blesses you with bountiful harvests and gives you success in all your work. This festival will be a time of great joy for all.

1 Chronicles 16:33 Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth.

Psalm 19:8 The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.

Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Psalm 32:2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

Psalm 41:1 For the choir director: A psalm of David. Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.

Psalm 89:15 Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

Where is Heaven?

My four-year-old grandson asked me a profound question: “Where is Heaven, Mimi?” When our grandsons stay overnight at our house, I always take the opportunity to share about the things of God as part of the bedtime routine. In an instant God gave me the right answer that a child can understand: “Heaven is where Jesus is.” I would have never thought of that answer, but the Holy Spirit inspired me to answer correctly and succinctly. And my grandson understood and believed.

I then told my grandson that Jesus is preparing a special place for each of us for when our turn to go to heaven comes. I explained that most likely I will go to heaven before him because I am older. And that I will be waiting for him in heaven with Jesus when his turn to go comes. I ended this story by telling him that we would have a huge balloon party when we meet in heaven again with all our loved ones. And that we would be together in heaven forever. He went to sleep with a big smile on his face and the peace of God.

Reflecting on this beautiful conversation, I thanked God for giving me the right answer at the right moment. Every conversation we have about God with a child is a seed we plant in their hearts that will produce fruit. Proverbs 22:6 (NLT) tells us to “Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.” I then asked God to lead me to Scriptures that explain and describe heaven. I wanted to have more conversations about heaven with my grandson.

The first Scripture I remembered is John 14:1-7 (NLT) “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

In addition to telling my grandson that heaven is where Jesus is, I also wanted to emphasize two other important concepts. First, that we only go to heaven when we accept Jesus in our hearts as our Savior. Secondly, that once we are saved, we go to heaven and will be together—forever. The concept of eternity is new to my grandson, but he is starting to understand that “forever” means a long, long time. It means “always.” And understanding that concept gave him peace and hope. Isaiah 25:8 says that “He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears.”

I will leave you with these encouraging words from Colossians 3:1-5:

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

My prayer is for you to have the assurance that you will be with Jesus forever when your turn comes to leave this earth. We don’t know when we’re going. But we can know where we’re going when our earthly life ends.

Don’t Give up On America!

When we hear the news about the economy, the increased crime, and about America as a nation walking away from God, we get discouraged. We question if our prayers are worth it because we don’t see immediate results. But today I want to encourage you to not give up on America! The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:18 to “Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.” America is a nation founded by Christians and there are still millions of believers in this country.

Watching your beloved country go down the tube is very disheartening. But the Lord revealed something very important to me this week. Our prayers do matter. Let me share the story of Jonah. The Book of Jonah is the shortest book in the Bible, but the story is very powerful.

Jonah received a message from the Lord to “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh! Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are” (Jonah 1:2). But Jonah didn’t want to go because he feared the people in that evil city. So, he went the opposite way, bought a ticket, and got on a boat going to Tarshish. While on the boat, God sent a terrible storm, and the sailors were terrified. They prayed to their gods to calm the storm, but they didn’t answer. They soon found out that Jonah had disobeyed his God and that’s why the storm happened. Jonah asked them to throw him overboard and the storm would be gone.

So, they did. As soon as they threw Jonah into the sea, the storm calmed down. The sailors were amazed at God’s power and vowed to serve Him going forward. As Jonah sank into the bottom of the sea, God sent a huge fish that swallowed Jonah and kept him inside for three days and three nights. During this time Jonah repented and God made the fish to spit him out.

Then the Lord asked Jonah a second time to go to Nineveh with His message. This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh. Once he arrived and shared God’s message that said: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they decided to go without food and wear sackcloth to show their sorrow” (Jonah 3:3-5).

And when the king heard the message, he issued a decree to the city: “No one, not even the animals, may eat or drink anything at all. Everyone is required to wear sackcloth and pray earnestly to God. Everyone must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will have pity on us and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us” (Jonah 3: 7-9).

As everyone repented and prayed, a miracle happened. “When God saw that they had put a stop to their evil ways, he had mercy on them and didn’t carry out the destruction he had threatened” (Jonah 3:10). Interestingly, when Jonah saw God’s mercy on this evil city, he was upset because he wanted them to be destroyed. They deserved it. But God challenged Jonah and told him he could not question God’s mercy. “Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” (Jonah 4:11).

What a beautiful story of God’s mercy, forgiveness, and second chances. I learned five lessons from this story:

1)     Disobedience: We each have a special calling and when we disobey God’s command or run away from Him, we pay the consequences of our disobedience. Storms come to our life because of our own fault. We bring it to ourselves and, unfortunately, those around us also suffer the consequences.

2)     Repentance: The moment we repent from our hearts, God forgives us and gives a second chance to obey His command. Jonah didn’t get out of his troubles and walked away. He had to fulfil his unique mission. We must repent and stop sinning.

3)     Forgiveness: No matter how evil people and an entire country are, if everyone repents and seeks God’s forgiveness with humility, God will forgive us. He will even stop His judgment from destroying our entire country. This revelation gave me hope. Let’s not give up on America. Let’s repent as a nation from having walked away from God. We took Him out of our schools and allowed evil to destroy our families. Along with repentance comes fervent prayer for our nation and for one another. Prayer for God to forgive us and to spare us from destruction. Sometimes destruction is not only physical but spiritual, which is worse because it has eternal consequences.

4)     Love: God cares. He cares for each person in the entire world. He does not want anyone to perish, which is precisely why He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for all our sins. But we must repent and accept the free gift of salvation.

5)     Witness: When we obey God, others will see His power and will believe too. We are to be examples of God’s mercy and love for humanity.

I hope the story of Jonah will inspire and encourage you to pray for America and for all its citizens.

The Whole Armor of God

We are the army of God. And typically, armies prepare for war before they are attacked. Christianity is under attack and, therefore, if you call yourself a Christian or a follower of Jesus Christ, then you are under attack too. But this war is not a physical war, at least not yet. This is a spiritual war and, therefore, we must fight this war with all the spiritual tools that God gave us as described in the Bible.

Let’s unfold “The Whole Armor of God” from Ephesians 6:10-18 (NLT)

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. We must be and remain strong throughout the battle and God gives us His mighty power to do it.

11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. Once we put the entire armor of God then we can stand firm against ALL the strategies of the devil. The devil is relentless and never stops attacking. If one strategy doesn’t work against you, he will come up with a new one until he gets you down. He is always on the attack and never sleeps. Therefore, our strategy should be to put on all God’s armor and keep it on at all times.

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. We tend to think that people are the enemy. But the Bible tells us that the real enemy is Satan and all the evil spirits that we cannot see with our eyes. However, we can sense them in our spirit because God made us in His image which means we all are spirit beings too. This is a spiritual battle!

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Every piece of armor has its specific function, and we are to wear all the pieces. The goal is to not only survive the battle but to stand firm, meaning you are unharmed and not barely surviving on the ground. You are standing and firm!

14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. We are not only to fight and stand firm, but we are to stand our ground. God gave us several specific tools as part of His armor. We defend our ground with the truth. And Jesus is the truth (John 14:6)! Additionally, righteousness covers the entire body as our "body armor." We have the ability to be righteous but it’s our choice.

15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. The Good News of the Gospel gives us peace to know that we will be with Jesus when our physical body dies. When we are at peace, we can think more clearly and then become fully prepared.

16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. The Bible also tells us that everything is possible for those who believe (Mark 9:23). Without faith, we accomplish nothing. Faith stops the enemy’s attacks on their tracks. The darts simply fall to the ground.

17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We must accept Jesus as our Savior to be saved. Once we are saved, then we can and must use the entire armor to protect us from the enemy’s attacks. If you notice, most of the equipment is used to defend ourselves from the attacks of the devil. But the Word of God is the truth that cuts through all lies. It is our biggest offense weapon to destroy the enemy.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. In these days when the attacks of the devil are constant so our prayers should be also. We must pray on every occasion we can, day and night. There are so many people in need of God who are lost and searching for answers. Others, who are believers, need our prayers of support and faith to help them get through the rough circumstances they’re living through.

I hope I have encouraged you to pray incessantly and to put on the entire armor of God that is at your disposal. There is no time to waste!

The Promise – Let’s Celebrate Easter Every Day!

In the Christian faith, during Christmas we celebrate the birth of the Promise—Jesus was born. During Easter we celebrate the fulfillment of the Promise—Jesus’ death and resurrection. So, what is this Promise? For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. (John 3:16-17). This is the Promise—the gift of salvation.

 On the sixth day of creation, God created humans. So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27). Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way (v. 31). Then only two chapters later, we messed everything up and sinned for the first time. So the Lord banished Adam and his wife from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23) and our lives with sin began…

 Now let’s talk about who is the Promise? Isaiah Chapter 53 describes who He is and what He goes through for us!! His name is JESUS!

2 There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.
3 He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by.
He was despised, and we did not care.

4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was wounded and crushed for our sins.
He was beaten that we might have peace.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

 7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.

10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.

And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the sinners.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners.

At God’s appointed time, Jesus was born in Bethlehem and we celebrate his birth at Christmas. “Look! The Virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God with us)” (Matthew 2:23). And at the appointed time, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice “Eli, Eli, lema sabachtani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”… Then Jesus shouted out again, and he gave up his spirit (Matthew 27:45-50). A rich man, who was a follower of Jesus, asked Pilate for his body and buried Jesus in a brand-new tomb. He rolled a great stone across the entrance of the tomb.

Jesus was in the tomb for three days. But then, God fulfilled His biggest promise yet. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it… The angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid! He said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen” (Matthew 28:2-7).

And that is the story of salvation. Do you know Jesus? If not, today is your day of salvation. Simply ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and invite Him into your life. He will be with you just as He promised: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Let’s celebrate Easter every day! 

Leaders Must Be Faithful Stewards

The concept that leaders must be faithful stewards takes maturity to understand. Additionally, it takes courage to lead and not everyone possesses the leadership talent. Therefore, those who have the innate ability to lead stand out from the crowd. And when those leaders develop the leadership talent, they realize they must steward everything they have at their disposal.

I encourage you to view stewardship as your biggest responsibility as a leader. Let’s start by examining the source of our talents. Romans 12:6-8 tells us that, God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. …If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage other, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”

Next, let’s examine the various areas of stewardship we are entrusted with:

Steward your money.

In Luke 16 we read the story of the Shrewd Manager where a rich man entrusts a manager to steward all his affairs. The owner heard the manager was dishonest and, consequently, fired him. Verses 10-12 say, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

These verses remind us of the importance to be a faithful steward of the money God entrusts us with. Remember, everything belongs to God. He chooses who He gives what and our responsibility is to steward every single thing that He entrusts us with. The key to not get attached to money is to be generous and help others consistently as stated above in Romans 12 “If you have money, share it generously.”

From the practical perspective, setting financial goals is also important to be a good steward of your money. In addition, setting a monthly budget and sticking to it is crucial to stay on track with your financial goals. Lastly, living within your means is imperative to avoid debt which is one reason some people end up in poverty. This is especially important during inflationary times.

Steward your talents.

As stated above, God gave talents to each person, and we must steward those talents as well. In The Fire Within: Connect Your Gifts with Your Calling book, I dedicated an entire chapter that I called “Treasure Chest – You,” to describe how we can discover, polish, and use our gifts. I make the analogy of talents with jewels: “Gemstones have the capacity to allow the light to shine through, like emeralds, or to reflect the light, like pearls. The same happens with our gifts. Allowing God’s light to shine through or reflect His light on our gifs, so others can be blessed, is a gift in itself. Our gifts are for us and others to enjoy and for God to get the glory. Each gift has a special purpose.”

I encourage you to discover your talents, develop them, and use them to help others. Use them in your job and outside of work as a volunteer to help people in your community.

Steward the talent of others.

As a leader, you are responsible to guide and lead your employees. And that includes utilizing their own talents in a way that helps them develop those talents. In the Bring YOUR Shoes: A Fresh Perspective for Leaders with Big Shoes to Fill book, I wrote a chapter called “Do You Allow Your Employees to Flourish?” where I encourage you to allow employees to explore and expand their talents in three ways: 1) Trust that your employees can do their jobs. 2) Challenge your employees with new things where they can use their talents. 3) Value your employees and acknowledge their talents and what they bring to your organization as a person.

Steward your time and invest in relationships.

In a separate chapter of the Bring YOUR Shoes book, called “A New Concept: Invest Your Time,” I encourage you to invest your time in what’s most important: people. When we invest our time in the relationships God entrusted us with, we demonstrate the ability to steward our relationships well. A few practical things you can do to steward your time are: Be present at home and at work. This means when you are with your family, truly be present with them. When you are at work, perform the duties you are responsible to do, gladly. Be strategic on how you invest your time and choose based on the stewardship principle.

I hope this blog helps you reflect on everything you possess and provides you tips to become the best steward that you can be with what you have. Leaders must be faithful stewards and it takes courage to lead and discipline to faithfully steward our money, time, talents, and relationships.

Even Jesus Needed Time with God

Even Jesus needed time with God; but for some reason, we think we can manage without spending time in the presence of God. Saturdays are my special days with the Lord. I look forward to this quality time with God and protect it like it’s the most important meeting of my week—because it is!

I try to spend a few minutes in prayer each morning before starting work. But often I only have one minute. I also try to spend time reading my Bible at night as I get into bed. Unfortunately, often my eyes start closing and the Bible almost falls on me as I begin to fall asleep. Regardless of my continued attempts I fall short of spending quality time with Jesus.

When Jesus was on earth, He was intentional about spending time with His Father. And so should we. If we don’t schedule time in our calendars, it simply won’t happen. If we don’t keep trying despite our failure to do it consistently, then we never create the habit. We read in the Scriptures that “Jesus went off by himself to pray” which tells us He did it often and that prayer was part of His daily life. Matthew 26:36 says, Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.”

Mark 1:35 tells us, Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Jesus knew that if he didn’t go pray right away early in the morning, the day would get busy and there would be no time to be with God the rest of the day. And Luke 6:12 says that One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. As a human, it is so hard to stay up all night praying. Maybe for some of you it is easy, but for me personally, I can’t do it. But despite his humanity, Jesus prayed… He prayed continually and on every occasion. He knew the importance of prayer and how vital it was for Him to be filled with the Spirit to complete His Mission.

We each have a mission to accomplish too. So today I want to encourage you to pursue prayer in your life. Make the time, delete other commitments from your calendar to allow time to be with God. In addition to filling up your spiritual tank, you will receive an immediate reward—God multiplies your time. He ensures that you accomplish everything you need to get done. It’s a miraculous thing! Below are a few tips that have helped me through the years to keep my commitment to pray and spend time with God consistently:

·        Be intentional about making time to pray.

·        Do cancel other meetings to spend time with God.

·        Be consistent and pick the same day of the week and/or same time of the day.

·        Be persistent. Don’t give up just because you couldn’t do it for a few days.

·        During your time with the Lord, pray for others and give thanks.

·        Expect a reward. Expect the reward of being filled with the Holy Spirit and expect the peace of God that comes from being in His presence.

I hope these ideas will inspire you to set aside quality time with God. I promise you that you will experience an amazing transformation in your life and you will see your prayers being answered. Remember, even Jesus needed time with God. And so do we! 

God Gives Us the Desires of Our Hearts

This year marks our 35th wedding anniversary in July and we started the year knowing that God gives us the desires of our hearts. We decided to spend one week in Grand Cayman in January and invited our kids and grandkids. They said yes!

Despite some health issues we had in the family, God assured me that everything would turn out okay. One evening I was praying particularly about the trip because we were contemplating canceling the entire trip. I asked the Lord to give me something from His Word to comfort me. And He did. I opened my Bible to Ezekiel 37:14 “I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord. You will see that I have done everything just as I promised. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

I thought that was an amazing response to my plea as our trip was to another country and the Lord is telling me that we will return safely to our own home. It couldn’t be clearer. But then I asked the Lord to give me a second Scripture, just in case that was just chance. And He did. I opened my Bible again. This time, to Psalm 42:5 “Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!” This Scripture gave me hope!

I, still with doubts in my heart that I was hearing from him, asked once again for a third Scripture. And He did. This time I opened my Bible to Isaiah 19:22 “The Lord will strike Egypt in a way that will bring healing. For the Egyptians will turn to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas and heal them.”

God is so sweet to continue to answer our prayers even when we are not sure we’re hearing from Him. So today I’m writing to share that He kept all His promises and we had the most amazing vacation together as a family. We created so many happy memories that will last a lifetime! My heart is full of gratitude for this gift as this was one of my life’s heart desires—to spend vacation time at a beautiful beach with our kids and grandkids. I am grateful they all want to spend time with us and that we all have a loving relationship. While there, we celebrated our grandson’s 4th birthday and our 1 year old grandson learned to walk all by himself!

I leave you with my favorite Scripture from the Bible: Psalm 37:3-5 “Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.”

We all have desires of our heart and when those desires align with God’s will, He gives us those desires because it pleases Him, as a Father.

The Return on Investment (ROI) of Your Time – Merry Christmas!

This Christmas, I encourage you to give your loved ones the gift of your time. The ROI of your time will be the biggest gift you receive this season! As you invest your time in others’ lives, will you expect a return on your investment? Or will you expect nothing in return?

Investors invest their money in business ventures hoping it will produce a positive return on their investment. Otherwise, they would not do it and many businesses may not exist if no one invested in them at startup. Investors know their expectations for their Return on Investment (ROI). But what if that investment is your time, an intangible yet your most valuable asset? Should you expect a return on your time too? I do and I encourage you to expect a return as well.

Let me explain. While the ROI on your time may never be a financial return, your ROI will always be something. At the least, you will feel like you helped someone—even if that person never even says “thank you” to you. At the most, you will see the fruit of your investment of time by how you were able to impact that person’s life. And sometimes the return on your investment will be in the spiritual realm. You won’t see it here, but you will see it when you go to heaven.

Below are some examples of how you can give the gift of your time:

·        Spend time with children: Whether you spend time with your own kids, grandkids, or relatives, or volunteer at a nonprofit to spend time with children, this is always a good investment of your time. When you give children of your time, you are giving them special attention and they feel valued and loved.

·        Listen to a widow or widower: People who have recently lost a spouse need special attention and love, especially during the holidays. Often, we don’t know what to say to someone who’s lost a loved one, not realizing that what they need is not for us to say anything. They just need us to listen to them as they process their grief.

·        Spend time with your parents: If you’re blessed to still have your parents alive, make the effort to call them, visit them, or do a virtual call if they live away. The special time you spend together will help you create memories that will last a lifetime. If you no longer have your parents, encourage others to connect or reconnect with theirs as we never know if there will be a “next time.”

·        Nurture your friendships: Time spent with dear friends rejuvenates you and increases your happiness. Sharing laughter and sometimes tears create a special bond that deepens your relationship.

·        Share the Gospel: As a follower of Jesus, I invest my time sharing the Gospel of hope with my friends who may not know how to incorporate Jesus in their everyday life.

·        Spend time with God: God, your Father, yearns for your time. God rejoices when you spend time with Him, simply worshiping Him, reading the Bible, or bringing your prayer requests for others to Him.

I hope these ideas inspire you to give of your time this Christmas season. Your gift of time will get you the biggest return on your investment you’ve ever imagined—whether it’s here on earth or in eternity later.

Merry Christmas!

All in God’s Timing – Are You Ready?

People need to be ready to receive the good news of the Gospel. Sometimes we get impatient with God because He doesn’t answer our prayers immediately. We ask God for many things and for many people. Today I want to focus on our prayers involving others receiving Jesus in their heart. We often pray for loved ones who don’t know Jesus, people who have walked away from God, or friends and family who, in our opinion, and are not living their lives according to the Bible. But who are we to judge them? No one truly knows another person’s heart and their personal relationship with Jesus.

Some people are vocal about their relationship with God and others like to keep it to themselves. Over the years, I have changed my approach to praying for my loved ones. I now pray for my friends and family members to get closer to God. That way, regardless of how close or how far they may be in their walk with God, my prayer is valid. I personally want to get closer to God in my own faith journey.

Sometimes we pray for the same person for many years, and we don’t see results. We talk to those people and try to convince them to follow Christ. We read Bible passages and send them texts, and nothing happens. It’s like we’re sending messages to a wrong phone number or like our emails got stuck in spam… never answered. But today I want to encourage you to never stop sharing the Gospel with all the people that God puts in your path during your life. Each person matures spiritually in their own time. Every person is unique and the timing when their heart is ready to receive the message is God’s timing, not ours.

Therefore, don’t get discouraged when the person you’re praying for does not respond to you. Often, God sends a different person at just the right time, who tells them something that opens up their heart to receive salvation. Other times, an event happens in their life that breaks them down to the point of repentance or desperation where they cry out to God to help them. They receive the gift of salvation then. But all the seeds that you and others planted in this person’s heart over the years allows this person to be ready at the right time in their lives.

All in God’s timing. Are you ready to receive the gift of salvation? If you already have it, are you ready it to share it with others? I leave you with this scripture to encourage you:

1 Corinthians 3:6 (NLT) “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.”

Create Memories – Happy Thanksgiving!

Ever since I moved to the United States in 1986, I have wanted to see some of the beautiful landscapes this country has to offer. This summer, my husband and I had the opportunity to visit several Western States. From the start, my purpose was to create new memories with him in these beautiful places that would last a lifetime. I also asked God to show me His love through His beautiful creation. And He did.

We visited South Dakota and went to see Mount Rushmore, the Bad Lands, Black Hills, and took a trip to see the Devils Tower in Wyoming. The next trip took us directly to Wyoming, so we visited Yellowstone where we say many geysers and hot springs but the most beautiful and impressive of all was, of course, the Old Faithful. We walked on the board walk along the amazing pools and springs of boiling water and we arrived at the Beauty Pool displaying its vibrant colors of blues, greens, and yellows. Then there were three geysers that never stopped gushing boiling water up in the air. In the distance and sometimes closer than comfortable, we saw bison. They move slowly but are always on the move. They walk around enjoying freedom and eating off the land. We must return to Yellowstone so we can explore a little more since we only saw a few acres out of the 2.2 million acres of incredible beauty!

Lastly, we went to Arizona and took the opportunity to visit the Grand Canyon again. We visited almost twenty years ago with our children, and we wanted to create new memories while overlooking the breath-taking views. I’m always about creating memories and “moments” that are unforgettable. Moments that I can go back to and remember with a smile in my face and gratitude in my heart. When I recognize one of those moments, I tell my husband, “Stop… I’m creating a moment.” We stop, take a deep breath to remember even the smells around us, we look around to remember the surroundings, and we hug. That moment is now cemented in my heart and in my brain forever.

The pastor from my church recently talked about creating moments with your family, with your friends, and with God. I create memories with my family and favorite friends by being intentional about getting together regardless of how busy I may be. I create memories with God every Saturday morning when I spend extra time with Him. It’s my personal one-on-one time with my Creator and Savior. I pray during the week too; but this is my dedicated, intentional time with Jesus where I share my heart, write in my journal, cry, pray, read my Bible, and write inspirational messages such as this one. I know He listens!

I leave you with encouraging thoughts during this Thanksgiving season:

·        Express your love daily for your spouse and for your loved ones—family, friends, coworkers, everyone!

·        Reach out to others so they can support you and pray for you during difficult times.

·        Hang on to Jesus! Allow Him to walk with you through each situation.

·        Thank God every day for your life and the life of your loved ones.

·        Living with gratitude is key to your happiness. Be thankful. Be grateful. Be happy.

Here are some Scriptures of thanksgiving to lift you up:

Psalm 9:1 (NLT) I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.

Psalm 28:7 (NLT) The Lord is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trust in him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Psalm 103:2 (NLT) Praise the Lord, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me.”

Create memories with your family, your friends, and with God. I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving, full of love and gratitude to God for life!

“What is God, Mimi?”

That was the question my three-and one-half year-old grandson asked me recently. I had never been asked that question by any adult or anyone I know… until this day. Henry was supposed to take a nap that afternoon. But instead, he decided to talk about Jesus. I have a crucifix of Jesus on the cross by my bed. I have shared about Jesus with Henry before many times. But today, he really was intrigued by seeing Jesus on the cross. He jumped on my bed and asked me if he could hold Jesus. I gave him the crucifix and we started the deepest conversation I have ever had with a child. Here is how the conversation went:

Henry: “Why did the bad guys nailed Jesus to the cross?”

Mimi: “Because they didn’t want Jesus to live. They wanted him dead.”

Henry: “Jesus is dead?”

Mimi: “No, He was dead only for 3 days. This is only a picture of Jesus on the cross, so we don’t forget what He went through. He died for our sins so we could go to heaven when we die. They buried him inside a tomb and rolled over a huge stone that no one could move… But then, God sent an angel who removed the big stone and God woke Jesus up. He raised Jesus from the dead.”

Henry: “Jesus is awake?”

Mimi: “Yes, He is alive, and His Spirit is in our hearts when we accept Him as our Savior.”

Henry: after thinking for a few seconds, “What is God, Mimi?”

Mimi: After a split moment and asking God to give me the right answer that a child could understand, I responded: “God is LOVE.”

Henry: “God is love?”

Mimi: “Yes, Henry. He created everything out of His deep love. He made you and me and all the people. And He loves you.

Henry: “I love Jesus.” Henry still can’t say the “L” sound so he said, “I ‘wove’ Jesus!”

 Wow! I have never been so touched by such a deep question, and even more so coming from a child, my beloved grandson. God gave me the perfect answer: God is LOVE! One word, so simple yet so profound. It encompasses everything that God is and represents. Everything God does is out of love for us. It’s clearly stated in the well-known verse from the Scriptures John 3:16 (NLT) For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.

 Be encouraged! Share your faith in Jesus with your children and grandchildren. They have “child-like” faith and will see and believe the truth of the Scriptures. That is our only hope to see all our loved ones in heaven for eternity.

 Matthew 18:3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Pray and Release

My list of people to pray for continues to grow. There is so much pain, despair, hopelessness, and sickness around us. But I don’t lose hope in God’s promises. Jesus said that we will have troubles in this world. But He also encouraged us to have faith in Him because He has “overcome the world.”

Often when a loved one is sick or is in any kind of need, I worry. Then I pray… and continue to worry. I pray some more and continue to worry. It’s easy to pray and it’s easy to worry. My goal, however, is to “pray and release.” Why is that so difficult? Our human nature has the tendency to worry. Our spirit tends to pray and release. What does that mean?

It means that when we pray, we need to leave the burden at the cross, at the feet of Jesus. We release the worry, the person, the issue, the circumstance, and trust God. It means it’s now in God’s hands. We then continue to pray but without the worry because we have the assurance that God will take care of the issue and of us.

The word “release” means to “free from confinement, bondage, obligation, pain, etc.; to let go.” It also means “to free from anything that restrains or fastens.” In other words, when we release our burdens to God, we are also released from the bondage of the worry or pain we may be carrying. Therefore, when we pray for others, not only God listens to our prayers, but when we also release the burden, we free ourselves from the weight of those burdens on us.

I will leave you today with these encouraging Scriptures:

John 16:33 (NLT) “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT) Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

James 5:16 (NLT) Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

As you pray for others, I encourage you to release the worry and leave the burden at the feet of Jesus. Pray and release!