Weakness or Strength???

So you think I’m weak because I’m a Christian? Well let me start my by saying that I think I was weak before I became a Christian. Nothing in life is really very easy never the less God has given us the choice to do wrong or right. Morally speaking do I have to be a Christian to know the difference? No. Do I believe in God because of fear? No, most definitely not…. It is because of the unconditional love God has for ALL his children. Do I aimlessly follow other Christians because they say I should? No, I follow God’s word. Not only does God want us to have faith, but he wants us to understand why. Lack of faith leads to lack of obedience. The bible doesn’t say that we will not have pain or suffering, only that Christ suffers with us in all the “sins of the world”. As he said in Matthew25: 34-45.

In the middle of disappointments and betrayals, we might identify with Jesus’ words to His heavenly Father on the Cross from Psalm 22: “My God My God why have you abandoned me?” And yet, remember that in His glorious Resurrection our Lord was not abandoned by His Heavenly Father ultimately, any more than we’ll be if we place our hope and trust in Him in prayer.

As we read in Psalm 23 “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” Our Creator can bring good out of evil and get us through troubled times. Job 5:27 “We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself”.

Those who don't believe God certainly believe in something else. Either religious tradition, or their understanding of science, or what a book says, or what their next door neighbor tells them, the education system, the media or a combination of all these things. God is not impressed. "Professing to be wise, they became fools." (Romans 1:22) In fact, those who don't fully believing God end up believing the devil somewhere along the way. 

So I ask you is it easier for you to lash out or walk away? Is it easier to get drunk and attempt to forget about the problems of the world? Is it easier to have no faith?  Well having been there I can honestly say that it was far more difficult for me to walk away from these things in the beginning. But now it is easier knowing that God is with me. It takes a far stronger person to ignore the dire effects of this world, than to lash out.

The things “I” have chosen to do are not to judge you, but choices that I have made for myself. If this makes you uncomfortable I am truly sorry, but believing that Jesus Christ is my savior is NOT a weakness IT IS MY STRENGTH. Feel free to test it, if you still feel that it is only for the weak minded… than I will continue to pray for you. My choice is to live so that I "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. Matthew 7:13

As this is my blog I am only speaking for myself not all Christians...

Praise God

9 years ago I was at a point in my life that I felt I needed a personal relationship with GOD, so I began searching… Shortly after I made that decision Brian passed and I was in utter disbelief that in a time that I needed GOD he took my only confidant here on earth. Brian was more than my nephew, he was my son, brother and best friend… I was so angry at GOD. I couldn’t understand why He would take Brian from his wife, daughter and the rest of his family leaving a horrible void.  There wasn’t anything that didn’t remind me of him which made it all that more difficult to focus on God and what I needed to do. So I decided cut God out …What!? I know…. I felt that I could fix myself and heal all wounds with time. Well…. How about not. Without getting in too much detail my life did actually begin moving in the right direction. What I thought was a perfect life with my family was, but my relationship with God was not. I had been telling my husband that we needed to go to church and he said ok but his actions weren’t quite reflecting that. Christmas eve I went to CLC alone while my family stood home. I can’t even begin to explain the overwhelming feeling of imminence to God that evening. As though He knew that I felt alone and he wasn’t going to allow his child to feel that way.  Soon after, my husband followed =) We began attending CLC and loved it, but then I began getting sick almost one thing right after another. I was truly blessed with a small group of women that were beyond inspirational , Roxanne, Tina, Chandy, Elda, Melissa and Rebecca. They were there for me and my abundance of questions… Each of these women gave me something, that when I felt like saying, WHY? Why was God allowing me to be sick, did I take too long to seek him out? Why was I being made to suffer physically? But I learned that it wasn’t  about me! What? How do you figure? Well God has a plan for me and if I couldn’t put aside me for something better, how selfish would I be? I learned that with faith anything is possible. My body was extremely weak but I did what I could and praised GOD constantly.  No matter what I was feeling I knew that HE wouldn’t leave me. Over a year and a half passed and doctors still didn’t know what to do to fix my physical ailments. I decided to go deeper and began a fast and in that time I knew that God was going to “fix”me, I didn’t know when or how… but I knew he was! About two months later at a Miracle Service the Evangelist asked if anyone needed healing to come up to the alter I was praising God at that moment…. I told God that I already knew he was going to heal me and was claiming that He had already began…but if He felt that I should go up to the alter I would go. No sooner after I said that Rene called my husband and I up, I grinned as I knew God was saying you need to go the alter. Never having experienced anything like that, it was almost like when you reboot your computer. I had been rebooted and right on time! I was scheduled for surgery the next morning, and I feel better than I expected. In a few weeks I will have my blood drawn to see If my body has began to store RBC’s in my bone marrow. I have no doubt that that will be the case, thank you JESUS!!!!  I’ve realized that once god gets his hands around me he will never let go. I pray that if your reading my testimony realize that God WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU, out of the bad things that happen in your life, Good things will happen you just have to be patient.  <3

God is greater

Many times in my struggle I asked what is life to live? But God has blessed me to see beauty even in disappointment. I had to learn to tell the devil in my weakness, is my strength. In my weakness I learned how to lean on God and I become strong in him.... Don't let go, God promised us he will never leave us nor forsake us.  I know your heart is heavy but when the word says "earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal", it is true! So I say to you don't give the devil any more power, he wants you to turn your back and remove your hand from God's unchanging hand.  

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  Proverbs 3:5

Lord, thank you...

Today, I was baptized and realized that I had been baptized not only in the Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit but with the fellowship of Christians who strive for the Lord.  At times I have felt like God wasn’t there and that He had become distant. But I've been shown that God is never distant, WE are.

Today, I'm walking with the guarantee that I am not alone and that I'm never alone, and that I have Christ alive in my heart. It was by far one of the most amazing things I have ever done!! Please pray for me in the days to come, that I may continue to walk closer to the Lord in every step I take.

Lord, thank you for NEVER giving up on me... little ol' me.

Life...

Life is good… There are hard times and there are beautiful times.  One thing is consistent through it all… I am alive. I love being alive. I love the opportunities I have to grow. . I love seeing others smile. I love those questions you sometimes have to ask yourself…the hard ones. I love that life isn’t easy. I love that sometimes it gets a little complicated. Sometimes I love being complicated…haha =D

I love experiencing new things every day… I love the summer although the humidity aggravates my asthma. I love the fall/winter because I get to wear cute boots even though my bones ache. I love the spring with all the new flowers, grass and trees even though they aggravate my allergies. I love red meat although my kidney does not process protein properly.  I love going to the doctor so that my bone marrow might be able to reproduce more blood cells. Ok, ok so maybe I really don’t love the cons of those things, but I do LOVE the fact that GOD allows me to get up every day to either endure or enjoy. Granted, life has dealt me a challenging hand at time and I don’t always do the best, but I don’t have to do it alone. God is there. God has given us all so much so that we CAN enjoy life.

I am blessed beyond measure with the fantastic family, both in genetics and in Christ that the Lord  has put in my life. When I’m happy, they cheer right along with me. When I’m discouraged, nervous, or upset, they lift me up. That’s love. They put up with me and tell me when they are proud of me. I can’t help but smile when I’m around them, and when I’m not smiling, they do their best to help me smile again. And despite any of my ailments none are greater than having the opportunity to see my family and friends smile again and again…

"Getting through the tough stuff"

As I was reading this book I decided to share this with you...

Adversity has a way of cutting us down. After the initial blunt blow, we’re left stunned, wondering what hit us. It’s the tough stuff that tests the core of our beings, leaving us with contrasting results. It will either strengthen our deepest beliefs or unravel the fabric of our faith. Everything depends on our response. Occasionally the blows are so brutal they alter life as we know it.

Here’s an example from the book… You haven’t had a physical for a couple of years and you decide to visit your physician for a thorough exam.  After days of testing, poking, scanning and listening the physician doesn’t say much, until your home and phone rings. Your physician would like a follow up consultation, at this time she is told she has a tumor and needs surgery.  She has an aggressive form of cancer that leaves little hope of survivor past a year.  Weeks later her husband utters “there’s someone else in my life, I just don’t love you anymore.” This after 30 years of marriage… Haunted with thoughts of financial ruin in a time when she would have enjoyed retirement not endured.  Her now grown son is in the military and as she waits anxiously for word of his arrival…. Scattered news bulletins begin delivering sketchy details of a downed helicopter somewhere in the desert. What are the odds? Surely he’s safe. God wouldn’t let him be taken! But a call from a somber-voiced chaplain confirms your worst fears. Your son is dead, in an unexplained crash. Nothing can prepare you for such devastating circumstances.  Life is a coat that never fits right. We are forever cinching up here, taking in there, letting out over here.  Life doesn’t fit our plans. We exist in a continual state of maneuvering, adjusting, shifting, believing, often doubting. Getting through the tough stuff requires it.

Thankfully God has provided us with the right perspective. He wants to take the blows for you, to help you through the tough stuff. Truth be told, He can become the rudder of your life when fierce winds blow, your reliable compass when your e lost your bearings, your harbor when sailing on isn’t possible. He’s the answer. He intersects you at life’s most critical crossroads and makes all the difference.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

Dust in our lives...

God does not "allow" bad things to happen to good people. First, we live in a VERY imperfect world. The law of sowing and reaping, is also in effect. Now, you may be the most "perfect" human on the planet; but that still doesn't mean that someone's wrong doing will not affect you or me. ("no one is perfect") The earth is kind of like a very dusty room(dust representing wrong). We are going through this room and will get dusty, whether we like it or not it is a part of life. In I Peter 5:10 it says that our suffering in this present world is only for "a while."…

For those that have gone before us, Enemencio L Garcia, James Brian Garcia, Mary Juanita Lam, Raul Medina, Jesus M Marroquin... though your deaths may have been untimely and even very tragic, I pray that we will meet again in our Lords presence.
So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.(John 16:22)
The Lord Jesus Christ, who was the only truly “innocent” and righteous” man in all history, nevertheless has SUFFERED more than anyone else who ever lived and he did it for us!

“Christ died for our sins” (1Corithians 15:3)