Are you trying to fool God?

I Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

I can give gifts to someone, I can give hugs, I can sing songs, and I can talk to him every day and fool him telling him that I love him, but that does not mean that I do love him. Outwardly I am doing what a person in love would do; it would seem that I love him. He may never find out that I am fooling him, but that is not a correct relationship because I do not love him with my heart; it is not a true love.

You can give God whatever you want; you can sing him songs, choruses, hymns, praises, psalms…you can pray and talk to him every day, you can do things that please him, you can tell him you love him…outwardly you do everything a person in love with God would do, but that does not mean you love him. Are you trying to fool God? He is omniscient…he knows EVERYTHING. We know this, but sometimes we do not believe it.

Psalm 103:14:  For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. God, knowing everything we are, and what we are NOT…still loves us. Just the same as this verse is in the Bible…John 3:16 still exists. God loves us with all he is…and if you stop to think everything God is…it’s a lot!

Why do we try to fool God? Do we love him with our hearts? Our love…the one we give God…is it true?

2 in 1: power and gentleness

Storms fascinate me! The sound, smell and feel of the rain...the loud thunder...the way the lighting lights up the sky...all of it just absolutely leaves me in awe! I could watch it all day! I stepped outside on the terrace when I heard thunder and God put on a marvelous show for me. I tried to photograph it but there was no way I was able to capture anything even close to how amazing it was. This is the best picture I got. The lighting had light up enough to where I could even see the buildings! (A few street lights helped too)

Jeremiah 10:12 - He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. 13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

Storms automatically make me think of God's power and gentleness at the same time. I know, I know...you may ask: "Power and gentleness? They do not even go together!" You are right, they really do not...but when we talk about God...oh, they definitely do! I hear God's power in the roaring thunder, see His beauty in the bright, flashing lighting, feel His care in the gentle breeze and His gentleness in the soft, musical raindrops falling from the sky.

Our God indeed is an amazing and powerful God! But even with His great power and might, He loves us and cares for us. The Creator of this world loves me...He loves you. When I look at something so simple and often overlooked, like a storm, I am in awe at the beauty of it and it makes me think...how could God love me more than His beautiful creation? I often sin and disappoint God...why does God care about me when He has such a wonderful nature? God created us for a purpose; we are to bring glory and praise to Him. We should feel honoured that God would choose us as the instruments to lift Him up! What have we done to deserve such a God? Absolutely nothing. That is just God in His mercy and grace!

Consider the Lilies

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Luke 12:27-28 – Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

I absolutely LOVE lilies! There is the water lily, flamingo lily, water lily, calla lily, stargazer lily… but my favorite is definitely the tiger lily. I am not sure why. It could be the fiery orange color, the unique smell or the wildness shown in the spots; it could be the elegance it represents or maybe the sense of mystery it gives. Either way, when I see a lily, I cannot help but to stop and let out a gasp of awe as I go up to look at it more closely.

If you live in this world (which you do if you are reading this…and if not, something is not right) you know that in our world of worry, our time of trouble and turmoil, we get all stressed out and burdened. Our finances don’t seem to come in or hold out until the end of the month. Relationships with family, friends, church members and/or co-workers sometimes go wrong or don’t work out the way we want them too. Parents get impatient, children get crazy and cranky, teenagers get touchy, and on and on it goes.

In all this spinning and swirling chaos, when was the last time you stopped to “consider the lilies” and thank God for His provision? What has God given you today to be thankful for? The strength to get up? The simple fact that you are breathing right now? That you can live another day? The sight to read this? The ears to hear this if it is being read to you? The clothes on your back? The meal you ate or will eat, however simple it may be?

Many times we think of “provision” as a check of $1,000 or a new car, or a laptop. Yes, that can be God’s provision; but why do we overlook the smaller things? If we are to be thankful, does that not mean to be thankful also for the small things? So stop for a while and consider the lilies God has put in your life.

“Consider the Lilies”

Consider the lilies they don’t toil nor spin
And there’s not a king with more splendor than them
Consider the sparrows they don’t plant or sow
But they’re fed by the Master who watches them grow

Chorus:
We have a Heavenly Father above
With eyes filled with mercy
And a heart filled with love
He really cares when Your head is bowed low
Consider the lilies and then you will know

May I introduce you to this friend of mine
Who hangs out the stars
and tells the sun when to shine
And kisses the flowers each morning with dew
But He’s not too busy to care about you

Playing in the park of sin and serving a holy God

Romans 6:19 - I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Chapter six of Romans talks about sanctification and that there should be a change in our lives after being saved.

We, our bodies are instruments. We serve either sin, or we serve the Lord. By our nature, we serve sin. We were born in sin, live in sin, and were dead in sin, slaves of sin. For this reason, God sent his Son Jesus to live a life without sin, pay our debt, die for us and rise from the dead giving us the victory of eternal life. When we decide to accept this and receive the gift of God, we automatically are made children of God.

Being a child of God does not mean we are free from sinning. We are free from the debt of sin, and God gives us the strength to resist and not sin. But I repeat: we are not free from sinning, in other words, it is possible for us to still sin. We SHOULD NOT sin, but because of our humanity we fall and sin.

This verse that we have read tells us that in the same way that we yield ourselves to serve sin; we should yield ourselves unto righteousness. Doing the wrong comes so naturally to us. I do not want it to be that way. I want DOING RIGHT to come naturally to me.

But how can I do right with this body and this mind that has so long served sin? I will give you an illustration: Imagine that you are outside playing in the park. You run from place to place, you swing, you slide down the slide…you have fun. It starts to rain and with the rain come puddles. Even better! You jump in the puddles, you get wet, you get dirty and enjoy. Then, you enter the kitchen to help Mom with the food. But you are full of dirt, sweat and you stink. How do you think you are going to help in the kitchen?

This is a representation of us. We go out, play in the park of sin. We run from one sin to another, we swing on the swing of disobedience, we slide down the slide of lies, we jump in the puddles of bad thoughts and we end up dirty and smelling bad. Then we want to enter into the presence of our holy God and do right. How do you think you are going to do right?

Even though we sin, God loves us and always forgives. But we need to decide who we are going to serve. Luke 16:13 – “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Or we serve God, or we serve sin. When we serve God, we cannot come dirty and full of the world, we need to sanctify ourselves. We should yield our bodies, minds and abilities to the Lord so that He can sanctify them so that we can be clean instruments, appropriate and worthy for the service of the Lord. When the Lord cleans you, do not return to the park of the world. Do not go back to getting dirty with sin. Each day go back to Christ and ask Him to sanctify you and make you holy so that He can use you.

I don't want to do the right thing!

Doing the right thing is hard! It is tiring, at the moment it does not seem very rewarding, people do not appreciate it…sometimes I do not want to do the right thing! Of course, God has something to say about this. Here are the verses:

Galatians 6:9-10 – And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Do you ever get tired of doing the right thing?

-“And let us not be weary in well doing…” Sometimes I feel like it is not worth it, like I am wasting my time and I just want to give up and do what everyone else is doing. But we are told that if we faint not, if we do not give up, if we keep going, if we are faithful…we will reap. We do not know when, maybe here or maybe in heaven, but we are to rely on God’s strength to continue, and in time (God’s time…not ours) we will see the results of our labor for Christ. Don’t get weary in well doing!

When should do you do the right thing?

-“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good…” So when should we do the right thing? As we have therefore opportunity…whenever we have the chance. But this does not mean we sit around and wait for the opportunity to pop up. We need to be looking for opportunities to help and be a blessing. Ask God to help you look and see the opportunities to do good!

To whom do you do the right thing?

-“…unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Unto ALL men? Yes…that means the ones we love and the ones we do not love so much. There are just some people that are so easy to get along with; then there are just some people that really make you want to throw them into a river. But we are to do good unto all men. How can we show the love of Christ if we only help certain people? Romans 2:11 says “For there is no respect of persons with God.” God loves all, we should too. At the end of verse 10 we are told “…especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Many times we are hurt, by our own brothers or sisters in Christ. We need to forgive them (even if they never ask for forgiveness) and continue loving them. If we do not show love to our own brothers and sisters in Christ, how can we show love to the world that is lost? Do good to ALL men!

Champions of Faith - VBS 2012

Wow! What a week! It has been absolutely wonderful! VBS is a lot of work, but we have been blessed with some great workers with willing spirits and a great attitude! Our teens have been the ones to do most of the work and it has been such an encouragement to see them so involved.

The theme this year was "Champions of Faith." Through skits and lessons, we have taught the kids about listening to the Coach and obeying, staying focused on the goal and not getting distracted, and keeping the rules and not cheating. I had the privilege of teaching two classes. The first day I taught ages 7-9 and the second day I taught ages 3-6. I was also able to play guitar and help with the songs which were always energy filled and non-stop singing at the top of your lungs!

Our attendance stayed pretty constant. First day we had 30, second we had 26 and last day we had 28. I was hoping to top our highest attendance which is 70 kids, but the Lord knew we didn't need 70 this year. He knew exactly who needed to be there though. We were able to see 2 girls be saved and enter the family of God. There are two new names written down in glory: Cintia and Carmen. I am so thankful that the Lord has allowed us to be a part of their lives. May the kids keep with them what they have learned this week.

As the last day of VBS, it has been a nostalgic day for me. I have known Cintia (one of the girls that got saved) since she was born. I have had her in my children's church and seeing her get saved today was such a blessing. I realized that this may be my last VBS here. I walked around our church property and I saw memories from the last 11 years. I have grown up in this church and I am so blessed to be able to be back for the summer. Thank you Lord for a wonderful week and for the opportunity to be here and be a part of what You are doing here!

VBS-preparation is more work than (but just as much fun as) the actual thing!

This week has been one of non-stop work! Every day this past week (Monday through Saturday) we have been at the church for a minimum of 8 hours...every day...getting ready  for this year's VBS. In these pictures you will not see any of the decorations as it is meant to be a surprise for the kids...after VBS I will have pictures of the week.

We have been drawing and painting decorations, learning and practicing new songs, getting the skit together, working on crafts...you know: preparation. It has been a great blessing to see how the teens have become completely involved in this year's VBS and they are the ones doing a lot of the work!

Our theme is: "Champions of Faith" so all of our decorations, songs and lessons are Olympic themed. Everything has come together nicely!

Yesterday we finally set everything up; today, between and after church, we will work on the skit, songs, and minor details. I think we are mostly ready for Wednesday!

Please pray:
1. Kids to come out (last year our high was 70...we are hoping to see even more kids attend) 2. Their hearts to be ready to receive what the Lord wants them to 3. The workers will have a good attitude and a willing heart so that God can use them to touch the kids' lives 4. The leaders would have strength, patience and wisdom to lead, we know the devil will do anything to disrupt these special days

I want what I want and will do anything to get it!

"In this universe there is God, and there are "people" and "things." We should worship God, love people, and use things. But if we start worshiping ourselves, we will ignore God and start loving things and using people. This is the formula for a miserable life; yet it characterizes many people today. The worldwide craving for things is just one evidence that people's hearts have turned away from God." --Warren W. Wiersbe


In my summer reading, I came across this quote. It is so true. Worshiping God should be our main purpose and the reason we live, for if we live to please our God, we will be content with what we have and want to help others. This creates in us a giving and loving spirit. But when we put ourselves above God, we are selfish and full of pride. Instead of using things to worship God and show people we love them, we use people to get the things we love to worship ourselves. This should not be!


It causes one to reflect... have I turned my heart away from God? Do I put what I want above what God wants and deserves? Have I stopped worshiping the King of Kings who humbled Himself to live, suffer, die, and resurrect for me and started worshiping myself, a dirty, worthless sinner who deserves nothing less than an eternal life of suffering in hell?


If our hearts have turned away from God, it is not too late to ask forgiveness and turn back to Him:
Joel 2:12: "Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:"
Joshua 24:23: "Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel."

Are you weary? Are you heavy-hearted? TELL IT TO JESUS but if you are happy and you know it....TELL YOUR FACE!

James 5:13
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

When we feel certain things, how do we respond?

When we are suffering or something is going on, does the whole world know about it? Do we complain and make other peoples’ lives difficult and complicated? Yes, it is fine to talk to people, ask for advice and prayer, but it is important not to go overboard. There comes a time when people start to think, “Ok, leave me alone. You have your problems, but so do I” and you end up being a burden to their lives. We also should not think, “I am strong, I can do it” because we cannot. Only with Christ’s strength can we carry on.

The Bible says to “let him pray.” Tell the Lord! Remember the song? “Are you weary? Are you heavy-hearted? Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus…” God knows why you feel the way you do and He knows how long you will feel that way, so with His omniscience, we should go to Him and seek Him. Even though He knows how we feel, He wants us to tell Him and ask Him to help us. He wants us to learn from whatever comes into our lives.

Here are some verses that talk about God hearing our prayer:

Psalm 91:15: He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.”

Psalm 50:14-15: “Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

Luke 11:9: “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

Philippians 4:6-7: “Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

When we are happy, does it show? We should always have the joy of the Lord, and why do we Christians have faces that look like we just lost our phones (because some people are so lost and desperate without a phone) and are about ready to strangle someone? Why can people not tell when we are happy and rejoicing in the wonders of God? Is it because we are embarrassed to show it? Or maybe it is because we really are not rejoicing in the Lord…and that is a sin (Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”). The Bible says to sing! Let it show! If you are happy…tell your face!

Exodus 15:2: “The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

I Chronicles 16:9/Psalm 105:2: “Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wonderous works.”

Psalm 104:33: “I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.”

Psalm 126:2: “Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.”

If people see our joy and our desire to serve the Lord, it is a good testimony. They will see the Lord working in and through our lives.

What is your reaction?

- What do you do when you are having a bad day? Or when you are going through a hard time?

- When you are happy and joyful, are you embarrassed to show it? Are you ashamed to show that you are grateful for what Christ has done and is doing for and through you?

Are you sinking in a storm? Is your sight steady on your Savior who gives you the strength to stand?

Matthew 14:22-33

In this passage we see Jesus send his disciples out on a ship.  The waves get restless, the wind starts to stir up, and Jesus comes walking on the water towards them.  The disciples are afraid, but Jesus assures them that it is alright (vs. 27: “But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”).  Peter still doubted and asked: “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” (vs. 28).

Sometimes, we are in a storm or a trial, but Jesus come by and tell us “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” but we still doubt.  We want God to show himself and He asks us to step out in faith.  He asks us to come out a bit farther out of our comfort zone and trust Him.  When we finally give in to what He wants, we step out.  BUT if you read in verse 30, it says the following: “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried saying, Lord, save me.”  Many times, though we actually take that step of faith, in the middle of our trusting, we begin to doubt and stumble.  We start to look at the storm around us instead of focusing on Christ.  This causes us to sink.  We go to Christ when we have no other resource; we cry out to Him, just like Peter did when he began to sink.  God is always there to pick us up when we fall, but we do not have to let it come to that.

God wants us to stand in our storm, and only in His power can we stand.  Alone we are nothing, alone we are weak, powerless and unable to resist.  That is why we need to stay focused on Christ, His will for me, and trust Him completely all the time.  We should not look around at our circumstances!  Is there any reason for me not to trust Him?  If He is faithful no matter the circumstance, what makes it right for me to take my eyes off Him?  If He is in constant care of us, what makes me think He will allow unnecessary pain to come to me?  If He is powerful no matter what, what makes it reasonable for me to doubt Him?  His power is what is holding it all.  He is the Master of the wind and storm.

In verse 33, the disciples realized that God truly is the Son of God.  We should not have to doubt that.  He is powerful enough to hold us through any storm, but we fail Him and look away from Him.  We look at how bad we have it, how horrible our situation is, and take our focus off of Christ.  We need to stop looking to see how big our troubles are, and see how big our God is!  He has never given me any reason not to trust Him, why should I doubt His ability to see me through?  Let’s keep our focus on Him even through the difficulties, even when we cannot see the way out, even when we do not think it is possible.  He is the Master; He just wants me to trust Him completely to carry me through.  Trust HIS strength to help you stand through the storm.

Proverbs 31 Woman Part 5

Proverbs 31:29-31

29. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

30. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

31. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Does her best! – verse 29: “Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” There are godly women in the world, but what about us? Are we being the best we can be? We will always find someone better than us, but that should never stop us from being the best we can be. God made us each uniquely, and comparing ourselves with others really is not fair. God made us a certain way with certain abilities/talents/gifts to serve and praise Him in a way only we can. Are we using correctly and completely what God gave us to bring honor and glory to Him?

She fears the Lord! – verse 30: “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” External beauty is deceitful (in other words what you see is not really what you get) and vain (does not last, tends to vanish). God does not look at our outward appearance and see beauty. He looks at our hearts to see what we really are. Inner beauty comes from having the correct relationship with the Lord. This is impossible if the fear of the Lord is not in us. When Christ is our King and sits on the throne of our hearts, it is His beauty that shines through us making us beautiful in the sight of the Lord. Psalm 90: 17 – “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us…”

She will be rewarded – verse 31: “Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” The fruit of her hands shows her labor and the results of her hard work. What she does and gives out will eventually come back to her. In her love and dedication to her Lord and her household, she works to keep her family and those around her safe and in the way that pleases God. She knows her work is as unto the Lord and is not in vain. Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

We have come to the end of the description of the virtuous woman, but may it be the beginning of a new purpose in life for us. May we have the desire to seek the Lord and please, worship, glorify, and bring honor to Him in all our thoughts, words, acts, deeds…in the way we live every single moment of our days.

Home, but not home: Summer with a mission

We headed out towards the Greensboro airport with 14 suitcases (each weighing 50lbs) and 12 carry-ons. So began our trip back to Spain.

Both flights were delayed after getting on them and taxing for a while, but when we finally got off the ground, the flights went well. Our total travel time was a bit over 12 hours, we lost one suitcase, which should be sent here soon, but when we walked out of the oh-so-familiar automatic double doors with our carts piled with suitcases, saw people we recognized, and heard our Spain Spanish....we were home!

We drove through our town and though there was construction, a year and four months had not changed it too drastically. Driving into our garage, calling the old elevator that occasionally works, opening our front door and smelling the smells, rediscovering our rooms...all this was home.

I had left Spain preparing myself to not come back for a long time, maybe never. I did not know if God would ever allow me to come back, but He did and I am so thankful! But even though I am home, I came back with a different mentality. I know I am only here for 3 months, and I have determined that in these months I will put into practice all I have learned during my college year. I no longer see this place and these people as my family's ministry, but these people I grew up with have now become MY ministry. I know I can be a help and impact; I want to be used of God!

This summer will not be one of laziness and wasting time (though I do intend to get some relax time in)....this will be a great one! Though there are no classes, I want to keep learning and growing! I want God to do something great through me and that comes through me asking Him what He wants me to do....and DO IT!

Please pray that everything done this summer will bring honor, glory, and praise to the Father who deserves my best!

Proverbs 31 Woman Part 4

Proverbs 31:23-28 

23. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

24. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

25. Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

26. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

27. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

28. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

She builds up her husband – verse 23: “Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.” In the middle of the description of the virtuous woman, suddenly this verse says nothing about her. This verse speaks only of her husband. I thought that was kind of out of place, but think about it: you know that saying that “behind every great man is a great woman”? Well, read this verse: Proverbs 12:4: “A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.” The woman can either build up her husband or tear him down. The virtuous woman’s husband is well known in the gates and with the elders. He is respected and his wife does nothing to tear him down. As previously established, I am not married and have no husband, but what about those around me? Am I building them up or tearing their reputation down?

She is not lazy, she works and sells – verse 24: “She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.” Many women impoverish their families by buying things that are not necessary. The virtuous woman is not proud and does not think herself too high to help provide for her family.

Strength and honor are two words that describe her – verse 25:  “Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.” The virtuous woman has not only dressed herself with fine linen (Proverbs 31:22) but has also clothed her inner self. Strength and honor both come from the Lord (Psalm 27:1: “…the LORD is the strength of my life…” and Psalm 21:5: “…honour and majesty hat thou laid upon him.”). The virtuous woman knows where strength and honor come from and to be clothed with it, we must seek God because only in Him can we find it!

Her words are wise and kind – verse 26: “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” Words are so powerful! They can heal but they can also hurt; they can build but they can also break, they can show love but they can also show loathing… Matthew 12:34: “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” The wisdom and kindness of the virtuous woman show what is in her heart.  What is in our hearts? What we say reflects what we are inside.

Watches over her house and works to keep it going well – verse 27: “She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.” She keeps watch, she is alert, looking and protecting her family from any danger that can harm them. This is not simply setting up spy cameras and checking in once in a while…this is serious stuff! She investigates to make sure each of her family members are safe physically, emotionally and spiritually. This is hard work to keep up with everyone and everything. She is not lazy! She is occupied with doing the right things that she has no time for laziness and slothfulness.

She teaches her family well and they recognize and praise her – verse 28:  “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” If anyone knows how much she has worked, it should be those who live with her. Those closest to her see how she invests into her loved ones and they recognize this. She does not seek praise but does what God commands of her and she is rewarded because of her faithfulness. Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Final Freshman Frenzy

So it has come....the end of my freshman year! It sounds great! But the feeling of satisfaction with being done has not come. The feeling of completion, of ending, of finality, none of these are what I feel when I think of this summer break. This summer is just that...a break from college and classes...but not a break from learning and continual growth in what Christ has in store for these next 3 months.

Finals week came and went, quite quickly. Praise the Lord for His help throughout this semester. He helped me with fiances, through my academic learning, as well as experiences and situations.

Graduation week came and is gone. It was a blessing to see graduates and think that in three years I will be up there. It seems like a long time, but yet, looking back on how fast my freshman year went, graduation is not extremely far away. I want to enjoy college as much as possible, for I know it is a crucial time in my life. Though one never stops learning, college is what is getting me ready for what comes after: REAL LIFE.

The Departure:
When: Wednesday
Time: 5:30pm
Where: in front of the Revels building
What: waiting for the shuttle that would take me to LAX

We gathered to say our goodbyes. I hate leaving before everyone else. I like to be the one to see everyone off and make sure they got to their shuttles and the airport and all that, but it was not like that this time. It had finally hit me....I was leaving. Even throughout the seemingly endless packing and cleaning, the fact that I was going to leave had not sunk in yet. But at that moment--standing with the ones who had stood beside me, who cried with and for me, who had corrected me when I was wrong, who pointed me to God, and most importantly, faithfully prayed for me--I realized how much God had blessed me with these wonderful friends. It was a good goodbye. Our usual teasing and sarcasm was not absent, as it is part of all of us, but a sad yet sweet air swirled around us. We waved our goodbye waves (which really are not different than our usual waves) and smiled our goodbye smiles as the bus drove away from the place I had learned to love.

The rest of the story is quite normal and not too eventful. We ended up with 10 people all from West Coast and most of us were on the same flight so we were able to chat at the gate for a couple of hours. This morning (9:34ish Thursday morning) I finally arrived in NC. I was greeted by my awesome family. Endless stories and questions were bombarded at me, and I heard my name "Ate, Ate, Ate..."several times over... and I enjoyed every bit of it. When we got back to the house I crashed for 5 hours. Of course, I got my filipino food and I really don't know much else of what is going on...my brain is out of it and still on California time. All I know is that Tuesday we get to fly home to Spain!!!!!

That is my update. I just thank the Lord for keeping me safe through all this "final freshman frenzy" and just being so faithful. He has put up with a lot from me and still chose to be patient with me and teach me!

Proverbs 31 Woman Part 3

Proverbs 31:19-22

19. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

20. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

21. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

22. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

She knows how to sew – verse 19: “She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.” Both the spindle and the distaff were used with thread and sewing. It’s true that not every woman can sew, but knowing how to be able to fix things yourself is helpful. This does not only apply to sewing, but to many other things as well. You will not always have the finances or the place or time to go get things fixed. Can I do things myself, or do I always have to depend on someone else to do it for me? Now don’t take this too far either. Help is not a bad thing. Sometimes you just cannot do things on your own, and you are not expected to. I, personally, don’t really like people doing things for me. I like when I can do it on my own, but I have also had to learn to accept other people’s help.

She not only cares for her house, but others in need – verse 20: “She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” We have been seeing how the virtuous woman cares for her family, which is important; but she also cares for the needy. In Matthew 22:39 we are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. The virtuous woman loves and cares for those around her. Do I show others I care for them? How much do I love and care? As much as I love and care for myself?

She plans ahead – verse 21: “She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for her household are clothed with scarlet.” Scarlet is a type of woolen cloth which shows us why the virtuous woman is not worried about her family. She had already planned ahead; they are all dressed warmly and are prepared for the cold weather. If she prepared for the cold weather, do you think she has prepared for other things also? Do I look ahead and start preparing NOW for what is coming? We are obviously not supposed to forget about what we have before us now, but always be conscious of what we will be facing down the road. By doing this, we can avoid problems and situations that can easily be evaded by simply planning ahead.

She dresses nicely – verse 22: “She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.” Why do people think that a virtuous woman should be dressed in rags, or maybe a bit disheveled and untidy? Is it because she is hard working? Is it because she is constantly caring for her family, friends, and others in need? Is it because she is serving so much that she has no time for herself? I don’t know. But I know that a virtuous woman of God can keep herself looking nicely. After all, our outward appearance should reflect Christ so that when others see us, they can see His light and love shining through us.  We should dress nicely and attractively, yet modestly. We are children of God, therefore princesses of our Heavenly Father.

Proverbs 31 Woman Part 2

Proverbs 31:15-18

15. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

16. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

17. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

18. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

I printed out the last blog post and kept it with me all week as a constant reminder to work on those things. Now, I am not sure I am ready to move on to the next part. I see so much that still needs to be worked on, but I know I will never be perfect. I can only keep working at it and strive to be the best I can be.

So here is part two that covers the next four verses:

She sacrifices to care for her house and those in it – verse 15: “She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.” She gives up pleasures she would like to have (like sleep) to care for others. Do I care for others enough that I am willing to give up some of my time to be a blessing?

She thinks things through before making a decision – verse 16: “She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.” Even in finances, she is careful to plan ahead. She does not make rash decisions, but thinks through them BEFORE she makes a decision.  How many times do I make decisions just because they sound right? Every decision must be bathed in prayer. After the decision is made, how many times do I forget about it? The virtuous woman keeps working even AFTER her decision.

She is physically strong, and cares for her body – verse 17: “She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengthened her arms.” We are the temple of God and we reflect Christ. If we are not healthy and do what we can to care for ourselves, we are not able to serve God to the best of our abilities.

She KNOWS what she is doing is right, and still works at it – verse 18: “She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night” The virtuous woman works long hours of the night and knows that what she is doing is right. She prides herself in her work and keeps at it.

Proverbs 31 Woman Part 1

Proverbs 31:10-14

10. Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

11. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

12. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

13. She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

14. She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

I have always heard so much about the virtuous woman, how she is godly, faithful, and hardworking, a wonderful wife and a marvelous mother. My thoughts were “Oh, that’s a great thing to write for Mother’s Day. My Mom is like that,” or “That is an honor to be called a virtuous woman because they are so rare to find.” But lately, my thoughts have been saying something like this: “Why does a virtuous woman have to be rare to find? I have the list here! Why can’t I be the virtuous woman?” So it got me to dig a little further and apply Proverbs 31 directly to myself.

I started a list of things I should be to become the virtuous woman God wants me to be.  I have decided to split them up into five parts, so for the next few weeks, I will put up one part each week.

She is trustworthy – verse 11: “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.” I am not married, I do not have a husband, but can others trust me? Can my friends and those around me confide and depend on me? If even my friends cannot trust me now, how will my husband (if and when I have one) be able to trust me?

She will complete her husband, not hinder him – verse 12: “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.” Again, I do not have a husband, but am I being a help or a hindrance to other’s lives?

She is willing to work and do the hard thing – verse13: “She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hand.” Wool and flax is rough and not easy to work with.  The virtuous woman does not look for a way out of hard work; she willingly does the work herself.

She seeks the best and goes the extra mile to get it – verse 14: “She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.” How many times do I just settle with what I have? We are to be content with what we have, but don’t settle for ‘good enough’ when God offers ‘better than the best.’ Do I work to obtain the best that God wants for me?

Worthy of Christ? Matthew 10:37

Matthew 10:37:
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

The Bible tells us to obey our parents.  He tells us that we must love others.  We are to be a good testimony and show Christian love, but if we put our focus on others rather than Christ, we are not worthy of Him. This is not saying to forget about our family, but that our love for Christ should be even greater than our love for our own family.  Sometimes, I even put things like ministry before God.  But that is NOT acceptable! Without God, we would not have a ministry or the ability to do ANYTHING for Him.

I got to thinking deeper and realized that there is never going to be a time that I am worthy of Christ. Nothing I do will be enough to earn His love, but He still loves me, His love is unconditional.  Realizing this should make me WANT to show Him that I love Him. One way to show Him is to put Him first. God did not put Himself or others before me; He put His love for me first.

How many times do I put myself or others before Christ?  How many times do I put my studies, schedule and sleep before Him? How many times do I neglect Him to do what I feel is more important? What I am telling Him is “God, I don’t want You, I don’t need you, You are not that important in my life. I know You love me anyway, but I don’t have time to show You I love You.” What a selfish statement.

What is it that I love more than Christ? What am I replacing Him with?

I am not worthy of Him, but He loves me anyway—He is worthy of my love, respect and worship—am I giving it to Him, or am I more worthy of attention?

When you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, roll off and hit the ground... Isaiah 48:16-17

Isaiah 48:16-17

I love mornings, but this morning was not the best. I woke up in a bit of a bad mood. I was complaining and whiny. Needless to say, I was not your favorite person to be around.  I had my devotions and prayer time, but I was not very focused, and did not feel much better.  I finished my chores and headed out to breakfast.  At 7, we had our special Tuesday/Thursday devotions which encouraged me!  I then headed to class ready to tackle the day with God on my side.

But in the short time it took me to walk the stairs to first hour on the third floor, the devil attacked once again.  I was tired, didn’t want to deal with people or situations, and honestly only wanted to crawl in bed with a book.  My computer ended up dying in the middle of Romans class, and in frustration, I dragged myself to second hour.  Plopping down in my usual spot in the third row, I opened my Bible hoping for a verse that would tell me that it was ok to be in a bad mood.  Then, Isaiah 48:16 jumped out at me.


Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.

Thus saith the LORD, they Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

I realized that even though I had my devotions and prayer, I had not come near to God.  I had not opened my ears and heart to hear Him.  Selfishly, I had shut myself choosing to have a bad attitude, thinking I deserved a day for me and wallowing in self-pity.  But verse 17 reminded me that the Lord is my God and He leads me in the way I should go.  Today He tells me to cast my every care on Him (Psalm 55:22; I Peter 5:7; I John 4:18) and rejoice in Him (Philippians 4:3; Isaiah 61:10; Habakkuk 3:18).  I don’t know His will for tomorrow, or even for tonight, but for now—He wants me to trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The devil wants to get me down; it must be for a reason, so I determined to fight back.  When the devil knocks me down, I’m gonna get up on my feet; when the day seems mighty long, I’m gonna keep on keeping on.

So NOW I am ready to tackle the rest of the day and fight the devil with the Lord as my captain!

Family Conference in China Lake Baptist Church

It was such a blessing to spend the weekend in China Lake Baptist Church.  After much prayer, preparation and work, our Event Evangelism team finally got to travel about 2 hrs. to China Lake and have the Family Conference we had so long been planning.  After piling 11 people into the van, and a word of prayer, our journey and busy weekend began.

Upon arrival, we got settled, and went on to the church for some setup, preparation and dinner.  After a brief meeting, we gathered for prayer and that was the official start of the Family Conference.  We had a good starting service, with special music from some of the WCBC girls and a message from Bro. Williams.  We then went right into “Teen Time”.

This included crazy games, very active songs, and the never-failing pizza, soda and ice cream.  This time gave us a chance to meet the teens, know more about them and get them pumped for the next day.  That night as I was getting ready for bed, my mind kept replaying the events of the day, and got excited and ready for the next day and the opportunities God would give us.

Saturday morning, we were all excited and ready to go!

After an amazing breakfast at the church and a quick meeting with the event team, we continued with the conference.  There were three sessions, and I had the privilege of teaching one of them! 

Exhausted after battling the wind and dust while soul-winning.

At 6pm we began the Teen Rally.  Songs that cannot be sung quietly and games like “Marshmallow Dodge ball,” “Human Battleship,” and chugging soda through a 5 foot twisty straw kept the energy level at its highest!  The flying marshmallows brought in two teens wandering around the area.

A quick dinner was followed by a few songs and a message by Bro. Nix.  He gave a clear presentation of the Gospel.  An invitation was given and we finished and dismissed in prayer.  On the way out, the pastor’s son was able to talk to our two visitors and now, there are two new names written down in glory: Anthony and Quintin!

So all in all, it was a pretty amazing time.  We got back absolutely exhausted but excited for what the Lord had done.  We were so sad to leave, but alas, the campus and duty called. But praise the Lord for His protection and blessings!

Study on Hagar - Genesis 16:7-13

Genesis 16:7-13

Sarai could not have children, so she gave her Egyptian servant, Hagar, to Abram hoping to have children through her.  When Hagar conceived, she was hated and cast out by Sarai.  This Egyptian slave with child had nowhere to go!  She started the long, hard journey back to Egypt.  Imagine how she felt!

As a servant, she was doing what she was told; she was pregnant, and she ended up being kicked out, with nowhere to go, no one to comfort her, and no provisions.  But I see how God provided for her.  A lonely, depressed, and rejected woman was still loved by God.

1. The Lord found Hagar

                Genesis 16:7 – And the angel of the LORD found her…

Hagar’s name means “wandering”.  Her life was crumbling; she had no hope, and was wandering through the wilderness back to Egypt.  She was wandering physically, emotionally and spiritually, but the LORD knew where she was and came to her rescue.

2. The Lord favored Hagar

                Genesis 16:10-11 – And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.

God did not just find her and then leave her.  He blessed her seed, starting with the child she was carrying.  Ishmael means “God will hear”.  God had heard Hagar and did not turn away from her, but promised her descendants.

3. The Lord befriended Hagar

                Genesis 16:13 – And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

This Egyptian woman, precious in the sight of God, called Him the Hebrew name “El Roi” which means “The God Who Sees”.  This is the name that Hagar gave to God when she was in her affliction.   The fact that Hagar used this name to address God, shows how she recognized God’s faithful, never resting eye.  Grateful for His friendship and care, she respected God with the name of “El Roi”.

Many times, when we look at Hagar, we look at her with hate, or disdain.  She is Egyptian, she was hated by Sarah, she was cast out… all these factors make us automatically judge and look down on her.  But God loved her!  He came to rescue, bless, and comfort her.  What makes us think that because she was despised by everyone, God should hate her too?

We are sinners, saved by God’s grace.  We do not deserve His love and kindness; we rebelled against God and were wandering aimlessly and hopelessly.  God should hate and despise us; He should turn away from us not hear or even look upon us because of our filthiness.  But out of His love and never ending care, he found us, favored us, and befriended us.

So, even in your loneliness, when others reject and despise you, remember God does not!  Wherever you may be, He knows where you are!  He promised to never leave us or forsake us:

Deuteronomy 31:6 – Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Joshua 1:5b – …as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.

Joshua 1:9 – Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Put Off the Old Man, Put On the New Man - Ephesians 4:22-24

Ephesians 4:22-24
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts: And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

One of Grandpa’s famous songs that he liked to sing and teach everyone goes like this:

Well, the best thing in my life I ever did do,
well the best thing in my life I ever did do,
well the best thing in my life I ever did do
was take off the old robe and put on the new.

The old robe was dirty, all tattered and torn;
But the new robe was spotless, had never been worn.
Oh the best thing in my life I ever did do
was take off the old robe and put on the new.

When we got saved, our robe of filth and sin was replaced by God’s robe of righteousness and grace.  But we are still sinners.  Even though God has forgiven our past, present, and future sins, our sinful and carnal nature is still with us.  Paul is telling us that our old man must be put off, and the new man must be put on.

Colossians 3:8-10
“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”

Our goal, as Christians is to become more and more like Christ.  After all, the word “Christian” means “a follower of Christ”.  How can we claim to be His followers if we do not imitate Him?  We must take off the old man and replace it with the new.  What all is involved in being “the old man”?

Colossians 3:8 gives us a list of things we need to put off:
- anger – strong displeasure aroused by a wrong
- wrath – strong, stern, or fierce anger; vengeance as the consequence of anger
- malice – desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another
- blasphemy – saying or doing something that lacks reverence for God, concerning God Himself or sacred things
- filthy communication – Filthy: foul, disgusting, dirty – Communication : a document or message sharing news, views, information, etc.

When you put something off, you have to replace it with something.  You cannot just leave the holes empty!  Verses 12 through 14 of Colossians 3 tell us what we put on when “putting on the new man”:

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”

Every day, our goal should be to be more and more like Christ.  By putting off the old man and neglecting the thoughts and feelings of this world and replacing it with what God wants us to be, we can better serve Him and please Him.  We are not the same people we were before we got saved… can others tell?  Can people from the outside see the difference?

II Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Put off the OLD	Put on the NEW
ANGER: strong displeasure aroused by a wrong WRATH: strong, stern, fierce anger; vengeance as the consequence of anger MALICE: desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another BLASPHEMY: an utterance or action that lacks reverence for God FILTHY COMMUNICATION: foul / disgusting / dirty document or message sharing news, views or information	MERCY: act of kindness, compassion or favor KINDNESS: a good nature or disposition, considerate, helpful HUMBLENESS OF MIND: not proud or arrogant, modest, courteously respectful MEEKNESS: humbly patient, gentle, tame LONGSUFFERING: FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER: long and patient endurance of injury, trouble, or provocation FORGIVENESS: grant pardon for or remission of an offense or debt CHARITY: LOVE