Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind. (Isaiah 40:28-31 MSG)

Here we are 33 years ago...

In the midst of our 33 years of committed love and care for each other you can believe there’s been many ups and downs, countless tests and difficulties, times of deep discouragement, moments of paralyzing fear, seasons of austerity, sickness and pain, episodes of frustration and disappointments. We’ve navigated through storms and at times traveled a rocky road BUT in our race together GOD has come along always, by our side, standing true to His promises, showing His faithfulness, lifting His strong right arm on our behalf, holding us when we were about to faint, strengthening us when we were getting up from a fall. GOD, our lasting companion, from whom we have received all that makes us one in Him, our children, a testimony, a legacy.

For the next 33 years, if God grants them to us, we will continue to love Him first and love each other, grow in faith and faithfulness to Him first and to each other, to serve Him first and to each other, and to continue our journey together, the three of us, for His glory!

... and here we are again, going strong!

Fasting is actually ALL ABOUT FOOD… SPIRITUAL FOOD! It is about gaining an indescribable power to live as Jesus wants us to live on this earth, and it’s about building an intimate… indestructible relationship with God.

If you’d like to understand better what is fasting and how to fast, check out this info, http://www.church-redeemer.org/fasting-resources/print-resources/intro-and-faqs/ and consider joining in with thousands of other believers around the world. Why not begin the New Year in a fresh place with God? Why not start a new pattern in your life this 2012? If you have never fasted before, go ahead and take the challenge, you will not be disappointed!

I cannot understand why God would love me so passionately and unconditionally.  Why would He care for every detail of my being as much as to have a perfect plan for my life, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

I don’t have a clue why God loves me that way. If I would study it, investigate it, or did research about it or even wrote a long dissertation on it, I would not be able to comprehend the immense, infinite love of God for me.  God’s love is not something meant to be understood, known or comprehended with our mind (intellectually), but with our heart.  God’s love is not learned in a book or a set of rules but it is experienced (hence the heart involvement) in a radical, life-transforming love relationship with Jesus.

God’s passionate love blows my mind! Passionate not as the movie industry defines it. Did you know the word “passionate” means SUFFERING? And such is the love of the heavenly Father for us; a love that suffers with us, for us and instead of us and it is only in the Cross that we see the face of God as the passionate lover, the one who suffers and lays down His life for us, “Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends” (John 15:13).

“Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2).

“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).

Just as I cannot understand why God so passionately loves me, I cannot stop God from passionately loving me either! “Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:26).

There is one thing I understand and I seek to do, TO LET GOD’S LOVE saturate me to overflow so it can spill unto others, that’s the one thing I understand.

Earthly friendships are something we long for. Surrounding ourselves with people to hang out, talk to, share experiences with come naturally and are part of our daily life. But friendships can make us or break us. Help us or hurt us. Pull us up or pull us down.

Look at these balloons. A week ago they floated strong! They rose high and touched the ceiling. “They were having a good time hanging out together,” as we celebrated our son’s birthday. You would’ve thought they were equally filled with gas or made out of the same material.

Evidently they were not because a after one week three of them float low –– almost on the ground –– and are pulling the other two down.

Makes me think of how important it is to choose our friendships –– who we hang out with, if we are not, we may end up being pulled down and floating low in life.

I love this passage in the Book of Joshua because it shows me God’s loving nature, his tender care for us. I love the promises underlying these verses, and I love the strengthening I draw from God’s words to Joshua after Moses’ death.  Take a moment to read it and stay strong on the inside!

Only be strong and very courageous, faithfully doing everything in the teachings that my servant Moses commanded you. Don’t turn away from them. Then you will succeed wherever you go. Never stop reciting these teachings. You must think about them night and day so that you will faithfully do everything written in them. Only then will you prosper and succeed. I have commanded you, “Be strong and courageous! Don’t tremble or be terrified, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9

I discovered that the best way to send her a recipe was via pictures! Here’s the recipe for my lavish lentils.

What it should look like	What you should do to make it look like that
	Soak 1Lb of Goya lentils the night before in cold water, or at least for 4 hours before starting the preparation. Drain the water and rinse lentils before cooking.
	Cook the lentils in medium heat, uncovered, until the skin easily comes off, about 30-35 minutes. Drain and keep the water aside in case you need it later. The lentils should look soft but not mushy. Do not overcook.
	On a different pot, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté one onion finely diced, 3-mashed garlic cloves, salt and pepper to taste. Add 1Lb of diced meat and two packets of Goya, Cilantro and Achiote seasoning.
	Cover and allow the meat to cook and simmer in medium-low heat for about 20-25 minutes. Meat will release its own juices.
	Add the cooked lentils to the meat pot and mix well. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes at low heat.  For lentils soup, add 2 cups of organic, low salt beef stock. Before serving add chopped cilantro.
	Serve over rice or as soup.  Garnish with crumbled white latin cheese [queso fresco]. Enjoy!

One of its nuggets that I’m pondering over is the propitious and favorable time of God.  You see, along with studying the Book of Esther, and going though a season of prayer and fasting, I have experienced an ongoing pressing situation, on which I had little control, that in essence, needed the propitious and favorable intervention of God.

Let me briefly describe what the story of Esther is about. The book centers on this beautiful Jewish young woman who lived in Susa, capital of the Persian Empire. Esther, or Istar, was her Persian (Babylonian) name, but her Hebrew name was Hadassah. Esther lost her parents early in life. Her cousin, Mordecai, raised her from childhood. Esther’s beauty brought her to the palace.  She was selected for the king’s harem and she so delighted King Ahasuerus (also called Xerxes), that he made her his queen. Now, Haman, King Xerxes prime minister, resented Mordecai, so he influenced the king to issue a decree authorizing the destruction of all Jews living in the empire.

It marvels me to see God’s bigger purpose for Esther’s life. God had placed her IN this specific place, AT this specific time, FOR this specific reason. When Mordecai sends word to Esther about the plot to destroy their people, Esther’s response is one we can surely identify with –– she is fearful and afraid. She doesn’t think she is capable of helping. But Mordecai sensed something about God’s timing and God’s purposes and he sent her this reply: “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (4:14).

God has propitious and favorable times for us as well.  Times when we, like Esther, are called to do something that seems way, way beyond what we know we are capable of doing. Like Esther, we too are frightened and respond with a categorical, “no way!”. But thank God for the Mordecai’s in our lives, right? When Esther hears Mordecai’s challenging words, she got her attitude adjusted. She realized she was standing at a crossroad and her actions then would be determinant of her people’s future.

Facing this potential mass homicide Esther sets in motion a plan to approach the king and persuade him to proclaim a second decree reversing the earlier one, to save her life and the lives of her people. So she instructs Mordecai to organize among their people a 3-day fast, and although not mentioned in the book we can infer that not only did they fast, but they also prayed intensely–– for at the end of the three days, Esther was to go before the king uninvited, something that was punished by death!

At first glance, the timing for Esther to be in the throne of Persia seemed anything but propitious and favorable! But the story of Esther tells us of a God who intervenes in the world and in people’s lives –– not arbitrarily or by chance, but deliberately and with a specific purpose. Sadly, we don’t always welcome God’s interventions in our life, specially when He calls us to leave the comfort of our personal palace and queenly (or kingly) lives! Often times, we find ourselves being dragged ––while kicking and screaming–– to that propitious moment which God has prepared for us.

As Esther’s story unfolds, Haman and those who supported his plan were killed, the Jews were saved from destruction and the people celebrated their deliverance for two days, in what was later called the festival of Purim.

If you’ve been in church for some time, you’ve probably know that God’s timing is not our timing. We cannot make God intervene when we want or even need Him to, no matter how much we pray and fast! The key thought is God’s timing is propitious and favorable. When God calls us to do something for His Kingdom, no matter how uncomfortable to say the least, and at times even risky this is, are we willing to step up as Esther did in her day?

Here’s a link to the Book of Esther, when you are ready to read about her!

A generous person does not think of the time that is involved, the cost associated or the effort that will be required.  When the opportunity presents, generous actions just begin to flow one after another like a well planned surprise party.  When the challenge arises, their solution ideas are like a colorful vacation guide ––one inspires another one and yet another one! And their attitude is like… like they own all the apples in the world and they are determined to bake an apple pie for everyone.

But the most captivating quality of a generous life is the joy they experience in living this way. There is this deep-rooted, quiet, inner satisfaction –– that ingrained contentment in being willing and able to give and to give until it spills over. There lays the delights of generous living.

God in his kindness gave each of us different gifts. If your gift is speaking God’s word, make sure what you say agrees with the Christian faith. If your gift is serving, then devote yourself to serving. If it is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. If it is encouraging others, devote yourself to giving encouragement. If it is giving, be generous. If it is leadership, lead enthusiastically. If it is helping people in need, help them cheerfully. -Romans 12:6-8

We are… Church! God has assigned each of us certain gifts, abilities, spiritual resources, and we will not function as a body, or as a team, if each one of us is not doing what is uniquely theirs to do. It is our personal responsibility to discover our gifts and put them to use in our attitudes and actions. What good would it be to possess a spiritual resource and not use it? Most importantly using our gifts is not an option. If we have received a God-given ability it is for the benefit of God’s work –– for the purpose of serving God and others!

So, find what your gifts are and use them to bring attention to God’s love and mercy! Use them exuberantly! Fully engaging in what you are supposed to be doing: proclaiming God’s truth, ministering, serving, teaching, challenging others in their faith, giving, leading, delivering a word of encouragement, assisting, showing compassion… and the list goes on. We are on this world to make God’s Kingdom known and advance it: to grow in Christ’s likeness and in Kingdom impact! Let’s be a healthy part of a healthy body [our church] and in this show the world the awesomeness of our God!

Nuestro Padre Eterno ha plantado en nuestro corazón un deseo instintivo de adoración –– de amar y servir a un ser más grande que nosotros mismos. El asunto no es si el hombre adorará, sino a quién, o cuál será el objeto de su adoración y cómo rendirá su adoración.

El propósito del ser humano es adorar al Dios verdadero y viviente mediante el poder del Espíritu Santo y en la manera en que él lo ha ordenado. Para vivir en la verdadera adoración debemos entender que nuestro Padre Celestial es perfecto, que fuimos creados a su imagen y semejanza; que él envió a su Hijo Amado al mundo para redimir a la humanidad; que la salvación está sólo en Cristo.  No hay salvación en adorar a un dios falso. No importa con cuánta sinceridad se haga.

La adoración verdadera y perfecta es más que un sermón, una oración, o una canción. Es creer, vivir y hacer. Es confiar en la Palabra de Dios, guardar los mandamientos y obedecer la voluntad del Padre. Es establecer una amistad íntima con Jesús, seguirlo, buscarlo y emular su vida.

¿Cuál es la adoración que agrada a Dios?

Es la adoración que se vive diariamente. Adorar a Dios es andar en sus caminos y tener sus pensamientos. Es anteponer en nuestra vida las cosas de su reino, elevarse por encima de las cosas carnales y vencer al mundo. Es tomar su Palabra a diario y permitir que dirija nuestro corazón a Cristo. Es caminar en la luz haciendo las cosas que él desea que se hagan, haciendo lo que Él haría en circunstancias similares.

La adoración que agrada a Dios es vivir el Evangelio en todas las áreas de la vida, honrando a nuestros padres, amando a nuestros esposos, criando a nuestros hijos en la luz de la verdad –– perfeccionando la unidad familiar.  Es amar al prójimo como a uno mismo, cuidando de los huérfanos y las viudas, ayudando a los enfermos, dando de comer al hambriento, vistiendo al desnudo y consolando a los que sufren.  Es ser generoso con los diezmos y ofrendas, con la utilización de nuestros talentos y recursos para la edificación de su reino. Es ser mayordomos prudentes de aquello que se nos ha confiado. Esta adoración emana de un corazón lleno de gozo, esperanza y total confianza en las promesas de Dios.

La adoración que agrada a Dios es una vida de servicio. Es comprometerse activamente con la comunidad desplegando un comportamiento íntegro y recto, valorando la verdad y ejerciendo una influencia positiva en la sociedad. Es la adoración que da un testimonio digno de Cristo en el presente y deja un legado de fe sólido a las generaciones del futuro.