Posts

Showing posts from 2015

Oh this is Christmas!

Image
Christmas makes eternity possible Luke 1:37 "For with God nothing will be impossible." Through the miraculous birth of Jesus, our triune God gave humanity the possibility of redemption.  And life. Thank you, Christ. 

Why I write this blog

Family and friends, My entire reason for maintaining this Journey blog is to inspire you to seek God (Matthew 28:19-20) and to read the Scriptures for yourself so that your soul might live on in eternity in His glorious presence (Revelation 21:11).  I've experienced His powerful presence here, right now on earth. This is why I'm passionate! But I'm overwhelmed just thinking of His future fully-revealed glory!  I can't wait! Love, Blanca 

The tears of August: Only love remains

August 31, 2015 The greatest is love 1 Corinthians 13:13 But now faith, hope, and love remain; these three virtues must characterize our lives. The greatest of these is love. Two loved ones connected to people I know and another person bonded to my heart by  my ministry finished the circle of life and passed into eternity this month. Certainly when the calendar turned to August 1, 2015, their families never imagined they would be saying good-bye. We’re never ready to say goodbye. Death changes everything. The new normal never fits – it’s awkward, it’s painful, it’s stressful and it can bring regrets.   It is good to love well (1 Peter 4:8), forgive easily, be truly present and let loved ones know they matter.   Because. Once death arrives we no longer have a chance to love. We'll either have wonderful memories or deep regrets.  Choose love.

I keep thinking nothing will surprise me, but it does.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus the Anointed One is always the same: yesterday, today, and forever. As we hit rock bottom with verbal and physical racism incited by politicians and police, coupled with callous killing and selling of newborn life as well as unprecedented levels of socially permissible immorality and religious terrorism on our own soil, I’m trusting in the Shepherd of my soul, The Sovereign Lord Who Was, Who Is and always will Be. We fail to respect human life, each other, and especially God.  How can it be okay to murder unborn babies and discuss their bodies as if they were merchandise for sale to the highest bidder, which apparently they are? Why can a rich politician-wanna-be decide he’s going to be President of the United States and proceed to insult Mexicans, other politicians, and really anyone else just because his money allows him to buy this privilege? Why has the media covered this rich politician-wanna-be and ignored all the other candidates of both parties ru

I will never stop telling what happened to me on May 2 2006

Acts 16:13 On the Sabbath day, we went outside the city walls to the nearby river, assuming that some Jewish people might be gathering for prayer. We found a group of women there, so we sat down and spoke to them. 14 One of them, Lydia, was a business woman originally from Thyatira. She made a living buying and selling fine purple fabric. She was a true worshiper of God and listened to Paul with special interest. The Lord opened her heart to take in the message with enthusiasm. 15 She and her whole household were ceremonially washed through baptism.[a] Until my last earthly breath, I will never stop telling what happened to me on May 2, 2006. That day changed my life and I finally knew what my important mission was. I knew at a very young age that there was something I was going to do, but I had no clue. On May 2, 2006 I saw the hand of God and it changed my entire life. Ask my friends and family. Ask my daughter – she can tell you how I really was!  I am a sinner transform

Stay significant by doing the important things

1 Samuel 24:14 Whom did the king of Israel come out in pursuit of, anyway? A dead dog? A lone flea? Someone as insignificant as I am? In this exchange David shames Saul for using an army of thousands to conquer one peasant boy. It made me think of how we spend so much time agonizing over things or trying to conquer people who really don’t add value or make a difference. How much time do we spend majoring in the minors?   Years ago my brilliant supervisor told me to pick my battles wisely – it has proven wonderful advice in my professional as well as in my personal life. High blood pressure, strained relationships and countless psychological and physical maladies happen when we go after insignificant things. 

Stop your mind and mouth

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength.  I went down that tricky and dirty path called offense before I remembered that the Lord Jesus Christ can strengthen my world and direct my words if I only ask.  Think of the families that would still be together, of the companies that would reach financial goals and of the wars that would be avoided if we called on the Lord first.  The Bible commands us to think a new way.  Romans 12:2 Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.  Try it.  You'll like it.  And peace might just prevail around you! 

Forget about praying if you are evil

The wicked shouldn't bother to pray since God will not listen to them, read this:  Proverbs 15:29 The Lord does not listen to the wicked, but he hears the prayers of those who do right.  Wicked ways irritate God.  The Bible says He hates what evil people do, read this: Proverbs 15:9 The Lord hates what evil people do, but He loves those who do what is right.  These Scriptures reveal several key things: God listens to those in relationship with Him (John 1:12-13) who do the right thing. The wicked who fall on hard or sad times will be on their own. God's not listening to their prayers.  The wicked who are apart from God will be wiped out of history: Psalm 9:5 You condemned nations.You destroyed wicked people.You wiped out their names forever and ever.  Wow.

Seeking God in the mundane and before taking action

Image
Proverbs 8:34  The one who listens to me, who carefully seeks me in everyday things  and delays action until my way is apparent, that one will find true happiness. I've  been breezing through Scripture with a great new 10 chapter-a-day Bible reading plan I found on Challies.com that has changed the way I approach daily reading beyond my theological and devotional studies.  God and His truths simply jump off the pages of my Bible and I smile, laugh and cry. And I take lots of notes so I can blog. As I was thinking about how I finally got my Bible-reading groove, I thanked the Lord for making this new method easy for my brain to process. Immediately I came upon this Scripture that tells me why things are easier to process:  I actively seek God in everyday things! Yes – God is in the mundane of my life! He is aware of it all. My good, my bad and my ugly – well, my bad and ugly take processing, but He’s there with me. I also have an opportunity to learn how to stop an

When dreary beats out joy

Image
Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad today!  It's been a season of weather discontent. Too much snow, too much rain, too much gloom and on and on.  Lamenting the rain that gives life to greenery is now a pastime for many in my area. We forget the drought that killed vegetation and maimed our properties, park and public spaces. Complain, complain, complain. FaceBook, Twitter, in person or phone, we complain that we have no sunshine. Massive gray skies and clouds frame my daytime views most days, and I also ask for the sunshine. But I and countless others fail to see the beauty of the current moment. Seems like we should stop and thank the Lord that we're alive to see the day with its dreariness and all.  That's how I've decided to look at my days. Soon we'll see endless days ushering in soaring temperatures and humidity fit for a sauna spa.  Instead of lamenting out loud and influencing others a

When you are discouraged, read this

Joshua 1:5b I will be with you just as I was with Moses, and I will never fail or abandon you.  God never fails. I needed to know this today. 

Don’t let evil and the world distract you

Are you too busy doing lots of the 'right' things?  2 Corinthians 2:11 (The Voice) It’s my duty to make sure that Satan does not win even a small victory over us, for we don’t want to be naïve and then fall prey to his schemes. These are my notes from a sermon by Dr. David Jeremiah on spiritual warfare and identifying the enemy. Satan is the original jet setter (Job 2:2). But how many of us don’t stop to realize that he is in the world tempting us with his arsenal of worldly pleasures which are powerful distractions? Dr. Jeremiah is preaching a powerful series and he mentioned a devotional by Bob Gass that caught my attention. I googled it and found the list that I’m sharing below. You and I need to be aware of the ways the world stops us from hearing God’s voice and His call. Since 2006  I've  made major lifestyle changes so I’m better equipped to hear and obey God’s call, but I really needed this reminder. I think we all do. I hope you will copy a

When the old life tempts you

Remember  1 Peter 4:1-2 Since Christ suffered and underwent pain, you must have the same attitude he did; you must be ready to suffer, too. For remember, when your body suffers, sin loses its power, and you won’t be spending the rest of your life chasing after evil desires but will be anxious to do the will of God.  3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things the godless enjoy—sex sin, lust, getting drunk, wild parties, drinking bouts, and the worship of idols, and other terrible sins.  You'll never have peace when you turn back. If you've fallen away. Return. Your Father is still home waiting. 

Living strong in the Lord

Setting and achieving goals that matter Romans 12:11  Do not slack in your faithfulness and hard work. Let your spirit be on fire, bubbling up and boiling over, as you serve the Lord.  (This is my Scripture for 2015). My main goal in 2015 is to go deeper in my spiritual journey with the Lord. I never want to be satisfied in the place I am unless I am certain that God has put me there. According the Dr. David Jeremiah, most of us think we're too busy and we are. But much of our “busyness” is the result of how we choose to spend our non-working hours. He goes on to say that Christians should step back and take a bigger and longer view of where we are in life. I'm asking myself hard questions. Am I still passionate about kingdom building and am I using that passion as a vibrant witness for Christ? Or do I need to be still and listen for other instructions? Time isn't on our side -  Psalm 90:10 a   We may journey through life for 70 years; some may live a