It’s the end of the school year for me. This means vacation time for a speech-language pathologist working in the public school system. The first week home was all about cleaning, organizing, wanting my children to do the same, cooking elaborate & healthy breakfasts for my family, attempt to garden, and repeat.

I quickly realized that I needed to get away. I didn’t want to go on a vacation where I would be busy, walking around and stimulate my mind, not right now anyways. We all know that sometimes when you go on vacation, you need a vacation from the vacation. I didn’t want this. I was looking to decompress. I was looking for a vacation where I could relax, still the mind, and enhance an overall experience of well-being while connecting with my spouse.

So off I went on a 6 day vacation to California at the Marriott Anaheim Hotel, a few blocks from Disneyland where while my husband worked during the day, I engaged in mindful relaxation. I wasn’t on a forced schedule, I wasn’t expected to do a thing. I was about to embark on the best vacation ever, (the stillness of the mind).

So what did I do?

• Slept 7-8 hours every night and enjoyed naps at times in the middle of the day with the balcony glass door wide open letting the calming breeze sweep in.
• Set my alarm to 7:30am every morning and went to the hotel gym.
• At the gym, I walked for 1 hour. I love walking. It’s not a chore. I’m not forced to do this. I enjoy it. I feel that I can truly breathe. I challenged myself and walked faster at an incline of 1.0 at a pace of 3.2 to 3.3 mph and reached my goal of 3 miles. (Honestly, I walked faster than when I jogged LOL) The gym had glass walls all around facing outside with plenty of sunshine. I felt like I walking outdoors. It even had a scenic view of a beach, sand, forest or city on the treadmill screen for an added motivation.
• I established a routine and after my workout, I would immediately go eat breakfast in the VIP lounge (an unexpected perk) of scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon and fruit with Starbucks coffee.
• I took long hot showers and did my hair daily without being on a time crunch, no pressure to be anywhere.
• I took my time choosing my daily outfits for comfort and style.
• I spent time in the balcony, just feeling the warmth of the sun and the breeze fanning my hair.
• I spent my day Reading, Reading, Reading from books on Spiritual Growth to Personal Development.
• I prayed and asked God for guidance + counsel in the Beauty of His Presence.
• I was quiet during the day. I didn’t say a word other than during prayer. I was still, quiet, and at peace.
• I walked around the hotel until I would find an isolated spot to blog on my computer and write.
• In the hotel room, I would watch some youtube videos on fascinating topics of interest.

  • Then read , read some more

• In the evening once my husband finished work, we would get dinner overlooking the city. I felt like a VIP. I’ve learned that it’s not always what you have or what you know , But who you know or like I like to say, “Divine connections”.
• I Held meaningful conversations with my husband without distractions, laughed, and enjoyed time together.
• I did some light shopping at the gift shop. I picked up dark chocolate, a California magnet, a tote bag, and a red Angel’s
  baseball cap.
• We walked out in the community to a local & popular ice cream shop. It gets cold here in the evenings so we walked to target and picked up a sweater for the chilly nights.
• I Held conversations and listened to stories from my husbands’ coworkers and employer.
• I lived in the moment all week long. I felt no anxiety. No urgency. I was off the clock!

So what was the Result of this Unplugged vacation getaway? I experienced a reduction of stress, appreciation for living in the moment, and a deeper connection with my husband. I also experienced an increase ability to focus and concentrate. I could show up for myself and be disciplined with my health by making ideal food choices and engage in fitness consistency. I could write & blog and have an outlet for my creative energy. I found my emotions regulated with a feeling of calm and balance. These simple mindful practices helped me reflect & connect with my goals, aspirations, and needs. I truly feel that I experienced personal growth and what truly makes me tick. This vacation was more than just a getaway. It was a retreat for my spirit, body, and soul.

Karly

Growing up with curly hair has been a blessing and curse. Sometimes I wake up and I’m in awe of the fullness , curves, springs and volume. Other times, I wake up and look in the mirror and all I see is a scared poodle. Things don’t always work out the way I want. I’ve come to love my curls and the variations that it gives me. Being a curly girl gives me the opportunity to be many women by simply, changing a style, blowing it out or using a flat iron. Whether going natural with rollers to using a wrap technique called the dooby to smooth it out. Whatever technique we curly girls have used, one thing is certain, the struggle is real.

Curly hair girls do’t just wake up and go! That’s not an option unlike what many people think. There’s thought and techniques involved. I have learned to embrace my hair in no matter what state it’s in. I’m also not bound to curls only. There are times I want my hair to feel a brush and smooth it out and there are times I want to set it free and be wild.

Being a curly girl to me means that I have options. No rules set in stone.

I have come to terms that are non-negotiable, the health of my hair is a priority. My hair is like a plant. It needs love, sunshine, and water.

So what does that mean? It means I want a simple product to aid in its beauty. Why do I have to use 3 to 4 different products, brushes, add techniques and diffuse the hair too. Can my hair be just as beautiful with 1 product? Do I need various brushes when I don’t even brush my hair. So here I am, breaking up with the standard and embarking on my hair journey to reduce breakage, to embrace my natural curls with 1 product.

I’ve decided to use a conditioner and finish with a few drop of grape seed oil with peppermint. I’m setting my hair free! Free to be be wild, bold, and beautiful. So what did I do: Tips & strategies (my hair type is 3a maybe some 2 C there as well blended.

#1 Your hair grows but you’re having a difficult time with hair retention: use conditioner first when you get in the shower, rinse, shampoo, condition, rinse. Comb hair in the shower only while using a slippery conditioner. I have noticed such a retention of hair doing this. I use to have lots of hair fall out during the process of washing because I was not gentle. Curly hair can break off easily because it gets tangled. This has been a game changer for me.

#2 Use 1 product: a leave in conditioner or conditioner with a slip in the shower with wet soaking hair. Use your fingers to apply all through out your hair. Start scrunching away excess. (And yes a good slippery conditioner works just like a leave in conditioner in my book.)

#3 Wrap a towel around your hair (any towel will do) put on your clothes and release the towel gently. Scrunch out extra water as this stimulates your curls.

#4 Let air dry , go outside in the sun and wind for a bit. The sun will give you vitamin D and or use a diffuser on low heat toward the end of drying your hair for a limited short time to speed the process.

#5 Minimal hair manipulation. Wear you hair down or in a low loose pony with a stretchy plastic band that doesn’t break your hair or wear a claw clip. Your hair doesn’t always have to be free and exposed.

#5 Sleep on a silk pillow case. Up loose or down but lift over pillow to rest. I personally do not like bonnets but you do you. I just don’t like it and the thought of it already makes me feel hot!!! No rules.

#6 Embrace some frizz. It’s beautiful. Try various styles to meet your needs. But you can always tame it with a spray bottle with water when you wake.

#7 Live, Love, and Laugh. You were designed to be different. Go shine curly girl, Go shine bright!

Love, Karly

A Curly Girl with Goals for natural beauty, strength, length, and hair retention while using 1 hair product and a few drops of oil.

Desde niña, me enseñaron este mandamiento. Es el quinto mandamiento con una promesa. La promesa es que tendrás una larga vida (Éxodo 20:12). ¡Wow! Es asombroso, sobre todo si tenemos en cuenta que la esperanza de vida promedio de un ser humano es de 75 años. De niños y adolescentes, todos hemos pasado por una etapa de rebeldía o en la que creíamos saberlo todo y que nuestros padres no sabían nada. Pensábamos: «Están desconectados», «no saben nada». Pero como siempre decía mi madre: «Cuando venías, yo iba y volví varias veces». En resumen, no hay nada nuevo bajo el sol.

A medida que envejecemos y formamos nuestras propias familias, muchos creen que ya no tenemos que honrar a nuestros padres, y que honrarlos es algo que solo hacemos cuando somos menores de edad y estamos bajo su cuidado. Muchos creen que al casarnos o mudarnos, este mandamiento no aplica.

La Biblia enseña lo contrario. Jesús lo expresó muy claramente en Marcos 7:8-13. Se propuso exponer a la comunidad religiosa (fariseos y escribas) por haber olvidado honrar a su padre y a su madre, invalidando así la Palabra de Dios. Cuando una persona se casa, su esposa e hijos se convierten en la prioridad. Nada supera a la familia nuclear ni al cónyuge; sin embargo, no olvidamos a nuestros padres ni descuidamos honrarlos.

Esto me lleva a la pregunta: ¿Qué significa honrar a tu madre y a tu padre? O mejor aún, ¿cómo honramos a nuestros padres de niños, como jóvenes, y ya de adultos?

Cómo honrar a tus padres:

1. Muestra respeto: escucha sus historias, pensamientos y sentimientos. ¿Cuáles son sus intereses? Háblales con amabilidad. Sé cortés y cariñoso. No los insultes ni seas grosero. No los menosprecies ni los hagas sentir inferiores. Anímalos, motívalos y anímalos. Tenlos en alta estima. Escucha sus consejos.
2. Pasa tiempo valioso con ellos: visítalos a menudo, sal a caminar por el parque, llévalos a restaurantes, cocínales una comida o ve a almorzar a su casa. A la mayoría de las madres que conozco les encanta cocinar para sus hijos, hijos adultos o nietos. Habla con ellos regularmente por teléfono. Nunca sabes cuándo tendrás esa última conversación. Ve a la iglesia con ellos, cuida el jardín con ellos. Pídeles que te ayuden si esta es su especialidad. Sé que mi madre tiene una mano verde. Todo lo que toca en el mundo vegetal florece. Cocinen juntos, vayan de compras, pasen el rato en la playa y hablen. Haz un esfuerzo para llevar a tu madre o a tu padre de vacaciones o de viaje. Hay un tiempo para la familia nuclear y hay un tiempo en el que puedes compartir vacaciones y honrarlos.
3. Apóyalos financiera y/o emocionalmente: ora con ellos, escucha sus historias, ayúdalos con los recados, el pago de facturas o las tareas del hogar. Si tu madre o padre tienen ingresos fijos y limitados, ayúdalos económicamente. Dales dinero. Establece un presupuesto para apoyarlos mensualmente. Créeme que no solo ayuda, pero demuestra amor, gratitud y aprecio. Si tu madre es viuda, asegúrate de cubrir sus necesidades lo mejor que puedas. Incluye esto en tu presupuesto como un aroma grato para Dios. Recuerda que la verdadera religión es ayudar a las viudas y huérfanos en sus momentos de necesidad.
4. Gratitud: Diles a menudo que eres bendecida por tenerlos en tu vida. Diles que los amas y que los necesitas. Hazles saber que le rezas a Dios para que lleguen a los 100 años. Cuando tu jardín crezca hermoso, agradéceles los consejos y las enseñanzas. Demuéstrales que los amas celebrando su cumpleaños, aniversario, Navidad y el Día de la Madre. Regálales cosas que digan “Te amo y soy bendecida por tenerte en mi vida”.
5. Defiende sus enseñanzas, fe y valores familiares: mis padres me enseñaron humildad y bondad con todos, grandes o pequeños, pobres o ricos. En mi familia, mis padres me inculcaron la generosidad y la inclusión. Me enseñaron a perdonar y a nunca excluir a la familia. A esforzarme siempre por hacer que la familia se sienta bienvenida. Que lo vean. Demuéstrales con acciones tu servicio a los demás, ya sea agasajando a los demás en una reunión familiar con comida, risas y amabilidad, o en un evento familiar especial. Muéstrales que el fruto del Espíritu es evidente en tu vida.
6. Busca su consejo y sabiduría: pídeles consejo. Les da valor e importancia. Pídeles que oren por ti en momentos difíciles. Habla sobre conflictos, traumas y resuelve heridas y decepciones pasadas que sucedieron entre familiares. Conversa sobre las lecciones aprendidas.
7. Muestra compasión y amor: Escúchalos, abrázalos y bésalos con frecuencia. Abrázalos porque una vez fuiste niño. Te cuidaron y te cuidaron hasta la salud, y se quedaron despiertos hasta tarde, pasando muchas noches en vela. Curaron tus heridas y te defendieron del mundo en momentos difíciles.

Entiendo que no todos los hijos tuvieron una crianza sana y feliz. Entiendo que algunos padres pudieron haber sido crueles y poco amorosos. Entiendo que, en ciertas circunstancias, es necesario establecer límites para la paz y la armonía personal y de su matrimonio/familia. Pero también sé que podemos ser mejores y hacer las cosas mejor. También sé que Dios es amor. También sé que la Biblia nos enseña a amar y orar por nuestros enemigos. También sé que debemos perdonar. También sé que si le pedimos a nuestro Padre Celestial, él nos dará un momento “Manasás”, es decir, nos hará olvidar el dolor de nuestra familia. Hoy, si este es tu caso, pídele al Señor que sane tu corazón para que tú también puedas honrar a tus padres, aunque no lo merezcan. Seamos realistas, nosotros tampoco merecemos el perdón de Dios. No merecemos su misericordia ni su gracia. Sin embargo, él envió a su Hijo a morir en la cruz por nosotros. Quizás no puedas hacer todo lo de esta lista. Quizás solo puedas hacer una cosa. Entonces, empieza por ahí.

Al mismo tempo, no dejes que el ajetreo de la vida, las preocupaciones de este mundo y nuestro propio egoísmo te roben la bendición de honrar a tu padre y a tu madre. Amar a los demás como a ti mismo empieza en casa, con tus padres. Sé amor y demuestra amor a quienes te dieron la vida. Dios lo ve todo.

Mucho amor,

Karly XOX

Ever since I was a child, I was taught this commandment. It’s the 5th Commandment with a Promise. The promise is that you will have a long life, Exodus 20: 12. Wow, that’s pretty amazing especially when you think about the average life span of a human is 75 years of age. As children and teenagers we’ve all undergone a rebellious stage or a stage where we thought we knew it all and our parents knew nothing. We thought to ourselves “they’re out of touch”, “they know nothing”. But like my mother always said, “when you were coming, I went and came back several times”. Basically, there’s nothing new under the sun.

As we age and form our own families many believe that we no longer have to honor our parents, and that honoring our parents is something wedo only when we are under age and under the care of our parents. Many believe that when we get married or move away that this commandment doesn’t apply.

The Bible teaches otherwise. Jesus very clearly stated it in Mark 7: 8-13. He made it a point to expose the religious community (Pharasees and Scribes) that they had forgotten to honor their father and mother thus making the Word of God of no effect. When a person marries, their wife and children become the priority. Nothing trumps the nuclear family nor the spouse; however, we don’t forget our parents and we don’t neglect to honor them.

This leaves me to the question. What does it mean to honor your mother and father? Or better yet, how do we honor our parents as children, growing up, and as adults?

How to honor your parents:

1. Show Respect: listen to their stories, their thoughts & feelings. What are their interests? Speak kindly to them. Be courteous and loving. Do not curse them or be rude. Do not belittle them or make them feel inferior. Encourage, motivate and uplift them up. Hold them in upmost esteem. Listen to their advice.
2. Spend Quality time with them: visit them often, go for walks at the park, take them out to restaurants , cook them a meal or go have lunch at their home. Most Mothers I know love cooking for their children, adult children and or grandchildren. Talk to them regularly on the phone. You don’t know when you’ll have that last conversation. Go to church with them, garden with them. Ask them to help you if this is an area of a speciality to them. I know my mom has a green thumb. Everything she touches in the plant world flourishes. Cook together, go shopping, go hang out at the beach and talk. Make it a point to take your mother or father on a vacation or a trip. There’s a time for the nuclear family and there’s a time where you can spend time in vacation and honor them.
3. Support them financially and/or emotionally: pray with them, listen to their stories, assist with errands, paying bills and or household chores. If your mother or father has a limited fixed income, help them financially. Give them money. Set up a budget where you can support them on a monthly basis. Trust me, it helps but it shows love, gratitude, and appreciation. If your mother is a widow, please make sure you supply her needs to the best of your abilities. Include this in your budget as a sweet aroma to God. Remember that true religion is to help the widows and orphans in their time of need.
4. Gratitude: tell them often you are blessed to have them in your life. Tell them you love them and that you need them in your life. Let them know that you are praying to God that they will reach the ripe age of 100. When your garden grows beautifully, tell them thank you for tips and for teaching you. Show them you love them by celebrating their birthday, anniversary, Christmas and Mother’s day! Get them thoughtful gifts that say I love you and I’m blessed to have you in my life.
5. Uphold their teachings, faith & family values: my parents taught me humbleness and kindness to all whether big or small, poor or rich. In my family my parents taught me generosity and inclusiveness. They taught forgiveness and to never exclude family. To always go out of your way to make family feel welcomed. Let them see this. Show them through action when serving others whether it’s through entertaining in a home gathering with food, laughter, and kindness or a special family event. Show them that the fruit of the Spirit are evident in your life.
6. Seek their advice and wisdom: ask for advice. It gives them value & importance. Ask them to pray for you in times of trouble. Talk about conflicts, traumas, and resolve past hurts & disappointments that happened among family members. Have discussions on the lessons learned.
7. Show Compassion and Love: Listen, hug and kiss them often. Embrace them for once you were a child. They cared for you and nursed you to health and stayed up late with many sleepless nights. They fixed your wounds and defended you against the world during times of trouble.

I understand that not every son or daughter had a healthy and happy upbringing. I understand that some parents might have been cruel and unloving. I understand that in certain circumstances set boundaries need to be established for the peace and harmony of self and your marriage/family. But I also know that we can be better and do better. I also know that God is Love. I also know that the Bible teaches us to love and pray for our enemies. I also know that we are to forgive. I also know that if we ask our heavenly father, he will give us a “Manassah” moment, meaning he will “make us forget the pain in our family”. Today if this is you, ask the Lord to heal your heart so that you too can honor your parents even if they do not deserve it. Let’s be real , we don’t deserve God’s forgiveness either. We don’t deserve his mercy and grace. Yet, he sent HIs son to die on the cross for us. Maybe you can’t do all the things on this list. Maybe you can only do 1 thing. Then start there.

For the rest, don’t let the busyness of life , cares of this world and our own selfishness rob you of the blessing of honoring your father and your mother. Loving others as yourself starts at home with your parents. Go be love and show love to those that gave you life. God sees it all.

Much love,

Karly XOX

Desde que era niña, escuché la historia de Betsabé a través de sermones y enseñanzas. Fue representada como la mujer “adúltera” de la escandalosa historia del gran rey David. La misericordia y la fidelidad de Dios se vieron en la vida del rey David cada vez que se humilló y se arrepintió. Sin embargo, por alguna razón, la gente ha pasado por alto sus defectos y pecados como si fueran insignificantes. Sin embargo, este no fue el caso de Betsabé. Sería vista bajo una luz inmoral. Aunque Dios realmente perdonó a David por su adulterio y asesinato, habría graves consecuencias. De hecho, el juicio de Dios sobre la vida de David fue que “la espada” (violencia) no saldría de su casa y que el hijo de Betsabé no sobreviviría. Otro juicio fue que las esposas del Rey David serian “tomadas” “violadas” en publico en frente de todo Israel en contrario de como el Rey David tomo la esposa de Urias en privado.

En 2 Samuel leemos sobre el relato histórico bíblico de Betsabé y el rey David. Dice que una tarde, mientras los reyes estaban en guerra, el rey David permaneció en Jerusalén, se levantó de su cama y subió a la azotea de su palacio. Fue allí donde vio a una hermosa mujer bañándose. Preguntó por esta mujer y sus mensajeros le dijeron que era Betsabé, la esposa de Urías. Esto no pareció cambiar la opinión de David y la convoco. Sólo puedo imaginar la emoción en la vida de Betsabé. El Rey la estaba convocando. Su marido era uno de los soldados del rey David que luchaba valientemente en la batalla. No todos los días te convoca un rey. Ella debió haberse arreglado elegantemente y para su sorpresa, cuando llegó ante el Rey, sus intenciones no eran honorables. La Biblia dice que el rey David la “tomó”. Él era el rey, ella era su súbdita. Su vida nunca volvería a ser la misma.

Pasó algún tiempo, mientras su marido todavía estaba en batalla, ella envió un mensaje al rey y le informó que estaba embarazada. Esto no fue lo que el rey David anticipó. Rápidamente comenzó su complot para encubrir su pecado. Envió a buscar a Urías de la batalla. Cuando llegó, lo alimentó y le dijo que volviera a casa con su esposa. Urías era un soldado dedicado y leal y cuando dejó la presencia del Rey en lugar de regresar a casa, se quedó afuera con sus hombres y durmió allí frente al palacio del Rey. El rey David lo invitó a regresar al palacio la noche siguiente y nuevamente lo alimentó y esta vez lo emborrachó. Le dijo que regresara a su casa, pero Urías no dejó a sus hombres, no podia irse a su casa ni acostarse con su esposa cuando sus compañeros soldados estaban en batalla.

Cuando el rey David se enteró de esto, escribió una carta a Joab y la envió sellada con Urías cuando regresaba a la batalla. Urías no tenía idea de que su destino estaba sellado. El rey David ordenó a Joab poner a Urías al frente de la batalla hacia el muro de los enemigos y retirarse dejándolo morir.
Joab hizo precisamente esto y Urías murió en la batalla.

La Biblia dice que cuando Betsabé recibió la noticia de que su marido había muerto, lamentó su muerte. David esperó hasta el período de duelo y luego la hizo su esposa. El profeta Natán le llegó la noticia al rey David informándole del juicio de Dios sobre su pecado de adulterio y asesinato. Betsabé no iba poder tener a este hijo. David se arrepintió y ayunó pero fue en vano, el hijo de Betsabé no sobrevivió. Betsabé más tarde concebiría y se convertiría en madre de Salomón. El futuro Rey de Israel.

Mientras leía e investigaba esta historia, encontré algunas ideas importantes. En primer lugar, era culturalmente apropiado que una mujer se bañara por la noche en el techo de su casa para tener privacidad y porque la temperatura era más fresca. Además, esto formaba parte del ritual de limpieza de las mujeres después de su período. En segundo lugar, se suponía que el rey David estaba en batalla con sus hombres. El Rey tenía poder de vida o muerte sobre sus súbditos. Cuando el rey daba una orden, ésta era obedecida. Parece que el rey David aprovechó su posición de poder y “tomó” a Betsabé. No dice que ella lo deseara ni que se enamorara. La biblia dice que él se la llevó, la tomo y la hizo suya. Además, el relato nos dice que Betsabé estuvo de luto por su marido. Cuando estas en luto, lloras por alguien, te sientes triste, angustiado y profundamente desconsolado. Después de su período de luto, que podía durar entre 7 y 30 días, David la convirtió en su esposa. No sólo esto, cuando Betsabé concibiera nuevamente, su hijo sería el heredero al trono. ¿Por qué su hijo? David tuvo otros hijos varones. En lugar de una maldición como la que recibió David de que “la espada” nunca saldría de su casa, Betsabé recibió una bendición Y Dios vengaria lo que le hicieron. Su hijo sería conocido como uno de los reyes más sabios después de David. Gobernaría con “Paz” como su nombre lo establece. Betsabé llamó la atención del rey. A menudo me preguntaba si Betsabé se enteró alguna vez de que el rey David asesinó a su marido. Nunca lo sabremos, pero lo que sí sabemos es que ella fue violada, su marido asesinado y ella perdió un hijo. Hubo mucho sufrimiento y pérdida en la vida de Betsabé, pero Dios cambió todo. Su tristeza se convirtió en alegría al ver a su hijo convertirse en el Rey más grande y sabio de la historia, el que construiría el templo de Dios.

Ever since I was a child, I heard about the story of Bathsheba through sermons and teachings. She was depicted as the “adulterous” women in the scandalous story of the great King David. God’s mercy and faithfulness was seen in the life of King David each time he humbled himself and repented. However, for some reason, people have overlooked his flaws and sins as insignificant. This was not the case for Bathsheba. She would be seen in an immoral light by many preachers and teachers. Although God indeed forgave David for his adultery and murder, there would be severe consequences. In fact, God’s judgement over David’s life was that “the sword” (violence) would not depart his house (family) and that Bathsheba’s child would not survive. In addition, God’s verdict stated that King David’s wives would be “taken” or “violated” from him publicly in front of Israel in contrast to how he privately took & violated the wife of Uriah.

In 2 Samuel, we read about the biblical historical account of Bathsheba and King David. It says that one evening, when Kings were at war, King David remained in Jerusalem, got up from his bed and went to the roof of His Palace. It was there where he saw a beautiful woman bathing. He inquired about this woman and his messengers told him that she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. This did not seem to change David’s mind and he summoned her. I can only imagine the excitement in Bathsheba’s life. The King was summoning her. Her husband was one of King David’s soldiers who was fighting valiantly in battle. It’s not every day that you get summoned by a King. She must have gotten dressed up and to her surprise, when she came before the King, his intentions were not honorable. The Bible says that King David “took” her. He was the King, she was his subject. Her life would never be the same.

Some time passed, while her husband was still in battle, she sent word to the King & informed him that she was pregnant. This was not what King David anticipated. He quickly began his plot to cover up his sin. He sent for Uriah from the battle. When he arrived, he fed him and told him to go home to his wife. Uriah was a dedicated & loyal soldier and when he left the presence of the King instead of returning home, he stayed outside with his men and slept there in front of the King’s palace. King David invited him back to the palace the following night and again fed him and this time got him drunk. He told him to return to his home but Uriah would not leave his men, go to his home, and lay with his wife when his fellow soldiers were in battle.

When King David heard of this, he wrote a letter to Joab and sent it sealed with Uriah as he returned to battle. Uriah had no idea that his fate was sealed. King David ordered Joab to put Uriah in front of the battle toward the wall of the enemies and to retreat leaving him to die.
Joab did just this and Uriah died in battle.

The bible says that when word came to Bathsheba that her husband had died, she mourned for his death. David waited until the mourning period, and then made her his wife. Word would come to King David by the prophet Nathan informing him of God’s judgement over his sin of adultery and murder. Bathsheba would not keep this child. David repented and fasted but to no avail, Bathsheba’s child did not survive. Bathsheba would later conceive and become the mother of Solomon. The future King of Israel.

As I was reading and investigating this story, I encountered some significant insights. First of all, it was culturally appropriate for a woman to bathe in the evening hours on the roof of her home for privacy and because it was cooler in temperature. Also, this was part of the cleansing ritual for women after their period. Secondly, King David was supposed to be in battle with his men. The King had power of life and death over his subjects. When the King gave a command, it was obeyed. It appears that King David took advantage of his position of power and “took” Bathsheba. It doesn’t say she lusted after him nor that she fell in love. The bible says, he took her. In addition, the account tells us that Bathsheba mourned for her husband. When you mourn someone you are saddened, distressed, and severely heart-broken. After her mourning period which could be anywhere from 7 to 30 days, David made her his wife. Not only this, when Bathsheba conceived again, her son would be heir to the throne. Why her son? David had other male sons. Instead of a curse like David received that “the sword” would never depart his house, Bathsheba received a blessing and God would revenge what was done to her. Her son would be known as one of the wisest Kings after David. He would rule with “Peace” as his name established. Bathsheba had the King’s attention. I often wondered if Bathsheba ever found out that King David murdered her husband. We will never know this but what we do know is that she was violated, her husband murdered, and she lost a child. There was a lot of suffering & loss in Bathsheba’s life But God turned it around. Her sorrow turned into joy as she witnessed her son become the greatest & wisest King in history, the one who would build the house of the Lord.

I pray this blog post brings healing to your life. This article is for every woman who has been betrayed, hurt, disappointed and or have experienced a great loss of a husband or child. Through out history women have been accused of doing things to have caused such misfortune. Maybe they were too beautiful, maybe not pretty enough, maybe too seductive or simply overlooked, too out spoken or too quiet. God saw what was done to her and He did not take it lightly. He is absolutely a God of mercy and grace But He is always a God of Justice. God saw it! He sees! Don’t you ever forget it!!

A nadie le gusta estar en el “pozo”. Hay una sensación inquebrantable de aislamiento y abandono. Sin embargo, estar en el “pozo” durante un cierto tiempo es necesario y valioso. (esta puede ser una experiencia espiritual como física) Es en el “pozo” donde Dios comienza a cambiarnos, a fortalecernos, y es donde comienza a mostrarnos la condición de nuestro corazón.

En la Biblia, había un joven soñador de 17 años que experimentaría las pruebas de estar en el pozo por una “estancia prolongada”. Probaría y experimentaría el dolor de ser parte de una familia tóxica, ser víctima de una traición, sufrir soledad, miedo, abandono y terror a lo desconocido. Parecería ser el momento más oscuro y triste de su vida. Y cuando terminemos de leer su historia, también descubriríamos que lo que pasó en realidad fue para su bien y no para su mal. Cuando nos enfrentamos a un desafío, situación, enfermedad o prueba difícil, tendemos a sentirnos desesperados y también comenzamos a clamar a Dios. Pero Dios nos asegura a través de la Palabra y los innumerables relatos históricos escritos en este gran libro conocido como la Biblia, que Él ya está allí en el futuro y que todo realmente resultará para nuestro bien para aquellos que lo aman y son llamados según Su propósito.

Viajemos en el tiempo al libro del Génesis capítulo 37 en la vida de José, el hijo de Jacob y Raquel. La historia se desarrolla en la tierra de Canaán. José tenía 11 hermanos. Él era el favorito. Todos sabían que Jacob amaba a José más que a todos los demás. Ahora, antes de explicar lo que pasó, necesito retroceder un poco y explicar por qué él era el favorito. Verás, José era hijo de Jacob en su vejez y era el primogénito del amor de su vida “Raquel”, la única mujer que amaba y quería como esposa. Le dieron por esposa a Lea, la hermana de Raquel, por engaño y obligación. Lea y las siervas dadas a Jacob como esposas le dieron muchos hermanos. Raquel concebiría un hijo más llamado Benjamín y moriría trágicamente durante su nacimiento.

Ahora, volvamos a José. Jacob adoraba a José. Le había dado una túnica de colores para que la usara y enviaba a José a ver cómo estaban sus hermanos cuando cuidaba a los animales. Estos actos trajeron celos y envidia a todos sus hermanos y José pronto sentiría su ira. Para colmo del insulto, José recibió sueños y los revelaba a sus hermanos y padres causando aún más envidia. Dios le mostraría a José el futuro en sus sueños. José no había aprendido a guardarse las cosas para sí mismo y, en cambio, esto se convirtió en el acto que llevó a sus hermanos a la locura. (nota personal, nuestros sueños no siempre deben ser compartidos con los demás. Debemos buscar el discernimiento de Dios. Algunos sueños se nos dan para interceder y orar o simplemente Dios se está comunicando con nosotros y haciéndonos saber lo que está sucediendo o lo que sucederá). ocurrir ) La Biblia dice que sus hermanos trataron de matar a José y lo habrían hecho si Rubén no hubiera intervenido. (aquí hay un ejemplo perfecto donde los celos, la envidia y el odio pueden llevar al asesinato) Los hermanos de José lo colocaron en un “pozo” y cuando pasó una caravana de ismaelitas, los hermanos de José lo vendieron como esclavo en un viaje a Egipto. Cuando regresaron con su padre, mintieron diciendo que un animal salvaje había devorado a José.

José ahora era un esclavo en tierra extranjera y colocado en la casa de Potifer. Potifer tenía el cargo de estar a cargo de los prisioneros del Rey. Empezamos a ver la mano de Dios. Verá, José era muy inteligente, guapo y talentoso. Dios había separado a José para ese tiempo con favor. José había entrado de mala gana en el programa de capacitación de liderazgo de Dios. No sería fácil y sería probado pero la Biblia dice que Dios estaba con él.

Es posible que tú también hayas sufrido traición, abandono y aislamiento en tu vida, pero al igual que José, Dios promete nunca dejarte ni desampararte. Es posible que tú también hayas pasado por muchas pruebas, pero si eres fiel y lo buscas, Dios cumplirá todo Su propósito en tu vida. Los planes que Él tiene para ti son para bien y no para mal. Quiere darte un final esperado.

Para José, estaría en esclavitud durante 12 o 13 años. Se encontró literalmente en el “pozo” dos veces. El primer relato fue estar en el trono en el pozo antes de ser vendido como esclavo y la segunda vez fue después de huir de la seducción de la esposa de Potifer cuando ella lo acusó de tratar de salirse con la suya cuando él rechazó sus insinuaciones. Pero José no le falló a Dios, sino que corrió, pasó la prueba delante de Dios pero aun así fue juzgado y arrojado al “pozo”. Estaría en el calabozo de la prisión durante los siguientes 2 o 3 años.

José tenía que ser una persona especial porque cualquiera habría perdido la cabeza o habría perdido toda esperanza después de la traición y el daño de su propia familia. Cualquier otra persona habría sucumbido a la tentación de que una mujer hermosa se le acercara constantemente. Pudo haber caído en la lujuria y el adulterio, pero no lo hizo. Huyó del pecado porque era un hombre íntegro y temía a Dios.

Dios vio a José y no sólo no lo abandonó, sino que creo que Dios le habló regularmente en sueños y visiones. Mientras todo esto sucedía, José seguía hallando favor. Aunque estuvo aislado una vez más, había aprendido habilidades gerenciales trabajando en la casa de Potifer y manejando la casa. Ahora en el calabozo, se le asignó un papel de liderazgo dirigiendo y gestionando a los prisioneros. Las experiencias de José fueron su campo de entrenamiento. Dios lo estaba preparando para el papel de su vida. Le enseñó humildad antes de que eventualmente fuera elevado a una posición de poder. Es una noticia emocionante de escuchar porque significa que las mismas áreas en las que estás experimentando dolor y dificultades son las mismas áreas que Dios usará para Su gloria.

A veces nos preguntamos ¿por qué tuve que pasar por este dolor? estas traiciones? “¿Estas angustias?” pero un día todo será revelado. Creo que todo tu dolor fue un terreno de enseñanza para el importante destino de tu vida. El programa de liderazgo de Dios exige perdón, entrega, obediencia, resiliencia y saber poner límites y límites. ¡Te enseña a adquirir discernimiento ya que no todos los que te rodean son para ti! Te enseña que incluso la familia puede traicionarte y lo hará si se dan las circunstancias adecuadas. Como José, tu dolor no fue en vano. Había una razón detrás de tus lágrimas, traición, dolor y tristeza. Y sé que no queremos pasar por nada de eso, pero Dios está en el futuro y Él conoce las habilidades que tendrás que adquirir para cumplir el llamado y el destino de tu vida. Eres llamado y elegido. Cuanto mayor es la lucha y el dolor, mayor es el llamado a servir y liderar. Pero no se puede liderar con un corazón apesadumbrado o un corazón que no perdona. No se puede liderar con orgullo y dolor. Durante este proceso serás moldeado y tu carácter brillará como un diamante en medio del calor y la presión.

Una de las cosas que veo en la vida de José fue que pasó mucho tiempo a solas con Dios. No tenía a nadie más a quien recurrir y lo encontró. La capacidad de José para salir del “pozo” y recibir sus bendiciones se basó en ese tiempo que pasó aprendiendo en el lugar secreto con Dios donde habló con Dios y Dios le habló en visiones y sueños. Creo que una de las mayores lecciones de José fue la humildad y la entrega.

Mientras José estaba en el calabozo, interpretó los sueños de dos reclusos, el mayordomo del rey y el panadero. Ambas interpretaciones se hicieron realidad tal como él las interpretó. El rey devolvió al mayordomo a su puesto y el panadero fue asesinado. Habían pasado dos años y el Rey tuvo un sueño inquietante que nadie pudo interpretar. El mayordomo se acordó de José y lo llamaron a Palacio para presentarse ante el Rey.

Mientras leía esta parte de la historia algo me llamó la atención. José no fue arrastrado directamente a ver al Rey de inmediato. Había un protocolo a seguir. Siempre hay un proceso que no podemos saltarnos. ¡José tuvo que cambiar!

Fue lavado y limpiado. Le cortaron el pelo y lo afeitaron. Le pusieron ropa limpia y presentable en la espalda. José estaba a punto de encontrarse con el Rey. Cuando vas ante el Rey, es el tipo de cosas que suceden. No te quedas igual. En Su presencia, eres lavado y limpio. Él te cambia y te hace caminar con rectitud y reverencia. Ya no somos los mismos. No seguimos caminando con nuestros harapos de inmundicia. Algo hermoso sucede cuando vas ante el Rey. Así que imagina, todos los días cuando vas ante el Rey, ¿qué haces? Nos arrepentimos, cambiamos y somos limpiados por Su sangre. No puedes permanecer igual. Cambiamos en Su presencia.

La historia continúa y el Faraón le cuenta a José su sueño. José lo interpreta y le dice a Faraón: “Dios te ha mostrado lo que hará. José continúa diciéndole a Faraón que Dios traerá 7 años de gran abundancia y abundancia en la tierra de Egipto; pero después de 7 años vendrían 7 años de hambre. La tierra se agotaría y sería grave.

En ese momento, José le dio instrucciones al Faraón. Le dijo que seleccionara un hombre sabio y lo pusiera sobre la tierra de Egipto. Debían recolectar 1/5 del producto de la tierra en los 7 años de abundancia. Debían almacenar grano, recolectar alimentos y guardarlos en las ciudades. La comida en conserva debe reservarse para los 7 años de hambruna.

Faraón no encontró a nadie mejor que José. Puso a José sobre toda la tierra de Egipto, ya que sólo el Faraón era mayor. Joseph fue elevado al segundo lugar al mando. Su tiempo de estar en el pozo había terminado y estaba comenzando a caminar hacia las bendiciones. Faraón puso su anillo de sello sobre José, lo vistió de lino fino y le puso una cadena de oro alrededor del cuello. José había recibido elevación y bendiciones. A José incluso se le dio un nuevo nombre y una hermosa esposa (Asenat, hija de un sacerdote). Tenía 30 años cuando esto sucedió. Pasaron entre 12 y 13 años después de que lo llevaron y lo arrojaron al hoyo para que ahora camine con autoridad y honor.

Dios bendijo a José con dos hijos antes de reencontrarse con sus hermanos y experimentar la reconciliación. El primogénito fue “Manasés”, que significa porque Dios me ha hecho olvidar mis fatigas y las de la casa de mi padre. Y el segundo hijo “Efraín” que significa Dios me ha hecho “fructífero” en la tierra de mi aflicción.

No sé si lo ven pero tener estos 2 hijos fue profético. José pronto olvidaría el dolor de lo sucedido con su familia. Sólo Dios podría sanar este dolor tan profundamente arraigado. La mayoría de nosotros hemos experimentado algún tipo de trauma familiar, pero el trauma familiar de Joseph fue mortal. Estamos hablando de intento de asesinato, traición y abandono a una vida de esclavitud. ¿Cómo podría alguien perdonar y olvidar algo tan horrible? Sólo Dios puede hacerte olvidar este tipo de dolor en tu propia familia. Sólo Dios podría sanar este corazón. Y en la vida de José, Él hizo precisamente esto. Los hermanos de José vinieron a comprar comida una vez que comenzó la hambruna y, aunque al principio José estaba claramente molesto y todavía adolorido, Dios pudo sanar su corazón y los perdonó. Pero esto no sucedió de inmediato. José lloró y se entristeció. A veces pensamos que el perdón llega instantáneamente, pero la realidad es que para perdonar debemos pasar por etapas del duelo como la negación, la ira, el intento de negociación, la depresión y la aceptación. Cuando lees el encuentro de José con sus hermanos puedes ver este proceso de duelo porque no los perdonó de inmediato. Pasó tiempo antes de que revelara quién era mientras estaba de luto y finalmente dejara que el amor de Dios se hiciera cargo. Dios sanó su corazón y le hizo olvidar el dolor pero no la experiencia. No tenía amnesia. Eligió el perdón. La reconciliación se produjo cuando sus hermanos demostraron arrepentimiento y cambiaron.

El segundo hijo de José fue Efraín. El nombre de este hijo era profético ya que decía que Dios bendice con favor y bendiciones incluso en el mismo lugar que le causó daño. Dios es el Dios del cambio. Él hace nuevas todas las cosas. Cuando Dios te bendice, no sólo te bendice para que olvides tu dolor, sino que también te bendiga para que seas fructífero, produzcas, florezcas, prosperes y encuentres favor. La biblia dice que el amor cubre multitud de pecados. (Qué mejor amor que el que Jesús hizo en la cruz, Juan 3:16, “Porque tanto amó Dios al mundo que dio a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que cree en él no perezca, sino que tenga vida eterna”. ) José no sólo fue bendecido con el éxito sino que también pudo ver a su padre nuevamente. Jacob era un hombre anciano en ese momento. Dios bendijo a Jacob y José al extender la vida de Jacob y estar con su hijo José por otros 17 años. ¡Dios se lo llevó a los 17 años pero le devolvió los años que faltaban! Ese es el Dios al que servimos. El Dios de la completa restauración y abundancia. Dios le dio el don del tiempo además del favor.

Oro para que este relato histórico de la Biblia sea de aliento para usted hoy. Sepa que Dios nunca lo dejará ni lo desamparará y si está en medio de su tormenta, sepa que ha sido inscrito en el programa de capacitación de Dios y el resultado será una historia de éxito. Él te ama y quiere lo mejor para ti. A veces el perdón es la lección más grande que tendremos que aprender en la vida. Si eres como José, el perdón vino con la reconciliación completa, pero para muchos el perdón viene con límites y barreras. Pero cualquiera que sea el caso, Dios te hace olvidar el dolor asociado con el trauma. Recuerda que una vez que pases estas pruebas para tu vida, Dios: te posicionará , te nombrará , ordenará tus pasos y te dará autoridad . Te verás diferente, caminarás diferente y hablarás diferente. Aprenderás a cuidar tu corazón y a ser muy selectivo con quienes te rodean. Esto puede incluso significar eliminar de tu vida a las personas tóxicas e impenitentes, no porque no hayas perdonado sino porque estás guardando tu corazón y has elegido amar desde lejos. Esto se aplica especialmente a los miembros de la familia.

Pero al igual que José, ¡no termina ahí! ¡Ahora estás llamado a ir a trabajar! ¿Cuál es tu tarea? ¿Qué puso Dios en tu corazón y en tus sueños? ¿Cuáles son tus dones y talentos? Si escribes, ve a escribir, si sirves, ve a servir, si cantas, ve a cantar, si tocas un instrumento, ve a tocar ese instrumento, si enseñas, ve a enseñar, si predicas, ve a predicar, si profetizas, ve profecía, si creas, ve a crear, si alimentas a los pobres y a los ancianos, ve a hacer esto, si animas, ve a animar a otros, si sanas, ve a sanar. Si lo llaman a ocupar un puesto de liderazgo en su comunidad o empresa, ¡hágalo! Ve a ser un embajador del reino de Dios.

Mucho amor XOX,

“Karly” @ encontrando a ESTHERS

No one likes to be in the “pit”. There’s an unshakeable sense of isolation and abandonment. However, being in the “pit” for a certain amount of time is necessary and valuable. (this could be a spiritual experience as a physical one) It’s in the “pit” where God begins to change us, strengthen us, and it’s where He begins to show us the condition of our hearts.

In the Bible, there was a young 17 year old dreamer that would experience the trials of being in the pit for an “extended stay”. He would taste and experience the pain of being part of a toxic family, be the victim of betrayal, undergo loneliness, fear, abandonment, and terror of the unknown. It would appear to be the darkest and saddest time in his life. And when we finish reading his story, we would also discover that what he went through was actually for his good and not evil. When we are faced with a difficult challenge, situation, illness, or trial, we tend to feel hopeless and we too begin to cry out to God. But God assures us through the Word and the countless historical accounts written in this great book known as the Bible, that He’s already there in the future and everything really works out for our good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Let’s travel back in time to the book of Genesis chapter 37 in the life of Joseph, the son of Jacob and Raquel. The story is set in the land of Canaan. Joseph had 11 brothers. He was the favorite. Everyone knew that Jacob loved Joseph more than all the others. Now, Before I explain what happened I need to back up just a bit and explain why he was the favorite. You see, Joseph was the son of Jacob at an old age and he was the first born son of the love of his life “Raquel”, the only woman he loved and wanted as a wife. He was given Raquel’s sister Leah as a wife by trickery and obligation. Leah and the hand-maidens given to Jacob as wives bore him many siblings. Raquel would conceive one more son named Benjamin and would die tragically during his birth.

Now, going back to Joseph. Jacob adored Joseph. He had given him a colored robe to wear and would send Joseph to check on his brothers when tending to the animals. These acts brought jealousy and envy on all his brothers and Joseph would soon feel their wrath. To top off the insult, Joseph received dreams and he would reveal it to his brothers and parents causing even more envy. God would show Joseph the future in his dreams. Joseph had not learned to keep things to himself and Instead this became the very act that drove his brothers into madness. (note to self, our dreams are not always to be shared with others. We must seek discernment from God. Some dreams are given for us to intercede and pray and or simply God is communicating with us and letting us know what is happening or will occur. ) The bible says, that his brothers sought to kill Joseph and they would of if Ruben hadn’t intervened. (here’s a perfect example where jealousy, envy, and hatred can lead to murder) Joseph’s brothers placed him in a “pit” and when a caravan of Ishmaelites passed by, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery on a journey to Egypt. When they returned to their father, they lied saying that a wild animal had devoured Joseph.

Joseph was now a slave in a foreign land and placed in Potifer’s house. Potifer had the position of being in charge of the King’s prisoners. We begin to see the hand of God. You see Joseph was very smart, handsome, and talented. God had separated Joseph for such a time with favor. Joseph had unwillingly entered God’s leadership training program. It wouldn’t be easy and he would be tested but the Bible says that God was with him.

You too may have suffered betrayal, abandonment, and isolation in your life but just like Joseph, God promises to never leave you nor forsake you. You too may have endured many trials but if you’re faithful and seek Him, God will fulfill all His purpose in your life. The plans He has for you are for good and not evil. He wants to give you an expected end.

For Joseph, he would be in slavery for 12-13 years. He found himself literally in the “pit” twice. The first account was being throne in the pit before he was sold into slavery and the 2nd time was after he ran from the seduction of Potifer’s wife as she accused him of trying to have his way with her when he rejected her advances. But Joseph did not fail God, instead he ran, passed the test before God but nonetheless was judged and thrown in the “pit” . He would be in the prison dungeon for the following 2-3 years.

Joseph had to be one special person because anyone would have lost their mind or given up all hope after the betrayal and harm by his own family. Anyone else would have succumbed to the temptation of a beautiful woman constantly making advances at him. He could have fallen into lust & adultery but he didn’t. He ran away from sin because he was a man of integrity and feared God.

God saw Joseph and not only did He not abandon him but I think God regularly spoke to him in dreams & visions. While all this was happening, Joseph continued to find favor. Although he was isolated once again, he had learned managerial skills from working in Potifer’s house and running the household. Now in the dungeon, he was placed in a leadership role running & managing the prisoners. Joseph’s experiences were his training ground. God was preparing him for the role of a lifetime. He taught him humility before he would eventually be elevated into a position of power. This is exciting news to hear because it means that the very areas you are experiencing pain and hardship are the very areas that God will use for His glory.

Sometimes we ask ourselves, “why did I have to go through this pain?” these betrayals? “these heartaches?” but one day everything will be revealed. I believe that all your pain was a teaching ground for the important destiny on your life. God’s leadership program demands forgiveness, surrender, obedience, resiliency, and knowing how to set limits and boundaries. It teaches you to acquire discernment as not all who are around you are for you! It teaches you that even family can and will betray you given the right circumstances. Like Joseph, your pain wasn’t for nothing. There was a reason behind your tears, betrayal, pain, and sorrow. And I know we don’t want to go through any of it but God stands in the future and He knows the skills that you will have to gain in order to fulfill the calling and destiny on your life. You are called and chosen. The bigger the struggle and heartache, the bigger the calling to serve and lead. But you can’t lead with a heavy heart or an unforgiving heart. You can’t lead with pride and hurt. During this process you will be molded and your character will shine like a diamond in the midst of the heat & pressure.

One of the things that I see in Joseph’s life was that he spent a lot of time alone with God. He didn’t have anyone else to turn to and he found Him. Joseph’s ability to get out of the “pit” and into his blessings was founded on that time spent learning in the secret place with God where he talked to God and God spoke to him in visions and in dreams. I believe that Joseph’s biggest lessons were humility and surrender.

While Joseph was in the dungeon, he interpreted the dreams of 2 inmates, the King’s butler and the baker. Both his interpretations came true as he interpreted them. The butler was restored to his position by the King and the baker was killed. Two years had passed and the King had a disturbing dream that no one could interpret. The butler remembered Joseph and he was called to the Palace to go before the King.

While I was reading this part of the story something stuck out. Joseph wasn’t dragged straight to see the King immediately. There was a protocol to follow. There’s always a process that we can’t skip. Joseph had to change!

He got washed and cleansed. They cut his hair and was shaven. They put clean and presentable clothes on his back. Joseph was about to meet the King. When you go before the King, it’s just the kind of thing that happens. You don’t stay the same. In His presence, you are washed clean. He changes you and causes you to walk righteously and with reverence. We are no longer the same. We don’t continue to walk in our filthy rags. Something beautiful happens when you go before the King. So imagine, every day when you get to go before the King, what do you do? We repent, change, and get cleansed by His blood. You can’t stay the same. We change in His presence.

The story continues and Pharoah tells Joseph his dream. Joseph interprets it and tells Pharoah, “God has shown you what He will do. Joseph goes on to tell Pharoah that God will bring 7 years of great plenty and abundance in the land of Egypt; but after 7 years there would be 7 years of famine. The land would be depleted and it would be severe.

At this point, Joseph gave Pharoah instructions. He told him to select a wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. They were to collect 1/5 of the produce of the land in the 7 plentiful years. They were to store up grain, gather food & keep it in the cities. The preserved food should be reserved for the 7 years of famine.

Pharaoh found no one better than Joseph. He set Joseph over all the land of Egypt as only Pharoah was greater. Joseph was elevated to 2nd in command. His time of being in the pit had ended and he was beginning to walk into the blessings. Pharoah put his signet ring on Joseph, clothed him with fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck. Joseph had received elevation and blessings. Joseph was even given a new name and a beautiful wife (Asenath daughter of a Priest). He was 30 years old when this happened. It took 12-13 years after he was taken and thrown in the pit to now walk in authority and honor.

God blessed Joseph with 2 sons before he re-encountered his brothers and experienced reconciliation. The first born son was “Manasseh” which means for God has made me forget my toils & that of my fathers house. And the second son “Ephraim” which means God has made me be “fruitful” in the land of my affliction.

I don’t know if you see it but having these 2 sons was prophetic. Joseph would soon forget the pain of what happened with his family. Only God could heal this deep rooted pain. Most of us have experienced family trauma of some sort or other, but Joseph’s family trauma was deadly. We ‘re talking attempt of murder, betrayal, and abandonment to a life of slavery. How could anyone forgive and forget something so horrible? Only God can make you forget this kind of pain in your own family. Only God could heal this heart. And in the life of Joseph, He did just this. Joseph’s brothers came to buy food once the famine began and though at first, Joseph was clearly upset and still in pain, God was able to heal his heart and he forgave them. But this didn’t happen right away. Joseph wept and grieved. Sometimes we think that forgiving comes instantly but the reality is that in order to forgive we must undergo the stages of grief such as denial, anger, attempt in bargaining, depression, and acceptance. When you read Joseph’s encounter with his brothers you could see this mourning process because he didn’t forgive them right away. It took time before he revealed who he was as he was mourning and finally let God’s love take over. God healed his heart and made him forget the pain but not the experience. He didn’t have amnesia. He chose forgiveness. Reconciliation occurred because his brothers demonstrated repentance and changed.

The second son of Joseph was Ephraim. This son’s name was prophetic as it stated that God blesses with favor & blessings even in the very place that caused him harm. God is the God of turn around. He makes all things new. When God blesses you, He not only blesses you with forgetting your pain, he blesses you with being fruitful , producing, flourishing, prospering and finding favor. The bible says that love covers a multitude of sins. (What better love than what Jesus did on the cross., John 3:16, ” For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who so ever believes in Him shall not perish but have ever lasting life”. ) Joseph was not only blessed with success but he got to see his father again. Jacob was an old man at this point. God blessed Jacob and Joseph by extending Jacob’s life and be with his son Joseph for another 17 years. God took him at the age of 17 but he gave back the missing years! That’s the God we serve. The God of complete restoration and abundance. God gave him the gift of time as well as favor.

I pray that this historical account in the Bible is of encouragement for you today. Know that God will never leave you nor forsake you and if you’re in the middle of your storm, just know that you’ve been enlisted in God’s training program and the outcome will be a success story. He loves you and He wants the best for you. Sometimes forgiveness is the biggest lesson that we’ll have to learn in life. If you’re like Joseph, forgiveness came with complete reconciliation but for many forgiveness comes with limits & boundaries. But whatever the case may be, God makes you forget the pain associated with the trauma. Remember that once you pass these tests for your life, God will: position you, appoint you, order your steps and give you authority. You’re gonna look different, walk different, and talk different. You’re gonna learn to guard you heart and be very selective with those who surround you. This may even mean cutting toxic, un-repentant people out of your life not because you haven’t forgiven but because you’re guarding your heart and have chosen to love from afar. This especially applies to family members.

But like Joseph, it doesn’t stop there! Now you are called to go to work! What’s your assignment? What did God place in your heart and in your dreams? What is your gifting & talents? If you write, go write, if you serve, go serve, if you sing, go sing, if you play an instrument, go play that instrument, if you teach, go teach, if you preach, go preach, if you prophecy, go prophecy, if you create, go create, if you feed the poor and the elderly, go do this, if you encourage, go encourage others, if you heal, go heal. If you are called into a leadership position in your community or business, go do it! Go be an ambassador for God’s kingdom.

Much Love XOX,

“Karly” @ finding ESTHERS

Have you entered your secret place where it’s just you and God and you didn’t know what to say? Or better yet you

felt like if He was far away. Maybe you felt that He was disappointed in you. What about feeling a complete sense of stillness or that things felt quiet. You find yourself

isolated and strangely this felt good. I think this is a very common feeling. The reality is that

nothing that we do, feel, or say shocks God. He’s just waiting for us to call out to him for help or just to talk. Maybe even a little screaming, crying and unstoppable

sobbing moment because things are not looking too great. God wants us to cast all our cares, weaknesses, worries, hurts, and

disappointments to Him as we ask for his help. We get so concerned with following protocol. Lets’ see, first we go with repentance, then thanksgiving, then praise then…..and yes

this is all absolutely wonderful but sometimes just sometimes we can go straight to Him and cry. The sobbing kind of cry that screams, “Lord, help me”, I need you to

intervene”, “please change this around”, “I just don’t have the strength” or “I’m feeling weak, please give me strength”.

Sometimes there’s a feeling of being unworthy and sometimes you may feel guilty.

I know I have, but it was recently put into perspective by one of my son’s. He

said, “mom, I sometimes don’t feel worthy”, “I start doing what is right before God and then a week later, I fail Him”. I do what I don’t want

to do again.” I smiled at him and said, “son, we don’t go to Jesus qualified, we go to Jesus and He qualifies us by His precious blood.” The bible

says that “there is no one good, not one.” To put it into perspective, the Bible says, ” that our righteousness is as filthy rags.” I think that there are many reasons

why we feel so unworthy at times. It could be due to a lack of a consistent prayer life or a lack of reading the scriptures. It could be a lack of surrendering in an area of weakness,

a sin that we struggle with, our disappointments, a lack of trust in others, or simply not finding the answers in scripture to our questions.

Ultimately, I think we often feel unworthy when we know that we have fallen short and we think, “How is God going to fix this now?, “why would He choose me? I’m such

a mess. “

There’s other reasons why we may feel unworthy, like being distracted with the affairs of life, being over worked or the feeling of being pulled in so many directions.

Many of us wear many hats. As women, we wear: the mom hat, the wife hat, the daughter hat, the friend hat, the full-time employee hat, the entrepreneur hat, ,the maid hat, the cook hat, the cleaning specialist hat (not funny but funny), the

problem solving hat, the financial hat, the care-taker hat, the professional shopper hat, the house management hat and the mail sorter hat. You get the point. Sometimes, we are so

caught up with all our responsibilities that we forget to care for ourselves both spiritually and physically. We often forget about the self-care hat.

We have learned to say “yes” to every request when we need to say, “NO” and be okay with saying “No, I can’t right now.”

As women, we feel obligated to do all the above and still find time to exercise, stay fit, go to wellness checks, and make healthy habit changes.

Woman are usually so busy being super woman that they leave themselves for last. The result of this is that we begin to distance ourselves from people and sometimes even from God. I know

I have felt like getting in a car, jumping on a plane and going to an island at an undisclosed location just to get away from it all. And from talking to friends, I know I’m not the only one.

The good news is that we don’t have to stay in that dark place for too long. We don’t stay there because we Love God so much and we absolutely know that God loves us, He fights for us and

He is for us.

In Psalm 20:4 it says,” the Lord will fulfill all His purpose for our lives”. It even says in Psalm 27:13 ” I would have lost hope if I hadn’t believed that I would see the

goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

So what should we do?

I have found that listing all your concerns and setting goals for change is a great place to start. Without a plan, your goals are just dreams. We have to learn to

manage our activities. If there’s too much on our plate, we must learn to let it go and be at peace with our decisions! We don’t need to explain ourselves to people

because those in your closest circle know exactly what you are going through. They love you, pray for you, and are your tribe. Next, establish healthy boundaries

with friends, family, and others. Be very clear on what you allow and do not allow in your life. Trust me, you will feel absolutely amazing when you begin and set boundaries.

Next, take it to the Lord in prayer.

Set an assigned time every day and pray, “Lord, I’m a sinner who needs a Savior. Forgive me for falling short. Forgive me for not managing my activities wisely.

Help me to change. I have so many things that I want to do and I need Your direction and guidance in prioritizing each and every goal. Your Word says that you order my steps,

that you plant my feet on an even and wide place. You even pluck my feet from out of the net. You have made me fearfully and wonderfully made as the thoughts you have toward me

are as endless as the grains of sand. Your Word goes even farther and says, “No weapons formed against me shall prosper and every word that rises up against me in judgement, you

condemn. Knowing this brings an immediate smile to my face.

In addition, I tell the Lord, ‘I don’t want to live a day without Your presence. You are the reason i smile, the reason I live and my blessed hope. You are the reason I wake up every morning

knowing that my family are safe in Your hands. I know that all things really do work out for my good because I know that you have chosen me for such a time as this. I may feel overwhelmed at

times but I know that if and when I go to you, you will guide and direct me.

So what else can we do you may ask? I encourage you to crack open your bibles daily and read a chapter from the Psalm or Proverbs as a daily vitamin. Then proceed to read a chapter in the

New testament and or the Old testament. Each time that you read a book, go to the Books of the Bible index and highlight the book that you have read with a colorful highlighter. This will be

so motivating as week by week and month by month you will see all the books that you have read . Soon you will have read the entire Bible. It usually takes about 1 year to 1 1 /2 years to read.

The bible is not like any other book. It’s alive. It will change you. It’s a book where you meditate on the verses and reflect on what is being said, the timeline, and the context.

I take notes on a journal and write on post it notes. The Holy Spirit will reveal the Word to you.

As we continue to seek Him in the Word and in prayer, our hearts & mind will begin to change and the feeling of unworthiness will fade.

I hope this is of encouragement. God bless you!

Sister in Christ, Much Love,

Karly

When Jesus walked the Earth, He was a magnet to all who heard him. Everywhere He would go, He would attract large crowds. In the villages, cities, and countryside, where ever Jesus walked, people would follow. He had a reputation for healing the blind, the lame would walk, all kinds of diseases would be healed, the deaf would hear, and the mute would speak. The demon oppressed would be set free and even the dead were resurrected. He performed miracles and supernatural signs that left everyone wondering, “who is this that even the demons obey him?”

People would talk amongst themselves in awe. They’ve never seen anyone like Him. He spoke in parables, spoke with great knowledge and authority, and taught repentance, following the commandments, loving others as ourselves, faith, and about the kingdom of Heaven. Reading in the book of Mark, we encounter many historical accounts of miracles & healing.

As I share each historical account with you, I pray that it will give you hope, strategies, and faith in seeking a miracle.

In Mark chpt. 2, we read how a group of 4 men brought a paralytic to Jesus. They heard that there was someone who if you managed to reach Him, you would be healed. It was so crowded but they were determined to reach the master. The bible says that they were so desperate for a miracle that they got on top of the roof of the house where he was teaching and they made an opening on the roof and lowered this man who could not walk, a paralytic. Can you imagine the faith and the desperation of this man and the love of his brothers whether they were family or friends. It was they who persisted and carried this man to the feet of Jesus. I can only imagine how Jesus was touched. You see He was full of compassion, and nothing touched him like “faith”.

The scriptures go on to say that Jesus forgave him of his sins and healed him. You see ONLY God has the power to forgive our sins and the Bible says that the Power belongs to Him. We begin to see a peek of Jesus’s identity, the messiah, and the Son of the Living God. How was this man healed? They had faith, they sought Him, they persisted, they pressed on and did NOT give up. There was a process where they found Jesus and received a miracle.

In Mark chpt. 5, we read how a ruler of a Jewish synagogue by the name of Jairus sought Jesus. The bible says that he fell at His feet and begged Jesus to come with him to heal his young daughter. Jesus agreed and went with him. On the way, something amazing happened. Jesus stopped and felt power leave Him. He turned around and asked “who has touched me?” It was very crowded, it could of been anyone said his disciples. A woman finally approached him. I can imagine she was in tears, shaking, full of the power of the Holy Spirit. This woman had an issue with her blood. She had a disorder where she was bleeding for 12 years. She had spent all that she had on physicians and no one could help her. When a woman has her blood flow or period, she was considered unclean and had to remain apart during this time. This woman could not stop the blood flow and could not live a normal life. She was considered unclean. When she heard of Jesus, the Bible says that she came to him, she pressed through the crowd and thought and believed in her heart that if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she would be healed.

Jesus felt power leave him to heal her and he told her, ” daughter, your faith has made you well.” How many of us want to hear those words? How many of us would search, press, insist until we reach and touch the garment of the Master, Jesus. Notice how he called her “daughter”. Here we continue to see the divinity of Jesus. God in the flesh for Jesus said, if you see me you have seen the Father.

Jesus continued his journey with Jairus the synagogue ruler. When they entered his house, they told him it was too late. The young girl had died. Jesus told them, “she is not dead but sleeps”. The scriptures say that Jesus healed her and raised her from the dead. Now, this is a miracle! Who is this that death has no power over him and it obeys?

In Mark chpt. 6, Jesus entered the villages, cities, and the country preaching about the kingdom of heaven. Multitudes followed Him wherever He went. They laid the sick in the market places and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. The bible says that as many as touched him were made well. They were healed. Faith was increasing in the hearts of people. Jesus’s fame was increasing as the one who healed, delivered, resurrected the dead, and set the captives free.

In Mark chpt. 7, we read how a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit. (Children too can have unclean spirits, be oppressed, afflicted, and tormented with confusion, lies, deception to cause self harm.) This woman was a Greek a Syro-Phonenician who had heard of Jesus. The Bible says that she fell at the feet of Jesus and asked Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. But Jesus replied, “it’s not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” ( For those who are unfamiliar, Jesus came first to His people, the Jews then after the Kingdom of Heaven was first preached to the Jews it would be shared with the entire world.) The scriptures say that the woman replied, “yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” I can only imagine the biggest smile on Jesus face. He loves “faith” for this touches His heart. Jesus said for this saying “the demon has gone out of your daughter.” The bible says that when she returned to her house, she found her daughter laying on the bed and the demon had left. I find this interesting because if you have observed a deliverance sometimes people fall and lay on the ground light as a feather as they have just been set free. The heaviness and what oppressed them has gone.

In an another account, people brought a deaf and a mute to Jesus. Jesus healed him immediately. Sometimes healing happens instantaneously but this is not always the case. The same principle remains though, you must seek, persist, and reach Jesus.

In Mark chpt. 8, we read about a blind man in Bethsaida. The bible says that they brought him to Jesus and asked for healing. Jesus took this man by the hand and took him to outside the town. Now remember, they were on foot. A journey took place. I can only imagine the conversations that took place. The questions that this blind man asked Jesus and the things that Jesus told this blind man. I’m sure that this man recalled every Word from Jesus and found hope and encouragement in the anticipation that his miracle would happen. The scripture says that once they reached the area outside of the town that Jesus spat on his eyes and touched him and asked him what he saw? The man replied by saying, ” I see men walking like if they were trees.” He was still seeing blurry. Then, Jesus touched his eyes again and the man was completely healed. He could see. This man’s healing took a journey, it took time, conversations, questions, and time. Why? because that is How God works. For some people, healing may occur instantaneously but for many there’s a process, a journey but during the entire process, Jesus is with us holding our hand. Something is happening. Our faith is increasing. We begin to hear, learn, and change from the inside out. The bible says that faith comes by hearing, hearing the Word of God. That’s what was happening with this blind man. He was listening to the Word, Jesus. As time passed, by the time they reached outside the town his healing occurred. How many of us find ourselves in this same situation?

When I read all these amazing historical accounts of the miracles and healings of Jesus, I’ve learned several things. Sometimes miracles just happen and sometimes there’s a process and time. Miracles happen when we have faith and not just any faith but an “increased” amount of faith. The kind of faith that makes you seek, persist, insist, grow, learn, and press until you reach & touch the hem of the Master.

I pray that where ever you are in your journey, don’t stop praying, keep seeking God, keep increasing your faith through reading the Word. Remember Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Read it, let His Words penetrate your soul as if Jesus is holding your hand taking you on a journey to outside the city limits. Persist past your fears, persist past what the world says is possible, do not come into agreement with unbelief, and dare to believe. We aren’t seeking what we can see, we are seeking miracles so big that it takes Only God to make it happen. Press through oppositions, self doubt, your present circumstance, and unbelief.

Grow your faith, persist , insist, and get to know Jesus. He is a God of compassion. Seek Him until you find Him. I’m right there with you seeking Him, learning, growing , and pressing through the crowd until I too can touch the Hem of Jesus.

Many people ask themselves how could someone who was raised in the church & the fear of the Lord become a prodigal daughter? And I’m not talking about a person who disliked church. I’m talking about a person who loved being in the house of the Lord with the amazing music & worship that lead you into the presence of God. I’m talking about a person who as a child was read the scriptures every night and prayed with her mother and brother. I’m talking about a person who enjoyed the scriptures and hearing about every amazing historical & biblical account of the old testament and how it was still relevant to us today. I’m going to add even more insight.

Let me clarify what a Prodigal daughter is NOT. A Prodigal daughter isn’t a hypocrite. She’s not one who’s in the church but living 2 lives. She’s not pretending to following God’s commands or moral laws as written in the Bible and doing the opposite. A Prodigal daughter is not one who is deceiving herself and others. A Prodigal daughter is one who slowly walks away. She’s not living 2 lives. She literally walked away for a period of time. Why? What happened?

Many parents questions themselves, “Did I do something wrong? Did I not teach them enough? Did I not take them to church enough? Did I take them to the wrong church?” Did I not set an example at home? Did I not spend enough time with them & teach them? Did I over protect them? Was I too strict? Was I too religious where everything was a sin? Did I spend so much time in the church that I forgot to spend quality time with the family and investing in their children’s interests, talents and gifts?” to some, maybe this was true and maybe some of this rang true in my life but in my circumstance the answer in short is NO! How do I know? because I was the Prodigal daughter who came home.

My early memories of being raised as a small child in the church were of me frequently drawing on paper as the sermons were being preached or when the service extended (this happened frequently). I remember falling asleep on the pews as I rested my head on my mothers lap. I also remember reading out loud in Spanish during Sunday school at the Spanish speaking church we attended. Church services back then were for hours. It consisted of Sunday morning, afternoon, Wednesday mid-week service, later Friday youth night, and then back to 2 services on Sunday. (Our world was the church community)

You would think I disliked church but the opposite was true. I felt peace and at home. I remember going to Youth camp and revivals. I remember feeling the Spirit of the Lord at an early age. I remember one night on a drive home, I was leaning against the car window to see the most beautiful view of the night sky and stars and feeling Gods presence like showers of rain just by admiring His beauty and creation. Tears fell from my eyes. I worshipped God with my thoughts and felt His divine presence. Wow was my word. I wondered how was it even possible for anyone to deny His existence.

At the age of 12, I was baptized in the Holy Spirit as I was worshipping God in a Youth service. At age 14, I was baptized in water declaring “Jesus is my Lord”. I absolutely loved being in the house of the Lord & worshipping even though I was very aware that our bodies are the temple of the Lord but I meant the house of prayer & worship. I consumed endless sermons and teachings and I knew what it meant to be separated from the world. I remember loving the scriptures so much that during my middle school years, I would actually take my bible to school every day. I didn’t have time to read it at school but the thought of having it with me brought me comfort & peace in a world that I knew I was not part of. Was I different? Absolutely. Did I care? Not one bit. I had my friends, I had my family, and I had dreams & goals of a beautiful future going somewhere, being someone, and fulfilling my purpose. I knew I was going to get a college education and rise above my present economical status. My parents & aunts & uncles always taught us, you want a nice car? You want to own your own home? You want a great job that you love? You want an inheritance? Go to school and get your education because this is the one thing that no one will ever take away from you on this Earth. So, I had my “faith”, “family”, “friends”, “future” goals but still I strayed. (It’s a good thing our God is a Merciful God, a God that is VERY familiar with his people and detours. ( Just read about the history of Israel in the Old Testament.)

So what happened? How could I have strayed? How did I become the “Prodigal Daughter”?

I’ll answer this. You see many people come to the Lord from the world. They did everything, searched for the meaning of life, lived for themselves selfishly, suffered, some fell into addictions, some rose and became very successful but felt completely alone until one day they had an encounter with Jesus and their entire world changed. (No one can fill the void that only Jesus can fill)

When you are raised in the church as a Christian, you don’t know any of this. You know what it is to feel God’s presence, you know what it is to feel joy and protection. You were raised knowing and loving Jesus and feeling His love but what you didn’t know was if everything they taught you and even experienced was the only “truth”. It’s kind of like Eve in the Garden of Eden. All she knew was God and His goodness. But what if there was something else? Is it our human nature to think this way? I’m not sure, but it happened to me. I wanted to know what it was like to have freedom without guilt. I wanted to live for me as most young adults do. I wanted to dance, laugh, and go on adventures. I wanted to wrecklessly fall in love without worrying if the person had the same values, morals, and dreams. (I know, this sounds bad, it sounds selfish and sinful. Yet these were my thoughts at that time seeing the world from a glass house and not actually experiencing life.)

I was raised with the belief that dancing was sinful among other things when in reality there’s a time for everything says the Word of God. We do have to be very selective on what we are listening to & how we are dancing as it must align with the Word of God but not all music nor all dancing is from the pit of hell. ( I think this is where the term religious spirits come into the scene) There’s a time to laugh, a time to cry, and a time to dance. All you need to do is look at little children and watch them happily dance to music that is uplifting and fun. Apparently, moderation is necessary. Some people have addictions from their past and or they know their weaknesses all too well and they have to avoid things or situations at all costs. But this is not the case for many.

I wanted to make my own decisions because of me and not because of others views. I wanted to know if Jesus was the Only way? I had a lot of questions even though I knew the Bible inside out. I had questions and I had many doubts. Maybe it was just my human nature or maybe it was the enemy trying to steal my crown, my purpose, and my destiny. I wanted to know what other people felt in their religions. Did they feel God like I did? Did their god love like Jesus loved me? Did they have a relationship not just religion? But I must admit, I mostly just wanted to have fun. I wanted to live and experience life on my terms. The “flesh” was calling and I ran toward it.

My journey in becoming a prodigal daughter began at the age of 19 during my college years. I had a newly found freedom, a car, new friends, extended hours of a curfew or I would escape my house to hang out with friends til very very late. I was exposed to a whole new world of independence, music, dancing, hang outs, and fun. I had discovered the pleasures of this world, different cultures, backgrounds, and fell in love with someone from a totally different culture and religion. With my new reality, I began to question everything. I didn’t question the existence of God for I knew Him well but I questioned the Word of God. Was Jesus the only way? Were there many paths to Heaven? I was curious and wanted to find the answers to these questions on my own. I would like to say that I got my answers answered quickly but it was only the beginning of my journey straying farther and farther from God. Sin does this you know. The more I practiced the things of this world and sin, the farther it took me. It cost me a price that I didn’t realize I couldn’t pay. I was no longer free but a slave for the next 7 years.

During these 7 years, I broke many commandments, I repented a lot but kept living my life without changing. Alcohol was never an attraction for me so in my group of friends, I was usually the designated driver. I didn’t like alcohol and I was always so cheerful and happy that I didn’t understand the need for this. I went to community college, then to the University of South Florida, and lastly, New Mexico State University. I loved learning and the college life. I rarely went to church.

I dated someone from a Hindu religion & culture. I even attended their temple and learned about the religion. I practiced being vegetarian and did Yoga for many many years. I also had Muslim friends. I learned about their prayers & customs. I had a very dear friend whom I would visit and she would wear her head covering and she would share her religion and thoughts with me. I can honestly say that I had friends from all over the world. I felt horrible for I knew that I had idolatry in my life. You would think it was because I stepped foot on a foreign temple but I had made my relationship my idol. At that time, I chose a person before my God. Oh no! What had I done? I felt trapped, guilty, and in a lonely prison without walls. A prison that I couldn’t get myself out of. So I began to pray. God is always listening. I called out to him to help me. I had detoured.

Next thing you know, the Lord opened doors for a way out and He took me to New Mexico. A small city called Las Cruces where I would get my Masters degree in Speech Pathology. Sometimes God will take us places we never imagined to save us. For the next 2 years I felt my chains getting looser. I continued my studies and even though I wasn’t close to God, I could honestly feel His protection & favor over my life. (I now know that it was my mothers prayers covering me until I found my way back home.)

Rewinding for just a minute. I had learned many many things in my walk. Watching, observing, and listening to my friends talk about and experience their god or religion taught me something. They didn’t feel what I felt. They didn’t experience God’s presence like I felt it. I know because we talked about it. I listened to them. I was even sitting in their temples and still I did not feel God. It was very serene and peaceful. But once you have felt the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, nothing can compare. I was actually very very open to learning and listening. I was exploring and waiting but nothing and I mean nothing compared to the God I felt still in my heart and Whom I had a relationship with on a daily basis. For these 7 years though I would pray and cry out from time to time. God was distant. Well, in reality, I was distant from Him. He was always there waiting for me to come Home. My sin and rebellion kept me away from Him. I had chains that did not allow me to run to my Heavenly Father. I missed Him so much. I missed God’s presence over my life. I missed my personal relationship with the King of Kings-Jesus. It was so lonely but I was so distracted with getting my education, responsibilities, and living my life that I had no room nor time for God.

One day, on the month of February 1999, just 3 months from graduating, I came home to my apartment that I shared with 2 other room mates and I began to cry. I was alone. No one was home. I cried and cried from the bottom of my soul. I began to pray. I said, “Lord, I miss you”, I need you. Forgive me of my sins. I know that I am bound because i don’t do what I want to do anymore, Break the chains that have me bound in Jesus name, I choose YOU!” It was at that moment, that my life changed. It turned. I felt the presence and power of the Holy Spirt fall on me like showers of Rain.” I cried and cried and wept so hard like if someone had died. I could feel the spiritual chains fall off me. God was with me. God was freeing me. God was in charge again. I could feel His presence again. I felt so much love. I felt Jesus! I felt this joy that overflows. I began to smile and laugh with a pure joy like a kid in a candy store. I remember picking up the phone and ending my long distance relationship. I remember that my prayer life began again from that day on. I began to pray for my future spouse, and Gods will in my life.

To make a long story short, I met my future husband 3 months later, graduated with my Masters degree, got engaged and married within 5 1/2 months and my journey as a Christian was back on track. I had come Home! I would like to tell you that life after this was smooth sailing LOL, but it wasn’t. It was the beginning of the Lord working in me, changing me, showing me His will as I dived into His Word. Just when I finally though ok, I’m doing God’s will, He would show me another area that I needed to let go of, that I needed to repent, and even find freedom & deliverance. I had discovered an entirely new and amazing walk with the Lord where he began to call me, prepare me, and give me an insight on what He had called me to do. I had a purpose, a calling and no matter what life threw my way, I knew without a shadow of a doubt God was with me and He would never let me go.

The journey of being a Christian is not a perfect one, but we know that God’s Mercy & Grace is on us. When we repent and turn from our sins, He is faithful and true to forgive us. We become blameless and a saint. That’s the power of the blood of Jesus that washes away our sins, gives us peace, eternal salvation, and a future.

            Reading through the books of the old testament and discovering the amazing characters and historical events, one character stood out amongst the rest. At first, I thought that my fascination was because finally a woman was seen as the hero in a world and culture where women were seen as property with limited aspirations in life.  But this woman’s story was different. It was a combination of every young girl’s dream come true like a fairy tale to the reality that maybe it wasn’t as perfect as I thought. As I read and re-read each page in this short book, I discovered a woman whom I admired. Finally, I thought to myself, in the best book of instruction ever written, the bible, was the story of a woman who was chosen and called with a purpose. This purpose was no ordinary task to help, but to lead and be used by God to deliver His people. I discovered the life of Queen Esther of Persia.

         Before Esther became a Queen, her name was “Hadassah”. Hadassah was a young orphan Hebrew girl raised by her cousin Mordecai. Mordecai was like a father to Hadassah. She lived during a time when the Hebrew people were sent off into captivity. Already her life was difficult, having both her parents dead and in a land where she was a foreigner and where her customs and religion were as different as night and day. Even though her start in life was rough, Hadassah loved her cousin like a father and obeyed his wise words of instruction.

         It came to pass that a Royal decree was given to capture all the beautiful young virgins in the land and gather them together in the King’s Palace in the Citadel, a highly fortified place where King Xerxes & the royals lived. This was very alarming because this young woman was taken against her will. She didn’t have a choice. This event is equivalent to human trafficking of today. Hadassah was to be placed in the King’s Harem. There were two options, either she would be crowned Queen or she would live her life as a concubine, one of the King’s mistresses. Her future seemed somber. 

I could just imagine her initial fear. Fear seemed to be a reoccurring struggle in her life. Fear caused by losing her parents, to living in a foreign land to now being taken against her will. I can only imagine that Hadassah had dreams like every other young girl to marry a good Jewish boy and raise a family. But, this wasn’t in her destiny thus adding more fear to an unknown future. Before Hadassah was taken, her cousin Mordecai instructed her to hide her ethnicity and gave her a new name, Esther (star, hidden thing). Hadassah did just this and now began to walk as Esther. She was fearful but she obeyed Mordecai. One thing I’ve learned in reading the Old Testament is that when we love, we obey.

         As I read, I quickly realized that time passed. Things didn’t happen quickly. In fact, her entering the King’s Harem & Citidel was only the beginning of her process in walking as an Esther. Esther began her training in the arts of essential oils like Myrrh and beauty treatments. Her skin must have been as soft as silk and she must of smelled like a summer’s garden. As I read this, I began to compare our process in finding intimacy with God with her process in coming before the King. There is a process and it takes time before change begins to occur. Not only did Esther continue to prepare physically, emotionally, and spiritually but it took 4 years before she had her encounter or as I like to say, her night with the King. Esther began walking in her calling. She was surrounded by favor and was crowned Queen.

         I could stop here but to me this was only the beginning. I began to read how Esther grew spiritually and how she overcame fear through prayer and fasting when faced with the devastating news of a threat to completely anihalate her people. As I turned each page in this book, I had a million questions. Why did Esther fast? Was it really so that God would deliver her people or was it to break the yoke of fear in her life, lift the heavy burdens, loosen the bonds that marked her so that she could be used by God to fulfill the calling that He had on her life? My answer was found in Isaiah 58:6 and as I read how Esther declared a fast for 3 days. After 3 days, before the presence of the True King in fasting and prayer, Esther no longer feared.

         I can relate to Esther in so many ways as her life and story has left an imprint in my life. You see just like Esther, I too am a woman, a daughter, a wife, a mother, and leader where God has planted me. Like Esther, I too battled fear like a monster lurking under the bed or hiding in a closet.  But like Esther, the chains of fear loosened and broke. I found that growing in intimacy with God took time, obedience, and surrendering. It took preparation and time alone in prayer, worship, and studying the Scriptures. The scriptures became my sweet aroma as part of my training. It became my anointing like Esther with her oils. I don’t know when it happened but I started to feel compelled to read the Word. It wasn’t something that I had to do. It was something that I wanted to do. I loved it and I still do. Like Esther, I discovered the power of deliverance as I dove in knowledge of the word and began to fast. It didn’t happen overnight and I’m still in training & preparing for what God is calling me to do and what he is doing in my personal kingdom, my home as a wife and mother. In reading Esther, I rejoiced in knowing that God is not a God of favoritism. God does not discriminate. He will use a woman, a child, a young adult, an elder, and a man to fulfill His purpose. Mankind looks at the appearance but God looks at the heart. He’s looking for a heart that’s malleable. A heart that is after God’s heart.

         I can stop right here but discovering Esther has influenced my life in so many ways. I began blogging, posting on Instagram under the name “finding Esther”. My husband or like I like to call him “my King Xerxes” LOL created a webpage @ www.findingesther.org so that I could encourage women in their intimacy and everyday walk with the Lord to awaken the Esther in all of us, in our calling and purpose. But it didn’t stop there. Like Esther with her knowledge of essential oils, I too began to learn and research oils and their healing properties & benefits. I opened a small business and web store and make and sell organic oil blends & recipes for skincare and natural remedies. I named my store: ESTHER’S APOTHECARY at www.findingesther.org/shop/ .

         In conclusion, Queen Esther has absolutely made an impact in my life. I’ve seen it from my spiritual walk to a physical endeavor. Esther fasted & prayed and watched how God not only broke the yoke of fear but delivered her people. I’ve fasted & prayed and seen how God has delivered me through the Word from the chains of slavery, oppression to freedom. I still ask many questions and you know what, God is answering them one by one.

Have you ever read the book of revelation in the Bible and not understood a word? Don’t feel embarrassed, most of us have and even what we’ve understood was so frightening that we prayed for it to just be a bad dream.

But it’s not just a dream. It was a Revelation by Jesus to the Apostle John. Ironically, like today (April 2020), John was in a total quarantine as he lived in exile in the island of Patmos for his testimony of Jesus Christ.

I began my search in understanding the mystery of the end time prophecies many years ago. I read the book of Revelation many times and other books like “The Agents of the Apocalypse” by David Jeremiah and “Decoding the Book of Revelation” by K.A, Schneider, a Messianic Rabbi. Each author and countless sermons all revealed impressive insights into the mysteries of the end time prophecies and gave me plenty to think about as I re-read the scariest book ever, the book of Revelation.

The critical question that I asked myself when reading Revelation was when would these events take place? And when would Jesus return to “rapture” or “gather” His beloved church? The debate has been that the Lord would return at a pre-tribulation, mid tribulation, and/or post tribulation meaning that He won’t return until after the Tribulation marked by the 2nd Coming of Jesus to Rule on Earth.

When I was reading “Decoding the book of Revelation”, K.A. Schneider revealed that there are 21 judgments. These 21 judgements are divided into three categories (7 Seals, 7 Trumpets, and 7 Bowls of wrath). I thought this was so helpful because when I opened the book of Revelation, I could clearly see the 21 judgements and in sequential order.

Join me as I present each judgement starting at the first seal and pray to God to reveal and unravel the mysteries of the future. Will we be raptured before the Great Tribulation? (meaning before all hell breaks loose, (that would be very nice), mid-tribulation (ouch-that’s gonna hurt, are you ready to give your life & be persecuted for Jesus? Are you ready to stand firm and not deny our Lord? even unto death?) or post tribulation ( being present along with the wicked but somehow kept from the severe judgements, kind of like Israel in Goshen during the 10 plagues)?

Revelation chpt. 6 – The 21 Judgements (7 Seals, 7 Trumpets, and 7 Bowls of Wrath):

According to the Bible, Revelation chpt. 6-15, there are 21 judgments. The 1st Seal: a white horse whose rider held a bow, and he was given a “crown”, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. Notice that this rider was on a white horse (a symbol of peace) and conquering with a bow but no arrows (conquering with promises of peace/ deception) and the crown gave him authority.

K.A Schneider says that “the white horseman is the “Antichrist”. He said that Satan loves to counterfeit God and the white horse is the same color as the horse Jesus will ride on upon His return. He will arrive seemingly bent on bringing peace and that he is a false christ. This will mark the beginning of the Tribulation by the fulfillment of this first seal.” I’ve heard countless sermons teaching this same message.

Many people today are speculating who this anti-christ may be or the identity of the false prophet. The book of Revelation reveals that the anti-christ will come accompanied by a false prophet. The identity of the anti-christ has yet to be revealed but many believe he is already on the scene. The false prophet is a religious entity, someone who has great authority, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and is someone who seems to speak peace and unity but the end result will be for him to make everyone worship the beast, the anti-christ. His words are full of blasphemy and idolatry according to the book of Revelation.

The 2nd Seal: (Rev. 6:4) “a fiery red horse. It’s rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.” According to K.A Schneider, “the earth’s murder rate will skyrocket”.

When I think of this 2nd seal, I think of all the killings around the world, but I specifically think of all the murders that occur every day with the abortions of unborn babies. The blood of the innocent must be crying out to God and this cup must be full and overflowing.

The 3rd seal: (Rev. 6: 5-6) “a black horse, It’s rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand….”two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” This rider is bringing in famine.

This reminds me of scarcity, not enough food or necessities and overpriced items. The Bible says that it will not touch the oil nor wine.

The 4th seal: (Rev. 6: 7) “I looked and there before me was a pale horse (some say green)! It’s rider was named “DEATH”. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. “

The 5th seal: (Rev. 6:9) “I saw the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.”…”they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.” This seal represents the persecution of the Saints.”

In today’s time, we’ve seen executions of Christian’s world-wide and in the middle east for proclaiming their faith. It hasn’t reached our country but what if we woke up one day and this became the new reality? Look what’s happening recently. We woke up one day and we were in quarantine. First, we were not allowed to go to work and then more and more rules were added for social distancing and closures of all businesses. Then the beaches and parks closed including public bathrooms. We could only go to these places if we were “moving” or “exercising”. You were not allowed to just sit and enjoy the sun.

All of a sudden our basic rights and freedom were stripped away. We couldn’t even worship in many churches without severe person count restrictions & registrations, discouraged from worshipping inside our cars at a church parking lot. What??? No, this could never happen here. But it did! We could still shop at Walmart and Target though as we clearly walked 2-3 feet away from people but we couldn’t gather in a parking lot, in our cars nor go to work. All of a sudden we exchanged our freedom for safety even if that meant a total collapse of our economy and our rights. Do you see a problem?

What if the persecution of the saints in this country looked like discrimination and being pressured into doing something because of fear or given social restrictions if you did not comply.

What if we were seen as disobedient, selfish, and irresponsible citizens for our stance on the word of God, our faith, our freedom of speech, and thus persecuted for our beliefs? What if we refuse to partake in an injection of an RFID chip (as we’ve seen already in the works) because it goes against the Word of God as written in Revelation 13 as the mark of the beast? What if we couldn’t be part of society, work, buy or sell if we didn’t comply with these “newly” enforced regulations?

Revelation 13: 15-17 “The 2nd beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause ALL who refused to worship the image to be killed. It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.”

Revelation 14:9 “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they , too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.”

My take, if these things begin to happen folks, you’ll know that the 5th seal has begun! But wait! I thought that the church would be “raptured” or “gathered” together with our Lord in the air by this point? I hope so but it’s not so clear is it? If you picked up the bible and read the book of Revelation, would you come up with the belief that we would be raptured for yourself or has this been taught? I can not say. I don’t know with certainty the right answer but when it happens, we will know the truth. In addition, there will be new converts who accept Jesus during the Great Tribulation.

In 1 Corinthians 15:52, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

The 6th seal: Rev. (6:12), “there was a “great earthquake“, the sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from it’s place.” Apparently, there will be unprecedented “natural disasters” like never seen before.

It’s interesting that in today’s society, people can’t believe that God would send a judgement. I don’t understand this because He did it before with Noah and the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and with Moses & Israel in Egypt. The Bible says that God is many things but He is always a God of Justice. He is so loving though that it says God is slow to anger and long suffering. He doesn’t want anyone to perish. But the clock is ticking and one day these prophecies will come to fruition. There’s a reason why it’s a blessing for those that fear the Lord. This “fear” causes us to examine ourselves to see if we really have changed and repented. We must do more than just say a sinners prayer asking Jesus to come into our hearts, we actually have to live a life that is right before Him. It’s called a changed life, being Born again. In Matthews 12:36, Romans 14:12, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Rev. 20-11-13, says that “One day we will “all stand” before the throne of judgement and give an account for every word and deed”.

The 7th Seal: (Rev. 8:1)”there was “silence” in Heaven for about half an hour.” and I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. This is a time where things will be quiet.

This reminds me of the saying “the calm before the storm”.

The Next Category Begins:

The 1st Trumpet sounds: “Hail and Fire mixed with blood”

(Rev. 8:7) “the first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came “hail and fire”mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.”

What a frightening time to be alive when these things begin to happen. I pray that if we are still here, that we may “escape”.

The 2nd Trumpet sounds: “unprecedented natural disasters affecting sea life”

(Rev. 8:8) “The 2nd angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

Some preachers believe that it’s a volcanic eruption with lava covering the ocean. I can only imagine the news with reports of dead sea life scattered on the shores of our beaches around the world. Reports of missing ships from sudden storms and Tsunami’s. Then, to witness live on TV or through you tube videos how 1/3 of our ocean sea water has turned “red” like blood.

The 3rd Trumpet sounds: a star called “Wormwood”: affecting 1/3 of rivers & springs making them bitter to drink

Revelation 8:10 “The 3rd angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

This seems like a massive meteor that will fall on the rivers contaminating the waters and thus making them undrinkable.

The 4th Trumpet sounds: “darkness”

Revelation 8:12 “The 4th angel sounded his trumpet and a third of the sun was struck , a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night. “

I can’t imagine living in almost complete darkness. If you’ve lived in Alaska then you may be familiar with this but the rest of us have no idea of how to live in darkness for extended amounts of time. All of a sudden, our time has changed. There was very little light available during the day. People living during these times will surely know that Judgement has surely come to Earth.

The 5th trumpet: “locust from the Abyss/demonic beings”

Revelation 9:1-11 “I saw a star that had fallen from the sky. It was given the keys to the Abyss. The star was given the shaft to the Abyss. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke form gigantic furnace. The sun and the sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. Out of the smoke, locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

“The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions teeth. They had breast plates like breastplates of iron and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. They had tails with stingers, like scorpions and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. They had a king over them, the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon , the destroyer.”

I don’t know about you but this is not sounding good at all! Whatever comes out of the Abyss is NOT good. We aren’t talking little locusts like we see in Africa attacking our crops and fields. We are talking about locusts from the Abyss (the underworld/hell). Could this represent demonic beings? This sounds awfully familiar to me like the zombie apocalypse that is so popular on Netflix and movies. Truly frightening!

The 6th trumpet: “Releasing of the 4 angels bound in the great Euphrates river”: 3 plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur”

Revelation 9: 14-15, “and the 4 angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind”. Revelation 9: 18,20-21,” A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood, idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.“

I don’t know about you but I sure don’t want to be around for this. But if we are, I pray to escape and for God’s protection.

The 7th trumpet: the last trumpet!

Revelation 10:7 “But in the days when the 7th angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.” What does this mean? What mystery? Will the rapture happen here? Did it already happen?

Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 ” Listen, I tell you a “mystery”: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

The book of revelation goes on to report the 2 witnesses that come unto the seen who will have supernatural powers and will preach the gospel to all nations. It says that the dragon , Satan will wage war against the offspring (the church) who are those that keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

The Beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty two months (3 1/2 years). God’s 3rd angel warns in Revelation 14:9-10 “if anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of Gods fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.

Some say that when it says God’s people in the book of Revelation going through the judgements that it will be those left behind from the “rapture” ? Some say that the “mystery” of God will be accomplished at the last trumpet. Paul tells you that the mystery of God is at the last trumpet.

We don’t know the day nor the minute nor the hour when our Lord will return to “gather” his people and “escape”. However, it points to the fact that we are to “be prepared” for all things.

We are to pray to escape, to repent and live for Him. We are to do good and keep the commandments. We are to stand firm. It will no longer be a time to prove who Jesus is but it will be a time to prove ourselves to Him.

As I read the book of Revelation it becomes clear that the “righteous will see His face”! Revelation 21:8 “BUT THE COWARDLY, THE UNBELIEVING, THE VILE, THE MURDERERS, THE SEXUALLY IMMORAL, THOSE WHO PRACTICE MAGIC ARTS, THE IDOLATERS AND ALL LIARS-THEY WILL BE CONSIGNED TO THE FIERY LAKE OF BURNING SULFUR. THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH.

We know that the full wrath begins with the 7th bowls of wrath in the 3rd category of the 21 judgements. This is for those who did not repent, have the mark of the beast, and worshipped it. But will there be believers here to see this? I simply do not know. But whatever you do, DO NOT TAKE THE MARK OF THE BEAST. Wrath is coming for those that do!

The Last Category: 7 Bowls of Wrath:

1st Bowl of Wrath: Sores on ALL who have the mark of the beast

Revelation 16:2 “the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.“

Ouch! Now this is an epidemic.

2nd Bowl of Wrath: Blood in the Sea

Revelation 16: 3 “the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.“

Can you imagine the nightmare to be living during this time? I can’t even imagine it.

3rd Bowl of Wrath: Blood in Rivers and Streams

Revelation 16:4 “the 3rd angel poured the bowl of wrath on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. “

(Remember the plagues of Egypt that did NOT touch Israel, here they are again.)

4th Bowl of Wrath: Scorching sun-heat-fire

Revelation 16:8 “the 4th angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.”

5th Bowl of Wrath: darkness on throne and kingdom of the beast

Revelation 16:10 “the 5th angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.”

6th Bowl of Wrath: Dried up Euphrates river

Revelation 16: 12-16 “The 6th angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings form the East. Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs: they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.”

The dragon is Satan, the ancient serpent of old. The beast is the anti-christ and the false prophet (a religious leader who gets everyone to worship the beast). Who is the anti-christ? Who is the false prophet?

The 7th Bowl of Wrath: Flashes of lightening, earthquakes, and thunder

Revelation 16:17-21 “The 7th angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne saying “it is done!” Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. NO earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filed with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.“

The stage is set for the Battle of Armageddon. When you finish reading this prophetic book, you’ll see who WINS at the end! (JESUS) The victory belongs to the Lord. Then the Thousand year reign of Jesus Christ begins and Judgement day.

Keep watching and observing. Jesus said these words to Apostle John in Revelation 16:15 “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”

Jesus gives an invitation and warning in Revelation 22:12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ”

What did God command you to do? What talents did He give you? What have you done for the kingdom, no matter how small you may think it is? He sees it all: Every word , thought, and deed. If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, Do so today while there’s still time. Repent, change and live for Him. Don’t continue to take pleasure in sin but turn from sin. Repentance means to truly be sorry for your sins and change. Without repentance there is no forgiveness. Jesus said in the book of Luke ” you too, repent or you shall perish.”

Revelation 22:14-15 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”

Jesus finishes and says in Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

In the book of Exodus, we read that Zipporah was the wife of Moses. They had two sons. The bible didn’t say much about her but there were a few verses that spoke volumes. In Exodus 4: 24-26, you can observe that Zipporah was no ordinary woman. She understood that faith demanded obedience. She understood that the blood covenant, obedience, and righteousness were absolutely necessary to please God. Let’s read these verses.

Exodus 4:24-26. “At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me, “she said. So the Lord let him alone. (bridegroom of blood=circumcision)

Wait a minute! What just happened here. I had to read and re-read these verses. Did Zipporah just save the life of Moses? My eyes were full of inspiration as I saw a righteous woman. I saw a righteous woman who prayed for her husband. I saw a righteous woman who covered her husbands feet with the blood of the covenant. The feet represent the ministry just like we read in the new testament to shod your feet with the gospel of peace. I saw a woman who noticed that her husband was not in obedience to God. Moses was chosen to lead the people of Israel out of bondage but yet he himself did not have his house in order. He himself did not cover his sons with the blood of the covenant, the promise to be God’s people, and be set apart.

How could Moses start a rescue mission if he himself was not right before the Lord. What I read here wasn’t that Moses ran and quickly circumcised his son’s. It was his wife Zipporah who ran, circumcised her son and covered Moses’ feet with Mercy.

How frequent in today’s world are the woman like Zipporah? A woman who prays for her husband. A woman who seeks God’s favor, protection, and blessings.

How many of us are praying daily that our husbands change, get right with the Lord, or simply kneel before the presence of the Lord praying & waiting for our husbands to become the leader, the priest in our home. How many Zipporah’s seek God and understand the importance of obedience? A woman who prays for favor, health, blessings and God’s anointing upon their husbands and children.

Zipporah was no ordinary woman. She was a righteous woman. A woman who saw the Lord approaching and took action. She understood God’s laws even before He had given them to Moses. You see doing the right thing even when no one is looking is called righteousness and integrity. The result of doing the right thing finds favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Moses didn’t have just any wife. He had a praying wife. He had a righteous wife. A woman of God who knew how to pray for her family, who knew what pleased the Lord and the importance of righteousness. A woman who knelt before the presence of the Lord with her hands covered in the blood where she found mercy & favor.

A righteous woman prays like Zipporah. A righteous woman covers her family, marriage, husband, children and home with the blood of the covenant, Jesus Christ of Nazereth! The Son of the Living God! A righteous woman enters boldly into the throne of grace and asks for mercy and pleads the blood of Jesus when things aren’t going great. She pleads the blood of Jesus for God to forgive the sins of her family, her husband, and her sins. She covers her loved ones with the blood of Jesus in the middle of a trial and or disease. She covers her life and loved ones with the blood of Jesus for God to straighten their path. A righteous woman like Zipporah, covers her in and outs, her plans, present or future with the precious blood of the Lamb, Jesus.

Zipporah was a hero! Her faith and obedience saved the life of Moses. She represents the power of a “praying wife”! She represents what our husbands can accomplish with our prayers. Zipporah, isn’t an ordinary woman. She is a righteous woman. The Bible says, “the Lord hears the prayers of the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers.”

If you’re not a Zipporah, maybe her story will inspire you to become one. It starts on your knees before the throne of grace covered in the blood of the covenant. His name is Jesus!

The other day I watched the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” on Netflix. I thought the movie was wonderfully made and I just love the performance of Julia Roberts. Her smile & laugh truly lights up a room and the woman knows how to show emotions. When she cries, I feel her pain.

However, something was troubling me about the movie. It was a journey of a woman finding herself or quest for God or maybe it was self-forgiveness or was it self-love? Maybe, it was all the above, but as a Christian I would make a different journey. It would probably be called: Repent, Pray, and Love.

I would travel. I think traveling and changing how you see the world is absolutely a beautiful experience but my destination would be different. I would go to Israel. To walk where Jesus walked, see the great Jerusalem-the city of David, and where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. I would get a tutor in the Hebrew language to be able to converse with the locals and enjoy the culture. I wouldn’t go on rampage eating everything that was pleasurable because that would be gluttony. I would practice balance and moderation because I know that too much of anything is not good nor healthy.

I would Pray. Not once or twice but truly pray, “Lord, reveal yourself to me. Teach me your ways. Let me feel your presence.” As a Christian, Jesus lives in us through the Holy Spirit so I would pray & ask God for a sign. I would ask for His love to grow so big that it spreads to others and that they would see Jesus in me.

I would search my heart & life and repent of my sins. I would ask God to help me forgive. I would surrender and forgive & release all who have hurt me. Not an easy thing but absolutely possible with Jesus.

I would spend my days touring Israel, taking tons of pictures, and reading the scripture. I would enjoy great food with wonderful people. I would share the great love for my Jesus not because I’m on an evangelistic mission but because if you speak with me long enough, it would just be a matter of time before you discover the source of my joy. I would look for other Christians and find a place to worship and pray.

I would laugh, eat, dance, drink a little wine because there’s a time and place for everything. I wouldn’t get drunk and I wouldn’t practice sexual immorality. I would uphold God’s commands for righteousness. I wouldn’t seek self-love & pleasure, I would seek true Love, true joy, and relationship with my creator.

I would then go on a missions trip to Nicaragua, Honduras, or Guatemala. A place where I could use my Spanish skills to serve, share the gospel, help feed & cloth the poor through a church organization or volunteer program. It would be here where I could grow in humility, give kindness, serve, and where love is seen in action not just words.

I would then return to my life, changed, renewed and with a smile because in this search for God, is where I would find true happiness. This is what my version of Eat, Pray, and Love would look like from a Christian’s perspective with the subtitle “a woman’s journey in finding a deeper relationship with God & true happiness. It would be renamed “Repent, Pray, Love”!

We all know that lying is a sin that brings about severe consequences. We get so deep into believing our own lies sometimes that they become our truth, our reality. For some reason many people justify it by categorizing them as little lies, harmless lies or insignificant, and the famous lies of omission. Let’s travel into our biblical past to an event that let’s us see the consequences of lying in the life of Leah wife of Jacob. Turn to Genesis chapter 29-30 to read about this event in our biblical history. Jacob was the grandson of Abraham. The man God had blessed to become a father of many nations. Jacob migrated to his uncle Laban’s land escaping the wrath of his brother Esau. You see Jacob had deceived his brother Esau and his father Isaac by pretending to be his brother Esau upon Isaac’s death bed. Isaac was very old & couldn’t see. Jacob disguised himself with wool skins & fur to trick his father in receiving the “first borns” blessing instead of Esau. Previously, Esau had sold his inheritance to Jacob in exchange for a delicious meal. When Esau discovered that his brother Jacob had deceived him out of his first born “blessing”, Jacob fled to his uncle Laban’s land in fear for his life. Esau was so furious with Jacob that he planned to kill him. There Jacob met Rachel a shepherd girl, daughter of Laban. She was the younger sister of Leah. Jacob fell in love with Rachel and offered to work for Laban for 7 years in exchange for Rachel in becoming his wife. The bible says that for Jacob, the years were as days for he truly loved Rachel.

As I read this, I realized that this courtship lasted for 7 years. That’s 7 years of friendship, 7 years of a growing love with the expectation that one day Rachel would be his wife. Everyone knew that Jacob loved Rachel. It was no surprise to Leah. But what happened? Lies, insecurities, deceit, backstabbing, and disloyalty happened. Why did Leah not get married during this time? The bible didn’t say that Leah was ugly. It just said she had weak eyes or delicate eyes. Couldn’t Laban have arranged a marriage for her? There are just some details we will never know.

Jacob’s 7 years of literally a labor of love had completed. But something went terribly wrong. Did Jacob not pray to God for his marriage? Was he reaping the consequences of his deceit? We don’t know the answers to this, we can only speculate.

Imagine this: It was the night of Jacob’s wedding. The women during that time had the custom of putting veils over their heads during special events & weddings. Jacob eagerly waited for his bride Rachel when Leah walked into his tent instead. It must of been dark but Leah remained quiet. She did not utter a word. She did not reveal her true identity to Jacob. A lie of omission again was being experienced but this time it was Jacob who was on the receiving end. What was Leah thinking? Why was she betraying her sister in such a horrible way? Why did she deceive Jacob? She knew he loved her sister Rachel. She could have spoken up. She could have refused to marry him or at least express to her father her contempt & disapproval. She could of tried to convince her father of the wrong that he was committing. What had happened during the 7 years as she watched the romance and courtship between Jacob & Rachel? Was she envious? Resentful? Insecure? Had Leah fallen in love with Jacob from afar and would do whatever to have him?

The bible says that Leah had weak eyes but Rachel had a lovely figure and was very beautiful. Was Leah jealous of her sister Rachel? Many may speculate that she was forced to do this act of deceit by her father Laban but this is the same Laban that had asked his sister Rebekah if she wanted to marry Isaac, Jacob’s father in the past. The custom of asking the woman if she agreed to a marriage was an option. We may never know the reason, but lies were present everywhere and lies have a way of birthing horrible consequences.

The next day Jacob realized that he had made love to the wrong sister and that he was tricked in marrying Leah instead of Rachel. But the deed was done and there was no turning back. Jacob married Rachel one week later and agreed to work for Laban for another 7 years. Leah quickly realized that she was not loved. Jacob loved Rachel. Leah was now in second place. She felt unloved and rejected. She was experiencing the consequences of her actions. Leah tried to win Jacob’s love & affection by giving him many sons. But it didn’t work and Leah lived in a continual state of misery. The rivalry between the sisters was apparent and only escalated as we see things turning horribly wrong in the life of Joseph son of Jacob & Rachel. Jacob demonstrated favoritism with his son Joseph above all the other siblings.

Through and through we see God’s mercy & grace in the life of Leah, Rachel and Jacob. We see how God is a God that restores and redeems us. God does what He says He’ll do.

As for Leah, we see the consequences of the sweet little lies that she told herself to the point that she actually believed her own lies as we read in Genesis 30:15. She actually accuses Rachel of stealing her husband. Ladies, we can’t make anyone love us. We can’t force anyone to want us. We can’t scheme, manipulate, and trick anyone to marry us. We have to love ourselves enough to trust that God has a plan for our lives. When we begin to increase in faith, the joy of the Lord, knowledge of the Word, wisdom, self-love, confidence, others will see this too. When we realize who we are in Christ, we realize that we are wonderfully and fearfully made. We’ve all made mistakes. We’ve all done things that we have been ashamed of. We haven’t always been secure and confident. Sometimes this takes time.

There are always consequences to lying. Let’s not repeat the suffering of Leah. Let’s learn from her mistakes and realize that through Christ Jesus, we have been redeemed, restored, and revived. He lets us live in His presence. He no longer only speaks to a few but in Christ, He will speak to your life through the Word, dreams, sermons, and even other people in every day conversations. This is the good news of the gospel. Jesus saves and redeems us and He call us His own. We are loved, cherished, and He will NEVER leave us nor forsake us. We have the confidence in knowing that “all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose”.

Who was Rahab? In the book of Joshua chpt. 2 we read how Rahab shelters two spies of Israel and see a promise made to her. It sounds like an adventure with a heroic end; however, there was more to this story. In this story, we see God’s redemptive power, love, and that He had a plan all along. It wasn’t until I read the first chpt. in the book of Matthew that it all became clear. Rahab was one of the 5 women mentioned in the new testament in the direct bloodline/geneology of Jesus Christ of Nazereth. WHAT??? a harlot, a prostitute can be redeemed and honored in the lineage of Jesus Christ by being mentioned in the New Testament. I was in awe. Wow, I thought, how merciful, is our God. He truly is the God who redeems, restores, revives and lets us live in His presence.

Here’s a recap of the story of Rahab. Moses had died and Joshua sent 2 spies to Jericho to begin claiming the land that God had promised His people, Israel. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting sun. The 2 spies went to Jericho and entered the house of a harlot named Rahab. The King of Jericho heard news that 2 spies of Israel had entered the house of Rahab and sent word to her to bring these men.

Rahab hid the 2 spies of Israel and lied to the King of Jericho. She told them that they had left right before it was time to shut the gates of the city at dark. They believed her; however, Rahab had hid them up on the roof in stalks of flax. As soon as it was safe, Rahab went to the roof to speak to the spies. She began to speak with faith as she told them that she knew that the Lord had given Israel the land and how everyone was terrified of Israel for they heard what had happened in the Red sea when God dried up the waters so that Israel could escape from Egypt and how they destroyed the 2 kings of the Amorites (Sihon and Og). Rahab began to tell them that she and all had realized that the Lord, the God of Israel, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. She began to plea with the spies and to swear to her that as she has helped them that they spare her life and that of her household.

They agreed and they told her to tie a chord of scarlet in the window through the same window that Rahab had let the spies escape and that when it was time to attack, all who were in Rahab’s house would be saved but that anyone who was outside the doors would die. This red chord reminded me of how Israel painted the posts of the homes in Egypt and all who were inside when the angel of death came would pass over and would be saved. Now we see a red chord symbolizing the ‘blood’. Again, we see that all who were covered under the “covering”/red chord would be saved. Interesting to fast forward to the time of Jesus where all who believed in Him are covered under His blood and saved.

As we read about the walls of Jericho falling down and the triumph of Israel we also see how Rahab became a hero. She and her family lived among the Israelites safe & secure. Did God need Rahab? No, He is God. He doesn’t need anyone to help Him but He chose Rahab. He chose the spies and all the events. God was already ochestrating a divine plan in the geneology of Jesus well before He would step into the scene in the flesh as the Messiah. Rahab would intermarry and it would be through her bloodline that the Messiah would arrive. What does this mean to me. It means, God restores and renews. It means that He can change any situation. It means, He sees our actions. He sees our hearts. It means God has a special place for women. They are part of His plan. We are important. We are vital. It means that there’s not a past that He can’t forgive and restore. This story of Rahab points straight to Jesus. A redemption story.

I feel deeply encouraged in reading the story of Rahab. A courageous woman with a past who acted on faith and dared ask for protection from the true God. The God of Israel, the God who is in Heaven. I pray we may be like Rahab. That although our situation may not have been like hers, we all have a past, we have come to Christ, saved by grace, and plead for the salvation of our family.

As I was reading Matthew chpt. 1, the geneology of Jesus, I came across the names of 5 women who were mentioned in the lineage of Jesus. I thought to myself, this is not a common trend as it was usually the names of men who were mentioned. As the curiosity rose in me to follow the cookie trails, I went on a quest to read the story of Tamar, the first woman mentioned in the direct lineage of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

The story begins as we read in the book of Genesis Chpt. 38, with one of the sons of Jacob (Israel) whose name was Judah. Judah was the firstborn male of Jacob. Judah married the daughter of a canaanite man and she gave birth to Er his first born, then Onan, and lastly Shelah. Judah gave Tamar as wife to his son Er. The bible says that Er was a wicked man and that God put him to death. Tamar did not have any children with Er and as their custom ordered the next in kin would have to marry her to fulfill his duty and raise children in the name of the deceased husband.

Here’s where the situation becomes like a soap opera. Onan did not want to raise up an offspring for his brother Er, so whenever he slept with his brothers wife, he did not release his semen into Tamar so that she could become pregnant. Instead, he released his semen to the ground. Tamar was not only being used but rejected. God found this act to be wicked and put Onan to death. Judah had now lost 2 sons and Tamar still had no offspring. Judah then told Tamar to return to her fathers house and live as a widow until his son Shelah was old enough to marry. Judah was afraid that the same thing would happen to his youngest son and he had no intention of fulfilling this promise. Time passed; and Judah was not fulfilling the duty to Tamar.

Tamar was a widow who was abandoned and returned to her fathers house. At this point, Judah’s wife had died and after he grieved he went to Timnah to check on his flock with the men who were shearing his sheep. Tamar had heard that Judah was on his way so she took off her widows clothing, disguised herself by putting on a veil and sat down by the road pretending to be a prostitute. Apparently, women who covered themselves with a veil were involved in this profession of prostitution. You hid what you wanted to keep a secret.

Judah approached Tamar and thinking that she was a prostitute because she covered her face asked to sleep with her. She asked what she would get in return for her services and he offered a young goat from his flock. She asked for his seal, chord, and staff as a pledge until he brought her the animal. He agreed and Judah slept with Tamar not knowing that she was his daughter in law. Judah’s youngest son Shelah had grown up yet he did not give her his son to fulfill his duty and raise offspring for her deceased husband, Er.

Three months later, word was sent to Judah that his daughter in law was accused of prostitution and pregnant. Judah was enraged and ordered for Tamar to be burnt (kind of extreme). Tamar sent a message to Judah saying , “I am pregnant from the man who’s seal, chord, and staff this belongs.” Judah recognized that those items belonged to him and said that ‘”she was more righteous than he” for he had refused to give her his son Shelah as promised. Judah never slept with Tamar again and she was considered a ‘righteous’ woman. She did the right thing even when it was not convenient.

Tamar was carrying twins in her womb. While giving birth, one child stuck out his hand and the midwife put a scarlet string around his wrist to mark that this child came out first; however, the child withdrew his hand and the brother came out instead. He was named Perez and Zerah was the brother who had the scarlet string. (interesting side note: that many Jewish followers of the mystical Kabbalah wear a scarlet string around their wrist, any correlation?)

In analyzing the story of Tamar, we see a woman who was abandoned as a widow, rejected and humiliated by Judah’s 2nd son, Onan and returned to live in shame at her fathers home. Tamar was not seen as wicked nor immoral. She was seen as righteous for acting on her faith to fulfill the law and do the right thing even when it was not convenient. God does not abandon the widow nor orphans, His eyes are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers. He does not forget them and thus why there were strict laws to protect the widows. Tamar’s actions, however unusual considering the circumstances, demonstrated faith, action, and wisdom. Maybe this is why she found favor in the eyes of God to not only be mentioned in the Bible but through the birth of her son Perez a direct lineage was documented in the bloodline of Jesus Christ the Messiah.

Do you identify yourself with a Tamar? Though her methods were not conventional, she demonstrated faith with works. She was fearless and determined. In her story, God lets us know, that God loves women. He is the God that restores, renews, and binds up our wounds. He is full of compassion and righteousness. His ways are not always our ways but always remember God is good, He is righteous but as a consuming fire, the Bible says it is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the Living God.

Tale as old as time. I think this is every Christian parents worst nightmare. The thought that our children will stray from the Lord. The thought that they may be at risk of their salvation. As a child my parents raised us in the ways of the Lord and I am here to testify that even though I became that prodigal daughter from age 19-26, I came back home. The thought of not experiencing God’s presence in my Life and His blessings were unbearable. But what was different? I began to think to myself how did I get lost and how did I find my way back to Jesus. I began to analyze my life and I found some insight. As early as I could remember I could feel God. I could sense His presence through praise & worship, a beautiful song, and or looking at the night sky with the thousands of stars shinning bright. My parents and relatives read the Bible, taught me the Word through chats and through church sermons. I never questioned God’s existence. I questioned if it was the only way. I also realized looking back that even though I could identify when I sinned, I couldn’t tell you God’s commandments. Basically, I didn’t have the 10 commandments and those spoken in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 written in my heart and mind. I couldn’t give you examples of each. Though these must of been taught, why did I not know them? Why were they not the basic foundation of my faith next to grace and the free gift of salvation?

Since diving into the Word, I’ve had many revelations as the scriptures come to life. I can honestly say, that the Bible is the best book ever. From creation, to war, to romance, to idol & worship of gods to forbidden acts such as human sacrifice. The bible explains the life of our ancient ancestors. It talks about their struggle, their sins and redemption.

But I began to search for the answer to every parents worst nightmare. How can I reach my children so they may love the Lord & walk in His ways?  I found these in scripture: Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. Then in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart, you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your way and when you lie down and when you rise up”. Deuteronomy 11:19 “you shall teach them to your your sons,  talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up”. You see God had commanded the people of Israel to teach their children so that they wouldn’t forget God. Well, how do you forget God? The bible says  In Deuteronomy 8:11 that we forget God by not keeping His commandments. “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments…”

Interesting enough this is exactly what happened. As I read about the Judges, Kings, and Prophets, I observed that there were so many Evil children of kings, judges, and prophets. What happened? A great judge would be established and his son was evil. A great King would be established and then his son would be Evil. Great prophets and then their sons were Evil. The bible states over and over how these children who became Judges, Kings did Evil in the sight of the Lord. They had forgotten God’s commandments and did horrific things before the Lord. I saw a pattern because as observed with King David as he was a friend of God, a man after God’s heart but what happened to his son? King Solomon started out great and was gifted with wisdom; however how did he end his days? His lust for women and their customs as he built temples for their gods. You continue to read in Kings and the same story repeats itself, a good King would arise (and they weren’t many) and their children would do Evil. What happened? the Bible doesn’t go into detail of what was taught but God had given a command to teach our children. If not us, then who? Is it the responsibility of the church? no. Is it the responsibility of private Christian schools? no. God commanded us to teach our children.

And thus this is what I began to do. Each night during our nighttime prayers, I began to teach my children to memorize & recite in order the 10 commandments as written in Exodus 20.

They learned it so quickly, that it became a competition of who knew them the best.

My eldest hears them & doesn’t want to participate in our memorization activity; however, he hears it & it is taught. We can’t force our children but if they are young enough to be instructed then do so. I pray with them each night and as we start the day in the car. I teach them by example to love God not just words, to read the Word together as much as possible and to PRAY. It’s a beautiful thing to hear your words in their prayers. I pray without ceasing for God to give our children a new heart. A heart that fears the Lord & keeps the commandments. We can not live our children’s lives for them. We can’t protect them from making the same mistakes we made but we can Teach them and we can claim them under the hedge of protection as long as we walk righteously before God. I can not see the future. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I will do my best to teach my children and claim what Joshua claimed in Joshua 24:15 “..as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

 

 

 

John 3:16 has taken a whole new meaning. As Christians, we have read this scripture, memorized it, and written it on our foreheads, cheeks (Tim Tibow). But it wasn’t until recently, as I read this verse that tears just ran down my face. You see, I’ve been reading the Bible from cover to cover. I decided that I was no longer going to depend on what others taught. My salvation and my walk with God had to be personal, meaning I was going to read it myself, to study it, so like Jesus said in Matthew 24:5 “take heed that no man deceive you for many will come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many”. In Galatians 1:8 “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”    I decided that it was time to stop playing church, to stop being fed like a baby. It was time to eat spiritual food, to grow, and know personally what the Word of God had to say for our lives.

As I began to read the old testament, I began to learn about God’s chosen people. I began to learn about the covenant God made with Abraham , Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). Then I realized that I would never be part of that covenant; however, the lessons I learned were priceless. I pondered on the beautiful honor to be God’s original chosen people. The bible says, “blessed are those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse them”. However, this is not my story, nor will it ever be. Then as the scripture John 3:16 came to my mind, tears began to flow. You see, I may not be from Abraham’s bloodline nor Israel, God’s chosen people, but He did choose me.  He chose me, not my culture nor ethnicity, He chose me. The bible says He is the God that tests the hearts of man and that God sees the heart, man sees the appearance.

Then I spoke this scripture again outloud,  John 3:16 “For God so loved the World, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have ever lasting life”.  You see, God loves the World. Every single person, every single culture, and ethnicity. He is our creator. He loved the whole World that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us, to take our place. God is not a God of partiality. It doesn’t matter if you are Native American, Indian, Arabic, Jewish, Asian, Spanish, French, Italian, or black, white, yellow, red, you can be saved, redeemed, forgiven, and be called His Own. There’s only One way to the Father and that’s through Jesus Christ.

I sat crying and thinking, God chose me. He sought after my heart, he rescued me from my sin and shame. He filled me with the Holy Spirit, He redeemed Me and called me His own! I’m no longer my own but I am daughter of the King! He called me His own. He chose me, my husband, my children. He chose my parents and siblings. And He is the God who relentlessly pursues us. He puts people in our heart so that we can pray for them, He sends people our way so we can share Jesus in any way. He chose me and because He chose me, I will follow Him. Because He chose me, I will walk righteously and keep His commandments. Because He chose me, if I fall 7 times, I will get up 7 times as I repent and promise to change, because He chose me!

I don’t know about you but no one ever loved me so much that they were willing to die for me except Jesus. He did just that. In John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him”. 

Jesus said, John 14:6 ” I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goest to the Father but by Me”. Jesus isn’t Jesus because He said a few fancy words, He’s Jesus the Son of the Living God because of His works, His actions, His knowledge, His healings, His compassion, His kindness, His mercy, and that He rose from the dead with countless witnesses testifying of this. Even until this day people still can’t stop talking about Jesus. You can’t shut it up, you can’t hide it because once you know the Truth and sit in His presence, there’s no emotion that could EVER compare.

God offers salvation only through Jesus Christ. It’s free. Like that song says, you couldn’t earn it, we don’t deserve it” but if you say these words “Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God, that you died for my sins and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life. Forgive me of all my sins. Come into my heart and be my king, my Lord & Savior. I will follow you all the days of my life.” If you said these words, congratulations, you have just entered into the Fold. You are children of God, forgiven, redeemed and restored. Life is just getting interesting.