Well, Medium or Rare?

Yes, most people ask for well or medium cooked meat. I've had that in mind for the past few days...but not because I am hungry for meat. But because it makes me think of my lack of faith in SO many aspects of life.

This world is trying to take more and more control over people's life. We are trying to take more and more control over our lives. Even us Christians. I see it in the simple things. In things that are not necessarily bad or wrong, but simply a reflection of how much we are allowing the enemy - the devil - to take over our minds and hearts.

Lets put it this way: why do you ask for well cooked meat? why don't you eat the chicken from yesterday? and I will even be bold enough to ask, why do you vaccinate? - Now, your answer will most likely be the correct answer: because I do not want get sick from cow meat, or get salmonella from chicken! and Yes! because I do not want to get and even more so, spread a disease!!! Like I said, all those answers are logical, smart and correct. However, are those answers the only path you walk? do you freak out if you can't have it your way? Jesus never complaint how his food was served. I know, he did not come here to start a health care reform. But that is exactly the point! We live with TONS of fears. Some more reasonable  than others. Yet, we forget why we pray before we eat. In the Bible people pray for food in case it had been offered to other gods...and I am sure they also prayed to not get sick.

I guess what I am trying to say is: we are called to be good stewards of all the good things God has given us. That includes our health, our body, our possetions, our job and even the family He has blessed us with. This means to watch what we eat and excersice and watch that our kids don't get hurt and to be diligent at work, and to not go over the speed limit, and...and..and. You get the picture.

But we MUST be careful not to live in fear. The news of new diseases drive us crazy and we get vaccines for things that only exist in other countries that MOST likely we will never visit or will never get that disease. Seeing little kids being kidnapped or rapped will turn parents into neurotics! specially those who live in the SAFEST neighborhoods :S So many people do not leave their homes anymore...nobody knows their neighbor. All because of fears and us trying to be in control of as much as we can. We know we can't control absolutely everything, but we try to control as much as possible. Is that so wrong? YES when it starts replacing your faith in the One who died to save you. It is wrong when you leave in fear! Even more so when you live in denial of that fear!!

I am not saying that you should not get the shots that you need, or that you should only eat sushi. Not at all. what I am saying is relax, pray, be wise and careful. Do not try to control everything, trust a little more. Let go of your fears.

I must admit, and I believe I have mentioned it in past posts.
Before coming to the USA the only fear about pregnancy I had was giving birth...it will hurt. A lot!. Once here, I noticed how afraid people are of miscarriages. Not that it is not something scary, hurtful and hard to experience. It is 100%. But where I come from, it doesn't happen very often. In fact, I didn't know of any case at all that had not been caused by a mistake of the mother (like carrying a heavy weight for instance). Therefore, that fear was non existing in me.
After hearing so many women talk about it and mourn for so long, it finally got me. It was always on my mind and even when we were just trying to get pregnant, I was scared to death of what could happen. Once I got pregnant, I went on to tell everyone as I would in Peru, right after I find out. I thought that would make the fear go away. It didn't. It made it worst becasue people started asking if we were going to wait to tell more people. That made me even more afraid. I do not know the science behind the why it happens more to American women than to Latinas...I simply know that's how it is. But the fear took over me. I started praying every day for it not to happen. I thought about it every single day. Then, I spoke with my mom and explained to her the cultural differences and of course she was in shock to hear that. She encouraged me not to worry about it, that it would not happen. Yet, that did not take all the fear away. I realized what was going on. Satan had taken over me and was telling me that I myself needed to take control over it and live in fear. I just couldn't believe my mind. I was falling pray of his lies. That "yeah, god loves me but I have to do everything I can to control my life and be safe". The final word from God came through a woman who had had 5 miscarriages. She told her daughter to tell me to not even think about it. Do not live in fear. The baby needs a possitive mommy to grow strong. That was it. Somebody who had gone through it was brave and strong and encouraged me to NOT EVEN THINK about it. Which is how I had lived my life before. Just leaving the unknown to the Lord to take care of, and do my part....my tiny, faithful part.

I am only 8 weeks now and still VERY green let me tell you! ha!. Yet, I do not fear what could happen. I know whatever it is, God will be controlling it, not me. I choose to live and walk by faith in the name of Jesus Christ, who died for me on the cross so that I can have eternal life and be forgiven of my sins.

Life on this earth is not perfect. We get sick, we get fired, our house is flooded, people die, and babies are born or not. God gave us free will. It is up to us to choose to truly trust Him. It is up to us to hand him over the control of our lives. It is up to us to walk by faith. It is up to us to whether have it Well, Medium or Rare.

[Some added explanation of the blog. I never meant for it  to be insensitive or offensive to those who have lost a little angel:

Like I mentioned on the blog: "Not that it is not something scary, hurtful and hard to experience. It is 100%." With that I was stating that it is a hard thing to go through. I did not mean to diminish the harship of it at all. From family members who have had more than two loses I know it was not easy. I also mentioned a woman who had 5. She is a pastor's wife, of course I don't believe she didn't trust. Iknow she did. But my blog was going beyond all that. I talk only about how I and I alone felt about it and the fear it brough on me. I had just read blogs from other women who had lost a child and, to my opinion they were not handling it well. Their blogs didn't show much trust. I did not mean that it was mother's fault to lose the baby either.

The blog was meant for trusting God in everything and knowing that everything that happens in my life is for a reason and that God never left me. It is ok to mourn, be sad, even be angry for a while...but from what I had seen (that is my view of others) it was scary and few talked about the trust that we have in God in spite if the suffering.

 

at all times I am talking about my desicions and feelings and what I had learned and how talking to this woman who had had the loses encouraged me to not be afraid.

I am deeply sorry if you in any way shape or form felt that I was being insensitive towards you. That was not my goal. It was totally the opposite.

Believe that , many times after what happened to someone close to me I even prayed to go through the same thing so that I could say that I 100% understood you. and when we got pregnant, I understood a little bit but it would never be the same. that why I do not say how people should or shouldn't feel about it. I have no right to say that because I have not experienced it myself. and even if I had, everybody is different. But the blog was more about the fears before it happens.

I know it was not very smart to pray for something like that...yet, God allows hurtful things to happen in our lives, not because that is his will for us, but because He knows that it will help us grow closer to him and in the case of couples, to each other. Problems in our lives are never God's will for us but He is the one who allows them to happen for a better outcome. Gold can only be as shiny and beautiful after it is put through fire. I am sure that was one of the many purposes of your little angel's life with you and his/her leaving you so soon. His/Her loss was the fire God used to turn you into gold.]
Next time, I may go with Medium Well, just to be safe (lol).

Flop.

Second Round of tests!!

So Jon was over with his second round of exams last week. This time he was a bit more nervous and truly felt the weight of the material that he needed to learn. Every day he came back home feeling completely brain-drained. I was so proud of him though for keeping  up the good work.

On my end it wasn't awful. I tried to keep my self busy and the excitement of a weekend with the family in Stevens Point was my light at the end of the tunnel!!

The weekend was quite eventful. A lot of unexpected situations, but it was great to see family and talk about life with them. Jon's bioChem, Cell bio, Epidemiology, etc were not the only tests taking place. I took a pregnancy test and: I am pregnant! I am 5 weeks and very excited. I guess that would be like getting a A! I know it is soon and that most people don't like to share this until after their first trimester...however I am all about the opposite. I think sharing is good because that way I can have a whole army of prayer warriors behind me and the baby's well being. So yes. I ask you to please pray for us and that everything goes well. I too believe that if something were to go wrong, I will already have you all praying for us and be of emotional support. The bible calls the church the body of Christ. We all function better when we work together. So anyways, REJOICE! God is with us through all circumstances. In Him I trust....but yes, we are super excited and wanting to jump up and down all day! :P (there are some people we haven't told yet that we hope to get to soon!)

Now we are back home and more relaxed. We are looking forward to Thanksgivings and more time with family and the dogs!!! :) We also got a bigger cat cage for Leo and Roswell. They love it!!! it is big enough for both of them to sleep in it. It was so nice to drive back to Middleton without the constant and loud "MEOW!"

Also on a very happy note, Jon got 100% on his BioChem exam!! :) we were very excited!! Praise the Lord for He was with Jon reminding him of everything he had studied!:)

Anyways, I am sorry I am not writing as often. My computer isn't working and Jon has his all day at school. It is kind of tough to be inspired just in the two hours that I have the computer at night. Specially when I rather spend more time with my husband than sitting in front of the computer gathering all my new knowledge and thoughts of the day. I can't promise I will write again soon, but I sure I hope!!


love,

Flor.

Do NOT sympathize. Encourage!

Many women LOVE to be told "I know how you feel" or have people reassure them that what they are going through "is tough". It may be the case many times. And it does feel good to have someone understand what you are going through and agree with you on the difficulty of the matter. Sometimes we need that.

However, more than often it causes more harm than help. If done the wrong way. That is: "Oh gosh! I know what you mean. It is hard, people don't understand. The same happened to me when Sussy asked me to do all this things on top of taking care of my children and keeping the house clean. - I know it must be awful! who does these people think they are to tell you what to do? - They are wrong and can not ask so much from you! - You don't need to show excitement when you see them if you really didn't want to go there on the first place." You can add more of the same. I have used many of those lines and many more thousand times.

We tend to see things first with our feelings and then with reason (if lucky!). As Christians, we make the same mistakes. We see with our worldly eyes that tell us that "we deserve better".  Our worldly eyes (and hearts of flesh) keep saying that we do not need advice, that we know it all - and if not, we can figure it out by playing martyr on "how tough it is"(you may not even realize that that is what you are doing).

I am not denying the difficulty of life and different circumstances. I know there are things and stages in life that are harder than others and that we feel overwhelmed. But that is why we have Jesus!! our godly eyes should take us back to the cross!! THAT WAS TOUGH!!! Jesus was the only one who "deserved better". He was the only one who did not have to smile if he did not want to. He was the one who did not need ANY kind of advice. He was the only one who could figure things out on his own!! He was the real martyr. YET, he did not behave as such. He was surrounded by people- He did not have his "personal space" or "privacy". He did not hesitate to smile and hug others. He showed loved 24/7. He obeyed his mother and I am sure he listened to her advice (which, she being a woman, she inevitability might have given him some!). He was a martyr and yet did not behave or thought of himself as such.

As wives many times we can be dangerous to our husbands if we are not careful. We can sympathize too much. Maybe your husband doesn't like the people in your small group and wants to leave because of that. Well, that is his given earthly right. You do not have to hang out with people you do not enjoy being around. However, we need to be wise and encourage him to look inside his heart and find why he doesn't like them. Make him think about his attitudes. Maybe he hasn't even tried to start a conversation with that person(s). How can he not like somebody he doesn't really know? Avoid speaking against people he doesn't like. In fact, speak kindly of them. Help him look at them through Jesus' eyes. I am sure Jesus could have found MANY excuses not to like somebody.

Maybe your husband is holding grudges against somebody. Maybe against his boss, his parents, his siblings, the neighbor. I don't know. The bible encourages us to step forward and forgive or ask for forgiveness, even when it is NOT our fault. Do not sympathize with your husband, encourage him to seek reconciliation. It may take that you go with him as moral support. Encourage him to talk about those things. Guys can be very stubborn and try to "just forget about it". That is pride mixed with cowardice. Encourage him with loving words, do not keep saying "I know it is hard". You already said it many times, and he knows it very well. Help him gather the strength instead and face it.

Last but not least, do not just encourage him with words, do it with your actions. Show him that it is not the end of the world. Life goes on. Everybody has problems, but he has Jesus! Love him dearly. Pray for him, pray with him. Encourage him!!

F.S.

Just one question: what can I do for you today?

I would like to help you in any way I possibly can. It may be with prayers only, a listening ear or something practical I can do for you. I may not be able to help you exactly in the way you want me to, but you never know. You might be surprised. If you dont ask, how will you get? Leave pride aside. We all need something. Allow me to pass on to you the blessings God has given me. Not gold or silver, but of what I have I want to give you.

F.S

Blessed Weekend.

It continues to amaze me how faithful God's word is.
So I am still finishing the book "Created to be His Help Meet" by Debi Pearl. I absolutely love it. I am also being more disciplined with my quiet times. I am reading the bible from Genesis-Revelations and I am on Numbers by now. At the same time I am reading Proverbs. God speaks to me through those three different readings.

I have been learning to be the wife God created me to be. Battling each day to submit, respect, love, encourage and of course, help Jon. I am learning to find my joy in Christ and in fulfilling the wonderful role He has given me. Part of that role ( in this time in our lives) is to support and encourage Jon in his studies (for the new readers, my husband is in medical school). As easy as it sounds, I must say it is not!

School takes up a lot of his time. It is not like a job where once your day is over there is no homework to bring home. Jon gets home around 5 for dinner and around 7 he is back with his books in the other room till 9:30 on regular days and 11:30 during exams. That makes him tire or so overwhelmed that he just wants to sleep or watch tv - anything but talk.

I complain a lot. Or at least I used to. Among the things I have been learning is to truly be that suitable helper that Jon needs. To have food ready when he gets home (or almost!). To get up in the morning and at least put his cereal in a bowl with milk and make his coffee. I try not to be an extra load on his shoulders by being "needy". I need him, yes! and he knows that. But being a nagging wife will not give me quality time with him. I fact, it will make him waste time arguing with me and the spend more time trying to get his studying done! So I decided to, once again, listen to my Lord and Savior and believe in Him. I decided to seek God's attention, not Jon's. I decided to be Jon's help meet.

Funny enough, Jon has been more caring than usual and is getting most of his studying done at school so that when he comes home he only spends an extra half hour to an hour reading and then is free to spend time with me. Last weekend, he went to school on Saturday morning and when he came back home around 6 he was ALL MINE! we went out for a walk to the park and sat down under the moon light and talked our hearts away! :) It was so much fun to have my best friend back! Then on Sunday after church we went for a hike and had lunch out. We talked the whole time. I even had an opportunity to put my respect in practice when he did something I thought was inappropriate but it was just a guys thing. We wives sometimes treat our husbands like children and with our nagging tell them that they are "not mature enough" or "men don't know how raise children because they are a bad example". I did it that day and almost ruined our happy hiking. God reminded me though to show Jon some respect and let him lead me. Jon is VERY forgiving, so he forgave me when I asked for it. After that, I realized how blessed I was. I am. God's word is faithful. I was the wife He created me to be, and he blessed me with free time to spend with my husband.

F.S.

What is your Idol?

So this week at church we are doing the study on Idolatry.
It has been great, specially after spending the weekend with family in IL, and suffering the loss of my grandma on that same weekend.

I have many idols. Just like you. It sometimes presents itself as work, friendships, desire for control, power, beauty, comfort, approval, etc. But among those idols I have found out that family was one of them too.
One of my worst nightmares is to loose a family member. Now, many of you probably have experienced that. I have, more than once. It is hard. We cry, we are sad and depressed, we get scared easily and overprotect. That is all OK. And it is NOT.

It is OK because God created us with feelings and emotions. He, more than anybody knows and understands suffering. Jesus too wept. However, He moved on and refocused on what is ahead, forgetting what was left behind. He looked at the Father again. That is what the Lord wants us to do. Any loss in this world does not mean life can not go on. Any loss that we suffer in this life does not mean we can no longer rejoice and live. When something holds us back...whatever it is, then it is because we have placed that in the throne of our hearts and we are saying that Jesus is not enough. It becomes our idol because our life and feelings depend on it.

What about the family that is still alive? well, they too can be our idol when our world revolves around them. Many times I did not want to make plans until I knew I would be able to spend a great part of my day with my husband. I love him and could not picture my life without him. I know I would not want to live if something happened to him. However, that means I am making him my idol. Everything I said is true and even sounds noble and faithful. But I am not called to be noble and faithful to my husband more than I have to be to my Savior and Lord. My worst nightmare should not be loosing a family member. It should be spending eternity separated from God. Easier said than done. I know.

 The problem is that if we do not take this seriously, little by little, things/people other than Jesus will be sitting on the throne of our hearts. We if don't stop and ask the Lord to examine our hearts and show us if there is any wicked ways (Psalm 139:23-24), then it will catch us unguarded. An idol is not only made of wood. It doesn't take one night  to turn our spouse, children, parents, or anything into our idols. The devil is smart, he knows our weaknesses. He is the father of lies. Therefore, he will know how to trick us into sin. He does it every day. It is up to us, in our free will, to choose who to listen to: The devil or Our Savior, God.

I encourage you to stop and examine your own heart. Be honest with yourself. Pray for God to show you if there is anything wicked in your heart. It may seem as a noble thing, but remember that what looks good to this world, doesn't always look good before God. And finally, I encourage you  to find an accountability partner outside of your spouse (if you are married) or boyfriend. Sometimes the people who love us most are also blinded and can't see our sins.

May the Lord God Almighty be your everything. May you be found righteous before Him, not men.

Love,

FS.

First Round of Tests.

So this past week was Jon's first round of tests. Two on Monday and two on Wednesday.
Before that, I thought he was already studying a lot and I saw him very little.
Well, I was wrong. The week before his tests, I only saw him at dinner time (two hours at the most)
and when we were going to bed (probably an hour before we both fell asleep!).
During the exams week was the same.

Man! and the first year is supposed to be easy! ha! Anyways, it was intense and not being able to work, just imagine how bored I was at times. I would read, go grocery shopping, go to the library, watch some TV, clean the house, go to Bible study, make dinner, and still have way too much time in my hands to spare. Not that it is much different when Jon is home, but at least when he is I have somebody to talk to...or pick up after! lol.

Although his last test was yesterday, he is still studying. That is OK, I know that's what he needs to do in order to succeed in med-school. I am so proud of my husband. He works hard. I am also glad that God has been teaching me to be a better wife.

It isn't easy, in fact, when I think I've got the hang of it, I hit a wall and start being disrespectful towards Jon again. Not by yelling or embarrassing him in front of other. I simply do it with my attitudes. Sometimes I want to punch him! yell at him and tell him all that he is doing wrong. But God in his grace reminds me of His love for me. God reminds me that I am worst than Jon. I do the same exact things to my creator. I bet the Lord many times just wants to yell at me and embarrass me in front of the whole world! But He doesn't. He loves me and forgives me...in fact He even blesses me!

God also reminds me of what He create me for: To be Jon's help meet. Honestly women, we have the toughest job of all. I seriously disagree with you if you think God and the Bible refer to women as inferior or of less worth or less capable! Our job is what keeps this world rolling! the results of our being or not being supportive of our husbands and raising our children or leaving the home will be seen in the next generation. God created us to be that suitable helper our husbands need. It is such a privilege! and such a blessing and joy when we truly live up the role God gave us.

Honestly, I used to be against all that submission and respect and the women be quiet, etc etc etc. But I realize now how many women fight and fight for their "rights" and to be treated as equal as men. They won't respect their husbands, they will look negatively upon men in authority, etc. In exchange of what? to prove something God never denied? that women are as capable, worthy, smart and loved as men are? To prove that they can? OK. Well, prove it. Then what? you are still empty, you are still stressed out, you are not beautiful anymore to men because of your attitudes, you are just a bossy woman who no one can stand. Even more so, you are going against God's heavenly plans for you.

The main reason why I want to submit to my husband and respect him and have him as the head leader of our home is not because I don't think I can do it myself. It is not because I think he is a great husband. It is not because Jon deserves it. I respect my husband and do what the Bible tells me to do because that is what God's heart wants for and from me. I do it because I want to please my God, Lord and Savior. God accepted me just the way I am. Jesus died crucified and humiliated for me. That was my place on the cross. I was supposed to be the one beaten and nailed to a piece of wood. However, God's mercy and grace go beyond our understanding. He loved me (and you) first. He forgives me (and you) over and over and over again. He wants nothing but the best for me...and for you. He did all of that for you and me. Why wouldn't I out of love to my Savior, out of gratefulness to Jesus obey his command of submission and respect to my husband?  I don't care what the world tells me, I don't care if they think being meek and quiet before my husband is a weakness. I know it is not. I only care about what Christ thinks of me. As long as I rejoice in obeying my God, I know I will find true meaning, true worth, true beauty, in Jesus.

I challenge you to think about this and examine your life. Are you worried about pleasing yourself? others? or He who gave his life for you?

With love,
FS.

Created to be His Help Meet. be His Help Meet.

I am reading the book "created to be his help meet" by Debi Pearl.
I absolutely love it.
The book is to encourage women to live up the role that God created us for:
To be our husband's suitable helper.
The book goes in depth of what that means and how women of this age and time
go against what God's plan and order.
For many women, the book will be an insult and rated as sexist,
(even though it is a women who writes it),
for others it may be a challenge to truly seek and follow God's commands
and live up to what he created us for.

I really do not want to say much on this post of what Mrs. Pearl writes about
because I do not have the time or space (and it is against copyrights) to write everything that is on the book. However, I highly recommend the book.
I too, highly recommend that if you decide to read it, do so with a learning heart,
willing to let God speak to you, and with humility.
Do not let the strong words or concepts that don't seem "acceptable" to your
political, self-righteous, feminist ways force you to stop the reading before finishing it all.
The first step towards blindness is not wanting to see.
Unwise is a heart that refuses to learn from others.
It is good to have a critical way of thinking but not to the point of approaching lessons with an already closed mind and closed heart for God to speak to.

I do not ask that you agree with every single word,
but at least pray about it, give it a chance to finish what she has to say.
More than anything, don't let this world's point of view keep you
from experiencing the joy and fulfillment that God has in store for you and your marriage.

I'd lovd to hear your thoughts on the book.
He is good, all the time!! He knows best.

FS.

PS: I am trying to get a group of married women (or women contemplating marriage) to read this book together and study God's word with it. If you are in the Madison/Middleton area let me know if you are interested in joining me. We can learn and discover God's will for wives together!

Update

It has been a month since Jon started Med school.
Like most transitions it was not easy at the beginning. However, now things are starting to take shape
and life is not as miserable! ha! Changes are always hard, but we have made it this far.
He has been able to make a few friends. They are really nice and although from different backgrounds, they have some things in common - besides medical school. Only one of them is married with Children. His kids are adorable. We all went out for dinner last night. It was fun to see them all at the same time and hang out. Although it was mostly the guys talking about med-school, I think we all had a good time. It was just nice to not have them locked in studying all day.

As for me, I am in a bible study at church with the women's ministry on Tuesdays. Jon will come with me on Sundays to the small groups. Hopefully I will make some friends there. It is still hard to make friends. I am glad I have Lani as one, however the fact that she has two wonderful boys and home-schools them takes most of her time. Therefore, I am alone. Sometimes I think I ask for too much in a friend. It is just too difficult for me to actually feel someone is my friend. I hate shallow relationships. It may be cultural, it may be my personality. Nevertheless, I am not as discouraged as before. I have come to understand that God wants me to learn to make Him my best friend before he gives me an earthly best friend. He has given me some in the past...however, the distance and lack of mutual interest on making the friendship a lasting and real one has gotten in the way many times. It is my prayer that my heart will only rely on Jesus and make Him my joy, refuge, my accountability partner, my best friend.

I have also started as a volunteer tutor at the High school. The first day my student did not show up. HA! not really surprised. But I am hopeful for next time. I am excited about this. I will be able to pray for my student and develop a relationship. I know the Lord has me in Middleton for a reason I can't work yet, but I can volunteer like crazy! ha. I have lots of time to pray and develop relationships in which I can shine the light of Jesus. I believe God will use this time to shape me and bless people around me. Here I am. Available. And even when I am busy, I am always available.

This Sunday is Jon's white coat ceremony. Official start for first year medical students. Exciting! :) His parents will come. It will be an emotional day. I am so proud of my husband. God will use him (he is using him already with all his friends) in mighty ways!

Well, that's it for now. I am using Jon's computer. Mine died. That's why I can't write as often :( Hopefully it will be fixed soon.

F.S.

Refuel

What happens when a car is running out of gas? we go to the gas station and fill it up again. Why? because otherwise the car will not work, it will not turn on and take you where you need to go.

 Cars even have a light that turns on before we run out of gas completely. It is indicating, giving us a hint, a flashing light that tells us "We need to refuel!". The same happens in our lives. We sometimes are trying to go on "empty".

What happens if we ignore that light? we will eventually run out of gas and the car will stop in the middle of no where, with no gas station for miles! If we are lucky, somebody else will drive by and stop to help us.

How many times do you wait for the car of life to finally stop running before you go to fill up your tank again? I almost always do that. I forget that I need Jesus as much as a car needs fuel (or electricity for my "green" friends) to work. Either way, it needs some sort of energy or power for it to work correctly. That to us, is Jesus. We need to seek him, spend time with him in prayer, bible reading, meditation and worship! Without him, we will be empty.

Cars also need oil, heating and cooling system, a good cleaning and good tires. That can be translated into fellowship, small group, prayer time, Sunday worship, a good sermon, counseling, bible study. If we don't seek to know more about Jesus we simply fail. If we don't know Jesus, our car will simply not work.

I know it is hard to be discipline. I can almost never get up in the morning and make devotional time a priority. There is always something distracting me...and I allow that distraction to pull me away from God. Like most people would say, "I am not a bad person", however, rejecting Jesus with my distractions, or by not making HIM my priority makes me a really bad person.  It is a daily struggle. We all forget that the car needs to have the oil changed! we go weeks without a good car wash! We are only humans. God understands that, that's why because of his mercies we are not consumed!

Nevertheless, sooner or later we will need to refuel, to wash the car or have the oil changed. We need to go back to Him, we need to have fellowship with other Christians, we need to get in the word and pray. We need to truly seek Him and worship Him. Otherwise, we will be tossed away. We will end up in a car junk yard.

So seek Him. Know Him. He is waiting for you. He wants to love you. Go refuel. The light is blinking. "Empty"

F.S.

"It's the government's fault"

Have you ever seen the movie "Faith Like Potatoes"? It is not the greatest movie - however, I strongly recommend it. It is set in Southern Africa. A Scottish man and his family were farmers there. Then he becomes a Christian. Many things happen that are very touchy but I won't tell you so that you watch the movie. However, I mention this movie because of one particular message. It is used in the movie directly from the Bible:

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chr. 7:14 (emphasis added).

Ever since I watched that movie I've had that verse in  my mind. Not that I did not know about it, but today more ever it should be a reality in our lives. In my life.
We are very quick to critizise and complain. When it is about politicians and presidents we always have something to say. Not necessarily positive. God commands us to respect our authorities:

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." Rom. 13:1-2

Now, most of us have no problems following the law and being a good citizen. However, It goes farther than stopping at a red light. Timothy encourages us to pray for our authorities:

"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³ This is good, and pleases God our Savior," Tim. 2:1-3 (emphasis added)

YES! this includes that governor that you don't like. YES, it includes the president and everyone in office. YES, it includes every person holding some sort of authority in the country. We need to pray for our countries. We need to humble ourselves and pray for wisdom and humble hearts for our authorities. I titled this post "It's the government's fault" because that is what we say when we complain and critizise what they do. However, I believe that now, more than ever the phrase should say "It's OUR fault". Why? because how many times do we pray for our president? how many times do we give thanks for our brave firemen or policemen? how many times do we ask for wisdom for our congressmen? Or even pray for the guys at the DMV? (I know, they are always rude!).

You may pray for them to pass a bill that you agree with. You may pray for them to be recalled. However, that is not the prayer God is waiting for. Pray for their safety. Pray for God's wisdom in making decisions. Pray for justice to be done. Pray for forgiveness. Pray for them to seek after the country's long lasting well being, not just a momentary solution that fills their pockets with our money. Pray for real freedom. Pray for a country that glorifies God. Pray for things that matter. Things that will last. Finally, pray for God's grace and mercy and blessing to be with us.

Lets humble ourselves and pray for God to heal our land. Lets pray for our authorities.
F.S.

It's been a while.

It has been a long time since I last wrote. I'm sorry, I've been busy.
Many things have happened since I last wrote.
We moved to Madison, we went on our anniversary trip to New York,
We came back to Stevens Point only for a weekend - we stayed the whole week.
A big storm hit us last night, it was awesome! but it was sad when it went away.
Trees are all over the place. On the roads, on roofs, and of course: electricity cables.
The power was gone for approximately 20 hours. But we survived.

I love storms. I know  they are dangerous and can be deadly at times.
However, they remind me of God's voice. Not that I have ever heard it like I hear others.
It reminds me of Exodus when Moses had the people listen to God's voice.
They said it was like thunder or worse. Very powerful. That is our God.
He is gentle and refreshes us like the wind does. But He is also VERY powerful.
Storms are nothing to compare with, but they give us a glimps of His majesty.

Nature's power are only an example of Him who is Lord over it.
I know God's intentions are ALWAYS in our best interest. Everything that happens
has gone before Him first. Sometimes he allows certain things to happen.
Not always because of our sin. Although sometimes that is the reason.
Every action has a consequence. However, sometimes it's only to bring us closer to Him.
Last night's storm had that purpose for me. It made me turn my eyes and prayers to Him.
It reminded me of his voice. His power, His love. We were under his protecting wing.

Flor.

The End of The First Chapter of Married Life.

Today is Jon's last day at work. He is very excited about that because it means no more pissed off people yelling at him for what is not his fault! and also means that our new adventure starts.

We will be moving to Madison on Tuesday and our new chapter in life will begin.
We are very excited about it. It will be a new neighborhood, with new neighbors of course. New school for both of us. New church, new friends, new environment, new people, new everything!! 

Although it sounds a bit scary - every change in life brings a little bit of fear with it - it also sounds promising. God is faithful to us -all the time! We know he is preparing new relationships for us. New experiences, new ways to bring us closer to Him. It is my prayer that we grow wiser and closer to Jesus. I pray that we keep our eyes open and are able to see what God will show us. I pray that our lives are a living testimony of  the love of Christ to all the people in Madison. Specially in our building.

I am hoping to break out of my comfort zone and be more intentional and open minded in order to make friends. As I have mentioned before, that has been my biggest struggle here in Steven Point. I was talking to Jon this morning, we have very few "friends". We both can count them in one hand, literally. We have lots of "acquaintances". That is not awful. They are all nice people, and we know we could have done more to move to the "friends" level. However, we didn't. I could give the excuse that they didn't try that much either. However, it is not my duty to change everybody else. It my job to be more like Christ, even when I think that people around me are not so much some times. Plus, I am not that special to have everyone want to be my BFF! ha!. Anyway, in spite of our struggle to find  or show ourselves more friendly or social, we had a great time living is Stevens Point. We love each and everyone of the people God put in our lives. We will miss them all. They all will hold a special place in our hearts wherever we go. It sounds more dramatic than it should, since we are only moving an hour and 40 minutes away! But I know this culture! We probably won't see them very often! It will feel as we moved to Texas!

We will also miss the church. Pastor Brian Berg is fabulous! we love listening to his sermons. God has really gifted him and blessed Woodlands church with him. We hope and pray to find a church with such wonderful teachings. Although I was not part of the women's ministries here, every time I went to their meetings or events, I always felt welcomed and loved. I hope and pray that I will find a church with a women's ministry where Christ love is present as well. I also hope and pray for God's direction on what ministry He wants me to serve in.  Although we really loved going to Woodlands and felt blessed to serve there, we will be looking for a smaller size church. We would like to be involved and be more connected to the people. We hope to actually meet everyone there! :)

As for the family, we will miss them too. We are very thankful to God that we are moving close enough to come visit often. And they can also come down to visit us. It was very smart to get a two bedroom apartment, that way they can spend a weekend with us! :)

Oh Lord! you are SO good to us! I praise you for simply being God. All the good and bad things we have gone through this first year of marriage have not escaped from you. You are God when there is a flood, you are God when there is drought. You are God when there is health, you are God when there is sickness. You are God all the time. Please be with us, never leave us.

Flor.

Out for a walk

So after Jon's long nap we went out for a walk on the green circle. A beautiful sunset and lost of ducks crazy for a piece of bread! 

 

It will be hard having to leave such a great community. We have been blessed by living in Stevens Point. It will be a bitter-sweet experience having to move to Madison. However, we know that God's plans for us are always good and his desire for us is nothing but the best! We will enjoy our last days in
SP and look forward to what God has in store for us in Madison

Life

Today I remembered that I am a sinner.
Yes, I you read right.
I guess sometimes,
when my temper and attitude are the correct ones,
I forget that I am a sinner.
Sometimes I even think I am "a good person".
I may be sometimes, just by the grace of God
working in me through the Holy spirit.
But truly, honestly and deep inside me, I am not.
I am a sinner. I complain, I get mad, I reject, I deny the truth.

When I start believing that I am in the land of the living,
moving towards the land of the dying; is then, when I fail.
I start behaving as if I deserved things.
I behave as if my treasures were in  this world.
When I start believing that things "should be this way" or
"I should have this or that", my heart goes empty again.
Because nothing in this life will be able to fill my heart with Joy.
Nothing in this world will make me completely happy.
Everything is temporary. Nothing belongs to me forever.
Everything will pass, even my husband, even myself.
But not Jesus.
He is everything I need, everything I want, everything I have
and He will never pass. He is here forever. He is with me forever.
He is my treasure.
He is everlasting.
He is my joy.

Lord, take my heart in your hands.
Help me let go of everything this world has to offer me.
Help me hold on to you, forever.
Be my treasure.
Be my joy.
Be my everything.

Moving!

So we finally moved our first load to the new apartment in Madison. It was fun. Aunt Linda, grandma Lois and Joy came along. They were rewarded with Peruvian food from "Inka Heritage". ooOOOooH! I love my food! :) Here are a few pictures of the moving.

Isaiah 1

This are just the thoughts on my reading of Isaiah 1. I am reading it with a friend and we comment on what God spoke to our hearts through the reading. Enjoy!

This chapter was an eye opener in many ways.
My first stop was in verse 3, almost at the end when God calls them "my people".

At all times, the Lord shows that he cares for and loves us with the many names that he calls us. I remember to have read somewhere in the new testament when he calls us "my loved children" or something like that. I had to stop reading because I was crying my eyes out. He is so loving and sometimes even romantic. All this in spite of our unfaithfulness.

But as we continue reading, We find out what a sinful nation Israel was (and still is). Verse 4b says: "they have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him." this fills my heart with anger. I am also reading the Bible from the beginning and I'm going through Exodus. It is such an eye opener. Such a great way to remind me that I am so many times like Israel. I mean, in both readings my heart wishes I could go back in time and tell them to not be so stupid!! God showed himself to them in amazing ways, with wonderful miracles and they had the guts to complain! and wish they were back in Egypt, where at least they had food and a bed. How heart breaking is that?! and yet, God is telling me, Flor Slezak, that many times I am the same. I complain, I am a sinful nation that forsakes the Lord and turn my back on him. With my action, or lack there of! my attitudes and behavior.

As I continued reading I stopped again at verse 9. "Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah." I see God's mercy. Matthew 5:45b says: "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." And that is true, but his mercies are everlasting. And In this case, because of the little good ones, his mighty hand did not destroy them. The Lord gives us many chances to choose him. Jumping to verse 19 where it says "If you are willing and obedient". So it is a matter of us wanting to follow him. Being obedient to him and not our own flesh or people around us.

On verses from 11-13. "stop bringing meaningless offerings!" We can get so caught up in "christian activities" "doing this for the Lord or doing that for Lord", "being involved in church and ministries" or even making promises to God. Not that all that is bad. Gosh no!, but when our heart forgets Him for whom we are doing all this, then it all becomes meaningless. Most religions ask us "TO DO" things in order to make the gods happy and receive blessings. Jesus asks us "TO BE" regardless of what we will receive. Specially in this world. We are not from this world, our treasures should be in heaven, with our father. Our hearts should love God more than what God can do for us. Not just the God of mercy, not just the God of love, but just THE GOD.

This chapter makes me think of my own life as well as our countries. Nations that could be blessed beyond believe and that could serve God with all their heart. But many times we choose not to. Our silver becomes dross and our choice wine is diluted with water. Our rulers are rebels, conpanions of thieves, they all love brides and chase after gifts. And so do we. So do I. God is calling us to come back to him, to choose him. To be willing and obedient.

Flor.

Crossing the Sea

Life always presents itself with some sort of challenge.
We are servants of our own fears and doubts.
Many times we resign to stay that way, because it is "safe".
However, whenever we have the chance, we pray.
We pray for freedom from fear, freedom from doubts of our future.
Like a friend put it:
we pray to get to the mountain top without having to climb it at all.
If we put our trust in the Lord, it is gone as soon as trouble comes knocking at our door.

It is our hearts desire to be free.
It is our hearts desire to succeed, to be valued, to be loved, to be respected.
But we don't want to walk through the desert.
Every step we take, we look back.
Back to where, although we were despised and forced to work hard for such a little reward,
at least it was not as hot as the desert.
At least we were not being chased - Although we were already captives.
On our way to liberty, when trouble comes, we fear
and complain for being taken out of our comfort zone
(which wasn't that comfortable in the first place).
We turn our backs to God because the pathway to freedom is hard
and things are not given to us in a silver platter.

We tend to look at trials as God's flaws when in reality
it is there where his mighty hand performs the greatest miracles.
In our weakness, He is stronger.
Every attempt of the enemy to make us fall is an opportunity
for God's glory to be shown and his power to shine.

The Lord will never leave us wandering in the desert forever.
He will take down our enemies if we trust him.
He is our provision, He is our protector, He is with us.
He will help us cross the sea. No matter how big it is.
He will make our enemies drown in it.
He will bring deliverance. 

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

Does Prayer help?

I came across a blog of a mormon family. Under one of their postings a girl asked if prayer helped. She mentioned that she used to believe in God, but did not anymore because prayer did not help. I would like to answer her question (does prayer help?) with a blog.

God tells us many times in the bible that if we ask we will receive. He promises to provide for us. Even the authors of books write prayers asking God to not forget about them, to answer soon. We even find Jesus praying (that is what he did every night!). But we often forget that God's answers to our prayers will be according to his will for us. That they will have God's great intentions and plans for our lives. The answer will not necessarily be in the way, shape or form that WE want it. God is not impulsive. He is not careless or irresponsible. He will not just answer for the sake of answering and getting us off his back. He will never give us something that he knows is not the best for us. He will never give us something that will cause harm, hurt or separation from him. Another thing is that God's answer may not only be a YES or a No, it may also be a WAIT. That means it may be a yes, but not yet. The Lord's timing is different than ours. He sees the big picture. We don't. The Lord knows our heart better than we do. He knows our intentions, he knows our desires, he knows our dreams, he knows what bother us, he knows what we cry for at night, he knows what bring us joy.

The LORD says:"For I know the plans I have for  you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you" declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,"declares the Lord, "and will bring  you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

 

He always answers. Prayer always helps. It may not be in the way we want it to, but it always does. I guess it is important to understand that God is not a ATM machine that gives you what you want when you want it. He is not Santa Claus that only gives us presents when we are "good kids" (there is no "good" man in this world). He is not a genie in a bottle that will grant us every single selfish desire that we have. He may even say no to the most "noble" prayers that we can say. Because God is not after nobility or humbleness, not even sacrifice! He is after obedience and trust! trust that He is God the Almighty! trust that He is your Joy! trust that He knows best! Obedience in following Jesus' words, Obedience in living a life according to his will. Obedience in prayer, worship, fellowship with other Christians, service, loving him first, your neighbor second. Obedience in seeking him, longing to know him more everyday. Prayer always helps. It helps in ways that go beyond our understanding, but if we obey and trust, we will see the hand of God working in our lives in wonderful ways.


Prayer is more powerful that we think. Even us Christians forget the power of prayer. I believe prayer helps and I believe it is even better when you are not alone. "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Mat. 18:20. That doesn't mean that he is not present when you pray by yourself, however God is all about unity and fellowship. That is why we have a relationship with Christ, it is not just a segregated religion. He encourages us to help each other. "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" Ecclesiastes 4:9-10. Prayer always helps.

Love,
Flor.

Praying for Pharaoh

As I read through Exodus and all the plagues that God sent to Egypt, I find it very interesting and encouraging that Moses never said no when Pharaoh asked him to pray for him. Now, we all know that Pharaoh was just interested in getting rid of the plagues but not in having a relationship with God. He confessed to be a sinner many times, he said "This time I have sinned," and in other occasion he even says that he has sinned against God and Moses. However, his heart was hard. He may have said the truth or not about his sins, but one thing is for sure: his repentance was not life changing. Nevertheless every time he asked Moses to pray for him (sometimes, perhaps, even mocking him), Moses never refused to do so. All the contrary, he gave him specifics on when he would pray for Pharaoh.

Many times (if not most of the time), we tend to rather than pray for our "enemies" we simply give in to criticism. We (or at least I do) complain about them, get hot in anger when others do things we disagree with or even worst, affect us. I hardly ever stop and pray for people that make me mad, or do things I disagree with. Unlike Moses, my answer is many times "No, I will not pray for you". This is not with audible words, but with my attitude. My heart is hardened because of that. Because I choose not to love on them. I guess I should be more like Moses, who too was hot with anger, however, he never stopped praying for Pharaoh and Egypt.

Just think of Politicians. You are most likely already furious! So stop and pray for them. Not for their policies to be what you want them to be, but for their salvation. For God's wisdom in their decisions and actions. Think of your least favorite teacher. I know, they can drive us crazy at times. So stop and pray for them. For God's love to come into their lives. For you to shine Jesus' light before them and be able to witness God's love to them. Pray for them to be good teachers. Think of your boss. Nasty, huh? Well, you know what I'll say: pray for them. Pray for God's mighty hand to be upon them and protect them. To guide them and give them a soft heart to hear His words. Now stop and pray for that one person that "ruins your day". You know, if you think about it, they don't ruin your day. Your own attitude towards them does. They actually give you an opportunity to grow in your faith, to practice your godly love, your patience, your grace (just like Jesus gave it to you!).

Say Yes, I will pray for you.

Love,
Flor.

PS: I am praying for you.

Aaron.

I was reading Exodus 7 yesterday. Here, Moses is reminded by the LORD that He is with him. That God will use Moses as if he was god and Aaron the prophet. All these because Moses had trouble speaking, therefore Aaron had to be his mouth. Anyway, it just popped the conversation with my husband about Aaron's actions later on in the story.

When Moses is up in the mountain talking to God [ this is after they have finally taken their people out of Egypt], Aaron is left with the Israelis for a few days. This people, although chosen by God, had a hard time being faithful and trusting the LORD. They were tired of waiting for Moses to come back and their hearts were seeking a god to worship. So they asked Aaron to make them a golden calf statue for them to worship as god. So Aaron did what they asked. He told them to gather all the gold they had (rings, earrings, jewelry, utensils, etc) and they melt it and made a golden calf.

The discussion my husband and I had was on why Aaron did that. We did not have right or wrong answers but I thought it was because Aaron was used to do what he was told. He was Moses mouth, so whatever Moses told him to do or say, he did. I am no expert but I believe that he was used to do whatever he was told to do. It is also believed that he was jealous of Moses at some point because of his relationship with God and how God chose Moses for the job. However, not much is said about Aaron's personality.

When we live a life of religious practices we can fall of track and forget what the LORD is really trying to teach us. God clearly said: "‘Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 26:1. So when Aaron comes and says lets worship the Lord, referring to the statue, he clearly misunderstood God's message. I don't mean to criticize Aaron or say that he did not love the LORD. I even believe that he may have felt pressured to make the idol. I mean, he was used to being told what to do. Perhaps he was confused, frustrated and even worried about the people hurting him or even worst, walking away from God altogether. I don't know, we will never know what exactly crossed Aaron's mind when he agreed to make the idol. However, it should make us reflect on our own lives. Are we living a Christian life based on what we are told to do or say? Or are we truly seeking the LORD and his guidance? Are we making godly decisions, using the brain our Father gave us to think reasonably? or do we just give in to what everybody at church tells us without even thinking if it godly or what God wants us to do? I strongly believe that we need each other in order to grow as believers. It is important to learn from other Christians, keep each other accountable and seek counsel and guidance. Nevertheless, we need to be careful to not fall into the bad habit of believing and/or everything we are told, and only that. God gave us his word, the holy spirit and a brain. We should use them all to discern the Lord's will for our lives. Do not be a Muppet. And if the Lord has chosen you to be somebody else's mouth, do so wisely. Listen to what the Lord is saying through you, because it also goes for you.

Flop.

End of another School Semester

Finally, the semester is over!...oh wait, not yet for me. I still have that on-line class for ESL. Oh brother!! Anyway, at least now I can focus only on that class. Hopefully I will get it done by next week.

This semester was long, and although I feel like I did not get much out of my academical experience, the little I did was good. I took two classes in Spanish. It was a joke at times, but I did learn a few things. One was on Business and the other on Spanish civilization history. In both I basically learned new vocabulary, mostly words used in Spain and business vocab that I do not use very often. Other than that, I already knew most of what was taught.
One thing I did learn is that a lot of students graduate with a Spanish major/minor and they really do not speak Spanish at all. That was kind of sad. I think the foreign language department has a lot to improve. But I guess it can't be all the teacher's fault. The students probably did not practice enough or made an effort to learn the language. The university offers lost of opportunities to practice a foreign language. Come on! there are MANY foreign students on campus. If Americans don't learn other languages very well (as they should if it is the major/minor) it is because they simply don't want to. As a non-native speaker of English, I love it when people come and ask me about Spanish and want to learn or practice with me. I am more than willing to do it. So I hope that I can continue to spot people that need more practice. I am always offering my help, but they never get back to me. I'm sorry but I can't force them to practice with me if they don't want to.

On another note, my Religious class was FABULOUS!  I loved it. As a Christian I believe it is crucial to learn about other religions. This will give us a better understanding of the people we deal with, why they believe in what they do and how we can share the gospel with them in ways that they can understand us. We studied Hinduism and Buddhism. Some amazing stuff there. They both have many branches, pretty much like Christianity does (Catholics, Protestants, Baptist, Lutheran, etc). They also have looooooots of rituals and teachers, and are all over the world. I thought it was interesting  that my teacher always said this phrase: "For religion to survive, it needs to change". Implying that in order for different cultures to accept the new "religion" they needed to change it and add or eliminate some aspect of it. Whether it was a particular ritual (or all of them), a believe (like if there is a heaven or not), or the way to "get there" (either through meditation, devotion, discipline, or what not). I have not completely wrapped my mind around that thought yet. My impulse thought was that it was not true. Religion does not need to change in order to survive. God is one, and he is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and for all eternity. However, when I look at the different branches of Christianity, I guess I can understand why she said that. What do you think? I may dedicate another entry just for this topic. Sounds like fun!

My other class was World History until the 1500's. As much as I love history, I just can't memorize all the dates and names of all the emperors and all the languages and all the peoples and all the governments and ...and...and...and the enormous amount of information that they pour on me in only 4 months! I mean, come on! I took 5 classes (6 with the online one!). I guess though that I chose to, so it was fault. Anyway, this class although it took the most out of my little brain, was fun as well. I loved learning about the mongols and the franks. Those were my favorites together with Sparta. (THIS IS SPARTA!!!! hahahaha, awesome!).

This is a footprint from Schmeeckle 

Finally, my last class was First Year Seminar. A class given for the first time this semester, designed for freshmen and sophomores. A complete waste of time and money. At least for me, and some of my classmates. It is supposed to help you decide or have a better idea of what  you want to major in, and how to pursue the career you want. I already know all that. However, it did help me start thinking about more seriously. Since it covers the Environmental Literacy, we had to go to Schmeeckle many times, as well as read poems about nature and reflect on everything we did. It also covered humanities, but I am not sure what accounted for what. Anyway, I do not recommend it. Nevertheless, I believe it will be mandatory in the future! HA! poor you, new comers! I mean, it was fun at times, and kind of relaxing, but the work load was way too much for what we were doing in the class. The class is also designed to help you get around the school, know where everything is and what school has to offer. I think I did learn something new there, but I can't remember what since I knew most of it. I just felt that I could have invested all my time and effort in another class (maybe History!). The teacher was a sweetheart though. In spite of feeling that she treated us like elementary school kids, I loved her. Feel free to ask me more about this class if you need to.

Well, that was my semester. I made a few friends. Or better said acquaintances. I had fun with most of my classes, and I grew closer to my husband! :P how does that fit in with the school semester? well, I live with him, right? ha! He was very supportive all along and help me stay on top of my studies.  Next semester will be my turn to do the same for him. :)

Florida Pictures

 I will let the pictures tell the story of my trip to Florida. 

TAMPA

   Picture by Flor Slezak

Picture by Ronald Silva

 Pictures by Flor Slezak

        

 Pictures by Ronald Silva

                      

 Pictures by Flor Slezak

  

 

BUSH GARDENS

Pictures by Flor Slezak     

                

Jon, Ronald and Joy are on it!!

TEXAS BRAZIL  RESTAURANT

 DISNEY

 After the water rides! we were soaked!

 Everybody!

UNIVERSAL

 I went on that one behind us! :)

 

I did not go on that one. My husband, sister in Law and her husband did. It is called "the hulk"

who am I?

There is a song by Casting Crowns that goes:

"Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are...

...Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
Cause I am yours..
I am yours..

In Isaiah 43:1 God tells us...."I have called you by name....you are mine". This blog was inspired by Exodus 3:11, where Moses says to God : "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" and God answered Him "I will be with you...". In Psalms 27:1, it says: "The LORD is my light and my salvation-Whom shall I fear? We are God's children (those who have accepted him as Lord and savior in their hearts and follow him). There is nothing in this world that we may fear. We are never alone, Our father is always with us. In fact that is the answer He gave Moses in Exodus 3:12 He said :"I will be with you..." I can't help it but cry every time He reminds me of his love and faithfulness to me. He always catches me when I am falling. He will always catch you when you are falling. and like the songs also says: Not because of who you are, but because of what HE has done. Not because of what you have done, but because of who HE is. Our worth is in Jesus, because He created us, He paid for our sins, He loved us first. Think about this today. And remember that you are VERY much loved.