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;"