True Disciples

In this age as a Christian, it is so easy to get mixed into the more prominent area of complacent Christianity. Not only is it found in abundance, it's easy...very easy.

No one tells you what to do, you receive feel good messages from the pulpit that may or may not challenge your walk with Christ, no one calls you out on your sin (so you then forget you are even sinning), and no one encourages you to research to make sure what you're hearing is sound doctrine.

Source: http://photos2.demandstudios.com

I know I can't be making this up, because the apostle Paul was thinking the same thing when he said:

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." - 2 Timothy 4:3

Is this you? Do you long to hear what your itching ears want to hear, or instead sound doctrine that will put you in your place, convict and lead to repentance?

The latter doesn't sound so fun for most people, which is why it is the road less traveled.

"For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

Why will more enter the wide road? It's easier.

In a society where we want more for less and faster service all of the time, we treat our most important relationship and life choices the same way. We want what is convenient and fast, not what is difficult and slow. We don't want to suffer in order to gain rewards, we want the rewards with no consequences or suffering. However, it's the journey that makes the rewards worthwhile. Consider the following verse:

"We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." - Romans 5:3-5

If we understand what suffering produces, our hearts should be focused on hanging tight for the ride.

Source: ledgerlink.monster.com

One Another Relationships

In the Word of God, we are commanded to do several things. Many don't appear as commands, but they clearly don't say "if you choose". In fact, in Paul's writings they many times begin with the word "therefore."

In regards to one another (and I mean between disciples of Jesus Christ), how are we supposed to act? What are we supposed to do to appear different from the world? How can we help each other grow?

Here are a few important places to start, and let me warn you, some may make you shift uncomfortably because it is not something you're used to seeing in church, but it is what the Bible calls us to do:

• Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:24)
• Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
• Confess to one another (James 5:16)
• Bear with one another (Colossians 3:13)
• Forgive (Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13)
• Be humble and patient (Ephesians 4:2)
• Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21)
• Live in harmony (Romans 12:16)
• Be devoted (Romans 12:10)
• Honor one another (Romans 12:10)
• Speak truth to one another (Ephesians 4:15-16)
• Accept one another (Romans 15:7)
• Love (1 Peter 4:8, 1:22
• Admonish (Colossians 3:16)

I want to focus on the last one. The word admonish is not really used in today's society so I wanted to look up what it meant, since I always assumed it meant to encourage. Boy was I wrong. It means to "rebuke mildly, advise strongly; to warn someone of their error."

Clearly we are to rebuke one another to get them back on track if we see one another falling into sin or going down the wrong path. This is how we can prevent disciples from falling away and leaving the faith.

Source: www.hcs.harvard.edu

The reason Paul, Timothy and Peter were so adamant about encouraging one another and staying in each other's lives, the way it was exemplified in the 1st century church, was to keep the enemy at bay from causing dissension, factions and division within the body.

Are you united in the body with other disciples that are challenging your growth towards maturity, encouraging you towards deepening your walk with the Lord and living in harmony?

If not, I want to ask an honest question, who's disciple are you?

It's time to get real. 

The Educational Journey: My Abuelita

My Abuela and Abuelo

Growing up, I always heard about the struggles my Abuelo's (grandparents) faced when they moved from Cuba to the United States in 1961.

In Cuba, my Abuelita (grandma) received her PhD in Mathematics and was a Professor. I was always so proud to hear her accomplishments, but it wasn't until my conversation with her last night while discussing my current studies for my Master's degree that made me really appreciate all she had done and accomplished in education.

My Abuela worked 11 years to attain her PhD in Mathematics in Cuba. When she moved to the United States, her degree credits and course work did not all transfer. So in essence, her PhD was not valid for teaching in this country.

Did she give up? Absolutely not!

Instead she was one of the few that received a special scholarship offered by UCLA in the late 1960's. After all her years of studying in Cuba, she went back to school once again.

During her studies at UCLA, she was asked by a Professor to present a lecture in mathematics as she would teach a regular class. She was hesitant to do so because of the language barrier and not speaking English fluently, but with the encouragement of the Professor, did so. Upon completion of her assignment, the Professor stood amazed at her ability to reason certain theories and calculations that were beyond her peers. When asked where she received her training, she was proud to speak of her course work and studies in Cuba where she was trained in advanced mathematics.

With two small children at the time (my dad and my tia Liz), and my Abuelito working nights and taking care of the kids on Saturday to support her and to allow my Abuelita to study, their sacrifice paid off. She received not one, but two Master's degrees from UCLA in Mathematics and Physics; the only reason she didn't continue towards a second PhD was because a family was more important to her.

What's more, with her skills, experience and knowledge, she could have worked in any school yet chose instead to work in the inner city of Los Angeles in a little city called Watts, one of the most dangerous in the United States known for their gangs and riots in the 60's. Regardless, she went to work loving her students and working hard doing what she loved most: teaching. She was never mocked for her accent but was appreciated by those students for her love for them and desire for them to excel.

She retired from the public school system when I was born in 1984 to spend time with her first grandchild. Her love for family and teaching were important, but family first.

While I do not share the same passion for math and definitely not science, it was my Abuelita who taught me algebra in a way that was so simple that I actually excelled in that course in 7th grade and again in college remembering her method.

My tia Liz followed her steps in pursuing education and achieved a Master's degree. She has also been teaching and loves it with the same passion.

Now, while pursing another degree, I know where I get it from. I love my Abuelita and appreciate her love for education and knowledge. Despite the odds and circumstances, she overcame and accomplished much. She is my educational hero!

I love you Abuelita!

The End of my 25th Year.

I always wanted my 25th year to be a big deal because it's the big "25", a quarter of a century old. Now a few days before my 26th birthday, I started wondering what was so great about this year. After last weekend at the marriage retreat, several things surfaced that helped me analyze just that.

As a wife, I had been praying for several of my weaknesses that were affecting my marriage and my husband. It was on the undercurrent for quite some time, because since I felt it was second nature, I never truly noticed how it was truly affecting everyone around me, especially my husband. It wasn't until about 1 1/2 years ago that I consciously made the decision to change. It was hard!!!

You may be curious as to what weaknesses I'm taking about. Well, in one word: anger. I gave in to fits of rage or get angry quicker than anyone. It was terrible and as I felt the anger rising, instead of stopping it, I would feed it and let it loose to create destruction knowing I would feel remorse afterwards. It was terrible and even writing it is hard to admit. But I wouldn't be writing it if things hadn't changed. This is a mini-testimony of what the Lord has done for me this year.

After making that decision to allow the Lord to work in me I saw meekness, kindness, mercy, gentleness, patience and love more than ever in my life and marriage. It was subtle and definitely didn't happen over night. It took time, swallowing my tongue, truly living out patience as opposed to just praying for it and then exploding, AND lots of prayer!!! It took Christ in my life and FULL surrender to the fact that though I've prayed for this change for years, I couldn't do it on my own.

What happened last weekend? My husband told me how hard it was for him when I would explode and how amazing our marriage has been the past 1 1/2 years. I didn't realize the hurt it was causing him until I saw the change in my life reflected in our marriage.

What's most interesting is I tell people all the time, without noticing, that our marriage is better now than ever before. I feel like we're still honeymooners. We're not infatuated, we're truly in love with one another and with Jesus Christ.

My 25th year has been a turning point for the better. There were other wonderful things that I noticed happen, but this was by far the most important to me. I still continue to pray for meekness, kindness, mercy, gentleness, and patience. I have too, because I need Jesus everyday in my life and marriage and I can't do it on my own.

I welcome my 26th birthday and can't wait to see where I'll be next year in my spiritual walk, my marriage and my life =)

Love Defined - Part Two

This "Love Defined" blog is geared more towards married couples. In my blogs I reiterate often what the media feeds us about love and relationships is so wrong only because I am so passionate about it. I hope you can feel my passion burning as I write this.

I want to see marriages succeed, in love, happy, growing, learning, and seeking God. That's so important to me and I know it's important to the Lord as well.

In Matthew 19:5 it says "'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (i.e. Divorce)

God hates divorce. If you don't believe me look up Malachi 2:16. Divorce is such a normal part of life in the U.S. that now we're in shock or in awe when we see couples that have lasted 25+ years and are happy. Is that not true?

If Jesus Christ is not the foundation of your marriage, it will fail. He should be your rock, your strength. My husband and I include the Lord in every decision we make, large or small, because we understand it takes three to make our marriage work. While we were dating, we laid the foundation of our relationship. We prayed together and allowed the Lord to guide our steps if we were intended to step into the sanctity of marriage together. It wasn't a decision taken lightly.

Who you marry is who you will spend the REST of your life with, who you'll grow old with, who, Lord permitting, you have children with, who will know you better than anyone else on this earth. If you go into marriage thinking about divorce, or without the thought of permanence or bailing out when things get hard, it will fail.

Like I said in Part One, this is not going to be without its difficulties. In 2 Corinthians 6:4-5 Paul talks about how we are to commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance, in troubles, hardships and distresses. It's a natural part of life...not a cop out to get out of a union as powerful as marriage.

When you become married, two become one. That's not just a Spice Girl song, it's Biblical. So when you divorce, you are tearing a piece of you that will forever be gone. The Lord does heal wounds and does restore lives, but I don't know one person who has forgotten their previous marriage or how they felt when they were married. Although it may feel like another life, it's never completely forgotten, why? It was a part of them that has been torn and left behind.

I can only compare marriage to two colors of Play-doh combined and made into one large dough. No one, no matter how meticulous you are, can pull those two pieces together and make them look the exact same they did before becoming one. That's exactly what marriage is.

There are several things you can do to help boost your marriage. First off, go on dates. If you're on a budget, be creative. There's plenty of good ideas that don't cost money. A friend of mine made a huge tent in the family room and watched movies in there with her sweetheart for Valentine's day. I saw a picture of it and it was so cute and romantic and cost $0. Secondly, don't forget to say "I love you". Thirdly, communicate, even about the small things.

Don't slack off in marriage. Don't give up. Love perseveres. It hopes. It NEVER FAILS. When it gets hard, pray harder. Love deeply!!! 1 Peter 4:8 says "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

Love with a love that is constant. There should be no room for separation or divorce, only for unity. When in doubt of what true love is...go back to the basics: 1 Corinthians 13:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Love Defined - Part One

The past two weeks there has been a series called "Love Defined" at church in light of Valentine's Day. I thought it not only appropriate, but necessary to discuss what REAL love is.

With society always telling us their opinion on what love is, movies telling you what it looks like, the judicial system agreeing that it's over through divorce, it's no wonder we're a disaster!!! Divorce is at it's highest ever! Why? Because people "fall out of love" or due to "irreconcilable differences" or "we're just not the same anymore, we've changed".

What a bunch a crap!!! Excuse my lack of propriety, but that is absolutely true. Why would you expect to be the same??? The great thing about marriage is the fact that you get to GROW and mature together through this wonderful thing called life. Is it always perfect? Absolutely not...but it's fun, especially when you're both working on it daily.

I've only been married three years, but it's been an amazing journey that has only just begun. Most importantly though, we communicate....EVERY DAY. Even when I'm not in the mood. Why? Because when communication dwindles, it ultimately can disappear and so can the relationship.

Back to this thing called LOVE. "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice got out sins" 1 John 4:10. Breaking it down: we only love because God loved us first (1 John 4:19)!!! WOW! Please soak that in a bit.

God and love go hand in hand. He created love. If you don't know God, then you can't love others.

I imagine that's why so many people are confused and "fall out of love". They were never in love to begin with. I'll take it a little further...they probably don't know what love is.

We hear love mentioned in 95% of songs (I made up that stat), we watch it in the same amount of movies...but in all that, I've only seen true love portrayed a handful of times. Very sad, but it makes sense. They don't know what love is...

Love is more than a feeling (despite what movies tell you - P.S. DON'T FOLLOW YOUR HEART....that's the worst advice ever. The heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9))

What is love: God. God is love. Plain and simple...know him and you'll know love. (1 John 4:8)
Love is: patient, kind, does not boast, does not envy, is not proud, not rude, not self-seeking, not easily angered, keeps NO record of wrong, does not delight in evil, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perserveres, NEVER FAILS.

So if love never fails, why are there so many failed marriages? Because there is no knowledge of what true love. That's a long list of what love is, and none of which I see society promote. We are a rude, self-seeking, pleasure abiding, vengeful society. We look out for number one whenever possible. None of that resembles love according to the Word of God, which is inspired by God, the Creator of love.

Pray for love. It is more important than ALL else. Our first commandment involves love..."Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind." Then it goes on to say "Love your neighbor as yourself."