By My Side

Being sick is never fun! But one of the most vivid and life-changing memories I have of my childhood happened when I was sick.  I was 8 years old.  At the time we lived in the roof of a house that they had accommodated so it would serve as an apartment.  My sister and I shared a room which was actually part of a bathroom; instead of the bath tub it was our bunk bed. Luckily the toilet had a curtain that separated it from our "room"!   My sister slept in the upper bed (always the daring one!) and I slept in the lower one.

I remember that I was so sick that night that my body was burning up.  I had fever, chills, and a terrible bitter taste in my mouth.   And then I remember my mom.  On her knees, by my bedside, praying, holding my little and sickly hand and interceding for me.  It must have been past 1 or 2am because it was dark and the rest of my family was sleeping.  My mom spent that whole night holding my hand, praying for my healing. The whole night! I could hear her prayers, I could see her tears, I could feel her love.  And despite the high fever and whatever virus was attacking my body, I felt safe, and I felt loved.

I don't remember how I woke up the next day, if I was better right away or if it took some days for my health to improve; but what I do know is that that night I felt the love of God through my mother's prayers, knowing she was by my side painted the picture of how God is consistently by my side, also interceding for me.  In Romans 8:26 it says the Spirit of God intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  Let us be reminded that our God is by our side.   He is interceding for us with so much passion and love; like my mom held my little hand God is holding yours. He will get you through the seasons of pain and sickness, through the valley of the shadow of death, He will lead you beside quiet waters, He will make you lie down in green pastures, and He will restore your soul. :)  

Victory for 2012!

2012 is right around the corner!  Surely you want to make it a year of conquest and victory! I know I do!  I am reading the Book of Joshua, and it's the moment where the Israelites are about to conquer the Promised Land. But before stepping into the Land of the Promise, they had to cross the Jordan River, tear down Jericho walls, and conquer over 30 kings and their armies! The truth is that in 2012 we WILL have to face armies and walls, and cross rivers, but the truth also is that God will give us victory and we WILL conquer our Promised Land! 

Before entering the Promised Land, God gave Joshua very important words.  Because Joshua followed these words, He conquered the Promised Land!  I wanted to share these words with you because I believe that you are about to enter your Promised Land in 2012 and I know you want to conquer it!  Ready? Here they are:

1. Be Strong and Very Courageous! - Although God fought Joshua's battles, Joshua still put the fighting gloves on!  This is very important.  In every battle we face, we must remember: God WILL fight it for us but He wants us to fight alongside of Him. He wants us to see Him do His supernatural work but we cannot see Him if we are at a distance! Stand up and fight alongside the One who ALWAYS WINS.

2. I Will Not Fail you or Abandon You! - God said this to Joshua repeatedly!  Why? Because the moment people see the walls and the armies they begin to question if God is with them.  God IS with you! I love this song by Kari Jobe that says, "I know that You are for me...I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness." God is FOR YOU.  Make 2012 the year you believe that God is for you.

3. Do not Deviate from the Word of God! - This is key to unlocking victory in 2012. God's Word is full of power. Obeying it will stretch you to love, to forgive, to trust.  And as the Word of God stretches you to the image of Christ, it is also stretching the boundaries of your Promised Land! Sweeet!

2012 is just around the corner, and so is your Promised Land!  Just remember to be strong and very courageous!  Trust that God will NOT fail you! And remember that the boundaries of your territory will stretch as far as you let God's word stretch you. 

2012...Bring it! :)

Are you 16 years old?? You rock!

I just met with an amazing 16 year old young woman! She began to share with me all the different pressures that she's going through at school, family, etc.  But despite it all, I was so inspired to hear her say the words: "Jesus, come into my heart, be my Lord and Savior!"

The more I listened to her the more I discovered one of the BIGGEST LIES for teens today.  It is what I like to call the "Illusion of the Shiny Red Apple."  Like in the story of Snow White, the world paints a picture of a shiny red apple, tasty, yummy, appealing, but only on the outside; because on the inside it is nothing but poison.  It's like one of those zit commercials that make your face break out more! False Advertisement! Nothing, absolutely nothing can bring true joy to your life except the one who created it!

Only Jesus Christ can make you smile from the inside out! Only in Him will we find the way, the truth, and the life.

Are you 16 years old? I can see you now, going to class, but not alone, you have Jesus inside of you. You have an unstoppable, supernatural strength which gives you the kind of joy nothing and no one will ever give you.  You invite your friends to church. You show them a Bible verse to encourage them.  You ask them if they'd like you to pray for them.  You come to youth unity. You open your house for "club life" and "house of peace"! You serve in the church. You raise your hands in worship, in freedom, in victory! And Oh Boy! Get ready, get ready, get ready! God has amazing plans for you!

To all the 16 year old's (and all the teenagers!) who despite the pressures of this world, live radically for Jesus...Know this...you are loved! God is just beginning with you :)

xoxo

Help! I don't know what's happening!

Ever been there? Where you have absolutely NO IDEA why things turn out the way they do?  From one moment to the next you go from having a moment of victory to being surrounded by giants.  You were on the mountain of faith, believing for the best, God was answering your prayers, but all of a sudden, you lose your job, you get sick, your relationships are dissolving, your leadership isn't working.  You say some encouraging words to yourself, "It's going to be alright, it's gonna work out," but later on you can't help but wonder, "What is happening here?!"

But I have some good news for you!  The good news is that in those moments of uncertainty, GOD IS NOT CONFUSED.  In those moments where you don't know Why? How? What? Where? It is in those moments where God is seeing the past, present, and future and getting ready to take you to the next level. God is getting ready, but so must we.  We have two options, either we stop, or we keep going.    If we stop, there is a blessing and a powerful destiny that we are also stopping over our lives, but if we press on, if we keep going, we will see giants falling, walls tumbling down, and seas parting in two!

So keep going! Even when you don't know where the road may take you.  If Jesus is on the boat, even if it is a road full of storms and tribulations, you WILL NOT DROWN.  YOU WILL NOT DROWN!  God is preparing you for something amazing! Keep going! Press on! And believe!

Never forget

Ever forgotten someone's name? Or forgotten you met that person altogether?! This has unfortunately happened to me! We have about 1300 people every weekend at church and although I do attempt to know everyone, there is just no way for me to really know our awesome Centro de Vida people on a personal basis. Plus I have a bad memory! Seriously! Just ask my sister! Many times I've had people approach me at the mall or at a restaurant to say "Hi Karina!" And I am so ashamed to have to have to say, "Oh hi...yes.. .ummm... uh... er.. what is your name again?" How awful is that?! I am sure being forgotten is not a positive feeling.  I am glad that to those closest to me I do not forget their names! The closer someone is to you the more you will remember them.

This reminds me of our relationship with God. The truth is that many people forget Jesus. They go through something difficult in life that distances them from God and all those years of devotion, moments of intimacy with God, all those times God provided, touched them, filled them, is like it never existed. It's like a demonic amnesia that settles in people's hearts, and all they can see is how broken they are rather than see the many times God put them back together. God gives them signs through messages, discipleship, nature, even memories or songs and people simply forget... "Oh I'm sorry who are you again?"  The problem is that they separated themselves from God in such a way He has become a stranger. He has become someone that needs to remind them of His name.

So I urge you, never let this happen! NEVER FORGET! When you forget Christ in your life all you can remember is your pain. Never place yourself somewhere you have to remember who God is. Get away from the valley of forgetfulness. When you go through trials, do not forget that God is with you, that He IS good, and if He carried you the last time, be assured that He WILL carry you again.