Lessons Learned in 2012 - Lesson #1

Wow, can you believe 2012 is almost over???!! My goodness! I was meditating on the things that God has really been pressing in my heart this year and I wanted to share it with you. Here goes the first one:

#1. Pray for Realzzzz....

Beginning this year I was unsatisfied with my prayer life. So I decided at the beginning of the year that I would NOT go to sleep unless I entered into God's awesome courts and we spent some time together. But my flesh was not used to this! So I decided to do a 100-Day Challenge. This challenge consisted of me praying to God every night for 100 days straight (to create the habit). And I had decided that I would not pray in my bed or by my bed or sitting because the temptation of falling asleep was always there, so I decided to walk around my room as I prayed. This challenge was quite interesting when I was on vacation. I would go to the bathroom at nights since I shared the hotel room with my sister to pray. I wonder if my sister ever asked why I always took so long in there!!

The thing is that God is always with us, but He asks us to seek, knock, and ask, or as the NLT states, "keep on asking...keep on seeking...keep on knocking" (Matthew 7:7-8). And the promise is that we will receive, we will find, and the door will be opened! And Oh has God been faithful! Some nights it was harder than others, but seeking Him every night has changed the way I see God and I know that there is still a sea of things God has yet to show me. So I must keep seeking, knocking, and asking. And God has a SEA of things to show you.  But we must pray for realzzzz! In other words, we must speak to God on a daily basis. As it says in Scripture, we must "never stop praying" (1 Thes. 5:17).   Make 2013 a year where your seeking God is a priority and you will see God manifest Himself in your life in a new way.

Blessings,

Karina

True Friendship

This whole month I have been evaluating my friendships. But don't get me wrong! I have not been evaluating my friends, I have been evaluating how I do "Friendships."  I have been asking myself, "Am I the kind of friend people long to have?"  This reminds me of one of my favoritest quotes from one of my favoritest people! That's right! Favoritest! Cause that's a word! lol... here it is:

"Let no one ever come near to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile." - Mother Teresa

Wow! Now that's the friend I want to be! Are people leaving better and happier after they come near me? And Jesus paints an even bigger and deeper picture of friendship when he says, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:1). Whoa there! So friendship has to do with love!

Sadly, there's a lot of confusion about what true friendship is.  I'm sorry to break it to you but true friendship is NOT "Friends with benefits," it is NOT keeping secrets that can cause harm, it is NOT insulting people because "that's how we treat each other."  A true friend loves in times of adversity, gives heartfelt and godly counsel, true friends help each other become better people (Proverbs 17:17, 29:9, 17).

So what kind of friendship am I offering to those around me? Can they honestly say they leave better and happier after they come near me? Well I don't know about you, but I know I have a lot to learn. Well, the best place to start is right here, and the best time to start is now. True friendship...here we come :)

"Act Like You Have a God" or "Breakfast Glory" or... :)

I was minding my own business when God interrupted. I love it when he does that. I had been praying the night before, that God would take away all the baggage that we as people tend to carry. For some reason we forget that God said that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. And that night was one of those forgetful nights, and my yoke was hard and my burden was heavy and I asked God to help me. 

The following day I was making coffee for my family and putting the bread in the toaster. Still with the heaviness in my heart, saddened and chained to those worries and fears. And then I heard a voice, firm yet gentle. I knew it was God because I was not thinking about anything spiritual! And he said, "Act like you have a God." 

"Act like you have a God." This made me stop and smile. And I stopped and heard it again, "Act like you have a God." My mom had already come down to the kitchen, making her famous "healthy liquados," and I literally wanted to cry my heart out right there and then. The Holy Spirit was speaking to me, reassuring me that I had someone supernatural in my life who loved me.  I held back the tears from my eyes, but not the tears from heart. They were tears of joy. "That's right!" I thought, "I have a God! I'm not alone!" His amazing joy entered my heart and the heaviness was lifted. I was free.

I asked myself, "How many times have I walked through life as if I didn't have Almighty God with me? How many times have I forgotten that I am not alone? That God is with me?" I felt a bittersweet taste in my spirit. Bitter because I had forgotten the power and love of my God, and sweet because I was gently reminded of it. I have a God, a Father, a Savior, a Friend! He is my Lord and King, my Fortress, my Strength, my Shield, my Love!  I have a God! 

So that's my word for you! "Act like you have a God!" :) Because you do. Remember what he said, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10).

We have a God! Praise the Lord! We have a God! The One and Only! :) Let that be the song of your heart today and forever!

Love,

Karina

Girls in the Elevator

Yesterday after intercession, as I was on my way to discipleship, I got to ride the elevator with a group of young ladies who had just finished their dance practice. What a beautiful bunch! They were all smiles! All full of life and purpose! I have to say I was doing good, but after that elevator ride I was doing great! I was so encouraged by their life! And then I was reminded why I love this church so much!

I am so thankful for this church! A church with vision and purpose...get this...all in one day, we rehearsed for both Sunday services, also for our Youth Unity service, the dance team also practiced for conference, the drama team prepared for the Encounter, a group of intercessors passionately prayed for the church, and disciples gathered together to strengthen their leadership and better lead the church, and let me not forget the board meeting that also took place, a group of people committed to serving the church!

Thank you Jesus for Centro de Vida! 

A church so full of life. We are not "busy," we are purposeful. We don't do things just to do them, we do things to better reach the lost and better serve the families in our communities. We do this for Jesus, the only one who can give us a never ending smile, like the smiles in the beautiful faces of my friends in the elevator :)

And to all the beautiful girls in the elevator: I love you and I am so proud of you! Keep serving God like crazy! No matter what! Seek Him passionately and wholeheartedly. And to all the amazing people who serve God and His church as if it was their last day on earth, God sees you! He sees you! He will say to you: "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness" (Mat. 25:21).

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Love,

Kari

Freedom Songs

Wow! Amazing what God did at Camp FREEDOM! Not only were hands raised in worship but HEARTS were raised in sincere surrender to Jesus. My “Freedom” friends, your lives will never be the same! Continue living in the Freedom that Jesus has given you!

Music is so important to our generation, but there’s so much out there that although it’s catchy it’s lacking the most important thing: a meaningful message that will help us love Jesus more. So I encourage you, in this new time in your life, to fill your heart with songs that will lead you to live in the freedom that Jesus Christ has given you!

So I wanted to help you get started :) Here are the title of the songs we sang at camp, along with the group that sings it and the name of the album.  Also, youtube links with the lyrics (except for a few that I couldn’t find).  These songs are all on itunes :)

1. Dance – Group: Jesus Culture – Album: Awakening: Live from Chicago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iucnAgrvA4

2. Freedom is Here – Group: Hillsong United – Album: Tear Down the Walls or Aftermath Live in Miami

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifC88SSQvBU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh58EzK6KCE&feature=fvwrel

3.  Do it Again – Group: Planetshakers – Album: Heal Our Land

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGDnmwN_Mu8

4. Not Ashamed – Group: Passion – Album: White Flag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSWBDnLPpcM

5. Running – Group: Hillsong – Album: Cornerstone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCsOZ8KwDV0

6. New Day – Group: Worship Central – Album: Spirit Break Out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45XjwOAefHw

7. Nothing Better – Group: Vida en Fuego – Album: Coming Soon!! :)

8. Break Every Chain – Group: Jesus Culture – Album: Awakening: Live from Chicago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkR33OsvJSs

9. Spirit Break Out – Group: Worship Central – Album: Spirit Break Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLR_1NFvFv4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTDAfVRdSTM (lyrics are in the info)

10. I surrender – Group: Hillsong – Album: Cornerstone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcnfT4arZtI

11. Jesus at the Center – Group: Israel Houghton – Album: Echo Free Chapel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5KyYqagy60

I...Will...

I was sitting by the piano with a heavy heart. You probably know the feeling. When you are overwhelmed because of something that is happening in your life and you are helpless to do anything about it. And that's how I felt. There were many things I really wanted to say to God at that moment but His Spirit led me to Psalm 145. In this psalm the psalmist writes "I will exalt you...I will praise you...I will proclaim your greatness..." And then the psalmist goes on to talk about the beauty of God: His mercy, His unfailing love, and how good He is to us.  I was convinced right there and then that God was leading me to praise Him.  To praise Him despite what I was feeling.  And as I began to praise God the heaviness resting on my shoulders was not as heavy as the testimony that lifted my spirit to worship the Lord.

Right after I finished reading this psalm I just started praising God there on that piano.  "Oh God you are so good, you are my rock, you are my Redeemer, Oh Lord there is no one like you." As I continued praising the Lord, tears began to flow from my eyes, but they were no longer tears of a heavy heart, they were tears of a grateful heart. Peace rushed in. I could breathe in the Presence of God. That is when I discovered that the more overwhelmed I feel, the more I need to praise God. And it is a decision. The psalmist said, "I WILL praise you every day."  He was determined to praise. He made the choise to praise. Because praising God is a choice.  In other words, we don't have to be bound by our circumstance or our feelings. It is in our power to decide. Not even satan himself can take that away from us. No matter what he puts our way, we can still CHOOSE to say "I WILL praise the Lord." And when we choose to praise God despite our circumstance, miracles happen.

I actually wrote a song that day titled "Psalm 145".  And I love to sing it at the top of my lungs, especially the part that says "Great is the Lord!" Indeed He is great! There is so much to praise God for. I encourage you to praise Him, no matter what your eyes see or even what your heart feels and you will see heaven's gates opening and flooding your heart with His love and strength.

:)

PS: I totally recommend you read Psalm 145! :)

Don't Wait A Second Longer!

There are things that we need to wait for in life and they are indeed worth waiting for. But there are some things that God never asks us to wait on.  May the waiting be over when it comes to:

1) Receiving God's forgiveness - let the sulking stop! God's mercies are new every morning. His crazy and overflowing love we will never understand, but all we have to do it is believe it and receive it.  Pray to Him, He is waiting with open arms when his children come running back to him. Remember the story of the Prodigal son? What happened when the son returned? "And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him" (Luke 15:20). The Father was WAITING for his son, so is our Heavenly father waiting for us to return to him.

2) Getting back up - why wait one more day to get back up? Who in their right mind, after falling embarrassingly on their face, and is still able to get back up, stays down on the floor?? Imagine it... "Hmm...I think I'm just gonna chill here...can somebody get me a pillow!" Uh...No! God has designed us so that when we fall our natural response is to get back up. One time I remember I was looking at a university that I was interested in attending. They took us around the whole campus, and a friend of mine stepped on a piece of string at the bottom of my cool jeans...yes...you can imagine what happened next...I fell...on my face...and I indeed froze for a few seconds on that pavement floor, but yes I got back up. I'm not writing this blog from that place where I fell! Can you imagine if I was?? If you have fallen, sinned, made a mistake, failed in your attempt to do the things of God, don't wait anymore, get back up, brush the dust off and keep running.

3) Forgiving others - let me ask you this, what if God waited to pour out his forgiveness upon us? We would all be doomed! Doomed I tell you! Doomed!  Praise the Lord that God is a forgiving God. And His Spirit lives inside of us so we can also forgive with the same divine "promptness" as our wonderful Father.  The person we hurt the most when we don't forgive is ourselves. A lack of forgiveness is poison to the soul; the product is bitterness, resentment, anger, even hatred. So let's forgive, let's not wait to forgive as our Father does not wait to forgive us.

So don't wait any longer! Come to God, ask Him to forgive you and He will! Have you fallen? You can get back up! Nothing is impossible for God. And forgive! Forgive as Jesus forgave you. The Spirit of God will help you to do all of these things if you surrender to Him.  

Love,

KT