If we remain in Him, He will remain in us
Have you ever wondered how
it is possible for one life to end and another one to begin in a matter
of what seems like seconds? Or how a family can grieve over a
passing of a close friend one moment, and celebrate the beginning of
a new life the next? Many times we do not know what life will
throw our way from day to day, minute to minute, or second to second.
But one thing we can be sure of, if we remain in Him, He will remain
in us.
My immediate family, and I
recently had a close friend pass away during the holiday season.
While visiting relatives in Mexico, Maria Rodriguez died at the age
of 32 from pneumonia, and complications to the heart. She left
behind two children, and a husband. As you may assume, her passing was
extremely painful, and unexpected. Through the tears and questioning,
I was reminded of how tomorrow is never promised, and we must always
be spiritually prepared.
If you do not have a personal
relationship with Christ, I would like you to take this opportunity
to do so right now. It is a very simple but impactful process.
Please simply ask God to forgive you of all sin and invite Him into
your heart to be changed forever. We do not know what tomorrow
may bring, but one thing is certain, if we remain in Him, he will remain
in us.
During this time of grieving,
God allowed our family to celebrate the birth of our newest family member,
Juliette Marie Sosa-Dykstra. Juliette was born on January 15,
2009 at 9:27am. At 8lb, 9oz and 21 inches long, she is the most
beautiful little lady bug I have ever seen. God could not have
allowed her to come at a more perfect time. He always knows what
we need!
Now, God did not allow Juliette
to be born so the memory of Maria could be forgotten, but to remind
us that if we remain in Him, He will remain in us.
Blessings,
Christina Hernandez
Prayer
Work at
New Life is not always easy. I hope I'm not bursting anyone's bubble,
but some days, Kingdom work is not a picnic. Some days it's a picnic
with thunderstorms and your keys locked in your car.
Yesterday was one of those days for me, and I spent
hours on the phone working through it. I spoke with three men of God,
leaders of New Life yesterday, and every one of them ended our
conversation the same way: "Before we go, let's pray." Three separate
men, unbeknownst to each other, calling on God for my troubles. At the
end of the day, I journeyed down the hall to deliver my deposit slips,
and found my Humboldt Park Centers staff bent down together, committing
their weekend to solid prayer for the work of our ministry.
Working at New Life may not always be easy, but it
is surely prayerful. What an encouragement to know that our brothers
and sisters bring everything before the Father, the One who is working
for us!
"If God is for us, who can be against us? He
who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He
not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"
Greater Than Great
It’s bigger then the sky, the sun,
the moon, and the stars. Its strength endures through all things good
or bad, and only continues to feel stronger. It’s pure, genuine, tangible,
and is for everyone who will accept it. Can you guess what it is?
The love of our heavenly Father! Many
people search their whole lives for their one true love. Women search
for a perfect man that is attractive, witty, and very romantic. Men
search for a woman that is caring, loving, and genuinely understands
them.
Reality T.V. tells us that 10 men or
women can find true love in five weeks. These people pour their hearts
out to a complete stranger in hopes that they will love them back, and
99.9% of the time they feel feelings of affection, but they never truly
fall in love. I'm so glad that our heavenly Father loves us no matter
what. His love is not something that is merited, or can be bought. Ladies,
God is a gentlemen who opens doors, pulls out chairs, has an amazing
sense of humor, and most importantly will never force anything upon
you. Men, God totally understands everything you go through, gets your
humor, and in my opinion is a Cubs fan!
God has manners and will not come unless
you invite Him in. So, I encourage you today if you have been searching
for the kind of love that sweeps you off your feet invite God into your
life. Allow Him to love you, and to take you places that dreams are
made of. I cannot tell you how many times the love of my Father has
lifted me up, and given me hope. I am, and will always be completely
enamored by Him.
Singing the chorus to How He Loves
Us by Kim Walker, "He loves us, Oh how He loves us…If grace
is an ocean then we’re all sinking."
In His Love,
Josh Morales