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
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
Busyness
Have you ever felt like you
were forced to be the energizer bunny? Keep going and going…
Whether it’s the daily cares of life or added stress of the holiday
season, you feel the need to keep going.
Let me ask one more question.
Where is God in all this?
We have all been prone to the
above time, and time again. We have set God on the bench
to observe, as we take each play of our lives into our own hands.
We absorb the daily cares and stresses of sickness, or financial burden
that strike our household. You may say, “It’s not my intention
to leave God on the bench, but I just forget to include Him in my busy
schedule.”
Many times we run ourselves
until we are on empty, and then we try to run ourselves a bit more.
All of a sudden, we feel alone, alone to handle every dilemma that comes
our way. But, in the midst of our pain He calls out from the bench,
“Trust in me with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”
(Proverbs 3:5) At this point, we have no choice but to surrender
our cares and stresses to the Lord almighty.
As the year is coming to a
close, and a new one is about to begin let’s make a conscience effort
to keep God in our daily lives. No matter the circumstances
or how busy our schedules may be, let’s seek His will in all we do,
and He will show us which path to take. (Proverbs 3:6)
Blessings,
Christina Hernandez