ABOUT DESTINY, HOPES AND FEARS

Ascertaining who you are in God´s eyes and will!

Deciding who you want to be… when no one is around!

Usually people fear death, either in its natural form of departure from life or as isolation or rejection by their peers and because of it they end up letting enter in their lives the fear of life by not daring to stand up, firm, in their convictions, just for the sake of seeking acceptance from exacting peers who manipulate their aspiration to be another member of the gang, without mattering what type of gang it is… social, political, financial, religious or whatever fad is in fashion at the time being.

And for these understandable but not acceptable reasons people tend to compromise or rationalize their beliefs, their moral values, their convictions and their loyalties…

And sorrier than anything else is when their livelihood depends on the whims or shortsightedness of people who feel like life or death decision makers… Just because by a fortuitous or “sought after” turn of events they become appointed to apparent limelight positions or because they have been accepted as the leaders of some human “dominion or control” fiefdom on this earth.

Humans love to build up their little fiefdoms, their little kingdoms, and their little controlling and dominion scenarios. They feel themselves like kings of the roads, happily or anxiously immersed in their insignificant dealings and wheelings even in what should be the important service on behalf of the Lord, where qualifications, size and nature do not matter but motivations and willingness and where unselfishness is the vital part of the service so we can positively reach the suffering and the needy.

God´s plans for us are neither our personal aggrandizement nor our Christian posturing in life… Not even if we are indispensable for a while in terms of leading the seeding or putting our hands on the plow… but to show in our weakness and inadequacy His incomparable strength and wisdom as well as His generosity and mercy.

We should have always in mind and indelibly printed on our hearts what the Lord tell us in Second Samuel 14:14… “For we shall surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished one may not be cast out from him”.

And if the Lord does not cast away or refuses to accept the uncomfortable and hard to understand outcasts… Why should we?

One thing I have learned along the way. We should not have to fear the world, nor death, nor life, nor compulsory compliance with any human group or endeavor. WHAT WE MUST HAVE IS TO HAVE “FEAR OF GOD” A REAL ONE! A HEALTHY, PURIFIED AND RIGHTEOUS ONE! BY FEAR MEANING THE DEEPEST RECOGNITION OF HIS GRACE AND OUR TOTAL DEPENDENCY ON HIM! AND THE DEEPEST GRATEFULNESS FOR HIS TAKING CARE OF US, PRESERVING OUR LIVES FOR GREATER TASKS AND CHALLENGES IN HIS SERVICE!

Because this is the only way we can be of any use, of any good, on His behalf while we labor in the advancement of His Kingdom. And as we walk along the way, we cannot but be, at the same time vertical and uncompromising in our beliefs… Tolerantly understanding the reality of ours and other people´s weaknesses, but not appeasing the unrighteousness just because of it.

Because if we do so we will just miss the opportunity that allows us to become effective prayer warriors, Especially when we state that we are committed to a Christian Way of Living… Avoiding at all costs to turn it into a material and convenient Livelihood that distorts and irremediably contaminates the purity and the righteousness of our thoughts, feelings, purposes, deeds and actions

About marriage, family and life…!

Life when lived to its fullest extent is not a fairy tale. It is made of circumstances and people as well. Both of them are so varied in structure and content and this is the most wonderful example of a vivential fabric that resists all adversities and challenges.

And the basic foundation of all this is the family that started by the junction of two individual lives, a man and a woman, united in love in the ups and downs of their living together and their raising of children now turn into men who altogether with the new women in their lives continue extending such a fabric throughout generations and new developing circumstances.

The uniqueness even if repeatedly present in every family founded on Christian moral values and under God´s protection, is the blending of two different personalities.

God has not made clones. He joins different upbringings and different perspectives and understanding of life, making of it the resilient net where the hardships of life, intermingled with the pleasures, successes and accomplishments bounce in a merry and at times a not so merry go round.

A bouncing that makes us remember the children´s chorus of the one hundred elephants jumping over a delicate spider web, hung between the branches of the human and divine love that allowed its forming in the first place.

God blesses and He blesses a lot. He had done so to us because He knew in His omniscience that we would badly need it to endure and overcome the trials that come our way and do make our walking a never ending unpredictable journey.

And trials we have had! Trials we presently endure while we hope they will end soon. Because we trust, because we hope, because we wait for the time of the Lord!

It is as I said not a fairy tale but a vivid one representing the outcome of our love. It is not a tale of serene placidity but a building up of a family out of two different upbringings and perspectives.

We only hope that your lives, dear sons and families, dear friends and acquaintances could be as ours so in your later days you be able to sit back, smile and joke about what it was, about what it could have been, and about what it will probably be until we are finally called to our final rest.

C´EST SI BON! IT IS GOOD!

It is good and feels good to be asked on the metro bus to give your seat to another guy who looked older than you, and then find out that he is only 55 years old while you still are only 71 out of the wonderful 104 of the young ones at heart.

C´EST SI BON! IT IS GOOD!

IT IS AND FEELS SO GOOD TO HAVE A LOVING PARTNER BESIDE YOU FOR ALREADY 47 YEARS AND ONLY GOD KNOWS HOW MANY MORE!

A TIME TO REST

About visions… missions… and resting in between…

We have entered into the seventies… Apparently we have retired again. But this is only a resting time in between…

A new vision is looming over the horizon… A vision given to Gary Adams, a dear missionary, pastor and friend! It is just a matter of knowing when the time to start walking again will come… We are sure the trumpet will resound again!

He saw a vast, hot and dusty plain and a mountain range far away with a rank of newly drafted young soldiers marching on Their uniforms were crisp and clean, Their weapons clean and shiny, But no ranking officers on sight. A veteran! His weapon obviously battle tested A veteran! His weapon obviously battle tested
His appearance began to change. His uniform became crisp and clean; he no longer limped, but rather had a spring in his step… His face was now clean shaven, expectancy reflected in his countenance while the soldiers watched solemnly but respectfully as he marched onward.
Suddenly, his rank could be seen A General! Moving to the front of the ranks (his rightful place) and leading those troops from that time on.
Then… many other “ranking officers” moved out from the rear and began to follow him experiencing the same transformation as the General had. Each received a new commission and was placed strategically among the troops.

And in agreement with Gary´s vision as many others I am sure, we say Apparently we have retired again… But it is only a resting time in between…

LIFE IS JUST A PROCESS

Where there is a beginning working towards an end.

Where God has placed goals and destinations but men usually stumble upon pebbles, rocks, detours and crossroads, losing time and energies, wasting the opportunities that will take them ahead.

Life is a beautiful garden where besides the flowers stand the cactuses as well.

And where... Life, thanks God, in his mercy, can provide you with second, third and only He knows how many opportunities to restore and re-route our way.

GOD WILL MAKE A WAY FOR ALL THE CHILDREN OF THIS WORLD

In my last blog posting I shared our experience with the little butterfly that shared our dorm with us for a few days, as she could or did not want to fly away, because, externally, you could not see any reason for her not to.

This way, she was so similar to so many abused and abandoned children, beautiful on the outside, but bleeding and needing tenderness and protection inside.

Unfortunately, the little butterfly could not live long. Having to travel from Guatemala to El Salvador for my second granddaughter 17 birthday celebration, I was recommended to leave her among the flowers in my son Victor´s home, where, supposedly, she would be warm and safe.

That night temperature dropped to 12 centigrade’s and she died, possibly not because of the cold weather but from the lack of the home warmth she had enjoyed for a few days.

Similarly, I am firmly convinced, children, more than material and external comfort, what they really need most is home warmth, feeling accepted and loved, feeling they have the right to a second chance in life, all available material comfort included, because, I feel, children do not need to feel as an orphan, nor treated as one, nor being subject to any adult´s decision detrimental to their right to receive all and everything that can be given to them. There is, never, such thing as too much!

This conviction has led me to think that, even if the little butterfly died from cold she, from that moment on started to feel the warmness that only her Creator, not anyone of us, can give her, and similarly, every child will feel that warmth without having to die first.

God will make a way for every child, where and when it could seem impossible to find a way because of our insufficient understanding of the privilege and blessing of being able to love, protect, care and take care of, and give the best and most abundant to all the children He places in our paths.

Because they deserve it! They are the apples of the eyes of God! Consequently, they should be the apples of our eyes, too! Mathews 18: 6, 10

GOD WILL MAKE A WAY FOR ALL THE LITTLE BUTTERFLIES (CHILDREN) OF THIS WORLD

We have been presently spending some time with one of my sons in Guatemala. My wife and I have had ample time to go on our own and walk the streets and visit the places of the beautiful country that has been our home for more than 27 years, and where we will probably stay until the Lord calls us to rest besides Him.

In here it is not wise to freely go around taking pictures of people but we have found many children whose faces make us remember the children we left behind in Nicaragua.

But something very special has been happening since a few days ago. While my wife was laundering some of my shirts when she took down one of them from the drying rope she found on it a small butterfly that since that day has not flown away.

She has stayed in our dormitory quiet and cozy moving only from one little place to another, being the latest one a white Christmas polar bear teddy.

She is not one of the most beautiful butterflies on first sight, but when you keep on seeing her you begin to see in its brownish color beautiful details. This made me remember our spiritually adopted kids and made us meditate how wonderful is to be able to extend our love, care and protection to the little ones as my son Victor so tenderly says when he talks about his children.

All this has made me want to share with you my inner and deepest conviction that those children, our own flesh and blood and the ones who have come to you are the beautiful butterfly blessings that the Lord sends your way, and that He will make a way for every one of them.

It is for you to enjoy these blessings to the hilt by really loving them, not just giving them some material things or some temporary protection or some material dwelling for them to live in. What is most important is for them to be convinced that they dwell in your hearts and that you really love them as if they were your own.

Just a few moments ago while my wife was having her daily bible meditation, the little butterfly flew from the bear to her bible pages and then to her fingers.

What is the message from the Lord? She asked to the butterfly. I answered on its behalf... A message of communion in shared love! A message of gratefulness and trust on us by all the little butterflies that have beautified our home throughout our life! A reaffirming message that God will find a way for all the little butterflies of this world!

Our granddaughters are asking her. Grandma? Why is that little butterfly in our home? Is she sick? And grandma answers… My dear ladies… she needs our love! And they solemnly decided: we will love her!

IDENTITY AND AUTHENTICITY

This has been an unending dilemma through the times and especially now with all the cyclical crisis of all sorts, shapes, contents and whatever that are rocking and sinking all the boats of the human endeavors, ambitions, egotisms, extemisms, fakiness, ruthlesness and discrimination.

In relation to name callings and justifications you can make your choice. what it is never or rarely mentioned are the concepts of values, moral, social, spiritual, you name it, that are in a worse state of bancruptcy than the financial ones, associated with the rampant consumism and distortions of the understanding of life as it should be.

I hope you enjoy the following videos and the included thoughts and comments