"On Partaking Communion..."

We're on the third Sunday that we can't congregate in Church. Our living rooms have become our sanctuary to have service via Livestream. It's true that the building is not the church. It is we, the people, are the church. Does it feel foreign or awkward having church at home especially you're the only one person in your living room watching your pastor preaching? Absolutely.

My first Sunday service at home was definitely a unique experience. I, too, dressed up like I was going to church. But I really missed human interaction and being surrounded by the atmosphere of praise and worship that is "live" right there on the stage. I can only hear myself clapping alone when I'm touched by the worship team singing my favorite songs...ON the second Sunday morning service, I don't know why I didn't change to my church clothes. That was odd for me to do that. I have always carried the torch of my mom's traditional belief that when you go to church you wear your best dress or outfit to church. And when you have something new, you wear it to church first so it will be blessed and will last longer. I've been doing that ever since in honor of my mom's belief. I actually believed it, too.

It's Palm Sunday. I woke up with a very strong sense of commitment to have a church in my living room. I got a piece of cracker and a mini glass of cranberry juice for the communion prepared. I did partake communion twice. I did first with my Grace church and then with Family Worship Center at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, both via live stream. However, it's not the same.
My heart is screaming for the normal to go back. How long would this quarantine and isolation and social guidelines stay into effect? We don't have a timeline. Only God knows when...

As I pause, this line in the song at FWC at this morning service kind of rubbed off on me..."Take the hand of the man that stilled the water, that calmed the raging sea." When we do, I know that there is no sickness or virus greater than the power of God. I will wait on the Lord; wait for the Lord for He is the answer for healing and deliverance. And we pray for a miracle that next Sunday is going to be a miracle day of a Blessed Hope.
Take good care of yourselves because we're in this great challenge Together. That's the good part and rest assured that God will see us through if we believe and you can take that to he bank of Truth.

"Where To Put Your Faith In The Midst of Coronavirus?"

Today is another great day of hope, faith, and love with the Lord. We proclaim and declare the Truth of His Word; his promises which are YES and AMEN without a tinge of doubt in our soul and not be prompted by our own fear of immortality...Even when everything that we see with our physical eyes is telling us it's a doomsday!

One of the hardest/traumatic/saddest trials Today in somebody's life is losing your child to Coronavirus. For a moment, I thought that since we're Christians and have great faith that, that trademark will exempt us, and that zeal of God's faithfulness in us will always prevail. Still does for He is Holy.

Truth and behold: my sister Remy's son, Chris, my nephew, died of Coronavirus on March 26, nine days ago at their home in New York. My brother-in-law and my other nephew Jeremiah did both CPR on Chris while my sister was witnessing the most unbearable picture of life and death situation which would probably haunt her for the rest of her life.  

You know with all of this social distancing, quarantine rules, shelter in place, wearing a mask, wearing gloves bear nothing when you're trying to save a loved one. As human beings with human hearts, we respond according to the dictates of our hearts. We forget all those protective gear. We just go and do something to save a loved one.

Since my nephew Chris died, we, as a family go the throne of Grace and Mercy of God to pray without ceasing. We can't go fly to New York just like that. Governor Cuomo is changing and adding precautionary rules. If we go, we might be quarantined for 14 days and that is bad. And we will also be contracting the virus and spreading it to others. Either way, it's beyond our power. Also traveling to New York, the epicenter of COVID 19 is highly discouraged.

So, what do you do when even until now my nephew's corpse is still on the waiting list for proper burial. Are you kidding me? Oh, yes! Funeral homes, graveyards, and tombstones are essentials nowadays as far as I know... Liquor stores are also considered essentials and some abortion clinics are still open for business. Conjuring all these premises on my mind drives me insane. Some things don't make sense and don't add up. And it is very frustrating...

Now another reality threat has encompassed us: my sister, my nephew and my brother-in-law are now showing symptoms. Do they go to the emergency now or just do home remedies till they get worse? If you see how many scores of hundreds of people lining up to the emergency hospital, you might just turn around and die at home. 

I wish for a private helicopter to transport all of them here in Texas wherein our city, the death toll is a very low number. I'm wishing a lot right now... I guess it's one of the ways I try to cope. I can't even think straight.

All I know is that in my heart of hearts that the only constant that remains true and real is the fact that we all go on our appointed time whether or not from virus, accident, cancer, rampant shooting or hopelessness in itself. So, as I'm writing this post, I'm not sure what I'm trying to accomplish here. I just know that it is now or never that we seek the Lord for everything and know he is still on the throne. When is the Lord going to intervene? I don't know. He doesn't see a lot of commotion in his churches because the churches were the first ones on their list to be called non-essential and therefore shut down for how long, that is the real battle here.

For real?

I just have this thought swirling in my mind...I imagine almost 10 million babies aborted in the U.S. and we didn't stand for their rights to be borne. Do you think that for one minute that they're not crying from their graves and whosoever among us who voted to put politicians in the Congress and in the House of the representatives that advocated their platform for abortion, for planned parenthood that we are not going to stand on Judgment Day before God?

Think again. Every vote counts come November. You better read every politician's platform and see whether they stand for Biblical principles. Then your right to vote is well executed. And God is pleased for you doing the right thing. 

Be safe and stay healthy physically and spiritually out there. I do stay at home for schools are out since Spring break. I only go out for grocery shopping once a week and just walk my dog on a sunny day down the little creek in my neighborhood. I miss my two sons and my siblings and my 84-year-old mom and my brothers and sisters in CHRIST AT CHURCH. We just communicate now through texts, zoom meetings, and facetime. This is a nightmare but how we respond to this plague says a lot of who is inside us.

"Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world." 1John 4:4 KJV

 We need all Churches of God open by Easter. I pray. Please pray with me. God is still performing miracles that we don't even see and know. We need the fivefold ministry in operation to lay hands on the sich, to minister to the brokenhearted in person not view their preachings online.
I don't know where the rest of the patrons left upholding our constitutional rights. If we remain dormant, inactive and complacent about the freedoms that were fought for us by our forefathers, what do you think will become of America the great? I think and believe that we are heading to dictatorship, socialist/communist form of government. 
We The People. In God We Trust!
God Bless

"LORD JESUS, We Need You Now More Than Ever..."

 
I pray that you guys are taking good care of yourselves: practice constantly
washing your hands, obey distancing guidelines, and refrain from any form
of idolatry which is worshipping a graven image and also anything that you're
giving your utmost importance other than God.

I'm one of those people that didn't see the gravity of this coronavirus and how it's going to turn our lives upside down. Three weeks ago, I was enjoying my first day of Spring Break. I planned so many small projects to do in the house. Then my water heater needed to be fixed, then my car was towed to the shop for repairs so I relied on my good friend Senaida for a ride to Walmart & HEB for groceries. It was shocking to me that on my first visit to these stores, I saw people squabbling to get bottled water, toilet paper, meat, produce & canned goods. I was stunned and frozen for a moment at the nightmare that was going on before my eyes. Am I oblivious to what's really going on?
I didn't know whether to cry having witnessed people's alarming fear or join them in their madness. I never felt so sad in my life except for that day when I had to put my Cocoa down which I had for 14 wonderful years as my guard dog. Now I'm even sadder of what this different kind of war we're battling with a lot of uncertainty. I don't want to see my mom who's 84 years old doing more adjustments to her life than she already is... What may be the saddest thing this virus is doing to us is the physical distancing of ourselves from our loved ones.

Not being able to hug your mom, your children, your relatives, and friends is the ultimate curse this virus did. I'm a very demonstrative person. I like showing my affection to all my loved ones. I don't know why churches need to be shut down. Shouldn't churches remain open for the public to pray now more than ever? Shouldn't pastors, preachers, ministers, priests, and Christians be on their knees praying and praising God and preaching that God is our Rock of Salvation; that this virus is nothing compared to the power of God Almighty. And that we have nothing to fear for he knows everything. He is an omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God. That alone my brothers and sisters shall not make us weary and doubtful of his love that endures forever.

There is no happenstance in God's purpose in our lives. On the flip side of this crisis, staying home or working from home is a Blessing. We all stay together in one roof especially to those who are still raising their little children. Now, parents can be home helping their kids with anything--learning to be a real family again where you all guys eat together and have fun.
Now don't be thinking too much of how long this crisis will last. Just focus on how you take care of yourselves the best way you can and pray for healing to all those who have been afflicted by this virus and let's pray for all the health professionals that are really the most vulnerable group exposing themselves to this culprit. Let's also pray for our President Trump, Vice Pres. Pence and their families that God puts a hedge of protection and covering over them and that God gives our President the wisdom that he needs in this perilous times. I know for sure that God put him in that highest office to serve the people but we make it our responsibility also to always pray for them.

Let's not panic. God's Holy Spirit is our best vaccine. Our Trust and Faith should be to what Christ already did and finished at Calvary Cross. He bore all our sicknesses, illnesses and infirmities and nothing can touch us if we believe... We are covered by the Blood of Jesus. "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world."
Love you guys with the love of the Lord!

"What"s Your Greatest Fear?"

For the longest time, I was an embodiment of the face of fear. My fears range from all aspects of life. Whether the source is from physical, emotional, social, financial and spiritual, they gravitate in my core existence. There were many crucial times I thought I was going to lose my mind for I couldn't pinpoint or target to cease the very root of such an overwhelming fear. 
At the surface, I was functioning...I go to work. I have integrity for work; always on time and not really have taken many days off. I'm very friendly with everybody and unabashedly enter in a good conversation. I'm not a slob in any circumstance; I keep my home organized and everything that I know should be is in place. I'm keen on organization,  promptness, and honesty and many more. 

I was very fearful then of how this country is turning into a socialist country and that we are arbitrarily annihilating everything that our Constitution stands for. I was very fearful that my sons are still lost in the secular paradigm and they will never know how much God loves them and live right for Him. I was fearful that I may get cancer too because my brother died of it and many other close relatives incidentally. Fears enveloped me the moment I turn on my car's ignition for it may experience a malfunction and I'll be stranded. I had fears people close to me that spreading rumors about me. I was very fearful of such uncertainty of tomorrow or the future. When my faculties start to show the pangs of aging, I was very worried that my health is failing faster despite what I do to keep up with exercise and eating healthy food. I guess fears, even when they're legitimate, have taken a gaping hole in my life. 

How funny that sounds to me now. Now that God's grace has delivered me from all of these fears that none of them ever happened only shows that we do create our own fears. We let fears in control of our life. Oh, what a waste of time! However, I knew deep inside that these fears are not worth keeping when you know and live the Truth of it all. 
As Donnie Swaggart always says," that's a lie from the pit of hell of the devil." satan is the father of all lies. He is the conniving deceiver. Beware, his only desire is to take away your joy, your peace from God, your faith and your praise and worship to Jesus. He'll use every trick to devour you into pieces...If your faith is not anchored to what Jesus has already finished at Calvary Cross to where he took all our sins so we may live with him forever. Only if we believe and make Jesus our personal Savior and Lord, we are saved. That is His infallible Word.

So happy that I've been redeemed...no longer a captive or a slave to my past. I'm a new creation in Christ Jesus. And I say Hallelujah!

"Rejoice In The Lord Always..."

When you're doing the 21- day Daniel fast corporately as a church, one thing for sure happens: you get clarity, sensibility, & wisdom on things that seem vague and murky. Your senses are sharper and the distractions simply are at bay. Why is that? I believe that because aside from eating healthy food, your mind and body are consecrated to things that are really right for you. No caffeine, no fatty & junk food; no beverages except water; just vegetables and fruits and no social media except for checking my school email, writing my blogpost & watching just Christian preachings, and Praise and worship programs.

And after the 21 days of fasting, I will urge myself to continue doing it except that I have to eat meat in moderation and all kinds of sweets down to monitoring it closely. Doing the right thing has always been a tremendous challenge, and that is in all areas of our lives--physically, mentally, emotionally & spiritually. However, it gets easier once you've gotten to that place of resilience for it is the truth that you can continue holding on...No matter how many times you get knocked down in life, you get up because you know God is raising you up. And through all the challenges, we gain wisdom and peace that passes all understanding.

This morning at 9:00 first church service, I decided to sit down two rows in front where the Pastor sits. I had sat down last year all year at the back near the back door. But when I heard from Pastor Robert Morris that the anointing of the spirit of the Lord is packed near the shepherd. Thus, I decided to see whether that insight comes to light and it did. You can hear the message clearer, you can hear the praise and worship team pouring out their soul worshipping God and you're closer to the altar. I could sense the presence of the Lord...that would be the highlight of today.

In the afternoon, I spent 3 hours watching Ravi Zacharias's preaching on YouTube. Not only that he's so extemporary in elucidating his message but he's so very knowledgeable in Social Sciences that compels us to believe that even Science can't prove that there is no God. Because everywhere we go the existence of God is reflected in us. I am amazed at how the eloquence of words come to his mind and speak it to the core. The way he shares his past experiences in how God has brought him to where he is now is very humbling. I don't think I've ever heard anybody who can explain absolutes without offending other non-believers that in return even the atheists can find God in his preachings. 
Praise God.

So, that makes my heart go to flutter when I see people glorifying God in full measure. I can't help myself wishing I could even go near his sphere. But I have to have that kind of relentless desperation for God to use me too without reservation. Will I ever get to that place where I could lead people to fix their eyes on Jesus? 

I believe three more hours to go before I retire to bed tonight. My day has not ended actually yet. I just have to share this: I went for a walk with my real Trooper, a Border Collie/Labrador at 5:15
pm. in the neighborhood. I told my son that I'm not bringing my keys because he's at home anyway. That was a 20- minute walk by the way. When we got home, I didn't even realize that my son's car was gone that I was ringing the doorbell and he locked the door. I tried to climb over the fence but I couldn't. I can't stand waiting without doing something. I was about to go to my neighbor's house and it so happened they just got home, too. I told the husband if he could go over the fence and try the backdoor if I left it unlocked before using their cell phone. Thank God I did.
I was so happy with the rescue...God really is working all things for our good and I believe and experience His Grace every day.

Thank You, Lord.

What About Crafting Your" Writing " Today?

Every soul has something to say...whatever is spoken from your mouth you can write unto the pages. However, many people decide to curtail their writing prowess because of not believing in themselves. The right people didn't encourage them, therefore, their words that might have had influence a multitude of future younger writers remain to be unseen.

It is imperative and critical that we write every day to ourselves in a journal. You can put your frustrations, your regrets, disappointments and even mentioning who you've encountered and how they affected your day. You can even add your nuances explicitly to your taste. But really, what prompts you to write? What's your purpose in writing? 

For me, it's my personal expression of what's deep inside my vein. But honestly, there are words that only offered or used exclusively when I feel the presence of the Lord. You can't write that down. These words are hidden in my heart. There is a heavenly language that is between you and God. But anyway, what makes your craft valuable is when you make a connection with your words to your readers. It doesn't mean great traffic and a good number of followers. If they dig your intention and any revelation in your writing then you're good. And if they only read your writing once or twice but had transformed their hearts to a better place, then you've done your job. They don't have to subscribe to you any longer. They have to know they can move on and explore that new revelation of the truth about themselves and also influence others...

The kind of freedom writing offers is a given...Some artists do very well in writing fiction. Others do it more profoundly and articulately in writing non-fiction. I don't see myself in the latter category. I can't create words that flow from the creative imagination of the mind. My mind doesn't operate like that. I write what my five senses glide as a unit or corporately. If one of my senses is off sync with the rest of my faculties, I am doomed. It is very important to me that my muse in writing is perpetuated by my own will...

Sometimes I do think that your writing has to be purposely driven by good intentions and through these intentions coming from the heart beckons the desire unquenchable to tame. 
Just write until you still make sense...

"The Veracity Of The Word of God"

Today's  writing post is "Teach something to your readers."
"At the back of my head," I was thinking what can I teach to my readers that they already know?
The plethora of knowledge and instructions are no longer sought in classroom environments. Instead, people rush to gain logical and functional skills and answers to their questions to Google and the influx of social media. It is disturbing that many people let their souls be possessed by these forms of connecting and communicating with others. How easy have they fallen from these allure of the flesh? It is overwhelming to even commit to memory all the passwords and the email addresses to all of which you are a subscriber or a member. No wonder the statistics for people who are going nuts, depressed, oppressed, and addicts are astronomical. 

If we're honest enough to admit that our reasons for posting and sharing pictures especially on Facebook are deemed for vanity to the core. You want people to know that you still got it after all these years and you want that recognition. It's human nature...But there are those that override their conscience and let it stride--no conviction, promptings, and wisdom to do the right thing.
I'm not pre-judging others for I put myself on the same standards I say to people. If I fall into that category of a social media addict with no boundaries then I will be a hypocrite. But I know I'm not. I only have this blog, Twitter and  Hotmail accounts. What I know is that if we don't simplify our lifestyle, I see ruins in magnitude in your life.

I still write in cursive. I don't abbreviate words when I text, otherwise, I forget how words are spelled correctly. I still prefer to call people rather than text them. I need to hear their voice. That's just endearing to me especially when I talk to my mom, my sons, siblings, friends and my brothers and sisters in Christ. I love to think that there are still many people like me out there that surrender their hearts to the things that really mean to God. 

God is the only one who can equip us to teach the right things in this life. Without His grace, none of us is able to teach... God be Praised!