Jesus Said Love Dallas

When I was a freshman in college my friend Sze-lyn gave me a book to read.  It was called "Jesus with dirty feet."  I don't remember anything about the book but the title of it came to my mind the other day when I was prompted to consider getting my feet "dirty" like Jesus did during the days in which he ministered on this earth.  I have been prayerfully considering how I might become involved in a new ministry that has evolved in Dallas. There is an organization in Dallas for women who are prostitutes.  It is called Jesus Said Love Dallas.  I believe that God calls us to minister to everyone.  Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners.  And there were many who criticized him for the work that he did.  Yet his reply was simple.    “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." (Mark 2:17).  So please join me in praying for these women who are in a difficult situation in their lives.  Please join me in praying for this ministry and please join me in praying as I ask the Lord for guidance and clarity on what steps I should take in helping these beautiful women of God come to know HIM, see HIM, and be washed clean of their own sins, so that they too can know that they are HIS beautiful daughters!

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

Amazing Grace My Chains Are Gone!

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace

Have you ever thought about the freedom that you have been given in Christ Jesus?  When you sing the song “Amazing Grace” (My chains are gone) how does it make you feel to know that you are not being restrained from teaching others about Christ?  Remember when Paul was in prison and there was an earthquake and it loosened all of the prisoners chains?  What an amazing feeling it must have been to know that “their chains were gone” yet it was all part of God’s plan for Paul and the prisoners to stay there and not leave.  The Philippian Jailer was about to take his life.  He knew that if any of his prisoner’s escaped that he would surely be put to death.  What beautiful words it must have been to him to have heard Paul cry out “Do thyself no harm, we are all still here!”  (Acts 16:28).  All of the sudden he realized that he too was a prisoner within himself and that he wanted what they had.  He wanted to be released from the chains that were keeping him a prisoner of the world.  Whatever Paul had that caused him to sing songs of praise in prison and to stay in such a place when his chains had been loosened he too wanted a part of that!  So he yelled out “Sirs, What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30).  And Paul taught him Jesus and that same night he believed and was baptized and was saved! 

If you are a Christian living in America then you have many more freedoms today then Christians living during Paul’s time.  However, are you taking advantage of these freedoms to share the good news with others, demonstrate the love of Christ in how you live your life, invite others to come with you to a bible study, youth rally, or church retreat, or special service?  OR…are you letting the “chains” of life bog you down.  Are you feeling depressed?  Do you feel like your marriage is dead?  Are you living in financial debt?  Are your children causing you grief?  Has someone close to you died?  Isn’t it time that you let go of these chains.  Just like the song says and more importantly the bible promises us…our chains are gone when we are in Christ Jesus!  Allow God’s amazing grace to release you from the chains of life.  If you have not yet taken the steps to become a Christian then please do not delay any further.  The Philippian Jailer went that night and was baptized into Christ!

Find God in the moments of the day

When you woke up this morning what was the first thought on your mind?  Was it a dream that you had?  Was it the dread of all the things you needed to accomplish today?  Was it a bill that knew you had to pay?  For me the thought was simple.  Find God in the moments of the day!  I couldn’t quite understand why the message was so clear in my head and why it was all that I could think of from the moment that I opened my eyes but after considering where it came from I jumped out of bed and got down on my knees and started praying.  I asked God to help me to find HIM in all the moments of the day today.  And to be quite honest, I thought it was going to be an easy task!  I thought that I had it made!  Instead it was a warning to me that even though I was going to be tested and tried during the day that I would need to have patience, love, strength, and through it all the determination and will to FIND God in the moments of the day because they weren’t just going to be easy to spot!!!!

The kids did not seem to have any problems with the fact that it was only the second day of school.  And the devil took advantage of the fact that I was “seeking God in the moment of the day” at least once when my patience was tested to the max and I found my tone of voice mean and accusing and I had to step back take a deep breath and try again!  They were daring and brave!  They spoke out, yelled, picked at each other, laughed and made fun, talked out of turn, did everything they were told not too, but still I persisted!  I was determined to find God in the moments of the day. 

As the day continued on I had conversations with the kids who were troubled.  I tried to get to the roots of the problems- discovered that many were willing to talk if I was willing to listen.  I also found that sometimes a handshake, a pat on the back, an encouraging word, or a smile goes a long way to help a student get through a difficult moment.  I had conversations with teachers today who are facing major surgery in the upcoming weeks, teachers who are still thinking about losses they have faced in the aftermath of Katrina, teachers like me who are just leaning on God and their faith to make it through each and every day and I realize that God has given me the heart to listen, and the strength to pray for others and that is a gift I am glad to carry with me.  Thanks to HIM for showing me the moments in this day!  And thanks to HIM they weren’t just GIVEN to me and that I did indeed have to FIND them!

Crazy Love

If I were to ask you about your love life tonight would you include within your description the ultimate “love of your life” your Holy Father, God, the one who sent his only begotten son, to die on the cross for your sins so that you might have eternal life?  He loves you so much that he has asked you to put him first even before your mate!  It sounds like a difficult concept to comprehend!  But if you think about it your number one love should be the Lord!  The “crazy in love” feeling that you have for that significant person in your life belongs to the Lord before it ever belongs to anyone else!  Pursue a relationship with HIM and he will teach you about unconditional LOVE!  He is the author of LOVE.  Check out the following verses! 

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7 (NIV)

^“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.” Deut. 7:9 (ESV)

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

^“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (NKJV)

May you be encouraged by the words of this song, the scriptures in the bible, and the love of  God to begin your own journey of crazy love with God!

Crazy Love: By: Hannah Ruth Guajardo

My eyes are burning for you, Jesus Christ

My heart and soul yearn for you, Jesus Christ

When I wake up in the morning

You’re my first thought of the day

I’m so grateful to you Jesus

For showing me the way

That’s how it is Lord

When you have that crazy love

You draw me near, your everlasting presence

Is felt from up above

And even though my loneliness, reaches farther than the stars

I’m so focused on you Jesus, you’re the one I want to please

Nothing else really matters anymore

It’s like I’m falling in love with you, all over again, its like you’re the ultimate one I love

It’s a symptom of a rare disease, radically pursuing Christ

I just want to share it with the whole world

Let everyone catch it from me, Lord

Let them see, within my heart, that the tears that fall so easily

Only mean that I love you so deeply

And at the end of the day, when my eyes feel that burn

I’ll know that it was because for you they did yearn

The Change

I don’t know why human beings resist change.  Every day we set out to accomplish a task.  If we are successful in accomplishing the task that we set out to accomplish then we are happy.  However, we are most happy when it is within the confines of our own comfortable bounds.  If we have to step outside that comfortable boundary line to be successful then it makes us question whether or not the change is worth the reward of success at the end!  Sometimes it helps when we are pushed a little to make a change!

 For example, In Genesis 12 God told Abram to make a change when he asked him to move to another country.  He did not tell Abram where he was going or for what purpose either.  He just said “Go” and Abram went!  And he was blessed for it!  But what if Abram had questioned God?  What if he had hesitated?  What if he had tried to go a different way?  What might have happened?  Would God have protected him?  Probably not!  But because Abram listened he was blessed and his name was changed to Abraham which means “Father of many nations.” 

I received an email at the end of last year telling me to relocate to another school.  I was so resistant to the change at first!  But a dear friend of mine reminded me that God too had a purpose for me at this new school even if I did not know what it was at that exact time.  And now I am reminded how Abram did not know exactly what his purpose was during his transition period but how many many nations were blessed through the covenant made between him and God!

Today was my first day at the new school and everything went so well.  The people were friendly and inviting.  I felt welcomed into my new home.  I am feeling more excited about teaching this year because I understand that it is more about the vision of reaching and teaching each and every child and less about the location!  Thanks to God for this beautiful reminder!!!!

I hope and pray that if you are faced with a similar situation in your life that you too will be able to find the joy in it that I did.  If you can be at peace with the situations that are handed to you in life then you will find that you are much happier. 

 I know for me the turning point was when I forced myself to go up to someone and introduce myself.  I almost went inside the convocation alone and sat down by myself.  But then I decided to pretend that I wasn't afraid and found a friendly face and introduced myself and from there they introduced me to even more people and before I knew it I was amongst my new family and I wasn't alone.  And even though it will be a process (because change isn't easy and things don't just work out perfectly over night) with the right kind of attitude and prayers you can certainly make the best of even the worst kind of days).

Have you ever had one of those days when you were gently reminded that you were doing something that you really shouldn't be doing? How did you respond? Did you respond with anger? Towards the person who pointed it out? Did you respond with blame? Toward the person whose fault that you thought it "should" be? Or did you respond with gratitude? Thanking the person who helped you to realize what you were doing was wrong? Think about it for a minute...

In Genesis 4 Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to the Lord.  God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but he did not accept Cain’s sacrifice.  However, the Lord gently reminded Cain that he did not have to be angry.  He even reminded him that if he did well that he would be accepted too.  “So the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry?  And why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.  And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”  (Genesis 4: 6-8).  Cain could have chosen to respond with gratitude and offer a more acceptable sacrifice.  However, he chose instead to let his anger get the best of him.  He allowed his feeling of anger and his thought of “rejection” by God to rule his actions.  So he went out and killed his brother Abel.

I was seeking out advice from a friend today and she gently reminded me about one of my faults that I all too often forget about!  My first response was to react in anger, like Cain!  I wanted to deny that I was doing anything wrong or that I even had a problem.  So we prayed about it together and later on I read through some scriptures and had some of my own prayer time and it become very evident to me how very right my friend was! 

We are faced with decisions like this every single day of our life.  God allows us to choose how we live our life.  He allows us to choose whether or not we are going to serve him or not. (Joshua 24:15).  So the next time you are gently reminded to “check yourself” how will you respond?  Will you respond with anger like Cain?  Or will you be thankful that you have a friend that cares enough about you to call you out on something that you are doing that isn’t right!

                                                              The Holy Author of Me

If I could write the story of my life I think that it would tell

Of all my earthly wealth and fame and how I’m doing well

If I could write the story of my life I think that what I’d say is

“Who cares about tomorrow when you can live it up today!”

But instead I have a perfect author, the Holy author of me

Who paid a price for the sin I committed and died upon a tree

And I can choose to accept the gift that he has given me

Or I can hide my faith from others and live so foolishly

If I could write the story of my life I think that I might find

That I would place my confidence in the intelligence of my mind

If I could write the story of my life I think that what I’d do

Was make sure that I was happy and that all my dreams came true

But instead I have a perfect author, the Holy author of me

Who paid a price for the sin I committed and died upon a tree

And I can choose to accept the gift that he has given me

Or I can hide my faith from others and live so foolishly

And he knows every thought I have before I even think it

And he can predict the path I’ll take, before I even take it

But if I choose to let him, then I know he’ll write

The story of salvation upon my heart tonight

And since I have a perfect author, the Holy author of me

Who paid a price for the sin I committed and died upon a tree

I choose to accept the gift that he has given me

And in my heart you’ll hear a song that echoes through my soul

“Jesus Precious Perfect Lord, Holy Author of Me

I will rise up to the call, Master Lord of all”

And in the precious waters my sins will wash away

And I’ll become a new creation, through Him, it’s the only way