Author: lauriann

Studying

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Too much reading

I haven’t been able to update this blog because I’ve been studying and working online.  You see, I am taking a course so I can move from Puerto Rico to Texas.  It’s not an easy move, it took me a while to take this decision.  I’ve been living in Puerto Rico for more than 40 years but the time has come to do something drastic and adventurous.   I’ve been praying and it hasn’t been easy; but the door has opened and I just went for it.  I had an orientation with Region 4 (this is a company that visits Puerto Rico like 2 times a year to recruit bilingual teachers).  I liked what they offered and I took my chances.  I started their course on October 11.  It has been good, but I’ve been reading like crazy.

You might think that that is not much to do, but the studying thing is taking a lot of my time right now.  Like in this week alone, I have to read 7 chapters of 2 different books, watch presentations of each chapter, make graphic organizers, do assignments plus complete an assessment of each class. As you can imagine, I still haven’t finished the reading part, some of the assignments plus the assessments.  Yeah, still lot to do….

I’m doing this to get prepared for the TeXes tests that I will take in the following months so that I can be a certified bilingual teacher in the Houston area.  What I’m still wondering is….(and I know that I’m not the only one), if I pass these courses but don’t pass the TeXes, what then???

I know I still have to pay the course, but at least they should use these grades to add some points to those TeXes scores.  These courses are really exhausting.  I constantly read about other candidates taking this course, who work and study in other colleges, they whine about how much work they have and how difficult it has been for them to do this.

I wonder how much we have to keep sacrificing from our lives just to achieve a better live for ourselves and our loved ones.  I know I’m not the only one and many more will follow after me.  I just pray that everything will be all worth it.

Former Transexual Angel Morell In U.S.A.

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Massachussetsa morell in ma

Several months ago, I shared with you the testimony of this young man.  I know that the gay agenda has been very aggressive these days specially in Houston, TX where a lady mayor is persecuting all the pastors and their messages.

All I want to say is that the real church of God loves homosexuals, lesbians and transexuals as people who need to be transformed.  We love them the same way God loves them.  We accept them as people; we firmly believe that Jesus died for them and that God has the power to deliver them from the spiritual stronghold of homosexuality and rebellion against how God made them.  Yes, homosexuality with all it’s variations IS a spiritual bond just like adultery, fornication, murdering, lying, stealing, alcoholism…..those are spiritual doors that we have opened through the weakness of our flesh.

Demonic possession is not only what we see in “The Exorcist”.  There are possessions by demons of immorality just like demons of divination, lying, violence, murdering.  People who are possessed by these demons don’t lose conscience, they can’t feel physically that they are being possessed.

Actually, they can behave like every other person.  Sometimes you may see a completely normal individual who is always quiet but then one day, he got mad, took a gun killed his mate and then committed suicide.  What happened then?  The few who have survived these types of ordeal, swear that they’ve heard “voices” ordering them to kill.  Science tries to explain this as schizophrenia but the person will say that they were completely normal before.  They just snapped and then they were regretful of what they did.  I bet you have read this before in the news, right?   I have read it many, many times before….

But a lot of people, still don’t want to believe until it is too late….

Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

This is not a sci-fi movie.  This is real life.  The Apostle Paul mentioned about this spiritual battle much before than any Hollywood movie.   The dark rulers and authorities exist!  And they want to possess your soul; they don’t even want you to acknowledge their existence because if you don’t believe: they win!  Don’t let them win.

Come and learn more about Angel Morell’s wonderful testimony and if you live near the Massachusetts area in the U.S.A. remember that in December, this young man will be there sharing  the wonderful miracle of deliverance that God made in his life.  And if you don’t believe; you might still have a change of heart….

angel morell

Should Christians Believe In Ghosts?

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Ghost

I was sitting down with my daughter watching TV.  You know, these days we’ve been spending quality time together.  And it’s been great.  I highly recommend that you spend time with your kids.  There are lots of things that can happen….now read this.

One of the TV programs that my daughter enjoys the most are those programs that have to do with ghosts.  She’s an avid fan of “Ghost Hunters” in SyFy.  She even cried when Grant left the show.  She loves those kinds of reality shows where people go to different places to search for specters and all those kinds of experiences.  I even remember that when she was younger; she really chose to be a ghost hunter as her future profession!  It’s so wonderful when time passes, children grow up and they change their minds, hehehe.

Well, I was sitting down with her and we started watching a marathon of “A Haunting” in Destination America.  I have explained to my daughter what are ghosts; now she knows.  But I will share with you what the Bible says about it.  There seems to be a lot of ignorance regarding this theme.  I’ve noticed that churches, specially in the U.S.A. are not giving the due attention to such an important and controversial theme.  And what’s worse, churches are not educating appropriately and preparing the people of God to fight against it.

1 Samuel 28 3-18:  “Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah.  Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.  The Philistines army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart.  He inquired of the Lord, but the Lod did not anser him by dreams or Urim or prophets.  Saul then said to this attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.”  “There is one in Endor,” they said.

So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”  But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done.  He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land.  Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”  Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”  The the woman asked, Whom shall I bring up for you?”  “Bring up Samuel,” he said.  When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me?  You are Saul!”  The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid.  What do you see?”

The woman said, “I see a spirit coming up out of the ground.”  “What does he look like?” he asked.  “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,”  she said.  Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.  Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”  “I am in great distress,”  Saul said.  “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me.  He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams.  So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has turned away from you and become your enemy?  The Lord has done what he predicted through me.  The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors-to David.  Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today.  The Lord will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me.  The Lord will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines.”

This is the only mention of an active “ghost” in the Bible.  Another time was when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the tempestuous sea and they thought that He was a ghost. So it seems that Jesus’ disciples did believe in ghosts.  But with this evidence, am I saying that we should believe in ghosts?  Definitely not.  First, the disciples were mistaken.  Jesus was no ‘ghost’.

Second, notice that in the previous verses of 1 Samuel; Saul was searching for God.  He tried to communicate with Him but could not.  He tried using prophets, dreams, Urim and Tumim but God was silent.  Saul had been disobedient; that’s why God would not answer him.  So where did Saul had to go?  To someone who God had warned him against:  a medium or a spiritist.

Deuteronomy 18:10: “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.  Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.”

So, if God is not among a medium, spiritist or witch….do you think He was present when Saul consulted the medium?  Do you think that that apparition was the real Samuel; a man of God who was supposed to be with God at that precise moment?  Samuel was dead; he was resting at Abraham’s side with the other servants of God who had parted before him.

Hebrews 9:27-28: “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed one to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

If a man or woman can only die once and after that to face judgement….where does the “ghost” thing fit in there?  Easy answer….it fits no where.  The spirits that roam the earth don’t belong to humans.

How do I know this?  Jesus said so….

Luke 23:43 “Jesus answered him: ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 16:22-23 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side.  The rich man also died and was buried.  In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.”

Did Jesus mention something about souls wandering the earth seeking revenge or having incomplete issues on this life?  No.  Once you die, your time’s up.  You go to where ever you chose in life:  heaven, if you follow Jesus or hell, if you denied Him.  And if anyone lived without ever knowing about the true God: He will know how to judge that person.  He is a fair God who brings the perfect justice.

So, the question remains:  What or who are “ghosts”?

2 Corinthians 11:14: “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.  It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.  Their end will be what their action deserve.”

If the devil can disguise himself as an angel of light; don’t you think it’s easy for him or his servants to disguise themselves as human spirits to confuse people and lead them far away from God?  All the devil wants is to makes us believe that he is stronger; that we don’t have the power to defeat him.  We don’t need to defeat him!  Jesus already did that for us.

Through His Holy Spirit we have to power to cast away any attack that the devil might throw at us.  We belong to God; we have nothing to fear.

I always get frustrated when I watch those reality shows and I see the Catholic priests running away scared out of those haunted houses.  I also get disappointed when people seek advise from psychics, mediums, witches…..pleeeaase!!!  Where is the real Church of God during this?  I’ve even seen people from protestant churches in those reality shows who are actually scared to go to haunted houses…..I mean,  REALLY?!!!

I always remember an experience I had rebuking a spirit that had taken the form of a cat and was wreaking havoc at my mom’s house.  We didn’t have a cat at that time.  I saw the cat with my own eyes open, I was wide awake and I saw how it disappeared in the darkness of a sofa in the living room.  The next evening I prayed, soaked my hands in anointed olive oil and cast that spirit away.  I literally heard it running out of the house as fast as lightning.  That’s the power of the Holy Spirit that each one of us, servants of God possess because:

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.”

So we can’t be scared of the devil; let him tremble by the power of the Holy Ghost that lives inside of us.  We can spiritually cleanse our own houses.  Sorry, ghost hunters….but we, the real Church of God can get rid of the “ghosts” ourselves!   Hahaha! ^0^

Have a blessed week!

Do Not Worry

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Vacation plans

Have you ever felt that you wish that there were 30 hours in a day instead of just 24?  I’ve been feeling like this a lot lately.  Sometimes I wish there were even 8 or 9 days a week so I can at least rest one. Juggling between so many chores at the same time can be really excruciating.

You know it’s good to have things to do.  Being bored can make you lazy and start having a sedentary life.  Sedentary means bad to your health.  But being too busy can also be bad.  Stress, anxiety….not a good thing either.  We must look for a balance or, in other words, just take it easy.

I often think that when good things come; they all arrive to your life at the same time.  We want to accept everything because we know that nothing lasts forever, specially the blessings.  Now I’m able to work, but then I won’t know if I’ll have an available job in the future.  That’s the tricky peculiarity of being unstable professionally.  We are obligated to live by faith.  We don’t know what the future holds.

That’s why I love these Bible verses that I want to share with you:

“Then Jesus said to his disciples: Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.  Consider the ravens:  They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.  And how much more valuable you are than birds!

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”  Luke 12:22-26

Jesus really nailed it, didn’t he?  We constantly worry about our relatives, about the news, about our jobs and about ourselves.  But we can still have rest in the middle of our constant duties.  The only day we have is today.  Yesterday is gone forever; tomorrow is uncertain.

Let’s just enjoy today: hug your kids, tell them you love them.  Call your parents if you are blessed enough to still have them alive and well.  Pray to God and be thankful.  Rest in Him and He will give you peace that passes understanding.

Ebola, Chikungunya or Dengue

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zombies

Luke 21:11 “There will be earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”

The one who said that was non other than Jesus himself.  He was talking about these days.  Is there any doubt about it?  Dengue and chikungunya are illnesses that are caused by mosquitoes.  I had dengue when I was a kid; fortunately I haven’t had chikungunya.  But people who are very close to me have had it and it’s not pretty.

These two illnesses (chikungunya and dengue) have caused a lot of suffering these days, at least here in Puerto Rico.  I know that in other Latin American countries they are suffering the devastating effects from these pestilences too.  Fortunately ebola hasn’t arrived here and I pray it never does.

Because ebola, seems to be the worst.  This morning I read the news that there is another person infected in Texas, what’s so worrisome about this pestilence is how highly contagious it is.  You can even get it if you have contact with the sick person’s sweat.

There are so many questions about these illnesses.  Are they caused by man?  Are they evolutions of nature?  Were they caused by chemical weapons?  We still don’t know.  There are people who joke about this questioning that ‘why are we gonna get worried? nobody escapes alive from this life anyway”.  That’s maybe true; but, how would you feel if one of your loved ones is sick by an incurable plague?

Is there anywhere to go?  Can we escape from this?  I am particularly concerned because my plans are to move to Texas for next year plus I also have many relatives living there.  But today, the Bible put my worries at ease.

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”  Jeremiah 17:7-8

I don’t have to say that the tree, water, roots, stream, heat, leaves, drought and fruit are all symbolism’s.  The man is the tree, the water is the Spirit of God, the heat are the tribulations or pestilences, the leaves are the works of man.  The drought symbolizes scarceness and the fruits are the fruits of the Spirit living inside of us.

We have nothing to fear.  Nothing will separate us from the love of God.  Let your hand be guided by the One who still has everything under control.  He is still Sovereign over us.

Heat

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CIMG2491

Meow!  I can’t stand this anymore.  It’s been days that I’ve been trying to tell my servants what I want and they don’t seem to understand. I want them to pet me, pet me and pet me all the time.  Don’t they get it?

I’m not even hungry that much; only for those occasional crunchy cockroaches, but even my food bothers me.  I just want to crouch all night and day; but nothing satisfies me.

This morning my servant Anna just run out of our room to her mom’s.  I wonder why she was so upset? It’s not like I’ve done anything wrong. All I did was what I always do when I feel like I’m not getting enough attention.

I spent all night telling her that I wanted to be petted and loved.  I screamed as loud as I could; but all my servant did was lie down tossing and turning on her the bed.  When the day was starting; she just ran out of the room.

Then, I heard my two servants talking.  They were talking about me. But, I wonder what “neutering” means….  Meow!

There They Go!

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CIMG2608

Like every other Sunday morning;  I sit on my balcony to look at the airport and watch how the airplanes take off to the sky.  Sometimes I even wave them good-bye.  This morning I watched 2 JetBlue’s leave as early as 6 AM.  The early Sunday FedEx left sharp at 7 AM.  And while I drank my morning coffee a huge Delta soared through the sky leaving the Luis Munoz Rivera International Airport behind.

I often wonder what’s the plane destination; who are those passengers; what are their plans for the future and who will be waiting for them when they arrive.  I do love living in front of the airport; but it could be a frustrating experience too.  Specially when you feel trapped and you want to leave; but you don’t have the means to do it.  Every time a plane departs; a piece of my heart leaves too.  I feel like leaving; but I can’t.  I guess that’s the way prisoners feel.

Living in Puerto Rico during these last four years have been hard on me.  Since I lost my job and I haven’t had financial stability; the only steadfast supply in my life has been my faith in God.  But what happens when you get shaken to the point that you even doubt if what you’re doing is right?

I started a job two weeks ago; it doesn’t pay much, I only work four hours a week, I prepare very well for my job (I do the lesson plans), I filled all the documents the way they said so I could get paid in time….but still, I didn’t get paid.  It’s so sad when you see the fuel tank of your car almost on empty, it’s the end of the month when you know you won’t have money; then you work, expect to get paid, and it doesn’t happen.

When I told my mom yesterday, that I didn’t get paid, she told me to quit.  But I have a contract so I just have to breathe deeply and try to manage the best that I can.  But then this morning, I watched the planes departing again and….I….just….wanted…..to….leave.

Satanism Vs. Atheism

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satanic book

Do you know what is the difference between a Satanist and an atheist?  The true simple answer is: nothing.  There is no difference at all.  Now you may say:  but the atheist do not believe in God or the devil.  And you’re right.  But neither do the Satanists!  The church of Satan is a humanist organization; in other words: they are atheist. They don’t adore the devil. They adore man. Many church goers ignore this information completely; they have been deceived by Hollywood and sensationalism for a very long time.

News and pictures about people dressed in black cloaks, killing animals, drinking blood and virgin sacrifices are all images that don’t occur in the Satanic Temple.  But the real question remains: is this really a good thing?  The Satanic Temple sells us the positive thinking, the man-god concept, the word declarations….but, do you know what’s worse about this?  That these philosophies are being taught in many of our churches as we speak.

Our own declarations are substituting the powerful Word of God.  Our positive thoughts are substituting the mind of Christ in our way of thinking.  The man-god concept is substituting the sovereignty of the Almighty God working in our lives.

But the funny thing about all of this is that atheist are always bragging about being free from religion.  Think again!  Cause Atheism is an organized religion.  I already mentioned where it comes from: the Satanic Temple.  So they may argue that they don’t have to go to a temple to worship.  Neither do millions of Roman-Catholics but they are still called “Catholics”.

Atheist’s so called “freedom” is just an illusion.  Can they be free of sickness?  Can they be free of depression?  Can they be free of their own mortality?  Can they be free of loneliness?  No, they cannot.  Humans cannot free themselves of problems or situations…not even positive thinking will save anybody.  Not even being a genius will help anybody from their fate.  Just ask Stephen Hawkings, he’s a genius tied to a wheelchair.

The devil doesn’t want people to believe in God.  He wants people to be sick, to be lonely, depressed, to die without hope.  Unfortunately, his scheme is making people live in despair, taking their own lives, thinking that there is no way out.  But God is real like the invisible air that surrounds us.  We cannot live without him.

But, what can we learn about all of this?  Atheist are Satanist; they just don’t know it.  And if they know it; they probably don’t care.  But the sad thing is that one day, they will care.  But by then, it will probably be too late for them.

So, church be on alert!  Parents, keep an eye on what it is taught to your children at school.  Remember, God is powerful to deliver us from any sin, there is nothing that He cannot do.

Feel Guilty or Not?

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Good morning

This has been a good week.  Well, under the circumstances of being broke, yeah it’s been a great week.  I mentioned in an earlier post that I went to a job interview.  Well, the update is that I didn’t get that job.  But, a few days later I did go to another job interview and I did get that other job.  Yesterday was my first day of giving conversational English to Spanish speaking kids.  I used music as a tool and it was the best decision I made.  Kids made great comments to their parents and the lady owner of the school was happy about it and she let me know.

Also, during this last week I started giving voice lessons to church goers on Monday night.  There’s something about teaching others that makes me feel that I’m doing God’s will.  When God gives you a talent, the best thing you can do is use it to bless others.

So, I was very busy making plans, looking online for ideas to spice up the lessons for my students so that they could have fun while they learn when I made the mistake of reading the news.  Suddenly I saw the photograph of a tall man dressed completely in black.  His face was completely covered except for his eyes.  His left hand held a knife while another man dressed in orange kneeled beside him with a sad face seemingly accepting the unavoidable fate of his demise.  Suddenly, I felt distressed.

There I was feeling good about myself and enjoying my life while others suffer.  Am I wicked when I make plans for a blessed future for my daughter and myself while others are being battered, murdered, tortured and even massacred?

“So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me.  All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”  Ecclesiastes 2:17

This morning I prayed.  I prayed for the persecuted churches in North Korea, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Africa, Indonesia, Pakistan and all other countries where women are being mistreated or enslaved, kids are being massacred, men are being jailed or executed.  I prayed for those parents forced to endure the pain of watching helplessly as their adored offspring are being beheaded for reasons they don’t even care for.  I prayed for God to fight for His people, the innocent, the hurting, the lowly….  I prayed for peace that passes understanding.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and time for peace.”  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

And I pray for us, that we appreciate the time that we can share with our families, that we learn to put our plans into God’s hands; that we learn to listen to His voice and obey Him.   I pray that all of those who read this post are loved, blessed, protected, touched by His hand and that may we never lose hope…

Smile

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Letterman

I live in an apartment complex. So there are lots of people that I see constantly coming in and out of the building. I try to be courteous whenever I take the elevator. If somebody is inside the elevator when I take it, I greet them and if I leave first, I wish the other passengers a good night, day or whatever. That is politeness.

We live in the same community and you never know when you may need help or when you could help some neighbor in crisis. Well, there is a lady that I’ve encountered many, many times. I greet her when I get into the elevator or when I see her, I smile courteously. She never answers my greetings and she never smiles back at me. Actually, if she sees me, she even ignores me.

The truth is that I’m not offended by it. I pray that some day she will meet happiness in her life. But I think that her personality is making her miss out in lots of opportunities. I will explain myself.

I have noticed that she doesn’t have a car. I’ve seen her in the bus stop waiting. She has to take public transportation to go anywhere she has to go. I have to tell you that public transportation in Puerto Rico, sucks big time! When I didn’t have a car, I had to develop a lot of patience waiting for the bus for even 2 hours or more. And I’m not even mentioning what happens whenever the bus drivers decide to go into a strike fighting for their rights.

Last week I went with my daughter to an appointment into a shopping mall. It was midday. While we sat, I saw the aforementioned non smiling neighbor there. As always, she saw us but decided to ignore us. My daughter and I did our diligences, had a great time visiting stores, (even if we just window shopped), ate at a McDonalds and just enjoyed ourselves. When we were ready and tired, we got into our little old car and headed back home. It was late in the afternoon.

While my car was entering the parking lot through the electric gate, I saw the non smiling neighbor arriving at the same time. She was walking from the bus stop and still not smiling. She probably had to wait hours for a bus before arriving home. It made me wonder.

If she would’ve been more open to friendships, at least I would’ve been brave enough to offer her a lift so that she wouldn’t have to wait for the bus. Or maybe I’m the one who needs to be braver and not be afraid of being rejected. Experience has taught me that people can be so mean sometimes.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:12-13 “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

I pray that someday, I learn to be more brave and that my non smiling neighbor can find happiness and more friends.

Ugly

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CIMG2557  Hello!  My name is Midna.  I live with my two servants: Lauriann & Anna.  Yesterday a visitor came to my dwelling place or should I say: my castle.  My servants kept me safe in a room so that that visitor couldn’t harm me.  But I could smell her from a mile away.  I was quite content in that safe room.  I had everything I needed:  my food, my water and my favorite potty box.  Oh! And I also have a tall bed that almost touches the ceiling from which I can see through the window all the tiny moving objects that I long to catch & play with… or maybe eat them.

So I was quite comfortable but I could still hear that stranger walking around and talking about me.  Yeah!  She said I was “ugly”.  My servants insisted that I was not.  But the stranger stubbornly kept saying that I was the ugliest cat that she had ever seen.  She also added that the previous cat (whom I’ve never met) was prettier. The nerve!  What did I ever do to deserve to be insulted like that?

All I do is play around with anything that I can find.  My favorite pastimes are: following balls and hunting my snacks and eating them.  I still wonder why my servants grimace whenever I eat my snacks.  It’s so much fun to watch while my snacks try to escape but I always catch them…..mmmmeow  and that crunchy sensation while I chew them is sensational.  My servants call them “cockroaches”  but I call them “yummy”.

I like my life and I even have a friend.  His name is Marlute and he lives next door.  He’s much older than me but I like to bother him whenever he visits and stays over.  I like intimidating him with my furry tail.  He may be bigger, older and probably cuter by questionable standards; but I’m funnier!

I am loved, well cared and I have my own kingdom.  And, I don’t give a meow who thinks I’m ugly!

So, bite me!

CIMG2481

Job Interviews

lauriann 5 Comments

Job interview

Long gone are those days when there were lots of job offers and getting a job interview was almost guaranteed.  At that time, I was even afraid to apply to jobs because I might get hired on the spot.

But we are living very different times, at least here in Puerto Rico.  Jobs are very scarce and to get a job interview is almost impossible.  I’ve had to make different resumes depending on the jobs that I apply for.   So, I guess that in a résumé, you can’t be who you really are.

There are jobs where having too much education can be counterproductive because you’re overqualified.  Meanwhile, in other jobs, having too much education is just not enough because you need many years of experience for the job they’re posting.   So you are forced to have many resumes because one is just not enough.  Plus, you have to put in a résumé, what the company wants to read.  It can be misleading for them, but job offerings can force us to be like that.

Getting the dream job that we all want can be hard.  My dream job would be one where I am my boss, I have my schedule, and I don’t have to get out of my house….it sounds like one of those jobs schemes that sound too good to be true.  Yeah, those job hoaxes where you pay a fee to some bogus company that tell you that you get paid just for filling online surveys.  You know, no real company will ever make you pay to get a job.  That’s preposterous!

I’ve had online jobs where they pay very well and I’ve never had to pay a single dime to be a part of it.  Real legal jobs don’t show you people living in mansions or driving Maserati’s or Porches.  So when ever you see an offer that sounds too good to be true….just do what every smart person does….Google it!!  Find out if the company is included in “job hoaxes”.  Believe me, if it’s not true….somebody somewhere in the world will say something about it.

And as Christians, let’s keep praying for those who are seeking jobs and for those who are unemployed and can’t work.  Also pray for those like me, who are seeking God’s guidance to see if we can move to greener pastures.

Oh, and I did get a job interview for this next Wednesday.  Yeah, one of the only two interviews that I’ve got over this year, even though I’ve applied for more than 50 job postings.  But who knows?  This job might be the one to supply me at least for awhile until God puts me where He wants me to be.  He arrives just when we need it.  So, let’s keep the faith rising.

Have a great week!

 

Thanks for the laughs!

lauriann 4 Comments

Depression is not a joke

I can’t end this week without remembering my favorite entertainer Robin Williams.  It took me too long to just sink in the reality of his passing.  Even though, he made me laugh so many times, I always sensed some tragedy about him.  It happens when you know that a person has so many talents and they get into depressions.

I have admitted in a previous post about my own fight against depression.  Those of us who are musicians, artists and are involved in the world of arts, are most susceptible to fall into the claws of depression, that’s well known in the mental health branch.  I also admit that I don’t take antidepressants; even though I should, but I have put my faith into God.  He’s been doing a wonderful job whatsoever.  No suicidal tendencies; even when the hopelessness might be at maximum strength!  God is that powerful!

I wish Robin Williams might’ve found that refuge in God.  I noticed that when he finished his performances, he usually shouted: “God Bless You”.  Were those simple words for him?  He must’ve had some fear on Him.  But why not let God carry him during his pain?

My sister and I were sitting and reflecting about reasons to commit suicide.  We concluded that powerful reasons would be:  (taking an example of the persecution of Christians in Muslim countries) women who are sold as sex slaves and have seen how terrorist have killed their children and spouses, even men who have seen how terrorist rape their daughters and wives and are unable to protect them.  Those are terrible reasons where suicide might be a way to escape an uncertain future.  I believe that God has the power to turn everything around.  But my human mind cannot fathom how can He do it.  That’s when faith makes it’s entrance.

Faith makes the impossible, possible.   People may think that God is evil because he allows evil things to happen in this world.  But God is not responsible for the decisions that humans make.  Man decides his own fate.  Man decides to follow evil; God does not force us to serve Him.  That decision has to come from ourselves. 

Robin Williams decided to end his life.  He didn’t have to see his children murdered before his eyes.  He didn’t have to deny God and hope that some terrorist wouldn’t rape his wife while he had to watch there helplessly.  He may have had health problems but he had money to pay the best doctors to treat him, he had a successful career, fame, money, a big house, cars, love from his family and friends. But yet, why would he feel alone?  Why did he think that he had to end it all?   I doubt that it was God’s decision to end his life so soon. 

Even if we try to deny it or if we don’t want to face it:  there is a void inside of our lives.  There’s no money, fame, even love of our families that can fill that void.  And it’s an important void; because it can make the difference between wanting to live or die.  It’s that spiritual need that every human being has.  We can’t just depend of our own self sufficiency.  We are not almighty to change everything in our lives.  We are human beings, prone to make mistakes and die.  WE NEED GOD!!! 

God gave Robin Williams the wonderful gift of laughter and make people happy.  He used that gift gracefully but in the end decided to make us cry.  His ultimate decision made me sad.  My heart goes out to his family, friends and all of the fans out there.

Welcome to Joyful Christian Homeschool!

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CIMG2604

Hey!  We started the new school year with a new face and a new home.  If you are thinking about Christian homeschooling or if you don’t know what it is….let me share some experiences with you.  I made a new webpage because the other one was kinda stalled.  Now having both blogs together will be easier to update regularly.  Visit us whenever you like!

Our homeschool has a new address:  http://joyfulchristianhomeschooling.com/

Work In Progress

lauriann 2 Comments

Stole my parking

The other day I went to the Chinese restaurant near my apartment to buy some food. It was Saturday, who wants to cook on a Saturday, right? I drove there and when I arrived at front of the restaurant, I put the signal to the left, I was happy because there were two parking spots available. When I’m at a full stop waiting for a car to pass so I can park, a small car behind it suddenly took the parking that I was waiting for. Not just that, the guy parked so bad that he occupied both parking spots that were available making it impossible for me to park where I was so patiently waiting for.

I got so mad but I refrained myself from screaming and went to find another parking space. I found another one in the other parking lot they got.  When I entered the restaurant to place my order, the guy who stole both parking spots was already ordering. He was a young man with tattoos on one of his arms. I don’t have a thing against people with tats, but that’s what I most remember about this guy in particular. I wanted to tell him so many things (ok, ‘tell’ is not the right word, ‘yell’ is more like it). But again, I refrained myself. I didn’t want to make a scene in front of the cashier or the restaurant staff. But I was still so upset about what he had done.  I felt like I wanted to rip his head off….(yeah, that violent!).

After the guy placed his order, he did an about face and smiled at me. I just couldn’t smile back. That’s so not me. I could read on his face the disappointment of me not smiling back at him. I bet he was wondering why I reacted that way.  Probably he didn’t even notice that I was awaiting for one of those parking spots that he took.  At the time, I didn’t even notice if he was looking at me or not.

But then I thought, that even though he wronged me, at the end I had found another parking spot available.  I analyzed that me being so upset, instead of just letting it go, was damaging myself not him.

If I had yelled at him and made a scene, what testimony would I have given of the love of Christ in my life? I did fail when I stayed upset and didn’t smile back….I don’t justify what I did.  But it would have been better to just let the anger go, specially when I had found a solution to my problem so easily.  I often envy those folks who get disappointed and easily let it go, instead of holding grudges.

Oh well, I know now that I’m still a work in progress.

Give The Lord a Shout!! ….Or Not?

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Before reading this post, watch this video please:

Click there ->   Post by Triunfo 96.9fm.

For those of you who found the video a little confusing, I have to tell you that the language spoken in this video is mainly Spanish. I understand clearly what the preacher is saying but there are other Spanish speakers who may start criticizing what’s going on in there.

The video took place in a Congress of Pentecostal churches inside a Coliseum, here in Puerto Rico. All the churchgoers in this video are basically just praising the Lord, shouting with all their hearts and voices.

The critics of this video describe this scene as: a disturbance, a mess, a turmoil, a racket, a brawl, full of violence, hostile, a revolt, turbulent, a riot, an uprising…some may even compare it mockingly to a WWE show.

But, do their opinions really matter? What does the Bible say about this? What did Jesus do about this, when he saw people praising and giving a shout to God?

What the Bible says about praising the Lord:

Psalm 22:3 “Yet you are Holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel”

Psalm 50:23 “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”

So, should we praise God with our voices or should we keep silent?

Psalm 69:30 “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving.”
Hebrews 13:15-16: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

What did Jesus do when confronted with people giving a shout of praise?

Luke 19:37-40 “When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’ ‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

I ask you now: Are you a Pharisee or are you a disciple of Christ?

Is Heaven a silent place where nobody shouts and praises the Lord?

Revelations 7:9-10 “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a LOUD voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’

My conclusion: those who praise the Lord with a LOUD voice, please the Lord. You don’t have to like it, they are not praising you. God is the One who has to like it, He knows our heart, He knows if we are thankful to Him.

But beware!!! Do NOT become like a Pharisee and start criticizing what you do not understand… or worse: may you never become a person who mocks the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. There’s a very, very thin line between criticizing and the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost which is the ONLY unforgivable sin.

Be thankful, give a shout to the Lord with all your voice and your heart. God is pleased when you do it.

Crashes

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CIMG2483

A long time ago I heard that when an airplane crashes, other aircrafts will crash too.  Well, it seems that these days, that old saying has become true.  While I watched the news and cried my eyes out watching the numerous children that were killed in these flights and all the stories of the parents and relatives mourning their loved ones, I could only pray for them.

What else can we do?  The human being is only capable of supplying the physical needs; but who reaches the broken hearted?  Sometimes the pain of loss is unbearable, and lots of people can’t stand the pain and end up ending their lives because they have no one to rely on.

That’s why we pray; because if we can’t reach them at least God can.  Even though we know that life is hard and it will get harder we can recite the Word of God seeking comfort and increasing our faith.  We live by faith not by sight.  Faith helps fight despair and hopelessness in our lives.  It’s funny how the most important things in our lives are those that we cannot see.

That’s just a small demonstration that all of us; even those who don’t believe in God, have to recur to the invisible to seek happiness and fulfilment in our lives.  If love is real….and God is love….then God is real!

BTW, I have to stop watching news about airplane crashes; I live just in front of an airport and it doesn’t do me good.

 

Backbite

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 gossiping

Ms. C was a middle-aged woman who was very skilled, had studied hard and had many outstanding experiences with the Lord.  She was by far not perfect but she humiliated herself constantly before God just like King David did in Psalm 51.  Even though she was not famous; God knew who she was because she was a “prayer warrior”.   She would find herself talking to God in those wee hours at 1, 2 or 3 AM; or whenever God would wake her up.  She had seen visions of the Rapture, had spiritual fights with demons, joined intercessions with other spiritual warriors for the healing of the sick, the deliverance of the strong held and the petitions of the weary.  God had forgiven Ms. C’s many, many sins; and she was very, very grateful.

“Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much.  But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”  Luke 7:47

Ms. C joined a church where she wanted to work for the Lord.  She was happy to offer her many skills and knowledge for the service of God’s work.  Her new pastor was happy to have her join the church.  He was well-known by many people in different ministries.  He had always served the Lord.  He used to have a huge ministry but was now a pastor.  At first, he started letting her participate actively in lots of activities.  Ms. C was content on doing something to please the Lord.

One time during a night service, a young preacher visited the church and gave Ms. C a message from the Lord: “Work and obey Me…OBEY, OBEY”.  For some reason, Ms. C could never forget that message.

Meanwhile,  the pastor wanted to reorganize the church and have a new leadership at church.  It seemed that many things were going on and old leaders were being rivaled by a new group that had joined the church.

Many of the new members at church had their own agenda, they wanted to have the better positions, they wanted the titles and all the leading roles at every activity and the pastor backed them up.  When the new organization ended, old leaders were seated down and new leaders were named and took control.

Unfortunately, Ms. C was overlooked and ignored when the time came to give the most important positions in church.  Even her professional background was not considered when naming came in a leadership position where she knew that she could further her work for the Lord.   The pastor’s son was named to the position that she was professionally and spiritually prepared for.  She thought that there was nothing wrong with the pastor wanting to further his son’s ministry at church, but the truth was that the youngster lacked the experience, the knowledge and the spiritual growth needed for that relevant leadership position.  She was disappointed; but at 3 AM the next morning she was praying and crying before the Lord.  She was comforted and decided to keep working.  The Lord backed her up in everything that she did, even if it wasn’t much.

Even though Ms. C was totally capable of being a leader; her pastor and other churchgoers always questioned her capabilities and knowledge.  Remembering the message that she had received, she wanted to do God’s will not man’s will.  She tried to keep herself away from comments when she noticed that some things were wrong.  For some reason,  it seemed to her that it wasn’t in their best interest that she should have a relevant role at church.

Then, God opened a door where she could study the Word of God and further herself in a serious ministry.  But, unfortunately her pastor didn’t like that.  Telephones were ringing, bad intended comments started spreading and other leaders frowned at Ms. C as if she was doing something wrong.

But the time came when she was tired of being overlooked and not appreciated for her skills, experience and knowledge.  She felt stuck….she wanted to help others who felt the same way.  Other talented churchgoers were also seated and ignored.  She wanted to do much more not just be a back stage lackey for other leaders.  Then, something happened….

A time came when she didn’t want to work anymore.  She went to church, sat down, heard the service and then went home.  She kept praying and wondering….was that “it”?  What had happened to all of the promises that God had made to her?  She had a lot of free time and there was a lot of work to do at church.  But she didn’t want to work there no more.  She loved the people there….but she hated the constant backbiting coming from the altar.  So she did what many others do when the gossip and the lack of work affects a Christian:  she stayed home.

The only difference was that she kept praying and working at her own pace.  She wasn’t proud of staying home but at church she wasn’t being spiritually nurtured.  She felt tortured….  Months went by but she kept praying and reading her Bible.

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  Hebrews 10:25

One good day, Ms. C encountered an old pastor she knew from way back.  They started talking and she sent her regards to his wife; whom she knew well.  The old pastor invited Ms. C to his church.  Her heart was trembling….how much she longed to go to the Lord’s house to praise Him.  She missed that so dearly.  She accepted the invitation.

Long story short:  she now works at church, helping with her knowledge and using her God-given skills to further His work.  Her skills are growing so she can give unto others from what she has been given.

“For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance….” Matthew 25:28

The church where she serves now grows constantly. They fast and pray every week; they have services every other day, Bible studies, different ministries that work hard for His glory. Her pastors are humble servants who have never been famous but seek His guidance and appreciate each churchgoer letting them be fruitful.  Ms. C is now content; free of the backbiting, the stockiness and the spiritual hunger.

Meanwhile, the church she left… isn’t growing.  Lack of fasting, praying and wasting time in gossiping can do that to a church.

“Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”  Matthew 25:28

 

 

 

 

Rediscovering yourself

lauriann 2 Comments

Music

Have you ever thought that you can rediscover something about yourself?  I’m still on that process but I never knew that I could achieve to play the piano.  Yeah….I have a bachelors in music education but I could never learn how to play the piano.  Strange, huh?

Well….here’s the sad story.  When I started studying music more than 20 years ago, the only instrument that I could play, like a beginner, was the guitar.  I had taken private lessons with a teacher and I learned basic chords.  I used that knowledge to play the guitar at church.  It was useful at that time.

When I started studying music to achieve a degree, my focus was on singing and theory/solfege.  Well, in the theory classes that I took, I gained a lot of knowledge about harmony, major, minor, augmented and diminished chords.  I had all that knowledge and I could see it in the piano but I could never play it to accompany someone or even myself.

My piano lessons were limited to scales and playing while reading the music.  So I did learn the major, minor, diminished and augmented scales.  I learned to read music and play it, after practicing like 100 hours, of course!  I was never good at that, honest.  All of this instruction can’t help you play in the secular world, unless you know how people do it “in the streets”.

A good musician knows how to play by ear.  Even though I have good ear and I can imitate with my voice any sound I hear….when it had to do with the piano: I was totally blocked.  I felt like I had all these empty spaces in my head: insecurities and fear.  But I do love that instrument.  It has always been a dream of mine to sing while playing the piano.

After studying music, completing my degree and seeing that my knowledge about the piano had not increased; I was resigned to think that I could never, ever, play the piano to accompany anybody.  Well….that was until last night.

I saw a video on YouTube about this young man teaching how to play Worship music by chords in the piano.  I watched the video several times and I watched it this morning again.  I memorized the coordination and movement of his hands.  I didn’t have to memorize the chords that he played because I already knew them by heart.  I even knew more chords than the young man who was teaching!

Well, I sat in front of my keyboard awhile ago.  My hand coordination was a little hazy at first, but then I was amazed at all the chords that I could play.  All I needed was the perfect rhythm and someone to point me in the right direction.  I was actually playing a song in the piano.  Now I feel more confident that I can actually do more in my music ministry.  I know that if I keep this up, I can play anything by ear.  Praise the Lord for that!

Sometimes we don’t know our own potential until we try to do something.  Maybe you have a hidden talent that you don’t know of, until you try doing something different.  Probably somebody asked you if you could teach a class, do some community service….but you were afraid to do it because it was out of your comfort zone.  Why don’t you challenge yourself and say “yes” for a change?

You might even surprise yourself for the things that you may be able to do.  All you need is someone to point you in the right direction.  Maybe it’s God himself using someone to tell you:  try it because I will help you and I will use you for My Glory.  He is the Giver of Talents, you know…

God Bless You and keep working on your talents.