Teaching

Have you ever taken the time to think about why this society, this world, it is the way it is? Why our society is corrupted in so many ways? Perhaps our government is damaging our society? It is the bad school system? It is the bad health system? What it is that make our society so twisted? When I see the news, which is not too often, I usually think about this things. Why people have to be so mean with each other? Why we have to be so hurtful to each other? In my opinion, it is neither the government, nor the educational or health systems that cause our society be the way it is. We are the ones that cause that the society be the way it is. Our family structure, the values that we are taught growing up, our experience life it is what make us, as society be the way we are.

The other day, I took my kids to the pediatrician for the annual check up. I was inside of the room with my 13 years old son, he was kind of worry about getting vaccine, which are hurtful shots. I told him that I was not sure. He had some friends at school that recently had the shots and told him that hurt a lot. When the nurse came to the room, she explains us that he needs two shots. His face change multicolor and my son told her that he don’t want the shots. The nurse asks directly to my son in a sarcastic and mean way, “What are you going to cry like a girl?” What kind of message my son could get with those 9 simple words?

First that men don’t cry, second that adults can hurt minors feelings and it is ok, third that he should be ashamed of his behavior of being scare of a vaccine, and so on you can keep adding to the list. What is the message that we are giving to our children these days? We are the only ones responsible for why the society it is so corrupted. It is the education that we give to our children. I want to clarify that yes, the parents have the majority of the responsibility in what we teach to our children, but think about with who else our kids interact, teachers, nurses, doctors, school bus drivers, family, people from our work, librarian, cashiers from stores, and many, many other people.

Jesus came to earth and taught us how we should treat to each other, especially how to treat kids. Kids born innocent, they do not know any wickedness. As they grow older we taught them good things, but also a lot of bad things. Lets start been more responsible of our actions with every kid, it not only the parents job, because we are in some way or the other part of the kids live and in some way we influence their life too, lets try to be a good influence to every kid with who we interact.

2 Timothy 3:14-15

¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵ and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Big Hug,
MRM

Walking

Yesterday, I went to a place that I was avoiding for years and years. Finally, I take the courage to go there, and like always happened, I was glad that I did and also, feel silly because I did not went before, but never is too late when there is something good. Going there make me realize a lot of feelings that I did not know were there. When get out I went to walk to Elachee Park, I need to walk and think and think (wow! Me thinking???)

As I walk on the trails, really nice trails by the way, I figure out couple of things, I was alone, I just can hear the squirrels jumping around the trees, which make noises like someone was behind me, I can hear the birds, which relax me. As I was walking on the trail, I decide to take a long stick, just in case, I am not use to walk on trails alone. I don’t know how many miles I walk but I walk around 1 hour and half. After 45 minutes walking, I feel more relax and find a really nice spot and decide to sit for a while.

While sitting there I start talking with God. I tell Him “lets talk seriously” and I can hear Him laughing at me, “you seriously?” “Yes! Seriously,” what do you want from me? Which way you want me to go? I just sit there waiting and waiting and of course resting after running/walking. You know what? I did not hear answers for all my questions, but I feel so good, calm and relax, so I keep walking. I tell Him “I am going to wait for you to show me the way just give me patience to wait and wisdom to recognize it” You should try it, get out from everything and everyone for couple of minutes 20, 30 minutes, even 15 minutes! We really are living a life that go too fast and make us blind and make it difficult for us to see and recognize when God talks to us. He really talk to us in the most easy way for us to understand, but we are so involved in our “life” that we forget to have a life! I guarantee you that couple of minutes away from everything and everyone will give you a new perspective from life, your life.

The picture is the place that I found walking on the trail.

Isaiah 40:30-32

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Big Hug,
MRM

Yes or No?

Sometimes, I don’t even debate with this two words, must of the time I just say “Yes” to everybody and everything, but I learn in the hard way, as most lessons that we learn, that “Yes” is not always a positive thing as we might think. I am the kind of person that like to please people and help others, that is the reason why must of the time I said “yes” to everything including things that are not good for me or things that I might not be able to accomplish because lack of time.

What make this personal characteristic worse is that sometimes I am pleasing people not God and there is when troubles come in the picture. When I try to please others and don’t have God in my mind things go wrong, because must of the times I am doing things that not go exactly with what God wants from me or wants for me, and that is sometimes hard to define. We sometimes try so hard to feel acceptable, recognized, be loved by others that we start doing things that are not quite right, compromise ourselves with things that we can’t handle or don’t have the time to accomplish, even when sometimes go against our values.

I have to remember all the time that God already accept, recognize and love me for who and how I am no matter how many favors I do or how many people I please. No matter how much bothers me not be able to help someone, I have to stop myself and think, would I be able to do this? Would I have the time? Would I be helping truly this person or I will be damaging that person? Who I am trying to please doing that action, to the person or to God?

Galatians 1:10

¹⁰ Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Big Hug,
MRM

Humility

According with the Royal Spanish Academy, humility means, “The virtue consists in the knowledge of the limitations and weaknesses and act according to this knowledge.” We can find plenty information about humility in the bible. In Proverbs 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Matthew 23:12, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Do we really understand what is humble? Are we humble outside just for appearances to impress other people even ourselves or we are truly humbles from the heart?

I always had thought that I was humble, but the truth is I am far from that. How many times we go over other people just to demonstrate that we are better or know more? How many times we help someone just to feel good with ourselves and not because is part of being Christians? How many time our pride go over our actions? How many times our pride does not let us do what our heart tells us is the right thing to do? It is easy to say I am humble, but is that really the truth, or we are lying to ourselves to feel better?

I was reading a message about humility, it said that it is not humility feel less than others, it is not humility being material poor, and it is not humility do good thing to receive the approval of others or even approval from God. Being humble is the opposite of all above. Being humble is doing our job with dignity, without trying to go over other people; it is doing good things without expecting recognition. Being humble is recognized our mistakes and weakness before God. Being humble is say “I am sorry” and “I forgive you” from your heart. Have you seen when kids fight? If you tell them say sorry to each other and give a hug, they do it. Maybe at the beginning they will not be happy with the instruction, but in less than 5 minutes they will be playing again without resentment, that is truly humbleness. God ask us to be humble all the time. In Matthew 18:3-4, “And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Micah 6:8

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Big Hug,
MRM

Right Under Your Nose

Have your ever experience that you are looking your house or car keys, and they are right in front of you, and you can not see them? Or you are looking for your glasses or sunglasses and they are right on top of your head, and you did not notice it? The other day, I was going to work, and I was rushing around the house picking up my stuff and put it in to my backpack. As usual, I was rushing to not be late. I was looking for my college book. I look on the kitchen table, my bedroom, my desk, and on top of my sofa. I could not find my book. When I get home in the afternoon, was more relax, doing my regular afternoon routine, and there was my book! on top of the kitchen table. I think that scenario like that one happened to all of us some days, especially when we are in a hurry or we have so much to do that we try to do 10 things at the same time.

Sometimes we feel sad, disappointed, and even alone, thinking that God have been hiding from us. The truth is that He still there in the same place as always. Furthermore, He sends us angels (friends and family or even strangers) to remain us that He care and still around us. We are rushing to places, filling our agenda with activities (even church activities) that we cannot see Him next to us. It is only when somebody or couple of somebody remained us that God still here with us. Moreover, when we stop and take a deep breath, and stay still (which it is really hard for me) is when we realize that God is there in our living room, sitting on the couch, bedroom, deck, dinning room, and even in our car waiting for us to talk with us.

I definitely need to learn how to not fill up my schedule with so much stuff and take some time for Jesus and me, just the two of us. It is hard and the funny thing is that He does not ask for specific length of time or a specific hour of the day or any special day of the week. God is there waiting and available for us 24/7 365 days or 366 depending of the year. I think, will be a good idea to write down couple of appointments for Him this week. Again the amusing thing is that everybody tells me this, and I know it, but still sometimes with the rush and busy schedule, I cannot see it and is right there in front of me!

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Big Hug,
MRM

Blindfold

These past weeks, I have been blind, deaf, foolish, and many other adjectives that we can use to describe when we do not “hear God.” For the past weeks, I have been complaining that God do not care about me that God do not talk to me, and that God have abandon me. Why? Because all the things that have been going on in my head and everyday life. Did He really stop talking to me? Two years ago I start to hear Him, why He just decide to not talk to me?

My head fills up with dinosaurs, why the bible does not mentions them? It is real the two tables of the 10 commandments? Where is it? Why God could talk straight to people in the Old Testament, and He don’t talk that way to us today? and many others thousand of questions that I have in my head. The funny thing is that today, I realize that God have been with me all this time, I do not see him, because He is carrying me like the footsteps on the beach. Yesterday, God send me an Angel, well he did not have wings, but almost. He pray for me, and he even give me a book that he told me that he buy it for someone else, but that he have the urge to buy an extra one, so he buy it and keep it in the trunk of his car for couple of weeks, until yesterday.

The book is just amazing, answer me so many but many questions that I have. It don’t tells me about the creation of the dinosaurs, or why I have to follow the Bible, it don’t even tells me where are the two tables of the 10 commandments are hidden, but tells me what I have been doing wrong all this years, explains me why the poor communication with my sister, it tells me the reason why I think the way I think about my ex-husband, it also tells me why there are so many hypocrite Christians, it also tells me how to stop been a hypocrite Christian, and I just have been reading 40 pages!

Today, I see that God have been talking to me through, my CRHP sisters, through friends, kids, Scripture, dreams, but because I have been blindfold, I could not see it. So what God did? I ask Him for a miracle on Wednesday night, and I got it He send me this book to help me to realize that He still here with me and He does not let me go, not matter how many bad things I said or think about Him, He still carrying me because I am to weak or lazy to walk next to Him, so He do not abandon me, He carry me!

I Love you God!

  Philippians 4:6-7

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Big Hug,
MRM