My Divine Notes

Until my last earthly breath, I will never stop telling what happened to me on May 2, 2006. That day changed my life and I finally knew what my important mission was. I knew at a very young age that there was something I was going to do, but I had no clue. Acts 16:13   On the Sabbath day, we went outside the city walls to the nearby river, assuming that some Jewish people might be gathering for prayer. We found a group of women there, so we sat down and spoke to them. 14 One of them, Lydia, was a business woman originally from Thyatira. She made a living buying and selling fine purple fabric. She was a true worshiper of God and listened to Paul with special interest. The Lord opened her heart to take in the message with enthusiasm. 15 She and her whole household were ceremonially washed through baptism.[a] On May 2, 2006 I saw the hand of God and it changed my entire life. Ask my friends and family. Ask my daughter – she can tell you how I really was! I am a sinner t...

What does it look like to be kind?  Ephesians 4:23 Living Bible Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better. Ephesians 4:23 The Voice to take a fresh breath and to let God renew your attitude and spirit.  The  dictionary  defines kind as  of a good or benevolent nature or disposition, as a person: a kind and loving person. What does it look like to be kind? This sentence kicked me out of the ballpark.  As soon as the preacher said it, a knife chopped my heart in half. I was wounded because I can wound others well. This year I don’t want to forget the lessons learned during Lent, so  I've  paid close attention to a series of sermons that ask the question: If salvation comes free and we don't earn it, what does God want from me?  This week’s message was supposed to be simple, according to the preacher, but there’s nothing simple when it comes to changing old habits that ...

During March I posted Scriptures each day honoring my daughter’s birthday. My sole purpose in doing this is to remind her and now you that our every need is answered by God and we see evidence of it in His word, the Bible.   Proverbs 22:6. Thanks to the ministry of  Bible Gateway  for providing online Scripture.   Jude 1:2 The Voice (VOICE) 2  Kindness, peace, love—may they never stop blooming in you and from you. Numbers 6:24-26 Living Bible (TLB) 24-26  ‘May the Lord bless and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may he be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace.’ Psalm 139:17-18 Living Bible (TLB) 17-18  How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. [ a ]   And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me! Exodus 14:14 Living Bible (TLB) ...

Matthew 5:8 NCV They are blessed whose thoughts are pure, for they will see God. I am in a season of deeper learning and yearning for the things of God. During the sacred Lenten season, my heart compels me to remember the Lord’s great sacrifice by sharing Communion in community and by practicing spiritual disciplines. Coincidence or not?  God works His  power  in ways I never expect… I attended a service and shared Communion at my daughter’s favorite church. The pastor brought us a very touching and powerful sermon via video from  Ghana  where he is attending a  Living Water  global conference. I left church and went to my lay ministry volunteer work with the ill. I always begin my ministry of compassion and listening by spending time in the chapel asking the Lord to use me in His name and by reading his word. My eyes and heart focused on  Matthew 5  (the Beatitudes) and I thought of the poor in  Ghana  ...

My sermon notes: Encouraging one another  ~ Dr. Charles Stanley  You can find this sermon at InTouch Ministries . We should all be encouragers. Even Jesus needed encouragement. Everyone needs encouragement.  Matthew 26:38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”  Dr. Stanley suggests we don't keep our faith to ourselves or keep to ourselves. We need each other.  Below are simple things you can do to encourage your friends, family, coworkers, those who help you and those you know need a little extra TLC.  ➡️Call ➡️Text better than nothing ➡️Write a letter ➡️Compliment  ➡️Ask: What can I pray about for you? ➡️Fulfill a need ➡️Give someone your time ➡️Provide Scripture. Psalm 32:8 ➡️Tell the truth ➡️Be forgiving  ➡️Say it -> I love you!  ➡️Be a good example  ➡️Give godly correction ➡️Listen ➡️Look people square in the e...

Ephesians 5:17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to.  Death has taken too many people who have been part of my life during the last year.  All were young except for my Mother.  This week another childhood family friend took his last breath after a long illness. I had wished him a blessed new year of life in mid-September.   I want to yell, "God, please stop!"   But I know better.  Instead,  it occurs to me that I should be living each and everyday with that last breath in mind.   One day, I will close my eyes and breathe a last Blanca breath.  And I will move into eternity with my ancestors.  While I'm here, I resolve to:  Not keep grudges Smile at strangers Be friendly to all Care about my neighbors Love helpless animals, and  Listen compassionately   Because I know... this earthly life is not...

The moment when your heart grieves for all who #suffer...when the Lord shows you that  #CompassionMatters.  @BlancaV 1 John 3:11 The Voice (VOICE) 11  The central truth—the one you have heard since the beginning   of your faith —is that we must love one another. Today I cried tears of compassion for everyone who is suffering. The Lord showed me what real compassion looks like:   It has no face. I cried for everyone who has no home, no homeland, no hope, no God. I cried for everyone who can’t figure out why they do what they do. I cried for those who have everything yet who are silently desperate. I cried for those who have suffered the unfathomable loss of a loved one, of health and of hope. Compassion Matters to God. You Matter to God.

Exodus 34:1 Then the Lord told Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed. I’ve seen God’s grace and love toward his people from Genesis to Revelation. The LORD is patient - very patient - just read the story of Moses. I’ve always been fascinated by the way God let Moses get away with breaking the first tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were written. God knows our possibilities and our hearts. He encouraged Moses when the journey seemed impossible. Moses pressed into God for reassurance. He asked for help – and God responded. And, even after Moses busted up the Ten Commandments tablet, God allowed Moses to see His glory! (Exodus 33:15-23) O God, I want to see your glory!     He isn’t surprised by your heart or mine. Our God is a God of second chances. Our God is a personal God. Get to know Him.

When it hurts to care – Psalm 31:7 Psalm 31:7 I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. One of God’s gifts to me is the ability to care about and pray for those who are ill. But right now, my mother is at the end of her life, and another key person in my life recently received bad health news. I also follow the Facebook journey of a courageous 12-year old girl, Jessie Rees ,  who suffered from two inoperable brain tumors. She passed away a few days ago. I am sad. But it’s interesting that in my sadness, I’ve come to appreciate how God works my faith steps. Before I decided that God’s purpose for me was greater than my own purpose, I had a hard time being close to people because it hurt that they might die or leave me. God opened my understanding (and healed me) so that I could come to terms with that and step into the gifts of compassion he planned for me. I started to feel that familiar hu...

11-11-11 Psalm 103 8 The Lord is tender and kind. He is gracious. He is slow to get angry. He is full of love. 9 He won't keep bringing charges against us. He won't stay angry with us forever. 10 He doesn't punish us for our sins as much as we should be punished. He doesn't pay us back in keeping with the evil things we've done. 11 His love for those who have respect for him is as high as the heavens are above the earth. Many people who have book or religious knowledge of God tend to fear him. They may blame God for unanswered prayers. They may feel unworthy to go to him because they aren’t walking on the straight path. Some folks just don’t even know if they believe in God, but they hear that small, still voice in their hearts. That small, still voice tends to stay with us until we finally make that connection to God. I want to assure you that God is a compassionate and loving father. There’s nothing that you have done (or failed to do) that he...