My Divine Notes

Mark 10:47-49   KJV And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.  And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.  And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.  This statue is located at Houston Methodist Hospital. My photo.  Can you imagine? Jesus stood still when the blind beggar, Bartimaeus, called out! Yes. God stood still !  The blind man boldly ask for mercy and for sight. Jesus restored his sight!  Opportunities like that never repeat themselves!   How are your spiritual eyes? Do you obey when God asks you to step out? Are you missing out on God's choice blessings when you can't hear His call or when you are unwilling to obey? Those blessings c...

Hebrews 5:7   While Jesus lived on earth, he prayed to God and asked God for help. He prayed with loud cries and tears to the One who could save him from death, and his prayer was heard because he trusted God.  There is only one way to move through the valley of unimaginable loss and angst:   Trust God in your deepest sorrow. Our Lord grieved and trusted his Father. We can do the same.

Philippians 2:13 (TLB) -  For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him, and then helping you do what he wants. There was an air of expectancy when I stepped through sacred doors recently.  What is God going to do today?  The thought had briefly crossed my mind earlier in the day. One more door, open one more door. I did.  I  wasn't  disappointed.

  1 Peter 1:8   You have not seen Christ, but still you love him.  You cannot see him now, but you believe in him. So you are filled with a joy that cannot be explained, a joy full of glory.9 And you are receiving the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls. The Lord is my consuming priority.  Sharing what he does for me is what my life is all about – it’s why I was made.  God has given me a clear purpose of my life!   I am here to encourage you to seek that love and guidance that God wants to give you, too.    Find out what God has planned for you!  No matter what you are going through, let God be with you and guide your choices! 

April 14, 2013 (Biblegateway.com App) 2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Many of us have been praying for Pastor Rick Warren and his family over the loss of his precious son, Matthew. Pastor Rick shared this tweet a few days ago, “After 4 days, finally got to see my son’s body. He wasn't in it anymore. “Absent from the body is to be home with the Lord.” It struck a tender cord in my heart.  My own mother left her earthly body in December and those very words are what jolted me back to reality.  I stayed alone with Mom’s body for a few hours before the funeral home’s employees arrived. It seemed fitting since I had been by her side during a very long illness. She knew and I knew she would leave this world, but nothing prepares one for the jolt of seeing a loved one’s lifeless body. That includes those of us who are fully equipped by the Lord to minister to the...

My First Communion Day with Tia Lupita  I was born into a deeply devout Catholic family  so it was natural for me to be moved by the selection of a new Pope.  We attended Spanish/Latin Mass at 7 a.m. every  Sunday and I went to Catechism class each Wednesday (when I  didn't  play hooky with my best friend...sorry grandmother).  J    I also celebrated my First Communion, Confirmation and  Quinceañera   with full blown Mexican-American family celebrations. My mother celebrating my Quinceanera with me. It was a big deal. Along the journey, most of the family left the church except my mom.  We found different congregations to fellowship and worship the Lord.  I dropped church and belief in God altogether for many years. But I returned to the Shepherd’s fold when my child was born, for her sake I say, but God caught my heart and that was a game changer – I fell deeply in love with the Lord. We ...

Me. Today. Isaiah 46:4 (NLT) I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you.  I will carry you along and save you.   Today I’m celebrating with the Lord that I am a year older! What an honor it is to wake up with a mission each day! As I thought and prayed about what I would write today, the Lord reminded me of my growth over the last year, which I’ll share… · I may not understand God’s timing and reasons, but I can have peace.   · While I don’t have to understand God's reasons, I can ask questions. · As I go deeper with God through spending time in His presence, reading the Bible and learning about His heart, I gain understanding. · I will reap the consequences of doing things my way…no fun.   · I don’t have to go along with popular culture, but I do have to love those who choose life’s tough...

Proverbs 27:9 The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. I am writing this note because I have been blessed with friends whom I consider gifts from God. I am a blessed woman because I have known the love of friends since I was a child. It amazes me the way that God wired us to love certain people enough to call them friends. I have an assortment of friends, men and women, who are very different in race, education, economic status, career, job and religious status. Each one of them brings a unique perspective to my life. I love those moments when we both agree without ever saying a word. Some of my closest friends don’t even live close by. Yet it’s like they are next door. Before social media made life more accessible, we would trade letters – gasp! That always blows me away. Some of these friends may not necessarily feel as passionately about God as I do or even believe he exists. And it still works because God knows ...

Psalm 103:17 But the Lord's love for those who respect him continues forever and ever, and his goodness continues to their grandchildren. Me, my sister and our grandmother. My grandmother came to know God intimately later in life. I followed in her footsteps. I remember how passionately she loved God. It was crazy love. She woke up early to pray and to talk to God. She constantly talked about God’s love and goodness to everyone. She ministered to people in hospitals. I followed in her footsteps. Family members say I even have her tough attitude. J I smile as I remember thinking how crazy she was about the Lord. As a teenager, she embarrassed me with all that God talk . Little did I know that I would be zapped with God’s forever love and that it would change my entire life, too!   \0/ Now I’m crazy in love with the Lord! Like grandmother, like granddaughter - God's forever love continues.  

Psalm 103:14-16 14 He knows what we are made of.    He remembers that we are dust. 15 Human life is like grass;    we grow like a flower in the field.  16 After the wind blows, the flower is gone,     and there is no sign of where it was. Since I have come to have an intimate relationship with the Creator of the universe, urgency exists in my soul. I have a finite amount of time to share what God has done in my life. I feel like I’m racing against time. I appreciate each day of my life. I wake up happy that I woke up! I am glad that I know my purpose and that I am here for God’s significant reason. It amazes me when people say they are bored, helpless, lost or have nothing to do. Most people go through life without personal visions, missions or without knowing why God created them. Many of us also engage in ‘busyness’ but live silently desperate lives not knowing why we were created. You are here for God’s purpose. Granted, som...

11-11-11 Psalm 119:59 I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws. Today is Veteran’s Day in the United States. We remember, we celebrate and also thank those who are serving or who have served in the military and support organizations. It’s the perfect day to write this note that’s been developing in my spirit. People frequently ask me why I love God and have such a positive outlook. Surely I haven’t experienced tragedies or trials that make me wonder about the faithfulness of God? They think my life is perfect and that God is constantly waving his wand of blessings over me. Some of the questions I’ve been asked include: How can I be sure that God is there? Why is this happening to the one I love? God won’t forgive me for blaming him for whatever tragedy, etc. Why is this tragedy happening to me/to those I love, etc.? I’ve fallen away from God and cannot find the road back to him. God can never forgive me for the bad things I’ve done or th...

June 10, 2011 1 Timothy 6:6 Serving God does make us very rich, if we are satisfied with what we have. 7 We brought nothing into the world, so we can take nothing out. I put my life and belongings in the hands of strangers who make me uncomfortable when I fly. I don’t like traveling by airplane – I never have, and I never will. But I attended a professional conference in Chicago earlier this week, so I had no choice. While these strangers are in charge of my comfort and getting me to my destination, they also paint a scary picture. And, it’s all in the name of doing their job! They insist that passengers watch a video, but of course, most of us act like we’re ignoring it. I tried to ignore it until I heard these words, “In the event of water landing…”   What? A water landing?   I do not know how to swim! I tried to pull the terrible thoughts from my mind… But the real discomfort began when I heard these words: “In case of an emergency, leave all your carry-on items b...

May 22, 2011 This was the prayer of the early church, after its leader, Jesus Christ was crucified and the apostles were persecuted.   Acts 4: 29 “ Lord, pay attention to their threats now, and allow us to speak your word boldly. 30 Show your power by healing, performing miracles, and doing amazing things through the power and the name of your holy servant Jesus. I was moved by a sermon preached today by Andy Stanley, the son of Dr. Charles Stanley, on the early church. I’m sharing my notes because I was stirred by God to step up to the plate like the early Christians who were courageous enough to proclaim the saving freedom of Christ. Their message survived because it was from God! I was really convicted when Andy asked, “What do you pray for? Think about how we pray in America – can God take our prayers seriously?” He went on to say that most of us pray in a very shallow way, for example: ‘Oh God, please bless and protect me.’   How many of us pray for safety, a bless...

Divine Note #59 – Written on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010, posted Oct. 18, 2010 Ask God your questions, he listens Habakkuk 1:2-3 2 LORD, how long do I have to call out for help? Why don’t you listen to me? How long must I keep telling you that things are terrible? Why don’t you save us? 3 Why do you make me watch while people treat others so unfairly? Why do you put up with the wrong things they are doing? I was fascinated by this book of the Bible. Habakkuk asked God hard questions – those same hard questions that you and I probably ask or want to ask. This Divine Note is simply written to let you know that God wants to hear from you. He knows that you have lots of questions about hard to swallow things that happen to you or those you care about. God made you the person you are and he knows that you will seek him someday. So if you’re grappling with unanswered questions -- stop and talk to him! Ask him the hard questions…you may just be surprised by his answers.  If you know...