My Divine Notes

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...

July 8, 2011 2 Peter 3:17 (GW)   Dear friends, you already know these things. So be on your guard not to be carried away by the deception of people who have no principles. Then you won't fall from your firm position. I rarely watch television anymore, but I stumbled on a show that I watched two nights in a row, and I realized that I can’t go along with popular culture anymore. I recall never batting an eye at the sex, drugs, alcohol and unhealthy behaviors that Hollywood and the media bring into our homes through the television, radio, movies, videos and other emerging technologies. But last night, I was jolted when a grandmotherly woman told a younger woman that she should live with her boyfriend, so they can decide if they are compatible marriage partners. This woman (who was the young man’s mother) went on to say that it’s the twenty-first century and that the young woman should not be old-fashioned!    Before God took the veil off my eyes, I would never have blinke...

June 26, 2011 1 Corinthians 9:23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. To not be bold means that someone doesn’t get eternal life (John 3:16). A sermon by Andy Stanley really dared me to be bolder about sharing the amazing things that God does in my life. This particular day I was paying for shoes at one of my favorite shops. The twenty-something sales clerk commented how she liked clothes - she has so many clothes that she has taken all the closet space at her home, leaving only a few drawers for her boyfriend. I felt a deep sadness that this young woman was already sharing a home with someone who didn’t make her his wife before he tasted the dessert. As we continued talking, I knew that I’d have to say something. As she wrapped my purchase, I told her that I hoped she knew that she was loved, valued and treasured by God. I could tell that it made her feel special but uncomfortable. I continued by saying that she deserved marriage instead of s...

Divine Note #54 – July 17, 2010 Choose the most loving response – Colossians 3:13-14 Colossians 3:13-14 13 Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. 14 Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together. Walking in the power of the Holy Spirit has been the most rewarding yet challenging way of life for me. The Christian life is undoubtedly the best life one can ever live, but I am here to tell you that I do battle with my flesh and my heart many times. Lately I’ve been thinking of the importance of relationships. Our lives are made up of relationships with family, friends, coworkers, business associates, acquaintances, neighbors, service providers, government agencies and all who are not covered in those categories. I’m going to keep this note short by focusing on family and friend relationships. But I will be writing more on the topic. Relationships are complicated. Families are destro...