Mi Casa es su Casa

I'm getting to know a few more of my neighbors. I discovered that who we have been calling Emil, is actually Badgro. He comes over everyday now and I had to set him straight not to come over too early and to knock on the door first! Yesterday his mother Carmen came over and she wanted to look around my house and she was talking up a storm. She just keeps talking as if I understand her. I could make out a word or two, but not really grasped what she was saying. I realized soon enough that she was asking if she could have a pan to make tortillas and a couple of bath towels. She quickly handed the items to Badgro to bring promptly home. Badgro and I read maps, & worked math problems on the calculator and sang some childrens songs that each of us were familiar with. I'd start the song in English and he would finish it in spanish. After we shared a cup of coffee, I asked Carmen if I could see her house. Starting on the right side of the barn was a small bathroom with a stand up shower, then 2 horse stalls side by side. Next, was a tack room and then last, but LEAST was their home. It was just a bit bigger than MY CLOSET. I was realizing their living conditions as I was looking around when Carmen insisted that she give me 2 plastic pink plates. I told her she needed them. She was not going to take "No" for an answer. I felt my heart sink and tears welled up in my eyes and I tried hard to hold them back. Little Badgro had no bed to sleep in.
Shortly after I got back home, little Rachel came over. I made a deal with her that I would pay her to clean my bathrooms. In this way, she could earn the money and save it to buy the bicylce she wants. I emptied out a bucket of dried beans I had on the refrigerator and she wrote "bicicleta" with permanent black marker on the front. When her mama Caroline came over to see her progress, she told me a bit about what has been going on in her life. We printed 5 flyers for her to post around town for childcare in her home. She was so grateful and asked me to pray for her.
I don't want to be known as the rich lady in the big house, because I'm not. I would rather the lady who has a heart like Jesus. That's what He wants....He wants them to know Him..... through me....I'm no better....I have very much to learn ...I want a heart like Jesus.

Christmas Love

We celebrated Christmas so differently this year than we ever have the past 30 years. We had no tree, no decorations, and no family. We spent the day of Christmas eve at the beach with Janene & Brian as it was their last day of "Vacation with a Purpose." I remember laying down flat on the beach in a warm embrace of peace when all of a sudden I heard just to my left fireworks going off. Here in Costa Rica fireworks go off every evening on the weekend! I was reminded that every day is simply something to celebrate. Seeing a roman candle go off in the daytime says more about celebration than filling a night sky with color. It is celebrating the savior's birth!
After we dropped off the Smales at the Lucas home, we arrived back home and gave our neighbors the gifts we got them. Little Emil's mom has come over a few times to chat and share a cup of coffee with me. I'm amazed at what you can talk about and understand speaking two different languages to one another! I was reminded that love is it's own language. It comes from the heart. What a gift friendship is. From there, we headed on over to the Lucas' for a special Christmas dinner that Angela had for all of us. It was scrumptous! & so was the wine! I was reminded that friends love no matter what.
On Christmas morning we got to talk with our children and family on skpe. What a blessing it was to see them all together without us. I never have missed a Christmas with my children before and God has provided for us a way. It may not be the same as being together, but it's all we got. I miss them so much. I am grateful for a program like skype that I get to see their faces. I don't think I want to miss another Christmas without them. Next year will be different. Later on for dinner,we got picked up by our new friends Russ & Shirley. We made a couple of new friends too! We all brought a dish and ate a great meal together. It was funny and great that we all ended up going back to our houses to get our dogs to join the Christmas celebration with us. We had just as many people as there were dogs! All the dogs got along and I was reminded that where the spirit of God is there is peace and goodwill.
Thanking God for His presence, His reminders, my husband & children, the gift of friendship with my friends both old & new, and for the babe born on Christmas Day who makes everything possible!

HIS SECOND COMING

It seems every year after Christmas, I always yearn even more for the Lord’s second coming. As Christmas day approaches, I think of the way He humbly came into the world as a baby born of an unknown virgin from Palestine. The “WORD” became human flesh and dwelt among us. His birth was only announced to a few shepherds. A few wise kings seeked him out. I think about how in the gospel of John it says that the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. Although the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.
When the day finally comes, nothing about His second coming will be secretive. EVERYONE will see it. Jesus said that the gospel of the kingdom would be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end would come. In other words, the task of world missions will be completed and not a single person will be left out.
“At the time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30
What a complete contrast to the way He came into the world!
The world still carries on with business the day after Christmas. The second coming of Christ will be an earth shattering event. Nothing about it will be a secret. Man will not be able to hide or pretend or ignore Him!
Are you ready?

DAY BY DAY

As I was reading the story in the gospel of Luke about the man who was asking for bread not for himself, but for someone else in need; I thought about our 2 couples Angel & Tanya Cheek & Brian & Janine Smale that have been here in Costa Rica with The Brook Ministries “Vacation with a Purpose."
This story takes place at midnight! That tells me it was a desperate situation. The man had nothing to give to his friend, so he had to leave his home to go ask someone else for bread so he could return and give it to his friend.
How many of us have bread to give someone else? How many of us have no bread to give someone else who needs it? I believe the object of when Jesus said at the end of the Lord’s prayer “Give us this day our daily bread” is not only that we may have our needs met, but that we may receive something spiritually and physically and in turn pass it on to someone else.
Many of us are willing to share the spiritual bread, but reluctant to let go of the physical bread. Some will minister spiritually, but will not be anxious to help someone temporally. Sometimes it’s easier to just pray for orphans, than it is to do something tangible to help them.
For these 2 couples, they gave of themselves in both of these ways. They gave out of the overflow of their daily bread that they received from the Lord. They have not only enjoyed God’s physical & spiritual blessings, but have had the privilege of sharing them with those less fortunate. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!!

DAILY Pray for physical Bread…..DAILY Pray for Spiritual Bread

Growing Pains

Like any good relationship, it takes work, it takes acceptance, it takes communication down to the core, to get to the issue at hand. It takes knowledge and understanding because no two people are alike or think alike. It's like a snowflake that God has made differnt and unique like no other. It takes understanding and God's great love within us to overcome our own selfish desires and to put on his understanding and not our very own.

a servant is the least....the last shall be first and the first shall be last. To me, there is great satifaction in that. For Jesus is our example. He took on the sin of the world and yet had great understanding far beyond our own comprehesion. It was narrow focus on what the father wanted, what the father would be proud of and what the father ultimately would accomplish by having his son die on a cross for the sins of the world.
Our relationship with Christ and how we allow him to work through us is ultimately the joy of our lives. The choice is ours, the result is contentment that this physical world can not give. It means service with excellence and giving all for His glory and to show the world just how marvelous He is!
As we live each day in relationships it's in small ways our love is evident in little ways day by day. Our relationship with Christ is to be lived out daily in love. It will be manifest in our desire to offer up every "least" thing to Him, to do the smallest task faithfully, confess the "little" sins quickly, be strict with our minutes as well as our hours.
"Do you love me?" Jesus asks.
"Why of course Lord- didn't I do this great thing for you?
"But child- I am looking for something much smaller."
"Do you care about our relationship" asks the wife.
"Why of course Dear- didn't I buy you this grand house?"
"Yes my husband, I'm looking for something much smaller. I'm looking for understanding, a tender word or touch day by day"
There are smaller things that matter more at the moment. Seize those moments. Be obedient....live a life of Love