"Change Management" Fasting

In the last couple of decades, we saw the rise of "Change Management" concept in businesses. 

It's common now that all big projects include an essential branch of change management up to assigning an official "Change Manager" role during the project. You might have read lots of books about it and I recommend to read the funny fable of "Who moved my Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson. One thing is clear: Change Management has a key goal of steering, and getting the organization to accept the change and most of all, challenge a pre-defined human thinking that change is all about loss and letting go of your comfort zone. It conveys that it is not about what you will lose but rather what you will gain after this process of change, a period after which you rise in a much better shape, efficiency gained, better equipped and highly ready to reach your organization's objectives. It is the about the "NOW" and "THEN"...The vision...It is not what you let go of, it is what you will gain!

How many times I have approached fasting and lent in this same loss focused mentality! When starts this time of fasting and preparation leading to the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, we all start talking about what will we let go of, be it food, habits, actions, lifestyle, etc. We think of lack rather than abundance, we think of stop rather than start! While this simple earthly business concept of Change management opened my eye to a new perspective: It is about the Now and THEN...It is a change process we go through Now to Then Grow different..changed and Stronger in Him. A process of gaining new relation with HIM, we deprive ourselves to receive the abundance of His Love to take the change further...to the world around us! It is simple and Clear in what the Holy Spirit wrote through Prophet Isaiah-most beautiful passage on Fasting:

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? THEN your LIGHT will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; THEN your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. THEN you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, THEN your LIGHT will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. (Isaiah 58:6-10 NIV)

أليس هذا صَوْمًا أختارُهُ: حَلَّ قُيودِ الشَّرِّ. فكَّ عُقَدِ النّيرِ، وإطلاقَ المَسحوقينَ أحرارًا، وقَطعَ كُلِّ نيرٍ. أليس أنْ تكسِرَ للجائعِ خُبزَكَ، وأنْ تُدخِلَ المَساكينَ التّائهينَ إلَى بَيتِكَ؟ إذا رأيتَ عُريانًا أنْ تكسوهُ، وأنْ لا تتَغاضَى عن لَحمِكَ. «حينَئذٍ يَنفَجِرُ مِثلَ الصُّبحِ نورُكَ، وتَنبُتُ صِحَّتُكَ سريعًا، ويَسيرُ برُّكَ أمامَكَ، ومَجدُ الرَّبِّ يَجمَعُ ساقَتَكَ. حينَئذٍ تدعو فيُجيبُ الرَّبُّ. تستَغيثُ فيقولُ: هأنَذا. إنْ نَزَعتَ مِنْ وسَطِكَ النّيرَ والإيماءَ بالأصبُعِ وكلامَ الإثمِ وأنفَقتَ نَفسَكَ للجائعِ، وأشبَعتَ النَّفسَ الذَّليلَةَ، يُشرِقُ في الظُّلمَةِ نورُكَ، ويكونُ ظَلامُكَ الدّامِسُ مِثلَ الظُّهرِ. (58 إشَعياءَ:6-10 )

Dear Lord, I pray that after every fasting for a change of mind seeing Gain instead of loss, Abundance in place off deprivation, Change that would go beyond 50 days...a shift from NOW to THEN...a THEN that would last...A relationship that starts NOW and Grows into THEN without fading away! I pray for YOUR VISION of change into EACH one of us, to be the LIGHT of Dawn bringing your LOVE to the World that screams for it! In Jesus Name, Amen.

Keep Shining...like the Break of Dawn my friends!

A Week…Away!

Last week Leila was away at la granja (a school camp at a farm), and Farida had to go through these days alone at home. I wrote last year what this meant to her (and us) being separated that long. We felt that something was missing, a more silent dinner time not having the talkative Leila on the table with us to share with you an example. Not easy, but we knew she was enjoying, learning and growing, which kept us waiting for her come back full of stories. One morning in the kitchen, Farida was setting up the table, all was ready for her breakfast except that I saw two cups.
“Why two Farida?”
She looked surprised:
“Oops, I mistakenly got a cup for Leila too. I was just thinking about her and came automatically!. I´ll put it back”
…Only then I realised what “Being One” really means!

Farida so used to have her sister at breakfast, starting their chats (and fights) that early in the day, she was thinking how much she missed that moment. What a great feeling to have someone on your mind to the extent of feeling his presence when he´s not there. That exactly was THE power of David throughout his days…He shared with us his secret recipe:

I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. (Psalm 16:8 AMP)
جَعَلتُ الرَّبَّ أمامي في كُلِّ حينٍ، لأنَّهُ عن يَميني فلا أتَزَعزَعُ. (16 المَزاميرُ:8 )

How amazing life would be having our days, like Leila and Farida´s breakfast, start with a chat with our Heavenly Father and continues with you the whole day. A moment that gets so into your schedule that you really do miss Him if you skip it…and that He is set always before your eyes, becomes part of your thoughts, emotions in all aspects of your day, ask His guidance and wisdom at work, ask His strength at sports, ask Kindness during your family time and His heart during your service. Seek to become ONE…inseparable…like twins growing up all their days together. Jesus Last Prayer in the Last supper was all about becoming One :

You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us (John 17:21 ERV)
ليكونَ الجميعُ واحِدًا، كما أنَّكَ أنتَ أيُّها الآبُ فيَّ وأنا فيكَ، ليكونوا هُم أيضًا واحِدًا فينا، ليؤمِنَ العالَمُ أنَّكَ أرسَلتَني. (17 يوحَنا:21 )

Dear Lord, I need you every hour, come Fill our days with your love, pour your Spirit upon us, Pull us to you to become One. I kneel with heart Hungry and Thirsty for this relation…Being One as you prayed…Keeping my eyes on you as David…and reaching a love that would make me REALLY Miss you when I keep away…even just for a day! In Jesus Name, Amen!

Will you bring Him a cup at Your Prayer´s breakfast table?

Keep Shining my friends!

Are We There Yet?!

Last weekend, we spent couple of days by the sea. It was a 4 hours drive with the kids in the back seat. I guess now you can imagine the most frequent question asked during these rides…you guessed it right “Are we there yet?”. However something have changed this time, I expected to get this question every 5 minutes as they used to do when they were younger, but surprisingly the time gap between the questions was getting substantially bigger. Now, being 7 years old, they developed a more “mature” perception, they are now able to WAIT AND TRUST that journeys take time and reaching our destination requires more patience. Still, the question popped up every 15 minutes

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They now get ready for the journey with books and games or even stories to tell deciding to ENJOY THE RIDE and leaving it trustfully in the hands of the driver.

No wonder our Spiritual life is no stranger to this reality. Waiting for the Lord is a journey of maturity and trust. Being a child in faith, our focus is only on the destination, the goal of our prayers. Throughout the bible, Waiting has been a virtue of all God´s men and women. From Joseph in prison, David and his beautiful psalms of waiting (Psalm 27:14 and 37:7), even the disciples, Jesus ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem and WAIT for the promise of The Father (Acts 1:4). They spent their time in prayers, They all learned that time of waiting is time of solidifying their relationship with our Heavenly Father, a time of change and may be reshaping their goals and perspectives, a time to mature and grow stronger in trust, giving the Holy Spirit the space to renew their strength and spread their wings like eagles.

"But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. (Isaiah 40:31 AMP)
وأمّا مُنتَظِرو الرَّبِّ فيُجَدِّدونَ قوَّةً. يَرفَعونَ أجنِحَةً كالنُّسورِ. يَركُضونَ ولا يتعَبونَ. يَمشونَ ولا يُعيونَ. (40 إشَعياءَ:31 AVDDV)

Dear Heavenly Father, give me strength to wait and trust, a faith that grows by time, like my daughter maturing with years, I shall grow along with you…and learn to enjoy my ride of life with You, knowing that times are in your Hands and the journey´s joy will over shadow my goal focused self. Take us to a new level of Waiting, Spread our wings to a new level of Trust, and may we every morning grow hope in You.

Don’t keep your patience of a child…Wait on Him, Enjoy the Ride!

Reality TV

Real Life Contest shows made their way on TV few years ago and made it BIG…from “The Voice” to “Arabs Got Talent” going up to Cooking contest like “Masterchef”. The success of these shows gave them the courage to push further the audience and go for “Kids” version of these shows. We´ve been the past weeks every Friday evening sitting in front of the TV with Leila and Farida waiting and watching “Master Chef Junior” where a bunch of 8 to 12 years old are amazingly creating artful and mouth watering dishes and recipes from scratch…making Aline and I feel ashamed of our kitchen skills. This show left its mark on the kids during the weekend as suddenly they became interested in the Cuisine and just want to make sure they can help making our meals ready. Leila told literally “Can you leave us today prepare the whole breakfast for you and Ma…we saw Mario (an 11 year old contestant in the cooking show) doing it and we can do it as well.” I Fell in love with the Show…it created Role Models that made them BELIEVE they can make it too, showed them possible for a young kid to invent and create amazing Michelin Star level Plates…not mentioning the many times they asked us to apply for the contest! They found their models who expanded their borders of capabilities!

I thank God that our lives were not left without Spiritual Role Models to follow. We believe that faith, teachings and righteousness are just good ideology too hard to put in practice but we were given the model of obedience in Abraham, the model of perseverance in Job, of facing temptation in Joseph, of repentance in David, of service in Mary, of overcoming a fall in Peter and many more heroes of faith in the bible that make us BELIEVE that we can make it too. But on top of all, we have seen THE Role Model to follow showing us THE way of Life, love and sacrifice for the others. Jesus was clear in setting for us a Model to imitate and asked us to follow, He did set before us an example to walk in His footprints…a model bringing more LIGHT to this darkening earth and give taste in this SALT-less world.

“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an EXAMPLE that you should do as I have done for you. (John 13:13-15 NIV)
أنتُمْ تدعونَني مُعَلِّمًا وسَيِّدًا، وحَسَنًا تقولونَ، لأنّي أنا كذلكَ. فإنْ كُنتُ وأنا السَّيِّدُ والمُعَلِّمُ قد غَسَلتُ أرجُلكُمْ، فأنتُمْ يَجِبُ علَيكُمْ أنْ يَغسِلَ بَعضُكُمْ أرجُلَ بَعضٍ، لأنّي أعطَيتُكُمْ مِثالًا، حتَّى كما صَنَعتُ أنا بكُمْ تصنَعونَ أنتُمْ أيضًا. (13 يوحَنا:13-15 )

Dear God, I thank you for giving us a Role model of Love, forgiveness, and sacrifice lived here on Earth, you showed us through your Holy Spirit how many women and men of God walked this earth in reverence and full trust in your guiding loving Hands. Problems, disasters, waves, losses and much more were overcome by faith. Open our heart to receive Your power and Expand our borders of capabilities to bring the Light and Salt to the world! In Jesus Name, Amen!

Reality TV showed a way…Jesus paved THE way! 

Keep Shining my friends!