A WOW Effect!

Who on earth can just not love this moment of Gift Giving (specially to the kids). The reactions, that glittering happiness in the eyes, this big smile and the hug afterwards are unmatchable joy inducers of life. However, Leila and Farida's happiness manifestations are dis proportionally stronger when the gift comes at unexpected time or even more...in an unexpected way, and bigger than their wish..asking that same wondering question every time "WOW..How and when did you do that?". They showed me that a surprise WOW effect always lasts longer than the Gift-Giving act itself, it brings a story-to-tell and a memory-to-cherish, and That's why the smallest unexpected acts are just invaluable (even for us adults).

How many times our Loving Heavenly father surprised you a with such a WOW effect? It is amazing the number of times He answers prayers beyond our expectations, in size or in timing. I love these verses showing how God works in ways that seem mysterious, ways that we only understand when we start drawing the dots and seeing the plan that have been slowly brewing to deliver this WOW surprise:

- For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 AMP)

«لأنَّ أفكاري لَيسَتْ أفكارَكُمْ، ولا طُرُقُكُمْ طُرُقي، يقولُ الرَّبُّ. لأنَّهُ كما عَلَتِ السماواتُ عن الأرضِ، هكذا عَلَتْ طُرُقي عن طُرُقِكُمْ وأفكاري عن أفكارِكُمْ. (55 إشَعياءَ:8-9
- Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” (John 13:7 NIV)
أجابَ يَسوعُ وقالَ لهُ: «لَستَ تعلَمُ أنتَ الآنَ ما أنا أصنَعُ، ولكنكَ ستَفهَمُ فيما بَعدُ». (13 يوحَنا:7 )
- Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:33, 36 NIV)
يا لَعُمقِ غِنَى اللهِ وحِكمَتِهِ وعِلمِهِ! ما أبعَدَ أحكامَهُ عن الفَحصِ وطُرُقَهُ عن الِاستِقصاءِ لأنَّ مِنهُ وبهِ ولهُ كُلَّ الأشياءِ. لهُ المَجدُ إلَى الأبدِ. آمينَ. (11 روميَةَ:33, 36 )

Dear Loving Father, Keeping a steadfast faith in your ways, believing that your Goodness stands ALL the way, makes us look forward unveiling your unexpected ways, your surprising gifts and Your abundant blessings into our lives. I pray that our hearts and minds read beyond the WOW moment and see, in hindsight, your Hand throughout that time weaving a tapestry of unexpected blessings into our own daily lives. Amen!

Keep the faith, Embrace the WOW moments, God has plenty of them for you and me!

PLEASE share with us a "WOW moment" in which God surprised you! I d love to read it 

Back to School ... Again

"Back to School" will be the topic these days (next to electricity cuts of course)! Leila and Farida started their school year this week, and obviously as all proud parents like you, we joined them on the first morning after a series on endless photos  To my surprise, taking them through the list of students in their class to as a mean of encouragement, I still saw their concerned looks, they missed an important piece of info: Who's their teacher? Knowing it will be "Marc", a sigh of relief and glitter of content flashed in their eyes pushing them to admit "Papi, he plays guitar, we will learn a lot by singing, it will surely be fun coming everyday". An eye opener on how crucial is the knowledge seeder in the way they preview their year...and they are 100% right!

Dear friends, our life does not cease needing a teacher, a coach or a counselor. Unfortunately, we believe we stop learning once studies are over, but just a review or check of your first morning minutes thoughts will tell you how desperately you wish you had a teacher to guide you and tell you what to do when you are clueless (which I am in many many circumstances). We are created creative, smart and with a free will to seek learning, growth and guidance. Sometimes, we search so far to get advice, yet we forget that THE teacher is available, is as near as your breath to you...How many times, we decide skipping the class just to chat with a friend or whoever can help us through..before even checking what the teacher has to say. Our heavenly Father says it loud and clear: 

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. (Psalm 32:8 NIV)
«أُعَلِّمُكَ وأُرشِدُكَ الطريقَ الّتي تسلُكُها. أنصَحُكَ. عَيني علَيكَ. (32 المَزاميرُ:8 )

I pray today that we set our chairs toward the podium, towards the teacher. If you believe that He is a promise keeper, if you believe that He has got the whole world in His hands, then just believe that as He said, He is the teacher we need to listen to every morning..or better said, every minute of the day..and I am sure He wont let us down. Just sit down close, get focused and listen!

Have a blessed "Life" school year my friends...

Sand Castle on a Salty Sea

Learning by experience is a powerful tool and my daughter Leila proved it right. This summer, on hot beach day, our parents, Aline and I were laying in the sun talking how "salty" the Red Sea is...you feel it sticking to your skin. Over hearing our discussion, Leila suddenly left the sand castle she was building and turned to us sharing this following simple fact "You know, The sea is made of Water and Salt..This is why it is salty..Papi showed it to me last year at home, where we poured in salt into water, it just disappeared but turned it into Sea water. So this is how they make it!".....turned her head and went back to her Sand Castle! I was just surprised that she kept this simple experience stored in the back of her head feeling so proud, leaving totally her play time, and sharing it in such a simple confident way. This scene confirmed a statement beautifully written about the concept of "experience" that you can hear an idea one hundred times and fail to make it a piece of who you are until you actually experience it, it rises from being just a CONCEPT to a TRUTH to you.

That is why I prefer the term relationship over the term religion. In a relationship, you need to go through a state of experiencing someone to build what you can call a relationship. No relation exists without experience, and our Book is filled with events in which people had the blessing to Experience Jesus and His love. Out of these I can never forget the Samaritan woman at the well...She has done what Leila have demonstrated perfectly. She met Him, experienced His encounter, The Messiah turned from a concept to Truth, and went to her village sharing Her story..She even left her most dear item she carried, she left her Jar at the well and went back without earthly water:

"Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did....Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” (John 4:28-29, 39 NIV)
فترَكَتِ المَرأةُ جَرَّتَها ومَضَتْ إلَى المدينةِ وقالَتْ للنّاسِ: «هَلُمّوا انظُروا إنسانًا قالَ لي كُلَّ ما فعَلتُ.
فآمَنَ بهِ مِنْ تِلكَ المدينةِ كثيرونَ مِنَ السّامِريّينَ بسَبَبِ كلامِ المَرأةِ الّتي كانتْ تشهَدُ أنَّهُ: «قالَ لي كُلَّ ما فعَلتُ » (4 يوحَنا:28-29, 39 )

Dear Lord, I do not want a RELIGION...I want an Experience-filled life with you, a life in which I encounter your presence, and hear your whispers, see your eyes watching over, and know that you are there closer than my breath to me. I know that this relationship I seek is the only way I will let go of my earthly breakable Jar, seeking Your ever flowing well of water, your Holy Spirit as you said. I pray for a relationship that shall make me strong and faithful in times of trial and tests, in times of standing on shacking knees...only then My life's experience with you will linger in my head and Raise me up to stand not just on concepts but on a Solid truth..on Solid grounds. In Jesus name, Amen!

Seek an experience, a relationship not a just religion my friends!

Power Cut!

"Power cut..It's Ok, no one moves, I will go, I know the way around the house, I have the candles ready in one of the kitchen's drawers" Then I walk around, waving my hands in the air to avoid hitting a wall..small baby steps to avoid knocking my toes into a table...and here I got the candle..but oops can't find the matches to light it! Sorry guys.."We will wait a bit in the dark". Obviously this is what I recall from the good old days reaction when power cut hit us, do you remember it too? 

My last visit back home showed me how the 21st century changed that moment. Nowadays, no one panics when it gets dark..why, because Once it hit us, an army of mobile phones light up their LED lights turning the place into an almost dance floor lighting mood, no need to move or to search for the matches..Light is at the tip of your fingers. So far so good, However, after couple of minutes some shut down their phone lights, why, because the battery will drain soon. It can not sustain long hours lighting up. It is good for a small period of time. Then you realize that it can not replace the real "sustainable" electricity that you dearly wait for to come back and Light up the room!

That change of reaction opened my eyes to the way we humans sometimes seek temporary solution to fill a long lasting darkness growing in us. Nowadays, everything is at our fingertips, we believe that we can light up our life with so many outside influences, methods, new teachings, that surely have their impact, yet very short living effect, shorter than you think. Many have come to the realization that Light is from within, handed to you from Above, created with care and love, all other sources have a battery life and die sooner than you think. The only "sustainable" light is the Eternal Light, the one that Said in John 8 "I am THE light of the World", In him there was life, and that life was a light for the people of the world. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not defeated it. (John 1:4-5). And yes, He called you and me to be as well His reflection in the midst of this world's darkness: 

“You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. (Matthew 5:14).
أنتُمْ نورُ العالَمِ. لا يُمكِنُ أنْ تُخفَى مدينةٌ مَوْضوعَةٌ علَى جَبَلٍ،
فليُضِئْ نورُكُمْ هكذا قُدّامَ النّاسِ، لكَيْ يَرَوْا أعمالكُمُ الحَسَنَةَ، ويُمَجِّدوا أباكُمُ الّذي في السماواتِ. (5 مَتَّى:14, 16 AVDDV)

Me, I am Light? Thank you Lord for the Greatness you see in me..for the Power you bless me with through your Spirit..Thank you for making me believe that I am and I can light this world. We all have a call to Light and Shine!

My friend, Don't Settle for a mobile phone, when you can have a Never-Cut Electricity current shining through you!