A week at the "Granja"

Last week Leila, my 6 years old daughter, had her first camping experience for a whole week away from home! If you are worrying about her being away at this age...then you are worrying about the wrong person...she had great fun (as expected)! In fact, the ones to be worried about their coping are Aline and Farida who was never in her life been separated that long from her twin sister! What made it worse was the fact that parents were not allowed to call and check on their kids, no contacts nor news except the website of the school on which the camp director would post everyday few words and may be a couple of photos to keep the parents updated!

You guessed it right, this website was our life for a week...checking it every few hours, opening it before stepping out of bed..and when some words or photos were posted, it just lifted up the whole mood...but NOTHING compares to the moment of the real encounter when Leila came back..The Running Hug, the warming tears, the long chats, and the smiling joy back again.

All this in incident reminds me of our personal encounter with God. A lot of times, we are content and satisfied living on the stories about God told to us through a multitude of media. In this era of communication, the Word reaches us all day, we watch sermons, we get verses, hymns, stories about Him. We attend services and meetings, but might not have the time to sit one to one..seeking this personal heart melting encounter.

This opened my eyes to a new part of the famous Samaritan woman encounter in John 4. I just got jealous seeing the way the Samaritans in her village did not feel content solely by the stories she told them about The Messiah..but decided to go and experience Him directly..to find a whole new living faith!

"Now numerous Samaritans from that town believed in and trusted in Him because of what the woman said when she declared and testified...So when the Samaritans arrived, they asked Him to remain with them, and He did stay there two days. Then many more believed in and adhered to and relied on Him because of His personal message [what He Himself said]. And they told the woman, Now we no longer believe (trust, have faith) just because of what you said; for we have heard Him ourselves [personally], and we know that He truly is the Savior of the world, the Christ. (John 4:39-42 AMP)

فآمَنَ بهِ مِنْ تِلكَ المدينةِ كثيرونَ مِنَ السّامِريّينَ بسَبَبِ كلامِ المَرأةِ الّتي كانتْ تشهَدُ أنَّهُ: «قالَ لي كُلَّ ما فعَلتُ». فلَمّا جاءَ إليهِ السّامِريّونَ سألوهُ أنْ يَمكُثَ عِندَهُمْ، فمَكَثَ هناكَ يومَينِ. فآمَنَ بهِ أكثَرُ جِدًّا بسَبَبِ كلامِهِ. وقالوا للمَرأةِ: «إنَّنا لَسنا بَعدُ بسَبَبِ كلامِكِ نؤمِنُ، لأنَّنا نَحنُ قد سمِعنا ونَعلَمُ أنَّ هذا هو بالحَقيقَةِ المَسيحُ مُخَلِّصُ العالَمِ». (يوحَنا 4:39-42 AVDDV)

Dear Father, i long for this encounter..that would take me to a whole new level of Knowing You..Experiencing Your Love. I don't want to get to only hear about you..but I want to know You directly as The Savior and Christ. Amen!

Be Hungry for more my friends!

Sting like a bee

Spring is finally coming in and bringing all the joyful sensation of a "winter left behind". Spring comes in with its warming up sun, blooming flowers, green back to the scene. Naturally, spring brings in some visitors as well: bees and wasps (دبٓور). Now, I just want you to recall what happens when a "visiting" bee enters your house, office or meeting room! I see you smiling already! I have always been fascinated how such a small creature can literally stop everyone from doing whatever they do and get ALL the attention with EXTREME FOCUS. You will find people extremely alert, heart beating, turning their heads left to right (sometimes jumping off their seat or dodging..in fact doing funny crazy moves but who cares at that moment), silencing every body to try to localize it, tip toeing carefully until one opens the window..and YES..it is finally Kicked out of the house..YEAHHH...only then, a big relief is felt and we feel peace and and order in place after some dedicated minutes of one-goal-focus!

It is normal, isn't it? The stings of most of these species can be quite painful, and are therefore keenly avoided by many people. I can't recall ever seeing a group of people just being indifferent about it, some even decide to avoid it and change their location. Sin is no stranger to this wasp...we know its sting can be quite painful..and surely more painful that the wasp as it reaches deep where no insect can go. I just want you to think with me how life would receive back its peace and order if we truly with extreme dedication, using The sensitive Holy Spirit in us to localize sin and Kick it out of your own life..OUT. To be practical, in prayer look inside your house (soul), listen with the ears of faith (the Holy Spirit), localize and focus on what is holding you down (sin), Open the Windows (in prayer) and remove it..then feel peace again..and don't open this window right away..you know exactly what can jump back in! Not easy, i know...but He promised to be there..granting us His victorious Holy Spirit to win this battle. Just Trust in prayer.

I pray today through St. Paul's words clearly showing how sin would slow us down from reaching the goals set before us.

لنَطرَحْ كُلَّ ثِقلٍ، والخَطيَّةَ المُحيطَةَ بنا بسُهولَةٍ، ولنُحاضِرْ بالصَّبرِ في الجِهادِ المَوْضوعِ أمامَنا، (العِبرانيّينَ 12:1

So we, too, should run the race that is before us and never quit. We should remove from our lives anything that would slow us down and the sin that so often makes us fall. (Hebrews 12:1 ERV)

Localize, pray, remove and resist..in Jesus name, Amen!

Smells Like Spring

Who gets moved by scents and aroma? I do big time. I admit I am a person that gets affected by the smell of the environment around me...as I always tell Aline God took a bit of my hearing powers and added them to my nose-not sure she really likes that option :) Let me invite you to close your eyes and just think of the scents and smells that tickle this deep part in your soul...you will probably get a smile on your face while doing that..you know why? Because while you are remembering the smell, you memory is recalling the mood, the surrounding, memories and links that you keep deep in your hearts. 

Let me share some of mine:

Smell of a Starbucks coffee shop...doesn't remind me of coffee only..but reminds me of the kitchen morning (bonjour papi) hugs I get from my kids while preparing my coffee!

Smell of roasted lamb just brings me back home at my mother's kitchen, holding her in my arm while celebrating Christmas meal with the family waiting in the dining room for lunch to be served!

Smell of burning wood reminds me of the fun we had around camp fires we did during scout days or the laid back nights in basata!

This lemony Smell of Off Spray (mosquito repellent) brings back to the late night gatherings of my summer vacations next to the beach!

Smell of underground garage, Smell of McNuggets, new tennis balls, sweet batata..

And for sure some perfumes instantly brings some people so vividly to your mind!

All these smells are just bringing me back to something or someone..that's why now we see all these marketed candles named "summertime break" or "day in the forest" and so on. 

Couldn't help but think in the precision of what is written in the 2nd letter to Corinthians

ولكن شُكرًا للهِ الّذي يَقودُنا في مَوْكِبِ نُصرَتِهِ في المَسيحِ كُلَّ حينٍ، ويُظهِرُ بنا رائحَةَ مَعرِفَتِهِ في كُلِّ مَكانٍ. لأنَّنا رائحَةُ المَسيحِ الذَّكيَّةُ للهِ، في الّذينَ يَخلُصونَ وفي الّذينَ يَهلِكونَ. لهؤُلاءِ رائحَةُ موتٍ لموتٍ، ولأولئكَ رائحَةُ حياةٍ لحياةٍ. (كورِنثوس الثّانيةُ 2:14-16 AVDDV)

But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. (2 Corinthians 2:14, 15 NLT)

Yes, you and I are invited to be The Smell of Christ Everywhere.. You are called to be the candle that brings your friends back to the source..back to Christ. I have met persons that did spread this fragrance..you could just sense it even from a far. The Holy spirit in them is burning the essence of Love and guess what, like I mentioned Off Spray (or citronella candle or tree) smelling nice for some yet repellent to the evil "mosquito" powers trying to have a bite of your life! 

Dear Lord, I pray today that we bring back the Glory to you..and that we spread to our world this sweet smell of faith, hope and love through the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name. Amen!

This Is Captain Eduardo..Welcome!

"Hello, This is Captain Eduardo van Vugt welcoming you onboard of flight number..going to...(You know the rest!)". In the past few years, I have been on many planes and funny enough, seen the same attitude all over. Here comes the moment when the cabin crew starts explaining the Flight Safety Instructions...just as it starts, have a look around, you will probably find at least one of the following: A mother screaming at her kids-who are already fighting with each other- to put on their seat belt, another posting his last selfie before the plane takes off, next to him one reading every article of the planes magazine, and in that Business class one checking his Blackberry for the mail he's waiting for..and yes, the one behind snoring already. ALL that while the poor crew is doing their best to explain sincerely what to do when the ride gets tough.

I just wonder if these people's careless attitude would change if they know that the ride WILL get tough..will they be READY for it? DO they know what it takes to be saved..really? I guess they just feel that "it happens to others not us..Let's feel safe and comfy..It is not now not today!"

We do have the same attitude when it comes to our little ride on earth called life..Lots of people just live feeling that it is not today..it wont happen to me..I do not need to think about what's next. Jesus knew that this would be the attitude and He opened our eyes through His parabole (story) about Heaven..about the King who invited the people to the banquet of his son's wedding saying:

قولوا للمَدعوّينَ:.. كلُّ شَيءٍ مُعَدٌّ. تعالَوْا إلَى العُرسِ! ولكنهُمْ تهاوَنوا ومَضَوْا، واحِدٌ إلَى حَقلِهِ، وآخَرُ إلَى تِجارَتِهِ، (مَتَّى 22:4, 5 AVDDV)

Tell them...all things are ready: come to the marriage feast. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise; (Matthew 22:4, 5 ASV)

Yes, He knew that we will be careless to His calling feeling comfy that it is not now or today...though we're never sure if the next breath is on its way!

 Dear God, I pray today for all the ones, including myself, living careless to the call..thinking that "the instructions" are not for me, just accepting that it will be alright..Show me the Way..Show me the Light..I wanna know You more...to know where this exit sign leads to. I thank You for Calling me by name..Here I am. Amen!