DIY (Do It Yourself)

Are you a Handy person? the one talented in fixing, mounting, and assembling? I am NOT! Luckily I have a dear friend that is a great handy man…and i am sure each of us “non-handy” persons know a friend that happily comes to your home with his tool kit to start fixing the table, hanging the frames on the walls, or just glueing back pieces of a broken vase! It is said that crisis in Europe, and specially here in Spain has led to a boom in all that has to do with DIY tool shops. Suddenly with less money, people were forced to fix their broken stuff rather than buy new ones and learn how to do it themselves rather than send it to a repair shop which will charge them quite a sum for a repair service. This even reached Kids toys, you can find now section of toys as a first “DIY Kit for kids". My daughters were so happy with the glue, they started repairing even the non-broken stuff. One day, a mug hit the floor and lost a piece, they tried to glue it but still it spilled out the milk they drink…at the end they realized it was irreparable, and became useless. What would you do with a Broken Mug?!

I was so moved reading Psalm 31 and the descriptive metaphor David uses to show how lost he felt, how useless he perceived himself:

I am forgotten like a dead man, and out of mind; like a broken vessel am I. (Psalm 31:12 AMP)
نُسيتُ مِنَ القَلبِ مِثلَ المَيتِ. صِرتُ مِثلَ إناءٍ مُتلَفٍ. (31 المَزاميرُ:12 )

Like a broken vessel beyond repair, a feeling that attacks many of us across the journey of life. The great news is that we know THE Great Handy Man in History, the one who put you together in the first place, the One that no matter how shattered in pieces your heart might be, or how broken you come out of a tough experience, He is willing to take you and make you all NEW again, New and Perfect in the eyes of the Master Potter!

"And the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he made it over, reworking it into another vessel as it seemed good to the potter to make it." (Jeremiah 18:4 AMP)
ففَسَدَ الوِعاءُ الّذي كانَ يَصنَعُهُ مِنَ الطّينِ بيَدِ الفَخّاريِّ، فعادَ وعَمِلهُ وِعاءً آخَرَ كما حَسُنَ في عَينَيِ الفَخّاريِّ أنْ يَصنَعَهُ. (18 إرميا:4)

Dear Lord, how many times we decided that all the fixing within us has to be DIY, has to come from within or from surroundings, how many times we tried to fix our broken vessel, glueing it with work, outings, self help, sports, entertainment…but still this vessel leaks and gets useless in our eyes. I thank you for the Loving Father you are, for the Comfort you send through your Spirit and for the Guaranteed Repair you offer in your eternal workshop in Prayer!

And you…Do you still have a broken Mug Somewhere? The repair shop is Open 24/7!

Keep shining my friends!

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18 NIV)

God V2.0

The excitement of a new phone is an unparalleled feeling these days. Every phone owner knows what it feels to upgrade his handset and get the newest launched version (be it a fan of Samsung S6 or an iPhone 6 follower). Suddenly, your old phone-that used to be your amazing mind blowing super advanced phone-becomes so old and out of date. No new tricks, no amazement. Yes, One day you held it dear to your heart, you stayed in long lines to buy it, you showed it off to everyone, you posted about owning it, and cleaned off fingerprints every once a while. It is normal! With your new phone, a new leap of technology and options, a whole new level of wonder and admiration marks the first few days and weeks, and by time the passion wears of until a newer version is soon to be launched in the market.

We have been treating God the same way, we wait for the moments of launch, a new version, an excitement that mainly comes around Christmas and Easter, moments of looking at the wonders in Christ. Sooner than later, this hype wears off and we find that the world can give much more options, tangible ones that lure our eyes away, and the once Standing-in-long-lines-Church entrance, the hours-of-prayers in services, the Facebook-religious-filled timeline becomes just an old version of excitement…replaced back with the newer thing that pleases your heart. Yes you Love Christ, but may be the tricks you wait for don’t keep you that excited. You miss seeing in Him the life-changing, daily-renewing, sin-forgiving God that He truly is. You want a new trick and you are not given one!

This is not new! During the last days of Jesus, we meet Herod, who as The Book states, was so excited seeing Jesus, asked Him to show a trick or act a miracle, but Jesus knew that this man´s excitement is going to fade once these wonders become normal, Jesus knew Herod´s drive, seeking God´s pocket and wonders not seeking His heart and a life time relationship. In front of such request of a trick, Jesus stood silent, did not give him even a word! and then, as an old phone, Herod kicked Jesus out and pushed Him away in anticipation for the next excitement his servants would bring in.

"When Herod saw Jesus, he was very happy. He had heard all about him and had wanted to meet him for a long time. Herod wanted to see a miracle, so he was hoping that Jesus would do one. He asked him many questions, but Jesus said nothing. Then Herod and his soldiers laughed at him. They made fun of him by dressing him in clothes like kings wear. Then Herod sent him back to Pilate." (Luke 23:8-9, 11 ERV)
وأمّا هيرودُسُ فلَمّا رأى يَسوعَ فرِحَ جِدًّا، لأنَّهُ كانَ يُريدُ مِنْ زَمانٍ طَويلٍ أنْ يَراهُ، لسَماعِهِ عنهُ أشياءَ كثيرَةً، وتَرَجَّى أنْ يَرَى آيَةً تُصنَعُ مِنهُ. وسألهُ بكلامٍ كثيرٍ فلَمْ يُجِبهُ بشَيءٍ. فاحتَقَرَهُ هيرودُسُ مع عَسكَرِهِ واستَهزأَ بهِ، وألبَسَهُ لباسًا لامِعًا، ورَدَّهُ إلَى بيلاطُسَ. (23 لوقا:8-9, 11 AVDDV)

While the Marys that fell in Love with their Saviour Jesus, the Lord they thought was dead, and they expected to see no wonders from a dead man, they went with there essences to anoint His body, with hearts full of love few last minutes with their Master. Behold, for their Loving hearts beating Clear to the ears of our Lord, He showed them the Miracle of Miracles and the Wonder that Herod could never even dream of witnessing…they witnessed His Resurrection and Victory over death! What a Glory!

The men said to them, “Why are you looking for a living person here? This is a place for dead people. Jesus is not here. He has risen from death.(Luke 24:5-6 ERV)

Are you waiting for God V2.0, a new version every Easter and Christmas to get some excitement around the season or is it a personal relation, a life time journey, where you seek Him rather than His tricks! He has a lot for each one of us, just let´s come seeking His heart not His Pocket!

Which of them are you seeking? Are you Herod or one of the Marys?

Keep shining my friends!

Give me the Calculator!

Studying with your kids can make you learn new stuff on the way! Given I am a finance guy, the kids believe their father is the Math know-it-all, at the end of the day, I am all day adding and subtracting as they say. Couple of days ago, doing some math homework with Leila, staring at her exercises sheet: 

Leila broke the “Study Focus Silence”: Papi, can you please give the calculator please. I saw you using it. It is much easier.
Me: Leila that´s not the point.
Leila (with a disappointed tone): But Why should I spend too much time trying while I can get the answer right away.
Me: You know Leila, you need to understand how it is solved and the concept behind it. The calculator won’t help with that. I am next to you here to explain how we shall solve it. I am not leaving you alone with it.
Leila (excited back again): Yes, better, because if the calculator is out of battery I won’t do anything, and I won’t be even able to explain to the rest of the class how I solve it.
Me: Exactly!
………………………..

Me: Oh God, why do I have to go through this pain, through this pressure, test, problem. Just Take it away now. Don let me go through it. You have the calculator, Give it to me.
God: Do you remember Joseph, before reaching high up in the Egyptian kingdom ranks, was betrayed by his brothers, was put unjustly to Jail, left there for a while. I didn´t hand him the calculator, but I was there with him all the way, and Joseph did not deny the work of my Hands. Just read this carefully, after he was sold in Egypt as a slave:

"The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master." (Genesis 39:2 NIV)
وكانَ الرَّبُّ مع يوسُفَ فكانَ رَجُلًا ناجِحًا، وكانَ في بَيتِ سيِّدِهِ المِصريِّ. (39 التَّكوينُ:2 )

and when he was put in Jail:
"The Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden." (Genesis 39:2, 21 NIV)
ولكن الرَّبَّ كانَ مع يوسُفَ، وبَسَطَ إليهِ لُطفًا، وجَعَلَ نِعمَةً لهُ في عَينَيْ رَئيسِ بَيتِ السِّجنِ. (39 التَّكوينُ:21 AVDDV)

and After all that He knew the lesson, and brought back the praise to Me in front of his brothers, to the One who didn’t leave him alone:
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20 NIV)
أنتُمْ قَصَدتُمْ لي شَرًّا، أمّا اللهُ فقَصَدَ بهِ خَيرًا، لكَيْ يَفعَلَ كما اليومَ، ليُحييَ شَعبًا كثيرًا. (50 التَّكوينُ:20 )
………………………….

We always ask God to hand us the calculator, blinding our eyes to the fact that tests are for our strength, our growth, and for us to experience what problems others one day can face. He didn’t promise a Full Spring, but He promised He is always with us even through the Toughest Storms.

Get your learning today, rest assured that The Master is not leaving you alone, but wants you to know how to face it with Him, so others ask you and you shall have the answer, the know how, The Key!

Keep shining my Friends!

Your Daughter's Friend's Dog Name!

Do you know the dog name of your daughter's friend? You are probably laughing just at the idea of the question...but guess what...It matters to her, same as knowing the name of her friends, her interests, the songs she learnt at school and the drawing she messed up during her last painting lesson! All of this I got to know and much more thanks to a weekly one to one time I have with Leila. We both drive Farida to her Music lesson and enjoy some quality time at a cafe near by. It was weird at the beginning, thought would be boring, I used to equip her with a coloring book and me with my IPad...but now I just actually wait for this one-to-one were we both don't need books nor IPad or phones, we just engage in face to face discussion even if it's about tiny trivial matters as her friends dogs names! This weekly Rendez-vous suddenly created a bonding and more common grounds and experiences to share! The One to One set up is always a great soil to bring an assured close mind to mind discussions and a heart to heart openness. I personally believe that it the most effective mean of communication between any two persons. At work, my one to one meeting with my boss is usually the most effective usage of time where we sit, review, align and discuss openly ideas and directions. At home, my Tête à Tête time with Aline revives and renews our relationship and my latest discovery is my time with Leila!

Do you know that Jesus adores this kind of "Tête à Tête" conversation. 

I was specially touched reading what He did with the blind man in Mark 8, He actually took the man by his hand, walked all the way out of the city to have him face to face and restore his sight:

Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch the man. So Jesus HELD the blind man’s HAND and LED HIM OUT of the village. (Mark 8:22-23 ERV)

وجاءَ إلَى بَيتِ صَيدا، فقَدَّموا إليهِ أعمَى وطَلَبوا إليهِ أنْ يَلمِسَهُ، فأخَذَ بيَدِ الأعمَى وأخرَجَهُ إلَى خارِجِ القريةِ، وتَفَلَ في عَينَيهِ، ووضَعَ يَدَيهِ علَيهِ وسألهُ: هل أبصَرَ شَيئًا؟ (8 مَرقُسَ:22-23 )

He did the same with the deaf in Mark 7:
The people begged Jesus to put his hand on the man to heal him. Jesus led the man AWAY from the people to be ALONE with him. (Mark 7:33 ERV)
وجاءوا إليهِ بأصَمَّ أعقَدَ، وطَلَبوا إليهِ أنْ يَضَعَ يَدَهُ علَيهِ. فأخَذَهُ مِنْ بَينِ الجَمعِ علَى ناحيَةٍ، ووضَعَ أصابِعَهُ في أُذُنَيهِ وتَفَلَ ولَمَسَ لسانَهُ، (7 مَرقُسَ:32-33 )

He wants to have his One to One with you...He wants to deal with you PERSONALLY. In this Holy "Busy" week, don't get too crammed with the crowds, don't get only satisfied with the mega gatherings, it is good to get together yet let Him Hold you by the Hand and take you for a personal healing conversation. He is interested in all your trivial matters as I m interested in my daughters friends dogs names.

Make a decision now, Book your One to One THIS week, Every Morning, MAKE it a different Easter celebration...a Personal Healing celebration. He'll be waiting!

Keep Shining my friends!