Good-bye 2009...

Good-bye 2009…

This year started out with a bang. January, my father-in-law went to heaven. February, my mother-in-law went to heaven. Summer, my daughter had to have surgery because of a lump on her breast. December, my mother went to heaven.

In all of this (and more) God has been faithful and remains faithful. God’s promises have been faithful and true. God’s Word has been the light in the darkness. God’s character has been tested and proven.

I have sense the presence of the Living God in a way I have never know it before. I have literally sense God carrying me and giving me enough strength for the next step. God’s leading and guiding has been so real that there are times when I have to sit in awe of HIM, filled with thankfulness and love for My Saviour Jesus Christ.

My God is a Faithful Saviour, Loving Father, an Incredible Comforter. I love Him so much.

2009 was a good year, because all that happened was HIS doing and for HIS glory. Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. HIS plans for me are to give me a future and a hope, not to harm me.

What will 2010 bring? Only God knows. And, this I know, my God is a faithful God, one that can be trusted. So, I will give thanks to Him for 2009 and I will look forward to what He will bring in 2010.

Romans 8:32 - He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

“…With Jesus I know I can make it, with Jesus I know I can stand…My life is in His (very able, capable) hands…”

Mom's Funeral

My Mom's request was that she be buried in Mexico, next to her loved ones. God allowed me to fulfill this last request. Mom would have been proud of us - we were all together (something that hasn't happened in a while), and we behaved.

Finality is so difficult. I am so thankful for the HOPE that is in my heart, a HOPE that doesn't disappoint, because it is anchored in Jesus Christ. Jesus has conquered death, and because of this I KNOW that I will see Mom again.

I will see you soon Mom.

Discovering Joy Coffee at Harvest

Discovering Joy Coffee at Harvest

This morning I had the privilege of spending the morning with my two nieces. What a joy to sit with them hearing worship and listening to God's Word. I knew that the LORD had something for us. So much has happened in the last few days that this time of sitting and receiving was so refreshing. God gave us each a golden nugget of truth to walk away with and to sustain us for the task(s) ahead.

Mom is now HOME

My Mother entered into eternity on December 4th, 2009. She has no more pain now.

The LORD has answered and continues to answer prayer. She was at home surrounded by her loved ones.

Thank you LORD for your faithfulness.

Sista Closet

I went to what was called a Sista Closet. What an incredible blessing! A Sister put together this event to bless other sisters. She collected "nice" clothes, purses, jewelry, etc. put it all together and had whomever wanted to come, come and go through and pick what they could use for FREE! It was amazing! What a wonderful idea. There was wonderful fellowship and FREE STUFF. It was great to see sisters I haven't seen in a while.

Haven’t been writing in my Blog much lately. Writing for school simply takes all my writing energy away. So much has happened and will continue to happen around the Ramirez household.

Last week I had to go in person to school to complete a five hour requirement at the writing center. It was very interesting and at times challenging. Needless to say, I felt inadequate and out of place – great place to be, huh? On one occasion as I was walked across campus I was engaged in my constant ritual of feeling out of place and of not belonging. The LORD allowed me to see a gentleman who had some handicaps. He was slowly making his way across campus with the help of a cane and with a backpack full of books. I felt so little for feeling the way I did about myself. I guess the LORD knew I needed to see this man again, because on a totally different day and time I saw him again. It really spoke to me about forgetting about my “incapacities, inabilities, etc.” and forging forth on the journey that the LORD has planned for me at this point of my life.

On another occasion I came out of the writing center with a smile. I had so much joy because the LORD had shown me that I was actually retaining some of the material I have been learning. I said, “LORD this isn’t a waste of time after all.” I praised the LORD as I walked through the campus and to my car.

I tell you, this school thing continues to challenge me. I stand amazed that even through this journey the LORD is teaching and molding me…HE does all things well and uses all for HIS glory.

Temporal vs. Eternal

Last night I heard this story:

(Leti’s version) There was this little girl that had a strand of fake pearls. She loved her necklace and wore it all the time. Her Father lovingly asked, “Can I have your strand of pearls?” The little girl would respond, “No, but you can have this or that instead, but not my pearl necklace.” The Father would simply smile. Time would go by and the Father, once again, would ask the little girl for her strand of pearls, always getting the same answer. This went on for a while. One day, the little girl decided to go ahead and give her cherished strand of pearls to her Loving Father. She approached him and willingly gave her strand of pearls to her Father. He asked her, “Are you sure?” She said, “Yes.” Her Father smiled and put his hand in his pocket. He pulled out a container and gave it to the little girl. When the little girl opened it, she found a strand of REAL pearls.

Matthew 10:39 – He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

2 Corinthians 4:18 – While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Romans 8:32 – He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

He Heard My Cry...

I walked to the mail box to get our mail. Grabbed the stack and walked in my house sifting through it. Well, nothing interesting there. Lots of junk mail, wait, “What is this? A Card – humm?" I came and sat down on the couch and continued to sift through the mail paying closer attention to the envelopes. “This card? The envelope looks interesting.” Open more junk mail. “Okay, let me see what this card holds.” “Interesting envelope. Oh, I love the sticker (it said, A friend loveth at all times. Proverbs 17:17). That’s interesting, my address is typed.” I finally opened the envelope and saw this beautiful card. “Oh, it’s a real card. Let me see what the LORD will tell me through however sent this card.” As I opened it wide, out comes a typed note with 1 John 3:17-23 typed on it, and a Money Order. “What, is this a joke?!” Then I saw these words, “To help bring Angie home for Christmas.” --- I became a sobbing lump.

My Heavenly Father heard my cry, and the cry of a lot of other saints who have been praying for my daughter to be able to come home for Christmas. It seemed impossible, BUT GOD…

Bek's Birthday

On Sunday I got to spend some time with the Ramirez Family (Jose, Laura, Annie and Bek). Bekah's 5th birthday was on the 23rd and I so wanted to spend time with her and the family. So I headed for church and got to worship with the family and spend time with them afterward. The extra blessing is that Jaime got to join us for lunch. Good times with the family :~)

Jesus, the perfect atonement

When we say, “Jesus paid the price I could not pay” or “Jesus died for me, that I might be set free” – what do those “phrases” mean to you? Do we really understand what we are saying? Have we, even remotely, grasped what this cost and meant for Our Saviour Jesus Christ?

Today I read this meaning of “propitiation = ‘a sacrifice that bears God’s wrath to the end and in so doing changes God’s wrath toward us into favor’ Grudem, Systematic Theology”. I’ve also heard that justification is not only as if we had never sinned, but as if we had always obeyed – Wow!

We cannot save ourselves. We cannot maintain our salvation. We cannot earn our salvation. We are saved by grace alone. It is a free gift. However, this salvation cost an incredible price. One that, this side of heaven, we cannot even begin to comprehend nor grasp.

Once again, the LORD has been having me revisit Greg Harris’ book, The Darkness and the Glory. We are studying the book of Romans in our church (Women’s Bible Study). We are dealing with salvation by grace alone. I believe that there are those times that with our “familiarity” of certain terms or phrases we don’t grasp the fullness of that statement.

Only Jesus Christ could pay the price we could not pay.

Let me quote from the book:

The mere thought of the aggregate burden of one’s own sin – let alone the weight of every sin ever committed from Adam onward – overwhelms us…We possess neither spiritual nor mental capacities to understand it completely. We could more easily fathom numbering the sands of all the beaches in the world, giving each granule a specific name, and then recalling each grain of sand by name. Multiply this by billions, and you will begin to understand some of the depth of God’s love through Jesus Christ. We cannot even begin to seize it in thought – the magnitude of such a proposal rests only within the Godhead. No wonder angles fervently desire to look into the things related to salvation. No other event in history past or present even remotely compares to the divine love demonstrated that one dark day – as the Servant of Yahweh had His form altered and His appearance disfigured more than anyone who ever has or ever will live.

God did not look away from Jesus as the Lamb atoned for sins. During the darkness the Father looked fully on the Son. Each knew what the Other was doing during this unique second aspect of the cup that the Father had determined that His Son must drink. Is it any wonder that He was marred more than any Son of Adam ever had been (Isaiah 52:14)? How could He possible not be?

For three hours – divine wrath inflicted and received by the One alone able to do so.

For three hours – silent, willful submission by the Lamb of God, the Servant of Yahweh.

For three hours – the Father smote the Son with the full wrath He alone could render.

And then – He stopped.