A Grandmother's Legacy

My Grandmother, My Mother and Myself

Today was my grandmother’s birthday.  I have been thinking a lot about her lately, probably because we shared January birthdays and she went home to be with the Lord on Valentine’s Day several years ago.  The other night, I went Salsa dancing for my 43rd birthday. You see, I love to dance. I grew up around Mexican music and probably perfected the Cumbia before walking.  Dancing is the only “sport” I excel in and the only form of exercise I will do without complaint.  The music was great and I could have danced all night. Soon, I out lasted my friends, and then my sisters, and finally my husband. I kept dancing even if I danced alone, figuring it was my birthday and I would dance until my Bayer Aspirin wore off.

Suddenly, I got a flashback of my grandmother at her 80th birthday party.  My grandmother loved to dance. Whenever her favorite music would play, her face lit up and she had the energy of a young girl again.  At her party, one of her favorite bands performed and my grandma out danced us all.  I just had to stop and smile at the memory.  As you can see from the photo, I inherited her great looks and I will claim three other awesome qualities: her love of music and dance, ability to look adorable in almost any hat (only one other family member can claim this), and my dry sense of humor.  I wish she was here to read my Blog because I bet she’d be giving me some great material.

Of all her wonderful qualities, there is one that I treasure as her greatest gift to her family.  It was her righteous fear of God.  My grandmother was a God-fearing woman who raised her family with a healthy respect for God, church and prayer.  Some people associate the word “fear” with being afraid, like a child would be of the boogie man. But the definition of righteous fear means to be in awe, have reverence, an attitude of deep respect, to bow, to have intense love and admiration.  This is the fear of the Lord my grandmother illustrated for us.

God deserves our righteous fear. We should be in awe of His great works, like creation, the working of our human body, the majesty of the universe, and the gift of His son Jesus.  He also rewards and blesses those who fear Him.

Psalm 31:19 How great is your goodness, which you stored up for those who fear you. 
Psalm 33: 18-19 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
Psalm 34: 7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.
Proverbs 9:10 (NLT) Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom, knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
Psalm 103:11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.
Psalm 85:9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him.

My grandmother’s reverence for the Lord passed on blessings to her children and to her grandchildren.  Did you know that the Lord will bless your family if you put your faith in Him and follow in His ways?

Psalm 103:17-18 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children - with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
Psalm 25:12-14 (NLT) Who are those who fear the LORD? He will show them the path they should choose. They will live in prosperity, and their children will inherit the land. The LORD is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.

My grandmother gave us a great foundation for our faith in God.  The Bible says that those that build their faith on a solid foundation will be able to withstand the storms of life, the attacks from the enemy, and the fatigue of disappointments.

Mathew 7:24-25 (CEV) Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on a solid rock.  Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and wind beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on a solid rock.

But you see, my grandmother’s faith was only our foundation. It is up to us to build our houses.  Because I work with preschoolers, I am going to use a preschool analogy.  You remember the story of the three little pigs? You guessed it, we are the pigs.  The houses represent our lives and how we live them.  The first pig was lazy and wanted to take the easy road.  Straw is light and easy to carry. He could build his house with little effort and he’d have plenty of time to party.  The second pig was a little smarter.  He built his house out of sticks.  This took a little more effort like going to church on Christmas and Easter, having a Bible around in case company comes over or praying when we mess up and need a miracle. Come on, we have all tried to build stick houses.  We want something that is going to be sturdy, but do we really want to exert all the energy it takes to build with bricks.  They’re heavy!  The story did not end well for the first and second pigs. The wolf blew down their houses and he had them for lunch. Just to spell it out for you, the wolf is the devil.

1 Peter 5:8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Finally, we should aim to be the pig that built his house out of brick and outsmarted the wolf.  Bricks are heavier and take more effort than straw or sticks. Bricks make us work harder than we have ever worked and will make us sweat, I can promise you.  But if we live our lives, with a reverence for God, He promises us salvation through His son Jesus, protection from the enemy, strength to make it through the storms of life and a peace that will surpass your human expectations.  He is not asking that our brick houses be perfect or mansions.  Just an honest, genuine effort on our part.  He will supply the rest.  My grandmother was not a perfect person. No one is. But her gift and legacy were pretty close.  I found a quote by the writer Sam Keen that helps explain my gratitude and affection for my grandmother, “We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.” That is how God sees us. He sees the “imperfect person perfectly” through the blood of Jesus that covers us.

So for all of us parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, it is our job to leave a legacy for our children and their children's children.  We don't have to be perfect for our children, we just have to point them to the ONE that is.

Happy Birthday Grandma. I can't wait to dance with you again!

Love Yolanda


PS: We will be dancing the Cumbia in Heaven. Here is a little Latin Praise music:

OK, I Admit It, Facebook is not the Devil

Just to let you know, this is more of a confessional rant than a devotion. And I have been warned that this topic may be controversial and I could receive hate mail but here goes.  A couple of years ago, my husband went on a presumed innocent “Guy’s Day Out” with his best friend, and came back with news that utterly devastated me.  His friend had helped him open a Facebook account!  I freaked.  My husband will tell you, he runs the roost, he is king of our castle and there are only a few things that I get on his case about. Well, this was one of those things and I think my response actually scared him a bit.  I just lost it and said, “That’s it, we are headed for divorce court. Some hottie from high school is going to come looking for you. You are going to reconnect with some lost love or some lonely single lady is going to friend you and you’re going to get tempted.”  Come on, I’m no dummy, I know what “be my friend” means.

After I had mellowed and backed away from the car because I was about to go kick some best friend behind, my husband reassured me that he only wanted the account to keep up with family who lived out of state. OK….I’m listening.   He also reminded me about how he works out in the field, doesn't have internet access, and most importantly he did what any husband or wife who loves their spouse should do, he gave me the password to his account.  I know, I picked a good hubby.  Soon my worries went away because I realized he didn't have a clue what he was doing on the account.  He isn't one for wasting time on the computer. He’d rather go to Home Depot or work on a manly project.  Also, I may have put a bug in his ear about the dangers of identity theft and child abduction, two of his biggest fears. Plus, silly man used my email address so I get all of his “friend requests”.

Fast forward to present day and I have started my Blog.  One of the suggestions for advertising your Blog is putting the link on Facebook.  So I think to myself, “I hate Facebook”.  But now Facebook is calling to me, saying “Come on, you have hubby’s password.”   My husband is out of town so I decide to take a look.  How bad can it be?  When I log in, the first thing I see is a girl in a bikini. Oh no you didn't! When my blood pressure goes down I realize it is an advertisement.  I didn't know you get random ads on this thing.  I feel like a burglar going through an underwear drawer or a private investigator on a case (I know, I read too many books but whatever), and I am kind of feeling guilty because I just hijacked my husband’s profile to add “married to wonderful wife”.  Please, he just had “married, wife” that’s not even a complete sentence. When suddenly a little Chat box comes up and it’s my best friend from college.  She is someone I consider a sister even though we have not spoken in years.  We got saved around the same time and started our spiritual journey together at a college bible group.  We spent the next two hours “chatting”, reconnecting, uplifting and encouraging one another. She actually walked me through step by step on how to link my Blog to Facebook.  Come on guys, you don’t really think hubby updated the status on his wall writing, “My beautiful wife has started a new Blog”.  I may have embellished a little bit but look how sweet he sounded.

While my friend and I were chatting, we realized what a complete miracle it was that she had logged on at the same time I decided to give Facebook a try. This was no coincidence but a divine appointment.  We have all had them.  Moments in our life when God has stepped in and set the stage for a miracle. Be it a swerved car to avoid an accident, a conversation with a dying friend, meeting the love of your life, events too perfectly precise to be a coincidence.  This reunion with my friend was one of those moments. You see, all joking aside, at this precise moment in my life I was struggling with fear and doubt.  I was debating whether or not to advertise my Blog. Wondering, What am I doing? Am I doing the right thing? Can I do this?  She gave me words of confirmation and encouragement that helped me step off the ledge of my full blown panic attack.  She quoted Scripture to me and told me “You have a gift and you have to share it.”  I needed my friend that night.  God knew it and He arranged the most divine intervention.

Because of this, I am willing to give Facebook a chance.  I know that God works all things together for good to those that love him and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28  Unfortunately, there are some that will still have less than honorable intentions when it comes to using Facebook, but the same can be said for any form of communication.  I also know there are many people who use Facebook for good.  Like Joseph said to his brothers that had sold him into slavery, “You planned something bad for me, but God produced something good from it, in order to save the lives of many people“. Genesis 50:20 (Common English Bible)

So now that my husband has given me the OK to share his Facebook account, I may go on it from time to time. I have a feeling he’s not going to use it as much anyways.  I think I might embarrass him a little and he is trying to cyber distance himself from me, but that’s OK.  I actually posted my first comment today regarding some good news a friend shared and I didn't get struck by lightening.  I may even add to our 27 friends but I don’t know that whole process intimidates me.  For instance, if you are under 40, single, attractive and want to be our friend, I’m sorry the answer is NO.  If you are over 40, single and attractive, still No.  Have you heard of Ashton Kutcher?  If you are over 55, happily married, and reasonable attractive, I may consider it.  But you see what I mean?  It’s too much to think about and I am pretty comfortable with our 27 close friends.  Also, can anyone please tell me where the “delete” button is?  I don’t want advertisements with scantily clothed people or lonely people looking for a date.  Also, comments like you just ran to Walmart because you’re out of toilet paper because you had bad Sushi last night, don’t care and I want to delete it.  So for all you die hard Facebook fans, don’t hate me.  I am a work in progress.  I will always prefer face to face communication or better yet, a reasonable compromise, like texting.

Love,
Yolanda

Bicycle Ride From Hell

Before you get all offended because I used a bad word, Hell is a real place and a legitimate Christian term because it’s in the Bible.  Also, I seriously thought I was there today because my butt was on fire.  It all started with my husband telling me he was taking my daughter to the beach on Saturday to ride bikes.  They have started riding on the weekends while I enjoy “me“ time: shopping, getting a pedicure or reading a good book.  Why I had the crazy idea to join them instead of continuing my “me” time is beyond me.  I think I was all pumped from my New Year’s Resolution devotion and my “20 seconds of courage” mantra that I lost my head.

You see anytime I get pumped about starting a new physical activity, I tend to forget that I am out of shape.  I envisioned cruising on my bike with my hair blowing in the wind.  So off I went to Walmart to buy my new Beach Cruiser.  Knowing my tendency to let exercise equipment collect dust, I went cheap.  My only requirement being a wide seat! I figured the beach is pretty flat so who needs gears. And how is my hair supposed to blow in the wind with a helmet? So I am all set.  I’ve got on my new Sketchers Shape-ups and I’ve taken two Bayer Aspirin, just in case I over-estimated my hearts participation in this endeavor.

It started out well until we started heading into the street instead of the sidewalk.  According to my husband, pros use bike paths and sissies ride on the sidewalk.  I immediately start regretting my “no helmet” decision.  As we start peddling farther from the beach, my legs begin to burn, and I start regretting the “no gears” decision.  In a panic, I get flashbacks of all the past physical activities I have attempted with my husband. You see, my husband is kind of a work-out drill sergeant, otherwise known as Beelzebub.  Suddenly, this little beach cruise has turned into an 8 mile ride to Hell. There’s a reason my husband’s body has improved with age while mine has not.

Oh, and did I mention that I neglected to tighten my seat, so about 15 minutes into the ride my “comfy seat” started to rock backwards forcing my nether regions to ride the narrow torturous part of the seat.  You know that expression “feel the burn”, oh I felt it in areas I didn’t even know I had.  Do you think my husband would carry his work tools? No. Would he ask the nice life guard for tools? No.  My husband will tell you he doesn’t live by the Marine creed “Leave no man behind” but by the pirate creed, “If you fall behind, you’re left behind.“  My husband lovingly pointed out that the reason the seat was malfunctioning was because there was too much weight on it and I needed to use my leg muscles more!  I know, Beelzebub.  My husband and I promised each other years ago, that we would never get a divorce but I secretly think he is trying to kill me to get out of the deal.

About 2 miles into the ride, my husband promised there was a store where he could buy a tool to fix my seat.  I just had to ride a little further.  This led to a two mile bike path that had no exit.  Once you start on this path you have to continue.  I am in some serious pain and I start praying, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13)  Then I see this lady in a wheel chair and I know I should think, if she can do it I can do it but seriously all I thought was can I please borrow your wheel chair.  As I am peddling and peddling, I want to give up.  I want to stop in the middle of the road and cry.  I soon realize I am either having a mini stroke or the Lord is giving me this devotion to keep my mind off the pain.

This endless bike path is kind of like the hard seasons in our life where the burn and fatigue are so intense we feel like we can’t go any further.  I have friends right now who are struggling through this season.  They are kind of like me on this endless bike path.  Having to keep moving forward because they can’t go backwards, but tired of the ride.  They are feeling hopeless and overwhelmed, wondering, “Is this as good as it gets Lord?”

As I prayed for the Lord to give me words of encouragement, He brought to mind the story of Joseph.  Genesis 37-39. You see, Joseph was a young man of great promise.  He was 17 years old, handsome, had a great body (the Bible says that not me), had the gift of prophetic dreams, and to top it all off he was his father’s favorite son.  Because he was young and over-confident he got a little cocky.  His brothers got tired of his bragging and were jealous so they sold him into slavery. Joseph could have bemoaned his fate, crawled into the fetal position and had a pity party. Instead, Joseph used his struggles to develop his character and grow in wisdom.  Because of his faithful service, God blessed all he did.  Joseph’s master, Potiphar, recognized that the Lord was with him and soon made him overseer of his entire household.  But Joseph soon found himself betrayed and wrongly accused by Potiphar’s wife who wanted his hot body and Joseph ended up in jail.  By now, most of us would have given up, crawled into our cell and waited to die.   Not Joseph, he worked hard, gaining the favor of the prison guard who gave him authority over all the prisoners.  Soon the Pharaoh of Egypt was plagued by a disturbing dream that no one could interpret. Joseph was pulled out of jail and brought before the Pharaoh.  God opened the door for Joseph by giving him an opportunity to use his gift, but Joseph had learned his lesson and he gave all the glory to God.  The Pharaoh rewarded Joseph with a position of authority second only to his own.

See we are not alone in our suffering.  Even David, who God called a man after His own heart, had a tough road before God fulfilled His promise to make him King.  He went through years of tribulation, running for his life and hiding from Saul who wanted to kill him.  At his lowest, he did not wallow in self-pity, he called out to God and God gave him the inspiration to write the majority of the Psalms in the Bible.  The Bible says, “Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course. “ James 5:10-11 (MGS)

If we use these guys as our mentors, we learn that:
1.  God honors those who persevere.  “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trail because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
2.  He will equip you for the struggle. “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect…For you have armed me with strength for the battle.” Psalm 18:32
3.  And finally, whether you are in the prime of life, or in a rut feeling like a hamster running circles on a wheel, or in a pit of despair, God can use you.  Keep your heart and eyes open for the opportunities He will bring your way, just like Joseph.

We have two options when we are in this season of difficulty.  We can quit and get off the bike or we can persevere.  If we find ways to use the gifts God has bestowed upon us during our trials and draw our strength from Him, who knows what doors He’ll open for us.  And remember, “Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart.” Psalm 27:14

In conclusion, because I know you are dying to find out, I wish I could tell you I conquered the burn and triumphantly rode into the finish line but sadly no.  My trip did end on some good points. My husband went from Beelzebub to hero when he agreed to switch bikes with me on the ride back.  True love is riding a magenta pink bike.  He got promoted from hero to knight when he finally agreed to go get the truck.  It only took me refusing to go any further, throwing myself on the side of the road in a tantrum my preschoolers would be proud of, and threatening mutiny of my nether regions.  Oh yeah, I went there.  But like all romantic tales, my highlight was when my husband picked me up and said, “I am sorta kinda proud of you, Babe.”  Ok, in my delirium I remember it went something like that.  See God doesn’t expect me to have all the answers or the right attitude all the time. That’s why those guys are the mentors and not me.  He just needs me to get back on the bike next weekend.  And next time, with God’s help, I’ll make it a little further before hubby has to get the truck and maybe only need one Bayer Aspirin!

There is no shame in walking your bike!

New Year's Resolutions

You know how every year we say we don’t want to make resolutions because we never keep them, but secretly we really are going to make resolutions because we can’t help ourselves.  There is something about a new year that brings us hope for a fresh start, a new beginning.  Every year, I have resolved to lose 40 pounds, read my Bible, pray every morning and improve my parenting skills.  I obviously have not read my bible or prayed sufficiently because my parenting skills are less Leave It to Beaver and more Married with Children.  Also, that junk in my trunk has gone from a Minnie Cooper to a Wide Load.

But with this being 2012, I thought how can I motivate myself?  Some of you may not know this but I have a slight tendency to overreact, worry and be a conspiracy theorist.   It probably didn’t help that I watched every episode of the X-Files, believe Elvis’ death was a big CIA cover up and I don’t believe we landed on the moon.  I know I seem perfectly rational and logical, but there is this little neurotic side of me that is actually going to come in handy this year with helping me keep my resolution goals.

A few years ago, I went to Cancun and I probably shouldn’t have visited the Mayan ruins.  We had this really scary tour guide who told us the Mayan calendar is the most accurate calendar in the world and that it just sort of comes to an end on 12/12/12. WHAT?  It probably didn’t help that I am contemplating this while touring all the sacrificial sites the Mayans used to torture people.  I know this is one of the 7 wonders of the world, but if you are anything like me you may want to skip this wonder.  Now the rational part of my brain is telling me, this is going to be another Y2K where I embarrassed myself and my poor husband by having loads of can food and barrels of water in the garage. Hey, no heckling everyone needs an earthquake kit.  Anyways…..I thought to myself, how can I use the irrational part of my brain that is so thankful the last Twilight film comes out in November, to my benefit.  You see, I figure if you are a runner and a giant pit-bull is chasing you, you are going to run faster; if you’re a swimmer and a shark is approaching, your going to swim faster; if your diet starts tomorrow and there is one piece of cheesecake left you are going to hurt somebody to reach it.  You get my drift.  If it all ends in 12 months, how do you want to go out?  Of course, I am speaking metaphorically, it really isn’t going to end but ……what if it is…..no it’s not……but just in case ….these are my resolutions.

1.   Read my Bible in it’s entirety.  Man, this one is embarrassing.  I have been saved 20 years and have not read it from front to back.  My dad has an elementary education, got saved at 65 and has read it like 5 times.   I figure if I am possibly going to meet my Maker this year, I had better read His book. Not that this is a requirement to get in, but it’s kind of like going to a book signing to meet an author and not reading their book.  Plus, I hear it has really good instructions on parenting and conquering neurotic tendencies.
Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I may not sin against you.

2. Pray everyday and not just because I messed up or need something.  You know how all therapists say that the key to a good relationship is communication.  The Bible says that the church is the bride of Christ and we, as God’s children, are the church, so that means we are His bride.  I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want a nagging and complaining bride.  And God apparently doesn’t recommend one either because in Proverbs 21 He says, “It is better to live outside on the roof of your house or in the desert than live with a nagging and quarrelsome wife.”  Lucky for us, God is more gracious than most husbands and Psalm 66:20 says “Praise be to God who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me.” But God is still male so I am going to keep my prayers legit and to the point because He also says in Mathew 6:7 “And when you pray, do not keep babbling like Pagans for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”

3. Kiss my husband everyday.  Ok, I totally grossed you out but bear with me. We are pretending it is the end of the world here!  In an article, “The Health Benefits of Kissing”, it states that people who kiss their partner goodbye every morning, live five years longer than those that don’t.  Kissing relieves stress, keeps facial muscles tight, decreases blood pressure and cholesterol, releases natural antibiotics and anesthetic to relieve pain, releases the happy hormone Oxytocin that creates a feeling of peace and releases endorphins more powerful than morphine and most importantly helps you lose weight.  Kissing actually burns calories. If you kiss everyday, you will actually lose an extra pound.  So between my new Sketchers butt shaping shoes that promise a J Lo butt and kissing my husband, I am actually going to accomplish my weight loss resolution!

Make this your resolution too because this Kissing Exercise Regimen is totally God approved.  God says we need to visualize the spouse of our youth when they were as lovely as an angel and as beautiful as a rose. He says we should never stop delighting in them or take their love for granted. If you don’t believe me, look it up Proverbs 5:18. I even PG’d it for you.
 
4.  Improve my parenting skills.  Ok, I know some of you may be doubting my ability to accomplish this but I got this one in the bag. You see, my sister has a friend who read a book on parenting and it says something like you can make parenting mistakes as long as you counter it with a hug everyday and a word of encouragement.  It’s kind of like what I learned in my child development class as a “compliment sandwich“.  Your supposed to use this technique when talking to a parent about an issue with their child. You offer a compliment, then share the negative issue and finish it off with a compliment.  So my parenting technique will be something like this, “Luci, I love you. Sorry I shattered your dreams about Santa Clause causing you disillusionment and pain.  Can I give you a hug now?”  And you were worried I couldn’t pull this off.  Please….

Also, I should probably use the “compliment sandwich” in conjunction with the Bible cause Ephesians 6:4 says Do not exasperate your children, instead bring them up in the instructions of the Lord.

5. Lastly, discover and use my passion.  I think as we age, we tend to lose sight of the things we are passionate about.  We get caught up in day to day survival and lose our selves. When we are young, we are passionate about all sorts of things, friends, sports, crushes, dreams.  But as we get older, we push our own dreams and desires aside. In order to be truly content you have be passionate about something.  I truly believe God made us this way.  God’s word says that He gave us all gifts.

Eph 4:7  Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift.
2 Thess. 2:15   God, our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts.

God’s gifts to us are our talents. These talents will wither and die in our spirits if we don’t use them. I think that is why sometimes we feel discontented with life because we are not using our gifts as God intended.  God says, “Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it - because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gave you. 1 Corinthians 14:1.  “God doesn’t want us to be shy with His gifts, but bold.”  2 Timothy 1:5

This year I have joked with my sisters and friends that I have found my “happy” place. Now I know many of you think it is Edward from Twilight, that his sparkle has added glow to my life but you’re wrong.  What it did was ignite my love of reading that I had neglected which in turn sparked my love of writing that I had overlooked.  This desire to write has turned into my passion.   I know God has given me this gift because I can’t contain it.  When I write, I feel alive.  What He wants me to do with this gift, I am not sure. But I know, like all of His gifts, I have to be bold and use it.

So this year as we approach 12-12-12, my prayer for you is that you join me in my kissing resolution for the benefits to your health and relationships. Just keep it behind closed doors because I don’t feel like seeing you make-out in public. Also, I pray that if you haven’t found your passion, that you take time to discover it.  If you know what it is, I pray that you use it boldly for the glory of God.  We are each given one life to live here on earth. The Bible says it is as fleeting as a vapor.  I am turning 43 in two weeks, and I have realized that I don’t want to waste time anymore.

• If you love someone, let them know.
• If someone hurts you, let them make amends.
• If you hurt someone, make it right.
• Give of your time to others, it makes you feel good.

 I just saw a movie that said if you want something in this life, all it takes is 20 seconds of courage to reach for it.  Let’s be courageous this year and reach for it!

Happy New Year.
Love,
Yolanda