Wednesday, May 27, 2015

PRIORITIZE YOUR MARRIAGE!


My husband and I read this book as a short marriage devotional on Saturday mornings. Written by Bill Morelan, this Hallmark gift book contains advice from several couples who have been married over fifty years. We spend about three minutes reading one story, ten minutes talking about it and then we pray together. It is short and sweet. We love learning from the wisdom of those who have gone ahead of us.

So last week I mentioned the importance of dating your spouse and investing time and money in your marriage. Today's advice is: Prioritize your marriage!

We put God #1 in our lives and then our marriage relationship. Dating each other mid-week is so important and it meets my emotional needs. There were a couple of weeks when we moved our usual Thursday date night to Saturday because I didn't want some of the food in my fridge to go bad, so I cooked instead of going out. I noticed that there was a disconnect between my husband and I. We had not argued or had any issues come up. So why did it feel distant? It was more of a routine of having dinner, watching TV, he had office work he had brought home and then go to sleep. What was missing? So I prayed and asked God to help me recognize what was going on. Yes, God answered me by revealing that when we connect emotionally during the middle of the week, I feel happier, special and loved on those dates. I told my husband we needed to go out that evening to share this discovery and revelation from God with him. We had a great date and we were back to our normal happy selves. It might sound silly, but it's not. Marriage and couple time is important. Avoid at all cost to fall into a daily routine. 

Invest time and money in your relationship and make it a priority. Don't wait to go to a marriage conference as a last option. Go when you're still happy and in-love to learn how to maintain your marriage that way! Dates, vacations, weekend getaways, marriage seminars and conferences will keep your marriage healthy and exciting.

If you have children, don't spend more money on them such as music lessons, sport activities or learning a new language than on your relationship. I've read that the best legacy we can leave our children is to have a solid and happy marriage. You can give your children all those skills I mentioned before, if you can afford it, but put more time and money in the two of you. Your kids will later thank you for it.

As a mom, when my kids were young, in order to avoid feeling guilty about going on a vacation with my husband and leaving them with my mom, we'd take our kids to Disneyland the week before our own cruise and during the Disney trip, we were there to mainly please them.

So, why do I sit in front of my computer screen writing this blog when my back and neck hurt at times? Because I want every marriage out there to be happy and succeed. May God bless your marriages and give you the wisdom, patience and understanding to last until death do you apart. Find romance and don't let it die.

You can visit http://www.familylife.com for great marriage articles and conferences. Eduardo and I have been married for 35 years. When we had our 25th wedding anniversary I asked him for an anniversary gift. I asked him to take me to a Christian marriage conference called, "A Weekend to Remember." He said, "Why? Our marriage is great, isn't it? I smiled and said, "Yes, it is. But if we want to last another 25 years we should get a refresher course!" So he took me and we had a wonderful weekend in beautiful North Lake Tahoe, CA in a fancy hotel by the lake.

Blessings to you and your spouse. May your love last an eternity! Enjoy this sweet song and video...

https://youtu.be/_ODSx0UfAcA



Monday, May 25, 2015

MONDAY WORSHIP - 5/25/15


MONDAY WORSHIP heart emoticon Perfect song for my birthday, "Who I am." The lyrics say, "... I'm running to the One who knows me, who made every part of me in His hands, I'm holding to the One who holds me, 'cause I know whose I am, I know who I am, I am sure, I am yours....I am loved...Fearfully, wonderfully, perfectly, You have made me. I'm running to the One who knows me..." Psalm 139:14-16

This is who we ALL are and how God sees us, as described in Psalm 139:14-16

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

I am yours, Lord and I want MORE OF YOU, JESUS, MORE OF YOU!!! heart emoticon

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

LET'S TALK ABOUT MARRIAGE! Never, never, never stop...


Never, never, never stop dating your spouse!
I'm not a marriage counselor
My marriage is not perfect
But I have a few ideas after 35 years of marriage...

These pictures were taken in 1980 as you can see from our wardrobe. We were to select our wedding invitation photo from these proofs. I will talk about marriage in the next few blogs and I'll try to keep them short and sweet. 

My advice this week: Never stop dating each other. 

As you can see from these pictures we were very much in love and still are. These pictures illustrate what we still do after so many years:
  • Hold hands
  • Look into each other's eyes
  • Hug
  • Smile
  • Flirt with each other 
  • Laugh together
  • And look to the future with hope
The most important factor in our marriage is putting God first. He is our source of strength. He gives us the wisdom to enjoy our marriage. 

The other day I picked my husband from work to have lunch together. After we ate we stopped for a few minutes to relax and unwind with this view of the river.

Or we go out for gelatos, watch a sunset, tease each other and be silly in beautiful places like the ones below.



If you're struggling in your marriage, by all means seek professional counseling or take advantage of the vast free material provided at www.familylife.org with articles regarding marriage, romance, sex, parenting and your spiritual life. 

May God bless your marriages and this week make sure you go out and do the things that you first did when you were dating.  It doesn't have to be expensive. The only rule is don't talk about kids, finance or work. You'll probably won't have much to talk about but it's Okay. It'll be like when you were first dating and talked about the weather and your surroundings. Have fun with it!

Invest more time and money in your marriage. My husband and I go out to eat pretty often on our dates. Early on when my husband complained about it, my response was, "It's cheaper than counseling!"  ;) 

So take your sweetheart out and have fun!

Check this video for the greatest love ever...

https://youtu.be/u9N7dhmdC60


Tuesday, May 19, 2015

TUESDAY PROVERB - 5/19/15


TUESDAY PROVERB


heart emoticon It has taken me many years to learn to trust God with ALL my heart, but it is a great place to be! heart emoticon

I asked God for many years to increase my trust and faith in Him and He has and continues to do that for me. Have a blessed Tuesday.

heart emoticon Trust Him because He is trustworthy!


Monday, May 18, 2015

MONDAY WORSHIP 5/18/15


MONDAY WORSHIP heart emoticon
I know a lot of worship songs, but this morning I struggled to find the "right one" until I finally prayed. I asked God to please help me pick the one that would bless at least one person today. This song, "Amazed" popped in my head. smile emoticoThe song is based on the Bible verse found in Zephaniah 3:17:
The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Imagine that, the Lord our God sings to us! May He sing to you today and amaze you with the love around you and His beautiful creation.

heart emoticon Happy Monday!!! heart emoticon

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

SATAN IS REAL


This picture is not very clear. It's a bit distorted. So is Satan. He is a deceiver and loves to twist the truth. There are a few people out there who do not believe that Satan is real. They don't know about the havoc he can cause.

Here is an excerpt from my book...

"The devil’s job is to deceive. But in the end, he’ll be thrown into the Lake of Fire as it says in Revelation 20:10, “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” In the last book of the Bible, Revelation, we know Satan will be put away forever.

A Christian friend told me she was glad to read in a Christian book that Hell doesn’t exist. I cautioned her about some so-called “Christian books” and to check for endorsements given only by credible and strong Christian leaders. I pointed her to what the Word of God says about Hell. Ultimately, the Bible should be our first point of reference. 

My dad once heard a guest preacher say that Satan wasn’t real. He stood up and said, “Forgive me, brother, for interrupting, but what you’re saying is not biblical.” The preacher kept on. After a few minutes my dad got up and walked out. Well done, daddy! We need to stand for truth and not let people deceive us.

How can God be seen as a cruel God when He came down to earth in human form, through the person of Jesus Christ, to die for us? Jesus took our punishment to reconcile us to God, so we can live eternally with Him. He conquered the grave. Through His loving and sacrificial act, those of us who have put our faith in Him have victory over Satan."  (How to Love God with All Your Heart" ~ A Personal Journey & Testimonial Bible Study Guide - Copyright 2015)

Satan is real according to the Scriptures, but he is also a defeated enemy. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross for us, he defeated death and the power of sin. 

Jesus is not only our Mediator, but our Redeemer. We have everlasting life in Heaven thanks to Jesus' sacrifice for us when He offered His life as an ultimate sacrifice. And that is why I write about Him and I'm passionate about Him!

Beware of false teachings. Examine the Word of God and experience God's love and forgiveness!




Worship video with lyrics. I produced several videos for use in my small group. I pray that this video will not only bless you, but bring Glory to the Lord. ...
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Monday, May 11, 2015

MONDAY WORSHIP 5-11-15

MONDAY WORSHIP  Stop...breath... Praise... And feel your spirit soar!!! "On Christ the Solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand..."
Worship video with lyrics. I produced several videos for use in my small home group. I pray that this video will not only bless you, but bring Glory to the L...
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Wednesday, May 6, 2015

GOD DOESN'T WANT YOU TO GO TO HELL


Several years ago I had a conversation with a friend about death and the afterlife. She believed that there was no Heaven and no Hell and that this world was all there was. So she was planning to have fun and do whatever she wanted because when you die the fun stops. I told her, "I wish I can say that's true, but it isn't." I asked her if I could bring my Bible the following day to show her a passage about the reality of Hell and she agreed.

This is the Bible passage I shared with her in Luke 16:19-31:

Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.
22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham.[e] The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and his soul went to the place of the dead.[f]There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.
24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’
25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’
27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

My friend listened attentively, but I still don't know if I was able to convince her. I hope that I can convince you as you read this passage. The Bible describes Hell as total darkness, torment and a gnashing of teeth kind of place. The Bible also says that God does not want anyone to perish but to come to repentance and receive the free, yes free, gift of eternal life through the death of His Son, Jesus, by placing your faith in Him. And acknowledging that Jesus is the Son of God who forgives the sins of the world. We need to confess our sins to Him and ask for forgiveness and the Lord who is faithful will forgive us of all our sins.  

1 John 1:9
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Also, the Lord does not delight in the death of the wicked.

As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?

It's not too late. You are alive and can do something about your eternal destiny. Just as you are, invite Jesus into your heart by saying this prayer: Lord, Jesus I believe that You are the Son of God and that you died on the cross to pay for my sins. I repent today of all my sins and ask You to please forgive me and help me to live a life that honors you. Come into my heart and make me clean. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. In your name, I pray. Amen! 

After that prayer you are as if you've never sinned. Look for a good non-denominational Christian church and learn more about the great love that God has for you!

Isaiah 43:25 New International Version (NIV)

25 “I, even I, am He who blots out
    your transgressions, for my own sake,
    and remembers your sins no more.

Thanks for reading! God loves you :)


Please watch this video and be blessed by it! 

Guadalupe C. Casillas https://youtu.be/ZKL0QB-_ho0

Only Grace by Matthew West worship video produced by Doctor Bob Studios. Words and...
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My next blog will be, "Satan is Real." We don't need to fear him, but we need to learn how to recognize his evil schemes...

Monday, May 4, 2015

MONDAY FACEBOOK POST

MONDAY WORSHIP! heart emoticon "How He Loves". Part of the lyrics say, "Yeah, He loves us, Oh, how He loves us..." I recently had a conversation with a friend through Facebook and I loved what she said, "God is love...is that easy, God is not complicated." Wise words. heart emoticon
"At times you might feel unloved by a friend or a relative. Keep in mind that God, your Creator, loves you unconditionally and He'll never leave you nor forsake you. He loves you so much, that in order to prove His love for you, He chose to give up His life -- that is love!" (Excerpt from my book, How to Love God with All Your Heart - Copyright 2015.)

Have a blessed week!!! heart emoticon heart emoticon heart emoticon

One of my favorite songs of all time by the David Crowder Band! enjoy! I own nothing
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