This guy has been and continues to be soooooo instrumental in my life!!! I can't even begin to express! 

And yes, I'm proud of my pun. ;)

a glimpse of glory

The Lord was so kind when He had Nathan in mind for me. I realize this more with each day that passes. I thought I loved him when I dated him, but that love has only grown since I've married him. 

Like any couple, our relationship is enriched by both our differences and our commonalities. We are different. We've had different people and places in our past. We have different perspectives on different things. We have different personalities. We have different gifts. And then we are alike in so many other ways. The deepest bond we share is Jesus Christ. We both love to spend time with people. We both love to travel and to eat. We both are intrigued by language and history. And we both share a profound appreciation for music. 

One of our favourite words is "juntos" which is the Spanish word for "together." We love to experience life "juntos." It's just more fun and interesting that way! 

For all our differences and commonalities, I am moved to worship the God who orchestrated our love story. 

Speaking of orchestration, in case you didn't already know, my husband is a composer. And a serious one at that. I mean, the guy has a photo of John Williams and him in his wallet. I'm not even in his wallet! ;)

Anyways, Nathan writes and directs some of the most beautiful orchestra pieces on the planet (not that I'm biased or anything!). Hence why I call his director's baton a wand because that's what it truly is. It works real magic in real time.

One of my favourite things about being married to him is hearing him in the process of a piece of music coming to life. It'll start as a simple melody and transform into an unforgettable theme. It'll capture you and carry you. You'll soar with the score.

Better than that though is when he goes on a heartfelt spiel about how God's glory is WONDERfully shown in music. Just last night he was raving about this very thing. From the depths of his being, he exclaimed, "Angela, our God is so sO SO glorious!!! Isn't it amazing that He has given us music as an evidence of His glory?" 

After all, music was God's idea since the beginning (Job 38:7) and is one of His heavenly hobbies (Zephaniah 3:17). 

This got me to thinking - just as there are endless arrangements of notes and a stunning diversity of genres and a fascinating variety of instruments, so multifaceted and magnificent is God's glory! 

And if I'm so impressed with but a little image-bearer (aka my husband) of our big and glorious God, then I can't even begin to imagine the splendour of the Source! And if I'm so overwhelmed by Nathan's gift of music, then I am in total and complete awe of the Giver. 

So, let me end on this "note," ;) I love my composer mucho, and I love the way he imitates our Creator.

marriage

I can't say it any better than C.S. Lewis - "One’s mind runs back up the sunbeam to the sun." Nathan is the sunbeam in my life. God is the sun.

what it's not and what it is

The following was inspired by a thought-provoking conversation with a couple of fellow Christians over an authentic Mexican meal. We were glorifying God with our tastebuds and our conversation. :)

Galatians 1:8 issues a sobering warning - "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse!" Yikes! 

That begs the big question - what isn't the Gospel, and what is the Gospel?

Let's start with what it isn't. People often go to extremes, and both extremes are extremely wrong. On one side of the spectrum, you have "the health and wealth" version which promises only earthly prosperity in this life if you seek God. Do we really think that our righteous God can't see right through our ulterior motives? Let it be clear - the Good News is not about your body's physical health or your bank account amount. On the other end of the spectrum, you have "the doom and gloom" version which preaches all pain and no gain. Do we forget that God's presence is described as being "the fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore"? Let it be clear - the Good News is not ultimately about the bad news of sin and sorrow and Satan. 

Both of these lopsided versions are a false Gospel, and the person who preaches either one to anyone is in major trouble. 

So, what is the Gospel we ought to preach? It is CHRIST eternal, incarnate, crucified, resurrected, and enthroned. It is an abundant life, but not the way you might assume. It's your sin-sick soul that is healed and your spiritual bankruptcy that is solved. God in all His glory is your ultimate reward. It is an awful present and future without Jesus, but it doesn't have to be. God is not just just; He is just as much love! He loves to love! The Good News is the worthy Redeemer seeking you that you might seek and find and enJOY Him for Him forever.  

when students remind the teacher

We had the pleasure and treasure of reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis this past school year. The following occurred in our class discussion.

Student: "Mrs. J., why does Aslan not just obliterate the witch? I mean, he could just wipe her out. He's the king! But instead he lets her kill him." 

Me: "Very true. But first he wants to take care of Edmund's soul, right? And he wants to melt the terrible winter spell that had been cast over Narnia."

(Hmmm, Aslan sounds like another King whose plan was to REDEEM, then reign!) :)

my moving window

Sheep-like clouds in the sky, 

Cloud-like sheep passing by, 

Blue sky above, blue sea below,

God's colours everywhere you go.

Soaring birds in the sky, 

Tree branches waving bye, 

Yellow blooms, green rolling hills, 

Arching rainbow, His glory thrills!

- a silly wee poem I penned on the road whilst in Northern Ireland with my beloved travel companion 

WONDERing

Why is it that a rainbow looks upside down?
Why does it appear a colourful frown?
Well, perhaps it's right side up from God above,
A smile - a mile long - from the God of love.

P.S. Can you even begin to imagine "the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ," (Titus 2:13) the Maker of the mere magic around us?

Hallelujah!

Sadly at times I fall and fail,
Gladly God's mercy and love prevail.

"The best is yet to come!"

"The best is yet to come!" Thank you, Frank Sinatra. And it's more than just a fine line from a classic song. It's a reality for the Christian.

I am engaged to a wonderful Christian man. His name is Nathan Juarez. He has a head and heart for God. He loves the church. He is handsome and romantic. He is magical on the piano. And he loves Cuban food as much as I do. I love him a lot (and for a lot more reasons than just those), and I am counting down the days till we say "I do" to each other. It will be so great to have a companion to share the joys and burdens of life's journey.

As excited as I am for our wedding day, still, I am even more overwhelmed thinking about the reality that we are on our way to Heaven. This engagement season has really got me to thinking.

If the splendid sparkle on my finger which demands so much attention is just a small glimmer of what is to come, can you imagine?! If a jewel speck from Earth radiates such glorious spectrums of colour, can you even begin to envision the majesty of God, Creator of diamonds? 

And if the love I experience from Nathan is just a little picture of the Groom's love to come, can you imagine?! God is love! And the anticipation for the Hawaiian honeymoon can't even rival the anticipation the Christian should feel for eternity where there are pleasures forevermore at His right hand (Psalm 16:11).

I'm doing an identity study at the moment, and the one that has most struck me is that I am on my way to Heaven - Heaven with the King of Kings and the fellowship of all His blood-bought children. Now that is glorious beyond comprehension. "No eye has seen and no human mind has conceived - the things God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Corinthians 2:9) With this in mind, truly our long days on Earth filled with sighing and crying, waiting and working, wandering and wondering are but "momentary afflictions preparing for us an eternal weight of GLORY beyond all comparison." (2 Corinthians 4:17) You know?

Here I am, awaiting the 17th of May (Yay! Come quickly!), but am I expecting Jesus' return with such joy and urgency as well? Am I inviting those around me to the eternal party with the Lord Jesus Christ? Thankfully everybody is invited to that, while I'm limited to a 200 guest count on Earth. :) 

Order, order!

God wants our hearts before our hands.

Welcomed Home

God is the faithful Father,
I am the prodigal son.
He loves and waits and provides,
yet I run and run and run.

God is the faithful Father,
I am the wayward child.
He cares and cries and invites,
Yet I abuse His grace and go wild.

God is the faithful Father,
I am the sorry son.
He welcomes me and rejoices.
I realize the wrong that I've done.

God is the faithful Father,
He sent His only Son,
To mend the relationship,
To forgive me for what I've done.

God is the faithful Father,
I am the thankful guest.
He gives me a fresh start in life,
And shows me His presence is best.

God is the faithful Father,
I am the happy slave.
In obedience I've found freedom.
For good works He me did save.

God is the faithful Father,
I am the hopeful heir
To enjoy heaven with Him
To celebrate forever there.

-Inspired by Jesus' story found in Luke 15

Our God

He is
holy, holy, holy!
And He looks to the
lowly, lowly, lowly.

on souls and soles

In the morning
when you are choosing shoes,
don't snooze
and overlook the most important shoes of all.
And no, I'm not talking about those new name brands from the mall.

I'm talking about the ones the One talks about -
the ones that carry peace to every place,
the ones that you wear that don't wear out,
the ones that help you run the race before you -
Gospel shoes.

These shoes don't go out of style,
and they last mile after mile,
and they must not get lost in the pile.

These shoes don't walk with the tide.
They work worldwide.
They cannot choose to hide.
They talk of the Guide
on the ride of life
through sun and through strife,
down valleys,
up hills,
down alleys,

... and into offices,
where the ladies have their high heels on
and the men their slick, polished shoes -
(those brand names from the mall)
walking tall,
toes pointed
toward
the ward
for ill souls,
soles worn out,
souls worn out,
secretly.

You see, 
that's why you need to put those Gospel soles
first on your feet,
so that when you meet
those low souls in high heels,
those dirty souls in polished boots,
those important souls in cheap flats,
you can tell them where to look -

to Him Who came from on High to low -
to Him under Whose feet we live,
Who came under to wash our feet -

to Him Who walked and talked among us,
Whose sandal straps we were unworthy to untie -

to Him Whose bare feet were nailed to a tree
on a hill called Calvary,
where He bore our sin and shame -

to the Name worthy of all fame -
the Lord God -
because He is holy
and He wholly conquered death
so that we might truly live.

In Him, through Him and to Him be the glory
for this Story
though gory, but great,
because our sin-sick souls can be repaired
by His payment.

This Lord Jesus -
Who crushed Satan's head with His heel!

So how do you get these new souls...
these new soles?

And what about a wardrobe change?
It's available to all -
and no, you can't get it at the mall.

Here's how -

Christ came,
To give us (so that we might live)
His robe of righteousness -
a radiant robe, a required robe,
a blood-bought robe.

We receive this robe
in exchange for our rags
full of snags, full of tears and tears -
our rags that we have tried to wash clean
(with our rule-following
and sermon-swallowing
and guilt-wallowing)
to no avail.

You see there was this veil
(this separation because of our sin)
between the Creator and creature
that the only good God-Man came to tear.

And now we wear
this bride's veil,
clean, pristine, proper,
bought by His life-blood -
free to us but cost Him everything,
free to us but cost Him everything.

And the payment He made was complete
Because He rose back on His feet
And ascended back on high to the sky.

Now do you see
that these costly clothes
and these Gospel shoes
are the most essential items we need?

He is 
more vital than Vera Wang
more pricey than Prada
más dulce que Dolce and Gabana
more gorgeous than Gucci
more special than Kate Spades.

So, my sister, 
forget that dress for now
and address your absolute need of His blood-bought covering.
Forget that diamond ring right now
and look at the Kind King, radiant in all His sparkling splendour.
Forget those red nails and pierced ears for now
and see His nail-pierced hands, red with blood.
Forget that accessory's price
and consider the price He paid for your life.
Forget that new handbag for now,
and see His hands beckoning you, "Come!"
Forget the latest designer
and get to know your Designer.
Forget what you think you need,
because what you absolutely need is the Redeemer.

Realize that you don't just own a bunch of soles,
you are a soul.
You don't just have a body,
you are meant to be part of the body of Christ.

All of humanity
in all of our depravity
need all of His grace
poured out upon the human race!

Sisters, we're all really the same
and this life is not a game.

We need the Name above all names,
the blest One, our rest -
Jesus Christ.
And when we know Him, we will want Him more than anything else.

"What does it profit a man or woman to gain the whole world yet forfeit his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" - Jesus 

vida verdadera

Do not be lulled
to be dulled...

"The Walking Dead" is not just some TV show,
not just some parade down the street,
that will fade as a fad with time.

                         No.

Know that the walking dead is a reality -
a dangerous drama diluting,
a sorry saga secluding
people from true life.
Deceiving the Eve in us,
leaving this generation lost
because lies cost.

                         Lies -

"Pretty Little Liars" we are,
wearing make up to make up
for our empty, ugly souls.
Pretty little liars -
this glamourous, clamourous giggly gig
when really -
Is not a beautiful woman with no discretion a pig?

But hey, we are caught in a worldly web,
bought by the online web
that teaches girls to reduce their waist-line
by reducing their dignity to a dime.
"Buy this!" and by this date,
you'll have a date.
"Wear this!" and where will you go?
Far!
"Drink this!" "Think this!"
Pink this, purple that.
And what does all this add up to -
a shrinking wallet, a shrinking waist-line -
but all really just a waste of time.

... So, it's time
to evangelize our souls, not trivialize.

Scriptures say something about all of this!
So, listen up because truth stays true,
And it's about time we get a clue!

"She who is self-indulgent is dead even though she lives." 

"Indulgent" - let's break it down
before we break down completely.

In - inward focused.
She says, "Time is mine."
She says, "I am totally fine."
She demands, "Give, give!" like a leech.
She warns, "Don't dare preach."

Dul(l) -
What a bore,
Always wanting more!
What's in store?
What's at the store?
Stuffed but starved,
Can't cope,
So she mopes.
Bleep (a swear word)
Beep (her phone goes)
Welcome distraction!
Click (photo)
Click (upload)
Waiting, celebrating
all the "likes" ups her rating.
Stroking her vanity,
Bordering insanity,
Eventually fed up, wanna give up...

But wait... it's a...

Gent -
She craves attention from a gent,
though he is anything but a gentleman.
But still, the thrill!
It's time to manipulate,
so she dresses as bate,
and she stays out late,
Seducing him, reducing her
to a cheap chimp,
an impulsive victim to vanity,
with a fever for fun,
a longing for love turned lust,
but she "must" just follow her heart.
"Believe in yourself" she mumbles,
as she stumbles,
as she crumbles.

Striving to be alive,
but feeling sad,
feeling bad,
going mad.

Oh, the epitome of pity -
to party then pity party!
To love yourself and feel lonely.
To trust oneself and find yourself falling short...
even in your high heels.
To laugh out loud and cry inside
To flirt and feel like dirt
To flaunt and be haunted by fear
To be noisy and nosy
To find yourself a fake
Whose flattery was all just fluff -
You're not enough.
                 No.
Now you know it was all just stuff.

Now you see that
You by yourself are just a dead end.
You're on a journey...
Sure, maybe seventy years long and seemingly wide,
but in the end a pointless ride,
Swept away by the tide
of the next century.

We are like a flower that will fall,
unable to stall,
on the way to eternity.

We are like a mist that appears
then disappears
after a certain amount of years.

Do you see the "us" in dust?
We are but dust.
And our stuff will rust.

But we are souls
that will last
past these years,
past these peers.


So, logically you have some choices.
                                   Either...
live it up or give it up.
YOLO or sink low.
Cope or mope.
                                  ... Or neither!
There is HOPE!

Yes, our name is Eve
with pride in our stride
but on the eve
of being made new...
Phew! 
Because...

There is a Name
Whose fame is forever.
There is a Light
Whose flame always burns.
There is a Love
Whose grace ever flows
There is a Redeemer
That cares, helps, and knows.

The Winner of sinners,
The Lover who covers our stains
With the flood of His blood

His Name is Jesus!

The Second Adam
Who gives us a second chance
The Giver of all good gifts
Let us sing and dance!

He rose up from the dead
That we might die to our-dead-end-selves
and rise with Him to truly live
To gladly give
All in exchange for His new life.

So, let's renounce our pride,
for the King of kings died.
Let's forsake our fear
for the Prince of princes came near.
Let's quit our lust
for He is a Lover to trust.
Let's kill our greed
for God meets our every need.
Let's forget our nerves
Because His child serves.
 
Let's give up our pathetic, puny plot
(that eventually will rot)
to the One Who gave up His throne for a cross.
Let's surrender our small, silly dream
To the everlasting Theme
of His marvelous grace to our human race.

Though the leech cries, "Give, give!"
The LORD cries louder, "Live, live!"

the fight of faith

What do you do when days are dark...
When the nights are far too long?
You hope against hope for His spark
And wait and pray for His song.

Stupid Self-Reliance

"What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" [1 Corinthians 4:7]

These two questions answer a lot of other questions. All is grace.

Back to the Basics

God is God. God is eternal. God is Three in One. God is good. God does good. God is holy. God is love. He is the Original. He is glorious. He made and owns and sustains everything in the entire universe. He is beautiful.

God breathed life into man and woman and called His creation very good. We enjoyed fellowship with the Best Being. We experienced His good gifts of life and love. It was bliss.

God gave humanity a free will, a choice to love Him by trusting and obeying Him. He desired lovers.

Adam and Eve chose wrongly. Humanity deliberately disobeyed. We did not have faith in His goodness and turned to our own foolish ways. "God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path." We failed. It was bad. 

Our failure reaped due consequences - death. Our disobedience deserves separation from our perfect Creator. Sometimes we think we are not that bad, but that's because we've forgotten that He is that good! His standard for communion is holiness. He must do what is right because He is just. He cannot and will not tolerate our evil. That's bad news for us. But let's keep in mind, our loss is our fault.

BUT there is the Gospel! In His great mercy, He entered the world He made to save His people from their sins. Jesus, God Incarnate, came and lived a perfect life and suffered a painful death in our place.  He then rose again in victory, offering new life. He is called the Second Adam and through Him we have a second chance at life. That's good news for us! Our relationship is restored! And let's keep in mind, our gain is His grace!

Let us say with David, "I have no good apart from You, God." And we will be celebrating Him for eternity!

Life and Light from the Lord

"For with You is the fountain of life;

    in Your light do we see light." 
[Psalm 36:9]

You are the God who illumines,

Who gives perfect light to the blind.

You are the full fountain of life,

Who delights the heart, soul and mind.

We receive life and light from the same Source - Jesus. 
He made it all. He gives it all.

Living on Borrowed Breath

Just the other day, I had a Snapple peach tea. Mmmm! 

 There are two reasons why I enjoy this drink. For one, it's tasty, and for two, it contains a fun fact on the cap. This particular cap read "The average person has 23, 000 breaths a day." 

Think of it - we inhale and exhale thousands of times a day. About 23,000 times. Wow! And most of this breathing is involuntary. We don't think about it. It just happens. In and out, in and out, and on and on we go.

But we should think about it. We should think about where our breath comes from and why we all have it.

God's Word tells us the answer to the where and why. "He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." [Acts 17:24-28] "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD (of life)." [Psalm 150:6] 

Let's remember - we walk and talk and work and play on borrowed breath.

believing the best about the Best!

Sometimes our doubts shout lies about God. Sometimes our minds find questions about His ways. Sometimes our hearts part from His truth. Sometimes our fears smear spiritual reality. And so, we find ourselves confused, careless and even callous, all because of a big misunderstanding on our part.

This is why it is always absolutely necessary to decide to believe the best about God. Why? Because He is the best of beings! [Jonathan Edwards]

Think about it. Even during the worst of times, we try to believe the best about certain people. Why? Because we remember the qualities in them that we love. We naturally appreciate and admire generosity, truth and goodness. If we do this with fallen human creatures (who show these qualities imperfectly), how much more should we do this with our holy Creator (Who possesses and proves these qualities perfectly)?

So, we must fight the night with the light, the dark with the spark of His truth! How? By considering His character! Here's just three to start a countless list of "His best" qualities -

He owes no man anything, but gives generously to all. He loves to share!

"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?" Romans 11:35

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights." James 1:17

He is always right, and He always does the right thing. He's always fair!

"Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?" Genesis 18:25

"For the word of the LORD is right and true." Psalm 33:4

He is always good, and He is good to all. He loves to care!

"You are good, and what You do is good." Psalm 119:68

"The LORD is good to all, and His mercy is over all that He has made." Psalm 145:9