To My Children - Like Arrows

 Dear sons, There is a great difference between knowing about someone and being known by them. I can read a great biography of my Prime Minister, I can even know what his favorite dessert is. How his house looks like, where he went to school and who his friends are. I may know what he believes about God, education, if he is a good administrator of his money or not, if he is liberal or conservative in his thinking, if his kids are well behaved... and the list goes on. I may know a lot more about him, that you. Or a lot less than you, yet at the end of the day, if we decide to go to his house and knock on the door, it does not matter how much we know about him but the person who will be allowed in and sit with him is the person the Prime Minister knows. The same is with God. There are people that can recite every verse from the Bible by memory, they know all history and people. They know much about theology and can win an argument quite easily. Yet, they are not known by Go...

Dear sons, I am writing it as a reminder to myself and I pray you may be blessed by it. Butterflies have became very special to me (you know that). They remind me of my baby Erica Faith, because her room was all decorated with them (walls, crib ...). At her funeral I wore a butterfly necklace and I got another one, just because it was a settle reminder of her (but my sister gave me a necklace with her name on it and that is the one I wear now all the time). But any ways, you get the picture... butterflies became special to me. Well, very soon after Erica died, I went to this park with some friends, and there was this butterfly that came to me only and flew all over me. It flew inside my hands as I am trying to cover my face, as I am shocked by the boldness of it. It stood on me over and over again. Of course I burst into tears. Since then, there have been a few experiences like that, of butterflies come and stand on me. Later in the week, the same happened with a butterfly fluttering a...

 We live in a hyper negative environment,  a world surrounded by fear and anger, and in a world like this, loving loudly is disruptive. People do nor know what to do with this. Use your words often to love your wife out loud!  Tell her how beautiful she is often, praise her  hard work, her yummy meals, her sense of humor, her effort to when she tries something new. Learn to communicate well and daily, to express how madly in love you are with her. Tell her how proud she makes you (be specific). Remember that you can be a very masculine man  and still openly express love and affection for your wife. You can be successful in many areas and still complement your wife. In private and in public. But do it out loud. Infront of anyone and everyone. Be the kind of man that sees the good in people, specially in your wife. Notice her. Notice her qualities before her defects, Think the best of her, remember she is on your side... ALWAYS!..   Have such a a positiv...

 Dearest Sons,  You are men. Time passed. You are husbands, fathers, and sons that teach this mother so much. Marco - You are going to start seminary this August to change careers. You are quitting, for the sake of Christ, your job and moving your family to start a new life. A life you know is filled with uncertainty, but you are trusting on a permanent God, Who does not change, Who is faithful and Who will be guiding you every step as you trust in Him. And that is my prayer for you.  Seb  - You are in construction. Working with your hands building, working hard, excelling in hard work and diligence. And this too, for the sake of Christ, will be used for His glory and the expansion of His Kingdom. Some are called to ministry, some are called to support the ministry. By prayer, financially, encouraging words, or whatever the Lord requires from us. What a blessed life you have! God has been faithful to both of you in so many ways. He has dealt with you  (as with m...

 Sons, Time is one of the things that once it is not used, you cannot get back. No wonder why the Bible tells us to redeem our time. To use it wisely. Focus on what is important and use it with whom you love and for His service which will not be in vain .  We learn that from king David and how he fell into sin.  2 Samuel 11 " In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war , David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem ." Kings (as he was), went to battle, but he stayed. That was his first mistake! Not doing what he was supposed to be doing. He stayed, and so boredom, idleness, and time, became his enemy! Learn from him! -Identify what are the things that matter in life most (Bible reading, private prayer, family time) -Be intentional! if we are not (I had to learn this), we fall very easily in killing time instead of using time! Killing time is so easy - it take...

Dear sons,    I just wanted to write to you quickly today!  I want you to know that you are NOT alone in this battle!  Do not be discouraged by your sin... look to Christ. His forgiveness, grace and power to save and forgive are WAY WAY bigger than your sin. You may think that you are "trying hard to become a Christian" but your reoccurring sin makes you doubt your salvation - I have good news for you. One who is not born again, whose heart has not been made new by the power of the Spirit, does not even want to become one. His heart is hardened towards God and hates even the though of being cleansed and resemble Christ in any way shape or form.  "The child of God has 2 great marks about him...." How would you finish this sentence? Faith and repentance? Praise and thanksgiving? Humility and joy? ...?? I am not sure what I would have said - but not this: J.C. Ryle, in his book "Holiness" says: The child of God has 2 great marks about him. He may be known by...