It's An Adventure!

With all the stress from moving, I think I've been forced to self-seclusion. It's just that I feel distanced from most of the jovenes, and from myself. (OOOH, DEEP!!) I feel... left out.

Everytime I go to church, I hear plans of a "directiva" or a group to lead for August. With all plans of going here and there, it makes me feel bad, because I can't share with them. It makes me sad every time I leave the church and appreciate the road of houses across to the Pueblo. Even though I'm happy, I'm... sad. Let's say, bittersweet. I hit a picture on my cellphone, and I say: "I'll miss this". Worse: I'm leaving by late August to September-faster than I thought!

I know; it's getting boring and annoying. Self-seclusion won't vent much of my frustrations and secrets. But God knows.

I now realize it's an adventure serving Him. Not only I'll go to another place, but I have dreams -somewhat crazy- that may be on His will. He will never leave me (Matthew 28:20), and I can say to Him everything I want -be it in Spanish, English or in a conglang. Why would I deny His name in me? He covers where I fail, where I can't reach.

It's an adventure just knowing He is in me. What can I expect?

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the
land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous.
Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to
the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let
this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so
that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be
prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with
you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:6-9)

Rant of the Songs: What Can I Sing!?

You know what? I'm frustrated.

I'm frustrated that people have to judge biased to anothers. Worse, Christians have to judge other people by whatever they do. Isn't it a bit draining? Meanwhile, we can't agree on one of the simpler things in life: music.

Take the modern Christian Contemporary Music, the new musical movement that started on the 60's. It has become a full-fledged ministry. Many singers and groups -you name them- are from this gap of movement. Still, many discredit this as a false music!

Many people think that putting a beat up to a Christian lyric is from the devil. Why? If God created music, He knew that was to praise Him! And I'm conscious that some types of music aren't appropiate for this, but the term is just a misnomer. It should be "music with Christian lyrics", and anyone can write. Others say because it is a spiritual milk, not like the hymns, that have a spiritual strenght to. I'm not discrediting hymns- I love them-, but this doesn't mean we can't have music with an upbeat tempo.

The bigger controversy is rock. Rock is just... music! Rhythm! Just because some... people don't use it the way they're supposed to do doesn't make it condemned. Just because someone uses a pop/rock tempo in a Christian song doesn't make it condemned, neither. I know that metal is just plain creepy -and crosses the line-, and many put up an emotional show of powers, but that doesn't make it satanic. Am I from the devil for hearing a song with a tempo and repetitive chorus? NO!!!

What is your postition with music? As a young generation, what are you supposed to hear? Many preffer secular music to hearing CCM, and many prefer anything to that. What is Christian? What can I sing that won't harm nobody? It just makes me angry, sad, and annoyed. Where are those who are open to worship with any beat -minding what it should be appropiate-, those who can sing "I'm not ashamed" with its rock-like tempo and not be judged?

When will it be time for us to have shows that we want, songs that we want, music that we want? I know that we shold keep holiness every day, but thi doesn't mean to shut ourselves down on life. WE have one life to live, one life to sing, one and we shouldn't criticize someone that wants to use a beat that looks like pop, rock or R & B. What can we sing that will make everybody happy!!!????

What can I sing, what can I sing, to the glory of the Lord?
What can I sing, to the glory of the Lord?

What can I sing, what can I sing, to the glory of the Lord?
What can I sing, to the glory of the Lord?

A New Name...

My cousin was learning how to say his full name. It made me think...

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who
overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white
stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
(Revelation 2:17)

Christ speaks to Pergamum, like to any of the churches in Revelation. He was rebuffing them for keeping the doctrine of Balaam, though they were located in a heavily concentrated area of idolatry.

When He speaks for repentance, he also declares the reward for maintaining their faith: the hidden manna and a new name.

It is obvious that the manna is Christ, hidden to the world, but revealed to His believers. But the new name... Usually a priest had a stone with the name of the LORD in it. It was white, a symbol of purity, known during the chapter. Its symbol is meaningful: at Heaven, we will all have a new name that only God and you will know. Nobody can tell it to you, and no one will have the same.

The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be
called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. (Isaiah 62:2)

Hope You'll Return...

I'll be moving sometime this year to Maryland, in the USA. God knows the woes that I'm suffering!

I guess I'm having some separation anxiety. It's just that 15 years of my life were lived in Puerto Rico, and I won't be shutting up about this thing for a few weeks. At first, I was opposed to it -on account of my patria, school, friends, etc.-, but we thought about the new experience we can have on Annapolis. It's not easy to bear leaving my comfort zone. My dad is in Seattle with my uncle -he has some bone cancer- but, thank God, he has bettered himself. Even though cancer is physical, it can also be a mental challenge. He is now used to have somebody caring for him. He's SOOO anxious for us to be with him. Hope has given him a strength to battle... to go.

And if he has hope to see us, then I'll give him my support. We don't know many details yet, but one thing is certain:

You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your
rest in safety. (Job 11:18)

In you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be
put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. (Psalms 25:2-3)

David
said about him: " 'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right
hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay. (Acts 2:25-27)

Papi hopes for us to be together. Tío is better, thanks to the hope of us going there. We still don't know where or when, but my hope is this:

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself
will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within
me! (Job 19:25-27)

Dance Me Daddy...

I'm an emotional freak.


Dance Me, Daddy is a book written by Cindy Morgan, based on a song called "King of the World", by Point of Grace. I saw the book on dancemedaddy.com. It's sooo beautiful!

I then searched for the lyrics of the song. The song is beautiful, too. And... there's a truth.

In the book, the girl grows gracefully, and her father plays with her. At the end, she will always say,
"Dance me dance me dance me around till my feet dont ever touch down theres nothing better than being your girl and if i am your princess then daddy you are the king of the world."

How beautiful is that?

We have a God that cares like we were her daughter. He will dance us around if He pleases -litteraly. Look at this:

"Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be
measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my
people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.' (Hosea 1:10)

We are HIS CHILDREN! Every nation, tongue, and land are His children. We are all His belonging. He is our Father, our Father who loves us so much, He gave His ONLY Son to do what we wouldn't do: get us closer to him.
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http://www.dancemedaddy.com/

Hanging on the Balcony...

My sister just read to me "Una Semana de Siete Días (A Week is Seven Days), by Magali García Ramis. She is a Puerto Rican writer, thus written in Spanish; but I have found a translation in a thesis by Rebecca Garotznik here.

(Look after page 24. The rest is an explanation.)

It is a story of a young girl who goes to Puerto Rico with her mother to see her dead father and her mother has to do political stuff.

But there is something I want to share, in the last paragraph:

Now I am on the balcony waiting for my mamá to come and get me, because I know that she will come for me. I think about her every day and what I remember most is that she had big brown eyes and that she was a woman who made men cry. Oh, and that she never lied to me; that is why I am here, on the balcony, with my knapsack, waiting for her. But it's been more than a week, I know because I’ve learned how to measure time by now, and because my blue and white dresses don't fit me anymore.

The woman was a political leftist. Yet, it makes me think: did she left? Did she die? Was she caught in jail? To be honest, I don't know. But it raises me a question:

How much are we like that woman who left her child hanging on the balcony?

Writing this post, it makes me think. Look at Isaiah 1:4...
Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.

Human nature is to run. Against eveything. I know I've ran against God many, MANY times. Sorry to spiritualize it, but... it's true! It just comes me to mind that sometimes He waits for us, and we don't hurry to come back. Because, He will never, EVER run against us. Even though we're worthy to be wiped out, He didn't do it. Because He loves us that much!!

Have you ever "dissapeared" against God? We're ran enough to become tired, but God picks us by His grace. There is still time to run TO him, to face everything, to recieve us as His children. There is still time to join Him in His glory.

Drips of Rain: Drips of Life.

You drench its furrows, and level its ridges; you soften it with showers, and bless its crops. (Psalm 65:10)


I never knew that a sudden rain would be so enlightening to me. (No, not in that way...)

I went to school to do some paperwork for my sister's university. I went to the office, checked someone, and left. Suddenly, as I said hi to the guardwoman, a sudden rain came by. (NOTE: In Puerto Rico, it rains EVERY YEAR. Now that we're in the hurricane season, it means that the rains come more frequent.)


I put the papers on my shirt and paced along, but I stepped out on an empty cafeteria. There's a home close, so there were music sheets and magazines and a chair. (Was I tresspassing?) Yet, I called home, saying that it was raining, and I'll get home later. But, the rain is soothing, as you know. While I waited for the rain to stand, I saw those drips of rain form in the road. When it did, I couldn't hesitate in running back to my home, close to my school.


What does it mean, you ask? We are so blessed to have water in these parts of the world. We are even blessed to have living water, living peace, living grace. And, also, our lives are like drips of water. They fall out of the clouds, and they hit the ground with great strength and vigor.

Thank God that His living water (John 7:38) is our Spirit that gives us life and holiness. Also, those drops can mean His wisdom falling over to us (Deut. 31:1-3), like rain. Those drops can also mean rains of blessing and fruit (2 Kings 3:16-17). In any way, water is associated with blessings, the Spirit, and life. What will happen if that water didn't exist?

Mi Life in You...

My name's Joe, and welcome to my blog!

I want to share you some thoughts of why I named the blog like this:


I thought that giving my life to Christ at age 14 would be a pace. I knew what would happen along the way. But, it was just my time. Just a way to start my life.

And although it is not much I'm in, there has been a lot of changes in me. And yet, something new is found every day. Some weeks ago, I wrote a song called "My life in You", a reflection of my hopes, dreams, fears and rests that I think will happen on this road.

You made the strong grow oh, so weak
You gave the fields a heart to feel
And by Your blood my life is free
Your hope is true, Your word is proof
Of the way the Lord is moved
Let there be light in my heart

CHORUS:
This is my life, my life in You
This is the way all is made new
Creation hears the name of God
This is my life, my life in You
This is the chance to shine to
The hungry world that needs the Light
This is my life, my life in Y