Birthday Surprise. It's Alejandro!

Happy Monday! I am so excited to share with you today's birthday surprise! Alejandro is a talented photographer but most importantly a devoted man of God. He proved to be worthy of my friend's affection and love, therefore, making him worthy of my admiration. Without further ado, here is his post... from the heart of God to Alejandro's heart, and now to yours.
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[photo credit]

Good morning readers!

I wanted to first thank Raquel for allowing me to post my thoughts on her amazing blog. I got to meet her through my lovely fiance Jessica. Raquel is a true encouragement to those around her and I am glad to know such an awesome woman of God.  The ideas on this blog post are mine but some of the information was derived from a bible study I also attended called 'Men’s Fraternity'. It truly revolutionized my view on who I am and how to live as a man.

The real secret of meeting the man of your dreams: This post is to let you ladies in on a secret, the true secret to find the right man in your life; and that is no joke. Men may be upset that I am sharing this with you, but oh well. I will share with you not from a general standpoint but from personal experience.

In order to find this amazing man, you have travel back in time to understand where the good men could be found today. Since America began the Industrial revolution to move our society forward, it pulled men away from their homes for long and strenuous hours in factories, mines, and other types of industries which were very time consuming. In doing so, the boys were left at home with their mothers to raise them. There is nothing wrong with a boy being raised with mom, but until this point boys worked alongside their fathers and the values of being a man were instilled in them by the their fathers. 

Fast forward a few years to the First World War. Men were sent off to war, and experienced horrific things, only to return home jaded. They became closed off to their boys at home. They couldn't the terrible things they saw and more importantly kept an emotional distance from them. A few more years into the future, we are starting to bring equality to women. (Women stay with me here, I am all for the equal rights. But if you see how it truly turned out you will understand where I am going.) What happened in the long run wasn't just the right to vote, drive a car, and equal pay for equal jobs, but men felt that meant a woman was asking to be left to do things alone. It became “what you can do I can do better” and women were now left to raising kids and working multiple jobs to keep up. Men just closed out after so many years. 

The result, well you see it, men are acting like boys with facial hair: living with mom, standing in line for hours to get the latest video games, not committing to anything of importance, even worse, not standing for anything.  This is the sad state we are currently in and it is not that there isn't any good men in our churches, men are not present anywhere.  Ladies your pick in men has dwindled down to a kid’s pool and they are not the ones ready to lead you in your marriage. 

And here you started to read this blog post and thought that I would give you the magic bullet to find the perfect man.  Sorry, I didn't come through in the way you might have thought, but what I will do is give you four things to look for as FRUIT of a real man.

1.     A real man will lead courageously:  This doesn't mean he will boss everyone around implying he is right.  It means he will take guidance from those above him, respect everyone’s opinion, and lead his family or those around him with unconditional love, sacrificing his own desires for the good of those entrusted to him. Ephesians 5:25 

2.    A real man will accept responsibility:  Men have a tendency to excuse themselves quite often.  I struggle with this myself and realize it is because it is easier to explain why I did something instead of accepting responsibility for my decisions.  Men have to be willing to own up to their actions/decisions.  Not shifting blame by doing a matrix move out of the way.

3.    A real man rejects being passive:  He isn't indifferent about life or God and the things of God.  He is always the initiator and is never a spectator. Jesus is our example in that He wasn't a watching bystander; He got his hands dirty when the moment called for it. John 2:14-15 

4.    A real man expects the greater reward from God:  He is not looking for a quick fix satisfaction but delays the gratification with an eternal perspective.  Not acting out of the desire for the approval of those around him but only seeking the words from God, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” Matthew 25:21 

I would like to say that this is not easy for any man to accomplish on his own.  He needs to have a team of brothers alongside him, praying and fasting for one another. A man, who is a “loner”, is a weak man.  He cannot stand alone. He needs to have a healthy relationship with God and desire God on his own will, not yours. I know this is a lot to read, but trust me when I say they are men out there but you need to just “wait and see”. Jesus spoke of waiting to see the fruit from people who claim to be prophets:

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Matt 7:16-20

Sometimes you just need to wait and see for those four indicators of a real man. This man will not be perfect because believe me, I am working at these and I fail, but knowing I have Jesus on my corner helps. The support of those who also are pursing God is a GREAT. I hope this encourages and gives you hope as God takes you on this journey.

May God’s peace cover your hearts and guide you to a new place in your journey with Him. God bless. 

Alejandro

Let's talk about sex, baby!

Happy Wednesday. A few months ago, I asked my friend to write a post on purity and she delivered... a whole lot of yada! Take the time to read this post and share with your friends.
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Let's talk about sex, baby!
by Stephanie Landa
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Have you ever wondered why God wants to protect the sacredness of sex for after marriage? Perhaps you're tired of hearing all the messages about purity/abstinence. It seems as though everyone is having sex, and you question what is the point of waiting after marriage for sex. “One side says condoms and sexual freedom are the answer to youthful clamoring about sex. The other, slides silver rings on the fingers of teens and hopes these miniature chastity belts will protect them in moments of temptation. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Is there a middle ground? Can anybody claim to have clear and certain answers?” – Dannah Gresh
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What if I were to tell you that there is something no one has ever told you about sex? Would you believe me? Well, last night as I was a reading, “What Are You Waiting For? The One Thing No One Ever Tells you about sex” by Dannah Gresh, I came across a profound truth that I could not keep to myself and had to, just had to, share with you. In Genesis 4:1 we read, “Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant.” They were obviously not just laying” there! Gresh grabbed a Hebrew dictionary; she searched for the meaning of “lay” in the sentence. Gresh found the Hebrew word for sex is yada. Yes! The word we most often use to communicate a sense of boredom, is not so “blah, blah, blah.” The definition of the word yada is “to know, to be known, and to be deeply respected.”
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“Almost every woman can admit that she isn’t really yearning for a physical touch in her sexual encounters, but is seeking a deep emotional caressing. For men, most of them, want to know they have what it takes to receive your admiration. They yearn to be deeply respected.” –Gresh
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Out of curiosity, Gresh researched how many times this word (yada) shows up in the Hebrew Old Testament. It is used more than nine hundred times. Now, that’s a lot of yada! It gets even better…
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A couple of other passages that mention yada are Genesis 4:17, Genesis 4:25, Genesis 24:16, 1 Samuel 1:19-20, just to name a few. Several times, the word is used to convey a deep emotional knowing and mutual respect between a naked man and wife. The word yada is used most commonly in a verse like this: “Be still and know [yada] that I am God.” –Psalm 46:10. It’s clear from this verse that yada isn’t about a merely physical act. Yada is a word of intimacy that goes beyond the physical to describe the whole knowing of a person.
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“O Lord, you have searched me and you know [yada] me. You know [yada] when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…” –Psalm 139 Feel free to read the rest of Psalm 139:1-4, 13-16, 23 and be prepared to be blown away and humbled by God’s grace and love. “When you are in intimate physical and emotional communion with your husband, it will be a mere picture of the passionate love of a God who has been seeking your heart since before you were born.” –Gresh
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This is the one thing no one has ever told you about sex: it’s an exquisite revelation of a much Greater Love.
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God is trying to direct our attention to a portrait that comes close to helping us understand. That portrait is pure, holy marriage. In that sacred place alone do we find a taste of the intimacy we can have with a living, loving God. Maybe that’s why the word yada can be traced from Genesis to Revelation. We must be remind us of what true intimacy looks like, for we have drifted far from the truth. 

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So there it is, Ladies and Gents!  Now go, ponder, and digest this information while falling at the feet of Christ and praising Him for His goodness and unconditional love. I hope this information has given you a greater understanding and has answered your question, “What is the point?” One more thing, please do not drown in the lies of the enemy making you feel unworthy because of your past. God is relentlessly seeking you and loves you for you, despite your past, recent, and future hiccups.

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*If you have not read the book, “What Are You Waiting For? The One Thing No One Ever Tells you about sex” by Dannah Gresh…I totally recommend it. Get it HERE. 

la luce

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

This passage reminds me of that song, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine". But the truth is, that the there is nothing little about the light given to us by Jesus. Yesterday, during worship at church we sang Mighty to Save by Hillsong United. I worshipped Jesus in Spirit and in truth for He is mighty to save. Then Nate, our worship leader, began to sing the bridge:

Shine Your light 

And let the whole World see

We’re singing

For the glory of the risen King

Jesus

There I stood with hands lifted up, not in worship, but in prayer asking Jesus to shine His light. The bridge was repeated and suddenly Matthew 5:14-16 came to mind. It was as if it was being unwrapped right before my eyes, from a tightly closed giftbox (with a pretty little bow on top) to that signature piece that I could wear for years to come. To be light, is a command that I have always understood. I have to confess though, that at times I have been apathetic to it. But yesterday I was reminded, we are the light that He shines for the whole World to see!
 
In my last blog, I challenged you to speak and to encourage. Today I am challenged to shine and not hide the light of Jesus. I challenge you as well. Are your actions bright lights or are they dimmed? Are your conversations and words a beacon of light or do they fade away with the mundane talk of this world? How can you shine for the glory of the risen King? Where can you shine Jesus? Are you aware of who around you is in desperate need of His marvelous light? Let us not lose the opportunity to SHINE Jesus everywhere.
 
Be the light to a dark and dying World.
You are a city set on a hill, which cannot be hidden.
Allow Jesus to take you from underneath the basket and to set you on His lampstand, so that you can give light to everyone around you.
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Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
1Peter 2:9