birthday surprise! It's Arlene.

Happy Tuesday! 

I have enjoyed all the birthday surprises so much, and I am sure that you have too. I love how the Lord has worked in the heart's of all the guest writers; orchestrating through them a rhythm of encouragement and life. Today you will read from one of the most amazing women that I know. I've said it before and I will say it again, hanging out with Arlene is like hanging out with one of the disciples... she is that close to the Lord! I know that you will be blessed and motivated to do mighty things for Jesus after reading this post. 

Am I just a Storyteller…Or a living Testimony? 

SURPRISE!!

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer ‘I’ who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Have you ever decided to be true to yourself – for real?  You know, like just hanging out in the mirror not just to put on makeup or pluck your eyebrows? Yep!! I’m talking about taking a mirror journey.  Going deep.  Having conversations, asking questions and getting answers.  Opening up the conversation with,  “What’s your story?”  Or, “Is your story the same as my story?”  Or maybe just asking your mirror friend, to be honest with you and reflect the truth about your story.  If you hang out long enough in the mirror, seeking a true reflection,  I guarantee you’ll get an answer, which may lead to new questions such as, “Is anyone really listening to my story, or am I my only audience?   OK – Maybe I’m the only one who has nothing better to do but take Mirror Getaways just to check “me” out.  I promise you, if you invest in a Mirror Getaway you may just find out that the ‘you’ in your story is more than just a story character, but the living testimony of an overcommer who has been crucified and resurrected with Christ.  Let’s talk!!

There are hundreds of references of people’s personal testimonies in the Bible.  And these are only the recorded ones.  I believe that that there are thousands of unrecorded Biblical testimonies.  But just like the Bible characters, some of us have lives that are filled with interesting stories that are never heard because they were never told.  It’s unrealistic however, to think that we can just go around telling our stories to everyone we meet, so how will people ever know what we are all about?  Pardon me for getting back to the Mirror Getaway, but therein we can find some true-life nuggets.  For one, a true reflection is better seen in our living testimony than in our creative storytelling.

Does everyone have a testimony?   Let’s start with God’s Testimony.  Does God have a testimony?  How do we know?  Where do we find it? Another surprise! God’s testimony is in both the Old and New Testaments where all of God’s stories are told.  The Old Testament testifies of His sovereign rule, His proven omnipotence throughout all of creation, His omniscience in knowing the end from the beginning, and His omnipresence in filling the space of all existence.  In His New Testament story, we see the “The Word” became flesh (John 1:14), lived among us and was tested.  For 33 ½ years the world experienced God through the living testimony of the “Jesus Story”.  And like our Mirror Getaway, we must become familiar with the testimony of God and have a clear understanding of the powerful dynamics in both testaments, or we will never be accurate with our own testimonies.  Like God, our testimony must reflect truth.  A true reflection shows all sides – The good – The Bad and The Ugly.  The multi facets of God have never been hidden, but contained in His testimony along with the evidence of His unmatchable character and the ultimate result of His earthly tests on the Cross-at Calvary.

So, on our next Mirror Getaway, our reflection should be a perfect match with the telling of our ‘God-story’.  After all, it’s no longer us who live, but Christ living in us, making our testimonies worthwhile regardless of the trials and tribulations we go through, and knowing that because Jesus overcame we too can overcome.  What a testimony!

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Arlene Hoffman is a member of the “Least of these Tribe” living in Miami as a freelance writer who seeks and serves. Read last's years birthday surprise by Arlene by clicking HERE

The Beginning of the Lily Life - part 1

One generation shall praise Your works to another,

And shall declare Your mighty acts.

Psalm 145:4

Hi readers.

I wanted to share my story with you. Today I will share up to the day that I came to truly know God as my Savior. It's not something I share often, but earlier this year, through this verse in Psalm 145 God prompted my heart to share. There are many things that the Lord permitted in my life that I find no profit in sharing or the need to give in depth details of, however, some things I will be transparent with. Sharing my story is not going to be easy, I am holding unto His strength as I obey His command to declare His mighty acts in my life. Because I tend to write as much as I talk, I won't promise to keep it short and sweet, just sweet : )



In the beginning...

God said, "Let there be beauty" and I was born! Ok, maybe that wasn't the way it all began. I am the second of three children born in New York to a very hardworking married couple. I grew up in a Catholic home with a fear of grieving the Virgin Mary, but even that didn't stop me from being the mischievous and rebellious child that I was. I have always been strong-willed and like the Spanish saying goes, "no tenia pelo en la lengua" in other words, I freely spoke my mind. I was often referred to as "El Terremoto" or "The Earthquake." Needless to say, I was the middle child, the black sheep, the strong yet forgotten child.

In School, my report cards would read like this, "She is very disruptive in class." Teachers either disliked me or loved me. They learned early on that if they gave me tasks to do I would behave better. I bullied the bullies. Yes, as you read it. I didn't like anyone getting mocked, picked on or harassed and I felt called to defend those who were in need. While in Kindergarten, I went to my sister's second grade class and while Mami spoke with Anelle's Teacher I took the liberty of giving the class bully a beat down and left him with some bruises to remind him that being a bully was out of the question while I was at PS 132 Juan Pablo Duarte Elementary. With that said, I was popular. The bullies wanted to keep me on their good side and the weaklings wanted me for protection. I was the friendly bully, people liked me and I liked that.

But at home things were different. I was the middle child, often neglected by my older sister and younger brother who were always playing together. They formed an alliance with all the teddy bears and I wasn't allowed to be a part of that clique. They called me "La Pea" and so I was left alone. The only time I had Ernie as a brother and friend were times that he and Anelle would fight. I would enjoy those moments, because I was his place of comfort. I was Raquel, no longer to be called La Pea. But as surely as the coming of the sun, they would get over their disagreement and I was shunned, till the next argument. My playtime consisted of playing Barbie by myself or helping Mami clean. I always knew that she wouldn't reject my presence. Papi was also a good outlet. He is the fashion industry and he passed on to me his creativity. As a child, I was Daddy's little girl, helping him out with all the fashion "homework" he'd do at home.

This pattern continued as I grew up, insecure and with the attitude of raging beast. I don't remember when or how it came to be but anger and bitterness grew to be a big part of who I was. Looking back I hid it very well, I always did. I became the leading actress in my life and I vowed to never let anyone in. I was changing and not for the better. I surrounded my self with the wrong crowd. I was involved in very illegal business, never consumed (get the point). I was failing my classes, as usual. I disrespected teachers. I shoplifted. I would dress differently behind my parents back. I wore make up that Mami forbid me to wear. I cursed like crazy, as if those words were the extended American alphabet. I was a mess. My rebellion though at the time was about to take a turn for the worse.

My Grandmother and some Aunts had surrendered their lives to Jesus a few years prior. Their prayers were answered when my Parents joined the wagon and accepted Jesus into their life in 1994. I did not like this conversion. And I certainly did not like God for taking my parents away. As a family we began to church hop. My parents were then on a search for a church where the Holy Spirit would ground them in sound doctrine. Mean while, slowly I was being forgotten more and more.

My Parents did find a church, a great one too. Because it was so great and Jesus was being preached I repelled it. Even though I wasn’t a Christian I would tell people that I was because my Parents now were. I would hear God being preached and instead of joy an uncontrollable anger would take over me. I was angry at God for the past. I was angry at God for things I could not understand. I was angry at God for "making" me stupid. I was angry at God for allowing me to get involved in horrible things. I was angry at God for not being wanted and for not being loved. I was angry at God for making me who He had created me to be. It was in that anger that I turned to what would be the last of me.

And here goes the hard part, the part of my past I rather not share. Between being insecure and feeling out of control I researched and concluded that the solution to my problem was to stop eating and be Anorexic. I planned it all out and figured that I could start by skipping one meal a day. Gradually I dropped one meal after another. My plan was successful and I had completely stopped consuming food. I was on a liquid diet for some time, until that was too much for me and so water it was. One day turned into a week that turned into a month and another and so on. The tables turned as I was the one rejecting people in order to not give an account for my sudden loss of weight. My parents were working and attending night school so it was easy to hide from them. Every one was busy with their agenda while I disappeared.

I remember weighing myself at the beginning and end of a certain week and having loss ten pounds in 5 days. That was the ultimate high. Finally I was in control of my life. I had a few complications, like dizziness, hard time breathing, weakness in my bones, sleepless nights, being parched, delusional at times, not focused, discoloration of pigment in my skin color and bad breathe. That was the price I was willing to pay to be in control but even that wasn’t enough. I was empty and wasn’t alive. I was more like a dead woman walking, barely even walking at that. My schedule consisted of school, sleeping during classes, then home, shower, nap, watch TV, go to sleep. One day though, I was interrupted.

That day, I came home from school. Was alone for some odd reason and went to take a shower. As I came out I felt weaker than I ever had. I couldn’t walk straight, my legs were giving out and so I held on to the wall and tried to make it to my room. As I reached the hallway everything around me began to spin, faster each time. The lights became brighter, to the point where there was no distinction between objects. I tried to yell for help but I had no strength to yell. I turned into my room where I fell on my knees. I was gasping for air and with every second my life slipped from my grip. With the little that was left of me I cried out to God, “Take control of my life. I can’t do this on my own.” Immediately, it was as if something breathed consciousness into me. The only way that I know to explain it, is in Genesis when God breathed life into Adam. I could not stop crying, on my knees. I couldn’t stop asking God for forgiveness and thanking Him all at once. He gave me life, literally.

I dressed myself and ran to my dresser where I had shoved the Bible that my parents had bought me earlier that year. The book that I once threw back at them became the bread of life to me. I opened it and began to read, “You are fearfully and wonderfully made…” Psalm 139* was my first read. I closed it and thanked God some more. I opened it again, this time it was Ezekiel 36:16-30*, “I have saved you, not for your sake, but for my holy name’s sake…I have cleansed you… I will give you a heart of flesh for your heart of stone…” After much crying, much repenting and forgiven much by my Lord, I went to the kitchen, made myself a peanut butter sandwich and served myself a cup of milk. The journey of being a Lily among thorns had begun.

Tune in tomorrow for the rest of my story…

*Click here to read Psalm 139 & Ezekiel 36:16-30