Humble me, O LORD

"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 18:3-4

I have been asking myself today, "have I humbled myself as a child?"

Children depend on others for all of life. We teach them what they are to know and how to live. They must rely on what someone else thinks and knows to be true. Do I do this with God? We are to have faith like that of a child. He is the All-knowing, All-powerful, All-loving Creator of the universe and, yet, I doubt His plan for my life. When things do not go as I desire I automatically think life is out of control and my temper follows in suit.

Rather, may I live the life of a child, humbly following what God doles out for me, doing as He says to do and bringing Him the glory,

though I may not receive any of it.

Sure, I may wiggle and move

and try to force life into the plan that I see, onto the path that seems right by me. But, may I realize quickly the foolishness of this and seek God's direction,

always tempering my temper with Godly reactions.

My LORD is faithful and just to forgive us. Help me, O LORD, to remember that and to remember that your mercies are new every morning.

So, as I continue on this journey back to my childhood,

I will cling to my LORD and thank Him daily for the reminders of humility He gives me in the precious gift of children. Make me worthy, O LORD.

Mi Pais

When I am asked where I am from, I have a hard time answering. The response usually launches a two minute monologue of how I moved around a lot as a child and though I consider myself from Alabama (War Eagle!), I am from Texas. Question for my Texan friends: when can I consider myself a Texan? I am married to a Texan, had the ceremony performed in Texas, and gave birth to a son in Texas...when am I official.

So, we love Texas...

However, I lived for two years of my life in the beautiful, yet small, country of Uruguay (Vamos Cerro Largo!). A short time in the span of a lifetime, but long enough for the patriotism to seep in. I love mate. I love Uruguayo futbol. I tear up a bit to hear Ruben Rada sing "Mi Pais". I long for the folks in Uruguay to know, truly know, the freedom of Christ.

And yet, now I live in Peru. We've been living here for almost two years and I have given birth to a son here. He is gringo-peruano. He will always have the same difficulty answering the "where are you from?" question. (By the way, I do know that it should be asked "From where are you?", but that's not how it happens. Moving on...) We have done our best to adapt to life here and I feel it settling in. I looooove Peruvian food. I am enamored with the landscapes here. I'm not so keen on the traffic of Lima, but really, who is? I ache for these folks to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. I am on eggshells about this upcoming election, just as the rest of the country is.

So, where am I from? Well...I belive that a simple answer can be given. I am in this world, but I am not of it. I belong to a royal priesthood of believers who are longing for a country, a homeland, that is to come. We are living here and waiting for life to begin after this life. We have only a taste of what life will be once we are able to dwell in the house of the LORD forever. So, we ache and groan as we wait. But, we must wait actively and teach others that they too can be a part of this.

Folks, listen. Even if you do not know it, the God of the universe loves you. He desires to have a relationship with you. However, He is a holy God and will not be around sin. We are sinful people. But, He demonstrated His love for us in this that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8). He died so that we can simply accept His payment for our sins and enter into a permanent relationship with God the Father. Accept Him! Live in Him!!

And learn to wait for your country.

My Men

God has blessed me in many ways throughout my life, but He has richly blessed me with three whom I can call my own, my men.
Many know my husband as Paco Lupe. He is to me the love of my life, the most amazing father, and the one with whom I will willingly follow the LORD. He loves me as Christ loves the church and shows me this in a multitude of ways. From cooking to fixing whatever has gone wrong in the house to reading to the boys, he leads our family closer to the throne of God with his wit, his humility, and his honesty. I love him!
Our first son, Gabriel Nathan, is an active four year old whose clever sense of humor and creative play keep me on my toes. I am overwhelmed to see the love of God already displayed in him and in his acts of service. I pray that I may discipline and train him in the truth so that he will lead others also.
Our newest edition, Joshua Raphael, has many surprises for us in store, I am sure. He is a happy baby whose sweet smile draws me and many others to him. He is already our conversation starter. My prayer is that he will continue to show the love of God in truth in his life.
So, here we are, on the tail end of a journey in Lima, Peru. It has been challenging, fun, and so, so tiring. What comes next is still a mystery to us, but we continue to learn how to cling to the One who is the way, the truth, and the life.