Dare to Believe

A few years ago I fell in love with log cabins. I loved them so much that I created a binder with pictures of them, examples of entrances, kitchens, dens, bedrooms and great rooms. At one point I began to design my own floor plan. The desire was so intense that God joined in the fun and said walk me through every room and tell me what you would like in each.

After a while, the log cabin fever wore off but my hubby and I always wanted to have a larger home. Since we were in no rush, we house shopped for about three years but nothing screamed at us – buy me!

Then one day Rich announced he wanted us to kick it up a notch and he began to research possible candidates more enthusiastically. We finally found something in early Fall one year. We made a bid and then nothing.

We began to see a few more houses but I had a bad attitude because I wanted the house we put a bid on. It had “most” of what I wanted. The strolls through these other houses were ho hum. It got to the point where I didn’t want to go see any more but my realtor girlfriend insisted I had to see two more. House number one was another disappointment and on the way to house number two, we actually called her and told her to forget it. She was adamant we had to see this house. Yes…I grumbled all the way.

When we arrived, the house was set at a cul-de-sac and my husband began to say “please go in the middle, please go in the middle”. I didn’t know what in the world he was talking about until he drove into the middle driveway. My jaw dropped when the house came into full view.

We went inside and I had a habit of taking text pics for my daughter. I was busy taking one when I heard my realtor, Jackie, scream, “Roz come here quick. They have the refrigerator you wanted!” I seriously did not understand her enthusiasm (because I still had an attitude). I looked at the fridge acknowledge it was nice and turned around to find she had vanished. Another scream came from upstairs, “Roz you need to come up and see this.” “Yes Jackie…wait I’m taking pics” (she interrupted) “Roz you need to come now”. I went upstairs and walked towards the room she was in and my jaw dropped (again).

After I entered into the room, I stopped and froze because something I saw rattled me. The master bedroom I was standing in had something in particular you don’t find in most of them; a loft. I went slowly through that room and I said to myself, it can’t be.

Methodically, I did this room by room. Every single thing that I had asked God for was in this house. (By the way, I had to ask God to forgive me for the bad attitude because he already had a house in mind with “all” of the stuff I wanted, and I was still hung up on a nice house with “some” of the stuff I had wanted.)

There were a lot of ups and downs along the way and I have to admit that my ‘tude’ got the best of me at times. My conversations, whines and outbursts sounded like this at times. “How can you show me a house with everything, everything I wanted and then let this or this happen? What is wrong with you?” Thank God He is God. Through it all, He was patient with me and even gave me a few cheerleaders. One of them included my pastor and he didn’t even know it. God timed his messages so well you would have thought they were outlined just for me. His messages challenged me to believe for the impossible and to expect miracles.

When our closest friends and family would ask what time was closing, I would respond "2 pm is walk-through, 3 pm is closing and at 4 pm the party starts in heaven and on my side of the earth."

I believe with my entire heart that God threw a party because Rich and I successfully retrieved one of the BIG blessings, with our name on it, from one of His storage warehouses in heaven. The Lord gave me…us (Rich and I) exceedingly, abundantly, above all that I could have imagined or dreamed of.

I have to admit that I was, and am, still floored by God when I think about it. When Jackie showed me this house that first day, I got scared because I couldn’t believe that God had actually answered my prayer. I know that may sound silly and even contradictory but this was a BIG and detailed dream.

Is there something you’re dreaming about and falls into the realm of the impossible?

Dare to ask…dare to dream…then dare to BELIEVE!

Either He is or He Isn't

There are times when we hit a juncture in the road and we question everything we’ve been taught and believe in. This often occurs when hardship or tragedy strikes us at the very core. It makes us question the sovereignty of God. In most cases, these raw moments become a benchmark for change.

A Broken World

In the United States, we pride ourselves in the freedoms that most countries do not have. However, there is a freedom that we all possess that surpasses all others. It’s called the freedom of choice. We are free to choose everything and anything for our lives. It’s our God-given right, and it is something He will not violate. This includes the choice to live a life with or without God.

We live in a broken world. To ignore that is foolishness. We all recognize that there is good and there is evil. However, for some reason, it’s become easier for many to blame God for everything and easily dismiss the reality of driving force behind what’s evil.

Unanswered Prayers

Our families had been healthy for the most part but a few years ago, a few things occurred that really tested our faith to the very core. One of those events was the death of my cousin’s 4 year old son; my nephew. You see our prayers weren’t answered the way that we expected. We prayed for healing. Our expectation was to watch him grow up to be a strapping young man.

Many of us call ourselves Christians but we really don’t understand what that means. Usually it’s a title we use to define our religion. Here is where most of us miss it. We go through the motions or traditions, but we often wonder if God is really out there, especially when our prayers go unanswered.

Either He Is or He Isn’t

It was during one of those junctures in my road that I questioned, I mean really posed the question to myself. Either He is or He isn’t? I was tired of hearing about what God could do, and I was tired of not seeing that in full effect in my life.

When I questioned this, it had nothing to do about my salvation. I knew I was saved. Acknowledging His existence was not a challenge. The challenge was to allow Him to work in my life and the choice to believe in His sovereignty in any case and trust Him in all and with all.

The easiest part for me was to accept sovereignty. The hardest part was to trust totally (an ongoing journey).

• To trust totally meant that my prayers had to change and become bold and daring and not continue to be wimpy and wishful.
• To trust totally meant that when I prayed, I had to hand it over and not obsess and stress over the situation.
• To trust totally meant that I had to relinquish total control or the illusion of control.
• Finally, my expectation had to become that the answer to my prayers were no longer restricted to my time line or the confines of my exact request.
  

AJ’s Legacy
I don’t know why my nephew died at such a young age. I believe the answers to my whys will become clear one day because living here is just a prelude. I will see AJ again and I look forward to watching him race with the angels.

In the mean time, I don’t let my unanswered questions weigh me down. What’s the point?

Here’s what I do know. I know that my nephew made an unbelievable positive impact in his 4 short years that many do not make in a lifetime. Other prayers were answered because of him. His ripple effects are still being felt today. That continues to bring me great comfort.

The Choice

Here’s something I live by.

I refuse to live a life stuck in the past, a life wondering about the future and a life scared to live in the present. How? …I’ve chosen to trust God.

Either He is or He isn’t…and for me…He is.

I Try to Notice

God shows me His power, His grace, His mercy, His love, His compassion, His beauty - everyday... I try to notice.

The reason I use the word ‘try’ is because my day can be harried or busy enough for me to miss out what is being shown to me every day - without fail. When the conscientious effort is made to notice, a smile touches my lips, peace is ushered in and connection to the heavens continues.

Each day, we catch a glimpse in our moments of light, as my sister Mayra says, where we’re reminded of His presence, joy, love and beauty.

How does that happen for you? If you’re not sure, let me share some of my insights and then perhaps you can share as well.

It’s in the small things. It’s in the kind words, the unexpected hug, the compliment or the 2 minute phone call from someone you love.

It’s in the routine. It’s in the comfort of coming home, sitting in an office, driving to the grocery and in the rules of engagement with others that those routines bring.

It’s in the obligations. It’s in the caring, feeding, educating and bathing of children. Their smiles, laughter, stories even challenges, bring a reminder of our God like no other.

God can be blatant and extravagant in his blessings and that’s when we most tend notice, really notice. To operate in that mode of extravagance will not give us the ability to survive the now and the present. We must notice the small, the routine, even the obligations, for God is always in all. To ignore that fact, that truth, imprisons us. There is no freedom – only religion.

God is not limited to the building, the pew, our beliefs or interpretations. He is ever present and in expectation for us to discover him, again and again and again.

Yes, God is ever present...just stop as often as you can and notice.

DREAM BIG!

What would you ask if you knew that Jesus was going to sit by you as you lay to sleep at night? I thought about that the other night and the answer that gushed out immediately was – “I would ask for forgiveness”. Perhaps the thought of his perfection overwhelmed me and all I could think of was all of my shortcomings.

What would you ask next, was the question I heard in my heart quite clearly and my answer surprised even me. “I would ask what I could do for him”. The reply to my second question was amazing and only two words, “Dream BIG”.

I dreamt about those words off and on that entire night.

We attend a church where we have a pastor who knows how to dream BIG. That’s all he does. I can’t remember a time he doesn’t do anything on a small scale. He also does everything in excellence. That has been an inspiration to countless of us and it’s no doubt why some of us think the same way when we venture out into our own deep, uncharted-waters.

It’s not bad to dream BIG, but there are a few who think that way. Perhaps it’s because they look at what they can bring to the table instead of what God can. Maybe they had a failure in their past that has crippled them to progress towards their future. It could be that they’ve been told otherwise their entire lives.

But what if – what if Jesus’ purpose for doing all that he did, for laying his life, was meant to give us everything we could possibly imagine? If so, wouldn’t you, the scared, stuck one want to take advantage of all life had to offer?

Dreams pave the way to reality only when the dreamer allows something bigger than themselves to overwhelm them into its grasp. It consumes their being until they have to surrender to it and follow its leading. It doesn’t matter how big it is because there is always that reassurance that God is there – and – since God is the giver of BIG dreams, the walking out of it will always be under his guidance even when we can’t see what’s going on behind the scenes in that unseen realm.

Dream BIG echoes in my mind and with each passing moment, I am excited about the possibilities but most importantly what realities we’ll experience very soon. Life is about looking and experiencing forward. We can choose to live in greatness, just as God intended, or we can continue to live and fear and miss out on the beauty of life. I’d rather fail trying than wonder what if.

It’s my sincere prayer that you continue to move forward, even if you’re going through a rough spot. Remember that God is with you, no matter what. Don’t stop to dream BIG and don’t let life’s bumps deter you from doing what you’ve been called to be and do.

Dream BIG…

Invest In Yourself

One day in one of my mentorship classes, one of the gals shared how one of her friends asked why her family was so well put together. At first she started to feel guilty because in comparison, her family was basically great. She then realized she didn't have to feel guilty because she had put in a lot of time, sweat, tears and prayers into her family. I understood her all too well.

Sometimes we put so much time into family that we forget as women to invest into ourselves. We get lost somewhere between the diapers and the prom. When college rolls around, we wonder who is this woman staring back at us in the mirror.

One of the things I loved about the city churches growing up in NYC is that we always had something to do; an event going on. My friend Elizabeth D. Rios, who we lovingly call Liz, became one of the women in my circles who became a proponent of women being educated. It didn't necessarily mean getting a PHD, but it did mean being in constant learning so that we could keep up with the changing times.

She took up the helm of leadership and created an organization to help women become leaders and to further support women already in leadership. Why am I bringing her up as an example?

There are too many women who are not investing in themselves and believe that the care of family is all that is needed. The problem with that mindset is that they are bringing the wrong message to their children or sphere of influence as an example. I am not talking about necessarily going back to school, but I am pointing out that it is important to constantly be reading, learning, attending classes, seminars and conferences that are going to expand you.

As a mom of 2 gorgeous women, I know the importance of trying to keep up with the demands required to keep up with my educated daughters. Their mindset is different than mine at that age, but there are certain biblical principles that will always remain the same . I share them and reinforce them, no matter what, because my lifetime of learning will not sway me otherwise.

As a woman, are you ready to stand within your beliefs and not be swayed or apologetic for them? It's not enough to be educated for the here and now, if it doesn't include some solid bible lessons along the way. We emphasize so much on education but have shrunk back on bible teaching and that begins at home. If you're not taking time to study and know who you are in Christ and know and portray how valuable you are, you pass that gap down to your kids and sphere of influence. You reap what you sow.

It's my hope you take the time to invest in yourself. What that means is that you take the time to answer the hard questions that have an eternal impact. Often we forget this place is a a pause and we all have a responsibility of ensuring that we leave a legacy towards heaven when we transition off into eternity. Morbid...no way. Reality...oh yes!