Sign Sign Everywhere a Sign

Do you pay attention to signs? Ever been to New York? There are signs everywhere. Or perhaps taken a road trip? Billboards, church boards, and street signs decorate the landscape and tell us what to buy, where to go, and when to cross.

What about other types of signs - like, for instance, natural disasters and rare occurrences? Take the earthquakes we've had this week: one in Colorado on Monday and then one in Virginia on tuesday. Now other parts of the country are used to earthquakes, but the east coast? It's been over one hundred years since Virginia had one of this magnitude - 5.8 on the scale. I would say this is definitely a sign.

What actually happened to cause these quakes no one really knows, but we do know the foundations of this earth were shaken. What do these earthquakes and natural disasters tell us? I believe they are indeed signs of the end times and the meaning is clear. They are a wake-up call to pay attention and take a close look at the foundations of our lives.

For Reflection 
What do we rely on foundationally? What are our core beliefs? In what do we place our faith and hope? What is truly important? Write and let me know your thoughts on this. In the meantime, have faith, be a blessing, and above all,

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz 

Overcoming Tribulations

Today is Holy Thursday and my week has been hectic so far. As I go about my business thinking about all the things that have to be done since I got back from vacation, the pressures of work and life, to be honest, I am feeling tired from it all.

But then I think about Jesus. What might he have been doing on this day so many years ago? What thoughts filled his mind? He knew what the next few days had in store for him and I can't even begin to imagine how he must have felt. Pressured? Stressed? Tired? Angry? Or not...

My trials and tribulations are nothing compared to His and this helps me to put mine in perspective. Yet, my Father in Heaven cares for me just as much as He cared for Jesus. We were never promised a rose garden in this life. Jesus said "In this life you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome."

The miracle that Jesus gave us is that no matter what we are going through in life, we can rely on His strength, His power, and His Grace to get us through it; that is the miracle of the Resurrection. Somehow by coming to the end of ourselves and realizing we cannot accomplish everything on our own and that we need Jesus, we are reborn and made new.

For me is is an iterative process. I am constantly dying to old habits and old ways of thinking and being remade by God's grace and mercy. What about you, dear one? Are the tribulations of life wearing you down? If so, why not give your burdens to Jesus? Let Him carry them and show you the way. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by me."

"Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." It is a promise for all of us this Easter season. Will you take Him up on it?

Our Temptations

Have you been tempted lately? By what? How did you react or respond?

I have been sorely tempted recently. It was a scary situation, to be honest. The enemy wanted to ensare me. He knows our weaknesses and our vulnerabilities, and plans his attack directly on that area of our life.

Just as Lazarus needed the people to untie him from the bondage of his bandages, so we need others to help us to set us free, for we cannot help ourselves sometimes.

Dr. Tony Evans spoke about being free and our right to be free tonight on his program. He shared how the Israelites kept wanting to go back to Egypt. Isn't that exactly what we do sometimes? We are drawn back to oppression; whether it be overeating, drug or alcohol abuse, or an unhealthy relationship.

When are we going to appreciate the freedom that Jesus died for us to live in? Jesus said that He came to set the captives free. What are you captive to, dear one? What is there in your life that is trying to ensnare you?

Jesus conquered the enemy and so can we, through His power. We are more than conquerers and we can overcome any temptation, just as Jesus did. Make no mistake, the enemy will never stop trying, but we have a power greater than he within us. "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4). Be encouraged today, and fight the enemy and he will flee, and while you're at it, help set someone else free today too!

Do You Know What Faith Is?

There are lots of ideas out there these days about faith. What is it exactly? Where does it come from? How can you make it work for you?

Webster’s dictionary defines faith as a firm belief in something for which there is no proof and as “a belief and trust in and loyalty to God.” Faith is the positive belief that everything will turn out for the best, even when things seem hopeless. The Bible says that “Faith is being sure of the things we hope for but have not yet seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

The key here, I think, is to ask ourselves the question "What do I put my faith in?" Am I putting my faith in my job, my abilities, my strengths, or in something or someone higher and stronger? Eventually, we all come to the end of ourselves when we realize we cannot make some things happen on our own; that is when the revelation comes in that there must be a greater power out there in the universe that is in total control and totally loves us. It is what the 12-Step folks refer to as 2nd Step: "We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."

I call this higher power God. I believe that if we put our faith and our trust in God, He will take care of us and see us through any storm in our lives. God is faithful. He is more than able to take care of any situation that arises and in fact, He allows many situations to arise to test our faith and to increase it. I don't know about you, but I feel better knowing that there is a God out there who cares about me and who only wants the best for me.

For Reflection
What do you have faith in, dear one? Are you putting your faith in something solid or something that can be washed away when the storms of life hit? Today I encourage you to give God a try. He will prove himself faithful to you.

Stay tuned for more on how to ignite the power with and discover YOUR destiny!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz 

The Third Language of Love

Do you like to give gifts? Do you like to receive gifts? If so, your love language may be giving gifts.

Gift giving does not have to be expensive. Little things like a bouquet of flowers, a mug of his/her favorite coffee, perhaps a card or a note. Little things on a regular basis can certainly put the spark back in your relationship.

Giving gifts shows we are thinking about the other person, we care about them, and we made the time to purchase something we think they would like. Note that I said "purchase something we think they would like." Many people give gifts, but I have noticed that they are giving gifts THEY would LIKE. When purchasing a gift for someone, you really have to think about them as an individual - their tastes, their likes, their personality.

How often have you received a gift and thought "Why are they giving this to me?" A few years ago, someone gave me a green pin cushion as a birthday gift. I was perplexed. I don't have a sewing machine and I thought, either a) they were regifting it or b) they had no idea what else to get me. If you know someone well enough to feel comfortable giving them a gift, don't you have enough information to get them something they either like or could use?

If you are going to give a give, realize that it takes a bit of thought; that's what makes it special. I know the expression "It's the thought that counts" and that is true, but if you want your gift to be meaningful, it is important to make sure the recipient likes it.

Until next time, try giving your loved one a surprise gift and see their reaction. You may be tapping into a new source of closeness between the two of you!

The Favor of God

Have you experienced the favor of God recently? I'm sure you have but are you aware that you have? It wasn't until a few years ago that I became familiar with the favor of God. A Christian friend of mine kept pointing it out whenever we were together and something good would happen.

A parking space, front row seats, finding a $20 bill in the street, a stranger providing directions at a timely moment, a package or unexpected gift showing up in the mail when I'm having a tough day; these are all examples of the favor of God.

Last night I was out to dinner with some friends. We were at a casual Italian place and the tables were few and far between as it was a saturday night. We had a party of 7. As we were greeting each other, a coworker of mine walked up to say hello. "What are you doing in this neck of the woods?" he asked. "We're celebrating a friend's birthday and then going dancing," I replied.

Right about then, one of our party suggested we capture a table. There were only single tables that sat 4 people available. As we were pulling out extra chairs and trying to decide how to accomodate everyone, my coworker and his wife, who were in the middle of eating their dinner, pack up their food and plates and move to another table so we could pull the two tables together. Now what are the chances of running into someone I know, who lives in a totally different part of town, being at the same restaurant at the same time, offering to give up a table for us? I ask you!

Now some might call it serendipity, good luck or coincidence, but I know better. When it happens over and over again, it is not chance, dear reader. I know God's hand in action and I believe in giving credit where credit is due, you know what I mean?

God loves us; that is the bottom line. When you are walking with God, it's like Christmas everyday. You never know when he is going to surprise you with some blessing. Today I encourage you to look out for God's favor. Be thankful and realize how much God truly loves you!

How to Love

What is loving others all about, anyway and how do we do it effectively? The older I get, the more I understand that I need to learn how to love other people better and differently. Loving ourselves comes easily,for most of us, doesn't it? But when it comes to loving others now that is quite a different story. It is not something that comes naturally to most. Although I consider myself a very loving person, as most of us probably do, I am realizing that there is still much room for improvement.

One of the main characteristics of love, I think, is the ability to give; to give of one's self, one's time, one's energy, and one's resources; to give without expectation of something given back in return. Giving is love in action. A good test of how loving we are is how easy is it for us to give.

Valentine's Day has just passed and for me it was an opportunity to think of a creative way to bring a smile to someone's face. Over the years I have baked cookies and distributed them to my neighbors' doorsteps, nicely wrapped with red ribbon. At work, I leave those Valentine cards we used to give when we were back in school at my coworkers' cubicles when they are not there. I try to mix the playful with the romantic. My thinking is that Valentine's Day is a day set aside to remind us to show others that they are loved. Don't we all need to know that?

In this busy life, I think we do need reminders to be loving. We can get so caught up in our own lives, problems, and stresses, that we can easily forget to look out for others who may need a loving gesture, a smile, a box of chocolates or even a small bouquet of flowers to brighten their day. We never know what someone is going through and everyone is fighting their own battles.

Stay tuned as the topic of how to love continues and please do write and send me your thoughts and ideas. Until next time, be a blessing!