Family, work and even football

This month has been really hard. Like REALLY HARD in all aspects, physically, mentally, emotional, spiritually, etc.

Right now my family and I are going through another difficult moment and changes, but this time I’m more conscience of the situation than last time. Also, my opinion and participation are more important this time, therefore I must have my head straight to think properly and not let my emotions rule my mind. It’s been difficult to control that, and even more when other problems like work, payments, university, friends, come along and accumulate tension. I haven’t even had the chance to really enjoy this world cup. There been some lights of joy and happiness during these days but they’re very difficult to keep them in front when there are many other negative things happening. People try to fill me up with wise words and encourage me to never weaken my faith in the Lord. I’ve honestly been trying yet I sometimes look way and get lost for a second. I need more strength… do pray for me.

This is my favorite psalm, it helps me to remember that even in the most diffcult time, the Lord is with us, He never abandons us.

Psalm 23 A psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.

In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me;

you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name.

Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage.

You set a table before me as my enemies watch; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Only goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

So be it.

He's love

How many times our Lord is shouting us through the rain, the plants, a beautiful sight or even more obvious, our family, friends, our own life. He loves us so much that He thought of everything and gave us everything we need. Then why are we so slow to return that love?

"El mundo se va a arreglar el día que logremos que, por el conocimiento del mensaje de Cristo, reine en el corazón de cada hombre el amor, el deseo de justicia, el deseo de paz» (Cristo al centro, n. 1677)"

The winner takes it all!

Soap operas are not good for me. They make me feel lonely when I know that God is wating for the right time to send me the right guy. But can't help watching them (I have no cable, so that's the only thing to see when having lunch) and can't help feeling emotional.

Thank to the Lord, every time I feel like that, now I have Nick's word on my mind:

"If you want to be treated as a queen you have to marry a God's man. But to find a God's man you have to be a God's woman yourself. When honor God, God honors you" - Nick Vujicic.

So, I'll be patient and wait for my God's man. Nevertheless, this song (the winner takes it all) kinda represents pretty much how a feel right now. Maybe 'cause is my favorite song in the movie or maybe because Donna gets the guy at the end; don't know, but was the perfect song to hear this moment. Love it.

Getting educated

I love this new sensation of reading the bible or searching for quotes and finding them there. I truely believe now that this book has ALL the secrets for us to have a perfectly happy life. Yet I have 2 problems:

1. I need to be tough by real persons who have study the Bible and not by internet. And
   
2. I need to exercise more my memory. I never remember any verse!
   

Touching hearts

I've never been asked to give a talk or preach before, and for the first time I did.

There's a small group of teenagers who are about to do their Confirmation and they asked to go and speek to them about "God's Mercy" and "Why and for of my life".

To beggin with, I showed them "The Butterfly Circus" which is a short film made by Nick Vujicic and Eduardo Verastegui. It's wonderful! The perfect way yo tell you: THERE ARE NO LIMITS BUT THE ONE YOU BUT YOURSELF AND BELIEVE ON.

We talked about leaving a foodprint in this world and how to behave like God's children, for someone will want to imitate us, but are we going to be a good example?

Then, we passed to God's mercy and I read them the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-24) . I was shocked when I asked them if they had ever read it o hear about but none of them ha!

I hope that they keep at least something I told them in their hearts. I'm just glad I was used as an instrument of God.

B verse:
"The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments." Habakkuk 3:19

A story I will never forget:

A Girl's Heroic Holy Hour

A few months before he died in 1979, Bishop Fulton Sheen gave a television interview. The reporter asked, “Your Excellency, you have inspired millions. Who inspired you? Was it the pope?”

Bishop Sheen responded that it was not the pope or a cardinal or another bishop or even a priest or nun. It was an eleven-year-old girl. He explained that when the communists took over China in the late forties, they imprisoned a priest in his own rectory. Looking through the window, he saw the soldier enter the church and break open the tabernacle, scattering the Blessed Sacrament on the floor. The priest knew the exact number of hosts: thirty-two.

Unnoticed by the soldiers, a young girl had been praying in the back of the church and she hid when they came in. That night the girl returned and spent an hour in prayer. She then entered the sanctuary, knelt and bent over to take one of the hosts on her tongue.

The girl came back each night, spent an hour in prayer and received Jesus by picking up a sacred host with her tongue. The thirty-second night, after consuming the final host, she made an accidental sound, awakening a soldier. He ran after her and when he caught her, he struck her with his rifle butt. The noise woke the priest – but too late. From his house, he saw the girl die.

Bishop Sheen said that when he heard about this, it inspired him so much that he made a promise that he would spend one hour each day before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He always said that the power of his priesthood came from the holy hour.

"I want to be like you..."

And so we started: monthly misions with Familia Misionera!

I was told for the very first time I went to a mision that at the end, you get missionized by the incrediable faith some people have. It was been long since I felt that sensation again... today happened again =)

Today's biblical passage was Luke 2, 40:52. The aspects we most highligthed were the respect Mary had as she asked gently to his son of his action:

48	When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety."

As well as the Jesus' obedience towards his earthly parents:

51	He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

Both are such important facts because both Mary and Jesus ought to be our role models; one as mother and the other as sons and daughters. And this is what we were explaning when the man we were visiting took the word and continue the speech better than any of us could have done.

After describing Mary's and Jesus' good examples, he continued with his own example and how he had done with his own family. That is when he said this beautiful phrase he had once seen and tried to follow: "Señor, yo quiero se como Tu, por que mi hijo quiere ser como yo" which means "Lord, I want to be like You, because my son wants to be like me".

Aren't they just exceptional? And hearing these words from a man who had no easy childhood but has done his best to rise his children in hand with love, was just amazing and unthinkable. I was atonished; so was my partner.

Then, a question came into our minds: What would be of the world if everyone would think this way? An aproximated answer: much much better.


- "and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers."