The War Within Me

The Saint and The Sinner

Nathan Hale, was a soldier for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Widely considered America's first spy, he volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission, but was captured by the British. He is best remembered for his speech before being hanged following the Battle of Long Island, in which he said, "I only regret that I have but one life to give my country." This morning I was driving in to work and I was listening to the new Downhere album when a song came on with the lyrics, "I'll give you back the life you've given me, All you've given me." Those lines sent my mind spinning with thoughts on just how powerful our lives can be.

God gives us one life to live. Then He gives us a choice. We can live for Him or we can live for ourselves. It's an internal war we wage every moment of everyday. Take my typical day for instance...

On the road by 4:30am you see some really, really bad drivers. Do I curse them for being so sleepy behind the wheel and nearly causing an accident or do I pray for their safety and well being so they can continue to live the life they have? Remember that person is someone's father or mother or sister or brother.

The homeless man I see by the roadside near the station. Do I live out Matthew 25 or do I say to myself, "That bum should get a job. or Why give him anything, all he'll do is buy drugs or alcohol."

During the morning show when things go wrong or I miss an action or miss fire a sound effect do I blame others or Abby or the interns and let one small thing ruin my day or do I try to get better by seeing how things went wrong and learn from the situation. Do I stare at my problems or do I rise above it to see my blessings?

All these things happen from time to time and I'm not even done with the first part of my day! Every moment is a choice, every day a decision I make to live for Him. I'm on this Downhere kick right now because I just thought about the song "All At War" and the lines:

I'm learning to stand the more that I fall down,
It's the law of inversion, and it's all turned around,
And I'm staggered by the clash inside my soul,
So purposed for good but inclined for evil

It's justice and mercy the old dichotomies,
All along the frontlines of my heart in both doubt and belief
The sinner and saint, the old arch enemies,
All at war, in me

I was born depraved, but created for the divine,
With death in my bones, in my heart eternal life,
I'd love for Eden, but I'd kill for Rome,
I'm native in a land that is not my home

We have free will to choose every moment of everyday to live for Him. The Sinner and The Saint in the same person. So proposed for good but inclined for evil. Everyday wake up and choose to die to self and live in Christ. Find his grace again and again, a love so complete you could never explain it. His wonder and beauty and mystery and meaning. Every morning His mercy is new and His love knows no end. Find Christ in the meaning of your existance and you find the meaning of life. Let our life's cry to be, "I regret that I only have one life to give my God." Live for Him today.

Be Blessed.

Carlos

A Mood-and-a-Half

That's what it's called in my house when I have "a moment." Sometimes the moment lasts for more than just a moment though. This past Saturday, it lasted from about 9am until 3pm. My poor, patient husband... I've been bitter with him lately. The reason? To sum it up, we bought a new car and I got his old car. Instead of counting my blessings that we can even afford to buy a car, I have been consumed with jealousy and a woe-is-me mentality. I am so dissappointed in myself for feeling this way and I'm trying hard to just let it go. I think I'm almost there. Almost.

On Saturday, he proposed that we go to the store to purchase car wash needs and then wash our cars. I mentioned that after we stopped at the store, we could go to McDonald's for a coffee. He said, "Then we'll take your car. No coffee in my car." My jaw dropped. No closed-lid coffee? I won't open it. I'll put a napkin around it. I'll hold it. Nope. No coffee in the car. I know this sounds silly, but in my female mind that I don't even understand sometimes, I associated the care that he has for his car with the care that he has for me and I saw one as being greater than the other. I'll let you guess which was on the losing end.

In sets the mood. The whole time we were washing our cars, I was foul. The poor guy couldn't make a correct move, say a correct sentence, nothing. God love him, he kept on truckin'. He was trying hard to be sweet, and I was turning everything sour. The afternoon proceeded the same way. I figured I'd try to keep myself busy, so I moved to ironing. Mid-chore, we got a call from friends inviting us to hang out. He wanted to go. I said I wasn't interested, but that he should go without me. Up to this point, we could ignore the mood, but now it was out in the open.

An hour later, I was done crying. God is so good to me. If he'd sent any other guy my way, I probably would've been left standing alone in my kitchen in tears. I don't take back the arguments I was making or the feelings I feel, but I do know that Josh is a special guy. He is patient just like my dad and I am (a little) neurotic, just like my mom. They just celebrated their 35th anniversary. My mom and dad always say that they are each other's best friend. I love that. In my hysteria, Josh told me that I'm his best friend. He doesn't know how much that meant to me. He loves me (and likes me) even when I'm in more than a mood: a mood-and-a-half. God help us all if it's ever a double-mood!

How did it end? Peacefully. I insisted that Josh go to our friend's house. I just wanted to calm down. I ended up going to chuch and the sacrament of reconciliation. It felt good. I wasn't done crying though. That poor priest! I hope you know that when you feel overwhelmed and down, God is waiting for you to reach out to him. He's patient, just like my husband (probably a little bit more) even when you're in a mood.

-Abby

Tal and Acacia

Here is a great blog from their website...

HELP WANTED

Let me start off by saying that I love sleep. Many people struggle with insomnia while I battle the need to get out of somnia. (Sad joke, ignore it.) I am not one of those super humans (a.k.a. every parent) that can survive with only four hours of z's. No way- I am a solid "7 hours or bust!" kind of girl. (It's a rare breed, but we do still exist, be of good cheer.) However, my passion for sleep can conflict greatly with what I'm required to do...travel.Yes, breakdowns are much more predictable/common if you are me, and I am sleep deprived (or hungry, or if my hands feel dirty, or if I have to go in a bathroom with bare feet, or if I go to the bathroom and there's no soap! Oh gross-that's a recipe for breakdown.) Well two days ago, it happened...I had a meltdown.

This was the exact recipe for it:

2 cups of insomnia

1 cup of heavy luggage

½ cup of delayed flights

½ cup of Budget closing at 1 am (Even though we had a reservation for a car there that night after our flight arrived)

¼ cup of people on the phone telling me I can use Avis instead of Budget, and after walking to and fro, they discovered that they were wrong and sorry but that we were stuck until 6 am without a vehicle

¼ cup of impatience and frustration

¼ cup of begging the Avis man to help us- that was sad to watch3 tablespoons of two sisters together for too long- pure disaster

1 ½ teaspoons of feeling completely helpless

1 teaspoon of screaming in public- yeah let's forget that part

Put that in the oven at 350 degrees and you've got Acacia breakdown!

All of that happened (with much more drama than I mentioned) and I was not happy with God. I've been feeling so weak as it is, but now this!? Cut me a break! I was losing it fast, and wanting to quit the "obedience" thing right then and there. But then (it still makes me cry thinking of it,) God intervened. It was like I saw God touch the little Avis man, because all of a sudden he started helping us! He made the call to a manager, and told us we could have a car and didn't have to come back at 5:30 to exchange it for our reserved car. (It was already 3 am at that point.) It was so odd and so quick! We tried over an hour to work it out ourselves...we still had nothin.' YHWH took over and within 10 minutes, we were out and driving to the hotel! It was a miracle. I sat in that car, dumb-founded, and completely moved by His love.

His spirit spoke the truth to me. He still cares about me. He hasn't left me to sleep in an airport. (Even if their bathrooms do have soap.) He is still leading me, and He is still with me! I want to encourage you today, especially if you feel like you've got a recipe brewing for a breakdown. YHWH deeply loves and will always cherish you. (Even with all of our missing screws.) He wants to pave the way and let us drive to freedom...but do we want it!? Can we give up our need to be right, our need to be in control? I'll admit it, I didn't pray when everything was going wrong, I just tried to get smarter and solve it by myself. I called the supervisors, I chased down managers...but my strength had no fruit.

I just read in 1 Thessalonians 1 that works are only produced by faith, labor must be prompted by love, and endurance can only be inspired by hope in Jesus Christ. "For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction."That is Christianity, not just silly nilly words... but POWER!

Christianity is living life with the HOLY SPIRIT! I am convicted by my pride and ignorance. How do I forget that Jesus is Lord!? He is in control of everything! He offers me so many spiritual fruits and yet I try to grow them too often by myself. I am tired of feeling empty; I want fullness! It's not about my life being perfect; but about the perfect life being with me. This world would not affect me if I let myself be more affected by Jesus. It's my choice, and my responsibility to make that happen. It's time for me to pull over and ask for help. (That's not just hard for guys, believe you me.) We need real direction from a real Father and these days I'm thinking, what do I even have to lose? The Avis man already saw me scream. ;-0

So let the world know, let my heart put up the sign: HELP WANTED. I cannot solve this life by myself Lord...(so please- inquire within already!)

Ha. Much love to you.

Check Out: Talandacacia.com

Be Blessed.

Carlos

Correction

Would You Mind if...

OH PLEASE! Gimme a break! Why do some people feel the need to correct every little misstep and mistake we make in life? It's a little annoying!

God knows I love Abby, she's great. She truly is a joy to work with and I wouldn't want to have any other person on air with me for four hours a day just to then go share an office for the rest of the day. But she is one of "those" people. People who feel the need to correct every grammatical mistake, every brain fart and every Freudian slip. For some of them they don't even realize they are doing it. It's like it is just a part of their make up. As if God himself embedded into their genetic code this inert desire to correct others their missteps. Did I mention it was annoying to the rest of us?

Now, I know, I know. I'm not exactly a shining star of perfection either, Lord knows I've got my problems too. This blog really isn't a jab at Abby either! She has recently told me that she is well aware of this minor imperfection in her personality as is actually working on it. I have suggested electro shock therapy or at least a visit to Tampa Bay Christian Counseling Center, but as far as I know she has not done either. But that's ok. We love her anyway.

So what sparked this tirade of a blog on those who feel the need to correct the rest of society?

Good question. Thanks for asking.

Earlier today I was feeling a little pale so I decided to go down to the pool and work on my tan at my neighborhoods clubhouse and rec center. The place was actually very packed and there wasn't much room to lay out, but I did see a spot to set up shop so I headed in that direction. There was a pool chair available, but it was right next to this lady. So I do the polite thing and asked, "Would you mind if I used this chair"? It really wasn't a question more or less a statement that I would be using this chair but her response was a little off. She says to me, "Would I? Well I don't know yet. Why don't you sit down and see if I do".

Huh?!?! (I know, my thoughts exactly.)

So I then just figure she is kidding and I quickly laugh off the comment and sit down. I lay out my towel, pull out my iPod, set my phone down and just as I am about to get comfortable she says to me, "Actually, I do mind. Be so kind as to move over a few feet, you are blocking my view of the pool and my grandchildren".

WHAT!?!? (I know, I know)

Her whole point to this line of conversation was geared around my apparent miss use of the phrase, Would you mind vs. Do you mind. She knew exactly what I meant when I said whatever it was that I said. Why even bother with anything else? Just say from the beginning, "You handsome stud of a man, I don't mind you using that chair as long as you move it over a few feet so I can see my grandchildren". Even if she drops the handsome stud part, that would have been enough!

There are days when I pray for peace and God decides to teach me patience. Today was a test of my patience. I was already in a stressed out mood and just wanted some quite time by the pool to relax. Instead I got a grandmothers mini trial of my patience and 3 little ones in the pool screaming bloody murder at each other for changing the rules to marco polo. Thankfully, God has a sense of humor about himself. First song on the iPod, Joy Williams, "One of those days". I said amen to that, spotted myself a quick time out, said a prayer and cranked that song up till I drowned out the shouting.

Life is good. Even when its just one of those days. Be Blessed.

Carlos

The End of Days

Would You Want to Know When?

I just watched the movie "Knowing" with Nicolas Cage. It was actually pretty good. Granted we are talking about Nic Cage movies here so the bar is set pretty low, but I will say it was as good if not better than "The Rock" although Sean Connery really carried that one. The movie is based around this sheet of numbers that are correctly predicting catastrophic world events from their dates and total number dead, down to their exact location. Problem number one, there are only three dates left and then the letters EE. Which are later revealed to mean (SPOILER ALERT) everyone else. It is the end of days, Man's final hour.

This movie really got me thinking. One, there were a ton of Christian parallels I took from this film. The idea that only those who hear the call are chosen and saved, the rest perish. God is knocking on the hearts of those who are not His, if they never hear His call, a fiery oven awaits. There were a few more but in all truth, I have no idea if the man behind the film was a Christian or not and I may be seeing things that aren't really there, but I was psyched that the movie got my Christian mojo moving.

My first thought was, would I want to know when the final hour would arrive? Would I live my life differently if I knew the exact date and time that our Lord was set to return? Let's say I knew that 7 years from today God was to make His glorious reappearance and take us all home to be with Him. Would I party like it was 1999 and live like a wild man only to "come home" and repent of my wicked ways 3 days before He came? Maybe that is why God says in Matthew 24, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father". He wants a people who are ready to go at all times and live a life of service in love of Him.

I would love to think that even if I knew the exact time of the Lords return, I would still live a life according to what God's will was for me. But in truth, I doubt it. Think back to when you were kids. If you knew that you were not supposed to watch TV, but Mom and Dad weren't going to be home for 2 solid hours, you'd be watching "In Living Color" till you dozed off and got caught when you didn't hear the car pull up. (That was a true life experience for me) The temptation would be too great for many of us to bear.

There were a few more things that I would love to write on but this blog would get really, really long. Maybe another time. But, would I want to know the end date? Nah. Why spoil the surprise. 1 Thessalonians 5 says, "for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night". Meaning, be ready at all times. Don't sleep on the will and love of our Savior. He is ready and waiting like the Father in the story of the prodigal son to take you back in and make you His son or daughter again. He loves you and wants you home.

Live Ready. Be Blessed.

Carlos

Open the Book!

A lot of non-Catholics view people of the faith as not being Bible-readers. Catholics always respond with, "We read the Bible! Every Sunday we read the Old and New Testament, the Psalms and a gospel passage." And don't forget the prayers and acclamations that are full of Scripture like the Holy, Holy (a combo of Is 6 and Ps 118:26), the Our Father (Mt 6:9), and the Gloria (Lk 2:14).

Do you dive into your Bible at home though? Daily? I hope your answer is an enthusiastic "Yes!" and for many people, I'm sure it is. But I bet most of us would answer with, "Yes, but not as often as I should."

I have to admit that while I've been reading a lot more of the Bible than I ever have, I sometimes go into my reading time with the same attitude that I do with exercise. I know I need to do it. I know it's good for me. Sometimes the actual discipline of sitting still and being quiet can be tough though. BUT, just like a workout, once I start, I'm in it 100% and loving every minute of it. And, just like exercise, I see results!

A member of the USCCB wrote an article entitled, "The Bible is for Catholics." It's a great reminder of why and how we should read the scriptures. I encourage you to read the article here. Here are a couple of points that hit home with me:

- Prayer is the beginning and the end. At the start of your reading time, ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and your mind. At the end, pray that His Word will bear fruit.

- The Bible isn't a book, it's a library. It's really fascinating to me that the Bible contains history, prophecy, poetry, advice and of course real life accounts. To know the genre of the book you're reading will help you understand the content.

- Reading isn't enough. If what's in the book stays in the book, then you're wasting your time. It must be put into action.

St. Jerome said, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." I can't speak for you, but I want nothing more in life than to know Jesus better. We've got the way right in front of us. We just have to crack it open.

-Abby

I Love Finding New Music!

I'm in L-U-V. I have a gift card for a free music download from a compilation album of up-and-coming Christian artists. I finally went online today to see what songs I have to choose from. I browsed the list of songs and stopped on "Future of Forestry." I thought to myself, "Never heard of 'em! They're probably going to be mediocre at best." See back to sentence #1 in this paragraph.

I find few things in life more rewarding than discovering a new artist, or an artist who is new to me at least. That especially pertains to bands that I think are different from the norm and present something that is like a breath of fresh air. I get giddy at the idea of sharing my new treasure with friends and fellow music-lovers. So, I decided, "I must blog about Future of Forestry!" If you've known about FoF and you're saying, "Uh, hello Abby! I've been a fan of them for a long time. Where have you been?" then shame on you for holding out on me!

I searched for Future of Forestry on iTunes and after listening to a few songs, I downloaded their entire album, Twilight. No, it has nothing to do with the movie about vampires. It came out in 2007 and they just released their EP Travel this past May (I had to come edit this blog to add that I ended up downloading Travel as well). The band is from San Diego and was formerly called, "Something Like Silas." In case you're like me and wondering where the name, "Future of Forestry" comes from, it’s the title of an obscure C.S. Lewis poem about an England overtaken by industrialization. Pretty heavy, huh? The band sees the words of the poem as more than just an environmental warning though. Lead singer, Eric Owyound said, "It's not about saving trees but about saving our lives from being taken over by technology. It's about asking if we are still able to see beauty."

I would describe FoF's sound as a mix of Mutemath, Jimmy Eat World, U2, Jars of Clay (who they are opening for next week) and something else I can't quite put my finger on. Some songs are definitely rock while others are more melodic and deep. It's a little dark, but I like that. No matter how you slice it, it's good music. Check out their songs on iTunes or click here for their MySpace music page and enjoy! Make sure that when you tell your friends about FoF you say, "I found out about these guys from Abby!" And quit holding out on me!

- Abby

When Good Food Goes Bad

It's All About The Date

Call me crazy, but when it comes to the food I eat I check the date on everything. Milk, eggs, meats, can goods, it doesn't matter I check it all! And I don't really know why I do that or why I am such a freak about the dates on my food because I know the science behind it all.

Take Milk for instance...according to a CBS News report MILK CAN BE SAFELY USED UP TO A WEEK PAST THE SELL-BY DATE! I know, I know, that's crazy talk right there. But the truth is that yes, it can, if you keep in mind that your fridge has to remain at 40-degrees Fahrenheit, or below, at all times. Make the milk the last thing you pick up before you hit the store's checkout, to minimize the time it's left un-refrigerated, which can exacerbate the spoilage; then, store it at the very back of the shelf, where the air tends to be colder. If you follow that order things should be good for up to a week after the date on the jug.

Take Raw Meat...Raw poultry and pork, and beef in the form of steaks and roasts, will last up to 12 months. Ground beef will only be good for about three to four months. Cooked meat will last about three to four months, as well.

So I know all of this and I still can't get myself to eat anything that is past my standard of shelf life.

Carlos' Guide to Fresh Food

Milk = Gone on the next day after the date on the jug.
Meat = If it smells or looks funky, I two step it to the trash bin.
Left Overs = Two Days. Period.
Ice Cream = If its not frosted over in ice, its good.
Eggs = If they float, out they go.
Canned Goods = See Milk.
Rice, Pasta, Sugar = Looks good, its ok. Looks funny, garbage.

I know I may be a little extreme but that's just how I roll. I'd rather eat fresh, than eat something and wish later that I hadn't as I pray to God for healing over the toilet bowl calling for Ralph! Be blessed today and check out the complete guide to the sell by dates here if you want more info.

Carlos

Co-Op is Back!

I sent my friend Nicole a text last week that felt eerily like a note a 15-year-old would pass to her ex during geometry class. It pleaded, "Will you take me back? Yes/No/Maybe So." Nicole knew exactly what I meant. About a month ago, I told her I wanted out of our Dinner Co-Op. I needed space, time to reflect, to figure out what I wanted. Nicole was sad and spread the word to the third member of our co-op, Cheryl. Cheryl is the newest member and she quickly asked, "Is it my fault? Did she not like my cooking?" When Nicole told me about Cheryl's concerns, I quickly replied, "It's not you. It's me."

I spent some time away, experiencing what could be called a "regular" cooking routine and I quickly saw the error of my ways. I wanted back in. Thank goodness Nicole and Cheryl are forgiving people because they welcomed me back with open arms. I only hope I haven't broken their trust. They might live each Dinner Co-Op week wondering if I've got one foot out the door. I guarantee it girls; I'm in it for the long haul.

If you're new to the Dinner Co-Op world, let me tell you how it works. Find a friend or two or three. It works best when everyone lives nearby. Designate a night of the week for each person to cook. We change it every week because our schedules change. When it's your night to cook, make a main course and deliver it to the homes of the other members of your group. Then the other nights, sit back, relax and wait for a home-cooked meal to arrive at your doorstep. It works out well for me, Nicole and Cheryl because the only child in the mix is under two years, so we don't have to worry about feeding multiple family members. Each of us cooks six servings: two per home. With that said, Dinner Co-Op is completely possible for families as well, it just takes a little bit more prep - just as it would if you were cooking for your own family instead of just you and your spouse.

The important part is to make sure everything is equal. That's what will keep the co-op alive. If you are just one of two people in your household, then don't join a co-op with someone who is going to want you to cook for her and her husband and their three kids. It's got to be fair. Nicole, Cheryl and I are all about the same caliber when it comes to cooking as well. None of us is Emeril, but we're not going to poison each other either. As long as you can work those details out, it's so simple. And talk about money saving! Buying ingredients for one meal with six servings is so much cheaper than three meals each with two servings. And did I mention you only cook once and eat three times???

We've been co-op'ing for almost a year now. I don't stick with much. I get bored easily and I kind of like change, so the fact that this co-op has been going on for so long (with the exception of the recent brief hiatus, shame on me), is a testament to it's convenience and effectiveness. I encourage you to try it out. Email me if you have any questions. It can be kind of confusing at first. Once you get the hang of it though, it's smooth, yummy sailing. Bon appetit!

- Abby

Moving Day

The Art of Moving

So the big day finally came. My friends have bought and closed on their first home and I was on the moving team to help them get settled in. (By moving team, I mean I was one of three guys) No offense to any of the ladies present (2) but they did not even attempt to lift anything more than 15 pounds so I left them off the team. They were more like team managers or coordinators. Still important to the teams success, just not on the actual team.

You learn a lot about yourself on a moving day...

1. How much you really do or do not like the friend you are helping to move. You learn that pretty quickly when you judge whether or not you'll ever help them move again.

2. For guys you learn how much you can lift or hold up off the ground for any given time before snapping your hernia. For me, it was a lot more than I actually thought I could. My doctor would be proud.

3. And finally, how nice it is to give of yourself and just be a blessing to someone.

I know the bible talks about do unto others as you would have them do unto you and that truly applies on moving day. When I move houses, if I ever move again, I will call upon everyone I have ever helped move and guilt them into helping me. I will use that verse as a reference too. I'll be like, "HEY! Hey you! Remember when I lifted your 200 pound armoire across your living room 7 times? Time to do unto me and help me with mine!"

Honestly, I was just nice to be a blessing to my friends today, whether or not they ever have the chance to return the favor. Spending time with people in love and relationship is what God has called us to do. To love people, with nothing needed in return. To help people, without compensation needed. Was it fun to move a 200 pound armiore around a house, up a truck, then off a truck and around a house like 7 times. NO! But it was great spending time in fellowship with some friends I know needed my help.

So, in closing, I know I learned this today...I must really like these friends of mine. Because I would move them again in a heartbeat. And, just as God has called us to love people, I hope I had a chance to show that love to my friends today. Even if it cost me a pulled groin and strained back.

Carlos

Better Vision

A Little Optimism Please...

So this morning Abby and I covered a news story on how being optimistic can actually improve your vision. Volunteers in the study were told to just focus on the faces they were to be shown. Those who were of the optimistic nature were able to make out more than just the faces, they saw location detail and expressions using their peripheral vision. Those who were of the pessimistic nature were only able to recall the face they were told to focus on.

When I read that, it was like God opened up my eyes in a sense to how spiritually relevant that was. How often in life, when something bad happens do we just focus down on only the problem? I do it all the time. Something bad, (we'll call it XYZ) happens in our life. We will spend countless hours in worry and stress and be so consumed by the XYZ situation, that we can't see anything else in our lives. All of the other blessings that God has done, how he provides and is a shield in the midst of trouble. We can become so consumed by the problem that we never see the solution.

I was talking to a man after the New Faces, New Music tour the other day and he told me he had lost his job 6 weeks earlier. But during all of it, he saw how God took care of his family, how God made a way and has been providing for them. He's taking an optimistic outlook on his very negative situation. Instead of being consumed by the situation of being unemployed he has turned it over to God and said, "I can't handle this alone, I need your help and provision over my life and my families life". Now he is able to see God's grace and goodness in the midst of a trial in his life and feels a whole lot better not being bogged down in stress and worry all the time.

If you're facing something large in your life, a situation XYZ, turn it over to God. No matter what it is and you'll SEE His grace and provision over your life.

1 Peter 5:7 says "Give all your worries to Him, because He cares for you"

Matthew 6:25 says "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

Psalm 91:1 says "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Stop staring at whatever situation XYZ you've got going on in your life and look around you to see that God is there, He loves you and will forever take care of you.

Be Blessed.

Carlos