Story Time- Caller ID

March 3, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 6 Comments

Caller ID can be a mixed blessing. It helps to screen out calls but it also shows calls that I know I shouldn’t avoid but wish to avoid. Case in point from yesterday, I saw that all too familiar phone number calling me. It was my doctor’s office as in Primary Care Physician.

I ignored it and let it go to voice mail. However, ten minutes later it was time to listen to the voice mail. It was a nurse calling to schedule a follow up to my most recent ER adventure. So I called back. She tried to get me in yesterday, but it did not work. She offered me an 8am appointment today. That was a no go for me.

Her persistence paid off when she told me she could get me in at 10:30am today. Have no fear my dear readers because by having the appointment at 10:30, it means finishing perhaps about 11:30. It was strategic on my part. My favorite burger place is not far from my doctor’s office. I can reward myself with a cheeseburger and fries after the appointment. 🙂

So the agenda today is doctor, burger, and later this afternoon teaching English at the Ukrainian church. It will be a whirlwind of activity. There might even be time for the coffee shop today.

Speaking of caller ID, did you know God has a sort of caller ID? For me it is in the form of a worship song in my spirit. There have many times that a worship song was in my spirit and I knew God was telling me something whether it was to pray for someone, to remember a truth from the bible, give comfort, or give guidance. That is a caller ID that I welcome.

Have you experienced that kind of caller ID?

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

From Overlooked to A Wonderful Life

February 22, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 16 Comments

It has been almost fourteen years since I knocked on the door of her family. It was April 2009 and my father had just passed away. A few days after his funeral, I prayed about what to do with my free time after having so much tied up with end of life care for him. A brother and sister from Vietnam were in a beginning conversation class I taught at the time and I felt the Lord place them on my heart.

I went to their apartment and knocked on the door. They opened and gladly welcomed me in. The sister had her daughter come join us. Her daughter had just turned 20 and had been in ELL, English Language Learners, for almost one year. I invited the daughter and her cousin to join the weekend group I had at the time for Vietnamese youth.

She came, along with her cousin. She was shy at first. Her father and paternal grandparents basically abandoned her. Her mom and maternal grandmother loved her though. She had much to overcome in life when I met her.

She came to my Sunday morning group as well for about five years. She came to know Jesus and he went to work in her life as well. She blossomed from a shy young woman who was overlooked by everyone except her mom and grandmother to becoming a university student. She graduated and was accepted into a Master’s Program in Architecture. She is an Architect now, married, and has a baby boy,

Her story is compelling and a wonderful example of how Jesus changes lives. I have been blessed to see it time and time again. Jesus can take a broken life and create a beautiful life full of meaning.

With Jesus, there is no one who is overlooked, forgotten, unloved, or hopeless. Jesus loves us so much that he receives and welcomes us with open arms just the way we are. But he loves us too much to leave us the way we are when we come to him.

My friend from Vietnam and so many other friends from many cultures are shining examples of what Jesus can do with a life given to him.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Where Does My Help Come From-Jesus and His People

February 21, 2023February 21, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 14 Comments

Last spring there were two things I felt the Lord place in my spirit for ministry. One was helping Ukrainian refugees and the other was my upcoming book Jesus Understands Trauma. Since that time, my old car broke down beyond repair, I have had three bouts of bronchitis, ER visits, two minor heart procedures to correct heart flutter, pericarditis, and currently mild case of pneumonia.

I have lived with chronic illness for many years. Pain and fatigue are the worst parts, but there is another part that is insidious at times which is isolation. A flare up hits and staying home is a necessity but also means missing other people. This bout of pneumonia caused me to isolate for five days which mixed with lack of sleep can spell trouble.

What is a boy to do? Look to the Lord. Psalm 121:1 says:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber

Remembering that Jesus has blessed us with fellow Christians is important for me because he works through others. For me it starts by messaging my pastor to let him know what is going on. Confiding in some friends is helpful as well. Jesus created us too be relational. He has given us the body of Christ.

Fellowship with fellow believers is so important. It provides protection spiritually. It is vital to do so because darkness likes to pounce when we are going through a difficult time.

There are also the unexpected little moments that God can bless us through. I watched the recent American Idol episode and was blessed when Lauren Daigle surprised a young singer who was auditioning. The young singer was singing You Say and Lauren Daigle came in a sang with her.

Whether through prayer, reading my bible, fellowship with fellow believers, or in life’s little moments, all day yesterday Alisa Turner’s song Lift My Eyes was in my spirit.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Music Mondays- I Will Trust In You by Lauren Daigle

February 20, 2023February 20, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 19 Comments

I haven’t posted since Valentine’s Day. Guess who got sick again? Yes, me. Fortunately a snow canceled my classes Thursday and Fridays I am off, so I tried resting at home, but to no avail. After four sleepless nights due to coughing, I went to an Urgent Care place yesterday knowing they would prescribe the prednisone and antibiotics I needed. I chose to go there wanting to avoid the ER because I have been there too many times in recent months-three times. The physician at the Urgent Care place told me if I do not improve to go to the ER. She also let me know I was in the beginning of developing pneumonia and to take it seriously.

I had to cancel my two classes at the Ukrainian church. That is the worst thing for me not being there for my refugee friends. That is a downer for me.

On top of it all, when I started to my car, it sounded like the muffler had gone out. However, I think someone stole the catalytic converter. So it should be more of a nuisance thing because insurance will cover it.

But I am turning my focus on Jesus and what he has called me to do. It felt like a good time to again share Lauren Daigle’s song I Will Trust In You.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Happy Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 13 Comments

So there is this holiday today called Valentine’s Day. This is one I sit out due to not being married and not having a girlfriend. However, I do wish all of my readers a Happy Valentine’s Day. A few fun interactions with friends from other countries coming your way in this post.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

My friends Diego and Camila from Brazil come to my Sunday morning group. Valentine’s Day in Brazil is June 12th. Sunday morning I asked Camila if she wanted to celebrate V-Day on Feb, 14th or June 12th. Camila answered- BOTH.

My friends Gregory and Bogdana from Ukraine are happy because Gregory got his first job in America. When they shared that with me Saturday morning, I encouraged Gregory with, “now that you are working, she can go shopping more.”

On a serious note, romantic love celebrated on Valentine’s Day is temporary. The love that is eternal is God’s love for us. God’s love for us is unconditional as Romans 5:8 says:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

And as Romans 8:38-39 tells us:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing can take God’s love from us.

So whatever situation we are in, married, single, divorced, widowed, there is a love that is eternal that we can celebrate every day- God’s love.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Music Mondays- Gratitude by Brandon Lake

February 13, 2023February 13, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 3 Comments

We sang this song during worship yesterday in my church. I loved the song and wanted to share it with you. The message is simple and yet profound. Jesus does not need anything from us. There is nothing we can give him that he cannot create for himself. All we can do is give him our gratitude through our praise.

Through our praise we can express our gratitude and love for Jesus who did so much for us. He left heaven to become a human baby. He lived in this earthly life and allowed himself to be killed so he could die for our sins. Then he defeated death for us. Now he is in heaven preparing places for those who believe in him.

He is worthy of all our praise.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Does God Care When I Suffer? + Excerpt From My Upcoming Book

February 12, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 21 Comments

Questions can arise when we suffer whether it be from illness, family troubles, loss of a loved one, or any other suffering. The questions can be along the lines of, “Does God even care?” or :Does God see my suffering?” or :”Why me?”

I have to admit I have struggled with those questions at times especially when I was so sick I almost died and the recovery period piecing my life back together in 1993 to 1997. What I kept coming back to was the cross of Jesus. In my upcoming book Jesus Understands Trauma, I shared:

“So though I struggled with the why questions, realizing the sacrifice God, the sacrifice Jesus made, the suffering, the cost, changed my inner dialogue. The pain Jesus endured, the suffering, the trauma, was and is God’s answer to the suffering we experience in life.”

God cares so deeply that he sent Jesus. Jesus cares so deeply that he left heaven to become a human baby so he could become our Savior through his suffering as an adult.

As Paul wrote in Romans 8:32:

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

God did not spare Jesus. Jesus did not spare himself. So God will give us all things, healing for our souls and spirits, relationship with God, and eternity in heaven.

We do not need to deny our suffering or ignore what we are experiencing. But when we are going through it, keeping our focus on Jesus can make all of the difference.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Least Likely

February 11, 2023February 10, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 23 Comments

If anyone were to look at my high school year book and talk with people who knew me when I was a teen, instead of most likely to succeed, they would hear something else. Especially if you were to tell them that I have a ministry for refugees/immigrants and teach for a college. They would have said I was least likely of everyone they knew to become a home missionary/teacher.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Least likely explains how other perhaps viewed me at other points in life even after coming to know Jesus. My first ministry trip to Romania, the missionaries we went to serve with had their doubts because they remembered me from a few years before when due to being sick, I was the guy who talked slowly. They would have said I was least likely to used by God in Romania. Yet eight years later, I went twice in one year to preach the Easter and Christmas services for the church my church partnered with there.

Least likely explains how many thought when God led me to start a ministry of reaching out to refugees/immigrants in my city. When God led me to start a Saturday morning group, there were many doubters. But God worked and a few years later people were sharing their thoughts that I should stay in my city because of the ministry Jesus led me to.

There are so many other examples from my life of when I was what others thought was least likely. There is much to learn from a classic least likely in the bible.We read about it in 1st Samuel 16. God sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be king to replace Saul. When Samuel thought it would be Eliab because he looked the part, God told Samuel in verse seven:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

God led Samuel to David, a shepherd boy tending his father Jesse’s sheep, to anoint David. God chose David because he saw David’s heart. He saw David trust in him protecting the sheep. He saw David’s penchant for singing to the Lord. Everyone else would have thought David was least likely, but not God.

I love the saying that God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Back To Normal?

February 9, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 26 Comments

It felt a bit anti-climatic when the cardiologist told me I am golden now and the heart flutter is cleared up. It started last fall and was diagnosed after a visit to the ER for something else. A focal point of my life is gone now. No more visits to the cardiologist except one more follow up in June. As I walked out of the clinic, my thought was, “back to normal, well normal for me.”

Back to normal for me means continuing to live with chronic pain and fatigue due to living with autoimmune. Back to normal for me means asking Jesus each morning to give me strength to be a blessing to my students and others. Back to normal for me means seeing God at work not only in my life but in the life of others. Back to normal for me also means hanging out at the coffee shop.

If I really think about, normal is not a word I would use to describe life with Jesus. The same Jesus who did things like walking on water in the midst of a storm is the same Jesus who says follow me. He is the same Jesus who is always with us, at work around us, and at work in our lives.

Life with Jesus can bring many amazing surprises if we seek to follow him and stay open to him working in our lives and working around us. We can see amazing things happen.

Maybe I should say back to the adventure. 🙂

Thank you for reading. Also thank you for all the prayers. God Bless.

God Works Through Willingly Hearts- 3 Instruments for 3 Musicians

February 8, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 8 Comments

It is fascinating for me to watch God at work and who he works through. He often works through people who others would think of as least likely. Case in point-me helping three musicians receive instruments.

Why would I say I am least likely? I have never played an instrument, never learned to read music, never learned to play an instrument. Yet God chose to work through me to facilitate three musicians to receive instruments that help them in their ministries.

Last summer it was connecting my friend Samuel from Honduras with an older couple from my church who had a nice guitar sitting unused in their basement. They gave it to him and he now uses the guitar to help him lead worship in his Spanish speaking church.

Then it was helping my young friend Ester receive a violin stepping out in faith that donations would come in to pay for one loaned to her by a friend at church. Through generous brothers and sisters in Christ the donations came in to fully cover it.

Most recently it was sharing about a worship leader from Ukraine who had to leave his guitar behind. A generous person gave him a guitar after I shared my new friend’s story.

So God worked through me, a person with no musical ability, a person who often listens without singing in church because I need a much lower bass tune, to help three musicians have the instruments they needed for their worship ministries.

Jesus can work through anyone. All he needs is a willingly heart and he will take care of the rest.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.