The last time...

...I wrote here, I was talking about how our life, according to the word of God is just a vapor. And it was proved to me one more time. That same day after I finished posting my entry, I found out that one of the employees that works with my brother had been seriously injured the day before. He was in a coma.
Before working where I am currently, I used to work with my brother. His partner and him have a small freight-forwarding company. Things haven't been easy but they've press on. So I know most of the employees (they are only a few, like 6) but this particular guy I didn't know because he came to work with them after I'd left.
He was Ricardo's cousin (Ricardo is my brother partner) and he was helping them in sales. He was (from what I have been told) in his mid-thirties, full of life, and eager to work...as Ricardo brought him from the country to the city to work. Ricardo once told me that he wanted his cousin to better himself and to be able to have a better future than in their town, so he gave him the opportunity to come and work with them.
On Friday night like around 8:00, he was getting home when a vehicle ran over him. I didn't know the particulars just that he was seriously injured and in a coma. Like an hour after I found out on Saturday, Ricardo called to say his cousin had died. I was like "God, no!". I didn't have the opportunity of meeting him, but still. It was very difficult for Ricardo. I am sure that on Thursday when he left work he never thought that he was not going to return on Monday. And to be runned over on Easter Friday when the city is practically deserted, practically everything is closed and drinking is prohibited.

If there is one sure thing on this life is death. I am glad that I am not afraid of it and that I know what will happen after it. But I can imagine the fear of those who don't. As a human I don't particularly want to die, I think there is still so much that I need to do and experience, but as a spiritual being I also know that my life is in God's hands and that whatever He chooses to do with me is for the best. Let that be...live here on this earth for a while longer or die and be in his presence for eternity. As Paul said in Philippians 1:21 "for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain". So I will continue to pray for those who do not have the same hope I have.


Changing subjects, yesterday both me and my mom had appointments with our doctor. As always, and with my mom I mean always, we were late. You don't know how I hate being late, not that I have a mild aversion to it, not that I dislike it, I hate it. I can't understand how can't you plan in advance if you know you have to be at that specific place, at that specific time??? But it seems my mom never gets it. With her, we always end up leaving a few minutes before the actual appointment time. I hate that. We always end up getting into an argument and yesterday was no exception. I ended up more & less sulking all the way to the appointment and she is as "fresh as a lettuce" (this is a saying in spanish, I don't know if it means the same in english, but basically is that the person doesn't really care).

I guess I am kind of a planner. When I know I have to be someplace at a specific time, I do what I have to do, to be there before the actual time. I don't like running late and then having to hurry because of that. Not that it hasn't happened a few times, but they would be the exception not the rule. Besides it just takes me a few minutes to get ready. Even if it didn't, I would start earlier if I needed more time. But where it takes minutes for me, it takes hours for my mom ( at least 1 hour and a few minutes). Some things will never change. (Sigh...)
Everything went well at the appointment, I still have to have some tests, but as far as the doctor was concerned everything was ok.


Changing subjects again...yesterday there was an important game here in Panama, at least for us. Let me explain...Soccer has always been a very important sport in the European and Latin American cultures. As a Latin American country, Panama is no exception, but we've had very few opportunities of our team actually participating on any big event. As all sports here in Panama, I don't think it's for lack of people that can excel in sports, but because they never have the support needed from the country itself and the government. No good installations, no money, no nothing. Sportsmen here can't concentrate fully on the sport, they have to work at something else to be able to survive, because what they make as a sportsmen is pitiful. So as a result even if they are good, they are not excellent because they can't dedicate full time only to the sport. But we have improved and now our team is on what is called a hexagonal. It is a qualifying round for teams of this particular area, which includes North and Central America and the Caribbean. Six teams are trying to qualify for the 2006 Soccer World Cup in Germany. South America has it's own qualifying round. I think just getting to where our team has gotten so far is already an accomplishment. We never thought that we would be on a qualifying round for the World Cup, but there we are.
The six teams are Mexico, USA, Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and Panama. The best teams are Mexico, USA and Costa Rica. Mexico and USA have a rivalry that is very strong, as they are the best of the area.
The first game of our team was with Guatemala, a tie of 1-1. The second one was with Costa Rica and they won 2-1. They were able to make the goal seconds before the game finished , it was frustrating. The third game was yesterday with Mexico, I have to confess that I thought we didn't have a chance. I mean, if we were not able to beat Guatemala and Costa Rica, it was going to be really hard to beat or at least get a tie with Mexico, since right now they are number one of the group. They had just come from beating one of the best USA (2-1). Mexico made the first goal yesterday but on the second half Panama tied the game. Around my home there were shouts everywhere, I can imagine at the stadium. It was really nice, for us is like a big thing. In reality I think that the teams that will pass to the next round are Mexico, USA and Costa Rica. But you never know what might happen, you can always hope. We still have games with USA and Trinidad and Tobago.

Easter

This is a long weekend here in Panama. Offices and banks closed since thursday at 12 noon. I didn't get to go to beach after all because I had to work. I thought they were going to give me the day off (friday) because they gave it to me last year, but that wasn't the case. I thought yesterday was going to be a slow day at work, because hispanics really celebrate Easter, what we call in spanish "Semana Santa" or Holy Week. But I was surprised to see that it wasn't the case at all. We had as many calls as always. All type of calls.

When I left work on my way home, the city was kind of deserted, just a few cars on the street. Most of the people went to the beaches or to what we call "el interior", which is like the countryside. Today there were more cars on the street, but still not at all like a normal saturday. I went to two supermarkets to get some stuff and something I noticed was that most of the people in them were elderly. I guess they were the ones that stayed behind. So now I am relaxing at home and later I will go out and see what's open.

I don't know if I have mentioned this before but I have 2 brothers, both older than me. Recently I heard something that I didn't like too much, but I can only pray and ask God to take care of her. Let me explain. My oldest brother was married when he was very young, they had two kids and then they divorced. My nephew and niece have lived with their mom ever since, but we always see them and call them and stuff. My brother now has re-married and has another child. My ex-sister-in-law (I guess that is the way to say it) recently announced that she had met someone and she was getting married. Then we found out that he is from South Carolina and she wants to take the kids with her. I was sad. Now they are seeing about the legal custody, because it will be a big change for the kids. New culture, new language, new family, new school...everything. He is a judge, and I don't know if he is divorced or widowed, and he has 3 kids of his own. My nephew has stated that he wants to stay in Panama with his father, my niece says she'll go with her mother. So now they will be separated. I can only ask God to take control of this situation. Because just knowing that the day will come when I will have to say goodbye to my niece and that I will see her only once in a while just breaks my heart. When my brother told me that, I couldn't stop myself from looking for a place I could be alone and just cry a little. My niece is such a joy. I also pray that her mother will look out spiritually for her. I don't know her husband, but I hope he really is a christian as we have been told he is. My niece is in Gods hands now.

Life as a Vapor

I recently read a book with that title by John Piper. It was truly excellent. Thanks again!

It is incredible how our life here on earth is just that... a vapor. But people are living like if they had all the time in the world. Specially young people, they think they are invincible, that nothing will ever happen to them.

I would like to share a part of what I read on the book.

James 4:13-16: Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make profit"- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Verse 14 in another version: Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

The author says that we are not the ones who decide, it's God who makes the final decision. If we think otherwise we are arrogant. It's like saying: "I am the one who has total control of my life and God has nothing to do with it." And that is the way most of the people think nowadays. It is kind of sad when you think about it and you wonder...why did you choose me to be able to see and comprehend this, when there are so many who don't. But whatever God's reason, I am infinitely grateful that I am able to see and accept this. I did not deserve it, I believe there are people much better than me, who could do much more, but still I am grateful that I am within the ones that understand and accept His word as the total truth.

As Piper said on his book: "Keep in mind that you have no firm substance on this earth. You are as fragile as a mist. Keep in mind that you have no durability on this earth, for you appear "for a little while"- just a little while. Your time is short. And keep in mind that you will disappear. You will be gone, and life will go on without you. It matters that you keep this view of life in mind."

"It not only matters that you have a right view of life when you make your plans (because you are like a vapor), but it also matters that you have a right view of God as you make your plans. If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."

Our lives are not in our hands but in God's. It really doesn't matter if you are a christian or not. God has total control over everything that happens. When you are a christian the only thing is that you understand this and try to live for God, recognizing that your life belongs to Him and that He paid a price for you; and when you are not, you are so blind, that you think you have control over your own life, and that is why you are so miserable, because you were created to acknowledge God as the one in control. Because a life without God is just that, a miserable life. I recently read on the newspaper about a kid shooting some other kids and staff at a school in a city located in the northern area of Minnesota. Why would a 16-year old kid do that? I can't even start to imagine what was going thru his mind, but the thoughts being put there by satan, most have been awful. Our minds are battlegrounds for spiritual forces that are among us. Those kids that went to school that day, never even thought that was going to be the last day of their (very short, vapor-like, just for a little time and then vanishes) life.

So I give God thanks for every day that He gifts me with. Knowing that His mercy of today is not going to be the same one of yesterday, that they are new every morning. That there is still something for me to do, and I just pray that I can be sensitive enough to fulfill God's plan in my life. And that no matter what happens or how I feel, He will forever be in control.

Funny

I recently found at work a Reader's Digest from August of 1996 that somebody had left. I immediately started reading it, they always have pretty interesting articles. I found these two contributions by readers that made me smile.

"My father, an art historian, was an absent-minded-professor type. Browsing in a bookstore one day, he picked up a volume about art. After he paid for the book and went home, he sat down to read it - only to discover that he had written it."

Imagine that! Not to recognize your own book. Funny. The following one had me laughing, I could just imagine her expression after her husbands comment.

"My husband always checks our dog for ticks after our evening walks on the mountainside. I was watching him one night when I started to feel itchy. Visualizing myself flat on my back with some awful illness, I mentioned that I'd better check myself for ticks. ---"Yes, you should", said my husband. "They might get on the dog".

Sexless in Suburbia

I thought it was interesting, something that we have to deal with always, if you are still single. But as the Bible says we are "strangers and pilgrims" on this world "looking for a city that has foundations and whose builder and maker is God."

Sexless in Suburbia

Summer is coming to an end

Contrary to other countries where summer hasn't even arrived yet and where spring is slowly coming into their lives, here in Panama summer is coming to an end. Maybe a little more time, but soon to be over. I still have one more chance to got to the beach and that is on Easter. I had asked for the 25th off, unfortunately I wasn't given the day off. I am still trying to see if the rest of the family can go by car like on Wednesday and me take a small plane to Bocas, which is around like a 45 minute flight, on Friday. I hope this time I can go.

I've been very well. Working and working, getting used to my new calls. This week I saw a glimpse of what I will be earning and I am very pleased...for the time being. Today I went to church and as always I was touched by His marvelous word. My pastor is preaching a series of messages regarding the different laws that you can find in life. He says that the same way there are natural laws, like the law of gravity for example, where if you drop something is going to fall, because that is the law of gravity. There are also spiritual laws, like if you give you'll receive. If you break these laws either on the natural or on the spiritual, there are going to be consequences. It was very interesting.

I am praying for God to give me a strategy of getting together with other Christians at work and see how can we effectively share more of Jesus with co-workers. There are other 2 Christians that I know of at work. It is a little difficult in our type of job, because we all have breaks and lunch at different times. It's not like in a normal job, where everyone starts at 7:00 a.m. and gets out at 4:00 p.m., and have lunch at 12:00 p.m. Nope...we all start at different hours, have breaks and lunch at different hours also. But I know God will give us a way, He always does. I will talk to them, so that we can start praying.

Today at church I saw a group of friends I hadn't seen in a while. It was a pleasure. I really love them. Now I am going to be a little more free during the weekends, because I have decided that God granted me this raise and allowed me to pass the test so that I wouldn't be missing church so much. I was always doing overtime and trying to earn more so that I could help my family, but now I am going to be earning what I used to make with overtime and all, so I can skip the overtime or I can put in a few hours of OT once in a while, but not as much as I used to. So we agreed that we are going out again and spending time as we used to. God is so good!

Imagine that now I am going to be helping a friend with his English. He is taking an English course but he wants help outside classes, and he is going to pay me. Can you imagine that?? God is indeed faithful. So now I will have a little income besides what I earn at work. I can really say that God does not forget about us, even if people seem to forget about you, God doesn't.

One more night with frogs.

This week I went back to work. I felt a little rusty, but getting the hang of it again. For two weeks I didn't have to think and speak in 2 languages but just one, my own. Your mind gets a little lazy, but as soon as I received the first few calls, I was back on track again. This week I received a call in which a Reverend from a hospice was calling a husband whose wife had recently died. The Reverend was calling to offer any kind of help or comfort they could give the husband. My heart went out to him. It is difficult to loose a loved one, even when you are a Christian and you know that your loved one is going to heaven, but loosing someone and not having that assurance of heaven, must be almost unbearable. Of course people think that their relatives are going to heaven or somewhere good, but they are not sure; if you are a Christian you know better. I don't know if these people where Christians or not, but my heart went out to him anyways.

Well, now to my title. Last night at my church we had a preacher from Argentina. He is very well known through all Latin America for preaching and working with young people. He had preached at my church once before, like 4 or 5 years ago, so I was expecting to have a lot of fun with his preaching and his message and I wasn't disappointed. He preached like for 1 hour and 45 minutes, but God kept my attention the whole time. I've listened to preachers that are hard to listen to and is difficult to concentrate on what they are telling you, my mind drifts, it usually happens to me with invited pastors, not all of the pastors of course, but a few. But this pastor, I just wanted to hear more and more. And he has a special grace that when he preaches, he says a lot of funny things, very funny things (not like other pastors, that they think they are telling you something funny, and they are the only ones laughing). So at the same time you are receiving the word of God, and learning, and being rebuked, you are laughing like every 4 minutes. He has a thing with mothers-in-laws, I pity his (no....just kidding, he loves his, but makes a lot of jokes at her expense).

The title of my blog today, was also the title of the message last night. When I heard it, I thought...what is God (through his servant) going to come up with? This is the first message I've heard preached about this passage. It was very interesting. I am going to be very brief, I'm not going into as many details as the previous messages that I have posted, but I thought it was worth mentioning. The passage was Exodus 8:9-10.... Moses said to Pharaoh, "I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile."
"Tomorrow," Pharaoh said.
Moses replied, "It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God."

Let us look at the situation. God was sending plagues to the Egyptians, so that they would let His people go. When we are talking about a plague we are not talking about a few frogs, but frogs everywhere. If you opened a drawer, frogs where there; if you cooked something, frogs where there; if you went to sleep, frogs where there; if you went to the bathroom or to take a shower, frogs where there. The Bible says on verse 6 that the frogs "covered the land". Then on verse 9 Moses asks Pharaoh to set a time, so that he can pray for the frogs to go away. And what does Pharaoh answers? You would think he would answer: "Now!", if I was him, that is what I would have said. I don't want frogs around me anymore, so please pray now. But no. He said tomorrow. What is it that makes us say tomorrow, instead of right now, like Pharaoh. When are you going to reach for your dreams? Tomorrow. When are you going to start serving God? Tomorrow, I still have a few things that I have to work on, before doing that. When are you going to ask that girl out? Tomorrow, just want to make sure that she'll say yes. When are you going to start your own business? Tomorrow, let me just save a little more money. When are you going to try to stop seeing pornography? Tomorrow. The examples can go on and on, but I think you understand. Why is it that we want to spend one more night with frogs? God can remove the frogs, but you are telling Him, no...tomorrow, just one more night.

There are some things that stop you from removing the frogs and spending one more night with them.

1) Indecision - James 1:18...he is a doubleminded man, unstable in all he does. You never can make up your mind. You'll end up never doing anything at all.

2) Perfectionism - Ecclesiastes 11:4...Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. If you wait until everything is as you think it should be, maybe you'll end up waiting a very long time. You just want everything to be "perfect". This can be a double-edged weapon (for you or against you).

3) Fear - Proverbs 29:25...Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. Fear can paralyze you, it freezes you from going forward. You are afraid of taking any risks or chances.

4) Anger - Ecclesiastes 7:9...Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. Same as fear it stops you from going forward. I keep on serving God and looking for His presence, but I will never forget what that brother(or sister) did to me. I can forgive him, but I will not forget what he did to me. If you are not able to forget, then you haven't forgiven at all. Let go of that anger.

5) Laziness - Proverbs 19:15... Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry. Instead of doing things today, no...I'll do them tomorrow. Tomorrow might never come. Laziness brings on deep sleep, when you are sleeping you are not accomplishing anything. Proverbs 13:4...The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. Proverbs 19:24...The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth. Be aware of laziness.

God wants to work on you and transform you to His image today. Change you today. Give you gifts today. Bless you today. Not your plans but His. Don't stay one more night with frogs.