Friday, October 2, 2009

Seasons of Life


In the beginning of the year I began leading a group of women that were in a rehabilitation program run by a church in town. I brought my scrapbook supplies and began teaching them how to make cards and layouts. The idea was to ignite their creativity, give them a place to put their thoughts, feelings and maybe journal their journey with Jesus.

They all enjoyed it very much and I could see how wonderful how God is. He has given each one of us gifts and talents that are completely unique.

I decided to take a short break for the summer and on our last class I suggested we did an altered book. Each one of us would make one or 2 chipboard pages with something the Lord had shown us recently or what He was speaking into our lives at the moment. Then we would put all the pages together and that would be a celebration of our time together. :)

The photo you see at the beginning of this post is of my page. Little did I know that God was really speaking to me!! hahaha :) A week later I found out I was pregnant with our 4th baby!

It caught me totally by surprise! It really shouldn't because with all my other children I wasn't the one planning the pregnancies but God was. So all my pregnancies have been surprises. But this one even more so because my plans for the next months did not include delivering a baby. My plans were completely put on hold.



The short break for the summer has not ended yet. I haven't been able to return to the classes due to morning sickness and tiredness. My etsy shop is closed. I haven't really scrapbooked in months now. My new studio hasn't been used much at all. I have been "officially" homeschooling my oldest daughter and growing in my faith. It's truly a new season in my life. But as you can see on the back of my chipboard page, there is a Season for everything. Winter does not last forever, nor does the heat of summer. I am learning to be flexible and enjoy the different seasons.

Last winter, my husband and I got sick. I had a very hard time with allergies and we both vowed not to be here for this coming winter. We said we would be somewhere tropical this winter. But unless God moves us from here to Brazil, I will be delivering a baby in the Winter right here in the United States. :)

God is once again teaching me that He is the One in control and I am glad. Because He is faithful and I can trust in Him. I will put my trust in the Lord, for He is my Strength, my Deliverer, my Shield, my Provider, my everything. Praised be the Lord Jesus Christ! :)

So what season of life are you in right now? What is the Lord teaching you?

Rest in God,

Tereza

Thursday, June 18, 2009

LIfe or Death situation




Have you ever noticed that unless you are in a life or death situation we always think we are the ones in control of our lives?

I know that whenever I have gone through a brush with death, or accidents that almost happened, or tragedies fixing to happen, my praise always turn to God. I realize that because of Him the worse did not happen, that it was just a scare. I praise Him and I thank Him for taking care of me and delivering me.

Well, I have come to realize that in life situation it's the same. God is the one ultimate in control of everything. Sometimes I think that is a great thing, and sometimes I think that sucks.

I know deep in my heart that He being in control is way better than me being in control, or having nobody in control at all. Yes, I am a control freak!

I surely don't understand God's ways but I got to trust Him. I have no other option.

I remember before I met Jesus my life was an uncertain mess. I remember being anxious and walking on eggshells all the time. I remember feeling lost and like I didn't have a purpose, and not knowing where I was going and what the heck was I doing here. I contemplated suicide for a long time in my teen years and even after that.

God finally delivered me of this Suicide Spirit when I surrendered to Him. When I finally realized that fighting God and trying to take the reigns of my life into my own hands was just going to drive me into a nut house. When I finally surrendered and believed and confessed that He is in control. Even when I am not feeling it, even when my head and the world are trying to convince otherwise, my heart, my soul will choose to say: " God is in control. He knows what He is doing and all things work together for the good of those that are called according to His purpose."

So it's not a death situation, it's a life situation. So I choose to say: "God is blessing us. God is in control. He knows all things and everything will work together for good. I will trust God. I will not fear. I will believe He knows what He is doing. All things are submitted unto Him. Everything in my life is under His Lordship. I trust you, Jesus. "

Tereza

Saturday, June 6, 2009

What kind of God do you have?

I am working on a Custom album for a customer and it is an album that she will give to her Dad. So the album is shaped to spell the word D-A-D and there are 4 more pages after the letters.

As I was working on it, I was thinking of my own Dad. He and my Mom are coming to visit in 20 more days and they will be staying with us for a couple of months. That is such a wonderful thing. they get to spend time with our children and we, the parents, get some needed time off.

NO, I don't take off for a week and leave my children behind. I just can't do that. I will probably leave for a couple of hours, go somewhere with my precious husband, and call a couple of times to check on my babies. :) Yes, I am that type of mother.

Anyway, I was thinking of my Dad. And I was thinking about how he does not like to go to my church because of the way my Pastor preaches. Pastor Saylor is a very polite and calm man, but once he is up on the pulpit he will get passionate about certain things and he will begin to holler (that is what people call it down here in the South for raising your voice and being boisterous and loud.).

Anyway, my Dad does not like that. He gets disturbed and annoyed by such behavior. Well, you would think that my Dad is a very poised and gentle voiced man. Ha! Much on the contrary, he has Italian blood and that man can be very loud. Actually he is very loud all the time. In our house, growing up, if you came in, you would think we were fighting and having arguments all the time because of the way we talked.

So I was thinking why is my Dad annoyed by how passionate my Pastor is, if he, himself, is a passionate man? I will give you a moment to think about this.

ok... so what was your answer?

This is the answer that came into my brain as I was meditating about this and talking to Jesus about it. The reason my Dad does not like all that hollering on the pulpit is because of the way he views God.

My Dad believes there is a God. From what I recall since I talked to him last about God, he believes God is up somewhere and he does not get involved with us. He, God, has left us to make our own choices and decisions, and He helps those that help themselves. If you are a Bible believing Christian you know that is just NOT what the Bible teaches us about God.

Maybe my Dad also believes that God does not get passionate about things or people. Maybe it's not polite to get passionate. Maybe God is very different from himself and He will not holler and lose his composure. Maybe emotions are not spiritual at all. Maybe God has no emotions whatsoever.

As I was pasting paper onto the album, I thought how much I am putting of myself into that album. How much has God put of Himself into us? Can't we usually tell the writer by his books, or the painter by his paintings, or the architect by his buildings? As an avid scrapbooker, I know who the scrapper is by looking at a finished layout. I can easily recognize Irene Tan, or Toni AKA 2dogs, or Queenofnostalgia' s artwork.

Maybe my Dad is afraid that God is actually very much like him. Would that make God less God in his head?

I received Christ as my Lord and Savior in 1993. After all these years walking and living with Him I have come to realize that my thoughts, actions or words do not stop God from loving me. That I have nothing to be ashamed of, as His creation. He, as my Creator, has poured of Himself into me and He loves me.

I have come to realize that my God will do for me as I believe Him for. He will answer to my trust and expectancy, just like we parents answer to our children. When we know our children want something, we may delay it for a while for whatever reason, but in the end we will find a way to bless them with that.

Although life and the devil try every day to break my trust and believe in my God, I stand firm and say that my God is good and He loves me with my emotions and passions, for I take after my Heavenly Father.

So, what kind of God do you have? :)

Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Just shall live by Faith

I am a firm believer that you will receive what you have faith for. All over the Gospels you will see Jesus saying: "your faith has healed you"; "be done to you according to your faith". To the Centurion that told Jesus what to do in the case of his servant that was sick, Jesus replied " I have never see faith like this..."

I believe God is waiting for us to trust Him for bigger and greater things. Jesus said we would do greater things than He did, but how can we if we have no vision, or no faith?

My husband and I have been following a prophet for some time now. I know that many do not believe in the 5 fold ministries, but why do we insist in reducing the Power of our God? I believe in prophecies, I have seen them come to pass over and over in my life. I believe in personal prophecies and prophecies spoken over an area, region or country.

Kim Clement has been correct about a lot of things. Many things, as he has said himself he has not agreed with. But he is a Spokesman for God, he is not supposed to rationalize or edit what he hears from God, he is supposed to voice it. And so he does!!

Check out his latest prophecies and believe it!! Agree with it, dare to believe and expect it for your life!! God can do all things, what is impossible to men is possible to God!!

Prophecy spoken in April 24, 2009.

Be encouraged today... God is good and He is control of all things. :)

Tereza