Label me

By: Priscy Marie

Take a look at that little tab sticking out your shirt and you will see a label.  This label will not only let you know the designer and size but often it will inform you on the materials used, where it was made and how to care for it.  You may also find a sticker label on your shirt, perhaps displaying the size or a special feature.

Not unlike store bought clothing, we have different types of labels attached to us.  Some give a name
brand clout and others weigh us down and distort our form.  We acquire these labels a few different ways.  Either someone puts said label on us or we put it on ourselves.  You may be the “smart one” or the “cute one” or the “rebellious one”, and whatever the label you are dubbed it seems to suit
you for even the smallest period of time.

Over the past few days I have been contemplating the power of perception.  When it concerns labeling or stereotyping or whatever you call it, how does it stick? And you know what I found?  It all comes down to us.  How we see ourselves. Labels stick so well to a shirt sitting on a shelf but put it in the washer or take out some scissors and watch the labels come off.  We have control over which labels we live up to.  We choose to live as the dumb jock or the smart aleck, feisty Latina.  Ok, that one might be true.  See, what  other people brand us as is like the sticky tag on top of the clothes that we have the power to remove.  What we think of ourselves is the inside tag that is sown in. We trust this tag, we live by this tag and although it doesn’t always seem like it we have chosen this.  However, information about the materials and care and even the brand name may have been put on the in error.  How many times have you followed the care instructions to the letter and your favorite shirt shrinks? The truth about the garment lies in the fabric and manufacturer.  Whoever made and designed it knows what it’s really made of and what it was made for.   God is our creator, designer and manufacturer.  He alone knows what we are made of and for.

 I hope my clothing analogy isn’t too cheesy.

The world puts lots of labels on us and we, for whatever the reasons, let them stick and become part of us, but the creator has trademarked our destiny.  We are not anything that He didn’t want but rather we were and are created in His image.  The Almighty God I know and love is righteous, pure, holy and full of security. His Brand name is our seal and we belong to Him.  We were made with the finest materials and constructed with the best care possible. 

So now, What does your label say?              

Be Glad

Hello Everyone!
Today, on my way home, I was waiting for the light, when I see that there is a huge mack truck making a tight turn in my direction, which became increasingly difficult due to the road work. There I was praying, as I see this HUGE truck coming at me, that the guy knew what he was doing as there was no place for me to go with a line of cars behind me.  At that very instance I began to sing.  Crazy right! But, in doing so, it put me at ease and I was able to keep going on my way, nerves in place.  What was I singing? My Morning Song.  You see,  I developed a little habit a few years ago and would write down in my journal a lil bit of my Morning Songs, it came about as I would arise most mornings with a song in my head.  These songs, have become my day's song, sort of like theme or background music for that day's episode of Minda Live! 

For the last few days I have been awakening to the song "You've made me glad" by Israel Houghton.  Even if I would go for a nap, like I did earlier today, arise I would with that lovely beat. No matter what had happened during the day, what struggles or thoughts tried to infiltrate, I would awaken singing "I will rejoice 'cause You've made me glad!" Just in singing these words, almost involuntarily, did indeed make me smile and put a lil pep in my step.  I found myself humming the song throughout the day, even while doing some monotonous tasks.  I noticed how much happier I had been these last few days as I've been singing of the joy of the Lord!  This reminded me of the passages in scripture when it says "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!...Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." (Philippians 4:4, 8)  It's amazing how powerful staying focused on the Lord is, it can take work but you can indeed think on such things. You can focus on His goodness and truth!

When we pray, seek the Lord and think on His goodness we are being elevated to greater heights and are reminded that no weapon formed against us shall prosper.  Not even a huge mack truck, which at this height, looks more like a Tonka toy.  Perspective is amazing, see, we have been raised up and made to sit in heavenly places with Christ Jesus our Lord, far above all principalities, power and might and dominion and every name that is named.  We are far above, FAR above all of these things, we have been given supernatural strength, vision, and a renewed mind.  If we set our eyes on things above, and would just realize that He has given us a JOY that is eternal, a LOVE that is everlasting, and a POWER that is all-mighty, how differently we would walk and go about our days.  We need to remember and celebrate with full joy and excitement that sweet, sweet salvation that we have in Christ Jesus.  We have the very God of heaven with us, we have His Holy Spirit living within us! He lives inside of us, from that very day when we said YES! Yes, Jesus I believe in You and I want You to be the Lord of my Life!  That gives us much to be excited about!  

So whether it is strife or monotony or a big ol' truck that is trying to get in your way of joy and happiness, I encourage you to do as the Word says, to think on those things which are praiseworthy & noble, focus and set your eyes on things above, to rejoice in the Lord and be GLAD!

be blessed,
Minda

Remember His Faithfulness

Hello Everyone!
I hope you are having a great day!  I was pondering earlier on our, ok my gratefulness to the Lord.  Growing up I recall hearing the Biblical accounts of the Israelites and how they would see the great and mighty hand of the Lord and then fall back and turn their backs once things got tough, and how we were almost trained to think of how foolish they were, for not recognizing that God would see them through.  In thinking about that.. I was wondering how different are we? We get a great word from the Lord and are hyped, but when things do not happen the way or in the time that we want it, we oft begin to pout and do things our own way... to find out that if we would have just waited a bit longer.

I will like to challenge you to think upon all the blessings that you have, and the very many things that the Lord has done for you.  Begin to list them.. from this new day, to the air I have to breathe to the ability to breathe to clothes I wear to those loved ones around me. The list is indeed endless. In times of strife and struggle we forget to focus on those things, or sometimes what I have found is that through the tear filled eyes, I have much difficulty in looking to those things ahead, for greater things are yet to come and the glory that is to come far surpasses the troubles we currently are enduring.

Know that God is Faithful, He cannot fail.  While we may not understand His timing, no that he does not tarry, and His clock is not set to slow or fast, but is set just right.  We may not understand what's the best or most right response but He does, and His faithfulness is grand!  I speak to myself and to all of you out there, who are holding on to hope and keeping the faith! Remember His Faithfulness and that He does not change! He is once and for all times faithful.

Be blessed
Minda
PS.. point to ponder on: Problems are just an opportunity for God's solutions.

Hello World

By: PriscyMarie

It has been a long road to recovery from DMMD (Doubled Minded Mess Disorder) and every day, every moment is a choice.  It is so easy to miss the plan of God when we have our thoughts divided.  It is just as easy to be in His perfect will, unfortunately DMMD is unrelenting and affects every aspect of our being.  DMMD effectively persuades us that we don’t have a choice but we do. 

Last week I celebrated my 1 year anniversary with my boyfriend.  It has been a truly wonderful year.  And as I rejoiced and reveled in our happiness, I thought about how it could have been different.  We could have not been celebrating anything to this likeness at all. 

See, a couple years ago I was actually engaged to another guy and I was so star-seeing in love, till he broke my heart.  It seemed that overnight he had completely, undoubtingly, changed his mind about marrying me.  It had caught me off guard and I was faced with a few choices.  I could wallow and be miserable in the, apparently, endless suffocating pain or I could pick myself up, forgive him and move on believing that joy would come in the morning.  But which morning?  DMMD had me in a severe death match struggle for a few of weeks.  I desperately wanted to believe what I knew to be true, this too shall pass, but it was not at all as easy as eating a bowl of ice cream and definitely not as pleasurable, but just as acheivable.

I decided early on that I would take my mom’s advice and “enjoy the moment… whether good or bad”.  I would have been the first to say it, my mom was crazy, but I am so very glad I listened.  A moment would never happen again and I could rejoice in knowing that.  Also, good things are always happening and no matter what is going on I want to relish the good stuff. 

The Holy Spirit guided me to use my mom’s not so crazy advice and because of that DMMD could not get the better of me.  I was able to repel the constant flood of negative thoughts about myself and actually make room for God to shape a better me.  Out of a bad situation where I felt like less than crap for a minute there, He showed a meadow of beautiful, fragrant, colorful flowers.  And that wonderful garden would not have been possible if the soil in my heart was not willing to be broken, handled and ready to have stinky crap mixed in.  The soil settles and produces sweet beauty from a smelly mess.   It reminds of the book of Matthew, when the Lord speaks to us saying not to worry what you eat or drink and how the lilies of the valley are more magnificent than Solomon in all his splendor.  The non- toiling flowers were MORE mind-blowingly beautiful than anything the richest man ever had to offer but before those lilies graced the field they were broken seeds in stinky ground. 

I wonder if when God looks at me He sees such a splendor as fashioned by the lilies of the valley year after year.

If I had allowed DMMD to devour me in my circumstances I would not have been ready for most of the gifts that were awaiting me and are still waiting for me.  I either wouldn’t have this amazing boyfriend or any relationship would have been much harder and I don’t think I would be following my dreams, God’s dreams for me. 

This whole time when we’re crying and hurt and just a mess God has been manufacturing an even better, one of a kind, us.  If we would believe what we know then we could live what we think.  Now, that is pretty awesome, don’t you think?  So every time things begin to stink put on some nose plugs and smile because something remarkably beautiful is in the works!       

It's About Time!

We all have dreams that we are designed to achieve, and oft we put things off till tomorrow, but tomorrow isn't promised to anyone. Make the most of the moments you have, and live them to the fullest! Some may not agree with my mantra:  I will be worn out before I rust out! But I want to do all that God has empowered me to do.  It's like what are we waiting for?

Do you believe? have you made that choice or are you waiting for your tomorrow? You see, there is One whose dream is that you may have life in abundance and who gave His life that you may live the dream! 

Read the poem below.. I wrote it a few years ago.. 

Time Passed Me By

A soul that finds itself with no time left; no time to live, love or laugh. No time left, simply crying out for mercy as it knows that once this last moment in time is passed it will go to its eternal home, either basking in the presence of the Creator or forever suffering right along with the destroyer of life.

I find myself separating from this life I have grown so fond of. 

I find myself slowly separating, 

And feeling desperate,

And anxious about what’s to come.

Somehow I know that Lord, 

You are listening

And see what I am going through. 

I know You are there.

Out of nowhere and everywhere the soul is impacted by conviction of a life wasted. Sin becomes apparent, as if though it just stepped before the presence of the Holy One. And at once the soul understands that the life that it so desired and enjoyed was not the life that God wanted for it.  The soul found itself weeping, knowing the future that was ahead.  And to its memory came the days long gone when the Holy One prompted it to follow Him.  The soul cries out trying to take its last few moments to regroup and find any reason to be excused for the life it led.

Time passed me by, 

I don’t know what I did

Where I went,

How I lost track of time.

Time passed me by 

And with time so went my life

To live is all I wanted to ever do

I don’t know what I did 

Where I went,

But somehow, 

I lost track of time

The soul cried hoping that the Holy One would have mercy upon it, and grant it life.

Time passed me by 

Sometimes it feels like I was

Born yesterday

To live today and 

I’ll sleep tomorrow

Time passed me by 

Things I wanted were forgotten

Things I needed were disregarded 

Here I am with no time left 

Lord, have mercy on me

Because it’s just that time passed me by

Time passed me by 

I don’t know what I did 

How I lost sight of what mattered and 

How I never listen when You called me

I guess I thought I would just reach out to You in my tomorrow.

But here I am crying out to You

Asking you to forgive me 

For being foolish and not realizing that 

Tomorrow is promised to no one

But I know now

And I cry out to You

And I ask You to please have mercy.

When I look back at the Life I lived

At the times I rejected

 Your gentle nudging 

And loving whisper of my name,

I cry for I know that if only I would have listened 

If only I would have embraced Your love and mercy

If only I would have responded willingly, 

even if just yesterday.

Now here I am crying and begging for mercy 

Because in thinking that I had all the time in the world 

Time passed me by

And so the soul cried out and the Holy One listened to its plea. So moved by its sincerity, the Lord says “you still have time, for you are still living, though, not for much longer, and you still have time to decide.  Will you reject me as you have always or will you embrace the life everlasting that you can have in Me?” And with his last breath the soul with joy and peace in his heart declared loudly, wanting the whole world to heart its heart proclaiming:

Jesus I believe in You

And I thank You for all You have done

For You have forgiven me for my sins,

For all the wrongdoings and ignorance, and 

For letting time pass me by.

© 2007 Minda Montero

So, once again I ask.. what are you waiting for? Live today! chose Life today! And as my sis says.. you will surely live "real-life dreams"

Be blessed & a Blessing

Minda