Back to Basics

“The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.”

1 Peter 3:12a

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Back to basics

Stripping to the naked soul
Down to my last bit of strength
I find the Source
Of life itself.

I finally break through mud and chaos
Kiss goodbye the Valley of Shadows

Open my arms…lift them up high
Bless God who has brought me HERE!

Past darkness…light!
Past conflict…Peace!
Past indifference…Agape!

Let go Let go Let go
Anything and everything that’s holding me back!

Cut cut cut
Back to basics!
Go deeper inside!
To the essential

Soul

Angels carry me softly in their wings

To the blue place

Where Jesus dwells.

No more fooling around.

Love, Mercy, Joy!

Live Life in Truth!

Journey Home Part II

"I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
Be strong, and let your heart take courage;
Wait for the LORD!

Psalm 27: 13-14

How many times in life we want to run before our time?

Spread our wings and fly to our destiny

Ignoring all opposition?

Takes God to remind us to keep on shinning

While waiting on Him!

How to remain in the NOW...TRUST Him...

When passion builds up inside to reach our appointment with DIVINITY?

Each day God leads us to a new lesson; to a fresh encounter with HIM.

Questions keep coming up... answers too...

JuSt BeLiEvE

He Is Good!

Hug,

Jan.

Journey Home - Part I

“I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the lord.”

Jeremiah 1:8b

And so it begins…

The journey home.

The power of God in my life is such...

He leads me to do things my old self would consider irrational, illogical…borderline crazy.

Yet, because He has taught me to TRUST HIM ABOVE ALL THINGS, I have embarked on a very unique spiritual journey.

It is non-conventional, to say the least, but its effects are being felt profoundly.

I intend to share with you as much as I can…my hope is that these words are a blessing in your life.

This journey is about going inside…and there, meeting God.

Some relevant issues:

I had to adjust some things from a practical perspective.

Simplicity. Silence. Listening.

About goals...

I remain goal-less. I guess my goal is to let Him lead me...To rely!

He has placed in my heart the need to remain open…light…to let things flow.

Sacrifice, as an ingredient for a meaningful spiritual discipline...

We cannot hope to achieve the spoils of victory before waging battle, or at least negotiating peace. Action precedes results.

I had to sacrifice. Do my part on the physical realm. Action.

Thus...I've gotten:

How many times have you frantically searched for something you already have in your hand?

Will you keep on searching outside that which has been deposited inside?

Look first within.

Listen to God’s voice echoing in your inner world. Angels surround you.


Till we meet next…May His light be in you!

Love,

Jan

The trip

Jeremiah 18:4
"And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To seek God is to find Him.

When we find Him we are transformed.

Although is not easy to let our baggage behind, our little old self in the dirt, and embrace the

Welcoming essence of His Light,

Once we enter into the realm of divine presence,

We hold on

And never let go.

At this precious moment,

During a trip I imagine Him say:

It's ok, my child, you may venture out in the garden.

Be yourself

Play

Live

Love!

I will never leave you!

God Lives Here

"Those that seek me early shall find me."

Proverbs 8:17b

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My Dear God,
Today I come to you
Overwhelmed with joy
Filled with grateful praise
...
For my soul rejoices in your presence.
...
You have been kind and generous
Beyond my wildest dreams.
You have renewed my soul with hope
And placed good thoughts in my mind.
...
Last night while I slept
You came by and washed me with incense
Caressed my hair with shiny glory
And whispered stories of love and dreams
...
I am infinitely blessed

Agape.

Heart's Desire

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
John 15:7


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No book no friend no song no wind
Can substitute the school of life.
Some roads we aught to take…
Surrender to the waves of change
Forbidden to hold back…

Shaking times settle in
Few things remain intact
God demands an attitude from us.
Blessing or curse…what’s going to be?

Life is not always a reward zone…
Battles are fought,
Won and lost
Yet in every breath we win…learn…move on.

Strip your self
Down to the naked soul
Then watch what happens.

Ask God to fulfill your heart’s desire
And dare also to give it up
There’s so much life in letting go.

Flow with the flow;
Let God caress you
Nourish you
Every way He wants
Stop resisting His love.

…

Dressed with nothing but Faith

Look ahead

Drop your shoulders back

Embrace the dirt beneath your soles

Walk

Grow

…


Love,

Jan

Plant a seed

“Casting all your care upon him; for
he careth for you.”

1 Peter 5:7

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ` ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some time ago, I planted some seeds of love…

This morning I woke up

From a land of distant dreams

And blissful joy

…


Morning freshness calms the soul

Life’s reward for another day survived.

Rise to the occasion

Think about flowers and a special friend

A precious note and a gift down the road

Give a smile

Plant a seed

Give more than meets the eye.

How blessed it is

To be alive in the morning

To have a friend

To smile.

Sometimes God is...

I don't have any scripture tonight
all I have is the confidence that
God loves me, you...and all of us.
No matter what,
I've become convinced
He's here for me
And for you
Don't let go of this Love
Don't let go
...
Although I'm not here physically
to hug you
I'm here
this is my hug
my kiss
my testimony of love
for you.

Janet.

Impossibilities...

"Nothing is impossible with God."

Luke 1:37

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Someone asked me once about the meaning of prayer

I answered it is our way of connecting with God.

Prayer is more than kneeling and complaining, or doing some sort of pitiful cry to God

To persuade Him to grant us some grace...

Prayer happens in the most ordinary moments

In extraordinary ways.

Prayer is a declaration of love.

But impossibilities...

Sometimes life seems out of control

Circumstances overwhelm us

People we love run out of time and resources to come to our aid...

It is at this point of absolute chaos, cloudiness, and emotional despair

That we find ourselves positioned to experience God's hand in our lives.

Happened to me this week...

All of the above.

And verse Luke 1:37

Kept appearing before me time after time

God's hand has been here all along

In the form of Ashley, a little girl who made me take Disney's water rides at age 27

During a cold February day

Taking me back to a childlike state of blessed joy and run-out-of-breath giggles.

God's hand was in the songs that payed in the park...rock sounds that are sure to bring

Out the best of me...no matter what.

God's hand was in the silence and solitude I enjoyed Saturday

While sipping coffee

God's hand

Was in the energy that made me run in the Golf course

Forgetting all my sorrows...enjoying the texture of the sand under my feet.

All of this while life fluctuates between highs and lows.

In this absolute surrender

To Him

I find my impossibilities

Becoming SURPRISES.

Thank You for Mystic Dunes!

Healing balm

“I, the Lord thy God will hold thy
Right hand, saying unto thee, Fear
Not.”

Isaiah 41:13

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I discuss pain a lot
Because is one of those things I know about.
As hard as it is to publicly confess it
And although many say my pain
Is not adequately
Justified,
I need to express what pain has taught me
And why we shouldn’t fear…but rather embrace it.

Obviously for us in the Faith community
The first and most important reason
Is because it is a direct command from God
Not to be fearful.
Nothing else should be said about it.
And yet…there is.

Pain has a secret…
It heals.
It points to what’s needed for completion, repair, and change.

Those of us that,
For one reason or another,
Find ourselves immersed in pain
Need to look at it straight in the eye and
Say: “ok. I acknowledge you, now show me.”

I can guarantee you
Every victory has its spoils.
When God places pain in our lives
He’s giving us a divine healing tool .
Don’t discard it, use it.

After you’ve faced the battle,
You’ll get to see the rainbow.

I know this is easier said than done.
Yet…you cannot afford not to get it done.
If you back off, in fear, you’ll miss God’s Work
In your life.
Let Him heal you through whatever means He sees fit.

TRUST in His Love.

Jan


“For every one that asketh receiveth;
And he that seeketh findeth; and to
Him that knocked it shall be opened.”

Matthew 7:8

Randomness

John 3:5-8

5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

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I ask my Friend
Help!
Hold this body of mine,
Unless I drift away
Like a balloon
Towards the clouds.

My spirit is drunk with love.

My body temperature rises
Above levels of insanity.

I read 7Th century poets
Play my guitar
Run my self
To exhaustion...
Ask God to guide me through this state
Of absolute
Surrender.

Surrender scares me.
…yet I’m willing to yield.

Where did reason go?
When was it replaced
By Love?

Like the wind
...
I’m undecided.
A wanderer.
A being
Lost
In the wine
of Spirit.

Help, my Friend!
Come hastily to
Rescue
...
My soul
...
Needs
...
Longs
...
to drink water

From your Hand.

Not Foxey Lady

Luke 5:16

23After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.


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Like a candle
I put my light
Out there
For everyone to enjoy.

Someone comes
Real close,
And breathes heavily on it.
Blowing my light away.

It's easy to stay in the dark
It's seductive, pitiful, tasty.
But once you've been lightened
Darkness doesn't suit you anymore.

Stubbornly,
I go to my Father
And ask Him
To light me up again.

Flaws.
When things are dirty
They hide underneath.
Father brings my brokenness to light.

It hurts to see myself
In the mirror
Of His Word.
All my flaws exposed, naked, vulnerable.

Still I haven't figured out where His love comes from.
A love like His resembles nothing I knew.
Unconditional.
Never-ending.

...Just know, it's here.
I open my heart, and receive it.


Matthew 5:16

16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Directions, please...

“I am with thee, and will keep thee
In all places whither thou goest.”

Genesis 28:15

“For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but
With great mercies I will gather thee.”

Isaiah 54:7

“I will instruct thee and teach thee
In the way which thou shalt go.”

Psalm 32:8a

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Driving through the fog
Southwest streets of Miami
I find myself kissed by the silence
Caressed in a cocoon
Of white air
Feeling
Infinitely loved
Adored
By God.

Through the fog
I drive
Scared there might be danger ahead
Or behind
From south north east or west
It all seems so unusual
Shaky. Unpredictable.
Yet
Faith pushes my gas pedal
Joy steers the wheel
Love makes it all right.

Two boys
Ride their skate boards
Transmuting into shadows of the night
I see them once
I see them twice
And wonder why
Somewhere in the city
There’s a bed that awaits them
Yet
They opt for the foggy streets
And ride.
Becoming shadows
Alive.

Yeah,
It’s a good night.
I break the fog in half
And
Lord...
You're here!

Infinite Supremacy

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:

"Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

Now prepare yourself like a man;

I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?"

Tell Me, if you have understanding.

Who determined its measurements?

Surely you know!

Or who stretched the line upon it?

To what were its foundations fastened?

Or who laid its cornerstone,

When the morning stars sang together,

And the sons of God shouted for joy?"

Job 38-1-7

Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said:

"Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?

He who rebukes God, let him answer it."

Then Job answered the Lord and said:

"Behold, I am vile;

What shall I answer You?

I lay my hand over my mouth."

Job 40: 1-4

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This week I've learned a few things about the supremacy of God.

He has humbled my spirit... showing me how vulnerable

How powerless, although precious, human life is.

Sometimes we get caught up in the net of knowledge

In the illusion of wisdom and spiritual progress,

We judge ourselves in a linear fashion of

Growth and increased understanding, but ultimately,

...we've become foolish and small in our thoughts.

All it takes is a look back

To a time in our lives where we were at the mercy

Of others

To realize

the supremacy of God.

When we were only a child, when our minds knew no worries

Goals and pride,

He already Was.

In the form of a mother.

In the shape of a smile.

In the perfection of a tiny hand holding a piece of cake.

He was.

In the eyes of innocence.

In the caretaker's heart...

He was.

Where were we when He already was?

Just keeping things in perspective.

Loving you,

Janet.

Walk the talk: communion with God

Romans 5:12

12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—

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One of the hardest things to notice when sin is present in our lives
Is how it fogs our relationship with God
Not necessarily His relationship to us
But rather our relationship to Him.
I’ve noticed when I’m focusing on material, fleshly pursuits
I tend to fade away from Him
And just like water beginning to boil
There’s a sense of uneasiness
A perturbed notion of loosing that inner peace
Only God truly provides.
The Word becomes a memory
And prayer an awkward moment
It’s at this point I realize how far I’ve wandered
From Him.

Although no one notices…because we’re “walking” the talk
Deep inside, the walk becomes just talk…

Without that indescribable inner contact with God
We miss the walk; we become just talk.

Yesterday I was reading the gospel of John while walking -literally.
A man stopped me and said:
“Wow, you look so happy!”
I smiled, because I had been walking with Jesus
His words were somehow bringing color to my skin
Lightness to my feet...
A heavenly dance to the movement of my body
And it showed in the material world.
I was completely unaware of it.

When melting with God
We’re living in a womb of peace, joy and love.
And sometimes we don’t even notice…
We’re like a baby being nurtured by his mother
Intellectually unaware yet absolutely dependent
When we’re suddenly pulled out by the forceps of life
Into the realm of men
We can’t help but
Turn back to Him.
Let our selves be immersed
Into His quiet presence.
Let our selves
Become a baby again.


Isaiah 54:10

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the
covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.


In His lap,

Janet

Joy Cry

Hebrews 13:5-7

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."

6 So we say with confidence,

"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

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Has Jesus ever made you cry?
Yesterday, as I wrote words and words
Of unconscious thoughts
I felt this urge to look up a few verses in Hebrews
And I found in Luke, by “accident”, the passage where Jesus
Forgives a sinner woman who washed his feet with tears.
He tells Simon the woman was forgiven because she had loved much
We all know love covers a multitude of sins
But when our Lord reminds us directly
It has a special meaning
…it brought tears of joy to my eyes…
My dearest friend, don’t get so caught up in the
Busyness of life
That you have no time to love.
Don’t get so immersed in self
That you can’t give a hug, a kiss, a smile…a word of encouragement,
To that special person the Lord has placed in your life at this very moment
We all need love deeply.
No one can truly say of love "enough is enough"
Love is that which can always be given more and more
Treat each person with divine LOVE.
Give and it shall be given unto you.

May the Lord's light shine brightly on you today!

Yours,

Janet.

All we need is Him

Daniel 10:18-19

18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 19 "Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed," he said. "Peace! Be strong now; be strong." When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, "Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength."

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It takes real life to understand Daniel’s brokenness.
Just yesterday I cried to my Lord about human suffering.
Look around and you’ll see how many people hurt.
If it doesn’t break your heart to see your fellow men living in fear, stress, and loneliness…I don’t think you’re truly alive.
The curious thing is that only those who have lived them really know what those torments are all about.
Perhaps you’ve been spared from them yourself. Praise God!
But I haven’t…and now that I’ve moved beyond a victim mentality, now that I’ve grown tired of crying for the milk that’s right next to me, I’ve realized there’s a purpose for it all.
Never despair in your despair.
Know that God has a divine purpose running through your veins.
That precious life you’ve been given, when lived in Faith, is a diamond being brought to excellence.
Don’t give up. Receive the command of your Lord and be strong.
He’s not asking for anything you can’t possibly accomplish.
He’ll give you everything you need to face this battle and win.

Remember: We’re more than conquerors in Christ who strengthens us.

Be blessed!

Your sis that loves you,

Janet.

The mouse in the dog's mouth

James 1: 2-4

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

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I haven't read it myself, but someone I trust once said C S Lewis linked a man facing temptation to a rat being shaken by the mouth of a dog.
I can relate to that scene.
Little did I know how hard it would be to break free from the habit of falling
again and again in the old pits of destruction...until now.
Yeah...breaking free is hard, specially if I try to do it on my own.

So let me tell you what I'm doing...
Placing it all in His hands.
Surrendering my agony to Him.
My prayer this week has been, among tears:
-Oh, Lord, give me the strength because I don't have any; this battle overwhelms me.

And yes...He's answered back. I know if I faint now, and fall, He'll pick me up.
But our relationship might not be the same as now.
I may be like Adam in the garden...hiding from Him, ashamed.
There's no need to stain something so beautiful:
A girl's love bond with her Heavenly Father.
So I lift up my voice, and praise Him.
Because only Jesus has the power to break the chains of sin in our lives.
If you have Faith, please pray.

Love,

Janet

"Sorrow is turned into joy before Him."
Job 41:22b

Celebrating the birth of Jesus: a chorus and the healing wings of the rising sun

Luke 1: 26-33

26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

******* ******* *******
My dear Friend,
The month of December has been a month of celebration for me and my Christian friends.
I don’t know about you, but when the birthday draws near of a person I love, I celebrate not just one day…but all days…and I am so thankful to God for the birth of Jesus.
Thank You, Heavenly Daddy…your Son is the best gift of all!!!
I was invited to His birthday celebration at a stadium here in South Florida; thousands of believers and I sang happy birthday to our Savior illuminated by an ocean of candles. Some souls came to Him for the first time that evening…I have no words to express how awesome it was.
And being Jesus as contemporary as He is, the celebration was divine…full of surprises, Joy…and Love.
By the time the actual Christmas evening arrived, I was invited to join a very special chorus to sing carols to our Lord. Although I didn’t know the songs very well, and my voice became shy at times, my heart, my lungs, and my spirit worshiped Him with each bit of life I carry in me.
I hope You liked it, Lord!!! I know you did!
After church and the chorus, disaster happened; my little niece had a little –though scary- accident. My family didn’t have a chance to actually get together for Christmas. What we did, was thank God for His infinite Mercy in protecting the baby and delivering her from harm.
On the 25th, after the sun rose bringing forth healing from the Lord, my family joined for a barbeque and we got a chance to love each other.
Wherever Love is…His light shines.

Jesus, you’re the light of my life.
May you also be the light to the person reading these words.
I love you with all my being.
Happy birthday!
Your daughter, your friend, yours forever…
Janet.

For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder.—Isaiah 9:6

Grace and a Christmas party.

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
"But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

Matthew 9:12-13

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although I'm probably better off not saying this,
I'll open up to you
Because I got a point to make...
Yesterday I got drunk.
Hold it, don't crucify me yet...after all,
Jesus died for ALL of us.
I had four cups of red wine
(I have very little tolerance to alcohol)
And after the party was over,
I drove home.
My best friend allowed me to drive!
He said I told him I wanted to go home.
Today I called him,
and asked: how could you let me drive in that state?
I questioned his friendship
But somehow I knew arguing was pointless.
We're all sick
In need of a physician.
So I decided
To let go and forgive my friend
Not because he deserves it
But because is the right thing to do.
Who do you need to show mercy today?
Who?
Don't be so full of self that you
Can't freely give to others
What the God of the universe has first given you.

Love, my friend, the rest has no meaning at all.

Besos,

janet