There's Been a Change Come Over Me!

Image from angusday.org

For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days; but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord’s brother. In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only heard it said, ‘The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they glorified God because of me. (Galatians 1:11-24)

The high point of any minister's career has to be when a person comes up and shares how the Lord has changed his or her life.  The best evidence is the joy and peace that one can experience around that person; the old person has passed away, and a new one has taken his/her place.  That is the power of the gospel as this passage shows.  Paul shares how it was the supernaturally received gospel that change his entire life.  He went from being a fast-advancing, well-connected profession intent on destruction, to one who used the same energy and commitment to now advance the Good News of Jesus Christ.  

The gospel is a force that invites all who receive the good news about Jesus to do something about it; one cannot receive a life-change and tell no one.  One cannot receive the fullness of life only to keep it bottled up without sharing it with those who are empty and thirsty.  When the wind blows in and changes your appearance, you go with that look to tell others just how you came to look that way.  The God who can take the shy and make them public speakers and preachers can do the same for you.  The God who can open doors for one to receive an education will open the same doors for you.  There is no excuse to stay where you are when you know the Lord is calling you further down the road.

PRAYER:  Lord, for the changes that have come into my life, let me share them with those content where they are.  For the new vision you have shared with me, let me share it with the blind.  For the new love that You have place in my heart, let me share with the cold.  And for the dead in spirit, let me share how You brought me to new life.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  (Uh, get up and do something!)

Eradio Valverde

You've Ruined a Perfectly Good Funeral!

Image from agnusday.org

Soon afterwards He went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town.When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’ The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!’ This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country. (Luke 7:11-17)

A funeral seems so final.  And in this case, it was in the mom's heart and mind.  No one wants to outlive their children, but that was the case of this widow.  Her husband had died and now her only son had died.  We can only imagine the weeping and wailing accompanying this funeral procession to the grave.  Had this woman known or heard about Jesus?  We don't know, but Jesus knew her pain and grief and thus His stopping the procession and addressing the woman with these words, "Do not weep."  Jesus then addresses the young man, and calls him to rise.  He does and he begins to speak.  And as you can imagine, no one goes to a funeral expecting the dead person to rise, and so great fear came upon everyone there, but they turned that fear into praising God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us!," and "God has looked favorably on HIs people!"  

As our "sheep friends" in the AgnusDay cartoon above have shared, "It's a sign that God has visited all of us to overcome death for us."  Nellie and I are hosting our four youngest grandchildren, two boys and two girls. Nellie sleeps with the babies in our bed, and I with the boys in the guest room.  Late last night she came in with sad news about a longtime friend, who was killed yesterday at what must have been after church in Edinburg, Texas.  Needless to say I could not sleep well having heard that news about Sylvia Espericueta Flores, and I prayed for her husband, Carlos, and their family.  Sylvia was always active in the church and was an officer with the United Methodist Women.  When news of a death visits us, we are sad and shocked and we wonder the why behind it; but again, God has visited all of us with the news that Jesus Christ in HIs dying, overcame death, and the promises He made during His life should sustain us until we all meet again.

PRAYER:  Gracious God, may Your comfort and mercy be with all who mourn on this Memorial Day.  So many service people's families remember the ultimate sacrifice made by loved ones in battle and in peace; comfort them with the way only You can.  We pray the same for those who have recently and unexpectedly, lost lost loved ones, like the Flores and Espericueta families.  Boost our faith in You and what You offer to the world so that others may come to believe.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

No Contest! God Wins Every Time!

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So Ahab sent to all the Israelites, and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel. Elijah then came near to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’ The people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, ‘I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets number four hundred and fifty. Let two bulls be given to us; let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it; I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord; the god who answers by fire is indeed God.’ All the people answered, ‘Well spoken!’ Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, ‘Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many; then call on the name of your god, but put no fire to it.’ So they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, crying, ‘O Baal, answer us!’ But there was no voice, and no answer. They limped about the altar that they had made. At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, ‘Cry aloud! Surely he is a god; either he is meditating, or he has wandered away, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.’ Then they cried aloud and, as was their custom, they cut themselves with swords and lances until the blood gushed out over them. As midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice, no answer, and no response.Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come closer to me’; and all the people came closer to him. First he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down; Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, ‘Israel shall be your name’; with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. Next he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, ‘Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt-offering and on the wood.’ Then he said, ‘Do it a second time’; and they did it a second time. Again he said, ‘Do it a third time’; and they did it a third time, so that the water ran all round the altar, and filled the trench also with water. At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, ‘O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.’ Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt-offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, ‘The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.’ (1 Kings 18:20-39)

This is one of my favorite stories.  I loved hearing it the first time I heard it as a child.  In fact, I just shared the story with my grandson.  (He's a second grader now by the way, and could read the title of today's devotional  And I was on the phone when he came to see the picture above and he liked it)  The lesson is simple; there can be no contest with God; God wins every time!  The contest in today's reading was between God and the false god Baal.  Baal had 450 prophets and they had done a pretty good job of convincing people that Baal was indeed a god.  Elijah had had a rough ministry among them and was ready to give up when he put on this contest.  Simple enough, get two bulls, you Baalists prepare your bull, I will prepare mine.  Just don't set any fire to it, we'll let you go first and call on Baal and ask him to set fire to it.  They waited almost all day, and not a spark from the sky. Elijah had fun mocking them even suggesting what the picture's caption shows. Then Elijah has water poured on his offering, enough water to drench the altar and the trench he dug around it and he then called on God to answer him, and boom, God did.  No contest. God wins every time.

Whatever you may be facing, be it a temptation or a challenge, God will answer and God will win it for you.  You may be drenched in whatever you are facing, but God will answer you and deliver you from your challenge or temptation.  Yesterday's reading on a calendar we have that quotes from our homeboy, John Wesley has him quoting what a Moravian shared with him about temptations (paraphrasing):  "You sometimes have to flee from your temptations and hide in the wounds of our Lord."  Again, no contest.  God. Win. Every. Time.

PRAYER:  Loving God, in the midst of what we face, we are not alone; You are with us.  Hold our hands, hold up our heads and hearts, and let us proclaim that there is no contest, challenge, trial, or temptation that You will not win.  Every time.  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Request:  Since coming back from Portland I had too much to attend to with the district, but last night we drove into Houston to visit my Dad in a bit.  He is still hanging on, but sleeping mostly.  Your prayers are deeply appreciated.  God bless you and yours is my prayer.

So Easily Swayed?

Paul an apostle—sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the members of God’s family who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed! Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:1-12)

If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.  That's a saying that's been around and it is true.  Paul is saying that in a bit more words, but he's addressing the issue of staying faithful and fruitful.  He was called by Jesus, and he is convinced of that, and the urgency of his message did not allow him to tolerate those who easily fell away for "new" teachings, and worse, by "new gospels."  Paul says that even if an angel from heaven came down to proclaim a new gospel, we might as well be accursed.  Paul is set on pleasing God and God only.  He's not a people-pleaser, nor does he want anyone to be when it comes to sharing the gospel of truth and life.  Our gospel was not made up by humans; it was lived out by Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and all that He said and did, was for our own good.  That's a message we are called to share.

PRAYER:  Awesome God of love, help me to share Your gospel today.  It is a word of hope and life that so many have yet to hear; use me to share it in a way that gets others excited about You.  This I pray in the name of Jesus my Lord and Savior, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Knowing God's Power!

Image from alpha consultant

After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.’ And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health. (Luke 7:1-10)

The Romans were not a welcome group in Israel. They controlled the area by force and the presence of soldiers in any region is not always a welcome sign. It was because of the soldier's authority that Jesus responded about the "second mile." A Roman soldier could tap a Jewish citizen on the shoulder with the flat part of his spear and force that citizen to carry his load for one mile. When asked about that, Jesus said to go two miles. It may not have been a popular answer, but it was one that showed the way a Christian should live. So, to read this story is to see the influence that faith had had on the life of one in charge of at least one hundred of those soldiers. It would be rare to see Jewish elders to come and speak on a soldier's request, let alone that of a centurion. And to hear the Jewish elders say, "He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people,and it is he who built our synagogue for us." This was a man of love and conviction; he spent his money and used his influence to built their worship center, and now in his need; "a slave whom he valued highly" was ill and close to death. He had heard about Jesus and His power and so asks for Jesus to heal this slave. And that centurion's faith was so strong he asked that Jesus not trouble coming to his house; "But speak the word, and let my servant be healed." He explained how his authority worked and he had no doubt Jesus' authority worked the same way. And the slave was healed, and Jesus used it as a teaching moment for His disciples.

Jesus still has that same authority. If we have faith and ask of God to be with us and our loved ones, He is there. If we are hurting and need healing, we should go to God first and ask. Whatever our need, know the power of God and ask of Him!

PRAYER: Awesome God, thank You for Jesus and His presence with us. You know the needs of this dear reader and his/her family. Bless them with answered prayers that glorify You; this we pray in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Thank you for your prayers. Nellie and I arrived safely home yesterday at 1 p.m., having spent 88.4 hours in the car traveling some 5,100 miles from CC to Portland and back. We pushed our way back thus no ConCafes for the last two days. Please continue to pray for my dad, his vitals stay normal but he is sleeping most of the time now. God is good.

God is Great for Thinking of Us

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O Lord, our Sovereign,    how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory above the heavens.     Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,    to silence the enemy and the avenger.  When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,    the moon and the stars that you have established;  what are human beings that you are mindful of them,    mortals that you care for them?  Yet you have made them a little lower than God,    and crowned them with glory and honour.  You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;    you have put all things under their feet,  all sheep and oxen,    and also the beasts of the field,  the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.  O Lord, our Sovereign,    how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8)

"It's all about me!" has no place in the Christian mind or heart.  God created us for worship and service, and to think that we were created to be pleased and pampered just does no one any good.  David, who spent a lot of time outdoors soon realized as he surveyed creation, just how marvelous and awesome is God. And how awesome it was that God even thought of us.  He writes, "What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?  Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor."  And, David realized that we have a responsibility with who we are in God's thinking; that of having dominion over the works of God's hands requires a lot of work, and caring, and love.

PRAYER:  O Lord, our God and Sovereign, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!  And made more so, when we serve You and care for each other.  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Requests:  Dear friends, please conintue to hold Leroy Keese of Brady, TX., and my father, Eradio M. Valverde, in your prayers.  Prayers for several here in Portland who have taken ill, including a bishop from Africa diagnosed with malaria; a delegate from Houston with shingles, and several who have fallen and injured themselves while here.  And pray for the General Conference, two full days of work remain; we pray that all delegates be able to discern God's will for the people called United Methodists. Blessings and thanks!

Talk Up God; Use Words If Necessary!

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When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions,    and your old men shall dream dreams.  Even upon my slaves, both men and women,    in those days I will pour out my Spirit;      and they shall prophesy.  And I will show portents in the heaven above    and signs on the earth below,      blood, and fire, and smoky mist.  The sun shall be turned to darkness    and the moon to blood,      before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.  Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:1-21)

God got His point across in a miraculous way; that was what made Pentecost a new day.  Gathered from all over the world, devout men and women of the Jewish faith were in Jerusalem for their celebration of Moses having received the Law from God.  The disciples, still hanging around with fear and no real sense of purpose yet, get visited by fire; the fire of the Holy Spirit that gave them the ability to speak in languages they had not learned.  They "amazed and astonished" people from all over with their ability to speak of "God's deeds of power."  They were so amazing, some thought they were drunk.

How do you get your point across when it comes to the things of God?  Paul tried every way he could to relate to people right where they were to get them to understand God's love.  The church still believes people should come in, adopt to their ways and be like them.  And we wonder why we're dying?  The new church goes to people, gets to know them, and then shares the awesomeness of God's deeds of power to love, transform, and save.  And that person who has been saved goes to the next person and shares with them, and they with others.  And when you think about it, somebody told somebody that told somebody until you heard and you received!  It may have been done the old way, but it worked then - the question is how are you talking up God?  You should begin with your actions and then use words if necessary.

Someone needs to hear.  And God may be wanting to use you!

PRAYER:  Loving and awesome God, use me!  I want to share You in new and amazing ways.  Grant me the power of Your Holy Spirit to do just that. Today even.   In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Be Not Afraid. Be A Child of God.

Image from restoredtraditions.com

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:14-17)

When our first baby learned to crawl we placed her on a blanket on our floor.  She ventured to the edge of it and looked around to see who was watching.  She saw us looking and smiled, then put her little hand on the floor.  She looked at us again, and then ventured off the blanket onto the floor.

The biblical greeting in so many of the stories has either an angel or the Lord Jesus Himself saying these three powerful words:  Be Not Afraid.  And in today's passage leading us to celebrate Pentecost we heard Paul echoing the Lord's greeting, but sharing its power and source.  It is the Holy Spirit who leads us forward, as children of the Most High; not led by a spirit of slavery or fear; we bear witness that we are indeed children of God, and our purpose is to glorify Him.

Today, thousands of people from around the world and all walks of life will gather as we begin the 2016 General Conference here in Portland, Oregon.  We know the Holy Spirit is present and we are asking for all delegates to be able to discern the will of God for the people called United Methodists.  I invite you to join in that prayer.  There is much to do; the harvest is ready, pray the Lord send us those who will bring the harvest in.  And with the boldness and courage of being God's children.

PRAYER:  Loving God grant me the power of Your Holy Spirit to glorify You today.  Let me walk in courage and boldness as I give witness to all You have done in my life.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

Never Alone Again

Image from caleiforniathroughmylens.com

Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever.This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. (John 14:8-27)

Nellie and I are on our way to Portland, Oregon, for the 2016 General Conference. We had never seen this part of our country, and decided to drive.  And believe us, we are being blessed by some gorgeous scenery and landscapes that are awesome.  We drove yesterday over the Golden Gate Bridge after driving the roller coaster like streets of San Francisco.  And our practice has been to find a place to have lunch and after getting our bearings, we decide how far to drive and so we usually pull off the highway and make a hotel reservation and input GPS location of that hotel and drive on.  We pulled off the highway down a circular off-ramp and as we turned the final corner to come to the intersection, we see a vehicle blocking the intersection and a group of four teenaged girls and the driver of the pickup pulling a horse trailer filled with hungry horses.  The girls looked terrified and one of them runs over and says their truck has stalled, will not stall, and perhaps I could drive around them.  I see the space between the trailer and the curb is very narrow.  But first I ask if they're all right.  She said yes, and the mom is on the phone, which answered my followup question if they had a phone.  I pulled the car close to the gap and set my emergency flashers on, and get out to ask the driver if she is okay.  That's when I notice the engine is leaking diesel fuel onto the street. I also notice a couple of the girls are crying.  I tell them they will be fine and we will get help for them.  I also see the gap is wide enough for our car and so I get back in, drive to a safer spot and call 911. Long story short, the mom and I are talking and I discover they are Methodists and I am a district superintendent.  The CHP officer arrives and I again tell the girls they are going to fine and off we drive.

I had been in their shoes before many times.  It is a scary feeling; miles from nowhere, uncertainty of next steps; all very easy to fell alone.  Today's passage says the opposite.  Jesus assures Philip and the disciples, and us, that we are never ever alone if we walk with Christ Jesus, for He has provided an Advocate, a helper, for all who believe and we are never ever alone again.  I love the closing of this passage, "Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."  Even in the face of uncertainty, doubt, the challenges of today, we have Someone with us; Christ the Lord.

PRAYER:  Lord, be with us today, especially those unsure about the rest of today and the fears of tomorrow.  You have spoken lovingly and clearly to us.  We are not afraid and our hearts are not troubled, for You are with us.  We pray in Your name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer requests:  Please pray for those traveling for the start of tomorrow's 2016 General Conference.  There is much to do and we hope much to accomplish and we pray God's Advocate helps us discern God's will for the people called United Methodists.

Thank God for Virtuous Women

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Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. (Proverbs 31:10)

This week's devotionals had quotes from my mother, María del Jesús Jimenez de Valverde.  She went home to the Lord about thirteen years ago, and I think about her daily and miss her a lot. I also miss my mother-in-law, María Luisa Zamora de Rosales, who also died way before her time, and who defied the joke-standard definition of mothers-in-law; she was the real deal, a mom to me in love and care.  I miss her and think of her daily as well.  And I thank God everyday for my wife, the mother of our children, Nellie Valverde, who has walked beside me lovingly for these almost 40 years.  She's a model wife and a loving and caring mother and grandmother.  Nellie M. Valverde Garcia, Saraí Valverde Cortez, Carli I. Valverde, and Caitlin D. Valverde have also blessed my life in wonderful, loving ways.  It's scary they each have my sense of humor, but are awesome women in their lives.  And, I thank God for Saraí Evangelina Cortez, Eliana Beth Garcia, and Adabelle Grace Garcia; precious little ones who have blessed my life with their smiles, words, and deeds.

So, to the moms out there, Happy Mother's Day!  And to those who have children under your loving care, a Happy Mother's Day, too!  Nothing beats a great, wonderful aunt, or a loving caring older friend to young women who need your counsel and wisdom.

May the Lord bless you and keep you this weekend as you remember your own moms, and as others gather around you to love you and thank you for being their mom.

PRAYER:  Loving God, for mothers and those who are real mothers to many, thank You!  May Your blessing be with all women; lift them who are down, make well those who are ill, and comfort those who are hurting and missing special ones in their lives.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Happy Mother's Day and a wonderful weekend to match.

Eradio

Prayers asked for General Conference which begins this coming week in Portland, OR; a meeting of United Methodists from around the world.  There is much to consider and pray over.  We pray God's will be done.

"Come When I Call You!"

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‘See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’ Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.‘It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’  The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.

The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen. (Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21)

My childhood days were spent outside.  As soon as I finished my homework I could go outside to play.  I think my Mom liked that; one less kid in the house.  Mom would say, "Come home when I call you!" My best friend was Alex and he and I would head straight to the creek where we had adventures to pursue.  All our fun would end when even a half of mile away, I could hear my mother's voice calling me home. That usually meant my dad was home and supper was almost ready; and you know I don't usually come late for supper!  Whatever world my mom disrupted, a better world awaited me; family, food, dad, mom.

Jesus says the same thing to us, and He means it.  When we hear, "come," we should come.  Whatever world we think will be disrupted, a better world awaits.  

PRAYER: Awesome God, thank You for Your constant presence with us, and for the promise that one day Jesus will return for us.  Help us to know our Shepherd's voice so that when we hear Him say, "Come," we will answer.  Help us to live lives here now that bless You and Yours.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Update:  I finally had a chance to visit my Dad Sunday night and Monday morning in Houston.  He has improved a little, but is still a little weak.  Yesterday he said a lot of things to me, but he was speaking barely above a whisper.  I shared how I would be going to Portland, Oregon and he said, "Don't be afraid; people will come to know you and like you."  That made me smile.  Then I cried when I left his room.  Thank you for your prayers.

Let All People Praise God!

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May God be gracious to us and bless us    and make his face to shine upon us,   

        that your way may be known upon earth,    your saving power among all nations.  Let the peoples praise you, O God;    let all the peoples praise you. 

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,    for you judge the peoples with equity    and guide the nations upon earth.    

   Let the peoples praise you, O God;    let all the peoples praise you. 

The earth has yielded its increase;    God, our God, has blessed us.  May God continue to bless us;    let all the ends of the earth revere him. (Psalm 67)

May this be part of the long prayer we need to pray today:  "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us."  The prayer goes on, and we will add to it throughout the day, but the focus should be on God, not us.  The very first part of the prayer says that God has been, and can be, and truly is, gracious to us, and certainly God has blessed us, and His face does shine upon those who seek it, but it is a part of the entire process; salvation among all people, and after salvation, praise, praise, praise!

Our praise should be in song, in words, in actions, and in thoughts; gladness should be exuding from our very being, for God has seen fit to call us into a loving, trusting, growing relationship with Him.  May it be seen as too inviting to pass up on, and too available not to say yes to God.

The best way to bless God is to be a blessing to others in God's name.

PRAYER:  Loving God, let me bless You.  In Christ I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Updates:  Pastor Dale White was blessed with a good outcome in his heart cath; he was able to go home yesterday.  The doctor discovered that he does have some blockage but the body figured out a way to do its own bypass.  Hmm.  God be praised!

Go to Where the Need Is

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During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us. (Acts 16:9-15)

Do you want an adventurous faith?  Walk across the aisle in church this Sunday to greet someone you don't know!  If you really want adventure, cross the street from your church to meet those whom you don't know and just talk to them about their faith. Both seem hard, don't they?  Not to Paul.  He even dreamed of places and people he needed to visit.  In today's passage, "a man of Macedonia" appears in this dream/vision and pleads with him to "Come over to Macedonia and help us."  I love that he didn't say, "Let me think about it," or "Was I dreaming?  Does he really want me to 'cross over to Macedonia?'"  It says he immediately tried getting there, sailing there to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.  He seeks a place of prayer along the river and meets a woman named Lydia, whose heart was opened to the Lord and she and her household were baptized.  Her life was never the same.

What would happen to that person who's across the aisle from you in church this Sunday if you just greeted them and asked how they were?  What would be the need you would find in that household across the street from your church?  It may be your own life you would be blessing by being obedient to the Lord's urging...

PRAYER:  Loving God, challenge my faith and my life by allowing me to cross aisles, barriers, obstacles, whatever is keeping me in my comfort zone.  I want to and I need to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with someone today.  May it be so.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio

Prayer Requests:  For Rev. Dale White, pastor at First UMC in Alice, TX, having an angiogram done here in Corpus Christi at Spohn Shoreline Hospital.  For my father, who was readmitted to Houston Hospice with doctor believing he has about a month to live.  We trust God.  

I'll Still Be Looking for My Taco Meat...

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And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.  I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.People will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practises abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever. (Rev. 21:10, 22-22:5)

Country singer Pat Green wrote and sings a song called Songs About Texas.  It has my favorite lyric in it.  "Some day I hope to walk along Heaven's street, and I'll still be looking for my taco meat."  It fits this way in the stanza:  "Well it's nothing short of the gospel hymns, I guess that's why folks keep writing 'em; when I die, I want to go there too, some day I hope to walk along heaven's street, and I'll still be looking for my taco meat and I swear I hear a steel guitar rising in the air."  This may not be your description of heaven, but that may prove you're not from Texas... just kidding.

The Apostle John's description of heaven is shared in today's passage.  It shows the all encompassing love of God to care and bless His redeemed.  The place of worship will be heaven itself; there will be no need for a temple.  The glory of God will be light enough for all to see, for the sun and the moon will no longer need to shine on us.  The gates of heaven will never be closed during night, for there will no longer be night.  The descriptions of the streets and the trees, rivers, etc., all show the glory of God.  But it is also a reminder that we have work to do.  There are some on our street that may not make it.  There may even be some in our church that may not make it.  Someone, like you or I, has to tell them of God's love.  We have to work to have heaven-like conditions here on earth for all people, but also the desire to get everyone who accepts, into a loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  And yes, to get as many people to heaven as we can; whether there's taco meat or not.

PRAYER:  Loving God, thank You for your love.  We thank You for the role John played in sharing this awesome vision with us.  Help me in what I have to do.  Let me be faithful.  This I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Comforter and Counselor

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Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. (John 14:23-29)

Jesus had just told His disciples He was going into hospice care. Actually, Jesus was more direct; He told them He was going to suffer and die at the hands of His enemies. News about pending death do not arrive nor are received well in most cases. Jesus was 33 years old; I'm getting to be twice that old soon, Lord willing. Or let's just say I'm closer there than I am to 33, though I'm still young and feel young. Thirty-three years of age is not a good age to die in our opinion, and certainly not in the opinion of those disciples who had left everything to follow Him. But Jesus is saying, You won't be alone. Stay in love with me and show it by keeping what I've taught you and God will come and live in you; and, I'm sending you someone special, the Holy Spirit who will be your Advocate. The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I've taught you; I want you to have peace, the kind that soothes your heart and does not trouble you. You will see me again.

The sadness they felt, and the experiences they went through were tougher than they imagined, but it was after the Resurrection they began to understand as they witnessed what they saw and as Pentecost arrived, they were made sure of what Jesus had promised. From that point on they lived the life that Jesus had intended all along, a life that trusts God and blesses others. You and I are in Easter season approaching Pentecost and we have been blessed. We should live lives that give witness to that peace and strength that Jesus has shared with us. After all, we have a comforter and counselor who will guide us if asked.

PRAYER: Loving God, bless me with a deeper faith, peace, and strength to live like Jesus wanted. Let me bless those whom I meet today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Got Praise?

Hallelujah! Praise God from heaven, praise him from the mountaintops; Praise him, all you his angels, praise him, all you his warriors, Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, you morning stars; Praise him, high heaven, praise him, heavenly rain clouds; Praise, oh let them praise the name of God - he spoke the word, and there they were! He set them in place from all time to eternity; He gave his orders, and that's it! Praise God from earth, you sea dragons, you fathomless ocean deeps; Fire and hail, snow and ice, hurricanes obeying his orders; Mountains and all hills, apple orchards and cedar forests; Wild beasts and herds of cattle, snakes, and birds in flight; Earth's kings and all races, leaders and important people, Robust men and women in their prime, and yes, graybeards and little children. Let them praise the name of God - it's the only Name worth praising. His radiance exceeds anything in earth and sky; he's built a monument - his very own people! Praise from all who love God! Israel's children, intimate friends of God. Hallelujah! (Psalm 148) The Message Version

What's your definition of praise?  My definition runs along the lines of pausing and lifting up positive thoughts, words, or songs to God, remembering that God is worthy of our praise.  And this psalm reinforces that.  The psalmist says that these pauses are important and necessary.  They are meant to be taken throughout the day, for our good.  Praise is a reminder of Who God is, and who we are.  Praise is a life-giving action to our souls and hearts; a blessing to our minds, but more importantly a blessing to God.

We can and should praise God at any time and in any place.  And it is an expected action of all creatures, all people, regardless of age or station.

Easter is a time of praise; for God has done great and mighty things for us.  And the best news?  God isn't finished with us yet.

PRAYER:  Loving God, for all You have done, I praise You.  For all You are doing, I praise You.  For all You will do I praise You!  Let me continue to praise You in such a way that others will come along and join in the happy song.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

You, Too?

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Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, ‘Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?’ Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, ‘I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” But I replied, “By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.” But a second time the voice answered from heaven, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, “Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.” And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?’ When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, ‘Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.’ (Acts 11:1-18)

What's more important?  What you eat or who you eat with?  There are some foods that you might already have decided, "I will not eat those!"  And for some, they have decided there are some people they will not eat with.  Hmm.  The second is the most serious because you have judged some people as being not as good as you or not deserving of your company.  This passage addresses both things.  The apostle Peter had a vision that spoke to him about his diet and his displeasure.  Having been raised a Jew there were certain things that he could not eat.  And because he was a Jew there were certain people he could not eat with; namely anyone who was not a Jew.  These people are called Gentiles.  Yet, God spoke to him in a vision and set him on a new course about his ideas regarding his diet and his discrimination.

The gospel is for all people.  We have to love and welcome all people to the faith.  We have to get to know those we don't know and maybe, share a meal with them so that we can know each other better.  Don't be like the two coworkers who worked alongside each other for 35 years and when they retired at their retirement celebration they found out they were both United Methodists.  "You, too?"  Sigh.  Don't wait 35 years to talk to your coworkers about what you believe and who you are.  If you do wait 35 years, they'll know exactly who you are.

PRAYER:  Loving God, speak to my fears about sharing my faith and declaring who I am.  Help me to spread the good news with all people, especially those by my side each day.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Jesus: Alpha and Omega

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them;  he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’

 And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. (Revelation 21:1-6a)

Death does not end all things.  John saw and heard all about great, new, eternal things in this passage and throughout this last book of our scriptures.  He witnessed a new heaven and a new earth, and, "The sea was no more."  I have loved sharing with you the passage from Micah 7:19 where the prophet says of God, "You cast all our iniquities (sins) into the deepest part of the sea."  This passage shows the finality of our sins.  More importantly, John saw that God was among all people who had died in their faith and relationship with Jesus, and it is God who will declare, "Death will be no more; mourning and crying and brain will be no more, for the first things have passed away."  And then the declaration that all things will be made new, promised and guaranteed by the Lord Himself.  At that time, Jesus will say, "It is done!  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life."  

For this we labor now; to make sure we get as many people as we can into our faith, to find hope, forgiveness, mercy, joy, and the promise of a life that never ends.  The empty pews and seats we see on Sundays are those people whom we have yet to invite and bring into a loving, trusting relationship with Christ; there is still room, but there is work to be done.

Share this word with someone today.  

PRAYER:  Loving God, put me to work sharing the good news.  This I ask in Thy name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayers for those still affected by the heavy rains and flooding, especially in parts of Houston.

And They'll Know We Are Christians By Our ___?

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When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ (John 13:31-35)

God blessed me with a wonderful day yesterday.  It was a long day, but one I spent with my sweet wife, going the width of our district.  We got up early to be in worship at First UMC in Port Lavaca, where our web master and his wife asked that I baptize their daughter.  His mother is our associate pastor at FUMC there, and it was a great morning, followed by a good lunch.  Then we zoomed over to George West, Texas, where I shared my faith story with a large group of confirmands.  And as I was reading the gospel text for this coming Sunday that thinking about the day and especially the giggly confirmands sitting on the front row that I thought of that old song which I quoted in the titles of this devotional.  The refrain says, "And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love; yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love."  Did I mention I got attacked as soon as I walked in the sanctuary at the first church?  Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our lack of love in some cases...  It was not a personal attack but an attack against a pastor is still an attack.  Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love...

The object of our lives is to glorify God in everything we say, think, and do.  And nothing glorifies God more than our love towards God, towards ourselves in positive, healthy ways, and our love for others.  It's the new commandment, and it's one that will never get old, especially as new people come to that understanding of its importance and centrality to our faith.  Jesus was suggesting or hinting this; He was commanding this.  "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Yes, everyone.  No exceptions.  Not even jerks.

PRAYER:  Lord, Easter is about Your love for us, and our love for you and others.  We sometimes fear the "others" because of what we have seen or experienced from some, but nonetheless, our commandment is to love one another.  Forgive us when we find it hard or try to ignore doing that; we are called to people The People of Love.  May it be so in my heart and life right now!  In Your Name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS  That attack did not ruin my day nor deny me my blessings!  Amen!

Ah, The Good Life!

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The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.     He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;     he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths    for his name’s sake. 

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,    I fear no evil; for you are with me;    your rod and your staff—    they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me    in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil;    my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me    all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord    my whole life long. - 23rd Psalm

I entered the good life at around nine years of age.  It was at that age that Jesus became my shepherd.  It was at that age I got my first paying job; and I became a tither.  And around that age that I was confirmed into the Methodist Church on this very day (it was a Sunday back then!).  I can think of no better life that I could want.  I am the richest man when it comes to blessings from the Lord; His love and care for me.  I have never wanted for anything; many have been the green pastures in which I have laid down in.  Cool has been the water I have drank.  And many have been the times the Lord has restored my soul.  He's been my G.P.S.; my Good Providing Shepherd, and has led me on the right path and what an adventure that has been.  I wish I could say that I've stayed on that path; I sometimes resemble that verse that says, "And we, like sheep, have gone astray..." but He's led me back and more importantly welcomed me back.  Yes, I've been scared and many have been the tears I have shed; but I've never feared, especially evil, for the power and might of the Lord have protected me, and yes, I've been comforted.

I've attended the finest banquets possible, sometimes even with people that didn't care for me, and some may have been my enemies; but that was okay because as far as the Lord was concerned I was the guest of honor; and so were they - for Jesus died for sinners.  To receive bread and wine in Jesus' name and presence, and power; I'm full!  And while the journey has been a great one and no one know how much more we have, we hold on to the hand of He who leads us, and you know what?  The best is yet to come!  I have reservations at the Shepherd's house.

PRAYER:  Lord, bless those who have read it; may those who know You celebrate You, and may those who seek You come to know You as Lord and Shepherd.  I pray in Thy name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

P.S.  The year was 1963 - 53 years ago.  I still have the Bible given to me on that day, and I still have the certificate of my church membership!  To God be the glory!