Tamara Rodrigues

My husband, our Emma dog, and I went to the beach this weekend to surprise my niece. She had her first “craft show” of her beautiful pottery. She donated all the money she took in to hospice care for children. She didn’t keep any of it, not even for her costs of the materials, the use of the kiln, or anything. I cannot tell you how deeply that touched me. She has come a long way and has walked a hard road. I am so proud of her!

It rained. It didn’t dampen her spirits, even when the tarp dumped water all over her. She just laughed and kept going. “That was refreshing.” We chickened out after a while and retreated to our car. She stayed the course the entire time. She was the only one left at the show. Perserverance.

God is always teaching us something. It may not be me or you personally who are going through something, but a witness to something from someone else. Perserverance. Charity. Service. Loving.

In the Book of James in the Bible, chapter one verse four says, “Let perserverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (highlighting mine.) This is the verse that came immediately to mind as I was thinking about my niece. She is perserverant. She is becoming mature and complete. It was a good day.

Emma loved the ocean. We dodged raindrops to go, but it was worth it. As soon as her paws hit the water she was happy. She had a blast. It was wonderful watching her and my husband playing in the water.

God is so good!

Sundays are great days for me. God’s people come together with other believers and worship our Lord. We have the opportunity to be taught God’s Word and apply it to our lives. As you know, hearing and applying are two different things.

Today our pastor was preaching on the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew Chapter 5:43-48. Pull out your Bible right now and read it, I’ll wait….

That’s right – love your enemies. Jesus does not tell us to love our friend, our family, those who love us – He tells us to love our enemies. As my pastor was preaching, the Holy Spirit kept bringing the same name to my mind. I know God has had me in this church, at this time, and with this pastor to learn what I have forgotten to live. Love my enemies.

As pastor closed the service he gave us three words to use all week. Any time I need help – ask Jesus to come to my aid and through His strength – love my enemy. When someone cuts me off in traffic – love him. Don’t use my imaginery air pistol and shoot out their tires, but love them. When someone upsets me or hurts me, don’t seek to hurt back – love them.

In today’s world, we are taught that we have rights and we have the right to hurt back when we are hurt. To right the wrong done to us. That is in man’s fallen world. That is not in God’s world or His plan for us. His world says, we die to our rights and live as His Son lived. When Jesus hung on the cross and was tortured and taunted, He could have called down legions of angels. He didn’t. He bore their sins, just as He bore mine. He loved His enemy. He asked for forgiveness for them and for me. He walked His talk.

I wager you would like to know what the three words are. Call on Jesus? Love my enemy? But those aren’t the words pastor left with us. He told us to say silently or out loud, with gusto, “Now’s my chance!”

Now’s my chance to do what Jesus told me to do. To show others His love. Not just agree with it and have no action – but LIVE it! It’s time to LIVE and DO and not sit and think.

NOW’S MY CHANCE!

Today one of my friends was with her mom as she walked into Jesus’ arms. Bittersweet in the life of a believer. In our humaness, we mourn our loved ones. It hurst us to a depth that you only know if you have experienced a deep loss. In God’s reality, they are now free of pain and meeting Jesus face to face. It is a time of celebration. A homecoming.

I shared this news with my Mom today. Mom received some bad news about her cancer spreading on Tuesday of this week. While the news hit like a ton of bricks, the reality is, when God calls Mom home – she too will be free of pain and free of the things that tie us down in this fallen world.

As Mom puts it, it is a win-win for her. She will be out of pain, she will be with Jesus (and who doesn’t want that?) and she will see those who have gone on before us. Mom has peace over whatever comes next in this earthly life. She knows where she is going.

The Book of James reminds us that we will face trials of many kinds – but to consider it pure joy. Mom is walking out her faith boldly for all that have their eyes open. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with a mom who loves me, who is a role model, and is my best friend.

Each day we traverse the universe on this orb called Earth. We don’t feel it moving, but science tells us that we are.

I got to thinking about how we spend our time. Life is truly what we make it. We are each given the same number of moments in a day. It is our choice to use this gift any way we choose. Just how will we live them?

I admit it, there are some days that I have wasted my moments. How? By allowing something to rob me of the joy I have. By holding resentment, by being angry about something that won’t be remembered in a month, or by watching life on idle as it it goes flying past me.

Each morning we are blessed when we wake up. We have breath. We can choose the way we will spend our time. I must make a conscious choice to live in the moment – every moment. I can’t waste my moment by thinking about tomorrow.

When I see a beautiful cloud, a floating butterfly, or a childs smile – I must choose to slow down and enjoy them. Take the moment and live it. Tell those I love that I love them. Show others the grace that has been extended to me. Live my life.

Be present in every moment.

It’s Tuesday. I woke up feeling like I could cry at any moment. I had no idea why. Thought perhaps I had dust or Jordy fur in my eyes. Something from the heat being on. About 12:30, I learned why.

My Mom’s next treatment for NSCLC is going to begin tomorrow. The medication she is currently on has given her serious side effects. Her doctor is going to spread the dosage out over two days to see if it will aid in lessening the side effects. It is targetting is her eyes. She has other side effects as well, that are very unpleasant, but the worst is her eyes.

I choose to believe God hears our prayers and that He answers them. I trust Him. As soon as I received the email from my sister, I began praying and telling Him that I trust Him, that I love Him and that He will take care of Mom.

My niece is also going through some trials. January 10th, 2012 is going to be remembered as a day of news in our family.

What is interesting to me is that you can be having a day that seems to going along okay and then one email, one phone call, one letter (does anyone still do that?) – can send your day spinning.

Thankfully, those of us who are in the Lord, who love Him and seek Him, always have Him to turn to. God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.

Blessings to all.

Our two dogs love to bark at squirrels. They sit on the back of the couch looking out the window, just waiting for a passing leaf, squirrel, cat, or dog. Then the alarms go off and Jordy first and then Emma launch into a chorus of alerting barks. Jordy (Jack Russell mix) can lay and stand on the back of the couch. Emma has to have her back legs on the seat and her front legs on the top. They will stay like this for hours.

Today Sammy (the squirrel) was in rare form. He came across the yard which caught Jordy’s attention and came on the deck. Taunting him. Then Emma joined the chorus. Sammy hopped up on the post and I know hhad to secretly be saying “na ne na ne boo boo”. Dave finally went out and chased him away.

This continues to go on this morning, Dave has been on the deck four times already chasing them away. Another squirrel has joined Sammy, we”ll call this one Susie. I do think they are messing with our dogs.

This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it

Blessings to all.

Yes, it’s back to work today! No more moratorium, work will commence as normal as it is – unpredictable. Today closes with a trip to the oral surgeon. My Mom has her oncologist appointment this morning. As Gilda Radner would say, “It’s always something.”

Even with work, the dentist, and the doctors, it is a new year. New deductibles. New chances. It’s exciting and scary all at the same time. What will the New Year hold for me, for us? I have come to learn that if we put our trust in the Lord, whatever comes, He will handle. There may be trials – those help us to grow. There may be highs, those help us to appreciate all we are given. There will be opportunities to reach out and help the poor.  Some thing we as Christians, are called to do.

Let’s make 2012 a year where we keep our eyes open for those who need help. We are the most blessed nation on earth. Even the poorest of the poor have more than the poorest of the third world countries. We who have more, must help those who have less. When we do, we are Jesus to the hurting world. We may be all they see of Jesus.

Blessings to all.

You can find God everywhere. I was heading to the car dealership today for my 15,000 mile service on my car. As I was in traffic, the overhead sign was flashing – there was a stalled car in the middle lane. Of course, I was in the middle lane. At first I wondered why someone didn’t get the car out of the middle lane instead of putting it on the sign. Then as I came up on it, I watched a gentlemen get out of his car and go and push the ladies car to the side of the road. I was happy to see that. So many will just drive by. Not only did the man stop, but all 4 lanes of the highway came to a stop so he could move her safely to the shoulder. How is that for working together!

It is amazing to me how God just continues to show up everywhere I am. I just have to look for Him. He’s there. I sometimes don’t slow down enough to see Him in action.

In 2012, let’s all slow down to see Him and His handiwork. It’s there, we just need to look.

Blessings to all.

Yes, two days before Christmas – is Christmas Eve Eve even right?

Two days until we celebrate the birth of Lord Jesus Christ. I love Him so. I want all the world to know Him the way I do. Without Him, I am nothing. With Him, I can be what He has called me to be. His faithful servant. I can do all things because He gives me strength. There is nothing that He cannot overcome.

As I prepare for His second coming, I think of His first coming. His humble beginnings and life. The way He led His life here on earth. The way He reached out to the people who needed Him, not the “acceptable” people, but those with leprosy, those who were blind or lame, those who persecuted Him and His followers.

From where I sit in a country where I face very little persecution for being His follower, it is hard to imagine all He went through and all people are going through now – even to the point of matyrdom for Him.

Pray for those who are serving Him in places where just saying His name can land you in prison or worse. Pray for those around the world protecting our freedom. Pray for those who do not have a home this Christmas and are living on the streets. Pray for the leaders around the world to focus on helping the “least of these” so that there is no more war, no more hunger, no more sex trafficing. This world we live in is fallen. But, we can make a difference – one life at a time.

Blessings to all.