My Divine Notes

My ministry is all about sharing my experiences and what works for me, so you can be encouraged. These tips help maintain my JOY through the wilderness: 1. I confess my weaknesses and I ask for forgiveness. This one is hard because you have to say these things out loud and talk it over with the Holy Spirit. 2. I also confess my weaknesses to my accountability partner. When you don’t confess to a trusted Christian friend, the enemy can put guilt trips all over your mind! 3. I fight the enemy by confessing out loud, “May the blood of Jesus Christ repel and rebuke the enemy!” I learned this from my grandmother. 4. I don’t blame the enemy for everything because most of the time I get in my own way. I have to be brutally honest with myself and the Holy Spirit, so I can do effective ministry. This is an ongoing growth area for me. 5. The most important thing is to keep an open dialogue with the Holy Spirit – I talk out loud – I praise out loud – I confess out loud! 6. I realize th...

My First Communion Day with Tia Lupita  I was born into a deeply devout Catholic family  so it was natural for me to be moved by the selection of a new Pope.  We attended Spanish/Latin Mass at 7 a.m. every  Sunday and I went to Catechism class each Wednesday (when I  didn't  play hooky with my best friend...sorry grandmother).  J    I also celebrated my First Communion, Confirmation and  Quinceañera   with full blown Mexican-American family celebrations. My mother celebrating my Quinceanera with me. It was a big deal. Along the journey, most of the family left the church except my mom.  We found different congregations to fellowship and worship the Lord.  I dropped church and belief in God altogether for many years. But I returned to the Shepherd’s fold when my child was born, for her sake I say, but God caught my heart and that was a game changer – I fell deeply in love with the Lord. We ...

March 6, 2013 Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. I’m feeling nostalgic today after making one last trek to the department store of my childhood. Our downtown Macy’s, formerly Foley’s , is set to close this weekend. The store holds treasured memories of family and friends who joined me on many shopping journeys.   My brother and I rode downtown on many a Saturday with our grandparents. The guys would drop us off at Foley’s for what seemed like hours. My grandmother would inspect all the merchandise and buy clothes for me. I remember wearing many fashions I  didn't  like just to please her. My best friend who passed away many years ago was another shopping companion. We’d buy elephant pants and other "hip" 70s clothing at Foley's. Mostly, we loved riding the escalators and looking at makeup. Later when the name changed, I shopped at Macy’s with my daughter, friends and colleagues for many years.   ...