He Who Finds a Wife..(Almost)

He who finds a wife finds a treasure and he receives favor from the Lord. Prov. 18:22.

Mr. Marinus DeVos has found a wife (almost).  You may ask, "And who is Marinus and why do we care if he found a wife?"  Glad you asked.  Marinus, also known as Russ, is my Fiance and on September 27, 2013, I will become his wife.

How did he find me?  God and a Purpose Driven Life small group study that his cousin and my friend, Carolyn, encouraged him to go too.  I was leading a group that I wasn't supposed to lead, according to my own agenda, but 18 people (husbands and wives) signed up and being asked to please lead the group, I did.  The first night of the group, none of the husbands showed up!  So as I gathered with 9 Hispanic women, like myself, the doorbell rang and there was Russ.  Standing there, as bright red, as a Dutchman can get after being in the sun, he introduced himself and walked into a room of Spanish speaking women.  I thought, "He's never coming back but at least he made an effort."  I was wrong.  He came back and that's how I got to know the man who will be my husband.

Did he find a treasure and receive favor?  The me who knows my past and present mistakes wants very much to say, "Absolutely not!", but the me who knows my future and present forgiveness, as a redeemed daughter of the King, says, "Absolutely yes!"  Of course, this treasure can only be of value if I put the King before my husband, because it is in Him, I have great worth and through Him that Russ receives the Lord's favor, when I become his wife. 

What do I get from being found as a wife? A husband who treasures the same Lord I serve and a man with whom I can share in the Lord's favor.  My prayer for he who has found a wife in me, is that I will always be a treasure to him and always be thankful for a God who let me be found by him.  Oh yes, I forgot to mention that I love him very much.  :-)

Sincerely,

Anita (almost) DeVos

I PLAYED MY BEST FOR HIM

Pa rum pum pum pum.  One of my favorite Christmas songs came on the car radio, as I passed the Walgreens, on my way home.  The Little Drummer Boy is a song that always caputred my heart, even as a little girl.  I think it was because of the drums.  There was something about the drums.

Now, that I'm not so little, anymore, I began to really pay attention to the lyrics, as I stopped at a red light.  Waiting there, I heard Bing Crosby, sing, " Baby Jesu, pa rum pum pum pum, I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum, I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum, That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum.  Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum, On my drum?" As it I heard those words, I began to realize something.  There is nothing I own that any king would ever want, as a gift but what I do have, was given to me by the King. 

The song continued and here are the lyrics that stirred up something deep in me: "I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum, I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum. Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum, Me and my drum."

As this little boy used his talent of drum playing, he gave the most valuable gift of all.  He gave to the King, the very thing the King had created in him to do.  The love and gift of drumming.  He played his best for him and while he did, God counted it as praise and worship.  Remember the baby smiled. 

Then I thought of this: Of all the gifts presented to Jesus, in this story, there was only one that a small child could actually appreciate.  He couldn't, yet, use the gold, frankincense or myrrh, but music, he could hear.  He could take it in and respond to it.  He accepted the praise and worship of drums playing.

Then I asked, myself, as I ask you now? What is my drum? What is your drum?  What is it that God created in us, that we do well or like to do very much?  What gifts has he given us through His Spirit?  With that in mind, then ask, "Do I use that talent or gift, to the fullest?  Do I "play my best for him"?  I hope the answer is yes because when it is, we too, offer praise and worship, in the very act of doing it. 

That's all the King really wants from us, even though He needs nothing from us.  He wants to smile at our living out, who He created us to be, to the best of our ability and by His grace, fully surrendered to Him. You could say, marching to the beat of His drum.  Knowing that when do, we offer up praise and worship through our very lives; the most valuable gift we can ever give, to the greatest King.  The greatest King who ever was born, to give us the greatest gift of all; life eternal with Him. 

Thank you, gracious Father, for your gift to me; Your son Jesus, the gift of grace and the faith to receive it so that I may always live my best for Him.

Enjoy the song!

 

 

It's November?

I can't believe how fast time is going this year.  I heard that as you get older, your life goes as fast as your ages.  Right now my life is traveling at 46mph.  It seems so much faster.  By the time I'm 75, I won't be able to see clearly out the window, with everything whizzing by in a blur!

Since my last post, I've come to cherish family a little bit more than I have in years past.  After my son's graduation, we had news of cancer for my sister and my cousin.  I'm praising God that the pathology came back benign for my sis.  We bonded, through it, in a new way and are now looking to get healthier together.  As for my cousin, the news has not been as good, medically speaking.  It has progressed and he has gotten weaker.  Before the cancer, however, we hadn't been as close as when we were younger, growing up across the street from each other.  Today, I check on him and his wife, more often and try to spend more time with them.  It makes you think about saying good-bye to those we love.  How will that look like?  How much will it hurt?  What will life be like without the one who's gone ahead? 

My mom says cancer is a merciful disease because if often allows time for the person to get their house in order, as well as relationships.  So is the case, with my family and my cousin's family.  This is good news.  We have also had the opportunity to bring him and his wife, to the feet of Jesus, through it all, as well.  This is the best news.  Please pray for Hector and Michele Perez.  Ask God to lavish His peace, mercy and grace upon them during their trial.

This life is truly short, compared to eternity.  I try to keep that in mind. We all will have an eternal life, but we won't all be sharing the same one, if someone doesn't know Jesus.  This makes me sad, because it's the next life that will really count.  This one is just preparation for that.  I pray my focus will be eternal and I hope we will get to share it together.  Did you know that in heaven, there is no speed limit and life will not rush by?  There will be no time, at all.  We'll all be one family who we will never have to say good-bye to again.  What a wonderful thought.  What a wonderful reality it will be. 

Garrett Has Graduated and So Have I

My son graduated from Clifton High School!!!  I rejoice in the Lord for bringing me through Garrett's years in school and not shaking his head at me, saying, "O ye of little faith."  The truth that comforts my heart is the Lord is never disappointed in us.  To be disappointed in someone, means you expected a different outcome from them and they did something you didn't expect.  Since God knows everything about us, He cannot be disappointed.  I'm thankful that I wasn't disappointed in my son but ashamed that I was a little surprised.


In my humanity and feeble faith, I confess that there were times I didn't think my son would finish.  Isn't that awful?  He will admit it was a hard road, for both of us.  It doesn't change the fact, however, that I wanted to be the kind of mom that really believes in their children and pushes for them to keep going and knows deep in their hearts that they will make it!  Who wouldn't want a mom or dad like that?


Dear Son,


You did it and I am proud of you.  I didn't get you through school.  You did it.  No matter what it looked like, you reassured me that you would graduate, as you patiently answered all my nagging questions, because I really didn't believe you.  I suppose, I was the disappointment, when I look at it in retrospect.  Thanks for still loving me, even when you felt I didn't believe you or in you.  I sincerely apologize if I made you feel that way, at any time.  I thank God that with all our imperfections and mistakes, we can still have, what I think is, a great relationship.  It's the thing that matters the most, in life.  Not grades, homework, college or graduating.  It's the relationship. 


Today, I cheer you on to go out and do what you love!  Don't settle for a have to, when you can have the want to.  Be the best at all you do by jumping in and working hard, asking lots of questions and learning from your mistakes.  Move into your life, with God holding your hand and leaning on His wisdom.  Don't be afraid of people who think you can't do something or think you'd be better suited for "other" things in life.  Make great decisions and when you don't, admit it, make it right and keep on going. You have a big heart for love so be a man who loves the Lord and strive to be a protector and provider, one day.  You have everything you need to become all that you were created to be! 


You are truly, one hundred percent loved, no matter what and I ask God to remind me of the fact that He sings and rejoices over me, with all my mistakes and let downs.  He loves me without condition and I need to do the same with you.  Congratulations, Son!


I love you with all my heart and toes,


Mom

HOW DO YOU SAY COMPUTERESE IN SPANISH?

So my friend Madai and I have been trying to set up a website and both of us have never done it before.  (By the way, that's not me in the picture, in case you were wondering.) I never knew how complicated it could be and how precise you have to be.  One thing is for sure; when computers work right, they can do amazing things but when they don't work the way they are supposed to, look out!  There are so many things that can go wrong and I dont' understand most of the language used to fix it and it's in English!  To me it's equivalent of having to explain something that's techonological, in the Spanish language.  I get stuck and then have to make up my own words.  "Tengo problemas en Microsuave Palabra, Eccelerado y Puntopoder." That's my interpretation of  "I have problems with Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint."  If you speak Spanish and computerese, you can probably guess, I need some help with my Spanish. 

Although, I'm in the technology business, it isn't something I was born to do.  God placed me where I am working today and has given me the ability to learn and understand things I never really studied.  He's also given me great patience.  One day (hopefully this year), Madai and I will get this site up and running but in the meanwhile, I'm thankful for a good friend to go through this learning journey with and that my computer speaks English, even though I don't speak computerese very well.  Now, how do you say web site in Spanish?  :-)

Simply Amazing

Russ and I had the privilege of hosting a wonderful group of people who are following God's heart and desire to reach the people of Clifton, NJ. Some we knew and others we got to meet for the very first time but felt as if we always knew them. Their excitement to move to my home town makes me excited to live here! Russ and I plan to be more intentional about really getting to know our neighbors from one section to the other and be in prayer for our town. Please keep Christ Our Hope Church in your prayers, as we partner with them and the Lord, for whatever He will do through us, to reach many for Christ. This future church plant will be here in the Summer of 2013 but is already in the hearts of people who, to us, are simply amazing!

We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

Well, maybe not Kansas but as of the Summer of 2013, they won't be in North Carolina anymore. The picture you see with this post is of some pretty amazing people. True servants of the Lord. He has called them to Clifton, NJ in the Dutch Hill section, to plant a new church called Christ Our Hope. They are being sent by their church, Open Door Baptist.

With a glad heart, I will have the privilege to call them neighbor. The Soca family, Cox family, Handy family and Miss Schrader will be leaving what and who they know to come and live the gospel to the people of Clifton, Paterson, Passaic and to whomever the Lord makes appointments with.

The Rodriguez family from Cliffside Park, and Russ and I will be helping with the new church plant as well. We are praying that although we aren't leaving everything and everyone we know, that God will show us things and people we have never known, as He uses us to come along side these other families, to be on mission in the world, not of the world but for the world,(as Pastor Won taught) right where we live. We also pray that God gives us a burden and true love for our city and the people who have not yet come to know Jesus in a real and personal way.

Pray for Christ Our Hope Church and the families that God is bringing together to expand His Kingdom territory and that His hand would be on us and that He would bless us indeed. If you would like to help with this new church, either through prayer or in other ways, please visit this site http://groups.google.com/group/ChristOurHope-NewJersey?hl=en

Blessings!