The beauty of Haiti February 2, 2012

Grand Guave. A beautiful place lush with mountains and sweet serenity. This is where Dennis and I decided to go on our break between school semesters and as a part of our celebration of our 3rd anniversary. It was a blessing because when I was very young, 20 years ago, my father had visited Haiti as a missionary. We had never been there before, didn’t know what to expect but we did know that God wanted us there. As we approached the gates of the mission home, it opened to children walking towards the vehicle we were in and my heart immediately melted. I squeezed Dennis’s hand in awe of the beautiful faces of love that captured my heart from the moment i met them.

The children that live in this orphanage cannot be taken care of by their parents simply because they cannot afford it. Some of these children also have been dropped off or were found wandering on the streets without a place to call home. Its very hard for me to even take in now because being raised in a loving, nuturing home with support in every aspect, we just don’t how blessed we are until we go somewhere where people aren’t so fortunate. Water was drawn from a well, we bathed in cold water, and lived life the way those children did, eating what they ate and rolling around in the dirt they so loved to play in. It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had.

This wasn’t the usual mission trip where we had VBS, preached or sang for them. It was a time where we simply loved on those kids. You see…that was the greatest gift as a Christian we could give. In the city that we visited, we not only spent time with the children of the orphanage we stayed at, but children from the community came in & we had a chance to love them. We did not know the language nor did we have much translation but our communication was through the love we gave each other in a hug, sitting with them, and in just holding their hand.

As you may or may not know, Haiti was once a country filled with Voodoo worship. Often times, people (including myself) have that misconception that there’s too much devastation and too many people in need that we can’t simply help all of them but its because of missionaries that this country has been and continues to be won over for Christ. The American Pastor who oversees this mission shared with us that at one time you could hear Voodoo worship in the streets, but now, even when Dennis & i got ready for bed, you could hear worship and praise to Jesus Christ. This is because of the many missionaries who have come to share the gospel and make a difference in the lives of natives there. Those natives in turn have continued sharing and living that gospel, which continue to make a difference in the lives of those who reside in that country!

I have so many more stories I could share, but it could never be done in one blog post. Everyone can make a difference whether it be downtown feeding the homeless on the streets or sharing God’s love in a 3rd world country such as beautiful Haiti. Those children have a hope and that hope is God. I believe God will use that young generation we spent time with there to make the biggest difference Haiti has ever seen. Please pray for that country. God is doing amazing things there. Our hope and prayer is to continue visit and support that country…to raise up leaders, to conquer poverty and health issues, winning that country to Christ. Be blessed!! =)

The Final Destination June 25, 2011

A few weeks ago, my family and I embarked on a cruise to just take some time and relax. I was the first and ready to go! Afterall, I had just finished my first nursing semester while working full time and I had been nothing short of exhausted and needed a break (the reason for a long break in my blog–i apologize). We docked on two islands…one, Progresso and another, Cozumel.

During our stop in Cozumel, Dennis & I decided we wanted to canoe for our excursion. We set out together in the canoe, with Dennis in the front and myself in the back. There was a set barrier in the beautiful Atlantic Ocean which gave us boundaries of how far we could canoe (for our safety) and as we had to turn back to reach our destination, I had no idea how and where to turn. Dennis then said, “Babe, we have to paddle forward in the opposite direction to be able turn in the direction we want” and it struck me…that’s how life is sometimes. We begin to move toward the side we think will help us move forward when in fact sometimes in life, we need to take steps in the opposite direction from which we originally planned to make it to our destination.

Are there some big decisions that lie ahead of you that you must determine which way to go? Seek God in this time so you know which way to turn. Sometimes, your heart desires to go in the right direction but it may mean moving the opposite direction to get there. I pray that you would ponder those decisions and if the Lord wills you to go the opposite direction than you have planned to reach your destiny, then He alone will give you the strength and courage to take that step. Be blessed!

Sssss….sohhh…soh-sohhhrrrryyy…… February 15, 2011

You may wonder why I wrote this Title in such a way as I did. Well, that was what my niece, Jaycie said when I began to teach her to say sorry. Yes, it was hard for her the first time I asked her to say sorry; And as you have read in the long, drawn out title, sorry may be hard to say sometimes but as I re-iterated to her the importance of saying sorry, it became much easier for her to say it and not only that, most importantly, she began to understand that she must take responsibility for her actions.

Sometimes saying sorry isn’t easy, especially when you feel like you’re not the one at fault. I know, coming from the Indian culture, a lot of us aren’t raised to say sorry. The problems that surround us are ignored and sometimes never even faced. In Ephesians 4:32, it states: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Before God can truly use you in His Kingdom, forgiveness is very important. Sometimes it may even trap a person from moving on, whether they acknowledge it or not. Ignoring people or situations is not the answer. It’s not what God intended. God intended us to love one another as He loves us. Whether you have a problem with an acquaintance, friend, family member, it doesn’t matter. Our actions towards one another should reflect love, not ignorance. It should reflect fellowship, not just being civil with one another.

Is there anything that you need to say sorry for? Maybe it’s something that has been trapping you inside but you’re simply ignoring it or hoping it will one day go away. God expects us to not only take responsibility for our own actions but to forgive others as He’s forgiven us. How do we know that we truly forgive others? By being responsible for our own actions and truly forgiving others by loving them as Christ loved us. If someone wants to make a choice to be angry at you, you can still make a choice to forgive them and maybe there’s some unresolved issues that you need to take the time to speak to them about and possibly say sorry for. This is what God expects from us. Will you be like my niece who broke out with sss-ssohh-sorry? Maybe it will be a struggle to get it out the first time but I promise, it will bring you a freedom that you’ve never known…a freedom that God can only give. Or will you simply put it under the rug hoping it will just go away? Let’s do what God asks us to do and simply forgive because there is freedom in forgiveness. God sees your heart and He will reward you for your sincerity in following His word. Be blessed!

Great is His Love January 10, 2011

Today marks my second anniversary with my husband, Dennis! Although there are many things I love about Dennis, which include his delicious cooking, his hobby of keeping the apt clean (yayy for me, lol), treating me like a princess, and in every way that he supports my dreams, I want to dedicate my blog to the man of God my husband is.

One thing I vowed to do when I started this blog was to be real with my readers. Years ago, I had a very tough time dealing with people in my actions, reactions and emotions. Dennis came into my life when my dealings with people were at its worst! Yet, he saw past that and encouraged me in every way to deal with people the right way. It took a few years, but here I am and I am writing you all as one of the greatest testimonies that God is faithful, even to those who don’t deserve it…and that includes me. God knew I needed someone to help me be the best that I can be, especially in my weaknesses. Instead of walking away from me and talking about my weaknesses to others, Dennis helped me and continued to encourage me until I learned what I needed to. I am in no way perfect but I’ve come a long way from where I began. I often think about how I would’ve been the same person if he gave up on me, but I truly believe it was God who didn’t give up and he sent me my best friend to be strong where I was weak. I believe that is one of the greatest characteristics a man of God could have…to never give up on the ones you love.

There isn’t a morning I wake up and forget what God has done for us in our lives. Despite our differences in how tidy we keep our place, how long I have to wait for him to get ready when we go out, I never forget the LONG road it took us a lot to get here but when it happened, I can truly say, I am blessed to be married to a true man of God. Although there is a lot I can say to admire my husband, I will keep it simple and say I married an awesome man of God and I thank God for everyday He gives me this blessing.

I want to encourage you to never give up even when you feel like you’re hanging by a thread. I’m a true testimony of getting through the hardest times in my life and God sending me someone who believed in me, didn’t walk away, and helped me through one of my greatest weaknesses. Hope for the best because God loves each and every one of you. There is not one, no not even one of you who He forgets. He sees who you are despite your weaknesses and as His children, you deserve the best. Don’t ever believe or settle for any less because He loves you so much and will give you His best. Be blessed!=)

Romans 8: 38-39
For I am persuaded beyond doubt that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What love and trust truly means January 7, 2011

As the years go by, I’ve come to know what love and trust truly means. We hear scriptures about 1 Corinthians 13, but the questions remains:Are we truly loving one another? All of us are flawed and come short of God’s glory but we have the grace and forgiveness that He undeservingly gave us. This is my goal this year. To truly love God with all my heart. To make Him my very Best Friend and I believe that if we give ALL of our love to God in submission and trust, then we can truly love one another as He has called us to. I started college around 6 months ago, returning for my 3rd degree, which I chose in Nursing, and I completely trusted God to get me through the last 6 months. I would be gone from 7:30 in the morning until 10 p.m. at times and even through it all, I put my love and trust in a God, who I believed would give me the wisdom to not only pass, but excell in my studies while working full-time and being married. He answered my prayers and gave me more than I could ask for. I didn’t expect this, but God showed me His love and gave me wonderful friends of diversity who have changed my life forever! This is what I want to encourage you all to do this year. Put your love and trust in God. You will not only grow into a greater relationship with Him, you will also truly love others with His love. I have much more to expand upon this subject of love. But I leave you this: God’s love for you is unconditional. This year, will you show mercy and grace to others that you’ve received? A greater relationship with God will show more of Him in your actions, reactions and in your love for others. I pray you think about this when facing situations this year. God bless you all!!! I wish you a very, very blessed year!

With Age Comes Wisdom November 7, 2010

Job 32:7 “Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.”

Just yesterday, my brother in law, Danny, and I had the privilege to interview both the physician I work for and his beautiful wife for our assignment in Developmental Psychology. Although, both the physician I work for and his wife are around 70 years of age, neither of them look a day past fifty and I was anxious to hear what each of them answered for our vast amount of questions about what to expect in life and what they have learned in life.
I want to share with you some of the words of wisdom and quotes I received from both the physician and his wife:

On being a good spouse:
Doctor: Kiss your wife every morning before you leave your home and kiss your wife goodnight before you go to bed. Don’t go to bed angry.
Wife: Be loving to each other, snuggle when you go to bed, tell your spouse that you love them all the time, and trust one another.

On Raising Children:
Doctor: Always love them unconditionally regardless of how they are to you. Let the child see a loving relationship between the mother and father so they can learn from that and apply it in their own lives.
Wife: Speak to them and stress that education/college is a necessity. Be firm and fair with them and don’t abuse them.

How having children affects one’s marriage:

Doctor: It’s one of the greatest stresses on a marriage. Instead of giving affection to each other, the love will be divided between the kids. One should be aware of your mate and not cheat them out of the affection and relationship by giving it all to the children.
Wife: The way you lived before you had children has changed, the time with your spouse is less, and you’re so engulfed with your kids that you don’t spend as much time with your husband. Make sure you take time out to spend with your husband even when children come in the picture.

On the importance of tithing and what happens when you hold back on doing this:

Doctor: Those who don’t tithe faithfully will never prosper as the Lord wants them to prosper and that’s the only way you can get more back is by returning to the Lord what belongs to Him.

How conflict was dealt with at a younger age vs. how it’s dealt with now:

Doctor: When I was younger, I had my way, was angry and soiled up and it would never be resolved. As I became older, I take the time to listen and understand, to resolve a situation.
Wife: I argued until the situation was resolved or the situation was on the backburner. I would also walk away from the person, to whom, I argued with. Now, as an adult, any conflict will and should be talked about and both sides should come to an agreement.

On heartaches and heartbreaks that never seem to go away:

Doctor: There are definitely heartbreaks and heartaches that don’t go away. Before I was a Christian, I carried them. Now, I lay them at cross after I became a Christian. Give it to God and don’t pick it back up.
Wife: Yes, there are heartaches that never go away. Prayer keeps me moving forward and I don’t dwell on things that hurt me.

A life lesson on enjoying life:

Doctor: Live and love everyday like it was your last.
Wife: Let go of the past and move forward with now and enjoy life. Do things that you enjoy doing.

I specifically chose to interview the doctor and his wife, simply because they showed me a great example of love and hospitality in the times they’ve dealt with me in the last four years. I also saw the importance of giving God the glory and the importance of giving God what is due to him in the doctor’s life. What an example that we should follow! Words of wisdom from the aged. I encourage you to bless and respect those who have been through life and know what it takes to survive heartaches and heartbreaks. I also encourage you to never take the words of wisdom from those who have gone through stages in life before you lightly.
Be blessed!

Being the best employee Part III November 3, 2010

Team work is very important: In my blog below about leadership, I wrote about how important each person’s part is in a church. Just like that, we all play our own, individual roles in a workplace that is very important but teamwork is essential! I emphasize this in my work environment because teamwork brings it all together.
a. Offer a helping hand: When you see your coworker having a bad day or struggling with their work, it could very well be that something is going on personally in their lives or that they simply woke up on the wrong side of the bed! Offer to take up a part of their shift or work. Although, this will add to your normal workload, it takes a burden off of your coworker and it shows you truly care about what they’re going through and doing what it takes to get the job done.
b. Cross-train: As your job description/employer allows you too, crosstrain with other jobs. If someone is on vacation/sick, this will take some load off of them when you offer to help with some of their job while they’re gone. You can also help in a part of their job if they get busy and it will be reciprocated. Trust me, I’ve seen it work in the years I’ve worked.
c. Develop a work relationship with your co-workers/boss: This doesn’t mean have a five hour conversation with them but ask them how their day is going and fill them in on what is going on that is work-related.

Teamwork is important and will cut any kind of hostility and bring a sense of togetherness between co-workers and it will also build trust with your boss because it will show in your outcome of work and results. Teamwork ties a workplace together and when done right, positive outcomes will be the result.

As this economy has had its good and bad times in this past decade, let’s be encouraged that we are blessed to have God-given jobs. Let’s continue to respect our authority and the rules, have a sincere heart, work as a team, making a difference in the lives of many! The Lord will reward you for it as he promised in Ephesians 6 “knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord…”

Be blessed!

Being the best employee part II November 3, 2010

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. (Ephesians 6:5-9)

There is a lot of wisdom in this verse that we can apply to our work environment:
a. Serve your earthly boss with fear: This fear does not imply being scared of your boss, rather showing reverence to your boss because of their God appointed authority.
b. Have a sincere heart: When you do your work, do it with the right heart. It’s easy to get angry at times and take the wide road especially when the workload drives you crazy but remember, God expects us to do our work with a sincere heart. Yes, this means working the majority of your day and not slacking. Work hard even when your boss isn’t looking. There is a lot of internal reward in doing so!
c. Have a servant heart: This is something I can attest that not only pleases God, but is rewarding internally as an individual. When we have patients that come in, it’s our job as a clinic to serve them. They come in with broken bones, strained muscles, family losses, lost income from being gone from work due to their illness, and just stress in general. We must put ourselves in their shoes and understand where they’re coming from, doing whatever it takes to serve them as God called us to.
d. Strive to make your clients/patients/customer’s day better: When they come in, strive to make A POSITIVE difference in their lives and not add to their stress. I’ll give you an example: My receptionist checks in the patients and has them fill out in-house sheets for our medical reports. One day, a particular patient became irate and downright refused to fill it out. She tried to reason with him but he still refused. She didn’t know what to do but call me in my office. So I came to the front and he continued to be irate and refused to fill out the paperwork. I knew at that point that it was something deeper so I asked him to come into my office and kindly explained to him that it was necessary for him to complete his paperwork in order for us to thoroughly complete his medical report. He saw that I made a decision NOT to be upset with him but rather be calm and began to back down after a few minutes and opened up to me. He then said slowly, “I don’t know how to write or read”. I didn’t look at him any different than any other of the 5,000+ patients we had seen in the past who could write and read and I said, “No problem. Let’s sit down and why don’t you tell me your history and I’ll write it down for you and as soon as we’re done you can sign it”. I could see a change in his demeanor and he calmed down immediately. We sat down and filled out the application together. This is one example but I’ve also had an employee change a tire, comfort and counsel a lady who was raped on the job, and I continue to encourage all of them even after four years to always do whatever it takes to make a difference!

Being the best employee part I November 3, 2010

Being the best employee you could possibly be!
I’m writing this blog because God has taught me so much about how important work ethic is in a workplace. I am currently blessed to hold a position and in my fourth year as a Manager of a Clinic. At the same time, I’m running the clinic for my doctor, thus, I am his employee. Here are some good tips to develop a healthy work ethic.

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh.” (Colossians 3:22a). Servants=employees in today’s world and Master=boss man or lady=)

Obedience in a workplace is hard sometimes, especially with the day- to- day stresses that come in a typical workday. Your boss may ask you to go above and beyond your call of duty. Even though you may be stressed, it’s important to simply obey what they ask you to do. Although, I hold a position managing a physician’s clinic and have employees under me, I still serve a doctor who is 44 years my senior. Although there is a generational gap between us, anytime I’m asked to do something, I simply obey because he is my God-appointed boss.

Bumps and More Bumps… October 17, 2010

On our plane ride to Oregon in July of this year, the first half of our trip was smooth and peaceful and right about the 3rd hour, we began to incur bumps…small bumps, which escalated to medium bumps, and then really big bumps. Yes, I’m talkin about the turbulence that I’ve come to barely tolerate in plane rides. However, as we began to experience these bumps, I was reminded of the bumps I’ve faced in my life. I began to thank God for these “bumps” in my life. If it weren’t for those “bumpy” times, I wouldn’t have come this far in life.

Let me elaborate on that thought from the last line I wrote.

Often in our society, people often focus on covering up and living a “perfect” life, sometimes, covering up the many hurts they face simply because our society, at times, is not accepting if someone makes a mistake or is going through a trial in life. However, I’ve found that those people who have learned to overcome the bumps with God are SO VERY VALUABLE. These individuals have been able to not only help others through similar bumps in the road but if the bump they faced had to do with a bad decision they made, they also have prevented others from making the same mistakes. Praise God for that!

I grew up WITH a family that faced tragedies time and time again but I saw the strength that they carried every single time. Instead of blaming God and turning away from Him, they worshiped him with everything they had and continued to thank Him for everything that He had done in their lives. Just amazing! Until this day, I admire their strength, faith, and continued love for the kingdom of God despite the continuous tragic events that have occurred in their lives. I see God’s blessings continuously in this family and I’m really excited for what God is doing in their lives and ministry. This is just one example that bumps when dealt with in the right and godly way, result in glory for God’s Kingdom.

If I can get you to think about some things with an open mind, it would be this:

How do I face my own bumps in life?

Proverbs 3:5: Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean NOT to your own understanding. Sometimes, we don’t trust Him because we’re afraid it might be something we don’t want to see or hear but I assure you that God has a divine reason for allowing you to go through these times in your life and if you trust Him and His will, it will be much easier for you to get through those bumps in life.

Do I help others by praying for them and being there when they face bumps throughout life?

Mathew 7:12: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. At times, it’s hard for people to understand another person or their particular situation until it happens to them. Don’t let it get that far. Try to put yourself in other people’s shoes and their situations. God expects us to be there for one another in love and not in judgment. I’m not talking about correcting one another in love when I say judging others. Godly correction and judgment of others are completely two different things. With godly correction, there is a compassion and love involved to save a lost and hurting soul, while with judgment, love is absent. All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and we all need godly correction at times.

Remember this: The bumps you encounter in this life may be scary and sometimes bring uncertainty, but those bumps will take you to the next level in life. Thank God for allowing you to go through these times in life. Look back to your Sunday School years and remember stories of how King David made mistakes, yet God still called him a “man after His own Heart”. Rahab was a prostitute yet she was included in the New Testament in Hebrews as one of the Women of Faith. Don’t let these bumps in your life keep you from moving on and forward. Despite what society says and dictates life should be, the scripture clearly states in:

Zechariah 13:9
I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure, just as gold and silver are refined and purified by fire. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”

My prayer for you: I thank you God for the many brothers and sisters that are reading this and if there is anyone going through bumps in their life right now, I pray that they would lean upon your arms, trusting in your amazing and sovereign plan over their life. I believe that you will refine them and they will be able to face those trials in their life, knowing that you are taking care of all their needs according to Your will. In Jesus Name, Amen.