Author: admin

Our new place was beautiful!  Some of our closets were over six feet long.  It was great to live in a brand new place. Our kids played in the back yard and life was much more pleasant.  We moved in in April.  Now we could shop at BJ’s, Sunny dale Farms, and at Big R. We filled our pantry and cabinets ‘til there was no more room.  We’d buy in bulk and fill our two fridges.  We could watch the snow and freezing rain come down while we were toasty warm inside not having to go out for at least three months.  We only needed milk & bread now and then, which we’d get at the corner store.  Yep, life was good-‘Finger-lickin’ good,’ as the KFC saying went.

            My parents used to come over all the time just to see the grandkids.  One day, my dad said he was tired of battling all the cold in his freezing apartment.  He was 72 and I would buy him long johns so he could stay warm at home now that he had retired.  I told him to finally move back to his hometown in Puerto Rico.  He had a small house out there and since we were now in a nice place of our own, he should go.  They planned their trip for the end of October.  I lost my job in September.

That was a tough time.  Years earlier, I had quit college to get married.  Now, every job I was looking at required a college education.  We sank low quickly.  My dad had left an old station wagon to my wife but I communed everywhere on bike.  We were all alone with my parents gone as well as my youngest brother and no one to really help us.  My oldest brother gave us $20 bucks, as well as boxes of toys that were headed to the trash.  I remember choosing between paying our tithes, which were almost twenty dollars, or paying the light bill.  We chose faithfulness, and paid the tithes.   A few weeks later, my mother-in-law also gave us twenty dollars.  With the money we bought our three kids $2.00 sneakers and ‘splurged’ $3.00 on a pair for my wife.  We were ‘rich’ with money to spare.

However, reluctantly, we applied for Food Stamps and Welfare. 

   That Christmas, I built a fireplace out of plywood.  I took out the kids’ old toys, cleaned them up, & added the ones my brother had given them.  I placed all the toys around the fireplace.  They were thrilled to see ‘so many new toys.’  Of course, our hearts were braking because we knew better and we didn’t have any answers.  We just wanted three happy kids.  

    We know that the first real Christmas when God gave us His son, Jesus, was the saddest Christmas ever.  The Godhead, also known as the Trinity, which has existed for all eternity, had been separated for the first time ever.  The King of Kings was born into dire poverty and His parents were not only unable to afford toys, but they didn’t even have a place to call home.  Deity’s grand entrance into this sinful world; the one He created with love for this hurt and hate-filled, people, was pretty much homeless.  The fact that our sad Christmas was not as bad as our Lord’s, was enough to add some encouragement to our lives.

No matter how sad or bad your Christmas may be, God can relate to it.  He can make it better than it is.  Just allow Him.  Allow His presence into your life to be your Christmas present.

Merry Christmas!

So, this one day, I called the housing office at lunchtime from my job.  All I got to say was something like, ‘How’s the apartment coming along?’ when the lady at the other end, said, “Oh, you can come in and pick up the keys.”  I asked if she was talking to me or someone else in the background.  It was to me, she said. I told her it must be a mistake because I had hardly spoken yet.  But she knew my voice, and the place was ours for the taking!  Does God know your voice?  Do you speak to him often enough for Him to know you?  Even if you call on Him just once, he’ll know you.  Try today, especially during this Christmas Season.  And once you’re His, He’ll know your voice like the rest of His sheep do.

   The agent told us that if we took the available and assigned apartment we’d be overcrowded already.  However, if we could wait another 3-4 months, we’d get three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, a linen closet, and a pantry on the first floor, on Central Ave!  What a relief to know it wasn’t the iced tea!  My wife was right-again! 

  Meanwhile, back at our ‘luxury’ hotel, my wife gave birth to our third and final child.  Three days later she was home and the temperature was five degrees outside, and just as cold inside.  We all had to sleep in the living room next to the kitchen.  My wife boiled water early in the morning so the vapors could keep us warm.  We immediately called the hotline to report our landlord again.  He came in raging mad because we had dared to do that.  I believe we quenched the excitement of his recent trip to Puerto Rico.  How sad.  We definitely couldn’t wait to cross over to the Promised Land. 

   God promised Israel they’d inherit the land that flowed with milk and honey, but they forfeited it because they listened to the naysayers instead of trusting Him.  Listen to God and you won’t have to wander in the wilderness of your life for forty years; not unless that’s His plan for you.  Reap God’s blessings by yielding to Him; by obeying Him and His Word.  Most of the time, God’s blessings simply refer to His approval of things, not riches, lotteries, jackpots, abundance of goods, great relationships, sex appeal, and definitely, not prosperity.  He is your all in all (Colossians 3:11).

One day, my wife said to me, “God told me we would be getting three bedrooms, more than one bathroom, and a linen closet on the first floor, on Central Ave.” Are you sure? I asked. “Yep,” was her response.  Months later, we were headed to a ‘housing meeting to see if we’d been considered & what we’d get.  On our way, I asked my wife what she’d think if we were asked to wait a few months longer.  She wasn’t happy with the thought.  When the agent saw my wife, she said, “Oh gosh, when are you due with that baby?  “Last week,” my wife answered.  To which the agent said, “Well don’t have it here!” She proceeded to show us the place we would be getting: Two bedrooms, one bathroom, no linen closet, on the third floor, on Palmetto St. just across from Central Ave.  What had happened?  Was God wrong???  Had God really said such words?  Had my wife been hitting the ice tea again???

Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field, which the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) had made and said to the woman, ‘Yea, but hath not God said you may eat of every tree in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1).  Whose voice(s) are you listening to?

Raising a family always gave me reasons to thank God: the sounds of laughter amongst the kids, my wife teaching each little one to cook or bake cake. Watching the kids want to lick the chocolate frosting or batter that was left over from the cakes they just helped bake, listening to the pitter-patter of little feet shuffling along the floors letting us know they were up, and just having a family to spend time with.

Trials were ever-present, and still are.  I think they’ve graduated to a higher level of difficulty!  They’re pretty much like my timers when I’m cooking and doing the laundry: the microwave beeps signifying something’s ready, the stove timer goes off when set and food is ready, and our washer ‘sings’ letting me know the wash is done.  Sometimes before one trial is over, another one is at its heels.  We sometimes manage around those timers and need to do the same with trials.

I read the news almost every day.  Tragic news is everywhere; but if you’re alive, you’ve got reasons to be thankful for.  If no one’s reading about you having lost your life, then you’re alive.  It’s best to learn to take the good with the bad and ask God for direction on the road ahead.  Many people have lost their homes and cars in recent fires, others have lost their jobs, still others may have lost friends and dear loved ones confirming to the world that sin is all around us.

If we keep our sight on the Author and Finisher of our lives, with each bit of bad we get a better view of what lies ahead in the New Jerusalem, the New Heavens, and in our eternal abode with the One who holds the key to our lives and our hearts: Jesus.

Lord, we’re grateful for all you’ve done for us; for sacrificing your sinless life for our guilty ones and declaring us free of sin.  Thank you for preparing a place for us in your home, your heart, and in the Father’s presence.  Amen

As our son grew our growing daughter didn’t want to stay behind.  My parents bought them a set of bunk beds.  Our son slept on top so we took the crib apart and used the side rails to close in the sides of the bottom bunk for our daughter since sleeping in the crib was out of the question for her.  She managed to get out all the time.  She’d also climb halfway up the bed ladder and then cry for help.  We’d toss her back in bed and she’d do it over and over. We even sealed the entire bed like a small child prison and placed her on a mat.  Next morning, she was still on her mat but she had slid under one of the ladder rungs and landed intact on the floor!  Would she grow up to be an escape artist?  Only God knew.  For now we were glad to know they were both growing and she’d soon be out of her prison.

Jesus came to set captives at liberty; to give them deliverance.  Are you free today?  If you haven’t rendered or surrendered your life to Him, you’re not free.  Complete freedom comes with giving our very selves to Him.  All prison chains fall off.  What types of chains, you ask?  Chains of blame; of blaming others for all that’s wrong in your life or all that’s befallen you.  There are chains of anger, chains of hate, chains of indifference to others or to their needs.  Maybe you have chains of irresponsibility.  We all need to take credit for what we’ve done, or haven’t done.  Once set free, we become escape artists (from Satan’s grip).  We can then climb the ladder of spiritual growth that leads to the Father.  Leave your prison today!  Bask in the comfort and promises of God’s words of hope.  Read the words of Isaiah, chapter 61, verses 1-3: “The Spirit (Ruach) of the Lord is upon me: because the LORD has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he has sent me to bind the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound: To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD (Yaweh), and the day of vengeance of our God (Elohim); to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD (Yaweh), that he might be glorified.”

We were living at our Bushwick Ave. apartment for three years before applying for housing.  Although my wife had taken a photograph of a huge dead rat that had died in our one-and-only half bath, and our son had been playing with it, we believed God to be in control of everything; even the rat.  Would you like to see the picture??  I’m dying to post it!!!  Wife won’t let me 🙁 We referred to our bathroom as a half bath because one half was on one side of the kitchen holding the tub and vanity, and right across the room was a small closet housing the toilet…strange!

We were interested in new housing units being built near our place. At a meeting for new potential homeowners, we were told we ‘might’ get in to the system.   We were also informed that there were at least a thousand families ahead of us.  However, we knew God could work through that list & move us ahead.  Immediately, faith kicked in: since I worked at a warehouse, I began taking home unwanted, empty boxes and began packing for our journey to the promised land.  As we awaited our exodus, we continued our plight.

It was freezing in our unit!  My next-door neighbor and best friend, Ray, thought it strange that we would call the heating hotline number to report the landlord.  After all, we were Christians.  I told him, “Then the landlord should be behaving like one.”  Ray believed we needed to be good Christians and endure the pain, suffering, and the freezing.   We didn’t share those beliefs.                   We really needed a ticket out of there. Part of that ticket would be God’s answer to prayer; the other part was on its way in the form of another child!     Life goes on…another lesson in patience.  Psalm 40:1 reads: “I waited patiently for the LORD (Yaweh); and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” Amen!

At my old job, the workers kidded that we were hidden in the basement; kept away from the public.  Above us was a showroom of highly expensive decorating fabrics where customers went and requested samples or clippings of fabrics that ‘tickled their fancy.’  Sometimes they placed their orders on the spot.  Meanwhile, we had to climb on ladders or go up shelving that were over ten feet high to fulfill orders.  It was a lot of work, especially when other workers would hide so as not to do their share.  When large orders arrived of 3-5 pages long, some workers decided it was time for their 15 min. break, leaving the load on others.

We always felt the manager was one with a whip chasing us up & down the aisles and shelves to hurry up and get our work done.  There was definitely no preferential treatment there.  We’d hope some ‘big shot’ in the showroom would come down and see who really did all the dirty work.   Never happened

We had a guy, Pete, who memorized almost every single piece of fabric we housed. Each piece had a five-digit number.  If we’d say, I need number 12395, he’d be able to tell you how many were in the same line, what colors they came in, their price, and how many inches before the pattern repeated itself again, etc.  What’s more amazing is that a few years down the line, a larger company merged their line with ours, bringing in 10,000 to 15,000 new fabrics and within weeks, Pete was memorizing them all!

Being out of the spotlight also meant getting paid as if living in the dark.  After paying our tithes and our bills, I’d stay with $2.00 for the next two weeks.  Having to get along with three kids and a wife wasn’t easy with two bucks.  To save (!), I’d ride my bike about 12 miles to work from Brooklyn to Manhattan.  I’d cross the Pulaski Bridge and then the 59^th St. bridge-even in frigid weather.  For lunch, since Pete only had a sip of his soda and threw out the rest, I’d ask for some before he drank.  I’d pour some into a cup and have it with some snack.  I felt as if I had a hole in both pockets.  But Jehovah Jireh, our provider, always came through.  I remember we had had a grand total of $157.00 stashed in our bank account for years.  I believe it went down to about $8.00 and we never looked at it cause we knew it couldn’t help us pay for anything basic.  I’m thankful to God I had a happy and understanding wife and three young kids for whom riches meant dad coming home, and that’s all that mattered.  I’d enter the door and one would grab me on the left leg, the other on my right leg, and the youngest I’d pick up.  I’d walk like Frankenstein pulling along two twerps and carrying a munchkin.

Where are your riches?  Although ‘Money answers all things’ (Eccl. 10:19), true treasures are to be established in heaven so that when this world is over, or we go to Him, we’ll have treasures to ‘bank’ on (Matt. 6:20).  Our prayers are deposited in heaven, our good deeds (because of our salvation), will be acknowledged by God.  Together, they form our bank accounts.

As the apostle Paul said, “I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound in all things; I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Philippians 4:12).  Not having money meant no need to worry on overspending when shopping since we simply didn’t shop except for groceries.  The one thing there was always an abundance of was laughter in our home. If you have the chance someday, read the great poem Laughter In the  Walls by Bob Benson.  It has definitely enriched our lives and has shown a truth relative to happy lives within happy walls.

Now that the storm of all storms is over, we can head back to ‘the ranch’ and to our stories about our growing family and our hectic lives in Bushwick.  But wait!!!

I’d first like to revisit an in-between- event.  Before sharing how God led us to the promised land, this date, October 27, 1984, was very special, and sad too.  It was fall and my parents had finally decided to move back to their homeland, Puerto Rico.  On this date, we drove them and my youngest brother to the airport.  We had always been together as a family and they were crazy about our kids ages 4,  2, and, 10 months.

My dad also left behind all seven of his sons and their families.  According to my mom he didn’t say one single word during the entire flight.  My parents had been living in New York for 29 years.  Now retired, my father was tired of the cold weather outside as well as inside.  There was hardly ever heat or hot water, so we agreed they should leave.

Though it was a good idea, it was now a sad and lonely time for us.  We missed them and they missed us. The kids wanted to see them, which of course, made it hard on us to explain.

A month before they left I had stayed without a job.  All five of us were home together while we waited on God and pursued Him for our future, which at the time, was pretty bleak.  God, however, was our ‘Very present help in (times) of trouble’ Psalm 46:1.  What happened next, is another chapter in our lives! Tune in for the great adventures of Sam & Viv’s family !