Finding Laughter In Difficult Times

Way back in Noah’s day, it rained for 40 days straight. The bootmaker made lots of money.
Centuries later, Moses fled Egypt at the age of 40 and dwelt in the land of Midian as a shepherd pastoring sheep for another 40 years. There, he learned to listen to God’s voice. He was then called to lead God’s people out of Egypt and together they roamed the wilderness for another 40 years. No need for a shoemaker this time since God made their shoes to last them that long! (Deuteronomy 8:4)). It was there that Moses learned to become a follower.
Several centuries later, Jesus came on the scene. He fasted 40 days and was tempted by Satan throughout that time.
Even more centuries later, I met a beautiful, smart, and responsible girl. We married. This week we celebrate 40 years of marriage! No, I didn’t say she’s starved me 40 days or that I’ve put her through a wilderness experience for 40 years! But I will say we’ve had our ups and downs like most couples do. With our leaky roof, we’ve had our share of floods. Many sunless days laced with trials and pain we’ve felt the sting of the desert as we’ve navigated through our God-made wilderness. We learned to brush away our self-dependence and become followers, dependent upon Jesus. With little on the table in our early years, we’ve felt like we fasted for 40 days living off manna and were tempted by the enemy. The bottom line is that God has been with us throughout our time together.
From humble beginnings to a humble end, God is the foundation of our marriage. The Holy Spirit is the rain that floods us. Our character has been forged in the wilderness of life. It takes lifelong trials and experiences to bring you out of it and into the clearing. That’s where real dreams come true. Dreams are made as we live them. They’re not wispy thoughts carried about in clouds. Marriage works when we work at it. It prospers when we make God the center of it all.
We’re looking forward to the next 40…
God Bless!
Sam & Viv

      Let’s journey back between 8,000 to 15,000 years!  Bring your archeological gear! Bring a compass, magnifying glass, binoculars, boots, hat, and a huge ham & cheese sandwich.  You might want to bring one for yourself too!
   So, getting out of the time machine we’re feeling a bit cramped, but that’s ok. Tuning in to what folks listened to during this period in time, I noticed right away several individuals carrying their solar-powered or hand-cranked transistor radios.  I hear someone playing Here Comes the Sun (George Harrison).  Over in the distance the mountains are echoing Good Morning Starshine (Oliver).  Some other songs blasting in the distance are Sunshine Superman (Donovan) by an ecstatic listener, while a somewhat depressed man strums Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers) on his Fender guitar.  All in all, these people seem obsessed with sunshine songs. I notice a woman swaying to John Denver’s Sunshine on My Shoulders as she hangs her laundry on the clothesline.  Suddenly, though, she swears a raindrop just tapped her, not from below, but from the skies!  Surrounding men laugh at her saying she’s sniffed too much detergent to know what’s going on!  Meanwhile, they break into a 5-part harmony and sing B.J. Thomas' Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head-doo-do-wop, doo-do-wop as they snap their fingers away laughing at the detergent joke.  Others, join in with Yeah, Yeah, Yeah (the Beatles).  What a blast they were having!
   Suddenly, someone picks up a classic guitar and strums up I Wanna Go Outside (In the Rain) by the Dramatics.  Obviously, the sunshine mood, as well as the climate is changing. As the days go on, more and more the sunshine songs are getting replaced by songs about rain. 
As we journey across the land, someone’s singing, It’s A Rainy Night in Georgia..."and it feels like it’s raining all over the world…” The message is finally sinking in.  After 30 days of drips, drops, and deluge, people are finally seeking shelter. The song at the number one position is now, Credence Clearwater’s, original Have You Ever Seen the Rain…“coming down on a sunny day?” Suddenly, people are loving the lyrics … “Long as I remember…”
Some, have caught on to the fact that all this rain is a result of what Noah has been telling them for over a hundred years: A flood is coming from above.  But, as tends to be the case, people have been laughing at him and mocking him and his kids for just as long.  I mean, who’s ever seen a huge boat, let alone one built on dry land where nothing but sunshine pierces the skies for centuries?  They believe the man is a nutcase. Well, their number one hit is about to be replaced across the country and across the globe by a more factual incident.  The new hit is now: Who’ll Stop the Rain (Credence Clearwater). As people clutch their radios and boom boxes, they can relate to the lines, “Still the rain kept pouring, falling on my ears, And I wonder, still I wonder, who’ll stop the rain?”
   Not only was that the last number 1 hit, it was the last song with lyrics ever played.  You see, the fountains of the deep were broken (the irrigation system God had set up to water the earth).  Up gushed millions of gallons of water throughout the land.  According to some Creationists, the water canopy God had built around the planet to keep man from noticing and worshipping the stars and heavenly hosts, burst sending billions of gallons of water everywhere around the world.  As people continued to mock and ridicule Noah, volcanoes erupted spewing new-water upon the land. 
     Soon there were but a few people left upon the planet. Down they went, drowning in their own beliefs-in their own disbeliefs that a “Loving God” could do such a thing.  Yet, the ark was there-all million square feet of it.  It was empty of human life, but for the 8 people inside.  In the backdrop, Wipeout (Surfaris) softly played as there was no one left to turn off the radio….because not a dry tear was left in all the land.
Just as it was back then, God has been warning us of His return. Not for 100 years or 105, or 120 years, but for thousands and thousands of years, (over 2000 years just since Jesus’ death).  Yet, the Bible says in 2Peter 3:5: “This they willfully ignore…”
   At 15, I asked my mom if there would be another flood.  “No” she said. “That’s why we have a rainbow in the sky, as His promise that it won’t happen again.” I was glad to hear that!  “Next time, she said, the earth will be destroyed by fire.” “What?  Why?!” I asked. She told me that mankind was so evil, that God determined that would be the best punishment.                                                                                                                                                                                     “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men”(2Peter 3:7).  
I guess it’s time to pack our gear and go back to our world and revisit God’s Word.  That brings to mind James Taylor’s song, Fire and Rain. Visiting the past can be scary, but it can also help us see where we’re headed.
“For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away” (Matthew 24:38,39).
God Bless,
Sam

      

I remember being in the first grade back in the early 1960s. My teacher was Ms. Quintero. She was a good teacher, but that being the age of the deep-red correcting pencils, I dreaded each time she passed by my desk and crossed out my work. It began on the very first day of school. We were asked to write our names in our books. I was happy and excited because I knew how to write it. To my dismay, a large, bold, deep-red pencil mark crossed it out! How could that be?! I had written my name, Sammy, but she crossed it out and wrote Samuel.
At home that evening, when my parents asked how it went, I was not too happy. I told them of the incident and my mom went, “Ahh.” A new lesson came about on how to write my new name.
For some reason, another teacher, Ms. Yakaloni, would leave at 1 p.m. and my class used to pack up and move from room 111 to her room (108) either every day or on certain days. On one of those days, we were making clay items. The minute I saw the glass jar with beautiful red paint, I reached for it. As I was about to color my project, the teacher came by and removed the paint saying, “No, wrong color.” I couldn’t believe it! I wondered why. As I looked down at my work, I had a turtle and realized it needed to be green. Hence, no red paint. I didn’t think it was fair! I thought it should’ve been painted any color I liked… I guess that took me on a quest for color! History-in-the-making!
Life is like that. There are things we like, things we want, or things we may feel we need. God knows best. Ultimately, our Teacher is present to guide our hand and mind towards those things that best suit us, even if it may look a little off according to our opinion. Trust God’s guidance.
God Bless!
Sam

A multicolored turtle Mom gave me some years ago!

I guess they can be painted as the heart desires!

One of my favorite songs from the early 1970s is Elton John’s Your Song. It paints a beautiful picture of a young man on a roof having written lyrics to a recently-finished song about the girl he loves. He focuses on two things, “How wonderful life is while you’re in the world,” and, “Yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen.”
We all love songs, particularly, ones that reach our hearts. Great songs stir emotions. They are powerful. At any moment in time regardless of where we are, we may hear a song from past days or from decades ago, and we’ll automatically get transported to an earlier time zone. We’ll be taken aback to when we first heard the song, or to a period in time when that song played an important role in our lives. We can remember what we were doing, wearing, thinking, how we were impacted, etc.
God loves songs too. He doesn’t sing about broken relationships. He already took care of that when His Son Jesus died for you to restore you to the Family. Have you accepted that invite yet? He’s waiting on you!! God loves you. He loves to sing about you. You remind Him of why He loves you. He rejoices knowing that very soon all of history will be changed and we will go to live with Him forever. His thoughts are on you.
“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).
How wonderful is that-to think that the God of the universe would make time to think of you and sing over you?? You’re that special to Him. Rejoice, He loves you and delights in you!
God Bless,
Sam

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband does safely trust in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life” (Proverbs 31:11).
King Solomon paints for us a picture of what a God-given and God-honoring woman looks like. Read the rest of the chapter to grasp just how special this type of woman is. I have a wife fitting those descriptions. God has equipped men and women with certain gifts and capabilities meant to enhance a marriage and to thrust it forward to where He wants us to be at. However, such a woman isn’t to be seen as a threat but rather as a compliment to the relationship.
Truth be told, few men can compare to what she can do, and some men, including God-fearing ones, don’t believe in her abilities. Many have a small vision of what such-type woman should be doing for her husband. Some, think women only belong in the house and that their gifts are just a waste of time because they will not allow them (the women) to fulfill their call. Granted, it isn’t easy, but there have been plenty of times when my wife’s intuition, knowledge, and skills have been “on target” whereas, I’ve been clueless. Whoever said that behind every great man, there’s a special woman, is correct.
Here’s a shout-out to all the women fitting God’s description of a “lady after God’s heart.” Thanks for honoring God with your lives. Thanks for tuning in to His ways, His mind, His direction and in the process, complimenting your spouse. To you, as well as to my wife, here’s wishing you A Happy Mother’s Day!
You are extremely special!
God Bless,
Sam

I remember being 3-4 years old and my mom holding my hand and looking at my small fingers and telling me my fingers were like small French fries. I looked at them trying to make the comparison. Ever since I’ve always looked at small fingers in the same way. Interestingly, we both love fries!
When I was 4, some Friday nights were CHILLER-THRILLER nights. Mom had my three cousins, Elsie-whom I haven’t seen in 48 years, and whose birthday will be tomorrow, Curie, and Patty, along with my brother and me watching the scary-monster movies. We’d have chips or Jiffy popcorn while the ugly creatures played out their scenes. Every time something scary was about to happen, the girls would scream and mom always looked to the side and covered her face. She usually said, “Ooofff.” She still does, and says the same thing at 84! Mind you, back in the very early 60s movies weren’t gross or extremely scary. Most scary scenes consisted of shadows showing what might take place. Nevertheless, it spooked us. One movie I remember was Attack of the 50-foot Woman who I think came from a spaceship.
One day in the second grade, we made ashtrays out of clam shells, I guess for Father’s Day. Mine was reddish. I guess I didn’t finish painting mine because I went home knowing exactly what to do. I took my mom’s red nail polish and applied some. It looked exactly as it should, and no one would know I finished it at home—or so I thought! As soon as mom walked in the door, she asked, “What’s that smell?” I think I had to confess.
One time, we were at a doctor’s office and I had gotten a shot. I was crying a lot. To comfort me, mom told me she’d buy me a cake at Antionette’s which was the restaurant on the ground floor of our building. I said Ok. As we walked on, I stopped crying, but I was surely thinking of that cake! As we were right in front of the store, I pulled on mom. My actions were saying, “Umm, aren’t you forgetting something?” I said, “Where’s my cake?!” She said, “Oh, but since you stopped crying…” I said, “Hey, I’ll start crying right now, if that’s what it’ll take to get my cake!” She said, “Ok, OK” and happily I went for my cake, which was either the large 4-5” deep chocolate Ring Ding, or the three Yankee Doodle cakes. They were worth every penny of the .10 paid, as well as every tear shed on this occasion.
In general, moms are always there for us. I’m sure they could tell us long-forgotten stories we’ve overlooked or no longer remember. This past year saw a lot of moms leave this world due to COVID. Perhaps you lost your mom, your grandma, or an older sister that was like a mom to you. My heart goes out to all of you. Life will never be the same when mom is gone. Treasure those memories that you have held dear to your heart. Cherish the good moments together as well as those of hardship. Maybe you’re still caring for your mom. May God strengthen you on the path you’re on. Honor her as the special person God placed in your life to raise you.
God has always loved His children and cared for us like a hen looking after her chicks (Matthew 23:37).
Let your mom know how much you love her and appreciate her. If you need to forgive, then please do so. It’s God’s one conditional commandment: “Honor your father and your mother that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20;12 NIV).

Ever gotten lost? In general, my wife and I are quite opposites to other couples when it comes to a few things. When I’m driving, I’m the one who prefers to stop and ask for directions while my wife just wants to continue going in circles until we ‘figure it out.’ At least, we’ll know for the next time, she’ll say. I guess that means we’ll get lost again!
And in respect to getting lost, that’s me again! But, getting lost isn’t limited only to driving. My ‘skills’ really shine when watching movies! My wife says I turn a 2-hour movie into 3 hours…maybe she’s being nice! Years ago, we used to have our “Blockbuster Nights’ on Fridays. The kids would tell me nice things such as, “Now don’t get lost, Papi!” and, “No more questions!” But of course, I was helpless. The “nice” things would eventually include, “Don’t let Papi get a hold of the remote!” I remember one time as being the best! The kids slipped the VHS tape into the player and proceeded to warn me. The lights went out, everyone was quiet amidst a few giggles, they held their breaths, and after feeling secured and just before pressing the Play button, I said, “Wait!!!” Our youngest turned around laughing uncontrollably! and said, “Bendito, Papi, the movie hasn’t even started and you’re already lost??!!” I just had a question!! I miss those good times…I’m sure my wife does too, since there’s no one but her to answer me or put me back on track!
Getting lost is a reality to lots of us. Amongst the worst is getting some place early only to learn that we’ve arrived at the wrong place and then scramble out only to arrive late at the right place anyway, ugh!
I’m sure you’ve seen the signs, “Don’t follow me, I’m lost.” Makes sense. God wants us on the right paths. He understands getting lost. He even understands being lost. The former refers to an accident or mistake, or somewhat intentional (to make corrections for future attempts). However, the latter refers to a state or condition. Knowing that humanity was lost as result of sin during the fall of man, God made a Way to put us back on track. Like viewing a maze from a helicopter, God knows where in a maze we are. He knows which paths we’re taking. He knows which will lead us to dead ends as well as which will lead us out.
Even before the fall of man, God had made a way for all of us. He sent His Son Jesus to show us the Way. Jesus is The Way. He’s the Way to the Father (John 14:6). He’s the Way to eternal life. He’s the Way to forgiveness. Jesus can detour you. He can change your life’s course and place you on the road to His heart. He can place you on the path to His house. He will direct you to streets of gold via His GPS (God’s Perfect Spirit).
Whether you get lost on trains, buses, driving, or in movies or following a story, God is the best there is in the realm of Lost and Found. Stop. Take a Right. Ask God for directions. Get on track. The Holy Spirit is your remote; He will guide your steps.
God Bless!
Sam

Many times, riding my bike I found one of my tires to have suffered a slow-leak or a flat. With an empty tire, you can’t get far. Many times, I had to walk miles to get home if my patches didn’t work or something else occurred.
Sometimes, cars run out of gas-leaving one on foot. Or, we can get so exhausted from work that we feel like we’re running on empty. Most of the time empty isn’t a good thing. However, it can be. Jesus emptied Himself to become human like us. It means, He put aside His glory, His riches, His power, His Godly attributes to take on a human nature. Though equal to God, He laid it all aside, temporarily, for us.
All world religions have rites or rituals as well as traditions that set them apart from others. However great they may be, the leader or leaders they represent, are all dead in their graves or will be. Jesus is the only One whose tomb is EMPTY! Empty because after completing His redemptive work-taking upon Himself the sins of the world, He pleased the Father by satisfying the greatest demand of all time-a perfect sacrifice. No animal or animal’s blood could accomplish that because it was tainted.
Only the perfect Lamb of God-Jesus, could shed perfect blood for all mankind, for all time. And so to this day His tomb remains empty. Empty because on the third day He rose to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God for all eternity. Only Jesus can make that claim. Only in Christ can you find forgiveness. Only in Him can you find everlasting life. Only in Christ can you empty yourself and be filled with Him. An empty tomb can translate to an overflowing heart. An empty tomb means there is nothing else to add to the story, or to the Gospel. We’ve heard the saying, “He’s full of himself.” Hence, only when we’re empty of ourselves can God fill us.

Happy Resurrection Day!

God Bless,

Sam

We all generally know from watching movies that someone blamed for a crime or an act of violence is innocent until proven guilty. We tend to want and demand justice. We decry vindication. We want our day in court. When we see justice served, we agree, we applaud, we rejoice. But sometimes, justice isn’t what’s needed. What if the tables were turned? What if we’re guilty until proven innocent? Today, we celebrate what many allude to as Good Friday, though lots of evidence proves it should really be Good Wednesday-but that’ll get discussed another day.
As a little kid growing up, I wondered why my mom would tell us, “Today you can’t make any noise, say any bad words, can’t yell, can’t hammer, etc.” Then I learned it had to do with Jesus’ sufferings on the cross. From as far back as our ancestors go, Adam & Eve, we are all guilty of sin. We’re born into sin. We have no choice. Regardless of what we do, sin is always present. Nothing we do can change that. Only One Person changed our destiny: Jesus. God became man to pay the price for our sins. It was a price no human could pay. He reconciled us to God. People often get sidetracked shifting their focus to unimportant matters such as whether the Jews or Romans got Jesus crucified. The answer is both, and neither. While both groups were involved, neither was needed to accomplish His crucifixion. It was His love for us that held him to the cross. It wasn’t the nails fastening Him to that tree, but His commitment to reconnect us with the Father that spiked Him there until His death.
We have all been guilty of His death. Though unborn at the time, we had a part in it. Our sins took Him there. But you don’t have to carry your burden of guilt! You don’t need to live in chains of depression. Many people today want to end their lives because they’re caught in a cycle of guilt, pain, or remorse. You don’t need to kick yourself for the things you can’t help or control. Your freedom from sin is as close as a breath away. It’s as close as arriving today. In fact, it’s as close as happening right now.
This very instant whether you’re sitting down, happen to be on your knees, or are flat-out on your face, you can cry out to God in sincerity.

1.Tell Him you’re sorry for your sins. Don’t justify yourself.

2. Ask for His forgiveness.

3. Ask Him to remove your sins.

4. Ask Him to come into your heart and take up residence.
Jesus will do just that. He will remove your sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). He will cast them into the sea of forgetfulness (Micah 7:19). That means He will not remember them anymore-and neither should you. He will write your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev.3:5 and 21:27). You will have eternal life! When you leave this earth, you’ll go to heaven and will meet Him!
You will no longer be under the yoke of sin. You’ll be free! You’ll be proven innocent in God’s court of law due to the blood Jesus shed when crucified at Calvary for your sins.
TAP, TAP, TAP! (Gavel coming down) Verdict: Innocent! Outstanding sin-debt=PAID IN FULL! Conclusion: Free of Sin!

God Bless!

Sam

Humanity sins daily as well as in every waking moment.  You may have cleansed yourself from your old ways.  You may have cut ties with enticing love-things that choke your breath; relationships or habits that drain your life.  You may have even committed your life to God, or may have recommitted yourself to His ways, only to end up back in a pit.  All in all, “We gotta get right back to where we started from” (Maxine Nightingale).

Regardless of how many times we may fall in the mire, God is standing nearby with a towel in hand willing to wipe us off and cleanse us with His love.  You see, His blood shed at Calvary, has washed you clean.  He’ll extend His hand to help you out of the pit, but you’ve got to reach out and grab it.  See, God’s love isn’t based on chocolates, sexy outfits or even red hearts.  His love is based on His sweetness.  It’s based on what’s in His heart for you: to return you wholly and holy to His Father.  His love, like His heart, cannot be found at a local store.  No one can price a life.  It’s priceless.  No one can put a price on your worth.  You’re beyond worth.  You’re beyond any number or figure that someone at an auction can spit out for your soul.  His love is unconditional, meaning that nothing you do whether good or bad will change how He feels about you.  His love for you is based on His desire to love you and to welcome you into His family.  Of course, we can choose not to accept Him.  We can choose not to reciprocate His love.  We can wash our hands and scoff at the thought that He loves us.  He’ll continue loving you; but you will reap the consequence of that choice.  “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:33).

 A belated

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Sam