The importance of FAMILY

Do you ever wonder why our families are so important to us? I mean really...According to evolutionists we're just evolved apes that have the ability to do cooler things, think way cooler thoughts, tie our shoe laces, and we're a little less hairy -- well some of us are, anyway.

But why do we place such an importance on our families, after all why do we need them after we are big enough to care for ourselves (i.e., gather our own food, clothing, and shelter)? Because that's how we were made by God. He's the one that placed us into the families that we were born into, and wired us so we would bond to and gravitate towards one another in extraordinary ways incomparable to monkeys -- Sorry to the folks at PETA that may disagree.

Now some of our "families" are far from ideal but the imprint for God's vision for the family remains. I have seen some that are crazier than mine and makes me want to run far away, as well as some that are close-knit that make me wish I could be adopted because the level of intimacy far surpasses what I have experienced in my own family life.

I am amazed by how entwined my wife and her parents really are. Yes, she married me and moved 13,000 miles from home to be with me here in Miami, but I know that part of her remains with her parents, even at this most difficult time. Both of her parents were recently diagnosed with cancer. Her mama was found to have breast cancer, had surgery, and was recovering then a little later her papa was rushed to the hospital and found to have colon cancer, spent many weeks in the hospital due to complications but is now up and about. Then we found out that her mama's breast cancer returned in her other breast along with other symptoms that bring her a lot of pain and is very uncomfortable for her.

Last evening, after speaking to her parents on the phone, my wife was distraught since her mama doesn't want to go for any follow-up treatments. Her mama feels that since nothing has worked so far, that she will simply wait to go to heaven when it's her time.

My wife and I talked, and then we cried about what to do, because although were far away we just don't feel that it's right to just give-up, you know. With her making 2 trips to the Philippines this year and all of the medical bills, our finances are very low right now. It's not simply a matter of money, but it's something that we must consider as we decide what we can do with regards to her mama's and papa's treatments.

Sure there are other considerations like our monthly bills, our jobs, and our local responsibilities so we're not sure how everything will work itself out, but we know that we should press on and do for her parents the very best that we can do, and not give up on helping them in their time of need. So, please pray for my wife and her parents (and for us) as we have to make critical decisions regarding their treatment and pray also for the provisions that we need, whatever that may be.

Bottom line, our families are important and they deserve our best, whatever that may entail.... If that were not so, then God would've left you as an orphan -- Instead of granting you the opportunity to become a child of God!

Today was a good day!

Today was a good day! I got to wake up to the smell of my wife cooking one of her native foods, pancit(asian noodles). Then we got ready for church and we rode with our friend, Holly 'cuz her husband Kevin had to work today and we were glad to spend time with three Logan women. On the way to church, I looked at my wife and asked her what the spanish word for Sunday as ...Then it dawned on me, It's Domingo and were going to Flamingo (Road Church). Silly right? Yeah, a little bit...
Today, Pastor Troy taught about the tithe and he really pushed home the reasons we are to tithe. One of the most important things about the tithe, in my opinion, is that the tithe is a good indicator of your perspective and what you value in life. I guess it comes back to the willful and deliberate acknowledgement that what you have comes from God, and as a steward, there are certain expectations that are placed upon you by God as a kind of litmus test to see where and in what things you place your confidence. One day last week, I thought about my paycheck and that although I work hard for it, it comes from God --He made that possible. I am to give my tithe, the 10% of the firstfruits, which is non-negotiable according to scripture and yet I get to keep 90% -- What a deal if you think about it.
I guess, it's just how we choose to focus our perspectives that matters. You can either complain about the 10% you're supposed to bring into the storehouse, or you can rejoice that God has given permission for you to keep 90% for yourself. Sounds like a good deal to me.
Guess it's all in how you look at it, right?

Dogg Days

Dogs have it easy, dont they. They wake up when you do, and almost immediately you have to let them out or take them for a walk, feed them, pick up whatever they leave behind or have chewed up. I would imagine it's similar to having children only my dog is a lot less hairy than some of the babies I've seen lately (just kidding). One day (Jescel) my wife, and I hope to have a litter of our own, and now with Bob Barker in retirement I won't feel guilty about NOT having them spayed or neutered (joking). For now, I just get to deal with our dog, Prince, and his crazy but mostly loveable antics. He gets sooo crazy sometimes that I get sooo mad at him. I just give him this look and he knows exactly what I'm sayin' -- Yeah kinda like when I want to spend too much money on somethin' really cool and my WIFE gives me this LOOK and I know exactly what she's sayin', right honey? Anyways, maybe we just think dogs have it easy, right??? Later.

My wife made me do it!

Hey guys...Welcome to my blog... Ok, my beautiful wife didn't make me do it...Actually, she nudged me a little bit with remarks like, " If you dont write a blog, I'm gonna go to DSW and go shopping" and "I have a pocket full of credit cards and i am NOT afraid to use them", and my personal favorite, "Honey, you always talk a lot, why dont you give my ears a break and start blogging"....LOL .

Seriously, though... If you know my wife you know that she didnt say anything like that -- I kinda made all that stuff up. This blog thing may rekindle my passion for writing and maybe you'll find out something new about me that you didn't know or were afraid to ask.

For starters, the title of my blog is JOE 3:16, primarily because one day as I was being me... I thought about how I could apply John 3:16 personally to my life. You know the scripture that says , "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

What I wanted to do was place my name into that passage and imagine that if I were the only person alive, that God would've still sent Jesus to attone for all of my sins and that he had so willingly chosen to love on such a grand scale. I don't want you to guess how the verse would've read, but I imagined it something like this:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, [so] that [joe] should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Sometimes, I will admit that I have a tendency to doubt that God could love somebody like me, but I'm so glad he does. Joe 3:16 may sound like its about me, but it's really not... It's REALLY about Him doing His thing in me!!!

Be encouraged...More to come later, Lord-willing!