How to Number our Days

I loved going to weekday women's meeting at my church growing up. My grandmothers were always  present, armed with their Bible and a Methodist Hymnal.

When we finished the meeting, every woman, girl, and boy in the room sang the motto of the women's society as loud as our lungs would allow us. It went like this:

"E seja sobre nós 

A graça do Senhor 

E confirma sim confirma

A obra das nossas mãos

Amém!" 

The translation is:

"Be upon us 

the grace of the Lord 

and establish 

Yes establish

The work of our hands

Amen!" 

Now, how smart is it for a group of women to dismiss their meeting with such powerful prayer? I thank God for the women who raised me. 

After we said our goodbyes, people moved on with the business of life. They moved on only after they asked God's blessing over the work of their hands. 

Have you ever thought about asking God to bless the work you do?

Enter life pre-COVID. Most women my age were busy working and volunteering (or they were busy complaining about all the stuff they signed up to do). 

Every year the same thing happened. People voluntarily signed up to do everything under the sun. At the end of the school year, there were parties, banquets, appreciations, etc. 

We forget that we are the masters of our schedules, not the other way around. 

We also forget that God is the master of our lives. He is well able to lead us towards the things we truly need to do. 

The truth is, we can't do everything.

Perception is everything in America. We all know that one of the ways to look successful is to sign up for a bunch of stuff and actually preside over the organizations that will give us more clout. 

Some women end up hating their own lives because they can't say no. I wonder if they know that this crazy lifestyle wasn't God's idea.

One of my mentors told me that this busy way of living, which leads people to be stretched thin by choice, is ungodly.

God's way is the only way to live well. Let's think of someone who deeply cared about God's ways: Moses.

Moses wrote Psalm 90, one of the oldest Psalms in the Bible.

The Psalm is described as a prayer. He starts by proclaiming God's eternity. 

Men and women are left with frailty at best.

God is eternal, He is all-powerful and we are not. 

Moses prays that God will teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 

So teach us to number our days,

That we may gain a heart of wisdom. 

Psalm 90:12 (NKJV)

The word for "teach", translated from yada, means "to know". The "us" is in italics in some versions of the Bible because it was most likely added by the translators so we can understand the writer better. 

If we go with what the writer wrote, we end up with "know to count our days." For what? That we may "apply" or "enter in" wisdom. Gain is another word that made sense for a lot of translators (and it is a good word). 

For our purposes, let's say that Moses asked God that we may know how to count our days so we can apply our hearts to wisdom. 

Let's be very honest and admit that God will most likely not tell us when we are out of here. He knows the day and the hour we are to die and for the majority of people, He does not reveal when that will be. 

So how in the world will we learn how to count our days?

I believe that's when choices come in the equation. 

God knows my end. He also knows what I should do in the between. 

He can teach me to number my days but I need to seek Godly wisdom to make my days count. God is able to teach me and I need to do my part. 

Here is an example of choices I made that were a waste of "numbering" my days. 

One time, I signed up to lead 5 or 6 different groups at church. 

My thought was: "there is a need and I need to fill it."

Did God give me the gift to lead? Yes. Is God pleased when I am stretched thin? No! 

Could God have told me which group I was supposed to lead? Yes. Did I ask? No. 

I learned that I couldn't do everything. During that time, I also discovered my physical health was deteriorating. I had to press pause in trying to save the world and change my lifestyle. 

I finished my commitment to the 6 groups. I took a break from leadership to take care of my health. Once my blood pressure was no longer high as a kite, I went back to leading one group. 

God is more than able to teach us to count our days. The only way our days will count is if we live them according to God's guidance and plan for our lives. 

Once you know what God wants you to do, you can ask Him to give you wisdom for everyday life. 

I know that right now, God is calling me to be Zeke's wife, the mother of our children, and a professional. 

Can I try to save the world again and sign up to lead 6 different groups in town? Yes. Will I do it? Well, you and I know it won't be wise. 

You have no idea how difficult it is for me to see a leadership need and to just sit quietly. I know there is a season and time for everything. When it is time to lead something outside of what I am currently doing, God will make it plain. 

Because there are opportunities to help everywhere. Here is what I realized:

I cannot do everything. 

I can't donate to every cause. 

I can't sign up for every meal train. 

So I won't. 

The things I choose to do, 

I will do with all my heart. 

I cannot control everything. 

I can't choose when this virus will end. 

I can't make everything go back to normal. 

So I won't. 

The things I can do, 

I will do with all my heart. 

With God's help

I will take care of my health. 

With God's help

I will care for my family. 

With God's help

I will work diligently as a professional. 

With God's help

I will respect my limits. 

With God's help

I will remember to pray.

With God's help

I will learn to number my days.

Only with God's help, 

I will gain a heart of wisdom.

That song from my childhood never left my heart. I am learning it to make it my daily prayer. I invite you to pray with me as we get ready to engage in the business of life:

"Be upon us 

the grace of the Lord 

and establish 

Yes establish

The work of our hands

Amen!" 

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Change

Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,

And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

26 

They will perish, but You will endure;

Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;

Like a cloak You will change them,

And they will be changed.

27 

But You are the same,

And Your years will have no end. 

Psalm 102: 25-27 (NKJV)

Change has been a constant here and everywhere. As soon as I think things are getting back to normal, they change again. All of these ups and downs lead me to so many thoughts. The first one is, God is constant. 

No matter how things change around us, God doesn't change. He is ever faithful. He is in control and He is love. 

My second thought is that with all this talk about the virus, it is wise to take care of one's health. I am amazed at how far small steps can take me. 

I started this health work three years ago. My weight was very high and I needed to do something about it. I told myself that I was going to lose weight. I got the help I needed. I took small steps and I am in a much better place. Slow change has brought lasting results. 

During this Spring, I told myself I was going to lose weight. It wasn't easy but I did it. I was very happy with the results. I did put on a lot of effort. I stayed away from excuses and I embraced hard work. 

I believe that I can be a better wife, mother, and human being when I am healthier. So I will continue to embrace the work of being a healthy person.

My last thought is on prayer. I prayed for a lot of things to change these past few months. I am here to announce that most of them did not change. The good thing is that I did. My attitude towards my challenges changed. Although I would love to see every little thing I prayed for change, I grew in my trust in God. He doesn't change and He is faithful. 

I trust that God has a plan. I trust Him to perform that plan in His timing. Meanwhile, I will continue to pray and believe in God. 

Have you thought about the change you experience? What did you learn?

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Don't speak out of your wound, speak out of your wisdom

People are always looking for peace. They just don't know it.

I look for peace when life gets out of wack. The unexpected illness shows up. The friendship turns toxic. Family harmony turns to family hate. Life has a way of mixing all the pieces we carefully put together.

When such moments happen, we have the tendency of using our mouths. My advice is, "don't speak out of your wound, speak out of your wisdom." If you haven't arrived at wisdom yet, do yourself a favor and cultivate quietness until peace comes.

You and I probably spent a lot of time reading/watching/listening to people speaking out of their wound on social media and in real life. Here is what I do. If it is a close friend who will be able to receive advice, I discretely tell them they might want to reconsider their wounded words.

This habit of speaking out of your wound has become acceptable because it has earned the title of "real (add profanity here)." Somehow, watching people bleed while doing absolutely nothing to help them, has become an admirable character trait.

I went to a hospital today and I can tell you exactly what they would recommend if someone was bleeding. The first step is to stop the bleeding. The second step is to treat the cause of the bleeding so the person can heal.

We don't behave this way online. We have accepted the internet as the primary place to bleed (or vomit) while many applaud it without questioning the health of the wounded person.

What happens when the person speaking out of their wound is the one reading my words? The first step is to recognize you developed such habit. You need help. I am not implying that one should be fake online. I am advocating for wisdom to arise out of the deep hurts we all experience. If it can't help, it shouldn't be said. A close friend, a counselor might be a better audience for such words. There are always proper places for our words. Wisdom comes when we can discern where those places are.

Please don't think that you shouldn't say what you feel. My friend, you certainly can. Feelings were given to us for a good reason. I believe that sharing wisdom is more effective than sharing the wound only.

Let's get real (without the cuss words). I know that this post will not turn the internet into a wisdom-only place. Darkness will always be out there. The truth of Jesus compels me to believe that darkness will not overcome His light. We can all make a difference if we change our behavior. How do we do that?

We can use silence when the pain is working its way through our being. We can all take a break from  shiny screens so we can focus on the lessons learned out of pain. We can reach out to a person, in real life, that can benefit from our story.

If you are looking for peace tonight, be sure you take the time to find it. Reach out to a good friend. Turn off your screens for a while. Turn on your heart and know that God can redeem, restore and renew. Let's get to wisdom.

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The Qualitative part of Goals

We’re a few days away from the official start of summer, which means it’s time to reassess my goals. I took a different approach to goal setting this year: I took at time assessment and made a decision to spend more time on what’s working. I tried to stay away from focusing so much on a list of things to accomplish and focus on the qualitative part of my goals. 

When I focus on the qualitative aspect of my goals, I leave the “check mark” mentality behind and I press on to become the person who can accomplish the goals I set. 2015 has been an amazing year already. I’m not totally discouraged about my progress. As I reviewed my goals recently, I noticed that the simple fact that I wrote them down gave me the empowerment to pursue and achieve them. Glory be to God! 

I’m amazed at the possibilities only realized by those who choose to focus on the qualitative part of their goals. Focusing on quality has allowed me to make progress in my personal life and character. Spending my time on what really matters has also made the process easier. I also have stretched my faith in order to pursue the goals I set before me. 

With the help of God I trust Him to become the person He has called me to be. It seems that while I have faith in God it is up to me to do what I can in order to make progress. My encouragement for you today is to spend time on what’s working. Reassess your goals. Set new ones and review old ones. Hope will arise and you will be ignited to go after your dreams again.

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Páscoa de Jesus

"Por isso lhe darei as honras de quem é grande e poderoso, pois que derramou a sua alma, indo até à morte. Foi tido por um pecador, carregou com os pecados de muitos, intercedeu junto de Deus pelos pecadores." Isaías 53:12 (O Livro)

Por 17 anos eu tenho passado a Páscoa aqui nos EUA. Não posso dizer que tudo mudou quando tive filhos, mas o meu foco sim mudou. A Páscoa, como todo feriado, acaba virando uma festa do comércio, ao menos que a gente não mude o nosso coração. 

A minha luta não é contra a cultura desse país. O meu objetivo é de agradar e honrar a Deus. Esse ano nós temos ensinado as crianças o verdadeiro significado da Páscoa: a vitória de Jesus na cruz. É claro que quanto mais crescem, mais eles vão entendendo. O interessante é que o espírito deles sempre recebem as coisas de Deus. Por isso nós lemos a Bíblia com eles. Por isso nós contamos histórias e inventamos peças. A alegria das crianças é contagiante porque é sincera. Eu oro pra que a minha gratidão ao meu Senhor Jesus também seja assim. 

Semana passada nós levamos as crianças a uma igreja local pra caçar ovinhos de Páscoa. Nós explicamos que a Páscoa é de Jesus, mas nessa cultura existe essa tradição de se caçar ovinhos cheios de doces. Também expliquei que não é bom comer doce demais. 

A maior doçura da minha infância foi de aprender músicas durante a Páscoa e participar daos cutlso de louvor a Deus. 

Eu oro pra que meus filhos não se preocupem tanto em se vestirem bem a ponto de esquecer da vestimenta do coração. Quando o amor por Jesus enche o coração, a vida inteira é um grande banquete. 

Pra falar a verdade, eu poderia escrever livros e livros com as "tradições culturais" da Páscoa aqui nos EUA. A única coisa que me interessa é o Evangelho de Cristo, e essa é a herança que comemoramos na nossa família. 

Muitos cultos vão acontecer essa semana. O mais importante de todos é o culto contínuo de um coração que ama e adora a Deus. Que a sua Páscoa seja totalmente de Jesus querido amigo. 

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Devotional: who will you become in 2015?

17 years ago I arrived in the US with $200 in my pocket and 2 suitcases in my hands. Shortly after settling in my college dorm someone robbed me of $100 dollars so I was left with $100. At that scary moment I learned that “it’s not about what happens to you, it’s about who you become.” I became Brave when I faced that situation and immediately found a job in the college cafeteria. I went on to graduate with honors as a journalist. Because It’s not about what happens to you, it’s about who you become.

I gained a lot of things 5 years ago as I arrived in motherhood. Our family gained sweet new members around every year – yes, we’re baby bunchers – but I felt like I lost a few things as well. My sense of identity was lost. Long gone was that pride that came from working hard, earning degrees and conducting a successful career. In this new land of motherhood there’s a leveled playing field. That life lesson was the same tough “it’s not about what happens to you in motherhood, it’s about who you become.”

Hannah in the Bible had many sad years as she longed to be a mother. To make matters worse she had to withstand the constant bullying of her sisterwife who had many children while Hannah remained barren. The miracle happened when Hannah prayed, despite of her hopeless situation, and God heard her prayers. You see, it’s not about what happened to Hannah, it’s about who she became. Hannah became the mother of many children and her oldest son was Samuel, a prophet that God used mightily in Israel. The Bible says that God was with Samuel and didn’t let none of his words fall to the ground. so remember, “It’s not about what happens to you in 2015, it’s about who you become.”

God is very interested in who you become this year my friend. And as a source of encouragement we remember the MOPS Bible verse for this year which says

“Do not remember the former things,

Nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth;

Shall you not know it?

I will even make a road in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19

God is more interested in who we become than in what we go through. How so? When it comes to our different tribulations the Bible says that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. But when it comes to who we become, Romans 8:29 talks about how we are to be conformed to the image of Jesus. Another verse in 2 Corinthians 3:18 says “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” It’s not about what happens to you in 2015, it’s about who you become with God’s help.

As you arrive in 2015 I don’t know what you’re facing. You might feel like I did in College. You’re in the middle of a scary situation. Or you may feel like I did every time a new child was born, your sense of identity is shaky. The good news is that as you stand in this brand new year God is whispering: “it’s not about what happens to you, it’s about who you become. And I am your very present Help.”

2015 stands ahead of us as an uncharted sea. Good thing we know that in Jesus we are more than conquerors for it’s not about what happens to you in 2015, it’s about Becoming more like Jesus.

God is not against goals. I believe that God actually likes them so we don’t go through the year aimlessly. I want to challenge you to think about who does God want me to become as a mother? What do you lack? Do you need to be:

1. Brave

2. Patient

3. Encouraging

4. Present

5. Peaceful

Next time we will talk about ways to get there with God’s help.

• Read part 2 here: Wisdom, that's my final answer

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2014 Health Goals: thankful!

13 days till the new year! I want to do a wrap up on my goals for the year. I wrote a 2014 Goals Update in May where I took a further step and added some Action Steps for my Health Goals. Today I’m being painfully honest about the results and extremely thankful to God for the opportunities I had in 2014. While these are Health and Fitness related, I also set goals in other categories. Here are my updates:

Houston Mile 22: my friends show up when I need them the most!

1 • Rebuild my running base in order to be always ready to run a half-marathon – DONE. I was blessed to stick with my running group off season and it was awesome!

Sweet Victory! I finished the Chicago Marathon thanks to God!

2 • Sign up for at least one marathon this year – DONE. Thanks to God for the gift of running the Chicago Marathon! It was a dream I had for many years. I’m so grateful for that experience. 

3 • Arrive at a normal BMI - NOT DONE. I pretty much maintained my weight this year.  

No major weight loss but I'm not who I used to be!

4 • Break my PR for both a half marathon and a marathon - NOT DONE YET. I have never ran a half-marathon and I did not PR in Chicago but with God’s help I will in Houston.  

Running with my husband was amazing. So thankful for Zeke!

5 • Inspire and motivate people who want to run – I HOPE SO. My husband is now a runner training for his first half-marathon. One of my friends told me I inspired him to run a marathon. I pray that my journey brings glory to God and motivation to people.

One of my personal goals was to be 'present' when talking to people. The pursuit of this goal made me a better friend and listener this year. I also set to write more qualitative pieces for the blog this cutting down in the amount of posts I put out. This goal helped me to be a more efficient writer. I wanted to read the whole Bible this year and I did not accomplish this goal. I hope to be able to do it in 2015 tough. I am happy with the amount of Bible study that happened this year. I also set Parenting and Financial goals and thanks to God I saw a lot of learning in both of these areas. 

I like the accountability of writing down my goals. I like the stats that say that people who write their goals are more likely to accomplish them. I also enjoy the fact that if I set out to reach nothing I'll hit it every time. 

I thank God for a year of growth and learning. I pray for the courage to set more goals for 2015 that will glorify God and bless others. 

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Building the Basis

The challenge of running a marathon for the first time is what brought about the concept of “building a running base” to my attention. Building one’s running base means you take some time to get in the habit of running between 3-6 miles several times a week for a couple of months. Once you have that foundation established you tackle the bigger challenge of training for a marathon. It would be overwhelming to get up from my c-section and start the road to 26.2 miles. I had to heal and recover. I had to take time to walk, then run again. A running base was the strong foundation that helped me get to the finish line of the Houston Marathon this year. 

When God gave me a second chance to take care of my health to stop the side effects of high blood pressure I started by building a health basis. There was no way I could leave the doctor’s office and drop 40 lbs off my waist line right there and then. I immediately got in a process of renewing my mind according to the word of God. It says be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Yes, I was (and still am) on medication but I totally started to rely on God to tell me how I was supposed to live. Once my mind was healed from the past damages I suffered, I started to slowly add fitness back into my life. My favorite exercise was walking: it was simple, easy and I enjoyed it so much. I prayed and walked my way out of high blood pressure and stress. God is faithful and what He told me to do back then (as far as what I was supposed to eat) still works 7 years later. I can honestly say that building my health basis led me to the big step of gaining my health back. 

I don’t know what your greatest need is today: whether it is a health, nutrition or fitness. I am a witness that taking small steps and building a base will help you reach the big results you are aiming for. Don’t let the big picture overwhelm you. Know that if God is calling you there He will guide you all the way. He will speak to you and be there from the basis to the top.

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Invasion of Privacy

"Mamãe, what are you doing there?"

I'm never alone because I am a mother. Privacy was a luxury I took for granted for 29 years. No matter where I am, there they are. I have confess that I find it funny when my 3 preschoolers stand outside the bathroom door trying to get my attention. The only explanation I have for this common phenomenon is that my kids just can't get enough of me. They are consumed by the need to be in my presence. I tried escaping while they were distracted by a cartoon or activity but one by one, they manage to find me. I try telling them to go back to their activity to no avail. They simply must be next to me.

I see my relationship with God the same way: He never leaves me alone. "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5) are His exact words of life.
Whether I'm in my lowest low or highest high, He is there. The Bible assures me that His hand leads me and His right hand will hold me.

I'm never alone because I am a Christian. Privacy from the Ruler of the Universe is something I do not desire. No matter where I am, God is. I have to confess that I find it amazing that the God of the Universe is always seeking to fellowship with me. The only explanation I have for this wonderful phenomenon is that God just can't get enough of loving me. I want to be consumed by the need to be in His presence. This is the kind of invasion of privacy I desire in my life.

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Camp Listenbee: an Experiment

My nieces spent 6 weeks of their summer with us. My mother, husband and I felt like we were running a camp thus the name Camp Listenbee was born. We figured out that we needed a schedule pretty quickly which included daily music classes (Kindermusik style).

Here's my baby snatching toys during Kindermusik

 We also created what we call Splash Day. Once a week we let everyone play in the water and that was also a lot of fun for them. Even the baby enjoyed it to my surprise!

Campers enjoying Splash Day

 The thing I didn't expect was the amount of drawing that Camp Listenbee involved (partly because I haven't bought a printer since we moved to Texas). I googled stuff like "how to draw a sheep" and I followed the instructions. Then I thought about how we can make this even fun so we came up with this: 

More Camp Listenbee Art ideas on my Pinterest

 My nieces and kids are young enough that they may not remember this summer at all but I will. I thank God, my husband and my mother for the amazing help they gave me. I don't think our camp could have been successful without their love and support. I am also thankful for some amazing friends who came to my rescue and gave me rides so I could take the big kids out for playdates and even to a fancy restaurant! We practiced table manners in the restaurant and the kids did a remarkable job! 

I found most camp supplies at the Goodwill. Great prices!

 My nieces have been back to their hometown and our fun continues. Yesterday I googled how to draw a monkey because the kids keep playing that they are having a birthday party for Mr. Monkey, so I thought our craft time should follow that theme.

My "Happy Birthday Mr. Monkey" drawing skills

I have also been helping all my kids to learn how to hold a pencil and how to color as well as reinforce some of the things they learned in school. I don't have a call to homeschool but I do know I am responsible for helping my kids to develop a love for learning.
My prayer is that God will continue to give me creativity and enthusiasm to keep our little camp going til school starts again. We have another VBS to look forward to as well as another family birthday before the end of the summer. I'm thankful for summers and I am thankful for the opportunity to experience different things such as being more purposeful about what the kids are learning.

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