Nana Facetime

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, the sky was blue the birds were singing, the temperature perfect for walking. Looking from the inside out it looked like an appealing happy day. Looking from the outside in it was a bit sad. I was feeling lonely, no one to talk to or hang out with. I had spent the past few days alone and the thought of another 8 hour day in solitary was not something I was looking forward to. I wanted to go to the park and walk but I just wasn't in the mood to do it alone.

Then as the words went from my mouth to God's ears “send me a friend” my phone rang. It was my ten year old grandson Lucas.

My heart leaped as I heard his voice but I could tell right away he was also having a bad day. Come to find out he was in trouble and had to spend the day on his bed. I should have been tipped off by the call alone that something was wrong as my grandsons don't normally call on a weekend morning. They are getting to the age where spending time with Nana isn't as cool as it used to be :(

We shared our sorrows together and of course I sided with him completely on the injustice of society and family that would pen up his sweet spirit to a day in his room AND on his bed.

OBVIOUSLY he was falsely accused.....

He needed me :) What could I do. How could I spring him from his cell. If only I were there to break him free!

After we talked a bit it hit me, we could both be set free from our current dungeon with a little thing called

I told Lucas I would call him back in 15 minutes. I got in my car and drove to the park. I then facetimed him. I told him we both needed a friend and to be outside. 

He had the biggest smile and laughed as I turned the camera to the view.

We began our journey, me pointing out an exercise area, a wall you could climb and an obstacle course. He sited a soccer field and boys kicking a ball. I found a path and we explored it together finding a creek.

He laughed as I pushed my way past the bushes and made girlie sounds.

He saw some colored paint up ahead and said “Nana what's that?” It was a hopscotch board painted on the concrete. He said “jump on it Nana.” I did and again I could hear him laughing as he informed me the whole view was jumping up and down.

I caught my breath and we continued on. We looked in every direction so we wouldn't miss a thing.

We had the best time walking and talking. He told me he was moving his arms as we walked like he was walking fast. Our imaginations soared as we went on this secret adventure together.

When we finished walking I got my blanket from the car and I laid under a tree.

I suggested Lucas get a book and read to me. He held the book into the camera so I could see what it was. The title was Blessings in Obedience. I laughed and asked if his dad was making him read that. He said no that he picked it. It was such a special time for us. He would read a paragraph then we would talk about what he read so he understood the message.

I then had him re-tell my why he got in trouble and we discussed where he could have made better decisions. I told him it's a parents job to discipline their children. I reminded him what a great dad he has and how honesty is always the best policy.

Then his dad walked in the room... ooops we were

He asked Lucas who he was talking to and he said happily "Nana." Sure throw me under the bus, what a snitch. Must have been that last honesty comment I made.

Well dad said hang up, I asked to talk to him but he let me know he would talk to me later in that "dad tone" that let you know you were in trouble.

Lucas and I gave a final mischievous smile, wonder where he gets that from, and hung up.

Gems it was an amazing day. I'm actually glad Lucas was in trouble, we had each others complete attention, we hung onto every word the other one said, it's been a while since that happened.

I want to encourage other grand parents, aunts, uncles etc. to use technology to your advantage to spend time with loved ones your missing. Probably not while they are on restriction, hee hee.

My sister and I text during our favorite TV show so we feel like we're watching it together. I facetime with my mother even though she has no idea who I am. Poor thing she can't figure out how my sister is talking without moving her lips. I think we are freaking her out but it's so good to sing to my mom and tell her I love her.

I play with Ezra over the phone as he plays with his blocks or does what he likes best, throwing his toys. I cheer him on that he's the smartest boy in the whole world.

I watch Anthony as he kicks his soccer ball or talks about what he's doing in school.

I have my daughter in-law put the phone to her pregnant belly so I can pray over the new baby getting ready to make his entrance.

It got me thinking about our relationship with Jesus. Often we are so busy with the world and the demands of life that not only do we miss out on the beauty of God's creation we miss out on conversations with our best friend, Jesus Christ.

We miss out on moments to share with Him our current struggles and allow the Holy Spirit to give us some good advice. We miss out on time reading the Bible and meditating on what it's saying to us personally.

I realized that me and Jesus are always on facetime. He is with me everywhere I go, listening to all my stuff, cheering me on and praying over me.

When I can't be with my family in person I'm so glad I can facetime them and at least see their beautiful faces and hear their voices until I see them again. One day we will see Jesus again Face to Face

Revelation 1:17-18 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!

Until then I will use technology for Nana and Jesus time.

Hell Yeah

Hell, not a subject most people want to talk or write about but one that needs to be addressed. So Gems if you dare, I pray you will read on and allow me to share my simple thoughts with you on Hell.

First I want to clarify something you may be asking yourself. Is Hell for real? Hell Yeah! According to the Bible it is. However it was never intended to be a place for God's people it was a place for satan and his demons.

This will be a Gena translation of the biblical events, as always, I suggest you search the scriptures for yourself.

You may or may not know that Satan was once a beautiful angel in Heaven. He was actually in charge of worship and we all know how powerful worship is. He became full of pride and wanted to be God, as you can imagine that did not go well and God would cast him out of Heaven.

Ezekiel 28:12-16 “Son of dust, weep for the king of Tyre. Tell him, ‘The Lord God says: You were the perfection of wisdom and beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; your clothing was bejeweled with every precious stone—ruby, topaz, diamond, chrysolite, onyx, jasper, sapphire, carbuncle, and emerald—all in beautiful settings of finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created. I appointed you to be the anointed Guardian Angel. You had access to the holy mountain of God. You walked among the stones of fire. “‘You were perfect in all you did from the day you were created until that time when wrong was found in you. Your great wealth filled you with internal turmoil, and you sinned. Therefore, I cast you out of the mountain of God like a common sinner.

Isaiah 14:12-14 How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground—mighty though you were against the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, “I will ascend to heaven and rule the angels. I will take the highest throne. I will preside on the Mount of Assembly far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.”

The Bible tells us that 1/3 of the Angels in Heaven joined satan and were also kicked out of Heaven.

Revelation 12:4 His tail drew along behind him a third of the stars, which he plunged to the earth.

Jude 1:6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day

Revelation 12:7-9 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Some of these fallen angels have already been sent to Hell, the place God created for them.

2 Peter 2:4 For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.

For now not all of these angles are in Hell because we know satan is active and looking for people to kill and destroy and we also know he has demons working for him here on earth.

1Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Ok so we know there is a devil and we know there is a hell which God created for satan and his demons.

Matthew 25:41 Then I will turn to those on my left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.”

Now lets look at Heaven.

Heaven is the place God created for us, His creation. All of us!

Matthew 25:34“Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, into the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world.

John 14:2-3"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

When God creates man, all men, their name is written in the Lamb's (Yeshua, Jesus Christ) book of life.

Revelation 3:5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.

Would you agree, In order for your name to be blotted out, it would have had to be written in the book?

So what happened? How did your name get blotted out and who did it? Sin.... We know from scripture we were separated from God because of the sin of Adam. BUT GOD in His love and mercy made a way for us to be reunited with Him and to live in Heaven, not hell, when we die for eternity.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
So God sent Jesus
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Unfortunately today, just as in Bible times, not everyone believes these facts. There is a story in Luke of a rich man who found out too late that Hell was for real. He was begging for someone to warn his family.
Luke 16:19-24,27-28 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham,have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

(The scripture goes on to tell us that the answer was no)

He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

So the answer to our question of who blotted out the name is, us. When we decide not to believe Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on a cross and was raised to life on the 3^rd day, that He is in Heaven now and will return for us one day. When we choose not to believe God's word we are choosing to have our name blotted out of the Lamb's book of life and a place in Heaven. We, not Jesus, are choosing Hell.

How does the Bible describe Hell?
A place of weeping and gnashing of teeth- And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" Matthew 25:30

A place where fire is not quenched -If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. Mark 9:44
A place of no rest -"And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” Revelation 14:11

A place of Sorrows "The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;" 2 Samuel 22:6

A place of everlasting destruction -"Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;" II Thessalonians 1:9

Years ago my son helped a local pastor out that was doing a sermon on Hell. He had my son stand at the entrance of the church wearing a devil costume.

To my son's amazement some of the church folk entering yelled and cursed at him, some flipped him off, all in the name of love I'm sure. They thought he was there making fun of them or their church. The truly sad part was none of these individuals stopped to ask him what he was doing or, I don't know let's get crazy, invite him to church.

Now before we, myself included, get to judging anyone let's ask ourselves, how many people do we walk by everyday that are going to Hell? How many of our family members? Friends? Church members? How many  people do we meet that don't believe in Jesus or Heaven and Hell?

If we aren't pointing them to the direction of Christ we are just as guilty.

There is a real battle going on for us and the people in our sphere of influence.

Gems I'm not trying to scare you into a relationship with Jesus because of Hell, although it should. I'm trying to let you see how much God loves us by providing a way into Heaven. He wants you right where you are, your part is to believe His part is to keep you there.

John 28-29 I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.…

Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Hell Yea there's a Hell but Praise God there is a Heaven. Jesus made a way for us but we have to choose to believe Him.

How sad it would be for someone to find out, like that rich man,  when it was too late and wonder why the Christian they knew didn't warn them.

Let's make sure we let people know there is a door to both Hell and HEAVEN!
If you want to make this decision it is very easy. You can say a simple prayer right where you are:
Dear Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God.That you died on a cross for my sins, that you were raised from the dead and live in Heaven with God. I ask you to forgive me of my sins and let Jesus be Lord in my life. Amen
If you prayed this find yourself a church where they teach about our Saviour, Yeshua, Jesus Christ. Email me if I can answer any questions.
duran.gena@gmail.com

SENSE-ATIONAL

Since my arrival in TN I have been paying serious attention to my senses and how amazing God's creation is. I truly am glad God made me simple,  I'm also glad He made really smart people, but for me little things in life can bring an instant smile to my face.

For instance blowing bubbles

Then watching as they float through the air

The sound of wind chimes

taking a walk and realizing your not alone.....

seeing the rays of the sun before they go to bed for the night

Understanding that at times you are your best friend

watching a rainbow be made before your very eyes and being the treasure at the end of it

finding a bunny, then after a closer look realizing there are two

Sunsets never get old

watching a young girl dance for the Lord

Feeling the emotion of pride as you watch the waving of the American Flag no matter how small

feeling dirt

The way the sun dances off a crystal

Cobbler right out of the oven

When it snows sweet smelling flower pedals

And my all time favorite....laughing

Have a Sense-Ational Day!

Sift Is Not A Bad Word

I had an amazing night recently that I want to share with you.
First I have to tell you something you may or may not know. The number 17 is very special to me. The Lord has used it in my life for as long as I can remember. With that said.....
I have been seriously praying this week for the Holy Spirit to give me more understanding as I read God's word and listen to prophesy. I have had so many emotional experiences on this journey so I was asking for clarity.
During these times I often call my dear friend Dawn for a “weird-O'"check up.

Yesterday was one of my "weird-O" checkup times.
I share with Dawn what's going on in my little world and I allow her to give me insight or call a doctor... Whichever she feels is appropriate. 

Sometimes when you spend too much time alone you can lose your perspective. I don't believe in coincidence but I have been known to have an over active imagination. 
 I shared with Dawn that at times I feel like I'm living in the twilight zone .
What I mean by that is I seem to experience unusual events in my life. 
For example, not long ago the Lord told me to crash a funeral. Yes I said a funeral. I didn't know the deceased and yes I felt weird. He was a well known composer and obviously a strong believer in Jesus. The service was held at a large church and a lot of people attended so no one actually noticed me. 
They played a video of the dearly departed speaking throughout his career. Gems something he shared spoke to me so clearly, it gave me answers to questions I had been asking the Lord about recently. Kind of weird the only guy in the room that wasn't among the living spoke to the funeral crasher.

OK back to the other night. After I shared with Dawn my feelings the Holy Spirit revealed to me that what I have been experiencing is an awareness of more of the spiritual realm going on around me.
John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The Lord reminded me that He is sifting me.
Sifting: To examine and sort carefully: sift the evidence

During the "sifting" I had 3 water issues with my new apartment.

1. Water came in a window from lots of rain.

2. My neighbor across the hall (outside halls) had a pipe burst in the freeze and the water flowed under my door into my apartment.

3. New neighbors moved in above me and at 12:00 AM They decided to do laundry only they didn't hook the washing machine up right so all the water came into my apartment though my ceiling. My smoke alarms were all blaring because the water was flowing through them as well. Sifting......

1 Chronicles 29:17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.

Proverbs 17:3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart

#17 in both verses hmmmm

I went to bed after examining things with Dawn and picked up a book I have been reading.

A Time To Advance by Chuck Pierce.
This excerpt is from that book:
“This is a time to let God sift your heart and let the wind of His Spirit blow on you. In this season, an Angelic Highway is becoming prevalent between heaven and earth. The Lord is calling us to get still and know that angels are in our midst, working on our behalf. If we get our spirit still and in oneness with the Lord, we can recognize His help around us.”

Talk about confirmation on my sifting message. After I read this I put the book down and meditated on this paragraph for a while. Gems as I got focused I could feel the presence of Angelic forces around me. I could not see them with my eyes but I could feel how they looked. I'm not talking about little angles. I could feel large strong warring angels in my room. 

I thanked the Father for them and I prayed for each one of them to have the power they needed to finish the assignment the Lord had given them. I could feel a smile or thankful acceptance of the prayer from each of them.

I tried to stay awake as long as possible to bask in this holy presence but eventually I drifted to sleep. I was later awakened by a voice that spoke one word “libation.”
It woke me from a sound sleep and I knew it was the Lord. I quickly looked at the clock and it was 11:17 PM. I smiled and immediately turned on the light and grabbed my Ipad to look up what libation meant as I had no idea. If God was speaking I wanted to know exactly what He was saying. I was so full of excitement and awe as I waited for the definition to appear.
Libation: A drink poured out as an offering to a deity. Synonyms: liquid offering, tribute, oblation “they pour libations into the holy well”
oblation- a thing presented or offered to God.
The God of the universe was telling me my time on the sifting/threshing floor was turning me into an offering poured out to my King! A thing presented to God!!

I was on my face before the King in absolute reverence.....
Then I did what any woman would do after hearing from the man of her dreams, I text a girl friend to share the news. 
For some reason I needed another live person on the face of this big world to know I had heard the voice of the lover of my soul.
I shared this story with my friend TBone, he told me the Hebrew meaning of the number 17 is: sense of desiring, want
How cool is that! Yes God I both desire and want to be an offering to you.

Gems sometimes when we are going through trials we think God is mad at us, the truth is we are just dealing with life on a fallen planet. If you spend time with God and are allowing the Holy Spirit to lovingly sift you, it's when these trials come you examine and sort carefully the evidence of your growth.  How you react to the flood in your apartment or the annoying dogs barking all day. How you react to the hard to love person or the one who has let you down. How you react is your evidence.  

I pray you will allow the Holy Spirit to take you to unusual places and experience unseen events. Dare I say be weird!
I pray you will allow Him to lovingly sift you and allow your obedience to be a pleasing aroma to our King.
Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Sift is a 4 letter word but it doesn't have to be a bad one.

Temple Building

I was reading in 1 Kings Chapter 6 about Solomon building the temple for the Lord. As always I suggest you read it for yourself.

Gems before you read this jewel I need to add a disclaimer. I am not a scholar on the Bible and what I share are my thoughts, unless I quote scripture. I just like to share to open my mind and perhaps yours. OK?

OK so I get to verse 7 of 1Kings Chapter 6. And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

Have you ever noticed that? Why did Solomon say there could be no sound of chisel or any iron tool heard in the temple while it was being built? That must have been a pretty difficult request to adhere to wouldn't you think?

I started my own dig on the subject figuring there were nuggets of truth I must be missing.

One commentary said Solomon wanted it to be sacred so it needed to be quiet. Really? That didn't seem like the answer to me. I felt like there was more to it so I asked the Holy Spirit for days what the meaning was.

Funny story I hadn't shared this investigation with anyone yet and my son Anthony calls me and says “mom I was reading in 1 Chronicles 22 about the stones Solomon used to build the temple.” REALLY me too!!

Now I know I'm onto some new epiphany I haven't discovered yet.

At first I thought it might have something to do with what God commanded in Exodus about building Him an alter.

Exodus 20:25 And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.

I have to admit I had to look up what hewn meant...

dictionary.com: to strike forcibly with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument; chop; hack.

Since we know the stones were cut at the quarry from what 1 Kings tells us it's safe to say that the commandment from Exodus was not a factor because the commandment stated every tool was forbidden.

Hewn stone was made from man's intelligence and abilities but the stone itself represented something divine since God was the creator of the original rock.

No sound at the temple could mean the stones that were brought in were already altered to the truths of God's word not mans intelligence or interpretation. What I mean is the way into the temple was by faith in God not any of mans traditions or requirements. Just a thought.

The first temple represented the introduction into the Kingdom of God by means of totally trusting and obeying God.

Later Jesus became the perfect temple that again man had no part in creating.

John 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

There is something to this stone thing. Did you know the Lord was referred to as the stone of Israel.

1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him--

1 Peter 2:4-8 (MSG)Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God.

So what I get is, a stone referred to in Exodus is a stone God created with no help from man. It would make sense when God gave Moses the 10 commandments the first time He gave him the tablet and wrote on it with His own finger, man was not involved with the process.

The new temple we enter in is Jesus Christ. We are still building the church here on earth until He comes back for us.

Maybe that quietness Solomon commanded in 1 Kings continues to be instruction to us today. How do we handle the work of the church? Do we have the “noise” of back

biting or gossip? Do we have church splits because of misunderstandings or pride? Do we complain and grieve the Holy Spirit by how we treat each other?

Perhaps each one of us, the stones of the church, also need to be hewned before we are brought to the final Holy Temple of God.

Hewn to strike forcibly with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument;chop;hack.

Sounds painful. In a quarry you take a large stone and break it down to a smaller size that you can actually work with. Sometimes we have to be broken down in areas so we can be used for the good of the whole community of the church. This is impossible on our own it can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Since I have been in TN these past 3 months God continues to show me more about myself, some good, some not so good. I am being hewn for sure. He has taken larger pieces of my selfish side and is breaking them off. This is done so I can fit together better when he adds me to the rest of the body of Christ I serve with. He reminds me my negative attitudes don't edify and my grumblings don't build up.

I'll give you an example. I am currently going to 2 different churches on Sunday, I enjoy them both. At both churches I showed up for a class that was supposed to be happening. At both churches on two different days when I got there the class was canceled and no one bothered to tell me. Can you imagine no one told me, Gena Duran! What the heck

The thing is Gems I had a decision to make at that moment, complain and grumble toward my fellow brothers and sisters or suck it up and figure out how I can make sure I'm in the loop for the future. I got hewned :)

Maybe we are to try to the best of our ability to do things in peace and a sense of quietness that brings unity to the church. Maybe when we are at the quarry getting chopped and hacked it won't hurt as much if it's being done in love by our church family. Maybe this would attract others to want to be there own temple for the living God.

I'm sure there is way more to this than I have uncovered so far but it's a good start.

Gems we need to remember that no man is perfect. The higher you put a person on a pedestal the farther down he or she has to fall. What are we the church building our temple with?

If God were building the temple with flawless stones they would all fit together perfectly but He's not, He's using us. So our opinions and self intelligence don't really matter the only thing that matters is what the word of God says. We have to leave our imperfections at the quarry with the Holy Spirit so when we come together to worship our God and represent Jesus well. I'm not talking about pretending to be perfect I'm talking about accepting one anothers flaws and imperfections yet stick together to make a strong wall. To decide to be a beautiful temple of love and unity.

Gems each one of us are all still building our Temple, please try not to chop or hack but to groom and grow.