Thursday's Devotional 🕊

Praying you are all safe and sound on this chilly, rainy evening, Family!☔️

Please remember to update us on your answered prayers! 🙌🏽

This week, we praise God for:☝🏽

• The ways He has moved in the life of Charen's cousin, Junior, as he is now sober and enjoying life and family!

• Providing healing for Gladys and Darlene! They are grateful for all of the prayers lifted on their behalf.

• Sustaining Norma and her family through this difficult time after her dads passing.

This week, we are praying for:🙏🏽

• Soledad Rodriguez, who is Virginia's mom (whom we have also been praying for on this list). Soledad was just diagnosed with advanced stage cancer. We all know that God has the last word on anything and everything that afflicts us, so let's plead with him on her behalf! May He also grant both her and Virginia peace, strength and faith during this difficult time!

• Norma’s friend, Tracy, who is starting chemo this week.

• Evelyn's cousin, Maribel. Her family is searching for an institution that can care for her needs. May God guide their search.

• Evelyn's family member, who is in the hospital, currently in a coma.

• Charen's aunt and uncle, still battling cancer.

• Our little brother, Alex, as he becomes a licensed driver.

• Charen's cousin, Elkie, who is battling cancer and needs healing.

• Virginia and Erick, their marriage, and their children to experience a miracle on their family.

• Awilda, Peter's mom, throughout her recovery. Please keep her in prayer.

• Our beloved SETH, that God would continue to shield and protect him while at school. Also for the Lord to touch Seth's legs with His healing touch.🦵

• Jordan Gonzalez while he's away from home pursuing his ⚾️ career.

• Michael, Angelica's boyfriend, that the Lord will help him to find a job.

• All of the families who are grieving, including: The Guzman Family, the Bosques Family, Wanda's family, Mr. Bouchard and his family, Timmy's family, John's family.😢

• Lynn, as she continues to battle cancer while holding on to Jesus!

• Antoinette, also diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and is in need of a miracle.

• Skylar, and SUPERNATURAL healing of heart and mind for her and her family: Jackie, Heaven Lee, and Doris.

• Nelson's son, Santi, and his family as he seeks the Lord and His influence in their lives.

• Carole and her family as they wait upon the Lord for Elijah's custody resolution.

Today's compelling Devotional, submitted by Santi Rodriguez, tells of the powerful changes that come into our lives when we seek God and endeavor to please Him.🕊 It's also an incredible illustration of how prayer changes things...and for every parent out there praying for their child, be encouraged! Thank you, Santi, for being willing to share your influential testimony! 😇 We are so proud of you! 💙

There is so much I can say, but I promised myself to keep it simple. For so long I have had this chip on my shoulder. Like a big one. One that made me feel so much depression, anxiety, sadness. It didn't matter what I did, it just didn't leave me. I began to fall into a dark hole. I started to feel nothing. I felt alone, even in the company of loved ones. I didn't understand why I felt this way at the time. But I know now and it brings me to one of my favorite Bible verses.

Romans 8:5-9:

"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."

I continue to understand more as I grow closer to God but I can at least say that I no longer desire to live in sin. Its a choice at the end of the day. One choice is to "live to love" which to me is living in spirit. Living to be an overall loving ,forgiving, go-to person. I can go on but to keep it simple, loving unconditionally.

The other choice is when we choose to "love to live", when we are choosing to live in our own understanding. Living in ways that give you temporary joyful feelings. Like for instance drinking alcohol. That was me. "Loving to live" or in other ways, a "you only live once" mentality, when in reality, I was losing friendships, jobs, feeling more depressed the morning after, and pushing people away. Overall, it was making me a person that was nowhere near God and Spirit.

But thankfully, and glory to God, 10 months ago I decided to stop drinking, and it was the best decision of my life. I went through a roller coaster ride, but God was my seat belt. I always knew who God was, but through my own sinful desires and ways of this world, it carried me too far away from him.

Now as we continue to seek him through prayer, reading the Bible, and overall doing what is right, we give light to our spirit that opens up doors that only he can open. Trust me, alot of opportunities have opened up and im so grateful! No one can tell me God isn't real! So many of us have felt him one way or another. I pray we all continue to seek a personal relationship with him. I find that speaking to him daily is very important. Sometimes a little faith can bring you a long way. Im a living testimony to that. God bless you all 🙏