bible

Me, Myself, Martha and Mary

Posted on by lainamunoz

Real Talk

It’s always Real Talk

I swear I re-write these like a billion times.

I have such a Martha heart sometimes. I don’t believe by any means that we are saved by works, or by what we accomplish but I sure keep myself busy instead of sitting at the Fathers feet sometimes. I always think it’s a novel idea to sit and listen but then struggle with feeling lazy. It’s one of the many mindset changes I’ve been praying for this semester in school… To not have the attitude of Martha who was upset when her sister wasn’t just as busy ‘doing’ as she was. I don’t want to live distracted. I couldn’t imagine that getting to the end of your life could be worse than not even realizing you didn’t live because you were busy being distracted.

I want to worship and commune with Jesus – I’m just highly distractible and move around way too much and phone way too much and mindlessly interwebs way too much.

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42

I had a day at home over this week and realized how much time I had to just sit with Jesus, and I was really excited about it. I thought to myself, “dang, I can get so much reading and writing and revelating (not a real word) done today! How awesome will that be?!” and then I cleaned the kitchen, and my room, and vacuumed and watched YouTube. We all get busy either from jobs or from life but we don’t all have to get cluttered. You know, the unnecessary amounts of things that we do that aren’t entirely productive. I’ve always been like that though, too busy to think clearly. It’s slowing down and breathing that I’m not good at.

Hillsong Conferences’ theme is “Speak: We’re Listening” which couldn’t be more seasonal for me. So naturally I’m expecting a lot. But a large part of this for me is going to be learning how to sit at Jesus’ feet and take in and listen to what he is saying. I think it’s really easy to get distracted with the preparations and at that, the things that really do HAVE to get done. But what is better? What is needed?

Just one thing. 

Mary chose what was better. There is nothing else. There is no time more valuably and costly spent than time with Jesus. Not only that, but Jesus told Martha that it wouldn’t be taken away from her. All the time she used wasn’t wasted and it wasn’t going to be removed. It wasn’t a lack in her life but it was the best decision she could have made. Time with G-d can’t come back void. I believe I’ve written about that before or if I haven’t now I have. If you’ve had a RealTalkTuesday with me lately I’m sure I’ve preached that to you. It’s something I absolutely need to hold onto right now. Even when I don’t see or feel the change I need to believe it.

((Honestly, I just have a lot to learn.))

Scrabit : Art

Posted on by lainamunoz

October 2010- what a day today has been… please enjoy this #ThinkBackThursday

“Most artists can’t draw, but all artists can see.” – Roy Simmons

“Go and tell this people: “‘Listen hard, but you aren’t going to get it; look hard, but you won’t catch on.’ Make these people blockheads, with fingers in their ears and blindfolds on their eyes, So they won’t see a thing, won’t hear a word, So they won’t have a clue about what’s going on and, yes, so they won’t turn around and be made whole.”
                  -Isaiah 6.9-10

It seems like G-d might have wanted us to understand something here: Art isn’t just about ability; it’s about seeing what needs to change and creating something that can make a difference. G-d’s art is to make us whole through giving us the vision to see what needs to change.

I was reading a delightfully short book by Seth Godin called Graceful where he took a full section to talk about Art. He defines art as this: “Art is anything that’s creative, passionate and personal… Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient.”

G-d’s art is revealed in the everyday continuation of what He started long ago. Genesis 1.1 “First this: G-d created the Heavens and Earth – all you see, all you don’t see”

G-d was the original creator and the only one by which we may LEARN what He wants to do with our lives. The beauty of His art is that there is still life yet to be revealed. Some things in creation we are still waiting on, there are things and colors in heaven that we still haven’t experienced – and I cannot wait. He set the heavens in place, His majesty is seen in all there is and He holds my heart and molds in everyday into something reflecting Him.

G-d is a passionate G-d, He is a compassionate G-d, a G-d who thinks about us and has purpose for us.

He is a wonderful, powerful master who sees us in the state we are in and calls us His.

He is a personal G-d who cared so much about the people He created that He sent His one perfect thing He had left – His son so that He might be reunited with us.

I can’t help but think through a few things…

1.   Are you letting G-d’s art CHANGE you? When was the last time you admired the sunrise or sunset and couldn’t focus cause the presence of G-d was so thick through your thoughts that you broke out in praise with your entire being?

2.   Are you letting G-d direct your art that He has for you? Some of you have read these posts and thought, “oh that’s nice, but I don’t have art to give”… how selfish. You have a gift that only you can give, you have an art that only you can perfect FOR HIM and you don’t care enough to search it out? Maybe it doesn’t look like messy hands from painting, or like a keyboard to type stories into. Maybe it looks like buying a bag of food a day and driving until you see someone who might need it? Maybe it looks like having a conversation everyday in which you remind someone of how much they mean to you? Possibly you could take 30 days to spend time getting better at listening to G-d? Maybe G-d has given you a heart for missions but you’re in a different season where you can’t leave yet – What if you were to passionately pray for a different location or people group for 30 days? What if you were to check up on the area to see what G-d was doing with your prayers?

“The more people you change, the more you change them, the more effective your art is… If there is no change, there is no art. IF no one experiences it, there can be no change.” –Graceful

((What has changed around you lately?

((((Have you inspired the change?

Scrabit : Cars

Posted on by lainamunoz

Well, this has become a fun part of my week. Reflecting on what G-d has done for me and the things He has taught me. I pray I never forget or cease to recall how GOOD HE IS.

 “Puhhhlease, #Daddysgirl, I’m already sure the answer is yes.”

       I swear G-d sets up conversations to show us our own believes that we might not of realized we had. I was talking to a friend about a road trip we want to take soon((7May2015 – we never took it)), we were trying to figure out gas money and how much to save. And while I LOVE my 1997 328i BMW with 230,000 miles on it, it doesn’t get the best gas mileage, or have the best steering, or have the least busted tail light ever…

Having taken all that into consideration I think, huh, maybe dad would let me borrow his car… it has power steering, both tail lights AND gets roughly 10+ more miles to the gallon to my classic. Bottom line is that it would be to my benefit to be able to dive his car to Texas and not mine. My friend told me I should start begging now, without a second though, I said, “#Daddysgirl (yes I hashtag in texts for irony, but you can de-friend me if you want) I’m already sure the answer is yes.” I have confidence that my father looks to my benefit in every circumstance. I obviously need to ask him and arrange accordingly but it wasn’t even a potential thought that he would have a reason to deny this request.

He looks out for my best and he does his best to help me. 

“I’m His, I’m already sure the answer is yes”

“This is the confidence we have in approaching G-d: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that He hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of Him.”  -1 John 5.14-15

Granted, you’ll see this is a little bit of a loose example seeing as my dad might not WILL me to drive his pretty vehicle but just the thought process. It spills over into my parents and I’m super thankful I have parents I can make and example of. Mom is always willing to wake up early to cook a good breakfast for me and any extra friends when we have kayaking adventures or my dad is more than willing to share his knowledge and resources to set me up for anything I want to accomplish. And how much more our heavenly father sets us up. 

“How great is the love the father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of G-d!” -1 John 3.1
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” -Matthew 11.11

And that is truly exciting, to have complete trust in the gifts my Father wants me give me. I’m sure I’ve had to work through this before, because I am a SLOW learner – I hope one day my thought process is this quick. Where I know I need G-d’s favor in a situation and I go before Him with this confidence. Hey G-d, if its Your will, I know it will already be a yes. Here’s my life and desires and passions, here’s what I’m ok at and where I fall every time… But You love me – because I’m Your kid. So do what You do, love me fiercely and whatever You will, let it be. And those requests I have for my future, for adventuring, for growing ad learning, let me be already sure the answer is yes.

And with that confidence, let me live.
 

 LORD, if I may, may I write. 

Also, dad Kate and I wanna go to Texas sometime between the 10th-21st of July…. so you can think about that haha

What Is In A Name?

Posted on by lainamunoz

I have a lot of pride. I got a job when I was young and worked for about 46% of my life (which is gross to think about when you’re only 24) and did my best to ‘provide’ for my wants and needs (I thought I was providing, but I know I wouldn’t be alive without my parents). I carry pride in my friendships, I hold my close friends close (and think they’re cooler than you). I carry pride in my little sister who is absolutely irreplaceable and unmatchable in competition for my affection and attention. She’s the most intelligent and beautiful and talented little person I have ever known and she gives the BEST hugs. I carry pride in my goals that I’ve set for myself, which I’m often humbled by, because lets be honest, sometimes I over schedule and don’t complete things (sometimes I suck at keeping commitments).

Lastly, I carry pride in my name. I suppose really it isn’t MY name, but it is my family name. It’s Muñoz and it means: “on a hill”; my first name [Elaina (I just rocked some of your worlds)] means: “light”

((My name means: “light on a hill”, freak yeah!))

Way to go mom and dad!

After I finalized my divorce, changing my name back was a huge deal for me. I couldn’t wait to be apart of my father’s family again. It wasn’t as if I no longer belonged when my name was different but there is something about a legal, outward label that means I am apart of something bigger than me. I wanted to be re-associated with my father and my father’s family. I wanted to belong to the family that I grew up with. Changing my name back on Facebook sent me into a small gut-dropping panic because some people didn’t even know that my ex and I had even had our first fight (I lied a lot to a lot of people between my 21st birthday and my 22nd. I was asked, “how’s married life?” enough to make my head spin) so I waited until I left for a three week holiday to Ireland to visit my best friend. It was a birthday/vacation gift to myself.

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” Ephesians 1:4-5

 It’s almost as if we have this duel citizenship with our earthly families and the Kingdom family. He CHOSE us from the beginning of the world before I had a chance to screw up royally, and even knowing all the things I was going to do, HE adopted me. He looked at me and decided that I was allowed to have His name. Not only was I allowed – but also He fought for me to have His name. A name that is higher than anything and everything, that means more than “light on a hill” (Don’t get me wrong, my parents did awesome and my name is sick as). I was given a name by my heavenly Father that has power over the grave AND all of my sins. I have been given a name that looks past my talents and blessings as well as my shortcomings. He not only chose us, but it was all in accordance to His pleasure and will… what?!

He wanted to.

The name of Jesus means: Savior. It means defender, it means deliverer, it means guardian, it means hero, it means liberator, it means rescuer, and it means that I NEEDED HIM. What is in my name is a belonging to the King of Kings and the one who is over all things. My name means that I have an inheritance of eternity and authority at my right hand.

The thing is, that I actually didn’t have to go back and change my name to Muñoz again. I could have left it the way it was so that I didn’t have to go through with the process of sitting at the social security office, the DMV, all of anywhere that I had a bill to be paid, anything social media – but I CHOSE to. I had to choose to take up my name again and allow myself to realize that I belonged.

Jesus is a gentlemen. I’ve always believed that because I’ve always found it to be true in my life. He isn’t barging in and taking my heart captive by force. He is waiting to be sought out and waiting for the permission to make you apart of His family. I don’t know too much that there is to know about adoption but I know that once the child is old enough to understand, they can say no to the adoption. Once we come to an age of understanding we have the ability (and many do) say no to the name of Christ Jesus… and what a painful decision that is.

I choose today to take pride in my name that was given to me at the highest cost. 

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” 1 John 3:1

That we would be called Your own. G-d, I’m not worthy of it but I will accept it. I’m not the best representation but I have a Bible full of ‘less thans’ who have made a way for me to believe. If you can use anything Lord, You can use me.

Call Us Your People G-d

Posted on by lainamunoz

Dang I was a convicted little girl… This was from just before my 19th birthday. Please enjoy my throwback

There is power in the word of Christ. I will believe that will all my new heart until the day I die. I can have nothing less because there isn’t much point to life separate from that. G-d, give me clarity in what you want me to say. Speak to those who need to hear from you and use me G-d, as I have nothing more rewarding to do than to follow you.

“They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. 19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their G-d. 21 But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
(Ezekiel 11.18-21)

G-d has given us the land. He is willing to guide us into the people’s hearts that He has called His very own. He has called us to return to where we belong and promised us that we will see the gates of Hell tremble before the power of his word and His people.
G-d, you have called us to be new creations and have given us the means to be something different.

“They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols.” (Ezekiel 11.18)
We HAVE to remove all that is vile and detestable in our lives. We have to let G-d become the center of all we do, or everything we have done or believed in will be in vain.
((1 Corinthians 15.1-2 “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved,IF you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.”))
What a waste if you grow up living fully committed to G-d but let one thing slide, if you “believe in the Bible” but never give the time of day to invest in what you believe in. If you do not hold firmly to G-ds word you HAVE BELIEVED IN VAIN. If that isn’t enough for you then my heart goes out to you. My prayers to G-d will be over you, that He might come in and whisper to your heart until you are broken before Him.

I refuse to waste my life.

If it’s not all out, it’s all for nothing. Your life could be all in vain if you don’t hold FIRMLY to the scripture. If you are obeying 99% you have disobeyed 100%
Create in me a PURE heart G-d, let that become the cry of my generation. Make me steadfast and totally committed to your presence because apart from it we will see no good thing.

(I will) give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; (I will) remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then (they will) follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (They will) be my people, and (I will) be their G-d.

G-d promises us different things in scripture:
He WILL – Give us an undivided heart and a new spirit
He WILL – Remove our heart of stone
He WILL – GIVE us a heart of flesh

And then… We WILL – Follow G-d’s decrees and keep His laws
We WILL – Be G-d’s people!

And… He WILL – BE OUR G-D!

There is no maybe in His statements. He is firm in what he promises us and commands us. And how exciting it is to be the people of G-d!

undivided |ˌəndəˈvīdid|
adjective
not divided, separated, or broken into parts.
• concentrated on or devoted completely to one object : I can now give you my undivided attention.
Lord let your spirit in us be firm. Let us ACCEPT the heart that you so desire to give us. And let us follow after you fully, not holding anything back. No doubt of ourselves, or fear of our futures. G-d our future is secure in you.

I know that it doesn’t matter what I say, or what passion you see in my writing… it is G-d who wants you to understand this right now. He has something so big in store for those who seek after him; following closely to the scriptures He has given us. But you cannot believe in what you do not invest in. Of this I am fully convinced. Please hear my heart on this, G-d’s word is powerful, you can repeat that as much as you want but you will never understand it until you dive into the word yourself and see what all He has for you.

But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD.