Mensajes de Esperanza

Do you like ice cream? Has it ever happened to you, that on a very hot day, you go to the store to buy an ice cream, and once you buy it, and start enjoying it, suddenly, BOOM! it falls to the floor? Well, it happened to me recently, and I must confess that it did not feel good at all. It was hot, I was really craving ice cream, and I had no more cash with me and the store did not accept credit cards, so I ended going back home disappointed…and without ice cream. --- How nice it would be if everything in life went well, right? If we never had to face the realities of failure, or the frustration and discouragement that we feel when things don’t go as we had hoped. When I was serving in the local church, as a pastor, every day I witnessed many things that did not go well. Marriages destroyed. Fragmented families. Dreams that did not come true. Friendships that ended abruptly. Unemployment that created financial crises. Diagnoses of catastrophic disease that bring our world upside down...

We are barely a few hours from the end of 2017. A year, which like others, has brought us joys and sorrows; successes and failures; challenges and innumerable blessings. With the imminent arrival of a new year, regularly, most people, we take time to look forward and we wonder what the future will bring. Contemplating the future, can be something that fills us with much joy and expectations, but, also, it can be something that causes us anxiety and even fear. For some, the future may seem to be full of opportunities, but for others, the future is presented with challenges and complications. Then, in the face of uncertainty about the future (with its opportunities and challenges), it is very important that as disciples of Jesus Christ, we assume the correct attitude. We may not be able to do much to change the circumstances we must face in life, but, THE ATTITUDE with which we face them - MAKES AN ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE.

Estamos a penas a unas horas de culminar el año 2017. Un año, que como todos, nos ha traído alegrías y tristezas; éxitos y fracasos; muchos retos, pero también innumerables bendiciones. Con la inminente llegada de un nuevo año, regularmente, la mayoría de las personas, tomamos un tiempo para mirar hacia adelante y nos preguntamos que nos deparará el futuro. Contemplar el futuro, puede ser algo que nos llena de mucha alegría y expectativas, pero, también, puede ser algo que nos causa ansiedad y hasta temor. Para algunos, el futuro puede ser que parezca estar lleno de oportunidades, pero para otr@s, el futuro, se les presenta lleno de retos y complicaciones. Entonces, ante la incertidumbre sobre el futuro (con sus oportunidades y retos), es muy importante que como discípulos de Jesucristo, asumamos la actitud correcta . Puede ser que no podamos hacer mucho para cambiar las circunstancias que tenemos que enfrentar en la vida, pero, LA ACTITUD con la que las enfrentamos - HACE UNA ...

Read: Nehemiah 1:1-4 | 1 Corinthians 12:26 On the weekend of September 17th, 2017, the national weather center rang the alarm about the danger that Hurricane Maria presented for the Caribbean, especially for the island of Puerto Rico. The forecasts were scary. Some of the adjectives used to describe what was coming were: catastrophic, apocalyptic, unprecedented. The people on the island made every possible preparation to face Hurricane Maria, but they were never ready, because they did not have a clear point of reference to help them prepare. This would be the first time in more than 5 generations that Puerto Ricans would face a storm of this magnitude. From the distance, the sons and daughters of Puerto Rico, the diaspora, lived a different kind of anxiety. Concerned about our families and friends; asking someone to help us secure our property on the island. Wondering what would be our people if this monster really came as predicted given all the economic and socio-po...

Read: Matthew 22:34-40 | Colossians 3:23-24 ,  I consider myself a blessed person. Throughout my life, God has provided people whose teachings and good example have had a positive impact on me and to some extent have molded me into the person I am becoming today. One of those very special people was my maternal grandmother – “abuela” Gloria. Abuela always had a word of wisdom to share with her grandchildren, when we needed it the most. When I was about 23 years old, I decided that I wanted to further my education. I made this decision while my first child was 2 months old, and in addition to all the responsibilities with my family, work and church. When I began my school work, I felt stretch beyond I originally estimated. One afternoon, over a cup of coffee, I poured out by heart and confessed to my grandmother that given everything that was happening in my life, I was feeling that my spiritual life was getting out of balance, and as a result, other things where starti...