Stephen De La Vega

  “Life is a mess.” “Things are spiraling out of control.” “We’re at our wit’s end.” “Nothing we’ve tried seems to work.” These are phrases we use when life becomes unmanageable. But we don’t usually express them as a nation, or worse, as a global population. Things got bad. We fight a pandemic. Its reach continues to haunt. We might hear the curve is flattening or trending toward healthy communities, but it doesn’t seem that way. We’re in this fight for a while. Racial injustice violates our screens and holds captive the tears and fears of all colors. We say enough is enough, yet it’s still not enough. We’re still at odds. It’s still us and them. We still perpetrate our agendas within our circles, our communities, and our societal systems. This is a letter to all of us who carry the banner of Jesus Christ. While we are eager for a new “normal,” have we spent enough time considering how God may be shaking us up for His greater purposes? Let’s reflect before we charge ...

Hi friends. Enjoy this short poem. Jesus deserves the best gifts. Share your thoughts in the comments below. A Gift for Jesus What gift will we bring For Jesus the King? What gift will we lay ‘neath the tree? Our gifts are in spots A few, maybe lots But none are for Christ, can we see? We care for those near For those we hold dear But He is most dear, let’s agree He’s done much for us Gave life, love, and thus We’re dear to Him, though without plea We owe Him our all Oh, hear the King’s call Ourselves in return, let it be So, what will we give? How then will we live? What gift will we lay ‘neath the tree? Find all of my Christmas posts  here . If you want to know more about Jesus and His gift that He offers freely to all, please email me at authordlv@att.net. Read more blog posts here .

I recently read Scripture at a friend’s wedding.   It was an honor for me to proclaim God’s Word to the wedding party and guests.   I could have declined or made excuses, and maybe even suggested someone else for the job, but weddings are exciting events!   Declining was furthest from my heart.   If you’ve been in a wedding, you know what I mean. I don’t think many of us would say we participated in a wedding ‘out of the goodness of our hearts.’   This is because it’s not so much a hardship as it is a privilege.   And the highest privilege, being a maid of honor or best man, isn’t really about what we have to offer.   It’s about who we are:   someone dear to the bride or groom. We are also dear to God – especially dear.  Do we serve Him with the same readiness and enthusiasm? Or do we bring stipulations and conditions? Do we hold off until there’s a task that matches our higher skill sets? Do we wait for someone to ask for our he...