Hello my fellow bloggers. I hope everyone has found their way back to some kind of normalcy. Last month, for the first time since the pandemic began my husband and I finally decided to eat out. We chose Cracker Barrell. After a year of no eating out. It was nice. I have to admit, it was a bit unsettling being among fellow diners. People are not as friendly. They kind of look at us rather suspiciously, with and without a mask. Both of us have now received our second vaccine, but we will continue to avoid crowds. For a little while longer.

Hey! People are still getting sick. And it has hit closer to home. At the beginning of April, my niece in Kyle, and her fiancé both came down with COVID. They had to send their three children to their dad’s for three weeks. They were both really ill. My younger sister, who had only received the first vaccine, had to take care of them. So, she had some protection, but she was not taking any chances. She took all the necessary precautions. There were a few days where she did not feel well, but she got tested and it was negative. Praise God! I thank God they are doing better today. Also, a friend lost two siblings back to back to COVID – just in the last three weeks. He’s brothers both lived in El Paso. He and his wife are also vaccinated, but also not taking chances.

We are planning a trip in June to go visit my in-laws in NC. They are in their late 80’s, in good health, but we did not want to take any chances with their health or ours. So the vaccine was a must. As in all things, we trust God for our health. This COVID virus continues to mutate so what the future holds for all of us is in God’s hands. We pray for His grace and His mercy. We trust science and medicine to do good by us, but God is the ultimate physician and the giver and taker of life. And He is always working things out according to His will.

Daily, I remind myself that God is always up to something. I don’t have to understand it. I just have to trust in the goodness of the God I serve. The Scriptures say,

“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” “Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?”

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Romans 11:34-36

And that’s not always easy. I find it extremely disturbing that evangelicals continue to deny the seriousness of the virus. They refuse vaccination. They continue their downward spiral into the abyss of paranoia and deceit.

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”

Galatians 6:7

Too many pastors and their followers are still aggrieved over the loss of their earthly leader – the man who was going to end abortion, and restore the traditions of men. To may people claim to be prophets. I tend to be a bit skeptical when people say, “God told me…” These people have really gone over the edge. Rather than spur fellow believers toward the cross, toward Jesus Christ they spur them on to reject the results of an election that is over and done with.

We have a president. He is a president that is not constantly tweeting out his rants, or tearing people down. We have a president that has brought dignity back to the Office of the President. As for integrity, well every leader must deal with his own conscious. And every four years the voters decide if he or she has done a good job. In the end Scripture tells us, “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God (Romans 14:12).”

And let us not forget “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. (Romans 13:1).”

So, for now, as believers we trust that God – is working things out according to His will. His plan for man has been in the works since the beginning. Has He changed His mind? Is His plan thwarted by the unbeliever? I don’t think so.

“So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.”

Jonah 4:2

Let’s face it. For believers, it’s not about who rules the land. It’s about who rules the heart. Y’all be blessed.

Texas Bluebonnets

Always a beautiful sight!

Leave a comment

I’m Irma

Welcome to my little corner of the blog world. Here, I share my thoughts on Christianity, the things of God, and the ways He has shaped and guided my path through life. My journey with the Lord has been long and transformative, marked by moments of peace and joy and periods of uncertainty. I write, first and foremost, for myself—to process what the Lord so graciously reveals to me in Scripture. Sharing some of these truths has become a mission of sorts, via blogging. His word urges us to bear witness and encourage one another.

As I reflect on my own transformation, I can say that the church itself has transformed over the years and not necessarily for the good. I speak about my own experiences with the church. One lesson the Lord impressed upon me this year is that “truth is not always truth.” What do I mean by that? There have been times when I’ve shared a biblical insight, only to realize that other faithful believers interpret the same passage differently. In that instance, I find that the Lord reveals according to our understanding. When I share the need for a Damascus experience understandings diverged sharply. Believers that have been raised in the church do not feel that such an extreme experience is necessary for spiritual maturity. Our faith is truly shaped by our backgrounds. Spiritual journeys are not for everyone. This taught me that early socialization deeply colors our grasp of faith; what’s true for me may not resonate in the same way for someone else.

Similarly, lately I considered how “ignorance of Scripture was its own blessing,” I remembered my early walk with Christ. I had a blind faith. I knew little of doctrine or debate. I trusted the pastor. In those days, my faith and trust in the church and church leaders was simple—I accepted what was taught from the pulpit without questioning. I did not have the knowledge needed to question any teaching. There was a peace in not knowing all the controversies or complexities. As I grew and studied the scriptures, and did some additional research, as the Lord gave understanding, I found myself questioning everything I had been taught. I did not question my faith, or the existence of God. That ignorance, while limiting, protected me from confusion and doubt, allowing me to rest in childlike faith.

The church itself has seen many changes over the decades. Self-proclaimed prophets have introduced new doctrines, some bordering on heresy, while believers wrestle with their flesh and what it means to follow Christ in a society with so many freedoms. I remember a time, more than thirty years ago, when I trusted every word spoken in church. Now, I understand how easy it is to accept teachings that stray from biblical truth. The Scriptures warned us this would happen in the last days.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 (NKJV) “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

Current events—like the 2024 Election—have exposed deep flaws in American Christianity. Yet, through it all, Scripture assures me that God is sovereign. No wall built by human hands can withstand His judgment; no scheme crafted in darkness escapes His light. These lessons have become more real to me as I look back over my journals, filled with stories of God’s faithfulness during trials, tribulations and abundant grace. By sharing I hope those the Lord leads here will desire to seek God wholeheartedly, to find comfort knowing that He is always at work in our lives—often in ways we never considered.

Check out my books on Amazon for the Kindle App or in print.

Check out my latest title: Where are my Sheep? Available in Print & Kindle

The Diary of A Christian Woman

A Father Takes All: Four Generations of Growing up in Single Mother Homes – Grace Abounds

I Will Not Be Afraid: Living in the last Hour – Reflections of a Christian Woman

The Journey Endured: The Path to Meet God

Praise the God of the heavens!