God is Always Good by Joselin Nunez

God is so good. The more I learn about Jesus I see his grace in everything, even the little things and how he turns everything good.

My mom was raised in Ecuador. Her parents co-parented. When she alternated households with my grandma, a single mom of 7 kids, food was the #2 or #3 priority on her list. The #1 priority was shelter and safety. When my grandma couldn’t afford meat, rice and everything that can be thrown in, was the meal for the day. Even the cocolon was used for the next day’s meal. I'm sure these weren’t comforting times for grandma and my mom most likely got sick of eating the same meal every day.

Before my mom washes the pot of rice she always saves the cocolon for me (scorched, thin crust rice at the bottom of the pot.) She saves it in a container for me to combine with potato fries and salsa (sliced onions and diced tomatoes drenched in lime juice). Ecuadorians’ main dishes always come with salsa as a side dish. Usually salsa includes more ingredients, but because of low finances in her household, this is what my mom grew up eating.

But I, on the other hand, obsess and eat this dish by choice and not out of survival as mom did. I crave this dish constantly and there’s a joy that comes as mom and I prepare it together. I get to hear and learn about mom’s childhood and stories of her mom. Hearing about my mom’s past helps me understand who she is because of what she experienced and was taught. Communicating with her helped heal our past wounds and I now do my best to treat her as an image bearer – a bearer of the image of God – and not just my mom. I used to hold her to a higher standard because of her role in my life.

You may ask what this has to do with God. God turns everything good, even what man makes for evil. Proverbs 16:4 says the Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil. What my family has had to endure some may say God allowed. How could God love us when there's so much evil in the world, like children dying from hunger?

But God didn’t cause this, sin did. In Genesis 1, the very first thing the Bible tells us is that God is the creator. John 1:3 states, “through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made”. Genesis 1:31 states, “God saw all that he made, and it was GOOD”. He is holy and can only be Good. God’s intentions were for his children to not lack anything. No image bearer should go a day without eating due to a lack of finances. Especially now in a time which we mass produce food.

God loved my grandma, my mom, and He loves me. In getting to know Him I see how He turned a bad time and memory in my mom’s life into good quality time with me.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in John 9 when Jesus heals a blind man. Before healing the man, Jesus’ disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” And Jesus replies in (verse?) 3 “neither this man nor his parents sinned,” this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

I have never asked my mom why my grandparents were always low on finances. I’ve always assumed living in a third world country must be hard. But God has revealed to me that neither low finances, or what man has made for evil, is of matter. I believe that some things happen for the Glory of God. God is always good.

We don’t have to wait to see it in big miracles. Jesus’ grace is sufficient and in getting to know Him you begin to see His goodness in everything. I look forward to the day when there is no confusion and all is understood. Jesus is worth knowing, and yes God is always good, even in cocolon.

Be Strong & Courageous by Nancy Soulemana

As a child and maybe a teen, I used to watch a cartoon named Courage, The Cowardly Dog. Courage was afraid of everything! However, he was named Courage! How can you be courageous and be a coward? That was not the label God gave us. You were meant to be courageous. Joshua 1:9 says, “Be Strong and Courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

When I think of strength, I think of being strong. I think of being independent. However, God does not expect us to be strong by ourselves. 2 Corinthians 12:9 states, “And He said to me, My Grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” How does that even make sense? How can God show Himself strong in my weakness?

We have to become dependent, we have to trust. That’s how God shows Himself strong. We must become childlike in order for God to show His strength. Proverbs 3:5 says it clearly, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Courage the Cowardly Dog had an inner strength. Even though he was a coward when faced with an obstacle, he used his inner strength to overcome. God gave us The Holy Spirit which lives in each and every one of us (Ephe. 1:13). With the power of The Holy Spirit, we can stand up to anything. Be strong and Courageous!

Living Out Loud by Louisa Guzman

Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. [Psalm 37:4]. Although this is one of my favorite verses, I admit it isn’t always fresh in my mind. Yet, somehow, subconsciously, it comes out in my actions and I am reminded of it every time God lavishly presents me with the gifts that are the very desires of my heart.

One of the first things my husband told me when I met him was that he loved the ocean and traveling. So naturally, because I, too, love traveling and the ocean, thoughts immediately went through my mind of us jet setting and cruising all over the world. My brain flooded with images of us on exotic beaches, being splashed by dancing waves, very much like the scene in “From Here to Eternity”.

Unfortunately, none of that took place, and while the marriage was short lived, I delighted in the Lord and He reminded me through my other favorite verse that He had plans for me…plans to give me hope and a future [Jeremiah 29:11].  And so He gifted me with the ocean in Rockaway to remind me that “every good and perfect gift is from above…” [James 1:17]

During that time my beloved Lucy became ill.

Not only did her illness create endless vet bills, I was also trying to pay off the loans that were a result of my ex-husband’s callousness, as well as, the rising astronomical rent due to living in an ocean facing apartment on the beach. For 30 seconds I saw myself living on the street, homeless, with my sick dog, holding a sign, asking for a handout. But I knew that when I passed through rough waters, Jesus would be with me [Isaiah 43:2] so I continued to “delight in the Lord” – living each day out loud, with joy - and He continued to “give me the desires of my heart” [Psalm 37:4]: another year with my precious Lucy, an unexpected way to continue living on the beach, and a solution to some of my financial troubles. 

I always say our Glorious God has a sense of humor, and because He loves to teach us along the way, while He prepared the perfect place for me to live, He had me move next door with a neighbor who didnt turn out to be very neighborly. He had me experience some pretty uncomfortable situations in that apartment, which made for some very interesting chapters in my book. He had me clean out and purge my closets of never ending knick knacks, chochkis and clothes I never wore, and showed me how to live a more simple life. 

Last year, as the school year came to a close, I dreaded the “what are your summer plans?” conversation that takes place on the last day at work because although I always truly enjoy every minute of my summer “stay-cation” in Rockaway, I badly longed to travel again. So in my distress I called on the Lord: “come on, Lord, You know how badly I want to travel”,  and He answered me, and told me great and unsearchable things I did not know [Jeremiah 33:3].  My Heavenly Father told me the best was yet to come, but all in His perfect timing. So I remained patient and continued delighting in the Lord, enjoying every single moment of the gift of not having to work all summer and being fortunate enough to only live a block from the beach. Then God whispered, “Get ready! Now is the time! Pack your bags!” And because with God, all things are possible [Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27], a year later I have accumulated life lasting memories from six fabulous life impacting trips that hardly cost me anything!

I am in no way saying we should love the Lord so He can give us gifts, but how can I ever not love the Lord for always giving me such amazing gifts?! Even my desire to have a pet again was fulfilled in the most unexpected and amazing way, when on a random day this beauty walked into my life.

and 9 weeks later, gifted me with these darlings that I had the thrill of seeing come into the world!

Who am I that God should lavish upon me such amazing gifts?  I know I am in no way worthy.  But Matthew 7:11 reminds me that  “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!” Remember that God wants you to ask Him, as Matthew 7:7 instructs us: “ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”  Just be intentional. Be specific.  Go to God with your concerns and desires, just like you would to your BFF. God tells us, “you may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” [John 14:14]. (According to HIS will.- I John 5:14).

And as you wait patiently for His response, appreciate the good things He has surrounded you with. Be grateful for everything. Flood your mind with His word. Talk to Him throughout the day. Delight in Him in every way.

Live out loud!