Giselle's Blog

This blog has moved!!!!

2011-12-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

Hi, All!

This blog has moved to a new site!

Please go to: http://giselleaguiar.com/personal_blog

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Please check out my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out! $1 from the sale of each book - no matter what format, benefits StreetLight Phoenix to help eradicate child sex slavery. www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award-Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

It's not a Coincidence

2011-11-18T10:14:00.000-08:00

It's not a coincidence.

My TV broke down last week. It was an old-fashioned one so at first I thought it was my chance to get a new HDTV. But I just lost my full-time job. But - next week is Black Friday and the stores are advertising their special already. I found a 19" HDTV in Target for $99. Ok, I can handle that. I shouldn't, but I could.

I called my neighbor, Saxton, to take the broken TV to the dumpster for me and he said, I gave 2 TVs to a friend and he's not using them. I'll go get them and see if they still work.

Sure, I said, can't be free!

He shows up yesterday with the TVs - both the old kind. The first one, a black 19", didn't have a remote and we couldn't change the channel to connect to DishNetwork. He brings the 2nd one in and it's the exact same model as the one that broke. A Magnavox 19". Works perfectly. Didn't even have to reprogram the remote!

I bought my Maganvox in Costco back in North Miami around 1998. I brought it in the back seat of my car cross country. What were the chances that my friend had the exact same TV in Phoenix?

I could still go and spend $100 for a new HDTV, but I don't NEED it now. I'll use that $100 to pay my electric bill.

So, I'm on Facebook last night and as see a post from a friend, "Does anyone out there have a digital converter box they're not using?"

I happen to have 2 of them. 2 years ago when every one went digital, I got them for my old TVs and got all the local stations with some rabbit ear antennas. When I moved a year later to where I am now, in a lovely area surrounded my hills and mountains, the rabbit ears only caught a couple of stations because of the mountains. I had to get DishNetwork. I put the digital converter boxes in a box in a closet along with a bunch of other equipment that I'm no longer using, but you never know who may need it.

I was able to pass on the gift.

Don't repay kindness, pass it on.

And don't tell me it was a coincidence! It was a God Thing!

Book Review: His Steadfast Love

2011-11-16T11:50:00.000-08:00

I love historical romances and His Steadfast Love by Golden Keyes Parsons met my expectations - strong characters, good story lines and it takes you deep into the drama of the American Civil War.

Amanda Belle, the daughter of a preacher in southwest Texas, falls for a Union Officer, Captain Kent Littlefield, just before the start of the Civil War in 1861.

Her Father disapproves of their relationship and forbids her from communicating with him once the war begins and leaves to serve. Her brother, Daniel, goes to fight for the South and runs into Kent on the battlefield.

Kent is later wounded and recoups at the Belles' house as his soldiers invade the house and the whole town. As Amanda nurses him back to health, their love solidifies and they vow to marry after the war regardless of her father's feelings. She also vowed to her mother on her deathbed that she would take care of her 3 younger sisters. Could she leave her family and her commitment to them to marry Kent? She never thought she'd marry at all!

Amanda overhears Kent speaking with one of his officers about the Union Army's plan to occupy Texas and is torn between her loyalty to him and her loyalty to the South. Should she take that information to her uncle who's an officer at the Confederate Army headquarters in Austin or should she not? Will what she knows ultimately hurt Kent if she tells her uncle? Was God on the side of the South or the North?

Her decision is one of the turning points of the story. With the horrors of the war, Amanda, questioned God and her faith. She had many other decisions to make that would affect not just herself, but several people.

All in all, it's a story of love, steadfast love of God and of a man and woman.

Like what you read? Then you'll love my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out! $1 from the sale of each book - not matter what format benefits StreetLight Phoenix to help eradicate child sex slavery. www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award-Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

What’s Heaven Like?

2011-11-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

“On Earth as it is in Heaven...”

The line in the Lord’s Prayer refers to God’s Will. (Matthew 6:9-13)

“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God rules heaven and He also is in control of everything on earth.

But what’s heaven like? Does it look like our sky - pretty blue with white puffy clouds and angels strumming harps?

Heaven is peaceful

"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (Luke 19:38).

Heaven is indeed a kingdom of peace. And when Jesus taught His disciples how to live in a world characterized by a lack of peace, He taught them to pray that God's will would be done "on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).

There is peace in heaven, and Jesus wants His disciples to have peace on earth until eternal peace is realized in the New Jerusalem. But how? Through prayer. The apostle Paul wrote that when we commit every care and concern to God through prayer, the heavenly peace of God will guard our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:6-7).” (Turning Point David Jeremiah www.turningpointonline.org)

God’s Throne

The Holy Trinity - Jesus, the Son, God, the Father &
The Holy Spirit

The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them. ~ Psalm 11:4

Jesus is in heaven

When he [Jesus] had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. ~Luke 24:50-51

Believers will have glorious bodies like Jesus’

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. ~ Philippians 3:20-21

There will be no pain or sorrow in heaven

“...He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." ~ Revelation 21:4

God gave the Apostle John a glimpse of heaven

(Revelation 21)
(Revelation 22)

Heaven is an exclusive club open to anyone who wants to come in

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ~ Matthew 18:3

“Like little children” means that we need to be pure, sin-free, reborn and the only way to do that is through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your personal savior.

Read: Are You Part of the Chosen?

Like what you read? Then you'll love my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

How Satan Speaks

2011-11-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

Satan and his helpers are all around us. He speaks to us in the form of temptations -- dangling pretty things in front of us and trying to get us to lie, cheat, steal even kill to get them.

If you put your trust in the Lord and trust that He'll guide you where He wants you to go, then when an idea comes to mind or your instinct is telling you it's the right thing to do, stop one more time to ask, “Lord, is this really what you want me to do?” Or “What would Jesus do?

If you still have that urge, then it's the right thing.

Be aware, that Satan is always trying to steer you in the wrong direction. Whether it's through an offer that seems too good to be true or the carrot stick of power and money, you've got to make sure that it's not Satan. The risk then may be too great.

Discernment: How do you discern if the message is coming from God or from Satan? It's not as simple as the angel and the devil on either of your shoulders whispering in your ears. We know to follow the angel's advice, but end up following the devil's temptation because it's too good to pass up.

Satan wouldn't make fun of you. He'd want to be your buddy so you'd hang around with him. Bad idea.

Follow Christ. Satan's days are numbered. Christ will come back and rule forever.

Like what you read? Then you'll love my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Needs vs. Wants

2011-11-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

Needs vs. Wants - this lesson was hard for me to learn. I guess it starts as a little kid and you see a colorful toy in the store and you say, “Mommy, I want that!” And what did your mother say? “You don’t need that.”

Stores know all about our impulses. That’s why they put the most delectable, irresistible products at the cash register - candy. That’s why they put the staple items like milk and eggs all the way in the back of the store so we have to walk past everything else we don’t need to get what we do need.

How many times have you gone in to the store for one item and end up spending 10 times as much? And your thought as you stare at the receipt, “I only came in for one thing!”

Plaza Las Americas, San Juan, Puerto Rico

In my recent visit to Puerto Rico, I ended up going to the largest shopping mall in the whole Caribbean to find free wifi almost every day. Commercialism is alive and well in Puerto Rico. Even during the week, there was not a time when there wasn’t a lot of people in the mall. Stores I never even heard of - some with more than one location within the mall - all showing the latest fashions or the latest gadgets that we must have and can’t live without.

I was surprised by the size of the cosmetic section in a Walgreens. At least 3x the size of the ones stateside.

Now, more than ever we all must think about making a purchase long and hard before we buy it. Do you really need this? Can you live without it? Can it wait till you have the money?

Wants are what got us in trouble. You really didn’t need to get the top-of-the-line, gas guzzler SUV with all the bells and whistles when a simpler car, that just got you to work and around town, would have been enough.

You really didn’t need to get the big house. You really didn’t need to charge that fancy necklace or high-fashion shoes. (And those shoes look tremendously uncomfortable never mind the long-term damage to ladies’ feet!)

And soon, if not already, you’ll be wondering how you’re going to make the payments. (Apparently credit card debt is a big problem in PR also.)

It’s called greed. Greed is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Vanity is another, as is Pride and Gluttony.

But God forgives all our sins. Jesus died for that very reason.

God also provides for our needs - not our wants. (Matthew 5:25-34)

Turn to God and you’ll see that all your needs will be met. Needs not wants.

Like what you read? Then you'll love my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Endurance

2011-11-10T20:11:00.000-08:00

Lance Armstrong leading the pack in the Tour de France

When you think of endurance, you may think of Lance Armstrong riding the 2200 miles of the Tour de France. Or it may take you to your last turn on the treadmill when you tried to stay on it for 30 minutes.

Endurance: the fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult situation or process without giving way.

Similar words are persistence, perseverance, tenacity, patience.

Where patience is more waiting it out without complaining - accepting the uncontrollable, persistence and perseverance mean keep on keeping on.

Endurance can also mean tolerance - putting up with something.

What happens when we build up our endurance? We get stronger. What do we need to do to build up endurance? Well, like Lance Armstrong, he needs to train and train hard to get his body ready to endure 2200 miles in 21 days.

The race that many people are running these days is extremely frustrating. Every time you turn and think you’re near the finish line, a brick-wall roadblock appears. What do you do? Well, if you trained properly and prepared yourself, you’ll have the stamina to climb over the wall, go around it or have the strength and proper tools to knock it down.

Where does one get the training? The Bible.

In Galatians 5:16-25, the Apostle Paul is showing us that when we accept Christ and we receive His gift of the Holy Spirit, we get wonderful character qualities like patience, kindness and self-control as well as love, peace and joy.

In Romans 5:2-5, Paul tells us that we’re going to have trials in life and that we should be happy because trials build perseverance (endurance), which then builds character and character builds hope.

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33

Turn to Jesus and He will help you endure.

Like what you read? Then you'll love my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Agape Love

2011-11-07T19:37:00.000-08:00

The New Testament was written originally in Greek - the common language of the first century. The Greeks had three words for love - each with a different meaning.

Philia - brotherly love
Eros - the love between a man and a woman
Agape - unconditional love - like the love of a parent to a child

Unconditional Love

What does it mean to love unconditionally? It means loving someone no matter what. It’s the type of Love God has for humankind.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.~John 3:16-17

The Christians of the first century called the Lord’s Supper (a.k.a. Holy Communion) the Agape Meal. They usually celebrated this on Sunday (the Lord’s Day) in commemoration of Jesus Christ and what He told His believers to do. (Luke 22:19-20)

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.~1 John 4:9-10

God loves YOU so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for YOUR sins so that YOU wouldn’t die and live in hell, but live in paradise, in heaven with Jesus forever.

Jesus tells us this over and over again:

John 8: 32
John 10: 9
John 14: 1-4
John 14: 6-7
John 15: 13
Matthew 6:19-34

Jesus overcame the world. Jesus overcame death.

All you need to do is ask Jesus into your heart and you too will feel the Agape Love that God freely gives.

To have eternal life with Jesus, just pray this prayer wholeheartedly and sincerely:

Father, I know I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. Thank you for loving me even though I have been unworthy of your love.
I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life from this day forward.
Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Like what you read? Then you'll love my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

My First Communion Catechism

2011-11-06T15:20:00.000-08:00

In going through all the stuff I brought back from Puerto Rico including dozens of pennants from every touristy spot my parents & I visited and several collectable items, I found "My First Communion Catechism"published in 1942. It was the lessons taught to 2nd grade Catholic kids before they go through the "sacrement of Holy Communion."

I don't remember that. All I remember from the Catholic church is I feel gypped of not being taught the Bible.

Lesson 2 from the catechism reads:

What I must do to be happy with God in heaven.

I must know God. I must love God. I must serve God.
I must do all these things now to be happy with God in heaven.
The things I see about me teach me to know God. God made them all.
No one but God could make them.
The Catholic Church teaches me to know God.
The Catholic Church teaches me how to love and serve God.
The Church teaches me God's law.
I love and serve God when I obey His law.

Then it asks...

What must you do to be happy with God in heaven?
To be happy with God in heaven I must know Him, love Him, and serve Him in the world.

Absolutely NOTHING ABOUT JESUS!

What must you do to be happy with God in heaven?

Jesus told Nicodemus the Pharisee,

I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God. ~John 3:3 (amp) Read the whole story: John 3:1-21

Jesus told us in John 14:6-7

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (niv)

I thank God for the Bible, for the Truth. I believe God's word.

What must you do to be happy with God in heaven?
Pray this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I need You to guide my life. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

If you received Jesus into your heart, welcome to the family of God! The following will help you deepen your relationship with Christ:

Pray. Just talk to God no matter where you are. He doesn't care what the words are, just that they are sincere.
Read the Bible everyday to learn about Jesus and how to live a life that pleases God. Start with 1 John, then the Gospel of John, then Philippians.
An important part of helping your relationship with Christ grow is to tell others about Him. Demonstrate God's love and be active in telling others about Jesus.
Find a bible-based church and become active getting to know other Christians.

Being a Christian is a journey of faith with the goal to be closer to God and live like Christ and sometimes it is a struggle for some Christians to live like Christ. It also doesn't guarantee that life will be trouble free. God sends trials to test our faith. So we must read the Bible to grow stronger in faith.

Check out: WWJD - Revival Blog

Like what you read? Then you'll love my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Fear vs Faith

2011-11-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

As I drove to the airport from my mom’s house in Puerto Rico, I had a tinge of fear of the future. Then I remembered the devotional that morning from David Jeremiah’s Turning Point magazine:

Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. ~Titus 2?13

Yesterday was the future on the day before yesterday, but today it is the past. The March of time teaches us that tomorrow is an expectation if not a promise. While we do not know what the future will hold, we have not doubt that it will come. And biblically, there are only two ways to look at the future: in fear or by faith.

Fear and faith obey the law of physics that says two bodies cannot occupy the same space at the same time. If we are consumed with fear of the future, there is no room for faith. But if we have faith that God knows the future then fear shall be absent. Thankfully, our faith is not blind faith--the Bible gives us great details (reasons for faith) about the future. And they all find their culminations and consummation in one event--the return of the Son of God to planet earth:

Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom of God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:24

Thank God for such a certain future! Through Christ every promise of God about the future is “Yes, and in Him Amen” (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Faith makes the uplook good, the outlook bright, the inlook favorable, and the future glorious. ~ V. Raymond Edman*

Yes, I don’t know what will happen to me as I return facing a job loss and uncertainty. But I have faith. My faith is like a rock. No fear will sneak in - understand that, Satan!

God gave me a talent and skills and I will use them to fulfill my calling to spread His Good News through my writing.

I trust that He’ll open doors and provide like He has.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ~ Philippians 4:13

...But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 3:13-14

Like what you read? Then you'll love my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

*From David Jeremiah’s Turning Point devotional magazine, 10/29-30.

Refiner's Fire

2011-10-31T19:42:00.000-07:00

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ~1 Peter 1:6-7

A prospector who discovers gold-bearing rock sends it to an assayer for evaluation. Testing by fire will melt off most impurities and the true gold will emerge purified. Suffering acts in much the same way, says Peter: it exposes and refines true faith. In addition, faith in the midst of such trials will earn future rewards.

I’ve been refined. 3 years ago, when I lost the job I had held for 1.5 years, I went through what could be considered a tough time. Read: Up the Down Escalator.

Here we go again. I’m unemployed again. Only worked for a year after being unemployed for 2. Finances are still strapped and I know it will not be easy, but one thing I know for sure, I am not the same person I was 3 years ago.

My faith has been refined. I know for sure what my Life’s Purpose is and now I have the opportunity to do it. I trust that God will open the proper doors. He will provide and He is in control.

Like what you read? Then you'll love my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century, a historical novel about the early church check it out: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Over the Rainbow

2011-10-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

Flying into Miami from Puerto Rico, I watched the sea and clouds below. There were scattered showers in the area and all of a sudden, a rainbow appeared. We seemed to fly right over it.

Each time I see a rainbow, I break into my own rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from the Wizard of Oz. This is the song that lonely Dorothy sings at the beginning, before the tornado zaps her away.

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There’s a land that I’ve heard of once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.

Someday I’ll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops away above the chimney tops

That’s where you’ll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then oh, why can’t I?

Three years ago, I wrote “Up the Down Escalator.” In that post, I say that the morning before Thanksgiving I work up and my first thought was, “I just want to sleep through this week.” You can read the blog post to see why. But I wanted to sleep and wake up somewhere over the rainbow.

As I fly above the clouds over Sarasota, FL and the Everglades, back home to Phoenix I face uncertainty. I lost the security of a full-time job, but I have faith that God will provide.

I had lunch in Miami with a former business partner who wants me to help him with an online venture of his. Paid me in advance to review the sites.

Here’s my new verse to that song:

Somewhere over the rainbow, Christ waits there.
Trust Him over the rainbow
Go to Him in prayer.

Like what you read? Then you'll love my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Don’t Worry - Yeah right

2011-10-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

Lost your job? Are finances tight? Gas prices went down a bit, but it still cost about $40+ to fill the tank. Food prices are going up so are utilities never mind medical costs. Can you get your prescriptions for $4?

In a couple of months it’s Christmas. Facing foreclosure? What if your car breaks down?

That’s enough to give you sleepless nights, indigestion, premature gray hair, high blood pressure and a slew of other medical conditions that you really don’t need right now.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ~Matthew 6:25-34

Are you not much more valuable that the birds of the air? Aren’t you? Yes, you are. You are a child of God. God created you in HIS image! You are important to Him. HE knows your name!

How can that be? How can he know everybody’s name? He’s God. He’s omnipotent - all powerful, all knowing.

He knows what you’re going through.

So why doesn’t He do something about it?

He’s waiting for you to acknowledge Him and that you can’t do it alone. You need His help.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ~1 Peter 5:6

The key phrase in that passage is “in due time”. It’s not your timetable, but His. Read: God's Timing.

Call on Him and He’ll comfort you, He’ll provide all that you need. Need not want.

Join the Exclusive Club that Anyone Can Join.

Read: Are you part of the chosen? Trust God, It Works!

To become part of the chosen, click here for direction

Like what you read? Then you'll love my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

What do you worship?

2011-10-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

How many idols do you have?

An athlete? A performer? A car? Success?

Our God is jealous God. He wants us to worship him only. Where are your priorities? If God isn’t first in your life, then you’re not focused on Him and His will for your life.

If you put your career first, then what happens when you lose your job? Do you lose your identity? No. You are who you are and you are a child of God and He loves you. You should love Him back equally.

If you put your relationships first, what happens when that person is gone or betrays you? God will never do that. He’s with you 24/7.

If you worship idols like saints, statues - anything manmade, you risk losing that. For all we see is temporary. Everything manmade will end. Only God is eternal. His love endures forever!

I remember when I was in Italy touring the cathedrals, there was a statue of a saint (can't remember which one), the statue's foot was literally smoothed into a nub off from millions of people rubbing the foot for a blessing.

In Naples, there's a saint that is worshiped constantly in hoped that he'll protect the city from Vesuvius. Read: So Many gods

I don't think God Himself could have been any clearer when He said:

“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." ~Exodus 20:3-6

Even the cross you wear around you neck is an idol if you don’t have Jesus in your heart. It means nothing otherwise.

You may say that you believe in God and that you know that Jesus was His Son and that with the Holy Spirit comprises the Triune God (Holy Trinity), but do you truly have Jesus in your heart?

If you’re not sure, visit this site.

Like what you read? Then you'll love my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

It’s not all in the stars

2011-10-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

Back in high school and through my college years I was into astrology. I knew all the sun signs, their characteristics, their start and end dates and which were compatible with which. I even did my full astrological chart. I knew my rising sign, my moon sign and which sign each planet was in when I was born.

A lot of the characteristics made sense to me. They fit me and people I knew. As a Gemini, I was most compatible with Libra, Aquarius and Sagittarius. In clubs, the main “pick up” line was “What’s your sign?”

However, I was really never into reading my daily horoscope. That really didn’t make sense. I know there are people out there who won’t make a decision or even get a haircut without consulting their horoscope. Now that’s silly.

I do remember buying those little booklets at the supermarket checkouts that have the whole year laid out for you by your sign. I wanted to know what my future would be. Who wouldn’t want to know? I’ve sat with fortune tellers, palm and tarot card readers who’ve told me that I’d marry in a few years. (Gee, I’m in my 50’s and still haven’t married - boy, did they get that wrong!)

Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.~Leviticus 19:31

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.~ Deut. 18:9-14

Folks, it doesn’t work!

God tells us not to look to the occult - to trust in Him. We are to pray and seek God’s will for our lives. We are to read the bible to learn how to act and live so that we obey Him. If we put our lives in God’s hands, we can’t go wrong! (Read: Trust God - It Works!)

I recently found my old “Gemini” book and promptly threw it out.

So forget the tarot cards and the horoscopes! Subscribe to the daily devotionals instead. Get the advice from the Master!

Our Daily Bread

Crosswalk

My Family Life Radio

Klove

Like what you read? Then you'll love my Award-Winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

I Confess

2011-10-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

Bless me father, for I have sinned. It has been a verrrrrry long time since my last confession.

Growing up Catholic, that was a weekly ritual. I couldn’t receive Holy Communion if I didn’t go to confession on Saturday.

I confess: I often made up sins just so I’d have something to tell the priest. “I lied 3 times....” even if I hadn’t. Gee, that was lie!

That doesn’t make sense!

When Jesus died on the cross, He took away ALL our sins. Sure we are human and we are capable of sinning because of the temptations of the devil, (Read: The Devil Made Me Do It) but when believe in Jesus as our personal savior, we are absolved of our sins. God forgives us. We don’t have to go through a priest.

And then we got the penance: “Say 5 ‘Hail Marys,’ 6 ‘Our Fathers’ and 3 ‘Acts of Contrition’”. I remember rattling them off real fast just to do what I was told. It didn’t mean anything. I was supposedly “set” till the next time I committed a sin.

That, my dear friends are manmade rules. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we have to confess each week before we can partake of the Lord’s Supper.

The Agape Meal or the Lord’s Supper (aka Holy Communion) is something that believers share in remembrance of Christ’s death - of what He did for us.

We are saved by Grace not by good works (Read: Is being “good” good enough). Nothing we alone or any other person can do will get us into heaven. ONLY accepting Jesus Christ as your LORD and SAVIOR.

The “church” made up these rules and regulations to control people who “strayed” and misbehaved in the dark and middle ages.

It wasn’t until Martin Luther discovered in 1525, that we don’t need the church to be saved, but that we are saved by God’s Grace - freely given.

If you read the Bible, you’ll get instructions on how to live daily and how to obey God. That’s what God wants us to do - obey HIm. Legalism was finished when Jesus cried, “It is Finished!” from the cross.

If you read the Bible you’ll see that many things that the Catholic church claims are not Biblical. Isn’t it time that Catholics start questioning the rules and regulations? Isn’t it time that people questions if they’re really going to heaven? If they’ll get left behind when Jesus comes back for His believers in the Rapture?

Read the Bible. That was one of the first things that Martin Luther did was have the Bible printed in German so that the people could read it for themselves. The church controlled all Bible printing and it was in Latin which the common folk didn’t understand.

The people only knew what they heard in church. What the church wanted them to believe.

The Bible is available to anyone who wants to learn the truth. Go to BibleGateway.com and you can read the Bible in any language.

God is waiting for you to learn the truth.

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
http://www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Follow Giselle on Twitter
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Review: “The Final Summit”

2011-10-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

I joined the “BookSneeze” family of reviewers last month and I chose “The Final Summit” for my first book. I was in the middle of 2 other books so I set it aside not paying much attention to it.

I attended the Women of Faith Conference in Phoenix Sept. 23-24 and one of the speakers was Andy Andrews. I had never heard of him. He was funny and told interesting stories including the “Butterfly Effect” (Read the explanation that my other blog). I could tell he was a history buff like me.

Low and behold, when I pick up “The Final Summit” to read the following week, I see the author is none other than Andy Andrews.

I find history fascinating. There are epic pivotal points where someone’s split-second decision to do something changed the course of history, including the outcome of wars.

Imagine the greatest amphitheater with the greatest minds and historical figures of the world gathered together to discover the answer to a question to save humanity: “What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization?”

Is it about success? Wisdom? Courage? Building Character? The answer is simple and will surprise you.

David Ponder is an elderly businessman having fallen into financial trouble. But his uniqueness is that he’s a “traveler” - a time traveler - having had the opportunity to go back in time to great points in history and meet people like Anne Frank, King Solomon, and Abe Lincoln.

In these travels he collected the “Seven Decisions” - 7 essential decisions that every person can make in their lives to in how they choose to live. The travels were lead by the Archangel Gabriel.

Gabriel appears to him and tells him that he’s going to be the head of the summit and the task of the summit was to answer the question that will save humanity.

I found it a bit confusing at first, but rather intriguing as I went on. The summit had rules. David had 5 chances to determine the answer and present it to Gabriel. He could call a “traveler,” as these great minds were called, for each of the 5 tries. Apparently, these folks had also traveled through time.

Though this is a work of fiction, the historical “back stories” of the characters (historical figures) are true. We meet Winston Churchill, Joan of Arc, King David and a couple little-known folks who played vital roles in 2 wars.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who like philosophy, history and is looking for answers to “What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization?”

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
http://giselleaguiar.com/novel
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

I used to wander off

2011-10-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Today's K-Love "Encouraging Word" describes me to a "t"...

I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word.
~ Psalm 119:67 (NLT)

Better said: "I wandered off..." several times, often, and God always disciplined me either by a smack upside the head or by knocking the pedestal from underneath me.

God has interesting ways of getting our attention.

The NIV version reads like this:

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. ~Psalm 119:67

Like sheep, we often go "astray" which is why we need the Good Shepherd to go find us, round us up and bring us back to the safety of the flock.

If we are out there in this world on our own, we are unprotected and subjected to the temptations and evil doings of Satan.

God gives us His Armor to protect us, His church to guide and comfort us, His Word to teach us how to live and prayer for us to communicate with Him.

I remember after Hurricane Andrew tore through a hugh part of South Florida, some folks painted on top of the roof of their destroyed house "OK, God, You've got our attention."

A few years before that, I had 2 car accidents within 8 days, the 2nd one totaling my car. As I walked the 12 blocks from church to my apartment one day, I stopped, looked up and said, "OK, God, You've got my attention. What do you want me to do?"

At that time, He wanted me to help start a singles ministry.

3 years ago, I lost my job and was "afflicted"in several ways and God wanted me to find my Life Purpose.

God "afflicts" and "disciplines" us in a variety of ways. But if what He wants us to do is obey His Word, seek His will for our lives and...

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. ~Micah 6:8

and

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another... ~ John 13:34

...why don't we just do it and save ourselves the agony?

We are like little kids disobeying our parents. We are disciplined until we get it -- that we're not supposed to do that or we suffer the consequences.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ~James 1:2-4

Remember, God is our parent and He is in control...

Great Blessings to you,

Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Follow Giselle on Twitter
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It’s not enough just to be "good"

2011-10-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

When you die, are you going to heaven?

If you haven’t accept Jesus as your Lord and savior, the answer to that is NO.

“But, I’m a good person,” you say.
http://www.areyouagoodperson.org/

Sure, you’ve never killed anyone. You try to treat people fairly.

You’ve never committed adultery - or have you?

“You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart...” ~Matthew 5:27-28

Have you ever looked at someone of the opposite sex, lustfully?

If you’ve taken any employment assessments lately, you may have come across this question: “Have you ever lied?”

They also ask, “Have you ever stolen anything?”

Yes you have. A white lie is still a lie. Sharing software is stealing as is leaving work 15 minutes early without telling anyone - you’re stealing time from your employer who’s paying you for a full-day’s work.

So what does that make you - an adulterer, a liar and a thief, right?

That also makes you a sinner.

Check out - The Way of the Master

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:8

Further reading:
John 3:16-17
Romans 10:9
Revelation 21:8
Proverbs 15:3
Acts 2:38-40
1 John 4:9-10

Are you part of the chosen?

God Bless,
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Review: "Pompeii: City on Fire: A Novel (Paperback)"

2011-10-02T18:47:00.000-07:00

Pompeii: City on Fire: A Novel (Paperback) By T. L. Higley

I literrally stumbled upon this title when I was looking for ways to market my own novel, "Deo Volente! (God Willing):Love in the First Century." My story ends in Pompeii with Vesuvius erupting and so does this one. It released the month before mine and I had to read it. The stories are different. "Pompeii - City on Fire" is the story of a teenage Jewish girl taken prisoner after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD and is sold into slavery and taken toRome. Trying to escape, she sees the opportunity in switching identities with a young gladiator trainee and eventually ends up in Pompeii just before Vesuvius erupts in 79 AD. Having thoroughly research that era myself, I was impressed that the author was historically accurate. Tho many of the most interesting details of the events of Vesuvius' eruption that I cover in my story were left out.

God Bless,
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Follow Giselle on Twitter
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Review: The Centurion's Wife (Acts of Faith, Book 1)

2011-10-02T18:08:00.000-07:00

The Centurion's Wife (Acts of Faith, Book 1) by Janette Oke and David Bunn

I've read several of Oke/Bunn's novels and this one caught my eye as it's in the same genre as my book, Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the first century. As a history buff and a Christians I started writing asking the question "what would it have been like to live in the first century among Jesus' early followers and builders of the first churches?" "The Centurion's Wife" does just that. I takes you to the time right after that Easter Sunday morning as Pontius Pilot and his wife Procula each send "spies" to investigate the death and mysterious disappearance of "the prophet" and to find out if the Jews are planning a revolt. Pilot's spy is Alban, the centurion who is betrothed to Procula's spy, Leah. Each mix and mingle with Jesus' followers and dutifully report back to their respective masters. The title is a bit of misnomer since Leah is really the centurion's betrothed not his wife. This is a first in a trilogy. I will read the others.

God Bless,
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Follow Giselle on Twitter
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Review: "The Coming Economic Armageddon"

2011-10-02T17:59:00.000-07:00

The Coming Economic Armageddon: What Bible Prophecy Warns about the New Global Economy (Paperback) by Dr. David Jeremiah

David Jeremiah is one of my favorite TV evangelists. "The Coming Economic Armageddon" is a must read. It's an eye-opening account of the economic reality that is facing our nation and our world. As someone who works in finance, I am attuned to the economic and business news and Dr. Jeremiah's predictions are right on. It's going to get worse before it gets better and it probably won't get better until after Jesus returns.

God Bless,
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Follow Giselle on Twitter
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God is Bigger than the Snowball

2011-09-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

Growing up in New York, winters meant snow and snowmen (or women;). In building the body and the head, you started with a small snowball about the size of a tennis ball and roll it around in the snow and it got bigger and bigger till it was the size you desired.

Our house was on a hill. To make it easy, we'd start the snowball at the top of the hill and let it roll down. By the time it reached the bottom, it was perfect.

That's phenomenon, when applied to problematic situations is called "snowballing" - what seems a small problem gets bigger and bigger to the point that overwhelmingly large.

I've been dealing with such a problem. A couple of months ago, I got the treaded call that my mom was in the hospital in Puerto Rico. I live in Phoenix. I couldn't just hop in the car and drive over there. Having been unemployed for 2 years and only working for 10 months, I couldn't hop on a plane either.

Well, after 1.5 months in the hospital and many gall stones later, she went home, but needed therapy because her legs were too weak. So she's been in a rehab center for about a month now.

I found out that she was in rehab when I tried to call the weekend that Hurricane Irene hit the island and her phone was out.

It seems like every time I speak with someone down there, the snowball gets bigger. It's about the size of a Volkswagon right now.

Me at the "Over the Top" Women of Faith
Conference in Phoenix, AZ holding my novel
that won 2nd place in their writing contest.

I had the pleasure of attending the Women of Faith Conference this weekend.

Beside great music by Mandisa, Sandi Patty and Amy Grant, some great women gave there testimonies. The two that moved me the most were Sandi Patty and Brenda Warner - yeah, Kurt Warner's wife.

I came out of that conference thinking that no matter how big that snowball got, GOD is BIGGER than the snowball!

As I get ready for my trip to Puerto Rico in 3 weeks, I am preparing for whatever scenario I find. I'm peace with whatever God wants for my life. I pray that I will deal with the problems I face with Christ-like love, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control.

I think about the type of person I was when I left there and the rock-solid Christian that I am now and I know that He is with me no matter what and I'll get through and it'll make me stronger.

Cry, scream, call, whisper, pray... He'll hear you.

God Bless,

Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Follow Giselle on Twitter
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Is this world all there is?

2011-09-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

If this world is all there is, then that gives us reason to be depressed. If there is nothing look forward to, then there is no hope.

We cannot live without hope. Hope gives us a reason to get up in the morning and something to live for.

Hope goes together with Faith.

You have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow morning. That is something you trust will happen. It’s something that you’ve witnessed over and over again and you know it will happen.

That’s easy faith. Faith in something that you can see and feel. What about faith in something that is supernatural? Something that’s intangible? You can’t say, “I’ll believe it when I see it,” because you’ll never actually see it.

How about something you can feel? Will you believe in something if you can feel it? Sure. But faith in God works the opposite - you have to believe in it before you can feel it. And the beauty of it is that your feel it instantly.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.~Hebrews 11:1

The whole chapter of Hebrews 11:1-40 talks about faith and the faith of the biblical forefathers. And in Hebrews 12:1-3, we’re told to not grow weary and lose heart.

God keeps His promises.

He promised us a room in His mansion in Heaven. (John 14: 1-4)
He promised us the gift of the Holy Spirit if we believe. (Acts 2:38-40)
Jesus promised us that He and only He was the door to Heaven. (John 10:9; John 14:6-7)

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.~Hebrews 6:19

...And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.~ Romans 5:2-5

You, too can have this hope in your heart. It will lighten up your life. It will give you joy and peace in the midst of a troubled world. It will give you something to look forward to, something to live for. For Jesus lived, died and lived again for you.

It’s easy, just pray this prayer wholehearted and sincerely:

Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

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God Bless,
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Follow Giselle on Twitter
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Doubly Blessed Today!

2011-09-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

Next week (9/23-24) is the Women of Faith Conference in Phoenix. I've been trying every which way to reach their organization to see if I could get some recognition about being the 2nd place winner of their writing contest. I mean if it weren't for last year's conference, I wouldn't have known about the contest.

Finally today, I got an email from the gal who's in charge of the media and though she said that they can't acknowledge me from the stage, she will interview me, get a few pix and put me on their Facebook page. There's also a local blogger who'll be writing about the conference who'll be contacting me for an interview.

Yay, God! He came through!

After work I drive up to see my chiropractor and I made a deal - an adjustment for a signed hardcover copy of my novel. As I was going in and she was commenting how exciting it was to have the book, a patient coming out saw it. I gave her one of my bookmarks and she's going to mention it in her Christian Preschool's newsletter.

Heavenly timing? You bet!

Thank you, Lord for the blessings today. I am content and at peace in you love and kindness.

May you see God's blessings every day in your life also.

Further Reading: God's Timing

Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award-Winning Christian Author
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

If God is so loving, why is there so much suffering?

2011-09-11T21:03:00.000-07:00

It’s the question of the ages. 9/11 is this generations’ Pearl Harbor. We will never forget.

Acts of terrorism for no other reason other than evil and hatred are difficult to comprehend. We remember, mourn and pray for the losses of 9/11 and it makes us stronger and wiser, but we still wonder why?

It's the same why that we ask with so many other things that cause suffering in this world.

There’s

disease, illness or plagues that strike people without warning or discrimination;
forces of nature - hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, blizzards, tornados, famines, pestilence, etc. - that hit all over the world;
acts of desperate or evil people who steal or kill (besides terrorists);
acts of greedy people that affect the economies of nations causing financial ruin for people and businesses;
governments that declare war on other nations for no understandable reason;
and sometimes suffering comes from your own stupid mistakes or wrong decisions.

God never said that you’d have trouble free lives. There’s suffering in the Bible from the time Eve chose to eat the forbidden fruit upon being tempted by the devil (Genesis 3) to the end-times tribulation (Revelation 6). And in between that was the suffering of God’s only Son, Jesus, on the cross. Jesus was pure and innocent, but He had to suffer so that your sins could be wiped clean, forgiven and redeemed. (Matthew 27)

But God doesn’t leave you alone to suffer. He comforts with His word, with loving family and friends, an answer to the problem, strength to endure and persevere or help when you least expect it.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ~James 1:2-4

Other Bible verse on suffering:
1 Peter 1:6-7
Romans 5:2-5
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Matthew 6:19-34

You are not perfect. You make mistakes. Stuff happens. Life isn’t always fair. Why

So you can learn from your mistakes, trials and problems. Everything that you’ve been through in our lives - good or bad has made you stronger and taught you valuable lessons.
Because you’ve been through these trials and sufferings you are in a position to help others who are going through the same thing.
God wants you to turn to Him for help. He’s there 24/7. He is with each and every one of you and knows and expects you to ask Him for help.

But be aware that if He wants to teach you a lesson or make you stronger in your faith, the suffering will continue until He is satisfied that you’ve learned your lesson or have become the person He wants you to be. It’s His timing and His timing may not be to your liking, but it is always perfect.

God’s will be done. God is in control.

It’s not going to last forever. In the middle of the 100+ degree summers in Phoenix, you think that the heat will never end, but the cooler temperatures do finally come. All suffering will end when Jesus comes back to rule all the nations in peace. In Heaven there will be no tears, no pain and no more suffering. Our bodies will be made whole and perfect. We will live with Jesus in paradise forever.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; ... I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am... ~ John 14: 1-4

Do you have a reservation in God’s house in Heaven?

It’s easy! Just follow this link.

God Bless,

Soli Deo Gloria!

Giselle Aguiar

Award Winning Christian Author

www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Follow Giselle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Are You Part of the Chosen?

2011-09-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

Being chosen is good feeling. Remember as a youngster being chosen to be captain of the team or even being chosen for the team. Or in high school being chosen as lead in the school play or to represent the class at a special event. As an adult ñ chosen to lead a meeting or head a special project. It feels good to be chosen.

Contrary to that, it sucks to be the last one chosen for the team or to be passed over when you feel you deserve it. You feel neglected, unloved, like everyone hates you, insufficient, like no one trusts you - it's a major whack to your self-esteem.

God chooses You!

Just as God chose Noah to build the Ark, Moses and Aaron to lead the Israelites (the Chosen People) from the clutches of the Egyptian Pharaoh, the way he chose Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, David, Elijah, Isaiah, Joel, Job, and all the Kings and Prophets, God chose to give Jesus, His only son to You - to the whole world - so that you would not perish because of the sins of man and that you may live in paradise - in the Kingdom of God forever.

Then there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, "This is My Son, My Chosen One or My Beloved; listen to and yield to and obey Him!" ~ Luke 9:35 (AMP)

How can you not listen to a voice from the cloud.

Jesus chose his disciples.

In my former book [The Gospel of Luke], Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. ~ Acts 1:1-3

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. ~ 1 Peter 1:18-21

You too can become part of "the chosen," but to do so you first must choose to follow Jesus. Once you do, look at all the benefits you'll receive:

Protection and an intercessor:

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ~ Romans 8:32-34

Salvation freely given by grace (we don't have to "deserve" it):

So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. ~ Romans 11:4-6

We are God's heirs:

In him we were also chosen [were made heirs], having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ~ Ephesians 1:11-12

Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? ~ James 2:5

We have hope of a life everlasting in glory:

The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ~ Colossians 1:26-27

To become part of the chosen, click here for direction

Read How to Pray and How to Read the Bible

God Bless,
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

God, the Shepherd

2011-09-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

If you find it hard to think of God as a loving father, then think of Him as the Good Shepherd.

If you’ve ever been in Chandler, AZ in the winter, you may have noticed herds of sheep in various fields. They winter in the valley and in the spring they’re herded up to Mogollon Rim or the White Mountains pastures. They take the Heber-Reno Sheep Driveway established in 1918 covering about 6 miles a day.

The shepherds are responsible for every single sheep in the herd. If one wanders off, someone has to go after it.

Jesus said, "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” ~Matthew 18:12-14

Back in the mid ‘80s, I was a tour escort on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. One week, I had the largest group ever - 28 people. Any more than that, they would have sent a second escort to help. One day, I was trying to gather all 28 people at a given time in downtown Caracas, Venezuela after an hour or so of shopping. Every time I’d try to take a head count, a couple of folks would see something interesting and wander off. I’d run and get them back and two more would slip away into a shop. It was like herding sheep.

When I read that passage from Matthew, I think about that experience and how God loves us so much that He’ll care about the sheep that wander off or the ones that are lost.

The most comforting Bible passage is one that is as popular as the Lord’s Prayer: the 23^rd Psalm, it’s first line alone can reassure you in times of trouble.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Keep saying that aloud, over and over again and you’ll be comforted.

Additional Reading:

Isaiah 40:11

Psalm 23:1-6
John 10:1-21
Hebrews 13:20-21
Ezekiel 34:1-31

"Up the Down Escalator"

Soli Deo Gloria!

Giselle Aguiar

Award Winning Christian Author

www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Follow Giselle on Twitter

Of Hurricanes and Life's Storms

2011-09-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I've become addicted to The Weather Channel. At 10 minutes before the hour I'm tuned into the "Tropical Update". One thing about living through 6 hurricanes, you see the radar as it's approaching and then you see the aftermath. During the storm you are hunkered down and when the power goes, you depend on the voice on the radio.

Now, I watch as Jim Cantore and the other reporters stand being wind-blown and rained down upon. I admire them for doing exactly the opposite of what they tell us to do.

In the summer of 2004, Florida was attacked by 4 hurricanes: Charlie, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. Frances and Jeanne hit the central Atlantic coast 2 weeks apart. They were cat. 1 storms, but they were slow moving, so they decimated the beaches and dumped enough water to bring back the Florida swamplands. There were floods everywhere. (I now wondered why people bought that piece of Florida Swampland.)

Piece of driftwood found on
Melbourne Beach, FL after
hurricanes in '04

I heard the reports that the beaches were gone, but I had to see for myself. See this picture? I found this piece of driftwood on Melbourne beach after the storms. It was sticking up much like it's now in my houseplant. It's a knot of wood with 2 pieces going up and down. What could that have been? Part of a dock? The beach steps from a oceanfront house in the Bahamas? Have a guess? Comment below.

As I walked down the beach - what was left of it - I saw pricey houses and condo buildings with their foundations exposed. The sand was gone. Sand that not too long before, was brought in at taxpayers' expense, because waves from another storm that stayed offshore, had taken it away. It doesn't make any sense. Yet, the beachfront habitants were screaming that they wanted the state to build the beach again.

That reminded me of a Bible verse. The words spoken by Jesus:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

And there's a famous hymn by Edward Mote:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' Name.

His oath, His covenant His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

Life is full of storms. Whether they're named Irene, Andrew, Katrina or Lee or unemployment, foreclosure, divorce, illness, accident. If you're faith is in Jesus' solid rock, nothing, not even a cat. 4 hurricane, can knock you off.

Related blog posts:
For What is Seen is Temporary
Hurricane Irene
Up the Down Escalator
Determination: Never Give Up
5 years ago this month
Stuck in the Mud
10 tips for Living with No Electricity

Note: My novel, Deo Volente! shows how the people of the early church dealt with a natural disaster: the eruption of Vesuvius. Available through Amazon and various other online outlets.

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award-Winning Christian Author

Time to Go Back to Church!

2011-08-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

A former pastor of mine shared this video on Facebook. I love it because it's non-denominational and it shows what church is and isn't. Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011 is Back to Church Sunday!

Pass this on:

Read: The Benefits of a Church Family

See you in church!

Giselle Aguair
Award-Winning Christian Writer
Soli Deo Gloria!
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

10 tips for living with no electricity

2011-08-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

To all my friends and family in NJ, NY and New England: my prayers are with you. Be wise and stay safe.

Here are a few tips on living without electricity for days and hopefully not weeks. After Andrew in Miami in 1992, I spent 2 weeks with no electricity. After Frances and Jeanne (2004, 2 weeks apart) I was only out for 2-3 days. In any rate, I lost all my food - twice in 2004.

Cook stuff that you can eat cold like on a salad, then freeze it; the BBQ will be your best friend if you have no other way to cook. Make sure you have BBQ supplies and charcoal.
Fill up containers and freeze them, after the power goes out, move them to the fridge and it'll help keep that cooler.
If you prepared properly you have plenty of tuna and other canned foods that you can eat cold. (unless you have a gas stove - but that may be cut off because of line damage so don't count on it)
Fill everything that can hold water with water including the tub; have plenty of bottled water and chlorine bleach to disinfect water before drinking even brushing your teeth.
Make sure you have plenty of flashlights and batteries, camping lanterns are great; be careful with candles, they can easily tip over and start a fire.
Make sure you have a battery operated radio or TV so you can keep informed.
Don't wait in line for ice - I waited for 4 hours for 1 bag of ice that melted in 3 hours - not worth it
Make sure you have a car charger for your cell phone - cell towers may be damaged, but it may come back before the power
If you have a land line, make sure you have at least one old fashioned corded phone that doesn't require electricity.
Get used to cold showers, but it'll feel good after spending days with no a/c.
Bonus - fill you car with gas - the pumps don't work without power, makes sure you have all you medications & get plenty of cash - ATMs also need power. (After Andrew, a few banks opened 2-3 days later to cash checks, still with no electricity.

Here's a link to the USDA site on how long food lasts with no power.

God be with you,
Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Hurricane Irene-by one who's been there

2011-08-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

I live in Phoenix, AZ. The reason I live in Phoenix is that between NY, Puerto Rico and FL, I've lived through 6 hurricanes. The first one was when I was in high school, Agnes. We got the remnants and 3 inches of water in our basement. Next was David in Puerto Rico. It skirted the island to the north, but dropped a lot rain and a roof problem at the store I worked caused a downpour over merchandise along with a flood.

Andrew was the worst. A cat 5 that hit Miami. I was blessed that where I was was not damaged, but I was 2 weeks without power - in August. After 2 days with no power, all refrigerated is garbage.

I then moved up to the Space Coast to Melbourne and we had Irene who entered the state through the southwest and was supposed to go straight up the middle of the state. So I didn't bring in my hanging plants or patio furniture. Well this Irene decided to hang a right and exit the state via Vero Beach and about 3 am, I was awakened by the wind and rain. The next morning there was not a leaf left on a beautiful passion flower vine, all my hanging plants were strewn all over and if it wasn't for the fence, my patio furniture would have been in the bay.

Then in the summer of 2005, I had just gotten out of the hospital after appendicitis with the instructions to not lift anything over 10 lbs and avoid stress. Too bad Frances and Jeanne didn't hear that. A week later Frances came and in 2 weeks Jeanne followed the same path. I was without power for only 3 days (I think living near the hospital helped), but still, I lost all my food.

That did it. Next Feb. I was packed and heading west to Arizona. Give me a haboob (dust storm) any time. At least if the power goes out it's for a few hours not a few days and any "micro-burst" of damage is limited to a small area. I can live with the heat.

Warning to anyone near the path of Irene 2011 - prepare, prepare, prepare. It's best to be ready and hear the good news that the storm's heading in another direction than to be unprepared and have to deal with the worst with nothing.

Supply Kit: Water, plenty of it. Flashlights with batteries. Cell phones and a car charger. Yes, the cell towers may go down, but you may have cell coverage even if the power's out. A battery powered radio - the worst feeling is not knowing what's going on. Canned food, peanut butter, tuna, and lots of non-perishable items. Fill the car with gas.

Also, protect important documents in water-tight containers and make sure you have plenty of any medications.

If you wait till the last minute to get this stuff, the store shelves will be empty, gas station pumps work with power. No power, no gas.

And for heaven's sake, if you don't feel that you're house is sturdy enough to withstand winds and flying debris, go to a shelter. (I left my condo to stay at a friend's house during Jeanne because the complex didn't provide shutters for the glass doors. Thank God, nothing happened. But two huge oak trees toppled over missing my building by about 6 feet.)

Ask yourself this: What's more valuable? Your life or your stuff? Please choose the life of you and your family and evacuate if told to do so. (Read: For What is Seen is Temporary)

Jesus: ..."I will not abandon you as orphans..."John 14:18

Please be wise and be safe.

God Bless,
Giselle Aguiar
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Ask and you shall receive

2011-08-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 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 7:7-11

If you don’t ask, you won’t get, right?

At the end of a job interview what are you supposed to do? Ask for the job. If you don’t, how do you expect to get it? Ok, you may get it anyway, but if you ask for the position, it shows you are earnestly interested in it and you have a better chance of getting it.

If you need help, ask for it. You never know who may be in the position to help you. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know, will you?

If you’re lost, ask for directions. (Why do guys have a problem with this?) It may take you a long time to figure out where you are, even with a GPS in your car. If you program the wrong address or if the street is new, it’s not going to give you the right information. Save time, ask for directions. (Even Mapquest gets it wrong sometimes.)

That’s how God works. Kind of like the jeanie in the bottle. “Your wish is my command!” Well, sort of. King Solomon had that opportunity once. One night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." (2 Chronicles 1:7).

Solomon, wise man that he was, could have asked God for wealth or power, but he actually asked for something he already had - wisdom. Wisdom to better govern God’s people.

God did better than just giving him wisdom, but He blessed him with the riches that he didn’t ask for, simply because Solomon was humble, not greedy or power-hungry. You can read all of what God gave him in 2 Chronicles 7:8-14.

So, don’t be shy, ask God for what you need and don’t be greedy about it. Ask Him for what you need, not what you want. There’s a big difference.

How? Just pray. Talk to God. He’ll listen. You may ask Him for next month’s rent money and you may end up getting a good permanent job. You may ask Him for a job, but he may give you a new direction to go in with better opportunities.

And remember, it’s in his time frame not yours. But you can trust Him.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.~ Jeremian 29:11

You won’t know until you ask.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

Many Blessings!
Giselle Aguiar
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

It's a War Out there

2011-07-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

Dr. Jeremiah's Series about
the Armor of God

2 messages this morning about Spiritual Warfare - one on TV from Dr. David Jeremiah (Sundays on Channel 5 in Phoenix at 7:30 am) and the other at my church from our teaching pastor, Chuck Foreman.

Dr. Jeremiah. opened his program with this: "It is said that there are no atheists in foxholes." That reminded me of something someone I know said. He served in the Army in Viet Nam and said that his beliefs were from "foxhole religion".

That's the "God is a great spare tire" mentality where you know that God is around if you absolutely need Him but you can handle life in general by yourself.

But can you really, by yourself, all alone, face the evil of the world?

We are in a universal war. There is a villain called Lucifer and he rules the world right now. He's a schemer, a tempter. His strategy for our destruction is all about getting us to give in to our flesh.

For example:
Unforgiveness: 2 Corinthians 2:10-11

Pride: "Of all bad men, religious bad men are the worst. Of all created beings, the wickedest is the one who originally stood in the immediate presence of God." - C.S. Lewis

Pursue a humble heart and you will avoid pride.

Believing Lucifer's lies about what will make you happy -- We're never satisfied because our flesh can never be satisfied! No matter how much we have, we want more: bigger, better, faster, smoother, easier, brighter, higher, more luxurious... it will never stop! Gee, that's sounds like GREED. That's what got our country into the trouble we're in.

Dr. Jeremiah just finished a series on the Armor of God. It's found in Ephesians 6:10-17 where Paul is instructing the people of Ephesus how to protect themselves from the evils of the world. Here's are all his presentations in "The Armory." Watch them all. I like Dr. Jeremiah. He's got a soothing voice and doesn't yell at you like some other TV evangelist do.

Search Amazon.com for Dr. David Jeremiah
Search Amazon.com for Spiritual Warfare

God should be your GPS and your Armor not your spare tire.

Get to know God, He wants to get to know you. It's about a relationship not religion.

God Bless,
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter

Walking in Faith

2011-07-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

So my novel will be out in less than 2 weeks! The feeling is very similar to giving birth. I have no kids, so I really don't know how that feels, but this baby was 9 years in incubation!

I've been blessed beyond words. I still am in awe of God's timing, but I'll take it!

Now all this blessing doesn't come without challenges. As I move on in the self-publishing process with the good folks at Westbow, I find the next step challenging to say the least: marketing and selling copies of the book.

I've got the marketing part down - it helps that that's what I do for a living. As of this posting I have 589 followers on Twitter, 263 connections on LinkedIn and 216 friends on Facebook. That equals 1068! OK a few overlap, but still 1000! And many of those have thousands of followers themselves. Marketing the book on the Internet is easy and the best part is that it's free.

Marketing it around town is another story. I have no problem with public speaking engagements that would lead to "back of the room" sales, but I have to buy those books before I can sell them! Even though Westbow offers a good "first time" deal when you order a certain amount of books and you get some free copies, I still have to buy them.

The investment is substantial, but I get them at 50% discount and the profit is worth it. My challenge is where do I get the initial investment? Having been unemployed for 2 years until last Dec., I'm still basically starting over financially. With the price of everything going up, I'm barely making ends meet. I'm debt free, but then I have no real assets except my car.

After I talked to my rep at Westbow and found out that I wouldn't get my first royalty check till the end of Nov., I went to the ladies room and prayed. "OK, God, you led my novel to win the writing contest and get published. Now you've got to help me find an investor. I cannot get into debt again. I need help. You've led me thus far. I trust you to find an answer." (Or something like that).

Mom to the rescue. She did a reverse mortgage 2 years ago (which helped me get out of debt) and she invested in a farm in Puerto Rico. The money she invested should be returned from a federal government
grant to help the agriculture industry in PR and she should get it next week!

So the plan is for her to invest in the books, I sell them and in Nov., we then invest the profits. (It so happens that I work for a financial planner!)

I pray that the grant comes through and I can move on this path that God has placed me in.

I recently read this passage in Joyce Meyer's book "Hearing from God Each Morning":

We walk by faith, but we must also ask God to give us wisdom to know when to totally ignore circumstances and when to pay attention to circumstances because He is using them to speak to us and guide us.

Here's another from Joyce:

Don't try to make anything happen for yourself. Trust God to open the right doors and close the wrong ones for you.

Yeah.

Blessings,
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award-winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter

God's Timing

2011-06-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

I had an ah-ha moment last night.

I've been trying to understand God's timing for the ups and downs of my life and I think I figured it out. Of course, I could be wrong, but as long as it makes sense in my mind, it doesn't matter.

I've always been lousy with finances. My dad tried to teach me and had I followed his advice, maybe I wouldn't have gone through a bankruptcy and later gotten into debt again up to my ears not once, but twice.

Unemployed for 2 years, in the worst financial situation imaginable, God provided, through some freelance work, but mostly through my mom. I am now debt-free and employed! And it so happens I'm working at a CPA and financial planning firm. I've learned a lot about managing money.

Winning 2nd prize in the Women of Faith writing contest and having my novel published has changed my life. Being a marketing expert, I've got a head start on building a following and it looks like I may be selling a lot of books. But why now? I've been trying to sell this novel for the past 6 years. I couldn't figure that out.

Last night it hit me. Had I not gone through the 2 years of unemployment, the financial trials, I wouldn't have learned (the hard way) that I am just a steward of God's money and the things here on earth -- which are temporary. Everything belongs to God. I have because HE provided. I've learned to trust, tithe and wait on God. (Read: Trust God, it works)

I had successes in the past, but I spent my money on frivolous things and got into debt. God saw that I learned my lesson and that I am ready to be wise with my money and I can handle any success that the book may bring. That makes sense to me.

I wrote this blog article for my boss based on one of my Pastor, Jon Taylor's sermon's: Basic Biblical Financial Principles

If people followed the Bible's teachings, we wouldn't be in the lousy financial situations we find ourselves.

This is from the Book of Proverbs:

These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. ~Proverbs 1:1-7

Be wise with your money and God will bless you.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~Jeremiah 29:11

May you be greatly blessed!

Giselle Aguiar
www.giselleaguiar.com
Soli Deo Gloria!

Father’s Day & I want to talk about our Heavenly Father, the Best Dad!

2011-06-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

I was blessed with a good Dad. He’s gone now, but I have fond memories of him. I know that many people were not so blessed when it comes to the dad department. Check out this excerpt from “Blue Like Jazz” By Donald Miller

My father left my home when I was young, so when I was introduced to the concept of God as Father, I imagined Him as a stiff, oily man who wanted to move into our house and share a bed with my mother. I can only remember this as a frightful and threatening idea. We were a poor family who attended a wealthy church, so I imagined God as a man who had a lot of money and drove a big car. At church they told us we were children of God, but I knew God’s family was better than mine, that He had a daughter who was a cheerleader and a son who played football...

...Today I wonder why it is God refers to Himself as “Father” at all. This, to me, in light of earthly representation of the role, seems a marketing mistake.

God, the Father in the Bible

Looking through the Old Testament, God was never referred to as the Father until the Son was born (New Testament). The only place is in Isaiah:

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.~Isaiah 9:6

“Everlasting Father” - but wait! Isn’t this referring to Jesus, the Son? How can He be the Father AND the Son at the same time?

Father, Son & the Holy Spirit, the Triune God or the
Holy Trinity

Ah, that is one of the eternal mysteries of God.

Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ~John 14:8-10

Additional Reading:
John 1:1-4
John 5:20
John 14:6

Actually, the whole Gospel of John speaks of the relationship between God, the Father, Jesus, the Son and the Holy Spirit who together form the Trinity or Triune God - 3 in 1.

Many Blessings,
Giselle Aguiar
Award-Winning Christian Writer Her novel, Deo Volente will be released soon! Click here to get on the list!

No Greater Love - Freedom Isn't Free

2011-05-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day, 2011, Reposted 4th of July, 2011

I posted this 4th of July email back in 2010 about the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the price they paid for our Freedom. It's main message is "Freedom Isn't Free".

In 2009, I wrote this version of "Freedom Isn't Free".

Last Veterans Day (2010), I wrote this one: No Greater Love.

Memorial Day Weekend I watched the movie, "Flag Of My Father" on TBN. It's the story of an Army nurse who after having served in Iraq, deals with the relationships with her older half brothers who don't understand the special relationship she has with their Viet Nam Veteran father until they discover that she really was a war hero.

Having been captured in Iraq, she was able to escape but went back to rescue a fellow wounded soldier. Her main reason was because she was a Christian and learned that he wasn't. She wanted to not just save his life, but help save his soul.

She told him, "I'm not afraid of dying, but it's the way I die that concerns me" (paraphrased).

A Christian is not afraid of dying because they know that they will be with Jesus in paradise with no more pain, no more tears, no more sorrow.

Inscription on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,
Arlington National Cemetery

I watched the moving "Memorial Day Concert" on PBS where actors portrayed actual stories of bravery. One Viet Nam Veteran told of how his friend "took point" and was shot and killed as he entered a building. The survivor asked "Why didn't I take point?" "Why did I survive and not him?"

In Joplin, MO, during the devastating tornado, a husband died protecting his wife. That was difficult for his mother to comprehend.

Jesus said:

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.~ John 15:12-14

A command. An order. Like in the military. You're supposed to do it no questions asked.

Jesus gave His life to save us. Just like the husband who threw himself on his wife during a tornado without a second thought. Just like the soldier who "takes point" without thinking that it may be the last thing that he does. He just knows that he has to do it. And like the soldier who throws himself on a grenade to protect the rest of his buddies, his friends.

Jesus did that for you. Jesus is your friend. Remember the brave men and women who died in service to our country to help keep us free. Remember that Jesus did the same for you so you could be free from sin.

Just like God knows the name of the Unknown Solidier, He knows you, too.

Jesus is my friend. He can be your friend too. Get to know Jesus.

Happy Memorial Day, 4th of July & Veterans Day!

Giselle Aguiar
Soli Deo Gloria!
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Just a carton of eggs

2011-05-03T19:23:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday when I get to my church's food pantry to work, I find that we have 400 dozen eggs! Yeah, that's not a typo -- these didn't make the Easter Bunny's basket.

So I decided to bring a case home with me and give to all my neighbors. I had a carton of 18 extra so when my Avon lady, Sally, came by with my order, I gave her a carton of eggs.

Here's what she wrote me....

Coincidence? I think not!

After I left your place with 18 eggs on Saturday, I decided to drop by the home of a woman who signed up recently to sell Avon, to see how she was doing. Here's her story:

She and her husband have 6 children; the oldest is 14. She is American-born, but her husband is Mexican, and illegal. They have been working for 7 years to go through everything needed to make him legal. Two weeks ago, he rolled through a stop sign instead of coming to a complete halt. He got stopped by a police officer. Bottom line, they found out he's illegal. So he's been in jail waiting for them to sort everything out. They've provided all the documents showing that they were working on getting him legalized, but the wheels of justice grind slowly. She hasn't been working outside the home to speak of, since she has the kids to tend to. She got a couple of cleaning jobs, and she's waiting for financial assistance to carry her over until her husband is (hopefully) freed. So it was pretty obvious to me why you gave me those eggs; I passed them on to her.

Just a carton of eggs....

God Bless,
Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com
Search Amazon.com for stewardship

Tithing no matter what

2011-04-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

Tithing - giving 10% of your income to the church - is what God expects Christians to do - in fact he commands it. Do you tithe? That's 10% off the top of your income, before you "pay yourself" 10% in savings - you give back to God in gratitude for what He's given you.

If it wasn't for Him, you wouldn't have it.

But what about when the income stops?

I wasn't a regular "tither". I knew I should do it, but I didn't. I usually paid the bills first and if there was money left over after the paycheck or end of month, then I'd give to the church.

Then I lost my job. All of a sudden, the income stopped. I applied for Unemployment Insurance, but that didn't kick in for a while. I decided to tithe 10% of whatever was in my checking account each week. Somehow, the money lasted, I didn't get evicted, the lights stayed on and there was food on the table.

Now, that the Lord blessed me with employment, I have my tithe set to be sent from my bank's bill pay automatically after each direct deposit every 2 weeks.

And somehow, the bills get paid, the food is on the table and I'm blessed.

Soon, my novel will be published and I'll have that extra income - a blessing I never expected. A true gift from God. I'm a tither now and forever.

God Bless
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award-winning Christian Author
www.giselleaguiar.com
Search Amazon.com for Tithing

Trust God - It Works

2011-04-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

Trust God - It Works

Unemployed for 2 years. A lot of people these days can relate to that. It started in September of 2008. By November I ran out of money and with other issues piling up, I was depressed. You can read all about it in Up the Down Escalator.

Now, I’m gainfully employed and a novel I wrote won 2^nd prize in the Women of Faith Writing Contest. How did I get from depression to being so blessed? By trusting God.

It wasn’t easy. Patience is not one of my strong suits, but it is a fruit of the Spirit and you’ll get it if you ask for it. (Galatians 5:16-25)

I put my job search, my money woes and all the other problems in God’s hands.

The hardest part was with each rejection letter - “Thank you for applying, but we’ve decided to hire someone else...” Now, I know full well that I’m qualified, talented, creative and one of God’s creations, but you can’t help but think, “Did I say something wrong? Did I do something wrong? What could I have said differently?” You start second guessing yourself and you end up in a funk.

It usually took me a couple of hours after a rejection to get out of the funk. Not like I wasn’t used to rejections. As an author, you send out query letters to agents and publishers and you get rejection after rejection. But it’s different when it’s something you’ve created vs. yourself.

What go me through was saying, “Ok, God, You know my situation, You know my needs. I put everything at Your feet.”

I kept reading passages like, Romans 5:3-6, 1 Peter 5:6, James 1:12, and Philippians 4:4-7. And I knew that everything would be alright in God’s time frame, not mine. I thanked God for everything I had - from the roach-infested apartment (it was a roof over my head with electricity and running water - more than other people had) to food and for my church family.

In October, a friend invited me to the Women of Faith Conference and in the program, there was an ad for the Writing Contest. It was free to enter, so I did. And I forgot about it.

I got a job, finally, working for a nice Christian doing what I do best - marketing. (See God knew the right position for me.)

In Feb. I found out that my novel was in top 30 finalists. Wow. March 1, the winners would be announced.

I was blown away when I saw that I won 2^nd prize - a full publishing package with Westbow publishers (a division of Thomas Nelson - yeah, the big Christian publishing house.)

It’s all God’s doing. He gave me the talent and the inspiration to write the story. He led me to a great church family (First Christian Church of Phoenix) and through His Word (a light unto my path...), I’m blessed beyond belief!

So, to anyone who’s facing some tough times, trust God - it Works!

Soli Deo Gloria

Giselle Aguiar

www.giselleaguiar.com

For what is seen is temporary

2011-03-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

I originally wrote this article after the Haiti earthquake in 2010. Whether it's an earthquake in Japan, floods in the South or tornadoes in the Midwest, the message is still the same - you realize how temporary everything in this world really is.

One minute everything is normal the next it’s utter chaos and everything you owned, everything you counted on, everything you needed to live was gone. Reports of casualties will be coming in continuously.

In my lifetime, I’ve lived through 6 hurricanes - the worst being Hurricane Andrew in Miami. (Why do you think I live in Phoenix?) At least with hurricanes, you have a few days warning. You prepare, hunker down, wait for the storm to pass, then go outside and assess the damage.

God knows all about storms and earthquakes - He created the world - He knows how it works. Jesus even said that earthquakes would increase before His return. (Matthew 24:7-8)

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...” ~ Matthew 6:19-21

He doesn't want us to be materialistic because this world is temporary.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18

God is eternal and He wants you in eternity with Him. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins so that we wouldn't perish, but live with Him in paradise forever. (John 3:16-17)

That’s the hope that we have when disaster strikes, when the storms seem to never end, when the river rises and flood waters flow. It’s a hope that is eternal - a peace that “transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:4-7)

...And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. ~ Romans 5:2-5

Continue praying for all people affected by these natural disasters.

Blessings in His Name!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Giselle

Award Winning Christian Author

When a moral person crosses the line

2011-02-20T15:09:00.000-08:00

Recently, I wrote a blog article for my employer: White collar “paper crimes” on the rise. In it I describe several instances on how trusted employees embezzle thousands of dollars from their employers.

What drives a person to cross the line? Given the condition of today's economy and society, it doesn't take much to push someone "over the edge." I know, I was on the edge. You can read about it in my other blog: Up the Down Escalator.

On Feb. 10, I had the pleasure of attending An Evening with David Jeremiah. I've read many of his books. He spoke of Spiritual Warfare and how the devil is constantly trying to get a foothold in our lives so that we will follow Satan rather than Jesus.

Satan's influence in our lives takes many forms. Dr. Jeremiah outlined them:

Indifference - people just don't care
Ignorance - people don't pay attention - they don't understand
Infiltration - people allow bad influences from other people, TV, music, movies into their lives.
Intervention - evil influences try to get you to focus on them rather than God
Intimidation - Satan is powerful, but God is more powerful.

Think about it. With all the distractions in our lives - TV, cell phones, computers, social networking, radio, texting... it's no wonder how our focus is on the things of this world rather than the things of God.

Satan is against us. Satan's natural language is lies. We are under Satan's yoke.

Don't give in to Satan. If you feel yourself being pulled in the wrong direction, focus on God. Ask God for help. That's why He's there. HE LOVES YOU and does not want you to go in the wrong direction. But He gave you free will to make decisions and it's up to know the difference between right and wrong.

Here are some bible verse Dr. Jeremiah quoted that night. Move your mouse over the link to read them.

1 Timothy 4:1
Ephesians 6:11-12
Revelation 12:9
James 3:6
James 3:8
2 Corinthians 11:14
1 John 5:19
1 John 4:4
Ephesians 4:27
Proverbs 6:27

Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money..." (Matthew 6:19-24)

Who are you serving - God or money? Or is there another "master" in your life like lust? Where are your priorities? Focus on the light.

God Bless,
Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com/wwjd
Soli Deo Gloria

Cambridge Wealth Management

2011-02-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

I've been employed for almost 3 months now and am blessed to be working for such a fine company. Here are some of the things I've created for them:

Website: www.cambridgewealthmanagement.com
Cambridge Wealth Management Blog
Cambridge Tax Advisory Blog
Cambridge Virtual Bookkeeping Blog
Cambridge Wealth Management on:
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Cambridge Virtual Bookkeeping on:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Giselle
Soli Deo Gloria

Search Amazon.com for seo

Identity Theft - be careful who you give your SS# to

2011-02-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

I didn't think it would happen to me, but last week I got a letter from the IRS stating that someone had filed a tax return using my Social Security number. I don't know why or who, but it got me to thinking of all the forms I filled out during my job hunt that requested my SS#.

What a hassle! I had to report it to the Social Security Administration and the FTC. I had to pull my credit reports from the 3 bureaus (free) and yes, someone tried to apply for an American Express Card using my SS#.

I had to contact the 3 bureaus and request they put a Fraud Alert on my account. That way if anyone tries to apply for credit, I will be informed.

So, if you're job hunting, DO NOT give them your SS# until they make you a job offer. If you're filling out an online application, put in all 5's in the spaces.

Even at the Temporary Agencies, don't give them the number until they have a job for you.

At medical offices, you don't need to put on the form.

Don't carry your Social Security Card with you. You should have your SS# memorized.

Don't give it to an employer until you have the job offer.

The Nogoodnicks who grabbed my number didn't fare too well. I have not debt, no credit cards and a foreclosure. I have no idea what my credit score is, but I really don't care and I don't think anyone using my number will be approved.

Thank God I work for a CPA and they're going to help me.

Unfortunately, you have to trust some people with your information. You must be vigilant and check you credit reports at least once a year. Check your bank accounts and credit card statement carefully and report any suspicious activity.

Search Amazon.com for identity theft

Be careful out there!

God Bless,
Giselle
Soli Deo Gloria

Too much salt!

2011-02-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

It's amazing the amount of sodium in foods that we didn't even think twice about. I was looking for a sandwich at Trader Joe's and one turkey w/ cranberry dressing had over 1000 mg of sodium. We need to read labels and not buy the high sodium products. That will send a message to the food producers to pay attention to the sodium levels in the food.

We're supposed to intake only 1500 mg a day!

Global Obesity Rates have doubled since 1980

Giselle

The Potter's Hand

2011-01-16T16:21:00.000-08:00

Have you ever watched a potter at work? He'll take a shapeless lump of clay and slowly, carefully, creatively turn it into a work of art, a thing of beauty.

Think about it. What's clay, but a type of dirt or mud (read Stuck In the Mud) with no real purpose but to just lie there ugly.

But put it in the hands of a potter and magic happens. He throws it on the wheel, then he shapes it into a pot or jar.

God is called the Potter because He, and only He, has the power and the ability to change people.

I've been watching many western movies lately. I especially like the classic western TV shows like Wagon Train. They were weekly stories of the brave people who left their lives in the Eastern U.S. to become pioneers of The West of the 1800s. It was a huge risk. They packed all their worldly goods in to wagons and off they went into the unknown, the wild, the dangerous. But wagon after wagon they rode over plains, mountains and deserts facing breakdowns (no AAA, no cell phones), droughts (no Circle K's or truck stops), Indians, bandits, (no 911) rattlesnakes, disease (no Urgent Care Clinics) all for the hope that the West held for them.

Six years ago next month I basically did the same thing. I left my familiar life in Florida to move to Arizona. I packed my worldly goods and 2 cats into my hatchback and Westward ho! I went.

I had no idea what was waiting for me there. I put my life in the hands of the Potter. This was my theme song:

God led me to First Christian Church of Phoenix and I've grown stronger in my faith, I've learned that what God wants most from us is to OBEY Him especially His command to Love One Another (John 13:34-35) no matter what. I also learned that He expects us to WHOLLY SURRENDER our lives to Him (1 Peter 5:6). That means it's not about "me" anymore, but about "Him".

He took this shapeless lump of clay and molded me into a faithful Christian woman solidly planted on His Rock.

Today in church, there was an announcement requesting volunteers to be trained as counselors for Luis Palau's City Fest coming up in March. These counselors will pray with people who want to commit their lives to Christ.

Back in FL, I never considered myself an evangelist. Since becoming a writer, I've seen myself as a "sower" of God's Word (Matthew 13:1-23) - planting the seeds hoping and praying that they would fall on fertile soil and someone will "get it" (writing blogs hoping people would read them and believe). I've never had the opportunity to pray with someone when they were ready to accept Jesus into their hearts.

I feel this is a calling and I pray that it will be a great experience for me.

The Potter isn't finished with me yet.

God Bless,
Giselle
Soli Deo Gloria
www.giselleaguiar.com/wwjd
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https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Check out my video on AZCentral.com

2011-01-01T17:41:00.001-08:00

The Rapture - it could happen any minute - are you ready?

2010-12-27T11:19:00.000-08:00

The Rapture - when millions of true Christian believers are swept away to heaven just before the Antichrist comes to power in the beginning of the end of the world as we know it.

Imagine this:

You’re driving southbound on the highway on a warm afternoon. You’re behind a convertible in the center lane with a fish symbol on the rear bumper. The driver is a middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap. You think, “Oh, there goes another one of those Christians.” Then all of a sudden, you realize that the driver is gone. The convertible swerves to the right out of its lane and crashes into the truck in the next lane.

You pass by the reck trying to dial 911 on your cell. You pull over to see if you can assist as you’re talking to the 911 operator giving them your location. You look around, under the car, no driver.

The driver of the truck comes out - he seems ok, but is also puzzled that the driver apparently disappeared

“I was passing him and he suddenly vanished!” the truck driver tells you.

Then you notice that on the northbound lane, several cars have crashed there. You tell the 911 operator that there’s another accident in the northbound side and that the driver there also seems to be missing.

You get back into your vehicle after 911 assures you that they’re sending someone and you continue heading south until you come to yet another accident where more than several cars seem to have lost their driver.

Then you look up when you see a jet, that just took off from the Airport, start losing altitude and crash into the downtown area.
Then you stop and remember what a Christian friend had told you about the Rapture and how she tried to get you to believe in Jesus Christ and you say, “Wow, she was right.” You cross your arms on top of the steering wheel, lay your head down and weep.

Ok, you’ve got the picture. Let’s hope the Rapture happens during the middle of night your time so there is less damage. But imagine that same scenario taking place everywhere around the world. All the Christians simply vanish.

The World Without Christians

If you think the world is a mess now, imagine what it will be like after the millions of godly people (Christians) - the “salt” and the “light” - on this earth are taken away. The devil will have a field day - literally.

“You may think the world today is degenerating into rampant greed and immorality, and indeed it tis. But as bad as things are becoming, we can hardly overstate the horror that will occur when society loses the tempering influence of the Christians.” (Dr. David Jeremiah, “What in the World is Going On? 10 Prophetic Clues You Cannot Afford to Ignore”)

That’s when the Antichrist will come into power. He’ll be from a European country with Italian/Roman heritage. He’ll be a peacemaker - organizing the chaos - bringing hope. He’ll claim to be the Messiah. He’ll show signs of power and miracles.

He’ll set up a system where you won’t be able to buy or sell anything without having his mark on your hand or your forehead. If you don’t take the mark, you will be killed. Nice choice. He’ll make a peace 7-year treaty with Israel then break it after 3 years.

The the Tribulation starts 7 years of nasty, nasty stuff - horrors worse than anything the world has ever seen. (Revelation 6:12-17)

Nothing impure will ever enter it [heaven], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. ~ Revelation 21:27

Will you be left behind? Is your name in the Lamb’s book of life? If you’re not sure, you’d better think about it.

If you are left behind, you will have a second chance to commit yourself to Jesus Christ, but that doesn’t mean you won’t go through the suffering of the Tribulation. As a follower of Christ you cannot take the mark of the beast so you’ll have to fend for yourself when it comes to buying anything that you need. You’ll have to go underground because the Antichrist’s army will be looking for you. But if they do find you and kill you, you’ll be guaranteed a place in heaven with Jesus.

In “Left Behind - the Movie” Rev. Bruce Barnes (played by Clarence Gilyard), a minister, was left behind. See, he preached the Gospel and he knew Jesus was the Son of God, but that wasn’t enough. He said, “Knowing and believing are two different things.” He missed the boat and was left to deal with the coming Tribulation.

76% of the American population considers themselves Christian, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are saved. Still, if more than have of the U.S. population vanishes at the Rapture, the people left behind will have a tough time to say the least.

Will you be left behind?

Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. ~ Matthew 24:40-44

Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you [Christians] from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those [unbelievers] who live on the earth. ~Revelation 3:10

Wouldn’t it be logical to make sure that you’re not left behind?

It’s actually very easy to guarantee yourself a room in God’s mansion and the prize is promise, hope, peace and joy - that sounds much better doesn’t it?

Just pray this prayer honestly and wholeheartedly and your name will be written in the Lamb’s (Jesus’) Book of Life and you will be among the millions of Christians to be caught up in Jesus’ arms into paradise in heaven. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:11)

Lord Jesus, I need You to guide my life. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

If you received Jesus into your heart, welcome to the family of God! The following will help you deepen your relationship with Christ:

Pray. Just talk to God no matter where you are. He doesn’t care what the words are, just that they are sincere. Read: How to Pray

Read the Bible everyday to learn about Jesus and how to live a life that pleases God. Start with 1 John, then the Gospel of John, then Philippians. Read: How to Read the Bible

An important part of helping your relationship with Christ grow is to tell others about Him. Demonstrate God’s love and be active in telling others about Jesus.
Find a bible-based church and become active getting to know other Christians.

Being a Christian is a journey of faith with the goal to be closer to God and live like Christ and sometimes it is a struggle for some Christians to live like Christ. It also doesn't guarantee that life will be trouble free. God sends trials to test our faith. So we must read the Bible to grow stronger in faith.

I have my reservation, do you?

God Bless,
Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com/wwjd
Search Amazon.com for Left Behind

Caribbean Rum Balls Recipe

2010-12-24T13:20:00.000-08:00

I found the original recipe on Cooks.com, but I tweaked it a bit. So this is Giselle's Caribbean Rum Ball recipe. Makes about 2 doz. balls depending on the size.

1 c semi-sweek chocolate chips
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum (I tend to pour in a tad more.)
3 Tbs light corn syrup
2 c crushed vanilla wafers
1 c ground walnuts, almonds, pecans, peanuts or cashews (your pick)
Shredded coconut to roll them in.

In a saucepan, melt chocolate over low heat. Once melted turn heat off, but don't remove pot from burner. Stir in sugar, rum and corn syrup, mix well. Fold in wafers and nuts until it's a doughy consistency. Shape into balls using about 2 tablespoons of mixture for each. Roll in coconut. Don't let mixture dry or cool. If it does, add more rum until it gets doughy again. They are best if made a couple of days in advance and the rum's allowed to really soak in. These should come with a warning, though - they tend to be potent! Don't eat too many and drive!

Enjoy!
Merry Christmas!
Giselle

Comfort and Joy - where are they?

2010-12-18T12:48:00.000-08:00

Joy to the world, the Lord is come….
(Joy to the World)

Tidings of comfort and joy….
(God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” ~Luke 2:8-14 (NKJV)

Look around the world today and you can’t help but wonder, “Where’s the joy? Where’s the peace? What comfort?”

This may be one of the hardest things for humans to understand when millions of people are unemployed, suffering financial hardship, losing their homes, with crumbling marriages, battling depression, involved in conflicts and wars no body wants and in utter desperation. (Read Up the Down Escalator)

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. ~ 1 Peter 2:6-7

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Jesus Christ arrived and the Jews thought that He would save them from their Roman enemies right then and there. They did not understand that Jesus was speaking of the bigger picture. He wasn’t there for a temporary fix. God sent His Son to save all people from their sins – their sins that would be their death.

During Jesus’ trial, Pilate asked Him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (John 18:33)

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." (John 18:36)

His Kingdom is Heaven. Jesus said,

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am…” ~ John 14:1-3

God rest ye merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day.
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray.
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy…

Joy to the world, the Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heav'n and nature sing...
It’s hard to rejoice when we are going through tough times, but we need to trust God to get us through them. We need to keep reminding ourselves that this world is temporary and a better life is guaranteed for us in Christ Jesus.

Your room reservation in God’s house awaits. You just need to call Jesus. Once you do, you’ll feel the comfort and joy…

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:7

Don’t you want to feel that type of peace? It’s incredible, yet so easy. Click here.

Merry Christmas
Giselle Aguiar
Soli Deo Gloria
www.giselleaguiar.com/wwjd
Search Amazon.com for peace on earth

TGIF - but not for the reason you think

2010-12-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

Thank God It's Friday and I worked all week! What an awesome feeling! I really feel like I'm being productive and that I'm an asset to this company.

I'm redesiging their website. I've set them up on LinkedIn, Twitter and with a blog on Wordpress. I'm organizing a seminar in Jan. And once everything is set up, I'll be helping with setting appointments for the advisors.

I had lunch this week with a former co-worker from Minico. She works on 46th St. and Broadway and I'm on 40th St. and Camelback. We met at the Big Apple on Van Buren - good BBQ.

I also discovered the Havana Cafe on 44th with as close as I can get to Puertorican food.

Yay! I'll soon be able to afford to out once in a while!

I took a nice walk at lunchtime on Wed. down by the canal all the way to 32nd St. Unfortunately, I was wearing black pants and they got all dusty. I visited with the ducks and watched a flock of parrots in the trees.

I have an awesome view from our 4th floor offices. Check out these pix.

Have a great weekend and God Bless!
Giselle
Soli Deo Gloria
www.giselleaguiar.com/wwjd
Search Amazon.com for finding a job with social media

How I landed my job through networking

2010-11-24T16:15:00.000-08:00

Yay! I'm employed! After 2 years! Finally! And I got it through NETWORKING!

Here's what I did.

After the last rejection after a second interview, I decided to reach out to my network. I had nothing to lose. I hadn't done it before because I didn't want to bother people. I guess that stems from trying to be self-sufficient. But after 2 years of being unemployed, I needed help.

So I sent an email message (the text is below) describing 3 positions, with 3 resumes attached to all of my Phoenix friends in my email address book. On LinkedIn, I sent it to 50 of my Phoenix contacts with a link to my LinkedIn profile.

I've been attending meetings regularly at the Employment Network (now CareerConnectors) at North Phoenix Baptist Church for close to a year. I meet a lot of different people there. A few months ago, I met Ginger Korljan. She got my email through LinkedIn and replied that I should call her that she had a lead for me.

Turned out that lead was her husband, Bob, who's a financial advisor and had been considering hiring a marketing person. Perfect. He hadn't advertised the job so I was the only candidate. I sold myself, prepared a marketing plan in a slide show and I got the job. I start Monday.

I can only thank God for this opportunity because everything just seemed to fall into place. I guess a big thanks goes to Ginger too.

So, if you've been hesitating reaching out to your network, stop and just do it. I would have never found out about the position otherwise.

Text of the email message. I used BCC to hide email addresses.

Subject: Reaching out to my network

Dear friends,

I'm reaching out to my network in hopes that somebody out there knows of a full-time, permanent or long-term temporary position somewhere in the Phoenix Valley for me. Attached are three versions of my resume for the following positions:

Marketing/Communications Manager: creating, planning, implementing, monitoring, managing, analyzing and reporting multi-channel marketing projects including Internet, social media, web site administrating, SEO, special events, broadcast, direct mail, press releases, blogging and email campaigns.

Website Design and E-commerce Specialist - setting up and maintaining websites and e-commerce shopping carts, Internet marketing including SEO, blogging and social media.

Social Media / Social Content Manager, Coordinator or Specialist - managing social networking including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, blogs, websites and SEO.

My portfolio is available at: www.giselleaguiar.com with links to my blogs and samples of my work.

Feel free to pass this information on to anyone who may be hiring or knows of someone who is.

Thank you.

Simple, right?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.~Philippians 4:6

Giselle Aguiar
www.giselleaguiar.com/wwjd
Doubly Blessed:
My novel won 2nd prize in the Women of Faith Writing Contest!
Search Amazon.com for getting a job

PS. I've found since then that Ginger had noticed me on LinkedIn by my postings even before we met in person at the Employment Network meeting.

So don't be shy. Get on LinkedIn, set up your profile, join groups, post messages, comment. Get yourself known. Start a blog about what you know in Worpress.com and link it to your LinkedIn profile and write short blurbs. Post often and promote them in your Twitter and Facebook pages.

People like to help people. You just have to ask.

Two years ago this week....

2010-11-21T18:48:00.000-08:00

Up the Down Escalator

Have you ever tried to go up the down escalator? Think about it.
If you’re going at the same pace, you don’t get anywhere.
If you slow down or stop, it takes you down with it.
If you’re faster, stronger, persistent, focused on going up, you persevere and then you’ll get to the top.

First scenario – You’re in a rut. You try, but you don’t get anywhere. You take 3 steps forward and fall 4 steps back.
Second scenario – You’re tired, worn-out, burned-out, the weight of the world is on your shoulders, one thing after another knocks you down, you give up and you go down.
Third scenario – You focus on the goal, find strength and energy to make it to the top.

My first thought when I woke up the Monday before Thanksgiving 2 years ago was, “I wish I could sleep through this whole week.” Why?
1. I had been unemployed for over two months.
2. I ran out of money the month before and unemployment insurance hadn’t kicked in yet.
3. I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my hands and they ached.
4. I had been force-feeding a sick cat for over a week and he didn’t seem to be getting better
5. My so-called boyfriend hadn’t called me in over a month – not even to check up on me after I lost my job.
6. I didn’t have a confirmed invitation for Thanksgiving.
7. I hadn’t heard from any of the hundreds of potential employers to whom I had applied.
8. If I didn’t get a job in three months, I would lose my house.
9. The creditors were calling daily.

Depressed? I didn’t want to end my life, I just wanted to go to sleep and wake up with everything back to “normal”.

In all my 50+ years of living as a single person, I have never been through a trial as bad as this one. I graduated from college in the middle of a recession, but I lived with my parents – no worries. I was in Miami for Hurricane Andrew and spent two weeks with out electricity, it was miserable, but I had a job to go back to. I relocated to Phoenix without having a job, but with my computer skills, I was able to get temporary jobs until I got a permanent position. I could always count on temp jobs to get me through those “between jobs” weeks. Not this time. I haven’t been even able to get temp assignments. There’s just too much competition out there and not enough jobs.

I cried at the littlest thing. I’d be driving and an overwhelming wave of fear would sweep over me and I would start crying. If someone hugged me, I would cry. When I heard that yet another company was laying off thousands of people, I would cry.

My worse-comes-to-worse scenario was moving back with my mother in Puerto Rico. That would mean selling everything, including my car (you can’t drive there) and start from scratch. Besides that, I really disliked living in Puerto Rico. That made me cry.

All I wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep and wake up somewhere over the rainbow.

Well, I did manage to get myself out of bed that Monday morning. I got online and sent out more resumes. Then I got an email confirming the Thanksgiving invitation — cool. That afternoon, a potential employer, with whom I had a phone interview about four weeks before called me to ask if I was still interested in the position. Heck, yeah! He said he had to talk to his partner and he’d get back to me in two days. Three days went by and I still hadn’t heard from him, but my unemployment insurance finally kicked in. All this money just appeared in my account the day before Thanksgiving. Gee — I now had something to be actually thankful for! It was gone by that afternoon.

The Friday after thanksgiving, when other people were shopping, I was driving around with an extremely sick cat looking for a vet who’d put him down and not charge me too much. I ended up selling my guitar to be able to pay the vet. I couldn’t play it anyway with the arthritis.

As a single person — all my life — I’ve been pretty self-sufficient. I didn’t want to burden anyone with my problems. I had no shoulder to cry on. I was wrong. The shoulder was there all the time, but I was too scared, too prideful, too distrusting.

I’m still on that down escalator, but instead of focusing on my problems and my lousy situation, I’m focusing on the goal, looking up instead of down. I’ve learned to trust God and incredibly, He has provided. I won’t go into detail, but believe me, He has.

The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

With thanksgiving. We shouldn’t wait till the 3rd Thursday in November to give thanks, we should live in an attitude of gratitude daily and be thankful for even the little things like a roof over our heads and running water. Ask and you shall receive, but give thanks for everything you’ve got, before you ask for what you need and God will provide!

Happy Thanksgiving and may God’s Grace be with you!

God Bless,
Giselle Aguiar
Soli Deo Gloria
www.giselleaguiar.com
Search Amazon.com for christian inspirational books

I saw my first coyote today

2010-10-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

It's cool out and time to go hiking again. I was at Mountainview Park on 7th Ave hiking trail #60. First I saw a fairly large jackrabbit and then a coyote. The coyote looked at me then headed south in the neighborhood. I was pretty sure it wasn't a dog. It was small, mostly gray, with a thick black tail.

It's amazing how they've come out of the wilderness and into the city areas.

Giselle
Soli Deo Gloria
WWJD - the Revival

Retiring as an Examiner

2010-09-24T15:43:00.000-07:00

$1 per article - it's just not worth it. Exminer.com changed their publishing tool and you can no longer add code, embed videos or more than one graphic without adding a slideshow and it takes longer to publish articles. My last article, A life cut too short took me almost 3 hours to write and post. They extended the limit to 10 articles to give us more earning opportunity. I had 2 columns, so I could write 20 articles a week and earn $20 plus the pennies earned when people read the articles, subscribe or comment. If it takes me 3 hours - ok, let's give it 2 hours (shorter articles) per story, ummm, that's 40 hours a week. A full-time job to make $20? I don't think so.

Why do companies think that fancier is better? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I read some comments from other Examiners and no one was happy with the new publishing tool. Blogging is way easier and I'll get my point across and publicize via Facebook and Twitter like I did with Examiner. The search engines pick up the blogs and I don't have to follow rules.

So, this blog will have personal notes, and some frugal living tips (I'm also giving up the Phoenix Frugal Living Examiner title. I'm sure someone else will run with it.)
The Joy of Single Living Blog will be my evangelizing blog taking over for the Unchurched Singles Examiner.

If you subscribed to either of those, you can subscribe to the blogs and be notified when there's a new post.

God Bless,
Giselle Aguiar
Soli Deo Gloria
www.giselleaguiar.com
Follow Giselle on Twitter

On the move again

2010-08-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

As I get ready to move yet again, I'm thinking I'll stay in this place for a while - even after I get a job - to save money. Plus, if I rent a house, I'd have a yard to take care of, and if there's a pool, more work maintaining it.

This was last Thursday's message from Family Life Radio:
Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and be wise! Even though they have no prince, governor, or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. (Proverbs 6:6-8 NLT)

First, consider a "worse case" scenario of your financial needs in the event of a job loss or disability. Often this translates to a reserve fund equal to six months income, but it may vary based on your unique circumstances. Then, chart a course for setting aside the funds necessary to create the reserve. You will be amazed by the peace you experience when you are prepared for the "winter."

6 months? Now I hear you should have 2 YEARS worth of expenses saved where you can get to it easily before you start building an investment portfolio.

We know what to do, but we don't do it. We know to save 10% and tithe 10% off the top. Off the top - that's before thinking about rent, food, utilities, car payments, insurance, gas never mind getting sick.

Well, the plan is to move, finish school and do my best to network my way to a new job. God willing, I'll be able to do what I'm supposed to do.

Soli Deo Gloria
Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com

Many Mexicans fleeing back to Mexico

2010-07-26T19:00:00.001-07:00

They are terrified of SB 1070 that goes into effect July 30. Two of my neighbors (1 left already and the other is leaving this week) are going back to where they came from. One lady will wait 2 more years till her U.S. born daughter (who's going back with her) is of age and can move back here and try to get her in legally.

They're afraid to even call 911 in an emergency! She'd call me first so I could call the cops. I had to explain to her that they had to be committing a crime for the cops to ask for identification and proof of citizenship.

She even hid from the Census takers.

This mass exodus will cause a ripple effect in the local economy. Yes, they're leaving, but they were also consumers.

I pray for them and wish them well.

Giselle
Follow me on Twitter
Check out my column: The Phoenix Frugal Living Examiner

Freedom Isn't Free

2010-07-04T12:38:00.000-07:00

I got this email from a friend for the last 4th of July:

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,
and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army;
another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or
hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes,
and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants,
Nine were farmers and large plantation owners;
men of means, well educated,
but they signed the Declaration of Independence
knowing full well that the penalty would be death if
they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and
trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the
British Navy. He sold his home and properties to
pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British
that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.
He served in the Congress without pay, and his family
was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him,
and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer,
Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that
the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson
home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General
George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed,
and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.
The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying.
Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill
were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests
and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his
children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and
silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!
We should also remember that Freedom from Sin is also not free. Jesus paid for our freedom with His Life. He was innocent, we are not.
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. ~ John 15:13

God Bless,

Giselle Aguiar
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Job hunting ain't what it used to be

2010-04-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

Job hunting isn't even like what it was 3 years ago.

It's a buyer's market out there. That means that for each position advertised, recruiters, h.r. managers and potential employers get thousands of resumes. They have their pick and they're going to take their time and find the person that best fits the position.

It takes time to sort through them and narrow down the search to 3-5 people whom they'd like to personally interview. Many use automated software to sort the resumes and pull the ones that have 80% of the keywords matching the job description. In other words, to get noticed, you must edit your resume to match the job description including your "objective" or title. The title should be the same or close the job title that is posted.

I've been at this for over a year. Makes me think back at all the job interviews and what I did wrong.

Last night I attended the Employment Network Group at North Phoenix Baptist Church and the speaker Zena Contreras, a former recruiter, gave an eye-opening presentation.

What struck me the most was when she said that in this economy it's not the time to "reinvent yourself" - that is change careers or try something new. If you don't have experience in a particular industry, like medical or architectural/engineering/construction (A/E/C), someone with that specific industry experience will be chose over you. Even if you have lots of "transferable skills".

The speaker last week said, "If you're sending resumes and not getting interviews, then there's something wrong with your resume. If you're getting interviews and not getting job offers, then there's something wrong with your interviewing skills.

If you get a interview, you're halfway to getting the job.

Recruiters scan each resume in 10 seconds. If the top 2 inches of your resume doesn't catch their attention, forget it. You're in the reject pile.

From the time you apply for a job till they get to review the resumes, you have 1 to 2 weeks. Zena said NOT to call the recruiter. Send a note instead - by postal mail. They are more likely to see your name and then purposefully look for your resume.

Besides knowing someone who works at that company, that's the best tactic. Use LinkedIn.com to find the name of the recruiter or hiring manager. You need to become a detective. If you don't have your profile set up on LinkedIn, do it now! LinkedIn also has groups to join to get leads and networking advice as well as job postings.

No matter where you are, there are agencies out there that offer free services from resume building, resume reviews, interview skills, networking, online job search hints. Goodwill is one of them.

I've gotten the most leads from SimplyHired.com and Craig's List. Some from the county and state sites, a few from Indeed.com.

And if you're not computer/tech/Internet savvy, take classes. The public libraries offer free computer classes. This is not time to be "behind the times". There are a lot of younger, tech savvy people competing for the same jobs as we folks over 40.

Next week I'm taking a class on dealing with the "generation gap". I once was interviewed by a gal who easily was only 20 years old. Gee, when she was in kindergarten, I was starting my own business.

Having a positive attitude is not easy, but essential. I know I blew an interview when I answered the classic, "where do you see yourself in 5 years" wrong. I said, "It's hard for me to do that since 5 years ago, I wouldn't have dreamed that I would be in AZ." When I first lost my job, I was angry and that anger translated into aggressiveness during the job interview.

The answer should be something like, "I hope to be still with this company in a position of greater responsibility." And it's not supposed to sound "canned". You've got to make it your own. You may not be asked that, but it's good to have an answer prepared.

There's so much more - I could write a book - No, Wait! Someone already did: "What Color is Your Parachute?" It's full of great advice.

I wrote this last week with other resources including some great bible verses.

Listen to this song, by Sidewalk Prophets and take the words of the chorus to heart:
Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope.
You're gonna do great things
I already know.
God's got His hand on You
So don't live life in fear.
Forgive and forget
But don't forget why you're here.
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

God Bless,
Giselle
Soli Deo Gloria
www.giselleaguiar.com

5 Years ago this month

2010-02-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

It was 5 years ago this month that I rolled into Phoenix to get a new start. I came with no job lined up and a bunch of prayers. I'm posting the story of the cross-country trip here for nostalgia's sake.

FL to AZ with Midnight and Shadow

Well, folks, the trip to AZ was definitely an adventure. I made it without major or minor incidents – Thank God! So here’s the story of the not-so excellent adventure. Yes, I know it’s long, but it’s rather amusing and worth the read.

Dateline: Friday, Feb. 25, 2005 6:30 a.m.

I came out of the bedroom with the last of my bags and found Midnight the Mellow laying in the corner of the near-empty living room where the TV used to sit. He watched his brother, Shadow the Curious, stick his nose in the pile of bags by the front door.

One by one, I grabbed the cats and put them in their carriers. I gave them each one of the tranquilizers the vet had given me. When I opened the door to take them downstairs to the car, Shadow started meowing at full volume. Wake up the whole building, Shadow.

I stowed them away in the hatchback and we were off. The rain that had plagued Southern California days before was not yet in central Florida and I started driving through it around Ocala on I-75.

The rain stopped by the time I reached I-10 just east of Tallahassee. Finally heading west. We reached New Orleans around 5 p.m. It was cold and I was exhausted. The bed and breakfast there, The Olde Town Inn, was located just north of the French Quarter. It was rather quaint. The owners converted three buildings into a mini motel. The floors creaked horribly. Especially when the people above me got in at 3 a.m. It looked like the used scrap pieces of plywood and pipes to create a bathroom in the room.

I let the cats out of the carriers and they proceeded to hide under the bed. I tried to keep them on leashes, so I wouldn’t have to crawl under the king-size bed to drag them out, but they kept getting tangled up. So, I let them lose.

I left them alone in the room with their box, food bowl and water and walked to a recommended restaurant for dinner. At one point there were more gay couples than straight couples in this restaurant.

I didn’t sleep very well that night. Between the elephants above me and the cats jumping on and off the bed, I was lucky to get 4 hours sleep for the second night in a row.

Day 2: New Orleans-San Antonio

The day dawned cool – in the 50s. I ate some muffins with coffee in the outdoor patio and left around 8:30 a.m. I took a short drive-through tour of the French Quarter. It didn’t really impress me. I think the best time to visit New Orleans would be in May when it’s warmer and in bloom.

I didn’t give the cats the tranquilizers and they were pretty quiet. But each time I stopped for a pit stop or to get gas, they would start meowing —“Are we there yet?”

Gas prices were higher than I expected. I kept seeing signs for $1.79 a gallon, but I didn’t need gas at that point. When I did need gas, the lowest I could find was $1.87. (The cheapest in AZ is $1.97) [I paid $2.52 recently.]

After 3 hours of driving through bayou after bayou after bayou I was happy to cross the Texas border—except the rain started again. This was one of the other storms that had come from the Pacific.

It was raining hard. Visibility was lousy and I missed a sign, zigged when I should have zagged and ended up taking a unexpected tour of downtown Houston—in the rain, amidst construction. I managed to dig out my trusty Rand-McNally road atlas and see that Loop 610 wrapped around the south end of Houston and connected again with I-10. Soon I was headed west again.

The rain didn’t stop until I was almost in San Antonio. Exhausted again, I was happy to easily find the Hampton Inn. I was hoping to use one of two gift cards to Cracker Barrel, but I was too tired to drive around looking for it.

I unpacked the cats and my stuff onto a bellman’s cart and took them upstairs to my room on the 4th floor. Man what a difference to be in a decent hotel room. I hoped the bed and breakfast in Las Cruces, NM, was better than the one in New Orleans. Considering that I had never stayed at a bed a breakfast, my first experience in one wasn’t that great.

When I went to move the car from the hotel entrance to a parking place, I drove around the hotel’s west side and found none other than a Cracker Barrel restaurant. It was unbelievable.

After dinner, I returned to the room where I had left the cats loose and I couldn’t find them. There was no “under the bed” – the king-size bed was on a platform. They weren’t in the closet or behind the chair or in the bath tub. I finally found the both of them hiding in about 5 inches of space between the bed platform and the wall.

Day 3: San Antonio-Las Cruces

Well, I slept a little bit better. I woke up around 6 a.m. (It’s Central Time and I was still on East Coast time.) I turned on the TV and found a History Channel program on Ancient Rome that I hadn’t seen. It gave me a couple of ideas for my novel that I can’t seem to finish. (I have to since I’m meeting with agents at a writers conference in Phoenix March 18, 2005.)

The sky was blue, the sun was shining and we were on the road again. I didn’t give the cats the pills thinking that they would stay quiet like the day before – how wrong I was. I had to stop and drug them. They finally quieted down except again at each pit stop – Meow – “Are we there yet?”

Approaching El Paso, I notice some not-so-nice looking clouds ahead in the distance. In fact, they were rather nasty looking. I thought to myself – the last thing I need to experience in my life right now is a tornado.

But, no, it was just some light showers. I made Las Cruces around 4:30 p.m. The bed and breakfast there was an old renovated mansion. Much better than the one in the New Orleans. The couple who runs it are former librarians from Michigan. There were no restaurants within walking distance so I drove back towards I-10 to the Cracker Barrel I had passed on the way in to use my second gift card.

Back at the Inn, I was unpacking and it was cold. It was about 50 degrees outside and there was no heat inside. I went downstairs and asked about it and was told that the thermostat was in one of the other rooms were a couple was staying that she would try to raise the heat downstairs so the upstairs would get warmer.

Well, I double-layered and curled up in bed to watch the Academy Awards (an hour earlier in now Mountain Time) except the TV remote didn’t work. I went downstairs again and the lady apologized and that they just bought the TV and haven’t had a chance to return it.

Later, around midnight, I was awakened by the floorboard heater crackling on. Man that was a noisy old heater. All night long it kept waking me up every time the heat came on. I managed to sleep some with Shadow curled up at my feet and Midnight under the bed.

Day 4: Las Cruces-Phoenix

Another sunny day – thank God! It was 36 degrees when I woke up. I had a nice breakfast of fruit, home-made breads and French toast. (Yeah, I tossed the Lo-carb diet out the window for the trip.) I left just before 9 a.m. for the last 6-hour leg of the trip.

I cried when I saw the sign that said, “Welcome to Arizona!”

For the last two months I’ve been reading a series of mystery novels by J.A. Jance about the adventures of a lady sheriff in southeastern AZ. The places mentioned are real and after reading about them, I almost expected to see Sheriff Brady in her Crown Victoria cruising I-10 after a murderer.

I got to Phoenix around 3 p.m. and followed the directions I printed out from the Net to get to my new apartment. I drove right by it not knowing that they had changed the name from Terracina to Saratoga Ridge and painted the white buildings brown. I finally found the office and the lady I had been corresponding with by e-mail and fax was off that day. A young man named Chris helped me and took me to see the apartment of which I immediately said, “I’ll take it.” Apparently, the property was recently purchased by a company who’s dishing out some bucks to renovate. They are painting, re-roofing, re-landscaping and they’re supposed to replace the stained tile in the kitchen. The only thing I don’t like is the kitchen cabinets are too high up. They were designed for tall people. The cats love to hide in the lower cabinets and Shadow likes to sleep at night on top of the fridge. Midnight has been waking me up at 2-3 a.m. crying. I ended up drugging him with the left over tranquilizers. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep yet.

So here I am in Phoenix. I am breathing better and have cut down on the allergy meds to just one of the over-the-counter ones once a day. I bought a bed, a futon for the living room (for visitors) and two TV tables. I have to wait till I start working to get a dining table and a few other things.

The street I live on, Bell Rd., is a main drag with just about everything from a basic Wal-Mart (the Super Wal-Mart is further away), Target, Safeway Supermarket, Albertsons, Home Depot and my favorite – Big Lots just down the street.

I found one of the public library branches and got my library card. I got my AZ driver’s license too. I don’t have to register the car until my insurance expires April 21. I have to get it inspected here like in Miami for pollutants because I’m coming from out of state even though it’s a newer car. I stopped by the Allstate office and they told me it’s probably going to be more expensive to insure the car here. Wonderful.

I found the Cingular Wireless store (a converted AT&T store so it wasn’t in their computer system yet) and got a local number.

The job interview I had lined up turned out to be an independent contractor job selling door-to-door. Not for me. But, I got a call from a personnel agency who saw my resume online and I have an interview on Wednesday with the University of Phoenix for a position as admissions counselor.

I also got an e-mail from an insurance company and I’m going to see them tomorrow. I’ve also resent my resume to a few places.

I had lunch on Thursday with my friend from Melbourne, Kathy, and Saturday we went to an American Indian Art Festival at the Heard Museum.

I contacted the 3 guys I had been chatting with since October and made dates to meet them. I met Peter Thursday night. Nice guy, but no sparks. I met Harry Friday night for Happy Hour and boy, did the sparks start flying. We hit it off immediately. There was definite chemistry.

My dilemma was that I still had to meet George. He had been so sweet chatting over the Net and on the phone and I was not sure how to handle it. I was going to check out the Scottsdale Congregational Church on Sunday and his realty office was nearby so we had made a date for lunch after church. When we get to Chili’s he tells me that he felt bad, but he had to tell me that he was only separated from his wife (On his profile he said he was divorced) and they were trying to reconcile. I told him not to worry, that I had met someone else. But, what a relief!

The Scottsdale UCC church was very different. They have a jazz combo playing gathering music and there isn’t a sermon. The “lesson” is encompassed throughout the service in scripture readings, dramas, other readings and music. It took me 25 minutes to get there and when I got there, I found out that they disbanded the singles group. I was hoping to get involved in it and finally have an “active author platform” to be able to sell my nonfiction book. But driving the 25 minutes back home, I decided to check out Shadow Rock UCC which is only 2 miles away from my place and give up on selling the book and sell what I have written as articles.

This morning, I stopped by Shadow Rock and it is the most beautiful church I have seen in a long time. It’s build on a hill and the huge A-frame windows behind the altar open to the most breathtaking view of the mountains and valley. The lady that showed me around told me that they have one music director who is always looking for new talent and she told me about all the other groups and activities they have.

I’m still trying to get used to the 2-hour time difference. My body clock is still on Florida time. I’m sleepy at 10:30 p.m. and wake up at 6 a.m. The cats want lunch at 10 a.m. I do like that primetime TV starts at 7 p.m. and the news is at 10. So going to bed at 10:30 is easy. Maybe the night owl will finally become an early bird.

Well, that’s all for now. Keep me and my job search in your prayers. I really need to be employed by next Monday.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, here I am 5-years later unemployed again with the big question - should I stay here or go back. But back to where? Florida? Things are just as bad there (though a friend of mine wants me to move back there). Looks like Puerto Rico might be my next worse-comes-to-worse scenario. Too bad I can’t pack the cat (Shadow went to kitty heaven in Nov. 2008) and drive there. What do I so with my stuff that’s in storage? What do I do with my car that’s paid off? At mom’s house I don’t have to pay rent so if my unemployment runs out, that’s about the only choice I have. I put my life in God’s hands and I ask again: Keep me and my job search in your prayers.

A Leader’s Life Purpose

2010-01-29T15:04:00.000-08:00

Though I kind of knew that my spiritual gift of writing is part of my calling, this 18-week counseling course with my pastor helped me see clearly other things in my life that define who I am and what God is calling me to do.

My “Life Mission” statement:

Reaching as many people as possible through my writing with the message of God’s love to lead them to salvation or encourage them in their faith.

Looking back at my life I see it in 3 parts - my Catholic upbringing till age 18, my “lost” years when I was not attending any church till about age 32, then my Protestant years which put me back on the right path of my spiritual journey.

I realized that the Catholic church deprived me of really getting to know the Word of God and it wasn’t until I started attending the Protestant church and weekly bible studies that I found a yearning to learn more and grow closer to God.

I often wondered why I’ve been through what I’ve been through - including my “lost” years. A passage in Chapter 11 of "A Leader’s Life Purpose": "Preparation/Life Experience" explained it all:

“Very often, God trains us in the skills and character our destiny requires in a place that seems totally disconnected from what we think we’re supposed to do.”

This whole experience made me look back at pivotal points in my life, visualize my small and big dreams, see people I’ve helped and realize talents and skills that I could add to my resume and help in my job search.

Now I’ve just got to find a job. Until then, I’ll keep writing my Examiner column and pray that I’m reaching someone.

Update: July 24, 2011: I'm no longer writing for the Examiner, though all my articles are still available on the site and I've got several blogs. I've been employed for a great Christian boss, Bob Korljan at Cambridge Wealth Management since Dec., 2010 and my novel won 2nd prize in the Women of Faith Writing Contest and is now available for purchase.

I see this as an affirmation of my mission to keep on sowing.

His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, "'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.' "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. ~ Luke 8:9-15

New series of articles on the Rapture

2010-01-22T14:13:00.000-08:00

With the increase in earthquake activity, I can only affirm that Jesus will be coming for us very soon.

I just finished a 3-part series on the Rapture.

The Rapture - it could happen any minute - are you ready?

The Rapture - the World Without Christians

Will You Be Left Behind?

After I read "Left Behind" I asked myself that question. I wasn't sure. There is a difference in knowing and believing. You can know that there is a God and actually believe in God and know that Jesus existed and that he claimed to be the Son of God, but if you don't BELIEVE IT in you heart, you are not saved.

I know a few people who, when they realize that the Rapture has happened, will say, "Wow, she was right!"

It's not too late.

God Bless.

Thank you, Lord for running water

2010-01-15T17:27:00.000-08:00

There but for the Grace of God go I.

That's what I think when I watch the coverage of the devastation in Haiti. The same fault line that caused this 7.0 quake also runs under the island of Puerto Rico, one island to the east.

I felt several tremors when I lived there. It's disconcerting to feel the floor below you sway. I can't imagine what the Haitians went through. I see them as my former Caribbean neighbors (even if I never did get to visit that island). In Miami, I met many Haitian-Americans and my heart goes out to them as they wait to hear about their family and friends back in Haiti.

We take simple things for granted - running water, drinkable water, toilets, electricity, food, clean clothes, phones, a warm bed, a solid roof over our heads, a place to call home.

We should live in an attitude of gratitude. Be grateful for the little things starting with each new day when we wake up.

We are blessed and we need to let God know that we are grateful as often as possible.
Check this out: Blessed

Do not take anything for granted. We are blessed because God chooses to bless us.

For what is seen is temporary

Father God, I know that you are aware of the suffering in Haiti and I pray that any roadblocks that may be hindering help from getting to where it's needed be torn down. I pray that doctors and medicine, food and water get there quickly and that good plans arise to start rebuilding. Let the people there feel your loving hands. I thank you Lord, for the organizations that were already there and the ones that are sending more help. Lord, I am so grateful for everything that I have. Please let me live in an attitude of gratitude. This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com

God used me

2010-01-13T16:11:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I took a 1-day temp job from AppleOne at an organization in the Scottsdale Airpark. That's when I first came in contact with The Open Table. They are a Christian organization that helps the homeless by not just feeding them, but getting them back functioning in society. They help them get a job, the a car so they can get to the job, then a place to live.

My church, First Christian Church of Phoenix is very involved in the community of Sunnyslope and I asked if they had plans to expand into that area and yes, they were interested in connecting with FCC. So, I put everyone in contact not knowing what would come out of it.

You'd think that being unemployed would allow me to volunteer, but it's difficult to commit to any long-term project when I have to keep open for interviews and God-willing to start a job. So I was hoping someone at the church would take the ball and run with it.

Last Sunday I was blown away when a man stood up and told his story of finding FCC and looking for a worthwhile project to sink his teeth into and one of the pastors handed him a brochure for Open Table.

I almost didn't take that assignment because of the distance, but when she told me it was an non-profit, I said sure. I turned down subsequent 1-day assignments there because it would cost me money rather earn anything extra. Because of UI, anything that I make under $265 I have to report and it's deducted from the weekly amount. Volunteering would be different, because I could deduct the mileage in my taxes.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" ~Isaiah 6:8

Here I am, use me, Lord.

This type of "being used" feels good.

God Bless,
Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com
Phoenix Singles Examiner

Bye-Bye 2009

2009-12-29T20:35:00.000-08:00

I can't say that I'm not sorry to see 2009 end. It's been a lousy year. It started off promising enough with a job marketing self-storage facilities, but it started going down hill when they told me in March that it probably would not be a permanent position. By April I was unemployed again. In August I found out that because of the Presidents stimulus plan, I was getting $25/week more and that bumped me above the limit to qualify for ACCCHS (Medicaid) so I'd be losing my free health care.

Knowing that health insurance was around $200/m I had to decide between keeping up my forbearance payments on my house to hold on to the mortgage or give it up and get health insurance. Health won out. I've got too many issues not to have health insurance.

So my first worse-come-worse scenario came true. I moved in with my friend Laura in her small condo. It's tight, but it's better than other alternatives. Thanks to the President, I'll have unemployment till mid May (I think - I never know with DES). At that point, if there is no job in the horizon, I have to face my second worse-come-worse scenario - moving back to Puerto Rico. The thought of that exhausts me. Do I sell my car or take it with me? What about my stuff that's in storage? Do I leave it there in hopes that I'll come back?

I contacted that potential employer who said they wouldn't be filling the position until Jan. and he said they weren't ready yet.

On the brighter side of 2009, I paid off all my debts including my car with the help of my mom's reverse mortgage. I took one of my pastor's up on an offer for free Life Coaching sessions that's helping me determine my calling. It's making me see my past as stepping stones and preparation for a higher calling.

I don't even know how to look forward to 2010. 2009 looked so promising and look what happened. I know I trust God and that He has a plan for me. I pray for strength to endure, persevere and persist in the job hunt.

I'm still going up the down escalator.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Happy New Year
Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com
Phoenix Singles Examiner

Integrity

2009-12-12T12:45:00.000-08:00

In my life coaching class last week, we spoke of values - integrity being one. Then I got this -

Integrity: A most precious commodity. And rare. But for Christians it should be in abundance.

Integrity: Adherence to a code of moral value. The quality of being complete. Undivided.

Integrity: Its synonym is honesty. Uprightness of character. A refusal to deceive. Incapable of being false.

Integrity: An absolute requirement of those who witness for Christ. It makes our witness believable.

You either have it or you don't. Do you?

I'm glad I'm reaching someone

2009-12-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder if anyone is reading my articles. If all this hard work is really worth it. I received this email today:

I WANT TO FIRST OF ALL THANK THE LORD FOR WHAT HE IS USING YOU TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE LIFE OF SINGLES - I PRAY YOU CONTINUE WITH UNTIL HE RETURNS.

PLEASE, I WILL LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER IT IS PROPER FOR A SINGLE TO HAVE SEXUAL THOUGHT OR NOT.

SECONDLY CAN GOD GIVE YOU THE TIME OF HUSBAND THAT YOU DO NOT WISH TO HAVE.

IS IT WRONG TO CHOOSE A HUSBAND ACCORDING TO YOUR HEART DESIRE?

CAN YOU FOR CHRIST SAKE HELP ME TO STAND FINANCIALLY IF YOU CAN?

THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME YOUR TIME

GOD BLESS

VICTORIA

Here is my reply:
Victoria, Thank you for your comments. I'm glad some one's actually reading what I write. I've tried to answer your questions below:

> PLEASE, I WILL LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER IT IS PROPER FOR A SINGLE TO HAVE SEXUAL THOUGHT OR NOT.
Sexual thoughts are going to come into our heads no matter what. We're bombarded by sexual images all the time. What God wants us to do is not follow through with the thought. Shake it out of your head and think of something else. Avoid looking, listening, watching improper Internet sites, music, TV shows or movies. For instance, I try to avoid R rated movies. I just find it offensive. As you grow deeper in your relationship with Christ, you see that you will start finding things that you watched or listened to less and less entertaining.

>
> SECONDLY CAN GOD GIVE YOU THE TIME OF HUSBAND THAT YOU DO NOT WISH TO HAVE.
I'm not sure what you're asking here. God gave us free will to choose what we do in life including choosing our mates. He may put the person in our paths but if we don't recognize that person as "the one", they'll just walk by. It's probably happened to me more than once. We also manage as relationship are growing to mess things up. The best thing to do is to pray about a potential mate and ask God if this person is the person He wants you to be with. Listening for God's isn't easy. Sometimes it will come when we're quiet or a trusted Christian friend will say, "this is the guy for you." Or the Holy Spirit will stir your heart.

> IS IT WRONG TO CHOOSE A HUSBAND ACCORDING TO YOUR HEART DESIRE?
On the other hand. We can choose the wrong person. We can base the relationship on physical chemistry (and that's a hard one to ignore) and ignore the spiritual chemistry.
Read: http://singles.giselleaguiar.com/what-is-a-soulmate.html
http://singles.giselleaguiar.com/Avoiding-Mr-or-Ms-Wrong.html

>
> CAN YOU FOR CHRIST SAKE HELP ME TO STAND FINANCIALLY IF YOU CAN?
Trust in God.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. ~ Matthew 6:25-34

Here are some more articles that may help:
http://singles.giselleaguiar.com/avoiding-false-intimacy.html
http://giselleaguiar.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-marriage-is-not-part-1.html
http://singles.giselleaguiar.com/commitmentphobes.html

Hope this helps. But the best advice I can give is to Trust and Obey God. If it's His will that you find a mate, it will happen. Be patient and persevere. His timing may not be our timing, but it's always right.

Blessings in Christ, Giselle

Senator Jon Kyl's response on Health Care

2009-12-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

Recently, I wrote both Senator Kyl and McCain regarding my dilemma on getting affordable health insurance. Here's Kyl's response.

Dear Ms. Aguiar:

Thank you for contacting me regarding health care reform. I appreciate the opportunity to respond.

The U.S. health care system is the best in the world, spurring advancements in new medical treatments and technologies. Such innovation helps physicians treat and prevent diseases better than ever before, eradicates once fatal epidemics, and helps Americans lead longer, healthier lives.

Despite these advances, millions of Americans struggle to find affordable health insurance options. From 1999 to 2008, the average cost of a family health plan increased by 119 percent from $5,791 to $12,680. Meanwhile, workers' wages increased 34 percent during the same nine-year period. Ensuring access to quality, affordable health care is a laudable goal. I support targeted solutions that lower health care costs and improve health care by building upon, not completely dismantling, our health care system.

Unfortunately, many of the proposals being considered in the U.S. Senate will make health insurance more expensive, jeopardize Arizonans' current coverage, and expand the government's control over health care. While you will not find the words "ration," "withhold coverage," or "delay access to care" in the pending plans, that is what will result from the web of federally-dictated insurance reforms, new legal obligations, and provider reimbursement schemes that are part of them. Such policies centralize the power of medical decisions with politicians and bureaucrats, not patients and doctors, and they will result in the delay or denial of care.

There are three main problems with the Majority party's proposals: the implementation of a government-run insurance plan, the use of comparative effectiveness research, and spending.

Government-Run Insurance Plan

First, the Majority's proposals would create a new, government-run health insurance plan to compete against private insurance plans. The argument is that a government-run plan would give consumers a better range of choices and make the health care market more competitive -- "keep the insurance companies honest," as the President put it. However, well-respected, independent analysis provides evidence to the contrary. For one thing, a government-run plan would be subsidized by the taxpayers, giving the government plan a huge advantage over competitors. Yet, even government resources are not unlimited. To save money after tens of millions of people are added to the public plan, the government would cut reimbursement to doctors and hospitals, exacerbating the difficulty Arizonans' already encounter in trying to schedule doctor appointments. To make up for low government reimbursements to providers, insurance companies would have to charge more for private insurance, making it less attractive than the government plan.

Over time, there will only be room for the government plan according to the respected Lewin Group, as 119 million Americans would lose their current coverage. Remember, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were designed as independent "government-sponsored enterprises" to complement the private mortgage market. Now, Fannie and Freddie account for a combined share of 73 percent of mortgage originations in the second half of 2008. The two "government-sponsored enterprises" are now effectively owned and run by the federal government, after having sustained losses of over $100 billion last year alone. A Washington-run health care plan will do to the health care market what Fannie and Freddie did to the housing market.

Comparative Effectiveness Research

Second, the Majority's plan would create a new research entity to conduct so-called comparative effectiveness research (CER). CER is a mechanism used by medical professionals to provide information on the relative strengths and weaknesses of various procedures and treatments. In the hands of doctors, medical researchers, and other health professionals, CER can help patients and their own doctors make informed health care decisions. However, in the hands of government, CER can become a tool to delay or deny care. For example, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Effectiveness in Britain uses "cost-effectiveness research" to make health care decisions. By basing treatment decisions on cost rather than need, Britain prescribes fewer cancer drugs than any of the other big five European nations; its patients therefore have the lowest survival rate according to a May edition of National Review. The UK's system provides only half of the care for end-stage renal disease patients that we do in the United States. Obviously, such rationing of care is not something we should replicate in the United States.

It is telling that none of the Majority's proposals in Congress would bar the federal government from using CER to deny access to care. In fact, when I offered an amendment in April to explicitly bar the use of CER to ration care, it was defeated on a near party-line vote. I have now introduced a free standing bill to ensure that any information obtained through CER cannot be used to deny access to care. The Preserving Access to Targeted, Individualized, and Effective New Treatments and Service (PATIENTS) Act of 2009 (S. 1259) will protect the doctor-patient relationship and ensure access to the highest quality medical care. I will fight at every opportunity to ensure that any health care reform plan the Senate considers later this year protects patients' access to care.

Cost

Finally, the Majority's plans would cost between $1 trillion and $2 trillion, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. But even that may understate the true cost. Consider that Massachusetts enacted near universal health insurance in 2006, and costs have exploded, doubling from $630 million in 2007 to an estimated $1.3 billion just two years later. To deal with those costs, the state has decided to slow enrollment of beneficiaries and eliminate dental coverage for its poorest residents. A special commission, which was established by the state legislature, has now recommended limiting coverage to those health care services that government deems to be "cost-effective"-just like government-run health systems in other nations such as Canada and Great Britain do. This will quickly lead to rationing.

Furthermore, the plans would be financed by a combination of new taxes and cuts in Medicare spending, hurting seniors' access to care. The Medicare Trust Fund is already expected to reach bankruptcy by 2017, so taking money from Medicare to fund a huge expansion of health care benefits for others makes no sense.

Alternatives

Rather than upending the entire health care system, we should identify what specific problems exist and consider targeted solutions to lower costs and improve access to care. For example, medical liability reform must be part of any reform effort. Of course, malpractice lawsuits serve a valuable purpose for those who have truly been wronged, but malpractice law is often abused by some trial lawyers who flood courts with baseless lawsuits. The threat of these lawsuits against doctors is a big reason Americans' health-care premiums have soared.

Many physicians must purchase expensive malpractice insurance -- sometimes at a cost of more than $200,000 a year -- just to keep their doors open. Hudson Institute economist Diana Furchtgott-Roth estimates that 10 cents of every dollar paid for health care goes toward the cost of doctors' malpractice insurance, with much of the cost passed on to patients.

Additional costs are passed on as a result of the practice of "defensive medicine." Many doctors take extra, or defensive, precaution when treating patients, ordering tests or procedures that may not be needed, but will help protect them if they are sued. A 2008 study from the Massachusetts Medical Society reported that 83 percent of doctors said they order tests, procedures, and referrals solely as protection from lawsuits. According to a study by two Stanford economists, the use of defensive medicine increases Americans' medical costs by $100 billion a year.

In addition to tort reform, the federal government should remove barriers that limit consumers' ability to shop for quality coverage at a more affordable price. For example, the government should permit the sale of health insurance across state lines to increase competition among insurers. Small businesses should be able to band together to form small business health plans to strengthen their purchasing power and negotiate affordable rates and coverage options for their employees.

Additionally, individuals who purchase their own health insurance should receive the same tax incentives large businesses do. By promoting the use of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), we could encourage more responsible health care spending and allow individuals to take their coverage with them when they move from one job to another. We should also incentivize healthy behaviors and encourage catastrophic coverage. Finally, we should allow each state to pursue innovative health insurance market reforms tailored to its own needs to encourage competition and choice.

I believe in the right of every American to choose the doctor, hospital, and insurance plan of his or her choice. No Washington bureaucrat should interfere with that right or substitute the government's judgment for that of a physician. Any health reform proposal should adhere to these principles.

I appreciate your sharing your thoughts on this important issue. Please stay in touch.

Sincerely,

JON KYL

United States Senator

P.S. If you wish to share additional comments about this or any other matter, please visit my website at http://www.kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm. Do not reply to this email.

Now's the time to contact our Senators to voice our opionions.

Developing an "author platform" online

2009-12-01T00:05:00.000-08:00

Searching on Twitter (there's more to Twitter than meets the eye), I found the site of a local (Scottsdale) Christian editor for Howard Publishing/now literary agent, Terry Whalin. I met him when I first moved here (that'll be 5 years in Feb.) at a literary conference and I pitched my novel to him. It was just under 50,000 words at that time. He told me it was too short. I had to get closer to 80-100,000 words. I couldn't fathom doubling the size of the story. I did manager to get it to 66,000 words and I'm still hearing "it's too short".

Anyway, perusing his site I came across and blog post on "author platforms" -- another roadblock I've encountered. Who am I to write this? What makes me an expert? I don't have a "following". Worthy manuscripts have been rejected solely on the fact the the author is an unknown.

He gave advice for unknown writers on how to develop and author platform. One of the things he suggests is to write online. So I guess, I'm heading in the right direction. I have to build up a following. So far I have 34 Twitter followers and besides my friends - that I actually know - on Facebook, I have a few I've never met in person. I just picked up a following on my Singles Blog. (I think my article on 2012 helped.)

I'm unashamedly riding on the coattails of the 2012 movie. As the date approaches, there will be more talk, predictions, discussions, curiosity and maybe even a little panic. It's my hope to not only reach "followers", but if I plant just ONE SEED and I help lead someone to Christ. Then I have been successful. Amen.

I also started a series on my Examiner site about the true meaning of all those Christmas carols we hear and sing and really don't pay attention to the words, why they were written and the message they are conveying.

I thank God for my creativity and all the inspirations and that I have the ability to "speak out" through the written word through a free tool like the Internet.

My latest "end times" article on Biblical prophecy

God Bless,
Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com

Be thankful in all circumstances

2009-11-28T11:40:00.001-08:00

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This was last Sunday's message at church. This is tough sometimes, but we have to do it. In whatever is going on, find something to be grateful for. Find the positive. Kind of like a Pollyanna.

Be grateful you're alive, relatively healthy, have a roof over your head, a car to drive, food to eat ( no matter how you get it) and that Jesus loves you no matter what you do or how you act. He forgives you. God loves you so much that he gave up His Son for you.

We can all find something to be thankful for all the time.

God bless
Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com

Technorati Tags: Thanksgiving,God's,Jesus,love,tough times,trials,blessings,be thankful,grateful,church

Holidays pose challenges for the jobless - Personal finance- msnbc.com

2009-11-27T21:29:00.000-08:00

Holidays pose challenges for the jobless - Personal finance- msnbc.com

Good advice. Don't wait till Jan. to job hunt.

Time to hit the hiking trails

2009-11-27T10:43:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving's over. I didn't overeat, but now it's time to really concentrate on my goal to lose 10 more lbs by Christmas. Wed. I watched The Biggest Loser "Where are they now?" and was motivated to join the Biggest Loser League. http://tbll.nbc.com I'm off to hike the Lookout Mtn Circumference. 2.6 miles. If I lose weight, I alleviate my arthritis and asthma. Being healthy is my goal. And I'm going to do it!

Here are pix of that hike from last month.

Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com

Technorati Tags: fitness,health,excercise,hiking,Thanksgiving,holiday eating

How long will it take for us to feel the benefits of the end of the recession?

2009-11-23T14:37:00.001-08:00

One of the groups I belong to on Brightfuse asked this question. Here’s my reply:

I'm in Phoenix, AZ. It's really bad over here. A job I interviewed for last week let me know that they're not filling to position till after the new year. They say that there are 6 unemployed people for each open position. Then how come every employer or hiring manager I talk to says that they get 200-300 resumes for 1 position.

A friend of mine got laid off last week from her state job of 36 years (no severance, no pension). AZ unemployment rate was 9.3% in Oct. I can't see the economy improving until people get jobs. They cut back on spending (cash and credit), thus the states don't get taxes and they're having problems. AZ has been trying to balance their budget since the beginning of the year.

A friend of mine back in FL where I moved from 5 years ago wants me to move back there. FL is just as bad as AZ. Another friend over there has been unemployed since they closed CompUSA stores in May of 2007.

Another friend in NY (upstate in NYC suburbs) was laid off from a customer service job almost 2 years ago. She hasn't even been able to get a call center position.

My mom lives in San Juan, Puerto Rico. My absolute worst comes to worst scenario is selling everything and moving back there only because I wouldn't have to pay rent. Unemployment there is 15.6% (Oct.) - it went down from 16.5% in August. That actually sounds encouraging. Must be the approaching tourist season.

If it weren't for the government's extensions to the unemployed, I'd be packing for the move to PR. I've got a few more weeks to find a job. Maybe (or probably) I'll still be available for that one job in Jan.

Only God knows. I put my trust in Him.

Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com
Phoenix Singles Examiner
The Joy of Single Living Blog – read my take on 2012