by Janina Marie Rivera | May 1, 2017 | Blog
The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him. –John 4:28-30 What can one encounter with Jesus do...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Apr 24, 2017 | Blog
I find that whenever life is difficult or God seems far; or if I feel far away from Him, one very useful thing I can do to change my circumstances is to stop for a moment and THANK GOD. The Bible says that “in everything, give thanks; for this is the will of God in...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Apr 17, 2017 | Blog
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Apr 10, 2017 | Blog
Psalm 23 is a very beautiful chapter in the Bible. It reads: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Apr 3, 2017 | Blog
When I read about Esther in the Bible, I cannot help but wonder at how God unraveled destiny in her life. Who would have thought that a beauty “contest” of sorts would land a crown on her head? And going further, who would have thought that as queen, Esther would have...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Mar 27, 2017 | Blog
“The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.” Deuteronomy 33:27a A special joy of mine is cuddling my dog Star. She’s a crossbreed between a poodle and a Shih Tzu; a tiny lively thing, pretty much a foot long with beautiful white hair and a...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Mar 20, 2017 | Blog
It is human to want to retaliate when we are hurt. For some of us who do not wish to avenge ourselves, we deal with an emotional tug-of-war where we silently (or not so silently) wish for God to discipline our enemies with His judgment on their lives. We think to...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Mar 13, 2017 | Blog
“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”—Luke 15:10 I remember one morning reading my Bible and asking God why the angels rejoiced in Heaven when one sinner repented. What was the reason...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Mar 6, 2017 | Blog
Many times, we think of God’s love for us as dependent on our behavior. We make a mistake, or we sin, and the thought comes to us: God probably does not want to love us right now. He might, but maybe not that much. This is deadly thinking. The Bible says that God’s...
by Selina | Sep 26, 2016 | Blog
All humans desperately crave it and even need it to survive. And what is it? Purpose. The reason we get up in the morning. The thing that keeps us running. It is our reason to live and to be. We all have one. For some it may be a career we have dreamed about since we...
