Day Twelve: Coffee

"Drink Coffee. Do stupid things faster with more energy."

I pinned this saying to my pinterest account awhile back. It was a funny joke. Ha! It's an exaggeration right?

I love coffee. I have always loved coffee. I grew up in Latin America for goodness sake. I started drinking my dad's espresso when I was five years old. I googled adjectives to describe coffee and this is what I got..."It's hot, smooth, aromatic, floral, bold, rich, and brisk." Yum! I even became a barista. It is the best job I have ever had next to being a kindergarten teacher.

Caffeine has never affected me until this last year. I used to say that holding my caffeine was my super power. I could drink a double espresso an hour before bedtime and not blink an eye. I couldn't, I would already be asleep.

But this last year something weird started happening to my body. I turned forty-four and I couldn't tolerate the caffeine anymore. What??!!! (said through sobs) I began to feel really bad every afternoon and it wasn't until I quit drinking coffee that it got better.

At this point an inspiring blog would say that I quit drinking coffee and have felt amazing ever since. Well, hopefully you know me well enough by now to know that a great big confession is about to pop up. I didn't want to let it go. So I changed coffee brands and that helped a bit. I only drink coffee in the morning and I can tolerate it better now. However, it's not exactly as good as I feel when I am completely on the wagon.

Ok, so fast forward to a couple of days ago. I drank a big (BIG) cup of coffee at three o'clock in the afternoon to give me some energy for the evening. I had already had a cup in the morning, so this was my second cup...yes, yes, the second cup that I'm not supposed to have...and yes, yes, the afternoon coffee that I'm not supposed to have.

That night I was so wired that I could hardly be civil to people. Do you remember that scene in Captain America where Dr. Erskine says, "The serum amplifies everything that is inside. So good becomes great and bad becomes worse." Well, my "serum" amplified everything that was bad in me. 


Seriously, I argued with people and gave my opinion to every little conversation without regard to how offensive I was being. Ugh! I look back on that night and want to take it all back. My poor husband got the brunt of the Mr. Hyde in me. Poor guy. But it wasn't just Louie that I was ugly to. There were some dear friends that got the tip of my overly wired impatient, sarcastic self. And worst of all I was outwardly angry with some people that don't know Jesus.

Do you ever have one of those nights? I am responsible for my behavior. The coffee didn't make me do it. It just enhanced it a bit. The sin was mine. I have since gone to Louie and one of my friends to confess and ask forgiveness. There are a couple more I need to see and I will especially go to my young friend that doesn't know Jesus and ask her to forgive me.

This is my ugly truth. But life on the Way is not about being perfect. It's about making things right at all costs. And about following Jesus in His kindness, His mercy and His forgiveness.

"But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." (Titus 3:4) Thanks be to Jesus!

Love from the islands,
Twyla

Day Eleven: Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus || Spoken Word

I'm going to take a break from my usual format today. Enjoy!

Oh my word! This video by bball1989 has gone viral on facebook. This is why we boast in weaknesses...

"Spent my whole life building this facade of neatness but now that I know Jesus I boast in my weakness."

What is Jesus doing with this truth? It's going viral because we are tired of pretending that we have it all together. We can't do it anymore. We need Jesus.

"I don't have to hide my failure, I don't have to hide my sin. Because it doesn't depend on me. It depends on Him."

Many people have given up finding hope for their lives. Let's shout it from the mountain tops. There is hope in Jesus!

"Religion says do. Jesus says done. Religion says slave. Jesus says son. Religion puts you in bondage while Jesus sets you free. Religion make you blind but Jesus makes you see."

Enough said. "Jesus sets you free."

Love from the islands,

Twyla

Day Ten: Sam

I asked Sam's permission to post this...I stated in an earlier blog that I would not post about Team Castro's weaknesses. I would like to amend that. Sometimes our weaknesses produce in us and others a harvest of righteousness. I will only post what Team Castro gives permission to post and I will only share what in the end is encouraging to all of us...

Sam came to know Jesus when he was just 5 years old. He was under great conviction when he told us he wanted to give his life to Jesus. We were stunned as we watched him empty his heart out to the Lord at such a young age.

Sam is a normal xbox-playing, sister-tormenting, chore-forgetting boy. He marches to the beat of his own harmonica as our friend, Amber, likes to say. He is his own man through and through. And yet, in all this normalness lies a sensitive spirit that longs to please Jesus.

Recently Sam came to me after he had gone to bed for the night and asked if we could talk somewhere private. We went in my bedroom and Sam confessed to cheating in homeschool. In his independent study time he had marked some things as correct that were wrong so he wouldn't have to correct them. He shared how as he was praying in bed God had reminded him of this infraction. He asked me to forgive him and asked me to help him by correcting his independent work for him so that he wouldn't be tempted to cheat again. As we talked I assured him of my forgiveness and God's wonderful love for him in showing him his sin and calling him back into fellowship with Him.

The next morning as we were going over the "Jesus speaking" journals, I opened Sam's journal. Instead of a sentence, Sam had written one word, "Forgiven." One small word. One small word that preached a sermon.

Do you need that sermon today? I know I need it everyday. A reminder that when we give our lives to Jesus we are forgiven and cleansed of all sins past and future. Praise Him!

Those who look to Him are radiant. Their faces are never covered with shame (Psalm 34:5).

Love from the islands,
Twyla

P.S. I'm one-third through my 30 day commitment and I have to say it is so fun! Thank you all for listening to this fiery heart.

Day Nine: A Call to Families

God sets the lonely in families... Psalm 68:6


Yesterday I called single women to connect to a family they respect to help with loneliness. But as I thought through that advice it struck me that many would find that intimidating. Initiating a relationship or asking for a family to care for them and invest in them would be awkward. I still stand by that advice as I think it is important to put yourselves in places you can meet and get to know families (as in a small group or serving at a fellowship). But I think the bulk of the responsibility for investing in lonely people falls on the families themselves.


When my kiddos were small I struggled with the prevailing "spiritual" teaching of that time, "my family is my ministry." On the surface this has an appearance of wisdom. We should care for our families. We should make them a priority. But the underlying thought is, "I am exempt from other responsibilities because I am caring for a family." How will our children learn to love others, serve others and bear with others if they do not see it lived out in our own lives? Now, before you get angry with me, :/ let me say that I am not talking about leading a time consuming ministry in your fellowship. I am talking of looking for those around you that need the love of a family. Can I give you some examples?

• When I was in high school we lived near a big Naval base. During the holidays my mom would have young men over who had no where else to go. That example has influenced me so much. I long for the lonely ones around me to have a place to call home during the holidays. My mom did not lead a great ministry, she worked full time. But she left a great legacy in my life to look for the lonely. 

• My dad was always trying to get us to serve at homeless shelters. As teenagers we were very resistant. But one year he forced us to go on Thanksgiving. Of course it was a knock in the head for me. I later worked in an inner city with all kinds of homeless people. My mom and dad's convictions were that their family was their ministry. Their ministry was to teach us how to love and serve the lonely. They shaped me and my siblings to be outward focused and to reach out beyond ourselves.

• My sister takes her kids to clean and work in an inner city school. She has taken responsibility to invest in a girl at that school. For at least 5 years she has been her friend, provided her needs and shared Jesus with her.  

• When Chloe and Sam were babies we had international students live with us. Yes, it was more work and yes there were times I wanted it to be just Louie, the kids and me. But there were also times of great joy as we got to know these young people and introduced them to the love of Jesus and the love of a family. Chloe and Sam were introduced to new cultures and new food. They loved these students who gave me time to cook dinner many nights because they played with my babies.

• I love the trend these days in followers of Jesus to legally adopt children. It is biblical and it is beautiful.

Dear friends, this is SO important. There is a world of lonely people desperate for the love of a family. Allowing people into our lives can disturb our schedules, take our energy and drive us crazy. But is there anything more glorious than giving up my desires to follow Him?

What are your giftings and passions? How can you use those to bless others? Here are some ideas of how to serve others with your children. This is just a small list:

1. Take a meal to a sick neighbor.
2. Invite a single to your home for dinner. Consider investing in them. Go for coffee, play games...
3. Take a meal to homeless person who is begging.
4. Invite those who have no place to go for the holidays into your traditions.
5. Find out about international students in your area. Go looking for them. They don't know how to find you.
6. What can you do for a single mom? Mow her lawn? Watch her kids? Give her a day to herself?
7. Find a refugee ministry and volunteer.

I want my children to see me care for others, have them in my home, serve them and love them. I want them to know that Jesus is real, His Word is real and following Him is an adventure. It's a risk. It's life-giving.

Love from the islands,
Twyla

Day Eight: A Call to Single Women

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23


When I was single, I was BOY CRAZY! That is to say internally I was boy (or relationship) crazy. Outwardly I looked like a very content happy go lucky girl who was perfectly happy being single. Internally, however, I was constantly on the look out for the "cute" guy. I think the term is "hot" these days. This is a pretty universal malady. Most single women will not admit it, but we all suffer from it at some point or other.


Here are the symptoms of boy craziness: When you enter a room at work or church your eyes are scanning to look for who is there. When alone your thoughts are on your last relationship or the desire for the next one. You watch tv shows like the Bachelor or Bachelorette (yes, you're out there whether you admit it or not), you settle for dating (or marrying) a dud because you want a relationship so badly. You want to be chosen. So much so that you put yourself in all kinds of situations just waiting for someone to "choose" you.


In my boy craziness God called me to LA. While in LA God began to ever so gently show me that in the state of always looking for a relationship, I was missing out on the treasure and joy of His relationship with me. I was convicted that so much of my time and energy went to thinking about possibilities in dating that there was nothing of consequence left for Him. He asked me to give Him my heart completely. He was jealous for me.


I knew myself. I knew that the only way I could totally give my heart to Him would be to take a fast from dating...not that I was dating. I wasn't. But the possibility of dating was always a lure and I knew if I took away the possibility then I would be more likely to focus on my Jesus. So, I gave Him a year.


What did I learn in that year? I learned that He is enough. He is the giver of all good things and that I would much rather follow Him alone that be stuck in a marriage with "Joe Blow church-goer." I learned that my "list of what I wanted in a husband" (don't we all have those?) was so far below Jesus' list for my husband. His list is all about Him! And best of all, I knew that He chose me before the foundations of the world were set. He chose me. He longed for me.


Based on these truths...I call you, dear single friends, guard your hearts, set your hearts on things above.


Some of you may be thinking that those are hollow words for your soul right now. You are hurt. You are lonely. Please know that I get it. I remember the tears. I remember the loneliness. But there are some things in life that we must believe in even when all circumstances and "feelings" prove otherwise.


I don't want to leave you with just a "pep-talk." Here are a few practical ideas that may help you in your loneliness. These are in no particular order:


1. Connect yourself to a strong, Biblical fellowship.
2. Serve in that fellowship. 
3. Connect to an outward focused small group. Outward focused people are great to hang around with. You learn to think of others and think less of your circumstances.
4. Connect to a family. Look for a family you respect and look up to. Hang out with them and learn how they interact. Over the years Jesus has given us some "adopted daughters." Those women have become family to us. I think I need to write "A Call to Families" so that they will love on single women. If you find it hard to do this one, contact me. I would love to have at least an email or facebook friendship with you.
5. Stay in the Word. Stay connected to your Jesus. He is yours. He has chosen you.


I love you, friends. I long for you. I pray that you might have power to grasp how wide and how long and how high and how deep is the love of Jesus (Eph 3:18).


Love from the islands,
Twyla

Day Seven: A Call To Single Men

My Latin Man is a Marine. You never say, "was a Marine." Because once a Marine, always a Marine. He's tough, he's disciplined and he's serious. He was a door gunner which is that cool job of sitting in the side of a helicopter with a ginormous gun. It's one of the many reasons I fell in love with him. He's just so tough and manly.

I've been thinking lately that Louie should run a boot camp for single men. We need someone to take on the responsibility of shaping young men today. Let me say that I feel for single men of this generation because they have not been taught the art of godly manliness ("the art of manliness" is a term I got from a website of the same name). Since my single/dating days I have observed a real deficit in the discipleship and training of single men.

When Louie was a new believer he was in a prayer group of single men who had all been believers for some time. He shared with this group of single men that he wanted to be married and asked their advice. The single men told him to pray about it. They had all been praying for their future wives for some time. So Louie prayed. He asked God to show him how to follow Him and how to approach the whole dating scene as His follower. Two and half years later Louie and I married. The prayer group of single men were all still praying and still single. They all wondered why this new follower of Christ found his bride so quickly.

Louie came to Jesus when he was 31 years old. He had a whole lifetime of what he calls a living death. He was so grateful for the life he found in Jesus. That gratefulness and passion for Jesus propelled every area of his life. It propelled his manliness and passion. What does Jesus-following manliness look like? It is lived out in pursuing and rescuing. Protecting and loving. He pursued me and he got me. :) Our romance is another (long) story that I will save for another day.

The prayer group of single men were praying and waiting. They were not pursuing godly women. They were waiting on God to "give" them a wife. They were waiting on the Proverbs 31 woman. These men need to be told that life in Jesus for a man is denying self for the sake of others. It is pursuing Jesus and taking risks. It is living by passionate faith. Women long for these men to be passionate followers of Jesus.

Come on men! The world is waiting for you to man-up and pursue your Jesus. We need you!

*disclaimer* I'll be writing a call to single women tomorrow.

Love from the islands,
Twyla

P.S. I say if a man wants a Proverbs 31 woman, he better be a Proverbs 1-30 man. :)

Dave Six: Blog as You Wog

I have a raging case of writer's block today. In the last five days I have written to you from my heart.  The posts have not been planned or premeditated. They flowed out of my times with Jesus. They were about my heart and they wrote themselves. In the past month I have had lots of time in the mornings to talk to Jesus, do laundry and make big breakfasts. Today we began a full school schedule, I went wogging (walk/jogging...I love this word) and ran to the grocery store (not literally, I took the car. I can't run. I'm incapable. See before mentioned bit on wogging). Gone are the relaxed mornings of the holidays. I'm back in high gear. With our schedule picking up again I'm asking myself where will I find the time to write? I spoke to Jesus this morning. It went something like this:

"Hi Lord. I have lots to do today so let's get this thing going...what's up?...um...ok...well, I'm going to read Your Word...ok...interesting...anything else?...ok, well I gotta go shopping and make our spelling list for today."

No wonder I have nothing to write about.

But does my friendship with Jesus only come from my morning time with Him? Does He only speak to me when I am a good girl and give Him quality and quantity time? I think days like today are why Paul told the Thessalonians to pray continually (1 Thess 4:17). As I go through my day I can speak to Him in the car, at the grocery store and as I teach grammar. He speaks to me about joy in our family devotion. He reminds me of topics for the blog as I wog. Ha! Blog as I wog. In fact, He doesn't ever stop communicating His love and passion for me. "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zeph 3:17)

In a moment we can be in His presence. In the time it takes me to say, "Jesus!" He is with me. Praise Him. And when I am suffering from writer's block He tells me, "Write about writer's block." He used my friend, Darlene's voice to say it to me, but it was from Him.

Love from the islands,
Twyla

P.S. Some of you have communicated that you cannot leave comments. I'm sorry. I'm new to this here high tech world of blogs. I think I fixed the problem. If you had problems in the past it may be fixed. I give no guarantees as I don't really know what I'm doing.