He is there.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1




If there is one verse that rang clearly in my spirit the year of 2010, which will come to a close this evening at midnight, it is Psalm 46:1. Just knowing that the Lord is our refuge and our strength and yes, indeed, a VERY PRESENT help in trouble has carried me through some dark times. I am sure you are nodding your head in agreement.


One of the desires of my heart is to write openly and freely. I dont have time for the fluff. I want you to know I struggle like you do..so we can be drawn together in the battle. I do not claim to know it all, to be it all, or to gain it all..absolutely not. Without reservation, I am honest about my own shortcomings--which are many--and it does not mean I have low self esteem, no. It simply means that I have a "sober" way to see myself, which is with many flaws. I am thankful for HIM in me, yes indeed. There are times I cannot "feel" His Presence, yet I know, undoubtedly that HE IS HERE and HE IS NEAR. Oh yes, that I am indeed certain of.


Sisters, and a few brothers LOL, satan's main mission is to separate us from God and eventually destroy our walk. In the dryest, most difficult times of our lives, satan comes in for the kill. He does not get us while all is going well or when we are fired up under the anointing! No way--he waits when it is the worst possible time for us. Financially, emotionally, and all the other "ally's" we can name...satan is right there.


BUT God is there, also. Sometimes we just have to repeat this to our hearts. "Satan you are a liar. My Lord and my God would NEVER leave me alone. I proclaim His Presence over me right now, and I believe IN FAITH that He is here!!"


Part of maturing in the Lord is knowing without a doubt that HE IS THERE even when we cannot feel Him, or see His Hand moving things around for us..just know HE IS THERE. Like our next breath, God is there holding us and everything all together. Maybe this little message would inspire us all today to "walk by faith..and not by sight."


Lord, help me and us to do this, just for today. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow may never come. Today, Father, let me know deep in my "knower" that YOU are here !! AMEN!


Sis Anna B.




PS-
This photo was taken in ordinary traffic....He is there...showing forth His shine!

Happy New Year!

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." Ephesians 3:20






Wow, it is only a matter of time before we will be counting down to a brand new year. For some of us, it is a welcome relief, as 2010 had great challenges. For others of us, 2010 brought such great and wonderful changes that we actually look forward to another New Year--to see what the Lord will do again and again! No matter what the year had for us, our God is working within us as His Word declares.


The photo you see up there is one my son took upon his descent into Dublin, Ireland in June of this year. This in and of itself was a miracle from God. Many of you reading this had a part in his going. The Lord provided "infinitely more" than what we asked or thought. Justin's ticket was paid in full AND he was able to buy a camera AND go with almost $1000 due to the Lord moving hearts to give! And we never asked anyone for anything. The Lord put it upon hearts (that heard about his trip through others) and they gave abundantly! Praise His Name!





The picture to the right is that of my daughter's Sweet 16, just a month ago. Trust me, this was another wonderful blessing from the Lord. I really didn't want to give her one, but through prayer, the Lord rebuked me for my attitude. Everything changed after that and how I know it was the Lord was that all the finances came through for every single detail. He did more than I was thinking or imagining that is for sure!




Then there were the tough times. Probably the saddest lost for me personally was that of my 19-year-young nephew. That is a photo of my precious sister being comforted by my niece at his funeral. Ahhh, loss too deep for words. How precious are the cries of those that mourn to the Lord? So precious He saves their tears. The death of my nephew took my sister through tumultuous changes. Her marriage almost fell apart, but GOD put it back together again! I give Him the glory--they are all back together again--as a family, and moving on despite the uphill battle. They all recognize that JESUS IS LORD, even in the most despondent moments we can ever face.




This brings me to the New Year and my own personal challenges. All I can really say, with tongue in cheek, is these words: "I made it." I didn't quite lose the weight I wanted to, but I made it. I didn't change alot of the things I promised I would, but I made it. I still have a mountain of internal struggles to combat, but I made it. And I only did so by the Lord's infinite power working in and through me. Also, lest I forget, He used His people to bring me great joy and comfort during the darkest nights of my soul.


Sisters, I look forward to 2011 with you. I pray that all of our lives would be touched by a greater measure of faith, hope, and of course the greatest gift of all, love. I anticipate fun times in our Wednesday night classes. Most of all, I cherish (already) the growth that we will all accomplish with one another--through HIS POWER working in us to do exceedingly, abundantly, above, what we could ask, think, or imagine.


God bless,

Sis Anna Barreto

Clogged Pipes

"In everything, give thanks: For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

You know ladies, we can take alot for granted. I realized this for a whole week that my kitchen sink was clogged. Honestly, I am not being dramatic here. Think about your sinks--all of them. They usually function and life is nice. BUT when they clog up, it's usually a slow drain OR in my case, absolutely no drain at all.

I had to wash my dishes in the bathroom sink..(dont worry ladies, I sanitized with bleach so much that my neighbors smelled it!). Meanwhile I kept pouring down the Draino and nothing was happening. Finally, I had to make the "dreaded" call to the plumber. I say this because we all know this: they show up, they stick some long mechanishm down the drain and WALA the sink works. I am the type that likes to try every single remedy before I make that call. How about you? This is an actual photo of the feet of my plumber (to protect his identity LOL). He is A LIFESAVER !!! Come on ladies, clap with me--our sinks are IMPORTANT.

But one thing he said caught my attention: "Sink pipes are like arteries..they can get clogged up and then before you know it nothing flows through them." When I asked what could clog them up, he said any "junk going down." Hmmmmm. Sounded like the words of a devotional!!!

Dawn, our health coach, always says this before she eats something: "Will this clean me or will this CLOG me?" I have asked myself that question many times. Not saying I have it fully understood, but at least I ask.



I love Ring Dings. I think Ring Dings were made from a section of Heaven called Ring Ding Road filled with Ring Ding Angels singing the "Hallelujah" chorus while dipping cakes in chocolate... Eh hem..sorry, I got sidetracked. Dawn messed up my Ring Ding obsession. It's ok, I forgive her. I see how too much of a "good thing" is NOT GOOD AT ALL!!!

Ladies, we only have today. Let's simply bow our heads for one second..and give Him thanks. Let's give Him thanks that even though we know what to do, and we don't, He is still merciful..willing to give us yet ANOTHER chance to make it right. Thank GOD for JESUS!!

Lord Jesus, thank you that even though we have not always taken care of our temples, your mercies are still with us to see us through to healing. Today we pause to give you thanks: for our bodies, our lives, and of course, our sinks! Lord, help us to never take your blessings for granted!!Amen.

God bless us all today!

Sis Anna