Author Archives: Dee Troche

Include

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Include people in your conversations. People who you wouldn’t normally include.
Include people in your walk with Christ.
Include people in your dreams.
Include people in your life mission.
Expand your circle.

If it’s hard for you, pray for a compassionate heart. It will change your life as it has changed mine.

I know I have a compassionate heart because now, instead of judging the sinful condition of others, I feel sadness and a desire to encourage them to seek God and His ways. Before, my mind would go immediately into judging mode. Now, it goes into compassion mode.

Compassion: A feeling of sympathy for someone in a bad situation because you understand and care about them.

Through my Chaplain job, God is growing me at a fast pace. My heart is continuously being transformed into a kind of compassion I never felt before. It’s sometimes painful because He’s confronting my judgmental nature (that can hide behind righteous anger). I’m open to His correction and He’s teaching me.

One thing that makes me grumpy (among many other things 🤦🏻‍♀️) is when I feel people are excluding others. Especially those who are not in their circle. And worse when it’s those in the Christian family. But hey! Not everyone is like me. The only thing left for me to do is to pray for inclusion and to let God work in their heart and fill them with compassion for other people. And bring awareness, like what I’m doing now.

*Feeling and showing compassion for others is not condoning sin but being able to encourage someone to allow God to transform them into His likeness. Through our compassion, we are sharing God’s love with others. That’s one of our responsibilities, being the hands and feet of Jesus. What did He do with sinners? Show compassion.

Let’s follow His example!

Using “But” in Our Prayers

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“God, _____ , BUT _____ .” Do you find yourself using the word “but” in your prayers? At least I do. And if you do as well, you’re in good company. 😉

This morning, while praying, I asked for grace, but for a specific type of grace. Immediately after, I felt a nudge in my heart, and I stood corrected. I changed it to, “Forgive me, God, instead of BUT I ask You for Your will to be done.”

My prayer was, “God, give me grace, BUT …”

Who am I to ask God to give me something, but in a way that would please or benefit me and not Him? Who am I? A servant of God who asks Him to do His will in my life and allow me to use the spiritual gifts He gave me to advance His Kingdom. But then I ask Him to do it my way instead of His’? Unbelievable, Dee. 😕

Nevertheless, in situations like those and in moments of poor prayers like the one I prayed for, the extraordinary Holy Spirit activates in us and reminds us what we should pray for. Are we listening so we can stand corrected immediately after? I was. I hope you are too.

I love what Jesus said in John 14:26, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

Let me go into nerd mode for a moment. 🤓 I love how some translations use the word advocate. Do you know what it means? I am glad you asked. The Greek word is paraklētos, and per the Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, it means, in the broadest sense, a helper, succourer, aider, or assistant. 

This is what the Holy Spirit did for me in that prayer and continuously does for us, the believers:

  • He brought to my attention the portion of the Lord’s prayer—the model prayer He taught to His disciples—that reads, “Your will be done.” I must always pray for His will to be done. Not mine. 
  • As our advocate, He leads us to a more profound knowledge of the gospel truth and gives us the divine strength to do the work He has called us to do on behalf of His Kingdom.

If He opened a door, He will provide the divine strength. The only thing I need to do is to deeper my relationship with Him and remain in communion with Him. Then, He will do as He pleases. For His glory and His glory only. I am His hands and feet on the earth.

The same applies to you. Let us remember, we have been DEPLOYED!

Remain steadfast in the faith my friends, brothers and sisters in Christ. The work may be frustrating, tiring, and sometimes disappointing, but OH, the rewards are ETERNAL! Good needs us! Let’s get our armor straight and keep moving! God goes before US!!!

Who says “yes”?

Living His Dreams For Your Life

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Perseverance? I got it. I knock on the next one when one door closes, like an obnoxious child. But sometimes, God knows that in order to take you away from a personal dream, He has to close every door relating to that dream. Yes, that is precisely what happened with my dream of becoming a Special Agent for the FBI.

“God, I can make an impact in the secular world. You want Your children in positions of influence.” That was part of my conversation with God about this particular dream of mine. However, deep down, I wanted prestige, status, and “beaucoup money.” Yes, I am not afraid to say it. God has His ways to make me humble, and I take them. What happened next?

On May 4th, 2015, I failed a polygraph test at the FBI building in Mobile, Alabama—sweet home, Alabama—. The force was not with me that day, for sure—Star Wars fans understand—. One day I will post a blog about the experience of being escorted out of a federal building and feeling like a loser, liar, and criminal. If you identify with an enneagram ONE, you understand how I felt. Add to that a crushed dream. CRUSHED! In a second, mmmm… a nanosecond. You know I despise—hate, detest and condemn— lies if you know me. I did not lie. I will tell you which question I failed. It makes me laugh. 😂🤦‍♀️

One single “Failed” closed the door to the possibility of getting a job in one of the following agencies: Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Reconnaissance Office, the National Security Agency, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Secret Service. Why? Because when you fail a polygraph at one of those agencies—FBI in my case— you cannot apply to any other. At least it was like that back in 2015. I do not have the desire to even look into that today. One FAILED test. ONE!

But guess what? It opened the door for HIS DREAMS! His dreams are God’s dreams for our lives. Those dreams—works—He prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10, John 9:4, 1 Corinthians 15:58). Not to earn or keep our salvation because His salvation is free, and there is NOTHING we can do to earn it—thank you for teaching me that, theology professor—. But to fulfill His good purpose—our mission on earth— (Philippians 2:13).

Again, to shape our character, He allows afflictions. Like Romans 5:3-5 reads, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (NIV)

To conclude, Romans 8:28 is at work in my life! Do you like a good challenge? If you do, find out His dreams for your life and live them! I promise you, you will understand what joy unspeakable means.

Why Did I Do That Again?

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•••Español más adelante•••

Have you ever beaten yourself on the head for stuff you wish you had done differently or not at all? I bet you have if you’re a human. Whether it’s in your marriage, in parenting, as a son/daughter, you can rest in this Word: God is GOOD and FORGIVING, ABOUNDING in STEADFAST LOVE, to whom??????? TO ALL WHO CALL UPON HIM!

No, I’m not yelling at you. I’m just adding emphasis to the most critical parts of the verse, so your brain can grasp it more effectively.

God’s goodness is ABUNDANT, which He has STORED UP; for whom???????? For those who FEAR Him. His goodness He has worked, for whom????? For those who TAKE REFUGE in Him. (Psalm 31:19, ESV)

Do you love Him? Do you fear Him? Do you take refuge in Him? Is He the Lord of your life? Well, you’re 100% guaranteed that He will work everything for good. If you haven’t, bring the stuff you’ve done wrong BOLDLY upon His throne of grace so you may obtain mercy. And He, in His abundant, plentiful, enduring, and satisfying goodness, will restore everything you’ve lost. It doesn’t matter which type of relationship you have lost anything, but HE WILL RESTORE IT, for what????? For His glory!!! It’s not because of who we are, but because of WHO HE IS!! He’s GOOD!!! He’s KIND!!! And He wants us to live life, but to live it ABUNDANTLY!!!

No more beating yourself on the head. Go to Him; He’s GOT YOU!!! ❤️

•••••••••

¿Alguna vez te has golpeado en la cabeza por cosas que desearías haber hecho diferente, o peor aún, que no debiste hacer? Apuesto a que sí, si en realidad eres un humano. Ya sea en tu matrimonio, en la crianza de los hijos, como hijo / hija. Pero puedes descansar en esta Palabra: Dios es BUENO y PERDONADOR, ABUNDANTE en MISERICORDIA, ¿Para quién ??????? ¡PARA CON TODOS LOS QUE LE INVOCAN!

No, no te estoy gritando. Solo estoy agregando énfasis a las partes más importantes del verso bíblico, para que tu cerebro pueda comprenderlo de manera más efectiva.

La bondad de Dios es ABUNDANTE, que ha GUARDADO, ¿Para quién???????? Para los que le TEMEN. Su bondad ha OBRADO, ¿Para quién????? Para los que en Él SE REFUGIAN. (Salmo 31:19, NVI)

¿Lo amas? ¿Eres temeroso? ¿Te refugias en Él? ¿Es Él el Señor de tu vida? Si has contestado afirmativamente, entonces estás 100% garantizado de que Él trabajará todo para bien, a tu favor.

Mas si no lo has hecho, simplemente trae las cosas que has hecho mal, audazmente, ante Su trono de gracia para que puedas obtener misericordia. Y Él, en Su bondad abundante, grande, infinita, duradera y satisfactoria, restaurará todo lo que has perdido. No importa en qué tipo de relación hayas perdido algo, pero EL RESTAURARÁ, ¿Para qué????? Para su gloria !!! ¡No es por lo que somos, sino por QUIÉN ES ÉL! ¡¡¡Él es bueno!!! Él es amable! ¡Y Él quiere que vivamos la vida, pero que la vivamos ABUNDANTEMENTE!

No más golpes en la cabeza. El enemigo quiere que estés ocupado en tus pensamientos de derrota. Pues no, no le des el gusto. Acércate a Dios, ÉL ESTÁ AHÍ PARA TI! ❤️

Growing Up in Church

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Have you ever heard the saying, “Everyone sees who you are but does not know the story?” Well, I have, especially in Spanish. “Todos ven quién eres, pero no conocen la historia.”

I take a lot of pride when someone asks me how long have I known Christ. Why? Because I grew up in church. My mom started taking my brother and me to church when I was around 4 years old. However, growing up in church was difficult, at least for me. Our walk in Christ was based on following rules; it was more about the things we couldn’t do than the things we could do. Things I could not do: Go to the movie theater, wear makeup or jewelry, wear pants, denim skirts, or sleeveless shirts; cut hair short, paint nails, and on, and on, and on. I remember one time, when I was like 15 years old, I wore bangs to my Bible Institute graduation and the pastor asked me to put my bangs back—I have the picture to prove it—. I begrudgingly submitted.

Psalm 1:1 was used to describe why Christians should not do those things, especially going to the movie theater. That Scripture reads, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.” It was the lack of use of hermeneutics that allowed whoever was in charge to set up those rules. Now I know, “context determines meaning.” Thank you, Hermeneutics professor and Manna U. In only 10 months, you have become such a pivotal part of my spiritual (theological understanding) healing.

I stayed in that church until I was 20 years old. I loved God with all my heart, soul, and mind. That means that I wanted to follow every single rule. I did not want to go to Hell and burn for eternity—yes, that was what would happen had I not followed all the rules to a t—. I wanted to be perfect. God wanted perfection—or so I was taught—. That put an enormous pressure on me as I was growing up. I wanted to do everything right regardless of the cost. I was quick to judge my friends who did not follow the rules; there was no gray shades for me; everything was black and white. No grace, only judgment.

Sometimes I would think to myself and rant about it to other people, “why is it that we can’t do this or that but other Christians in other churches can? They look so blessed, joyful, and you can see the love of Jesus flow through them.” They were liberal Christians who would get different rewards when they got to Heaven. Whatever!

When Gabriel was born, Orlando and I decided that we did not want to raise him in that environment. We had enough! We started attending another church and God started teaching new things to us, about His grace and love for us. It has taken 20 years and I still learn new things about God’s grace every day. But I am not where I was—thank you, Lord!—. God has shown me His amazing grace and continues to do. Every. Single. Day.

I no longer live trying to do and be in my own strength. I now ask God to give me the grace to do what He called me to do. I need His grace. His grace is sufficient. Through His grace I am transformed, changed, renewed. Into His likeness. I am “being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18b

This is my story. This is the way I remember it. I do not hold resentment against anyone; my heart has no place for that. And this is the way I choose to share it. On my blog. Unapologetically.

This is the picture I was talking about where I had to put back my bangs

I Am Growing

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If what happened 2 days ago had actually happened 2 years ago, I would have given that person a piece of my mind on behalf of my child. Mama Bear (moi) can be intense! Imagine a bear attacking a human; yes, that would be Dee without Christ in her. Imagine a mama bear defending her cubs; yep, that would be me! But now I do it on my knees. In front of the throne of grace.

People can do some stuff to my 2 boys -some-. The enemy can try. But let me tell you something, and I hope you are the same way or would be the same way if you had children or when you have children. I do not fight the battles of my 2 sons arguing with people. I do not rescue them from their personal and emotional battles, although sometimes I wish I could rescue them, especially from heartbreak and stupid mistakes. I am not a helicopter mom only because I read a book about the consequences of being that type of mom when they were very little. So God protected me from being one.

Nonetheless, I fight my children’s battles. How? Thank you for asking. On my knees, in prayer! One –of many– prayer that I have taped on my bathroom shower door is the prayer Paul prayed for the Colossian Christians in Colossians 1:9-11. I pray:

  • That Gabriel and Japheth may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
  • That Gabriel and Japheth walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
  • That Gabriel and Japheth are strengthened with all power, according to God’s glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.

God’s got them! God’s mighty hand is on them! The Holy Spirit dwells in them! God is growing them through their mistakes -for an enneagram 1 to say that it is a big step, especially since I wanted them to be perfect-! But I learned that there’s beauty in imperfection. And going back to the One who matters, God is transforming them into His likeness.

Therefore, I do not have to worry about what people say about them or to them. Well, I do worry. About what? Again, thank you for asking. I worry about how I am praying and if they are the proper prayers. I stop myself and ask, “Am I praying strategically?”, “Did I lose focus in the prayers I am praying for them?”, “Mmmmm…, do I have to go back to what Scripture says in 1 Thes. 5:17–19?” I ask myself questions like that -and many more- and adjust my prayer sails if necessary.

When we pray to our Heavenly Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, He moves on our behalf! Never, ever, stop praying for your children! Never give up! And PLEASE, do not be one of those parents who say, “God knows what they need; therefore, I do not have to be praying for them without ceasing.” Gosh, what a DUMB comment or way of thinking. To those parents, I am screaming in their ears: 🔊PRAY FOR YOUR CHILDREN!!!! That gives me righteous anger, FOR REAL! The enemy does not sleep, people! The enemy needs to know that you WILL NOT back down when it comes to your children! Moms and dads, I am talking to you; put on the armor of God and PRAY and intercede for your children!

When you are 80-90 years old, sitting in a rocking chair on your front porch, looking at your great-grandchildren playing in your front yard, you will look back and be GLAD that you prayed for your children.

The No Rules Blog (March 26, 2022)

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One of the million things I have learned about myself in recent years is that, when it comes to my writing, if I set extreme expectations, I end up not following through and giving up. Hence why my last post before this one is from 2020, almost 2 years ago. Wow.

Why? I feel that having a blog requires a vast amount of time to plan the content, typing it, reviewing it (in my case, re-reviewing it many times and changing a word or a phrase every single time -yes, my brain is that complicated-), and finally publishing it. Because I usually have a full schedule with working full-time, doing school part-time, being a wife, a mom, a leader, and a person who needs quiet time (away from all the distractions to refresh, recharge, and learn and receive from the Lord), the blog and journaling end up being the first thing I neglect. There you go!

What am I doing about it? Well, I am 40 now. So I am playing by new rules. It is a new decade that my loving Heavenly Father allows me to live -so I plan to enjoy it to the fullest-. Being unapologetically who He called me to be. Not worrying about what people think about me and following a specific set of rules (blog-wise) as readers usually expect. This may be my last blog for the next 5 years or more. Hopefully, that’s not the case since I love blogging so much! It is always on the back of my mind. It’s like a small, tender voice saying, “Dee, you gotta get back to blogging.” So here I am, once again. But now 40. With the new “No Rules Blog.” I am typing about my deepest and most vulnerable feelings and thoughts and putting them out there in hopes of helping someone. I type, God will bring the people who need to read it.

My prayer is always that I can be the person He called me to be. To have the vulnerability He wants me to have when sharing my story so I can help other people struggling with the same crap. Yes, I say crap often thanks to what Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:8. Some translations call it garbage, rubbish, dung, and filth. In the Dee translation, I call it crap. Everything, when compared to the immeasurable joy of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, is crap. Nothing else matters in my life -education, a well-paid job I had in IT, status, house, cars, prestige, etc.- than having Jesus as my Lord and Savior. He called me to be bold, to stand up and fight for what is right, to love EVERYONE regardless of their spiritual, physical, and psychological condition.

God did not call me to assess someone’s situation, and if they are worth to love, to love them. NOPE! He called me to love my neighbor as myself. And I love myself WAY TOO MUCH! Why? Because Christ lives in me! Because He created me. Before, I used to think I was being prideful for loving myself too much. But hey, I AM 40 NOW! More mature, bold, and sassy! In a good way, of course. And if my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, I gotta love my temple and do my best for it to be one where God finds excellence! No matter the cost, the tears, and the stubbornness. IT MUST BE EXCELLENT because Christ lives in me!

Enough for today. I am getting passionate. That is who I am, a passionate woman. For God first, for the things of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, my husband, boys, parents, brothers and sisters in Christ, pastors, church family, unborn, and for everyone fighting injustice, for the oppressed souls. Yes, I am passionate! Unapologetically passionate! This is my blog. This is my space. This is where I can open up more than I do on social media. This is an oasis for people dealing with crap and trying to become better. Trying to walk in God’s purpose for their life. If you are like me, join me in my journey! We will learn together. I am here for you, and if you read my long posts, that means you are here for me! We will grow together. For God’s glory. To move forward His Kingdom!

Introduction Book Grace by Max Lucado

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According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, grace is defined as follows:

  • Unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification.
  • A virtue coming from God.
  • A state of sanctification enjoyed through divine assistance.
  • Approval, favor.
  • Mercy, pardon.
  • A special favor: privilege.
  • Disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency.

According to the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, when used to refer of divine grace toward mankind, it refers to the undeserved favor of God in providing salvation to those deserving condemnation. In the more specific Christian sense, it speaks of the saving activity of God that is manifested in the gift of his Son to die in the place of sinners.

The New Testament (NT) word for grace is the Greek charis. It is used approximately 150 times in the NT. The vast majority appear in the Pauline letters with a wide range of meanings.

Paul’s most frequent and theologically significant use of charis is to refer to the grace of God. Twenty-five times he uses the expressions “grace of God” or “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” There is no intended difference in the expressions. On one occasion he combines the terms with the expression “the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:12 HCSB). Commonly he refers to “His grace,” which has either God or Christ as its antecedent. For Paul, the grace of God is not so much a timeless attribute as an activity of God. It is the redeeming activity of God that manifests itself in the redemptive work of Christ by which sinners are forgiven and accepted by God. In Paul’s thought, the grace of God is necessary because of man’s total inability to do anything to save himself and because of man’s unworthiness to be saved. Paul’s use of grace to refer to the undeserved nature of God’s salvation was particularly illustrated by his own experience. His former life as a persecutor of Christians caused him to have a profound sense of his own unworthiness. It was only because of the grace of God that Christ appeared to him, changed him, and appointed him to be an apostle (1 Cor. 15:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:12-14).

Paul’s sense of grace was so pervasive that he refers to it at the beginning and end of every one of his letters. For him, the Christian life is summed up in the grace of God. Salvation from beginning to end is all of grace. There can be no mixture of grace and works, or else it would not be grace (Rom. 11:6-7). Grace is synonymous with the gospel of Christ, and to depart from it is to turn to a false gospel (Gal. 1:6). It was the grace of God that planned salvation for sinners in eternity past before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4; 2 Tim. 1:9). It was grace that provided salvation in the historical death of Christ (Rom. 3:24). It is grace that enables one to appropriate salvation, for it calls one to salvation, reveals Christ, and even gives faith which is the condition of salvation (Gal. 1:6, 15; Eph. 2:8 -9; Phil. 1:29). It is the grace of God that calls and equips one for service in the Christian life (Rom. 15:15-16; 1 Cor. 3:10). Very much like Luke in Acts, Paul speaks of God’s grace as a power, almost as a person. The grace of God was something that was with him, produced labor, humility, godliness, and sustained him in times of difficulty (1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 1:12; 12:7-10). Everything, therefore, from first to last is of grace.

In the General Epistles and Revelation, charis appears 24 times, most of them in Hebrews and 1 Peter. It has the full range of meanings found in the Pauline letters, the Gospels, and Acts. In Hebrews, grace is related to the atoning death of Christ (2:9). It is grace that allows us to come to God boldly for “help in time of need” (4:16). It is grace that strengthens the heart of the believer by which he is equipped with everything good to do the will of God (13:5). It is used in the secular sense of “thanksgiving” or “gratitude” in Hebrews 12:28. In James, grace is used to refer to a power given to the humble to resist the devil and avoid spiritual adultery (4:6-7). In the Petrine letters, grace has its source in God (1 Pet. 5:10) and has a manifold nature (1 Pet. 4:10). Peter equates grace with salvation and, like Paul, sees salvation as grace from beginning to end. It was prophesied by the prophets, fulfilled by the sufferings of Christ, applied to people by a sovereign calling (1 Pet. 1:10-11; 5:10), and equips believers to serve (1 Pet. 4:10-11 ). All believers stand in a grace relationship with God, both men and women (1 Pet. 5:12; 3:7). The way to avoid being led astray by Satan into unfaithfulness is to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). Charis is found only in the closing verses of Revelation. However, the NT closes very appropriately with a benediction of grace (Rev. 22:21).

In Max Lucado’s book Grace, he exhorts us to see the word grace as a verb, not a noun. Grace is not something that already exists, but something that has to be acted upon.

We receive grace through the sacrifice of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Therefore, we can extend it to others through kindness, forgiveness, understanding, mercy, and favor.

Introducción Libro Gracia por Max Lucado

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Según la Real Academia Española (RAE), gracia se define así:

  • Don o favor que se hace sin merecimiento particular; concesión gratuita.
  • Perdón o indulto.
  • Afabilidad y buen modo en el trato con las personas.

Según el Diccionario Bíblico Ilustrado Holman, cuando se usa para referirse a la gracia divina hacia la humanidad, se refiere al favor inmerecido de Dios al proporcionar salvación a quienes merecen la condenación. En el sentido cristiano más específico, habla de la actividad salvífica de Dios que se manifiesta en el don de su Hijo de morir en lugar de los pecadores.

En el Nuevo Testamento (NT), la palabra gracia viene del griego charis. Usada aproximadamente 150 veces en el NT. La gran mayoría aparece en las cartas paulinas con una gran variedad de significados.

El uso más frecuente y teológicamente significativo de charis por Pablo es para referirse a la gracia de Dios. Veinticinco veces usa las expresiones “gracia de Dios” o “gracia de nuestro Señor Jesucristo”. No hay ninguna diferencia intencionada en las expresiones. En una ocasión, combina los términos con la expresión “la gracia de nuestro Dios y del Señor Jesucristo” (2 Tes. 1:12 HCSB). Comúnmente se refiere a “Su gracia“, que tiene a Dios o a Cristo como antecedente. Para Pablo, la gracia de Dios no es tanto un atributo atemporal como una actividad de Dios. Es la actividad redentora de Dios que se manifiesta en la obra redentora de Cristo por la cual los pecadores son perdonados y aceptados por Dios. En el pensamiento de Pablo, la gracia de Dios es necesaria debido a la total incapacidad del hombre para hacer algo para salvarse a sí mismo y debido a la indignidad del hombre para ser salvo. El uso de la gracia por parte de Pablo para referirse a la naturaleza inmerecida de la salvación de Dios fue ilustrado particularmente por su propia experiencia. Su vida anterior como perseguidor de cristianos le hizo tener un profundo sentido de su propia indignidad. Fue solo por la gracia de Dios que Cristo se le apareció, lo cambió y lo nombró apóstol (1 Cor. 15:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:12-14).

El sentido de la gracia de Pablo era tan penetrante que se refiere a ella al principio y al final de cada una de sus cartas. Para él, la vida cristiana se resume en la gracia de Dios. La salvación desde el principio hasta el final es toda gracia. No puede haber mezcla de gracia y obras, de lo contrario no sería gracia (Rom. 11:6-7). La gracia es sinónimo del evangelio de Cristo, y apartarse de él es volverse hacia un evangelio falso (Gál. 1:6). Fue la gracia de Dios la que planeó la salvación para los pecadores en la eternidad pasada antes de la fundación del mundo (Ef. 1:4; 2 Ti. 1:9). Fue la gracia la que proporcionó la salvación en la muerte histórica de Cristo (Rom. 3:24). Es la gracia la que le permite a uno apropiarse de la salvación, porque lo llama a uno a la salvación, revela a Cristo e incluso da la fe que es la condición de la salvación (Gál. 1:6, 15; Ef. 2:8-9; Fil. 1:29). Es la gracia de Dios la que llama y equipa a uno para el servicio en la vida cristiana (Rom. 15:15-16; 1 Cor. 3:10). Al igual que Lucas en Hechos, Pablo habla de la gracia de Dios como un poder, casi como una persona. La gracia de Dios era algo que estaba con él, le produjo trabajo, humildad, piedad y lo sostuvo en tiempos de dificultad (1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 1:12; 12:7-10). Todo, por tanto, desde el principio hasta el fin, es por gracia.

En las Epístolas Generales y Apocalipsis, charis aparece 24 veces, la mayoría de ellas en Hebreos y 1 Pedro. Tiene toda la gama de significados que se encuentran en las cartas paulinas, los Evangelios y Hechos. En Hebreos, la gracia está relacionada con la muerte expiatoria de Cristo (2:9). Es la gracia la que nos permite acercarnos a Dios con valentía en busca de “ayuda en tiempos de necesidad” (4:16). Es la gracia que fortalece el corazón del creyente por el cual está equipado con todo lo bueno para hacer la voluntad de Dios (13:5). Se usa en el sentido secular de “acción de gracias” o “gratitud” en Hebreos 12:28. En Santiago, la gracia se usa para referirse a un poder otorgado a los humildes para resistir al diablo y evitar el adulterio espiritual (4:6-7). En las letras petrinas, la gracia tiene su fuente en Dios (1 Pedro 5:10) y tiene una naturaleza múltiple (1 Pedro 4:10). Pedro equipara la gracia con la salvación y, como Pablo, ve la salvación como gracia desde el principio hasta el final. Fue profetizado por los profetas, cumplido por los sufrimientos de Cristo, aplicado a la gente por un llamamiento soberano (1 Pedro 1:10-11; 5:10), y equipa a los creyentes para servir (1 Pedro 4:10-11). Todos los creyentes mantienen una relación de gracia con Dios, tanto hombres como mujeres (1 Pedro 5:12; 3:7). La manera de evitar ser engañado por Satanás hacia la infidelidad es “crecer en la gracia y el conocimiento de nuestro Señor y Salvador Jesucristo” (2 Pedro 3:18). Charis se encuentra solo en los versículos finales de Apocalipsis. Sin embargo, el Nuevo Testamento cierra muy apropiadamente con una bendición de gracia (Ap. 22:21).

En el libro Gracia de Max Lucado, éste nos exhorta a ver la palabra gracia como un verbo, no un sustantivo. Gracia no es algo que existe y ya, sino algo que se tiene que accionar.

Recibimos gracia a través del sacrificio del Hijo de Dios, Jesucristo. Por lo tanto, podemos otorgarla a otros mediante la bondad, perdón, comprensión, misericordia y favor.

My Family

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“In the home where there is a brave father and a wise mother, there is an indestructible strength.” Anonymous

Hello! First of all, welcome to our blog! My name is Dee and I am the mother and the wife. I am very happy that you have visited us. Giving Freely began on September 12, 2020. Long before then, I had considered blogging. Well, I had one blog called Nuestra Familia, Nuestro Blog in 2014. Having a blog is a way to fulfill the desire I’ve always had to write. Thank you for taking from your valuable time to read us.

About Moi:

1. I was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, where I lived until I was 12 years old, and then from 18 to 20 years old. I have also lived in the following places:

  • Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
  • Huntsville, Alabama
  • Kitzingen, Germany
  • Wichita Falls, Texas
  • Fort Rucker, Alabama
  • Phenix City, Alabama
  • And now in South Carolina

2. At the age of 4, I suffered from nephrotic syndrome. It is a medical condition in which the kidneys allow protein to leak into the urine. Because of that, I was admitted to the hospital for about a month.

3. I have a master’s degree in Information Technology (IT), Information Assurance and Security.

4. I have worked in the areas of customer service, real estate, IT, and lately as a teacher (bilingual and substitute).

5. Since May 2018, my husband and I have been on the ketogenic diet, also known as Keto.

6. I’m not perfect and my grammar isn’t perfect either.

The Three Men of my Life:

Enough about me. Now I have to talk about the men who have the key to my heart: a king and two princes, the three loves of my life. I am in love and will be for the rest of my life!

My husband, the papa bear, is an exceptional man, who above all things loves God. He is meek, humble, loving, patient; a gift from God for my life and for the lives of our children. We met when I was in middle school and have been inseparable ever since. He is without a doubt the man that God separated for me, my best friend, my confidant. But he is not the only man in my life …

… Because he has to share me with two others: my princes. With the big freckled one and the one with green eyes. Gabriel Andrés (18 years old) and Japheth (14 years old) are the fruit of our love, our treasures. Since they were both born, they have filled us with great happiness. Gabe is outgoing, comical, and sociable. He enjoys learning about various subjects, reading, watching movies, and playing World of Warcraft, among others. Japheth, on the other hand, is kind, curious, and detailed. He enjoys watching YouTube videos, taking electronics apart (as his father did when he was that age) and putting them back together, and playing video games. They are both different, but with charming qualities. We never get bored with them because they always have something interesting or funny to say.

Anyway, that’s us, although maybe it’s more than you wanted to know about our family.