Everyday Miracles
Lora Armendariz
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Miracles Happen Everyday

God daily shows us how special we are and how much He loves us.  Join me as I write about how my life and the lives of other people who have been touched by God's grace.

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Old Mexico

1/15/2014

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I remember the first time I went to Mexico.  I went down to visit my husband's family.  We were only dating then.  It was before all the problems with the drug cartels and the little border town was alive and swinging. But, back then, on the arm of my boyfriend and armed with only basic Spanish phrases, going into Old Mexico was terrifying for me. 

It was a situation marinated in discomfort.  I didn't know the language.  I didn't understand the culture.  I was young, shy, and worried about impressing an extended family that might someday become my in-laws. 

That trip was a total of three days and seemed to last a lifetime. 

I've went back a few times since then, and each time I've felt more relaxed and a bit more comfortable.  But nothing compared to this last trip that we took back in December.

It was... to put it in one word... beautiful.  My husband's family was going down to visit and to do some work on a ranch.  Since I had the little one to look after I opted to stay only a few days.  But it was definitely a precious experience.  My daughter got to meet her great grandmother and spend lots of time with aunts, uncles, and cousins.  When it came time for me to return to the states I realized that there had been no discomfort, no worries, no fear or thoughts of being insufficient.  I had been happy.

What changed?  My husbands family had undergone no earth-shattering transformations.  The were the same sweet, welcoming people that I've known for years.  The little Mexican town was altered, of course, there were new modern stores and other examples of progress on its bright-colored streets.  But that didn't account for just how different I felt this time compared all the times before.

I knew though what made this visit so different... it was me.  It was a shift in my motives and thoughts.  That first time I'd come down all I thought about was me.  I thought about how I liked the food, how strange the culture was to me.  I worried about whether I was liked or accepted by by his family.  All negative and all self-centered.

But this time, this time the trip was not about me at all.  I thought about other things, like how precious it was that my husband's grandmother got to meet her great granddaughter.  I thought about how sweet it was to share dinner with an aunt and uncle and laugh with them when my little girl ate multiple homemade tortillas.  I thought about how blessed my family was to be able to come there. 

How much a person can change in eight years is incredible.  But, I think all my best changes have come from God.  Every time I've struggled, every time I've taken on challenges, every time I've allowed faith to reign instead of fear I've been changed.  Surely, I am thankful for every time God takes out his tools of change and goes to work on my heart and soul. 

Photo by medea_material


Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 
2 Corinthians 5:17
What have you experienced in life that has altered your heart?
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Living in the Now

12/9/2013

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Okay, it is THAT time of the year.  Yes, we are all wonderfully excited to celebrate the birth of Jesus and His wonderful gift to us.  But, from Thanksgiving to New Year's day, life piles on the stress.  Hold on, breathe, and remember... God never means for us to live with constant planning and worry in our heads. He wants us to trust Him and to live in the moment. 

My holiday season was jump-started with my little girl having surgery, preparing an early Thanksgiving dinner for our Australian
friends, and then packing to go back to the States. 

I got on that
plane and had to remind myself to breathe and let God have it all.  It was a hard trip.

Oh, how I dearly wanted someone else to take her off my hands.  When it was all said and done, getting from our friend's house in Tumbarumba, Australia to my sister's house in the States meant that I was on Mommy duty 24 hours straight with almost no sleep.  Yes, my husband was there to hold her and do all those amazing things that got us through security and on the right airplane, but she was still very scared and stressed from her surgery and mostly only wanted her mom's arms. 

For days, no, weeks, before this, I had gotten not even a single night of complete sleep.  I had reached that ultimate depth of sleep-deprivation that I hadn't felt since Adela was a newborn.  However, if I wasn't thinking about how tired I was or worrying about how I was going to get Adela used to a new time zone, life seemed so much more manageable.  I made my mind focus on things like:  I love the feeling of her sleeping on my shoulder.  or  I'm so happy that she is ok simply playing between our legs.  or  How blessed we are that we are getting to go home to our families for the holidays.
 
But, it was definitely a battle.  Several times I started to get angry and frustrated.  I would angrily scream inside my head that I just wanted to be alone for 15 minutes so I could feel sane again.  But those thoughts did absolutely nothing for me.  I knew that having the right mindset was more important than anything else in the world.

It was truly a miracle that I arrived with a smile on my face and still had a heart full of kind feeling and a mind full of warm thoughts. 

But that was God.  That was all Him.  That was all Him working through me as He trained me to live where He placed me...to live in the now. 


Lets let Him have our every moment this Holiday season.  Let us embrace this time that is usually packed to the brim with whatever life throws at us and have a heart that lives in the now and enjoys the beauty of every moment.

God Bless you all.  Happy Holidays!


Photo by epSos.de



Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer

Psalm 19:14
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Zoom, Zoom!!

11/11/2013

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Have you ever ran a race?  Trained for one?  I have and I loved it.  You know, I'm not really that competitive either.  The fun for me was the motivation, the excitement, and the comradeship as I trained and prepared to reach my goals.  It seemed that once I found a group of people all excitedly aiming towards that finish line that I was no longer alone as I worked out and stayed fit.  Those few months I felt physically better than I ever have.

Even right now, as I take on the task of writing a novel in month as part of National Novel Writing Month, I have a group of people with the same goals and dreams.  We talk about our novels, write each other messages, call each other to check on progress and get each other over obstacles.  Once again, this comradeship has gave me motivation and excitement to type closer to my goals.  Zoom! Zoom!


Recently, God has powerfully shown me how important fellowship is.  This concept I have always shrugged off when it came to my spiritual walk.  That is embarrassing to realize, but I always thought that my relationship with God was purely between myself and Him and that involving other people in this aspect of my life was optional.  I'm an introvert so this decision was easy to make.  I'm refreshed and renewed by time alone so time alone with God made extra sense.

Then, my husband and I came to stay with a friend here in New South Wales.  Our friend goes to a tiny church in a very small town and invited us to join him.  I enthusiastically agreed.  I love the music in church, the worship, the sermons and I figured it would be a nice change from my solitary daily devotionals and listening to KLOVE as I clean the house.

But, my expectations weren't what God had in mind at all.  Because when I stepped into that church I experienced something else--something precious and irreplaceable...fellowship.  Sitting next to me, greeting my family and I, and singing with heart-felt praise were fellow Christians. 

I'd forgotten.  With all the traveling we have done and the years of living in isolated areas, I'd forgotten that church is not just the singing and the sermons, church is about comradeship.  Being in church is joining a group of people who are excited about God, ready to motivate others, and encourage each other in their walk of faith. 

Fellowship.  It is so amazingly powerful, so expressively beautiful. 

My dad, being a rancher, has a phrase he uses often, "People are herd animals".  We are.  I'm not saying that we need to be with others.  I'm saying that the power of a group of people headed in the same direction is a force to be reckoned with, a force that can change lives. 

We only have a few more weeks here and then we'll have to move on and leave this group behind, but the experience has been amazing for me and I know now that having and being part of a church is very important and powerful in our walks with God. 

So, from here on out, I intend on seeking out and surrounding myself with those fellow Christians because I know that the motivation and excitement of running a race with others is so much more powerful than ru


Photo by Danielle Walquist Lynch

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Hebrews 12:1
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Idols.....Really?!

10/27/2013

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I had no idea.  I'm very careful about this, so very careful.  After all, it is the most important commandment to love God with all your heart and all your mind and all your soul and to have no other idols before Him.

Oh, but I did.  The Devil crept in sneakily and placed a nasty little seed that grew and grew.  And it seemed so benign at the time, it even felt like I must be a good person for feeling it.  Do you know what it was?  Guilt.  Nasty-little-you-should-be-doing-better guilt. 

Okay, my husband and I have been traveling abroad for years now.  When I evaluate it objectively and pray about it, I always know that this is God's path for us.  Sure, I remind myself that we won't always be skiing the Andes and scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef.  At any moment life can change and take us in a different direction.  It will be fine as long as we are careful to listen to God's voice.

But, even though I love my life, exhilarate with each beautiful experience and each precious life that touches us, here lately I've felt worry, doubt, and guilt cloud my heart.  Because, there are people whom I love deeply who I'm not helping by being away from them.  And so the evil thoughts grew.  I stopped listening to God's voice and started praying for what I wanted.  I wanted to fix my life so that all my ducks were in a row, everyone was happy, and I wasn't doing anything wrong.  And if and whenever I quieted my fervent prayers long enough to hear His voice He kept telling me, "Your place is with your husband.  You are where I want you to be."  Over and over he would reassure me but my worry fought him, my guilt started to drown out his reassurances, and then came the horrid nightmares tormenting me even in my sleep.

Then, it happened.  Yesterday, we were driving to church.  The sun was shining on the surreal green hills of Tumbarumba, the little town where we are staying.  I looked out the window and the beauty of it all took my breath away.  Yet, running on the heals of that joy was a wave a guilt and those prayers started again.  "God, show me how to help my loved ones.  Create a path for me that will allow me to serve them.  Please God."  His reply came quietly, with peace.

You're place is with your husband.  You are his helpmate.  This is where I've placed you.

"Oh, but God, show me how to help my loved ones.  Help me to help them." 

And then came words brilliant, clear and chastising.  And, so, so, simple. 

I am your Master.

The words of my Heavenly Father--perfect in their simplicity.  Those four words showed me how I tugged and pulled and rejected His will for me with every worry and guilt-filled thought and prayer.  The well-being of my loved ones had become an object between me and God. 

Ouch.  And I think I even felt proud that I was thinking of loved ones and cared about them.  How sneaky of the Devil to take a seed of guilt and make it grow into a valley of thorns between me and God. 

So, I'm changing my prayers.  I'm changing my thoughts.  I'm slowly clearing away the thorns and that means I must let God have the well-being and happiness of my family. I'm putting them in His capable hands.  I belong to God and He will use me as He will. 


My heart sings an old Hymn this Monday morning, "Have thine own way, Lord.  Have thine own way.  You are the potter.  I am the clay.  Mold me and make me, after thy will.  'Till I am waiting, yielded and still."

I can't wait to call my parents and tell them how much I love them.  Now I can say it without feeling guilty.  I can call my siblings and tell them how beautiful and amazing are their lives...they don't need me.  God has them.  God loves them.  He's watching over us all.

Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Search me and try me, Savior today! Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now, as in thy presence humbly I bow.
Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Wounded and weary, help me I pray! Power, all power, surely is thine! Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Hold o'er my being absolute sway. Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see Christ only, always, living in me!
Have Thine Own Way, Lord
Adelaide A. Pollard, 1862-1934
Photo by Walter Stoneburner
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Franks and Beans

10/24/2013

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Day 1:  My little girl is crying...no, screaming in the back seat while my husband frustratingly tries to find a a place to camp.  I was shaking the GPS and punching buttons on it as if it surely had all the answers.  We finally find a crowded and cramped RV park.  Then while my husband set up our tents, I try to keep a tired toddler who has been sitting all day off the roads while simultaneously organizing our amazing mess of boxes and bags. 

Leaving Cairns and the comfort of our friends' home, we decided to drive a day and find a place to camp out until we moved on.  We could make our trip down south as long or short as we wanted, it was all up to us.  We imagined setting up our tents right next to the beach in a quiet deserted area...no one but us and the sea.

When we start something big, most of us picture what we think will happen in our minds.  We might have high hopes and a bright outlook or we might be consumed with fear and worry.  For me and our two-week vacation camping out on Australia's beaches I had a little of both the bright and dark expectations.  And that first day felt like a disaster.

Finally, I got Adela to go to sleep after spending thirty minutes rubbing her back (something we never do since she usually goes to sleep on her own).  My husband already had our single-pot meal heated and my chair seated cozily next to his.  He told me "Relax. Sit down." And all I wanted to do was find some corner of the world where I could be alone.  At that moment--tired, frustrated, and with low blood-sugar--I was so upset that I wasn't amazingly happy.  What happened to vacation?  What happened to blue skies and happy toddlers playing on the beach?  We were surrounded by motor homes, tents, and streets.  I couldn't see the beach at all. 
 
God, please help me to be happy, I prayed.  And even as I let the words escape me, I realized how horribly self-centered my thoughts had become as we'd encountered stress that day. 

You see, happiness is a choice.  People are always saying that we are surrounded by God's blessing and yes, we are, but we have to choose to let those things fill our vision of life. 

I took a deep breath and walked to my waiting chair and changed my prayer, God, Thank you for my husband, for my little family, and for this time we get to share together.  I sipped a cold drink, ate a bowl of frank and beans (LOL) and the world suddenly looked rosier.  My husband said that tomorrow we would find that perfect spot on the beach and that for now he was grateful that we'd gotten a good day of travel under our belts. 

So, that was how vacation started.  It wasn't all fun and games.  We had to learn to find our happiness beyond the many days of driving, the toddler teething (all four canines and one molar), and tearing down and setting up our tents and shades and organizing camping gear. 

I still look back at the first day and am amazed at how close I came to proclaiming our vacation to be very-near a torturous experience with nothing to enjoy.  Honestly, that attitude was horribly shameful since I know my blessings abound.


Thank you, God!



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God Put Me on Vacation

10/14/2013

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All I can think is that God truly wants me to have a vacation.  For all those that follow my blog and subscribe to my newsletter...my computer died and I'm living out of a tent while we explore Australia's beautiful coast.  All my writing has been put on hold until God shows me its time again. 
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The Artist's Signature

10/2/2013

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Do you ever question His existence?  Or perhaps, simply the idea of creation?  I think, that for the people who have doubts they need only gaze upon a natural wonder to see God. 

My husband and I love scuba diving.  We got our certification over six years ago and spent days exploring the reefs off Jamaica.  So, of course, when our travels took us to Cairns in Australia we decided to dive the Great Barrier Reef.  In one day we did two dives and after we emptied our air tanks spent the rest of our time snorkeling. 

I looked at the beautiful colors, the glorious creatures great and small, and thought to myself, "God is an artist."  So many exquisite colors, textures, light, movement, and shadows collided together in a great dance of life.  The place is filled with great joy, a brilliant celebration of beauty.  What majesty is seen there!  And suddenly I didn't even care how He did it.  All the theories of big bangs and evolution became meaningless because what I saw simply miraculous.  It was like gazing upon an amazing work of art, knowing that what you saw was purely beautiful and I felt like I could see His brush strokes in the glorious colors, see His hands in the awesome textures, see His grace in each precious life. 

I thanked Him, my eyes moist with the feeling of awe filling my chest.  I thanked Him for leaving behind His signature on the Earth.  We see His work everywhere and especially in undefiled nature.  The Great Barrier Reef was completely incredible. 


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Taking You All to the Beach Today

9/24/2013

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If my heart could giggle with excitement, it would be doing that right now as I get bags ready for the beach.  We went down there a couple days ago and I realized I'd completely forgotten the sensation of warmth and playfulness that each cresting wave brings up to the sand.  The water was perfect and I couldn't stop smiling.  Stress melted away and a glorious hope filled my heart. 

So now we're off again and planning to spend as much time as possible on these Australian beaches during our travels.  We have sandwiches and fruit ready for eating at midday even though we really, simply, want to fill a few hours with memories and fun. 

What a blessing!  This time, this opportunity, our health, the beautiful weather, and the glorious countryside all seem to combine together and beckon us to fill our hearts with this precious gift from God. 

I think I'll take you all with me today.  I'll think of the mothers, the workers, the stressed, the grieving, the lost, the lonely, the hopeful, the courageous......all God's children, and I'll pray for God to send you warmth and happiness today.  So, keep an eye out for it.  God's blessings are around every corner.

And, arriving with each cresting wave. 

Photo by Kay Adams

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Java Joy

9/21/2013

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This morning my cup of instant coffee felt like luxury.  Yet a few days ago the exact same Nestle brew had only been a life-line to sanity, a mechanism used to cope.  This morning my little family woke in the home our new friends, ate breakfast, laughed, and marveled at that feeling...vacation. 

We left the outback and made our way up north to the beautiful city of Cairns.  We watched as the rugged wildness of the desert land transformed into exotic greenery as we drove to the coast.  Cairns is so gorgeous it almost feels unreal.  Everyone has flowering trees in their yards and even parking lots are meticulously cultivated and clean.


I've decided that indeed it is vacation time.  Even I need some time of rest.  So, for the moment, I'm putting away my novels and I'm going to forget about character development and plot progression.  I'm going to live.  I'm going to fill my heart and soul with memories of this beautiful place and the miraculous friends who invited us to share their home during our stay. 

And, I laughed at myself this morning.  I poured that cup of instant coffee, doctored it with milk and sugar, and tucked my feet underneath me, savoring each sip.  I didn't even check my e-mail or make a single click on Facebook until a few minutes ago.  I'm viewing life through the lenses of someone whose only "job" right now is to enjoy, rest, and refill.  Even helping with the dishes was joyful tonight, laughing and talking with the sweet lady who has already stole the heart of my little toddling girl. 

God is SO GOOD.  God is SO GREAT.  I have been told that God, as our Father in Heaven, truly seeks to bless us, to provide for us, to bring our lives joy. 

So thank you, God, for providing my heart, body, and soul a time of rest.  Help me to remmber to enjoy to the fullest all the wonderful things you have provided for me in my life. 


Photo by Comedy Nose

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Closing Time

9/17/2013

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I hear "Closing Time" in my head as I get out the bags and boxes and begin to sift through my life.  I long ago stopped thinking of moving as a time to dread, perhaps I've done it too much.  We came here with three duffle bags...all and everything we should truly need for the next year.  But, we've accumulated much more in the last 6 months.  I took out the 3 duffle bags this morning and began to look at what we had.

This used to scare me.  I remember when I went to Argentina I stuffed 4 dufflebags plumb full of clothes, books, miscilaneous items that I just knew I wouldn't be able to do without...and they were all just for me.  Perhaps half or more of what I took to that country got left behind.  I didn't need them and didn't have room for them when we left.  And you know what? When I left those things behind I felt no sense of loss, only liberation.  I wouldn't have to carry them around or keep track of them anymore for they were no longer mine.

Moving.  Packing.  Throwing away junk.  Preparing for a journey.  I am doing it all and I hear in my head the words to that song "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

Those endings come with sadness, they always do.  When you leave behind friends in another country you know there will be little chance of returning and seeing them again until you meet them in Heaven.  We all say, "We'll see you again.  We'll visit."  But the words are said to ease the pain of parting.  These are all people who held by baby when she was little and got to watch her take some of her first steps as she learned to walk.  These are people who filled our lives with conversation and friendship even though we were foreign. 

I know I will make new friends and with God's strength I look toward new beginnings with interest and excitement.  I begin to fill up the three duffle bags, leaving behind the items that aren't necessary, trusting that along the way our needs will be provided for.  God always does that, you see, and the more I trust in him and stop my worried planning, I find contentment and peace. 

So, when the last zipper is closed and the bags placed by the door, I say a little prayer for me, for my little family, and I also ask God to be with all the other people who preparing for their own new beginnings.  Hoping that we all will be given wisdom to know what should be left behind and have faith in the things that He will provide. 






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    Lora is a Christian writer, wife, and mother who travels the world with her husband, living and working on ranches.

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