Search

Cheryl Mendoza

How He speaks to me…..Or… can't He just call my cell when He wants to talk?

Open Search
Tag

Encouragement

A Study in Pink – Michelle 

So you know when you think you know someone, and then you realize that you’ve just scratched the surface? Well, that’s what happened when I got together with Michelle for another entry in “A Study in Pink”.

Michelle Dove is the Head Start/Child Development Director for Kings Community Action Organization. While her title sounds pretty fancy, it all started in the simplest of ways. She was a mom, coming to a new town when her husband was stationed at NAS Lemoore. She was a stay at home mom, but soon she started watching children from other families. It was then she pursued being certified as a family childcare provider. That simple step, was the beginning of a path that would see her change her educational focus and eventually bring her to something that is so much more than a just a career.

Continue reading “A Study in Pink – Michelle “ →

0

Out of balance…

images-3Balance has been on my mind.  Some of it has to do with the political news, some with my life, but I decided to write about it because of a news story about the Wallenda family.

You know who they are?  The crazy people on the high wire, that for over 95 years have thrilled and scared  the …well you know what….out of people.  All at the same time!  This week while they were practicing for a show in Florida, they attempted an eight person pyramid.  I say attempted, because they didn’t complete the stunt, as one of the performers lost their balance and fell.  Some wereimages-2 hurt, and thankfully all will recover.  As soon as this horrific event happened, they immediately started looking for a cause.  The most likely culprit was the rigging, and it was the first thing they checked, but they discovered it wasn’t the rigging.  They determined that it was the most simple, yet most important thing in an aerial act.  Balance.

One of the performers lost their balance.  It may have been a little, or a lot?  I have a feeling though, in that kind of stunt it doesn’t matter.   On the high wire, it’s all about balance.  As I read the account of the fall, I thought it was pretty good word picture.  Life it seems is all about balance.

 Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.  Daniel 1:20 NLT Continue reading “Out of balance…” →

0

Once a foreigner…..

t715-00280657I have been sick for the past two weeks, and have found it hard to sit and write for extended periods of time.  So for some reason, this previous blog post popped into my head, and I decided to share it today.  I am hoping the coughing ends soon, but I think this blog post helps me remember who God wants me to be in these very noisy days.

 

During the week, I sat down with my husband and watched a PBS special on “Italian Americans”.  Being one myself, I was interested to watch the story of the Italian immigrants who started to come to this county in the late 1800’s.  Those who came to America faced prejudice, racism and a hard life in the midst of the industrial revolution.  They came though, for a better life!  While it was a hard road, they travelled it with their families, community and their faith.       I totally enjoyed the program, but I was not really encouraged by it until Saturday.  That was when I took some time to study for our Sunday lesson.

As I read through the story of the ten lepers that Jesus heals, I was struck by the one who came back to thank him.  He was a Samaritan, a foreigner.  In the Bible account, he is the only one who comes back and gives praise to God.  It is interesting that the author of the story points out the difference of his nationality.  I believe that may speak to the prejudice in Jesus’ own time.  It is the same prejudice that affected my forefathers, and the same prejudice I see affecting people today.  It was in that connection, that I heard the quiet whisper of encouragement.

What was so encouraging about seeing that prejudice has not gone away?  Well it was Jesus example.  Instead of bypassing those who were different, He chose to heal and forgive.   He did not pay attention to the prejudice of the day whether it was based on race, nationality, sin, religion or class.   Jesus looked past all these things to the actual person.  It was exciting, even liberating.  For me, it showed a freedom to ignore the classifications that society puts on people.  The freedom to treat everyone as if they were just like me, because they are, even if they don’t seem like it.    That is the freedom that Jesus gives us.  To accept the foreigner as if he were family.

And yes….that is the manifest for my Great Grandfather when he came to this country in 1898.  

 

 

3

Eat, Rest and Seek

So my son called last night.  He calls when things are really good, or when they are really stressful.  So last night’s call was because of stress.  It has to do with his living situation and some from his job, so he was calling for some encouragement and direction.  Funny thing was, I gave him the same advice that I always do.  Why?  It is the only thing that works for me, and he is my son, and the apple don’t fall far from the tree.  Lord help him!  So what did I tell him?  Do good things for yourself! 

IMG_3126 When I mean good things, I am always talking about the same three things.  Rest, food and some spiritual nourishment.  It is amazing what I can handle when I am fed, rested and got some God in me.  Likewise, when I am low on those three, it is amazing to see what I cannot handle.  Even the simplest of days become too hard to handle.  It is scary how weak I can actually be?  Continue reading “Eat, Rest and Seek” →

3

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑