The Jimenez Family

Easter usually catches me a bit off guard.

Maybe because I am counting down the days till the end of school.

Maybe because the date of Easter changes every year.

Maybe because the weather around me doesn't seem to correlate with the correct season.

Maybe because Spring seems to be synonymous with busy.

Whatever the case may be...I usually remember that Easter is coming...and scramble to put something together for the kids to do to in remembrance.

Not this year.

I was determined to have a week long of activities that kept our minds engaged and our hearts focused.

Every day of the week, the kids had something to do that centered around the Passion week.

One blustery day, we headed to the park for a scavenger hunt with friends.

Each of the kids had a list of items they needed to find...something sharp, something colorful, something alive, etc.

Once they had their collection, we sat down and read through the Scriptures that went with each item.

Something sharp represented the thorns that were placed on Jesus' brow.

Something alive represented our new life in Christ.

It was a cold...but fun day for the kids to tangible learn about the Easter story.

We also did plenty of crafts...when I say plenty it means we did enough crafts to suffice me for the rest of the year! ;-)

We did stained glass crosses...coin covered crosses - because Jesus paid it all....resurrection rolls and several others.

The kids had a good time creating and getting messy.

Saturday before Easter we hosted several families for brunch and egg hunt.

Unfortunately...it rained and rained and rained the entire time everyone was here.

We had people bursting the seem of the house...but everyone still had a great time!

We even managed to convince the dads to endure the rain and hide the eggs for the kids...though given the rain the eggs were pretty easy to find.

The kids ended up soggy...muddy...grassy...and happy! :-)

Sunday morning was spent in beautiful reflection of our Savior's sacrifice.

We were able to have several great conversations with the kids and listened to what Easter meant to them.

It was a fun...memorable week...once again reminding us to keep our eyes on the Author and Perfecter of our faith!

In November I started going out to the abortion mill on a different day. I had been going on Tuesdays for the past year...and we had developed a great team of ministry. But there were several days that only had one family ministering and my heart went out to them...knowing how hard it is to be out there alone. So I prayed about it...and made the switch.
It took some adjusting...of our schedule...our time...and just learning the different personalities that are out there. But God has blessed us on Mondays and now we have several others out there joining us on the sidewalks. We also have seen incredible fruit and had many significant interactions. This year alone..since January...the ministry of Cities 4 Life has seen over 100 women chose life for their babies. These are women that were heading into the abortion clinic. Decision set. Mind made up. And God intervened and allowed them the opportunity to chose life. Praise the LORD!! We are so blessed to be a small part of this ministry...and that God allows us to watch His faithfulness and mercy unfold right before our very eyes.

But there are some days that are hard. Very hard. Last Monday was one of those days. Not long after we had arrived and had gotten settled we saw a woman start walking towards us. She was talking to someone on the phone and we heard her say, "Hold on a minute, I need to talk to these ladies before I go make the worst decision of my life." She was clearly struggling and had tears coming down her cheeks. One of the other counselors, Vicki, started speaking with her and eventually this young mother agreed to have a free ultrasound.

We are very blessed to have a mobile ultrasound unit (a retrofitted RV) that comes and parks on the sidewalk with us. So Vicki and "S" walked over to the unit and those of us on the sidewalk began to pray fervently for her heart to be softened. Not long after, a man drove into the parking lot and began looking around a bit frantically. He asked if he could use one of our cell phones and we asked if he would be interested in taking our literature. He would not. He then asked if we had seen someone and described her for us. We knew he was looking for "S"...and she was on the ultra sound unit. We also knew that there was a high chance that he would be encouraging her to abort...not save her baby. We tried to buy her a few more minutes alone on the unit...but eventually he walked right on..and several minutes later walked off with "S". They began a loud argument that ended with some pushing and shoving. Crying "S" tried to talk with us and we tried to our best to intervene.

The situation only escalated from there...and eventually the police were called. We were worried for "S" and her safety...and we also were concerned that she was being forced to have an abortion.

Once the police arrived they pulled "S" into a safe room and privately asked her if she felt threatened or coerced. Sadly, she negated any concerns and told the police that she was willfully choosing abortion...that it was what was best for her.

In the midst of all this craziness...I felt a tap on my shoulder. To say I was emotionally charged at this moment would be a slight understatement! I was wrapped up in the moment...speaking to "S"...the police...other counselors...getting counsel over the phone from the ministry heads...etc. I was definitely consumed with what was going on around me. But then...the tap. The little interruption.

It was my sweet friend, Jill, letting me know that something was about to transpire. Something that I would definitely want to be a part of! As all of the drama was unfolding, Jill had been engaging the younger two Jimenez kids with her art on the sidewalk. (Jill is an incredible artist!) She had been illustrating the story of Jesus and had culminated with His death and resurrection. Apparently, this had so moved Jackson to the point that he was asking about salvation. She explained what he needed to do...and at that point felt it was time to get Mom! So...on the sidewalk of an abortion mill...with darkness encroaching all around us...my son felt the moving of the Holy Spirit and responded to His call. He asked Jesus to wash his heart and make it clean. With two sweet little tears trailing down his chubby cheeks, he asked if Jesus would forgive him and give him a new heart. It was an incredible moment. A moment that once again reinforced my understanding that it is GOD who wills and moves as He chooses.

I don't want to miss out on these opportunities in my children's lives...simply because I am in the middle of living life. I do not want to be so wrapped up in the moment or the situation that I lose sight of what God is doing in their hearts.

Another of these opportunities recently happened with Amy.

For the past year or so, Amy has been adamant that she has moved beyond "girly" things. She passed her Barbies and dolls onto her younger sister and has been increasingly more vocal about the things the she does not like.

I don't mind either way. She has her preferences and I expect her to have opinions of her own. (Personally I have never been much of a "girly-girly" so I thought she was taking after me!)

But what I did not find acceptable was her comments to her friend this past weekend. She said several things about "girly" things...and those that still played with them...that sounded a bit mean. Almost as if she was superior because of her lack of interest in them.

I let several days go by and prayed about the conversation that was coming up. Usually...I do not approach these situations with the most insight. What I see...or what I observe...tends to be surface level...which does not go beyond behavior. But for some reason, the Lord prompted me to get to the bottom of the "girly" issue.

So I asked Amy...what is the problem with "girly" things? What exactly is "girly"? Why are you so opposed to things that are "girly"? And then we talked. Amy shared her heart. Underneath all of the pretense was a desire to be different. To be special. Unique. Amy had tried to transform her natural inclinations to place her outside of the realm of what was considered "normal". Many tears were shed as Amy tried to verbalize what had been changing her heart. And what an incredible conversation opened up through that transparency. We talked about the danger of conforming. The identity we have in Christ. The value she has in her place in our family. The beauty of her personality and the transformation of salvation.

To be honest...I walked out of her room with an incredible sense of awe in my God. That He would open up this little point in time and give me an opportunity to share with my daughter the truths that I pray will live with her forever. That at nine years of age...we touched on a subject that many of us struggle with all of our lives. That He would equip Amy with the ability to communicate and understand how much this was changing who she is. Who He created her to be.

I am sure that as time goes by this will be a conversation that is revisited. That we will go over the truths that we learned that afternoon. But I pray that as life continues to speed up...that God will stop me and give me a glimpse of what He is transpiring in their hearts. In the midst of life...

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.
I Peter 4:7

Here we are at the beginning of a new year.
A fresh start. A slate unmarked. A full 365-days that are untouched.
But we cannot escape the reality that follows us from the previous years combined.
We live amongst a generation that claims to know God but neglects sound teaching and accumulates for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.
We are watching as some depart from the faith by
devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.
For many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame,
with minds set on earthly things.
We are surrounded by lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
Those that have an appearance of godliness, but deny its power.
And it seems apparent that our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

When we turn on the news...when we converse with a friend...when we read a blog or listen to a podcast...
all around us it seems the night is drawing closer to its end.
The god of this age is creeping into many households...
blinding those to salvation and the glory of God.

What do we do with this? Is it enough to simply be watchful?
To take note of the changing tides of spiritual allegiance?
How do we combat this sweeping sense of darkness...the oppressing blanket of deceit?

Peter answers by telling us to be serious and watchful...in our prayers.
Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons given to Christians...yet left woefully untouched.
It is oft traded in for the loudness of worship music...or the noise of a downloaded sermon.
It is cast aside for the latest Christian book.
Forgotten because we are pursuing a form of godliness that lacks significant power.

We live in a complex world. We are up against a deceiver that masquerades as an angel of light.
But, Christian, we have access to the holy, almighty God of the Universe.
Communion is accessible to us...we are able to approach the throne of grace.
Peter warns us that we are to filter all that we see going on around us through prayer.
We must become serious...clear-minded...sober...vigilant.
Our enemy is prowling around...waiting for our slumber...our lazy acquiesce to idleness.

As hard as it seems...we are to shine even brighter as the days get darker.
Our love is to be even more fervent...our service all the more genuine...our gifts constantly in use...rather than following the example of the world around us.
How can we live these counter-cultural lives without the intense power of prayer fueling us?

2014
May it be the year of watchful prayers.
May the bride of Christ be unceasing in her intercession...bold in her proclamation of truth...unwavering in her theology...and boundless in her love.

So much of life passes us by with a blink and a nod. Very little acknowledgment beyond the catalog of events we try to maintain. We have so much going on...so many different plates spinning up in the air...different relationships...different activities...different encounters. We are speeding along this fast-track of life...trying to keep our heads above the water and maintain some sort of semblance of peace. But what do we treasure up in our heart? What do we ponder? What do we take out...when all is still and quiet...and reflect upon? What do we examine and recount to learn and grow from?

But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Luke 2:19

Here is Mary. Just a simple young girl who had lived most of her days in humble deference to what society had dictated. Suddenly, that quiet, peaceful existence is replaced by.the divine intervention of heralding angels..an immaculate conception...a surprised wedding...an unexpected trip...a subdued delivery...the arrival of breathless and excited shepherds...and a completely different purpose in life than what she had ever dreamed for herself.

Holding onto that sweet little baby...questioning all that she was...wondering if she would ever be "good enough"...she treasured up all the things that had happened thus far. And she pondered them. They were weighty...not just simple thoughts. The God of the universe...born to set her people free...lying in her arms.

What would this mean for her as a mother...what immense joys were up ahead? What excruciating trials would she endure? What role did she play in the grand scheme of this drama?

Mary did not know all that was in store for her. Yet, as Simeon explained...there would be pain...a sword would pierce through Mary's heart...she was still prepared to obey God. Without full knowledge or understanding. Yet she would obey Him...all the while, quietly reflecting and pondering...growing in understanding as God permitted.

Our lives will not have the same divine disruption. We are not called to the same joys and burdens that Mary endured. But in each of our lives God has disturbed our simple...quiet existence. He has intervened into the monotony of our world and drawn us into the divine. If we look back over the landscape of our days...we too will find those little nuggets of treasures. Times that God showed us a glimpse of His plan. A peek at what He has set apart for us, specifically, to fulfill. An awareness of His presence. A display of His grace. And perhaps even a piercing of our hearts...followed by the comfort of His hand.

Mary was surrounded by different voices...angels...shepherds...Joseph...Elizabeth...Anna...Simeon...but she did not allow those to become confused and then discarded. She stopped...and pondered. Treasured. Mulled them over. Meditated on each of them. Making a memory in her heart that she could return to. Empowering her to obey even through the toughest of circumstances.

What is it that we will treasure up in our hearts? Being specific to take note of the presence of God in our lives...how will we recollect upon them? We...like Mary...cannot see what lies ahead. But we do have the treasures that would embolden us to walk confidently in the knowledge of His faithfulness.

Treasure all these things up in your heart.

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