Walking Through Tough Times With Joy

The longer that I walk with the Lord and strive to make him the center of my life the more I realize that there is both a natural and a supernatural way to live. The natural way of living is a life controlled by emotions and circumstances which says if things are going well I'm happy and if they aren't I'm not. However, the supernatural way of living enables us to live above the ups and downs in life and maintain our peace and joy no matter what is going on around us.

Just recently, I went through a very difficult situation. After 12 weeks of pregnancy I miscarried my baby. I was of course so disappointed to lose my child and it was not a pleasant experience to say the least, but because of my relationship with the Lord and his manifested presence that day, I can honestly say that I was able to rejoice. It was truly a supernatural experience. It was as if the Holy Spirit posessed my soul that day. Rather than grief and mourning, I felt at peace and was able to delight in God's goodness.

I actually spent the day in the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit, who constantly was reassuring me of God's great plan for my life and how much He had already brought me through. This may sound strange, but there was a peace and joy in my soul that day unlike I've ever felt before. As I just rested in his presence it was truly amazing.

After this experience, I can finally understand how Paul and Silas could sing praises to the Lord when they were in prison (Acts 16:25). There is a special grace available to us when we are going through trials. If we will simply go before the Lord and receive it, the supernatural presence of God will cause a song of praise to rise in our hearts and he will minister to us in a way that will bring comfort and joy.

As I spent time with the Lord that day it was as though he lifted me out of time and helped me reflect on my life as a whole. It was like my life was a book with many chapters. The early chapters of the book were mostly sad. They covered my childhood and years of bondage to alcohol, unhealthy relationships and depression. However, the middle chapters were full of miracles and the supernatural power of God. Then I could see the chapter I was currently in. This miscarriage, although not positive, was not something that I needed to let defeat me. There was too much remaining in my book to look forward to. I had a lot of chapters left and everything that I desire for my life, including additional children, is in there. Furthermore, the end of the book is wonderful. My life actually ends with me spending eternity with the love of my life, Jesus Christ.

What a story! How could I be depressed with glorious future like that? As I focused on what the Lord has done for me that day, grief and sorrow couldn't hold me. God has been so faithful and gracious to me. I am truly a blessed woman. I have so much to be thankful for and honestly I love the life the Lord has given me. I have the most wonderful husband and daughter in the world and am getting the opportunity to pursue the dreams that God has placed in my heart. When I look at the big picture and focus on the goodness of God how can I be sad? I truly trust him with my life and know that he is working all things out for my highest good.

My Best Friend

Since moving to Colorado a couple of months ago, I've had the chance to really deepen my relationship with my invisible friend - the Holy Spirit. I guess it's because for the first two months that we were here, we didn't know anyone. That was such a huge adjustment for me and a little hard at first. I was so used ministering all the time in Chicago. My phone was constantly ringing. So not have anyone calling me for prayer or even friends to just hang out with was a real shock to my system. I love people and thrive on ministry, so at first I just wasn't sure what to do. Brian leaves for work at 5:00 a.m. every day, so it was just me and my daughter Lily from 5:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. all day everyday. I love taking care of Lily but she's such an easy child that I still have plenty more to give at the end of each day. But one day as I was praying, I guess the Lord sensed that I was a feeling a little alone and I heard him speak to my heart, "I am here and I'm you're best friend." I was so touched that I started to cry. What a nice thing to say. Isn't it just amazing that the Holy Spirit of God Almighty dwells in us and is always with us? It is truly awesome!

But sometimes there are so many things that we just struggle through forgetting that He is standing by ready and willing to help with the wisdom of God we need. The Holy Spirit is actually called the Spirit of grace and he's right there ready and willing to give us the grace needed to overcome any situation. Or how about those times when we feel alone, lonely, or misunderstood?I remember one time awhile back. I was really upset with Brian (my husband) because he just couldn't seem to understand my point of view on something that was really important to me. I remember that after we had talked about it to no avail, I went into our bedroom and sat quietly before the Lord. I can still recall the words of wisdom that the Holy Spirit ministered to me. He said, "Give Brian a break, let him off the hook, he's not me! He said that no on in the world, including my husband, would ever fully understand me except him. He reminded me of Psalm 139 that says the Lord knows all of our thoughts and even knows what we are going to say before we speak it. He said no one in the world is closer to me than him since he actually dwells inside of me and that he was the only one that could satisfy the longing to be understood." What a blessing that was to me. I decided to get my eyes off of Brian and back onto Him - the only one that satisfy the desires of my heart.

So, it's a lie to think that we are alone. If you've accepted the Lord Jesus in your heart, the Holy Spirit has come to live in you and you are never alone. What a comfort it is to have the Holy Spirit as your best friend. My prayer today is that I will continually stay conscious of his precious presence and rely on him to help me in everything I do. Fellowship and communion with the Holy Spirit is one of the primary reasons Jesus came. So join me today in taking full advantage of what it means to have the greater one inside and enjoy life!

Happy New Year!

Happy new year everyone! It's been awhile since my last post. I really meant to do better, but I I've had a mild case of morning sickness almost every day since moving. What you ask, morning sickness? Yes it's true - I'm pregnant again with our second child! Praise the Lord! The move to Colorado has ended up being a new beginning for us on many fronts. We're not only "pregnant" with a ministry, but we're also pregnant with a new bundle of joy.

So although I haven't really had the motivation or energy to blog, the good news is that I have been making progress towards the launch Schlyce Jimenez Ministries! (Check out the new blogsite at http://schlycejimenezministries.blogspot.com/) That's right, the time to launch the ministry God has placed in my heart has finally arrived! This is such an exciting season in our lives.

When Brian and I felt led to move to Colorado last year, we knew it was purposeful but we weren't exactly sure what the Lord had up his sleeve. We've always had the desire to live in the mountains, but we didn't really think it was part of the ministry. We just thought maybe we'll have a retreat or vacation home there someday. But then last year in prayer, the Lord spoke to my heart from Haggai 1:8 which says "Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified saith the Lord."

So here we are, not even a year later, living right at the base of Pike's Peak and preparing to build a ministry. Actually the town we live in is Cascade, Colorado. It's a small town about 8 miles from Colorado Springs. You take this great little highway up the mountain towards Pike's Peak that runs right beside a beautiful mountain stream to get to our new house. It's breathtaking, really. Everytime I drive home I think of the scripture in Psalm 37:4 which says "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." God is so wonderful and has been so good to us!

Needless to say Brian and I are overjoyed at what the Lord has planned for us in 2008. We're seeking the Lord and praying over the vision for the ministry and currently in the process of forming a 501c3 for Schlyce Jimenez Ministries (SJM). We have so much in our hearts. We're currently praying about the structure of the ministry and whether we should start a church or prayer and healing center. Honestly, I've never envisioned myself as a pastor although I've always known I would start churches. Go figure... Also, I've had a prayer and healing center in my heart for a long time so I know that this is a big part of the vision. So if anything, please keep Brian and I in your prayers regarding receiving God's blueprint for the ministry.

If we know one thing for sure, it's that this is God's house not ours. So we want to make sure that we build it to his exact specifications. Which reminds me. The first monthly publication for Schlyce Jimenez Ministries is scheduled to be mailed this week. In it I talk about getting on God's program for 2008. It also includes a propehcy for new year and a prayer confession designed to help us fulfill God's plans this year. So if you'd like to get on our mailing list, please contact Schlyce Jimenez Ministries at PO Box 12, Cascade CO 80809 or at info@sjmi.net.

God bless you and keep walking by faith!