Tag Archives: English

Come to the well

Posted on by

She was thirsty. More than she really knew or wanted to admit. Her broken heart was pounding in her chest faster and faster. She could not understand why she felt the way she did. So she sat at the table. Her eyes glancing to nowhere, but her mind traveled back in time, wondering, wishing. She questioned everything. What was it that made her the way she was? Was it the lack of love created by the constant rejection of her parents? Could it had been that the religious teachings ingrained in her past, created this void? Rules, restrictions and no relationship? She had learned about love in the way many others had, but no true love. Perhaps the lack inside was the force that had her looking for acceptance in all of the wrong places. The pain resurfaced as she realized that she had searched for love in all of the dry places.

Suddenly, the voices from the road snapped her out of this inside glimpse. So she looked out the window, making certain that everyone had already returned. Her shame had refrained her from venturing out to the well. In a corner, the empty waterpot, the utensil she had depended on so much. And then the road to the well, the road she knew by heart. That path mimicked the story of her life; always wanting, always needing more and more but at the end, an unquenched soul remained. “There is no point,” she said to herself, “this will never end”. As she left, the door made a squeaking sound as it closed behind her, and with very step came a memory, and with every memory came more pain.

Every unsuccessful attempt in her life to be loved, to be filled and to be accepted, would end today. This day would be remembered for ever. Love was waiting by the well. Life was waiting just for her. It was that day where her soul spoke the words she had wanted to say all of her life. The words that would changed her life finally came out like a prisoner set free: “Please, sir, give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” That day she left her waterpot behind because, she left a life of emptiness and rejection because she went to the well.

Today your life can be changed too. That embrace you have been longing for is at the well. The man from Galilee that walked on water, raised the dead and defeated sin, is waiting for you with his arms wide open. He will quench that deep thirst you have inside you and no matter what you have done, all will be new.

This is the day, just come to the well.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

You can purchase a beautiful song called The Well or the album Come to the Well, written and perfumed by Casting Crowns following this link.

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2012
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Real friends

Posted on by

When everybody else shuns you, real friends run to your side – DP

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 NKJV

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Surrounded

Posted on by

Those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever. – Psalm 125:1-2

As I searched information about Mount Zion, the Mount of God, many amazing facts came alive. For example, it is really three peaks of almost equal height which form the mount. Many significant events happened here also such as the Transfiguration of Jesus, the declaration that his church would be edified over “this rock”, meaning himself and many more.

But Mount Zion is much more than a piece of land. It is a visual reminder to us of the faithfulness of God. Because when we look at a mountain, we have this mental picture that it is unmovable, strong. Wind, water and the elements will make its mark on the face of the Mount over time so the landscape might change, but the foundations will never be removed.

Such is our life, as the elements we endure every day will change us and leave its mark in us, but if we trust the Lord we will endure them. It is in our trust (the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something) in Him, that hinges this promise. He will surround us and guard us. From time to time, some of the “elements” in life might get to us, but we will not be defeated. When we are insufficient, He is sufficient. When we are weak, He is strong. When we are fearful, He is courageous. When we are inconsistent, He is constant. When we are unlovable, He loves us to the end. When we are shunned, He opens his arms. When we are dead, He gives us life. And when we are threatened, He surrounds us both now and forever.

Yes, there is always lessons to be learned by our own mistakes that will help us everyday. It may be that these mistakes had put you in a place you would rather not be and today you might feel you have been sieged to the point of defeat. But remember that those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever, so when we trust in His Word we can be confident that it is firm, because every word God has given will always come to pass.

Don’t fret, He is near and he is with you. And when you are under attack, he has you both now and forever, Surrounded.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2012
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Staying Awake

Posted on by

Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens – Mark 4:27

It is a little embarrassing but I cannot refrain of telling you the first lesson I learned in the wee hours of the new year. Last night after a full day of activities, we returned to the hotel to get prepared for the New Year’s celebration. We were going to find a spot to see the fireworks and enjoy the show. I was hungry, and tired. You can tell I was hungry because I wanted to eat pizza, which is not my favorite, but that I’ll get to that in a moment. So at the hotel I took a bath and got half dressed and lied down on the bed reading some news and waiting for everyone else to get ready. My daughter was complaining because she didn’t want to go out again and was already in her pajamas and went on to change. I know I saw my wife changing and getting prepared for the night. Then everything started to get blurry. I can vaguely recall hearing her saying, “we are not going”, and I can hear in the distance, even when it was happening right there in my room, my daughter saying, “We are not going anywhere, and I have to get changed again”. Yes, it happened; I fell asleep.

At 2:36 a.m., I opened my eyes and in disbelief I realized that I had missed that moment and I had slept through it. Immediately a small still voice in my heart spoke to me saying, “Don’t sleep through the important moments in life, stay awake.” It might not be a big deal for you, but to me it was important. In life we are so consumed in achieving, succeeding, impressing, and so many more things that we get tired along the way wasting energy in things that are temporal and of questionable significance. And when the important moments come along, we fall asleep, and it is in those moments where life is made, were bonds are tighten and love is nurtured. These are the important moments in life where we cannot go by dozing out on them. We cannot sit down and ask, how was it? It will never be the same as experiencing them. Back to the pizza. I woke up with an empty grumbling stomach and I found two untouched, cold pieces in the fridge. I can assure you that they would not taste the same as when they came a couple of hours before when they were hot and fresh, just like the moment that I had missed.

Just as the farmer in the parable does not understand how the seed he has scattered grows, wether we are awake to the moment or not, life continues to happen to all of us. We will plant seeds this year even if we realize it or not. And that seed will grow, night and day. So what seed will you scatter? And more importantly will you be awake in the moments that matter to see the seed sprout? I was told that my wife kissed me, and yet I didn’t feel or remember it.

Don’t miss the moments that matter. I know you don’t want to find cold pieces of pizza and be the only one asking how it tasted when it was fresh. My new year’s resolution and yours should be as well: Staying Awake

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2012
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Beginnings

Posted on by
Reply

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. – Lamentations 3:22-23

Beginnings: It means different things to different people. For some, it is the reluctant reality that they need to accept after a failed event in their life. It is not necessarily embraced or welcomed. Not because what it represents, but by how it presents itself. Like the soul that is devastated by a divorce and needs to find strength to pick up the pieces of his or her life as it was known. Or the companion that has left this life on earth and has skipped into eternity leaving an empty space in the hearts of love ones; or the job or the business that is no more. All of these are endings and many of them very painful. So an ending is a beginning in disguise. Beginnings usually come after an ending.

For others, beginnings transpire as the emotion of hope, of the possibilities, of what could be. For these, endings are embraced, welcomed and expected, because a beginning is in sight. Two opposite points of view, but with the same ending; to begin.

It is a thought that can transform your life completely, if you choose. You might be at either side of the coin in your viewpoint, but the fact remains that something in your life has ceased to be, something has ended and something new must take its place and fill the void. These are the curves that life brings and we must know how to handle them in order to continue to thrive, to live and to begin again. And we are confronted with our human fragility and believe that the end is just that, the end. We think that there is no future, no hope no new things in our life will ever happen and that there is no point of knocking on the same door of unfulfilled dreams over and over again. But God who is rich in mercy knew and knows how we are prone to go astray of his ways and from our path. So He is constant. His love never ends, even when ours does. His mercy never ceases even when judgement is warranted. And then we read this refreshing truth that brings hope for the future in our lives, his mercies are fresh every morning. Every day a new beginning, no matter what has happened before, that in itself is a transformational thought. And who better to talk about beginnings, but God himself: He is the Beginning and the End. He started everything from nothing and he has created you and me in his likeness.

If something has ended in your life, a relationship, a job, a business, a loved one’s life or even the desire to continue to press on, remember that God is the God of beginnings and his plans and thoughts for you are plans for good. So no matter what is going on now in your life, this ending is a moment for a great start, for a great beginning. His mercies are new and fresh every day.

A new and blank page is waiting for you, so go ahead and write the new chapter of your life, starting today. You might want to call it: To begin.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2011
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A message for men

Posted on by
Reply

by DP

“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:14-15

“Every man has a battle to fight and a beauty to rescue” These were the words of John Eldredge when he took center stage at a conference I attended in 2004. It was a great and an inspiring message. In the past weeks my family and I saw the movie Courageous which stirred many of the same emotions I felt with John’s exposition a couple of years ago.

Since that moment, I find myself wrestling with the need of “quiet time”, some alone time, and by the same token, in need of “together” time too. An oxymoron, I know, but that is how I felt. “Quiet time” to ponder my thoughts, and “together” time to share my heart with my wife, my son and my daughter. Moments that matter. I feel that time is running faster than It takes for me to accomplish what is in my heart. There is an awakening inside for the greater truths that I should have been living long time ago. And synthesizing John’s talk several years ago; Our story is a story of greatness.

We all have this sense of greatness inside. Of being the redeeming knight, the hero and warrior that stands for truth and crushes evil. The man that stands up to the challenge and knows deep inside the values that need to be uphold, and he does so without second guessing. The sea of thoughts assault the mind and overwhelms the soul, as the search goes on for a verse, a passage or a word that might give it hope, strength, comfort and guidance. We want an answer that will appease the soul and tell it that everything will be ok. That we will be able to fulfill the dreams and desires that are rooted in the heart; greatness.

God created us to feel this way, but more importantly to act this way. It doesn’t matter where in life you are right now, you can step up to the challenge and be the man you were called to be. Wether you have a family or not, fulfill your story. And in order to achieve greatness, there will be need to be violent, to fight and be forceful against the menacing forces that are surrounding those we have been entrusted. That fight will be fought by standing firm on our knees. To stand unafraid of the future, to leave the sidelines and embrace life.

As the theme song for this movie states, “May the watchers become warriors, Let the men of God arise”, we are called to do the same as Joshua boldly spoke to the men of Israel, “…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. So today make it your resolution, wherever you are in life today, to take back what is yours, to boldly proclaim that you will lead and not follow, that you will protect and not fear. That the time of idleness is over and that your legacy will not be the same, because you decided to make a dent in the universe and to finish well.

I completely agree with the song when it states, “The only way you’ll ever stand is on your knees with lifted hands”. Change the world, lead to greatness.

Breathe, Live, Move…

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright DP, 2011

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

You can hear and purchase this wonderful statement on the song titled “Courageous” by Casting Crowns at http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/courageous/id470669414?i=470669416

Not just a basket of roasted grain

Posted on by

One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers.” 1 Samuel 17:17

That morning he woke up as usual, he got dressed and picked his well known tools. He looked at his staff. A rugged stick that had the marks he remembered very well. There were two in particular that bursted like calling out for attention. The staff was still showing some small dried-out stains of blood on them. His mind immediately wandered to that day as he remembered the morning, which quite frankly, was one just like this day, where he had done the same routine.

That day he went on to tend to his fathers flock, it was early, he used his staff to guide the sheep to the pasture. Hours had passed by and he was smiling when he saw the baby sheep playing and following their mothers. His mind started to remember how many times he had carried them, played with them. The tenderness of them draw his heart even more closer. The need for someone to stand up for them, to protect them and show them the way, was an inner force that stirred his soul and made his seemingly unimportant life, important. He already was shunned by his brothers, and in many ways he felt that his father did not had him in the highest regard. So as he saw the sheep, he saw himself. He saw the need for protection, for guidance, and for love. He knew that he had to be the voice for those that had none. And as he saw the sheep playing, a small voice resounded in his heart saying, “This is the way I love you and protect you”. And immediately he understood that God had used the sheep to shape his life. The shunning, the rejection and the affliction that was endured by him, were the vehicles God used to transform his life.

In the myriad of emotions, he caught his breath and with certain conviction in his spirit he took all of these emotions and realizations in. Standing up, there it was; lurking his way was the unthinkable; a lion. In a split second, every muscle in his body readied. His fists clenched, his eyes locked on his target, and like if his feet were leading his soul he began to run towards the beast. He had nothing in his hands but his staff. His spirit was fuel by an unexplainable thrust. And he fought the lion, and killed it. He defended the shunned, the unprotected, the weak and the meek. That day, with his hands filled with blood, he made the first mark in his staff. A mark that would remind him of God’s power and protection.

And returning from this wandering, he got up thinking it would be as usual. But then his father asked him to go see his brothers on the frontline of the battle against the Philistines. So David rose up and went of on to meet his brothers taking with him what he thought was just a basket of roasted grain. But this day staff in hand, he went out to fulfill his destiny.

So be aware, what might look as a mere basket, might be the key to the greatest moment in your life and not just a basket of roasted grain.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2011
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

For a higher purpose

Posted on by
Reply

by DP

“They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.” – Mark 14:11

We all know this story. The man Jesus had entrusted the finances, was the very one that turned against him. Sadly, it happens very often. It is that sense of unbelief, grief and even emptiness that floods our entire inner being. I am talking about the moment you realize that those you had trusted and confided, have turned their backs on you. You thought you knew someone, and then they reveal their true value. The unbelief and sadness fills your soul because you have realized that the unthinkable has happened, you have been betrayed.

Jesus knew this very well. He had poured out his entire strength and energy to help and uplift one of his own. But the one that betrayed him, also fulfilled a higher purpose in Jesus life. Without the betrayer, we wouldn’t have the cross. And without the cross, there would not be salvation. Pain brought upon a blessing.

You might be going through a similar situation. A spouse, a family member, a co-worker, a business partner or a friend, someone in whom you had poured out your trust into, but has done or said something that has hurt you deeply. These are moments that pound inside of you with pain, sadness, and a sense of emptiness. You might be questioning, why this injustice? And it is only natural to feel that way, but Jesus clearly stated, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” And it is through Him that we can do the same. In these words he affirmed that we would undoubtedly experience, trails. But he also cemented, that through Him, we would be victors in spite of it.

Jesus went even further to say, “Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” So if you dwell in the pain, you will never move forward and you will become stagnant and consume yourself. Look at the trial as the step that will thrust you further in life and will help you grow more and more; the betrayal will be transformed into a blessing. The pain will birth new life in you, and you in turn will experience a new sense of purpose and your heart will be free and you will rise to new heights.

We are reminded in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” So this moment in your story might have come to you not to break you but to make you. This moment has come for a higher purpose.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright DP, 2011

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.