This year the Habitat for Humanity Team from the American Church in Paris went to Portugal. I was part of the team of 15 people. We went to Braga, Portugal in north of Portugal so called “the Portuguese Rome”. A city filled with churches at every corner. We went to Vila Verde, where the family lived and we started to build the roof. Our main job was the roof.

I remember now when we came, there was nothing and by the time we left the bricks,  the concrete beams and the roof shingles where in place forming this wonderful shape called “the roof” of the house.

Nothing stopped us to finish it. We had one rainy day where everybody was soaking wet, but you could see the people on the roof building and the others making concrete and carrying it up to the top. That day was incredible, I was so wet…only the hot soup made me happy. No more concrete!!!

I’ll post some photos to see how our trip was a success!

Last weekend we had 4 amazing days full of the spirit of  God.   Palais Omnisport Bercy one of the most largest buildings in Paris, hosted a  large conference with prayer and worship.

The speakers  involved us into a time of prayer for the nation. One of them , Stacey Campbell, runs “the call” conferences in US and she encouraged us to pray for our nation. It was touching to see, white people praying for black people asking forgiveness for all the wrongs they have done all these years. Jews praying for Arabs . Jesus was there speaking so loud that you could not ignore Him.

I felt empowered by the Holy Spirit listening to NNEKA and CHRIS DURAN worshiping God. It was my first encounter with the artists and  I know they had something special.

Friday night, I was a bit disappointed because there were not so many people but by Sunday night the room was full. Can you imagine seeing hundreds of Christians praying for France, pleading to God the salvation of the nation?

At the end, it was so late Sunday night and I had to leave to catch my metro. While I was walking toward the exit I lost my mother (she went another way, nothing unusual for her) and I had to come back to look for her. While I was watching the screens outside the door I saw Carlos Anacondia praying for some people and one lady started shaking and feel down like dead. Some people came and carried her away. I was amazed at this and I turn toward the security man who was looking laughing at the situation. He told me that all this seemed like a joke, so not true!   Boldly I turn to him and say ” How can you contest the miracle of God?” , “God can do more than you imagine, this is true”…

After saying these words, I turn back to my heart reminding my self that I was the unfaithful one and how can I say this to him when is me, who needs to change. Walking silently in the cool air I was thinking about it. Is that possible to heal people like that, to take out demons? Is God doing that today? And if he does, am I not believing this?

Later, while I was praying God gave the confidence .  One thing that he requires from me is to love him and to stop judging everything. Miracles do happen and they have to be verified with the Bible.

I felt so good after that talk to God and confident that he knows me. The cold breeze made me feel happy and I started singing.

So, this is what God does for France, he wants to save this nation and please if you happen to read this, pray for France, because they need it.

Lent in the Christian tradition represents a period of 40 days of preparation before Easter.  The word “lent” comes from English and it simply means spring. Christians around the world prepare themselves for Easter through prayer, fasting, desire of renouncing certain things in order to stay closer to God. Moses spent 40 days and 4o nights up on the mount Sinai where he stood in the presence of God and become changed. Jesus Christ was in the wilderness for 40 days where he was tempted by Satan. These are the most relevant stories that show towards Lent.

For me Lent is a celebration of rebirth of the soul. A birth that could be possible by dying towards yourself and being born again to the new life in Jesus Christ. I see it as renunciation to the old self and turning 180 degrees to a new nature. As most of the people I decided to give things up for Lent. Some of us give up coffee, sugar, Facebook, maybe they decide to have a diet, but I thought that will be much more useful to give up some parts of myself. I’m telling you this is not an easy thing.

Talking about sacrifice,  renouncing caffeine was a bit hard in the beginning, because I love coffee and I live in France the country of good coffee and nice coffee shops but one day I forgot that I need caffeine to stay awake, and I tried different things to get away. But caffeine is not the only thing that I decided to give up, that is just a small part. I’m not saying I don’t drink coffee anymore, cause I do on Sundays at church with my friends. I tried to resist to the temptation of drinking it so often. Sometimes I’m very well without it.

Speaking about coffee and giving up, I guess the hardest thing is to forgo your old nature. Being unselfish is not easy, trying to be quiet when everybody else is talking and you feel you have the right answer to everything, loving your neighbour, watching over your friends when they fell, resist to lust and temptation, that I think, is the most difficult.

I went last month at Taize, a quiet place in the South of France. Taize is a ecumenical Christian Community where young people around the world gather there for prayer and mediation. It is such a nice place to be. There you can easily pray and be a good christian because you don’t have the distractions of the world. Someone was saying that it feels like home, even though they don’t have the best conditions in the world. There you feel carefree, secure and satisfied. I heard the bells 3 times a day and it was clear that the time of prayer begins and we were invited in the church to quiet our soul and stay connected with God. I wish my busy life to be the same. To find that place in my soul that is cozy and pleasant, that accepts people the way the are, not judging or grumbling to every small detail.  One place like Taize, where everything is cheap and the people love you the way you are and where brands are not recognized and where people are the same.

A desire to hear the bells in my heart at least 2 times and day and to feel that now is time for communion with God, this is the moment for an unhurried meeting where I can stay and relax for a while in the presence of God. I wish Lent will not become a hard time, where i strife so much to obey God and to abandon my feelings and to drop by the wayside all my luggage of food and bad behaviour.  I want 40 days or at least what is left of it till Easter, of serenity, love and true obedience.  Something that I know is not easy  but I’m not going to harden myself by saying ‘Oh again, I have to do that, give up this and listen to God’ and I fail and I never try again.

I will rise  above my circumstances, my unfulfilled desires and unreached goals and I will continue to pray, to seek God’s presence until I will see a small plant growing in the earthly soil of my heart. And I will advice you to do the same. Pick up your dusty Bible and a crayon, open your heart and listen. You might hear the voice of the living God and this season of Lent will be the most fruitful time of your life.

Last 2 weeks on the 13th of January I celebrated my birthday. I always wanted to go to a karaoke and I found this special place in Paris where I went with my friends. It was a korean karaoke somewhere on ligne 8 , station Felix Faure, KB resto..korean barbeque…very good place!

My friends are so much fun…I just love them! We were singing and dancing, one day I need to learn korean…so I can sing some of their beautiful songs.

Birthday come and go…now is  gone…so i’ll go to…

take care my friends, thanks for all your wishes!

I was on youtube today looking for a song and since I was a bit sad I thought that is nice to search a song that is called Joy. For my surprise, I found one. There is this japanese lady that plays this beautiful song and has an interesting video.

Well I found the piano version of it and I think is amazing. Listen to it and tell me what do you think.

I found a nice song that Ronan Keating was playing the other day. The song is called ” This I promise you”. Today I was in my lunch break when I listened to this song and I find it amazing. I was thinking about all the weddings that I coordinate (by the way this is my temporary new job-wedding coordinator at the ACP) and I started to fall in love with the melody, the words. Only the thought that I am loved by someone it makes me happy. I started thinking, who loves me today? Well I have so many friends and I’m sure they care about me. My family loves me and that I can see that everyday when I go out the door, at work.

And when I look in your eyes
All of my life is before me
And I’m not running anymore
Cause I already know I’m home
With every beat of my heart
I give you my love completely

I loves this chorus it softens my heart, every time when I hear this it makes me think about the most precious and true love- the love of Jesus Christ. “When I look in your eyes all my life is before me” it’s so true, when you look in God’s eyes you can see you past, present and future. This is so amazing!!

“And I’m not running anymore, cause I already know I’m home”. I know that when I look His eyes I see my hole life and I’m not running because I’m home. I don’t want to hide anymore, I don’t feel ashamed, I stoped running because I’m in His arms and is safe!

Love is an amazing feeling, today I was going to say that I hate it. Because I see so many people hurting each other, divorcing, doing so many things in the name of “love”. I feel like I cannot trust anyone. Can I?? Is everyone that bad?? One thing I learned, that I need to give everyone a chance. To start loving people without judging them based on the way they dress and they look like.

I’m not done with this life and with the fight of loving everyone based on who they are, the precious creation of God; but I hope one day I will be able to love God and maybe someone in my life!