Blessings.....

clock clock clocking on heaven's door
Originally uploaded by mivella

I left with my life changed this past Sunday. You see I have always gone to church and I do expect to be changed.. but this Sunday I didn't really know if I would get anything from the sermon or not. Our Pastor had invited his good friend and a fellow pastor to preach. His name is Pastor Eduardo and he is from Brazil and speaks Portugese.

I have always had a heart for Brazil because my Aunt Margaret served as a missionary to Rio De Janerio for 39 years. She left the year I was born and just returned to the states to finish her last year before she retires.

As Pastor Eduardo began to speak in Portugese, a young lady from our church, Carly interpreted for him. He started with this story.. In Brazil, there is a lot of Spiritism practiced. Spirticim is a mixture of Catholicism, Indian and Slavery Spiritual teachings. It involves witchcraft, magic and satanism. There were two young children. A boy, age 6 and a girl age 8. Their family held these rituals every weekend and their Aunt came to their home and would perform sacrifices on the children,magic and lots of other type of things. The services would begin about 10 p.m. at night and last until the wee hours of the morning. The family believed so much in this spiritual teachings that they would leave a cup of coffee up on a ledge for the evil spirits each morning in their home. And every morning the cup would be empty.

One week a Christian lady came around the neighborhood and invited children to a class at her home for children. At the time on Wednesday evening, the eight year old girl accepted Jesus. That following Friday, the Aunt came to do her weekly ritual to the Evil Gods. The two children were in their bedroom. As the Aunt entered the room the mother of the two children with her,she began her sacrifices and other rituals on the small six year old boy. When she finished she went to the eight year old girl, and she stopped and exclaimed, "I can't touch her the man in white is with her." That next week, the little boy accepted Jesus as well. Now, through the obedience of one small girl... a whole family was changed and now thousands if not millions have been changed.. for you see the small boy in this story is Pastor Eduardo who preached at our church on Sunday.

The lessons that he taught were profound and numerous. The one that stuck with me is one that I already knew, but always need reminding... that no matter your age God wants to bless you and no matter your age whether you are six or sixty six or ninety six.. God wants to use you to bless others. God gives us 168 hours a week. How many hours do you give to God?