Hello Summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been a while since I have written anything on this blog. Life has kept me busy since February. Yes! I didn't even had time to write all these months until now.

Now, the summer season has arrived. Hello Summer!! The summer season is my favorite time of the year. Last night, I had very interesting dream last night. It had to do with the summer season and fall season. I had walked in a Target store and enjoyed seeing the summer store front with all the colors and designs everywhere. The store had lots of colors around the store that brought life to the store. ( One thing you don't know about me is that I love designing & decorating).

2^nd part of the dream, I had walked in Target it was The Fall season. Summer had ended. All the summer items were on clearance. All colorful summer designs were gone from the store. It was depressing for me. I had walked through all Target aisles looking at all Fall colors in the store. Then, I had woke up from the dream in shock. What was this dream tell me? Will my Fall season be sad for me? I don't know what my summer season is going to be like for me? I don't know what my Fall season be for me? As, I had turned to my Bible the Lord talks about different seasons in our lives.

“Ecclesiastes 3

King James Version (KJV)

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” 

I will not go too much in context of this Bible verse. I will say... seasons come and go. We are not in control of our seasons. There are times we don't know what is going to happen next. The real test in your life is how you are going to react in the different seasons. The Lord has shown me to Trust in him  in the winter, summer, fall or spring season. 

Lastly, I promise, I will share my summer season with you in my pictures.

Enjoy the summer season, Y'ALL! See you soon! :)

Iamisleen

Accepting Changes

Everyone will be writing review of their year in 2013 and their goals of 2014 online. I would write about my year but it's already on my blog. Here is a small video that you can check out out my year in review for 2013 by clicking here. My goals for 2014 is something that I will keep in my journal.There is a lot that I would like to accomplish in 2014 but I would like to keep it private. I want change in 2014 in my life.

I will share my dad's writings about three changes that occurs in our lives: Natural, Self Induced (brought on by oneself or itself) & Uncontrollable Changes. This will make you think about you life this past year in 2013 and help you plan your goals for next year in 2014.

My dad, J D Rodriguez wrote this on 01.05.2000****************************************

Writing the year 2000 on our checkbooks, Daylight Savings Time, Graying, Loosing/Making Friends, Loosing Hair, Loosing your figure, Kids growing up, The weather, Your Memory not being the same, Spending & Making Money.

Matthew18:13, “And he said, “ I tell you the truth, unless you Change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Changes comes when we least expect them. Changes come through many ways. Some changes we accept them while others we reject them initially. God put animals on this earth so we could learn much from them. If they could talk, I'm sure we would know more information about ourselves regarding change. There are three type of changes of which includes Nature Change, Self-Induced Changes, and the Uncontrollable Changes. We mostly accept the Natural and the Self-Induced Changes except when there is a conflict with other human relationships. The final kind of change, which is the Uncontrollable, become a decision we have to make whether we accept the or reject them.

Natural Changes

Live Right ( Everyone accept a good man)

Prov. 16:7 “ When a man's way are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

Self-Induced Changes

All seem to be lifestyle inflicted of which can be bad or good:

Positive: Setting positive goals, exercising, good diet, making each day count, living to the server instead of serving to live, keeping positive NO MATTER WHAT, & knowing your place with God/family/friends/and habits

Negative: Gambling, drinking (too much of drinking) hating, mindless music, cursing, living fast, spending trying to keep up with the Jone's, not loving to love but living to putting trust on possessions ( material) instead of God and loved ones, treating people as things instead of living breathing beings, living an immortal lifestyle ( No).

UNCONTROLLABLE CHANGES:

ILLNESS, AGING, DEATH, TAXES, I'm sure we can mention others like visiting the MOTHER IN LAW (my dad loved his Mother in Law, Maria) unwanted Relatives, hurtful friends like BILLS, Etc. But Seriously, I was young and had a great job in Sales when I was called into my managers office. My wife was 8 months pregnant (with me) and I got laid off. After laying around feeling sorry myself, it took courage to find another job because of my PRIDE/ my expectations/my success story/my routine had been ripped apart. That experience was a turning point in my life. It taught me well to always prepare for the unexpected. (my dad was laid off several times in his career.)

Things we can learn from animals regarding changes:

1. They're born without being cuddled and wrapped in a blanket or a nice soft pillow to rest on. ( My dog Gigi ( Toy Poodle), always sat on a nice pillow on the family couch)
2. Many Species have to do their own work in their birth instead of the mother pushing them out.
3. Their weaning period from their mothers can be instantly, days or just a few months.
4. No one knows when a sparrow dies except God and their parents.
5. Animals don't call their parents or their siblings on Holidays.
6. Sometimes it's hard to tell when they're sad, hurting, cold or even dying.

A mind set that can help you with unwanted changes:

1. Realize change do not have to ask you for permission to come. They come regardless.
2. You can not stop change. YOU ARE NOT IN CHARGE BUT Change is in charge.
3. It's how you direct the change to flow where you want it to flow.
4. Do not just see, hear,feel, taste change but ask yourself, “ Why Am I am so special that I can not accept this change?”
5. Lastly, the very first step in knowing how to handle change is knowing you have change standing right in from of you!

COURAGEOUS MOVIE

“A man cannot be passive about what Scripture tells him to do for his family and expect to be found faithful to God in the end. He must see with spiritual eyes and realize that future generations are directly impacted by his daily decisions.”

—The Resolution for Men

This past Monday… I saw a movie with North Richland Hills Baptist Church at Rave Movie Theater. This movie made me cry throughout the movie. I will not say too much of the movie
because I do not want to spoil the movie if you haven’t seen it recently. I will say that my
father Dan Rodriguez was Courageous man of his house. He was a man who would protect his
family in prayer or if something bad happen to any of us. I remember one time my dad
would not leave to go to work until this strange car left that sat in front of our house. That
was courageous man! He was a man of prayer. When things went bad in life… dad would call you
up and pray for you. My dad prayed and blessed you even on his last days. My cousin Charity
wrote a blog about my dad on his last days @ http://displacedcaliforniahippie.blogspot.com/2011/09/true-christ-
follower.html .


I am wondering where are the Courageous men of the Lord are? Have Courageous men taken a stand
in their homes? Some men fall into the selfish ways. I remember one time my dad shared with me
on how he had fallen away from the Lord. Money and success started to take a turn in his life
and he forgotten the Lord. His family was not first. Dan was first.
Then, things started to fall apart in many ways until my grandma and his mother passed away in
1997. Dad had a wakeup call on his life with the Lord. I know many men are not perfect but remember you have to leave a legacy for your family. You have a short time on this earth and make every moment count with your family and the Lord. My dad made every moment count and he would tell us when I am gone…. You will remember the words I have said to you. He was right and my dad lived as the Courageous man even at the end. My dad will live in my heart forever.

Today, please make your stand as Courageous man for your family, if you are single for your future family, for your nation if you are in the services, if you are in law enforcement for your city or state, or even for yourself on to the Lord.

Isleen Rodriguez

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

Resources:

http://www.courageousresources.com/youandyourhouse Taking a stand in your home with your family

http://www.courageousresources.com/officialresources Resources on what to read

http://www.courageousthemovie.com/themovie Information about the movie

http://www.griefshare.org/ If you are in the season of grief