Saturday, October 15, 2011

Early Evening Meditation <><

Be Careful with the Tricky Self-Righteousness <><

                A while ago, before I boldly decided to commit my life to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I used to speak based on my own agenda, especially when I encountered ideologies that were in contrary to my self-righteous beliefs, even if those philosophies came from my own beloved family and/or reliable-faithful Christian friends. As usual, the Holy Spirit did not allow me to be at peace.

Then I started doing a deep inner-searching about my own attitude toward my neighbor. Bravely and honestly, I asked the Holy Spirit why I was “hitting” people with my words that I thought came from my heart. For in my earthly journey toward the good prize, becoming more and more like Jesus Christ, sometimes I was not at peace. Soon God, being as faithful a God as God is, permitted me to discern that I was trying to lead people to Jesus Christ based on my own limited human understanding!!!

 I needed to clarify my understanding and become lined up again with the Holy Spirit. So I looked up in the theological dictionary for some definitions. Righteousness, according to the dictionary, biblically the term embraces a number of dimensions relating to God’s actions in establishing and maintaining right relationships. Ethically it is a state of moral purity or doing that which is right. Then, I looked up self-righteous. According to the same dictionary, means an attitude in which one justifies one’s own actions as being virtuous. This attitude may take on the characteristic of feeling oneself to be morally superior to others.

Consequently, I was demolished because in my understanding to become like Jesus Christ, I was doing the opposite!!! I had tried to make the people’s points of view agree with Claudia’s instead of God’s!!! Again, the Holy Spirit kindly showed me that God just requires from me to be a faithful tool through which God’s grace flows toward the world. The rest of the work is God’s decision.

With Love and Respect,

Blessings in Christ <><,
            Claudia Nava-Galloway

Are you free from shame and guilty?

                 How many times have you wished that you could turn back time and change your past wrongdoings? These mistaken thoughts about . . .? These harmful words about or toward. . .? These erroneous relationships with . . . ? These ungodly actions . . .? I used to highly regret some past actions, words, and thoughts. If I just could be born again . . .!!!

Regretfully, I discovered that all the wrongdoings in my life have created a veil of shame and guilt inside my heart and my mind. I was trapped inside myself. As a result, I was living just with the illusion of hope that material things, some situations, or people could bring to my empty life in everyday life.

 I also learned that all the things in which I had placed my hope and happiness were finite and limited. For instance, it is impossible to find everlasting hope, joy, and peace in any earthly thing that has been created. In addition, for around twenty years, I was so busy inside my little and miserable world that I ignored the presence of the Holy Spirit who was calling me to repentance and the new beginning that I desperately needed.  

Consequently, the heaviness of the veil of shame and guilt was obstructing my spiritual growing toward the good goal that God had designed since the beginning of time for each individual: the likeness of God in human life through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, freedom from guilt and shame, and conscious growth in God’s everlasting love, kind forgiveness, and powerful presence.

The good news is that God specializes in second, third, and fourth opportunities. I just needed to seriously make a commitment with Jesus Christ and become a real disciple with everlasting love and trust in Him.

With Love and Respect,

Blessings in Christ <><,
Claudia Nava-Galloway

Seeking for Acceptance?

                Eight years ago, I came to United States with the aim of making this country my earthly home. Then I was forced by the obvious cultural and social circumstances to learn how to communicate through the predominant language, English. So I decided to make of this inescapable challenge something enjoyable. Sadly, very soon, it turned into a nightmare, for the majority of the people that I had to interact on every day basis were inpatient and unkind.

As a result, I placed myself in the unpleasant stereotype of the “immigrant with broken English.”  Desperately, I was looking for acceptance through the English language. Consequently, the lack of peace in my life was evident, for I put people in the place that since the beginning of time had been designed just for God: my heart and my mind.

Finally, I started praying for boldness and confidence in the change of direction for my searching. Once again, I witnessed the love and faithfulness of God toward God-self and God’s core beloved creation: human beings. Therefore, my searching for acceptance has not ended with my personal encounter with Jesus Christ; on the contrary, it has become a breathtaking adventure that is rendering me to enthusiastically live every second in my life within everlasting peace and joy.   

With love and respect,

Blessings in Christ <><,

Claudia Nava-Galloway

What did John and Charles Wesley have that I don’t?

Saturday, October 15, 2011

After an authentic and informal Saturday service at Radcliff United Methodist Church which included wonderful music and authentic preaching from Rev. Kaye and Frankie Nunn, I felt compelled to share some of my personal story.

Very Late Evening Meditation <><

What did John and Charles Wesley have that I don’t?

                When I was a little girl, I remember my mother in her deathbed reading her Bible, writings of Sta. Teresa de Avila, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, St. Augustine, and Oswald Chambers. As the years passed, I had become skeptical and I stopped reading my Bible, spiritual classics, and also attending church, or when I did attend my heart and mind were in another place.

Consequently, my skepticism turned into sarcasm and finally in a sour bitterness from inside myself toward the world.  At that time, I doubted of God’s grace in my life and my lack of inner peace was evident. Deep down, my soul was longing for something, but I did not know what it was.

Then I decided start attending the church again, reading my Bible and adding some serious intellectual and profound spiritual readings. I heard about John and Charles Wesley’s passionate love for Jesus Christ. I kept my hesitation. However, I was/am Methodist, so I decided to be informed about the founders of Methodism, John Wesley and Charles Wesley.

 As my readings passed, I discovered that my soul was yearning for what was recorded in Wesley’s’ biography, a personal encounter with the living Jesus Christ. One Sunday morning in the service when the pastor was proclaiming the Word of God, I heard, “If John Wesley had his personal experience with God, then I can also have one.” Unexpectedly, I agreed with such a statement.

I started asking God for assurance in Jesus Christ. I really needed a personal experience with my Lord and Savior. At the end of my first semester as a seminary student, I was confused, angry, and desperate for an answer. I was in a deep spiritual crisis. Then, one morning when I was praying and crying in the prayer room at the chapel in the seminary, God, in God’s infinite mercy toward me, allowed me to feel a profound and warming love for Jesus Christ. At that moment, I knew that Jesus was/is real. 

Finally, I obtained what John and Charles Wesley’s had, a passionate love for Jesus. I also learned that Jesus Christ is accessible for each one who earnestly, boldly, authentically, and persistently seeks for Him.

With Love and Respect,
               

Blessings in Christ <><,

Claudia Nava-Galloway