Light of Eternity

2006-11-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

Ok so its November 14th and I am thinking to myself..this blog thing is encouraging as I have found some old aquaintances from college. And I am wondering how you are all doing..so if you could contact me that would be a blessing. I do live in New York..live in Boro Park among the Hasidic Jews. I work downtown Manhattan on 7th ave and 38th street so if you are ever in the neighborhood (penn station or times square) please stop by. Gods been doing wonderful things..this week has been encouraging as a few days ago found out I could take a day off of work and see my parents for a couple days at the end of this month as well as we are having a missions conference at Heritage with Mark and Paula Batory (GFA Missions), missionary couple Tim and Sarah Richmondson (on deputation to start church in Queens, NY and another man who works among the muslims. I praise the Lord for I have new neighbors who have moved in my building (they just got married this last wednesday, Jewish couple, only 19 years old)..pray the Lord would open doors for friendship and witnessing. Yittzi and Joel my other neighbors are doing well and are expecting their first child in a few weeks. Unfortunatley my bed is right next to the ceiling ( i have a loft bed) so I am probably going to hear the baby cry alot but I am excited!! Work has been going well. I am still bowling on a bowling league..enjoying that and making friendships with my teamates. This past saturday night had game night with the single folks in my church..it was a blessing. Well as we live in the light of eternity I pray you keep this verse to heart today Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of htings not seen."

2006-07-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

Only In Their Lifetime

Last night my friend Will called me and sometimes isnt is just good to talk with an old friend who can just be real and tell you how life is?? He knew I was feeling "awww" from what I have been facing this week and well I am just really glad he called becuase he reminded me of one of the most important factors that we as Christians face in our day to day walk. I had mentioned about working in the fashion district and how hard it is to be the only Christian in the work station. And while feeling somtimes like you are working in the dirt plugging and plugging away and surrounded by gossip, slander, swearing, temporal things, and so on....Will's reminder "Alicia be strong in the Lord. God has you working there for a purpose and reason at this time. And you know you may be the Christian they many only know in their lifetime. Oh how important this statement is. We may be the only Christian our coworkers may know if their lifetime..and we may be the last Christian they may know while living upon this earth. So how do we live our daily life? Is our speech seasoned with love and tenderness? Is our daily walk so consuming with God that our coworkers do all but ask why are you so happy? how do you get the joy you have in your eyes?
This morning was just as a good reminder as last night. While riding on the subway from Brooklyn to Manhattan this morning an older gentleman came on the subway and preached the gospel of salvation for a good 20 minutes. When this happens you see a whole different perspective of how people recieve and listen or mock and not listen. As I looked around the subway car some people immediately pulled out their newspaper or some other type of reading and dulged themselves into some other type of mindset. One young gentleman at the hearing of "if you do not believe in Christ as your personal Savior you will go to Hell" on the mention of 4 times stood up and pointing to himself. (yup this is me I am going to Hell with a smirk upon His face). I am sure others just stood there probably saying in their mind i wish I had something to read so I wouldnt have to listen to this lunatic. But it was very moving, uplifting, and encouraging. And to think the young gentleman and his girlfriend, woman with a head bandage, guy wearing an elvis shirt, business man, asian woman, and the countless 50-60 other people upon that subway this may have been their first time, fifth time, or even last time they may ever hear the gospel before they go to an Christless eternity of Hell.
Matthew 9:36 "But when He saw the multitudes He was moved with compassion on them, becuase they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."
Live in the light that there are two eternity's an eternity of weeping and gnashing of teeth
and an eternity where there will no more night, no more pain, no more tears, never crying again..and praises to the Great I Am we will live in the Light of the Risen Lamb.

2006-07-13T14:39:00.001-07:00

Life has been good today as I sit here at my desk at work i think of this past few days and how important they have been to me. I thank the Lord I was off 10 days for vacation last week and was able to spend 6 days with my family who drove out here all the way from good old Minnesota. A wild time we had 7 of us in my little studio...3 sleeping on a loft bed, parents under the loft bed and 2 more on another mattress. Fun times at coney island..first time sisters swam in the ocean they probably collected sea shells for a couple hours or so. Bronx zoo absolutely beautiful and calming to walk through. We had a blast walking through flooded waters heading towards statue liberty and ellis island. Trip to Niagara Falls was beautiful as well. Catching the glimpse of the powerful falls dwindling down, the wetness of the midst cool upon your face, and the water soaking you under the falls. Oh and not to mention one of my sisters lost one of her shoes and over the falls it went. In saying goodbye and returning to a quite home you realize more how empty you are alone and the noise is so gruesomly quite that you turn on the airconditioner so that you can here alteast a little bit of noise. God also provided Kim to come these past few days. Kim is a good friend of mine I met in China on a missions trip. She is going into music and had asked me to take some photographs for her cd cover, but unfortunatly the film was bad and none of the pictures turned out. Well God is in control and He knows the very reason why they didnt turn out. I am thankful I got to see her...havnt seen her since '01. It was good times. Well i guess to sum it all up God knows when we need to have company that is special and important to us. God takes care of us. God loves us. Have a good night living in the light of Eternity.

2006-07-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

Colossians 3:1-3 "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."

Life here on this earth as we know it we are bombarded with the crazyness of life. Living here in New York midst the swells of lonliness, rage, anger, homosexuality, divorce, bitterness, struggle, swearing, drunkeness, rivals, pride, and well you could list upon list upon list and you find yourself as a Christian saying what am I doing here??? Why am I here?? What does God have for me in the midst of this crooked and preverse world that we live in?? how long will I have to live among this life?

Well to think upon negative is easy our flesh is inclined to think on the things of this earth to dwell upon those things that are temporal. But if Christ has said you are dead to sin, dead to this world because your life is hid in God then why do we day by day so often think of the negatives???

We are in Christ. We are in God. We can have the full assurance that we can stand boldly in Christ as we bow our knees and pray and stand rejoicing in what He did on the cross. Oh Christian do not be down in todays dump but rejoice in knowing that we have won the battle through Christ. We can seek those things that are above where Christ who today sits on the right hand of God. We can set our affection (mind) on things above. Heaven: "what a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see when I look upon His face the one who saved me by His grace then He'll take me by the hand and lead me through the promised land what a day glorious day that will be."

Have a wonderful and blessed day in the Lord as you live in the light of eternity.