Tag Archives: alyciamorales

Nobody Came – Alycia Morales
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Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:8

My son just turned six. He’d counted down to his big day for three weeks. I’d spent countless hours watching him writhe on the floor, tears streaming down his cheeks as he cried, “I just can’t take it. I’m too excited.” I could feel the knot in his throat from the pent up anxiety.

When the big day arrived, I shopped for the perfect cupcakes, napkins, drinks, and goody cups. We headed to the park to prepare his party. I tossed the red plastic table cloth over the picnic table as though I were making a bed and loaded it with goodies before it blew away in the breeze. I loaded Toy Story 3 cups with various candies and Silly Bands as sweat dripped down my forehead,. The helium-filled balloons bobbed in the breeze. Then we sat to wait for his eight little friends.

The party came and went and my heart sank. I wanted to curl up on the ground and clutch my stomach just as my son had in the weeks before. Instead of it being excitement in my gut, it was disappointment in my heart. He’d waited patiently for his friends to arrive, but no one came.

In that moment, I remembered a story Jesus told of a great feast that had been prepared. Invitations had gone out. Anyone of importance was invited. When it came time for that feast, no one came. Everyone gave excuses why they were too busy to come. At that point, the master of the feast sent his servants out to the alleys, the sidewalks, the highways and the hedges, in order to fill his house with guests. And the house was filled.

My son met a new friend that day. One little boy happened to come to that playground because something inside of his father said, “Don’t go here today. Go there.” When all of his friends were too busy to come, God sent someone uninvited to celebrate his big day with him. The disappointment I felt faded away as I realized the tremendous love God has for my son. In the spirit of love, God sent just the right child to share a wonderful moment with my son.

What heart needs has God met in your life? He provides for you when no one else comes through.

Alycia W. Morales has been writing since she could hold a pencil. Her blog, A. Morales Thinks won first place in the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference blog contest in 2011. She also writes articles and devotions, which have appeared in Thriving Family and online at www.Christian Devotions.us. Alycia and her husband are the founders of Together Ministries. Their message is one of building strong biblical foundations for marriages and blended families to thrive upon. Alycia loves the Lord, her husband, and her five children. She is an avid reader and spends her free time taking photographs of God’s magnificent creation, which she shares as writing prompts on her blog, Write4Life.

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Changes – Alycia Morales
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For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

“I don’t want to go to school today. I want to stay with you, Mommy.” My kindergartner wedged himself between the back two rows of seats in our Yukon.
As I struggled to pull him loose, I asked what he hated so much about school.

“My teacher yells at us.”

Again, I tried to coax him out. “I’m sure she’s not yelling at you. You have smiley faces on your report each day.”

When he wouldn’t come out willingly, I tried pulling him again. “Come on. Mommy doesn’t want to hurt you.” Meanwhile, my arms were pinched between the seat and my struggling child.

I folded the middle seats down, opened up the space, and removed any place for him to hide as the school coach prepared to receive my pass-off. I pulled away from the curb as my baby screamed from the lap of another teacher, “I hate you Mommy. I want my blankie.”

Everything inside of me wanted to turn around and take him home for the day. In better judgment, I left him on the teacher’s lap, knowing he’d benefit from spending the day in school.

Sometimes God wants us to come out of our comfort zone, leaving our security blanket behind. He knows something better is waiting for us, just as my son’s education awaited him. And just like my son, we fight and kick and scream. God wants us to learn and to grow in the things of Him but we want to stay where we are, in a familiar place. We fear the change. We don’t understand that He has more for us than we have now.

What comfort zones has God been coaxing you out of? What changes does He desire to make in you, bringing you closer to Him?

Alycia Morales home educates her four children by day and writes by night. Married to her best friend for over ten years, she is co-founder of Together Ministries, offering discipleship, marriage enrichment, and parenting assistance to the local church. A seasoned packer, Alycia is enjoying seeing various parts of the country with her family as they travel for her husband’s work. Share in the adventure at www.amoralesthinks.blogspot.com. Read Alycia’s devotions.
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The Knot in My Stomach – Alycia Morales
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If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 16:24

That will be eight-hundred-twenty-five dollars. My eyes bulged in disbelief. I hate spending that much money in one day. Spending it in one place at one time forced my stomach into a knot.

I swiped my new bank card. After punching in my preferred payment type, I half-smiled at the cashier. She kindly told me the card was declined.

What? There’s no way I don’t have enough money in the account. I chuckled while cringing inside as I struggled to retrieve my cell phone from the confines of my overstuffed purse. If only the bank account was as stuffed.

I dialed the number to check my balance. It stated I had plenty available for the purchase I had attempted to make. The cashier ran the card again, this time as a debit purchase. The knot tightened as I awaited my desired approval.

“It cleared,” the woman informed me as she tore my receipt from the cash register’s grip.

Moments later, I walked out of the store with my new laptop and little relief. I preferred spending in smaller quantities. I had to pay a price if I wanted to be able to work on my writing wherever I happened to be.

Just as I paid a high price to further my working abilities, Jesus told us we’d have to pay a price in order to follow Him. He requires us to lay down our lives, deny ourselves, take up His cross and follow Him.

Just as my stomach knotted-up at the cost of my laptop, my flesh likes to knot up in rebellion when I have to lay down another part of who I am in order to become more like Jesus. When I finally let go of whatever I’m trying to hold on to, God is faithful to bless me beyond all I could ask or think.

What are you trying to hold on to that God is asking for? Consider what He could replace it with, if you gave it to Him today.
Alycia Morales home educates her four children by day and writes by night. Married to her best friend for over ten years, she is co-founder of Together Ministries, offering discipleship, marriage enrichment, and parenting assistance to the local church. A seasoned packer, Alycia is enjoying seeing various parts of the country with her family as they travel for her husband’s work. Share in the adventure at www.amoralesthinks.blogspot.com. Read Alycia’s devotions.
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The Right Response – Alycia Morales
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He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (NIV)

“Has your wife gotten over herself yet?” My husband had asked me to clean out his email. There was one from his ex-wife, with his son’s name in the reference line. I opened it, expecting a message about him. Instead of hearing about his latest accomplishments, I faced a false accusation. It offended me. I stared at the computer for an hour, praying and considering a response.

In that moment, I had to consider that God required me to act justly, walk humbly with Him, and love mercy. Mercy was the farthest thing from my mind. I knew I wasn’t the only one who faced relational issues that day, and it was up to me how I would respond. I stopped in my defensiveness to consider her circumstances. As I did so, it was easier to respond with mercy and to act justly, than to respond in rage or retaliation.

It was difficult for me to set aside my own pride and consider why she may have felt that way. I wasn’t ready to dismiss our relationship. I knew it would be better for my step-son if we remained friends. I was ready to consider what God required of me when He told me to love one another and to forgive  as He forgave me. Rather than react to her accusations, I replied with a polite email, requesting her forgiveness for whatever I had done to offend her. Even though she never responded, I knew I had done what God required of me, and I could enjoy peace of mind and heart.

Have you ever responded in rage when falsely accused? Strive for peace. Forgive others as Jesus Christ has forgiven you. Don’t carry the weight of their world on your shoulders. Allow His forgiveness to set you free.

Alycia Morales home educates her four children by day and writes by night. Married to her best friend for over ten years, she is co-founder of Together Ministries, offering discipleship, marriage enrichment, and parenting assistance to the local church. A seasoned packer, Alycia is enjoying seeing various parts of the country with her family as they travel for her husband’s work. Share in the adventure at www.amoralesthinks.blogspot.com. Read Alycia’s devotions

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