Devotional base on Luke 6:27-29

We know how to deal with haters that tend to just pick at every little thing in our lives sometimes just complain about us breathing. What about when it becomes our companion, our homies, that we allowed to be close in our lives, that we trusted with everything in our lives, the secrets of our lives. What happens when they hurt us? When we want to go far away to  escape the pain but we can't. When their negative words are the only thing that we remember at night that could bring us to a point that sometimes we rather are alive.  When we can’t handle it anymore and finally confess in our mind, “I don’t need any more of this stuff because I can’t even love myself.” Then add the pains that our friends cause on us are stays and haunts us in our next relationships. That would be causing us to put walls to not allow us to trust others. Do we want to live life like that?

my youth pastor uses to tell us in youth group that we have to pray for those who hate us. I asked him why??? He said because you can’t hate for those who pray for and ask God to forgive them for what they have done. We saw it before when Jesus was upon the cross, when he said, “lord forgive them what they have done and they don’t know what they are doing.” Do you think honestly that our friends know that they are hurting us until all the cruel words come out and if they do? Does it really matter? We have to forgive them and love them. We can do all by prayer and by prayer alone for God to help us be uncomfortable and bring people in our lives that could help us to take us in uncharted land.  I know this is will deficit, but I know that God will listen to your prayer even when it comes to moments in our lives that all we can basically scream help!!”

Let’s step back and thank about how the world where we as a church can be transparent with each other because we are loving each other. Where somebody has been bullying you, maybe raped you, cause some big big damage in your life enters through those doors because God answered our prayers for them in our lives. Think about this…. Where we can allow our selves and other be open books because we took down that wall that stopped us from trusting other. Where basically we are free to live life without holding back to anybody and even ourselves. We have to forgive those who hurt us.

Luke 6:27-29

But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29"Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either

obvious is beautiful

In the moments that we say something so obvious...like your hands are cold or your hands are soft....it's a beautiful moment that we got off our phones and finally being present in the moment. In the moment that two lose their selves in the conversation that they step in each other shoes for a couple moments. The joy that comes that somebody finally listens to us and we could be free to talk about the good in bad in life.

It is obvious we only have limited amount time, that we are all ticking and tocking, walking the fine line between days and weeks as if each second speaks of years and each month has years listening to forever. Knowing that for us we got a day that it could end but personally we live life like we can't die. Some people believe that they are too pretty, too dressed up, too busy, too young to die but death is slowing coming closer every second without your consent. It makes me woundering how am I going to use my perious time? Am I going to waste  time just sleeping in while time is passing by? Am I going to waste time on my phone to accomplish nothing at the end of it? Some of us even including myself that we are so blinded by our phones that the world in front of our lives is falling apart and we cant do anything about it because we wasted time? It makes me really think about whats important in life and is my usage of time really point back to it? Us wasting time is obvious to others but we know that we are throwing away precious time that we could spent with love ones and spending time with God.

February Update Letter

I want to start to say thank you for supporting me for the past couple years and being there every step of the way. I am so thankful for this experience of trying to rise support to go to college because it really showed me how many people are always praying for me and supportive in my walk and actually believe in me that God would do amazing things in my life. The month of January was already an interesting month and a good start for the semester.

Two weeks ago, I had the privilege to be a part of a minority meeting with President Paul Nyquist, the dean of admissions, dean of distant learning, dean of financial aid and three other students to discuss how to bring more minorities into the student body of Moody Bible Institute. The meeting covered the topics of how to recruit minorities, discuss how our experience at Moody was and what we like and what work Moody has to work on, also scholarships for minorities.

I was assigned for Practical Christian Ministry for Moody to work in a 3-hour open gym at Church in West ridge. I have been going there every Friday for the past three weeks and I learned that I am way out of shape to keep on hustling for the ball with inter-city kids. A lot of kids are involved in Gangs and by their flashing gang signs I was able to point out there are around 3 different gangs: Latin kings, cobras and gangster disciples. Can you pray that I would be able to use my testimony to connect with them, build relationships with some of the them and share the gospel to them.

This week I attended my first ever Founder’s week at Moody Bible Institute. We had amazing speakers that talked about Running the Race. All of us had different starting places and run in different paces. A lot of people start the race strong but could take a detour, others stay comfortable in their lives and never took a step of faith. The biggest question is how are you going to finish the race?

There were two main messages that really spoke to me and convicted me. One speaker gave an illustration that I have been thinking about. The illustration that he gave was that while we sin the devil gives us lose rope until it causes the most destruction in our lives and pulls the rope and at that point our lives fall apart. The second speaker talked about lamenting. Overall we (the church) have lost the gift of lamenting through the hard times. A lot of us believe that it’s bad to question what’s going on but our God is bigger than our questions. In Psalm 42 when King David is being mocked by enemies when they ask David “where is your God?” David responded by saying “I don’t know but I will praise Him because I know He is working. (Paraphrased)

Financial Update:

Currently I owe $11,700 in my student loan that I took to come to Moody. I am not worried because God has and will provide for all my needs.  I am applying at a couple places trying to pay back my loan as soon as possible. I am still praying for God to show me if he wants me to work in the warehouse or a summer camp in the summer. Pray for God to show me clearly. If you find it in your heart to donate int his cause then donate to http://www.gofundme.com/j8iu04

Additional prayers:

For God to keep me on working me and teaching about sacrifice by living for Him and not for myself anymore.

To keep on softening my hearts towards my dad and for God to heal the scars that he has made on my heart.

For me to find a job

To help me become that man that God wants me to be instead of what people want me to be.

In the midst of the good and bad times to trust on God and find my peace only through Him

Trusting in God provision

Orlando Blanco

Gang Violence

Today has a been a rough day because i had a to write a speech about Gang violence in Chicago. It reminded me of the pain that i cause in my mother and my sister and my friends when i was in the gang. I had to pray to God to keep me together because there isnt enough sorrys to go around. it destroys my heart to think about how people that are living in the city are so blind to the pain. i write in my speech A lot of students look out the window and look into the city and think that its beautiful. When end up looking outside…I see a city full of pain, regrets, revenge, envy and unjustice. When I talk about Chicago, I don’t talk about the suburb I mean downtown but including  the south and the west side. Where the gang violence has destroyed the lives of brothers, sisters, mother and fathers." where mothers cry when the children leave their house because that may be the last time she will ever see him. Where tears runs like waves runs down the kids cheeks asking "where is daddy?? Am I good enough to have a dad?? where there is no need for best friends cause they could be gone in any second by a bullet. Where the kids are looking up and telling God that i have been living for too long and please take me out of my misery? In this environment, where the fathers are the best at playing hide and go seek but never coming out to play in their child life, where finding a positive male figure is harder to find waldo, where any second  a flying bullet could be scaring your name. The youth aren’t really thinking about the future because they are in the survival mindset and only trying to make it through the day without being six feet deep. A lot of the youth explain it by saying “it’s a war out here and we’re fighting to live.”  

To be honest with you, I don’t have all the answers but I do have some ideas how we as Moody students and even more as Christians could make a difference. The violence in Chicago is being mutted in the news and overlooked. But why? All people are hearing and thinking about the violence is “its another black boy gone, gang related” Michael Pledger, a catholic priest that is a big activist against the violence in Chicago, said “If white children were being killed in the numbers of brown or black children then we wouldn't be here sitting talking about violence” We have to speak out for the oppressed and voiceless by bring awareness. Also be willing to listen to other people stories. Guys when we talk to any youth we have be a father figure in their lives because you could be the only positive father figure they ever see. Ladies be a positive female leaders shows the girls that someone believe in them and that they do something in their lives. Church, we have to get out of four sided building and set into people lives and live life with them and be willing to share the gospel and being transparent about our struggles. Students, lets step out of just being in downtown all the times and invest some our free time in west or south side churches or even one kid that would know that somebody believes in them.

Lets make a difference in Chicago and Lets pray for God to have a revival in this beautiful hurting city.

Stuggles

Since Thursday I have been hurting..my friend  committed suicide. .. it has really made me reflect if what I am doing is what God wants me to do. I spent a couple night and talking to God. A lot of my friends asked me for advice nd help them with the pain.. But honestly I am hurting, spilled a lot of tears and makes me choke up while talking about it.. The only reason that been getting me through it is crying out to God and laying everything forward and feel in my heart that he is saying that he got it undercontrol.  This whole expense made me think about depression. I dealth with it for two years and it was horrible and asking God every day to let not let fall back into depression. This is the intro..... Depression is like a elephant on your chest that you have to face everyday but the crazy part it is also the elephant in the room that nobody want to talk about. Daily looking up at the sky seeming like heaven is so far away. Making hope shrink by the hour. In the meantime I am looking like Ronald McDonald on the outside but inside I am dying. In a room full of people, feeling alone. I am afraid of being alone with own thoughts and it's so bad that I can't even look at a mirror cause I think to myself ...am I good enough to be loved ....like really...If my parents don't love me..then why would you even spent a second with Me. Is my best be good enough angways? Every night wishing that i dont wake up in the morning. But that wish has never been answered.Every day i wake up in a state of morning because my pride lies to people that ask me "are you okay?" My pride response by saying I'm alright...I'm okay....I'm all good really..While my heart is screaming for help. The Air keeps seeking into my lungs...even though I do not want to breath..again depression is a personal cancer that I can't get rid of.  When i am finally worn asking for help People be telling me to pray more and read the bible more but bro this is the harderI ever prayed in my life and most I ever read the bible but I am still dieing inside. I struggle with this for 3 years and lost 10 friends in the past couple years from depression. Worst of all I just lost a homeboy last Thursday that committed suicide while dealing depression. His words screaming for help but people just stood there and liked his statues. It only takes one person to chance somebody life. If anybody of you feel this way..I am always here to listen.

If you have any questions or prayers or anything message me please.

Why am i doing this?

I am probably not the most intersting, not the smartest, not stand out but i want to be a man of God that would be valunerable and share my struggles and deepest thought. The reason is that somebody out there may be facing the same thing but scared to share it. I know that people may use these thing against me but i dont not care. its all worth it if it speaks to only one person. I feel like God has been convicting me and working on me to be transparent even to a point that it hurts. It may seem weird that a guy would be sharing their emotion and their struggles but there is too many christians that put on a mask like everything is okay...if it is that its all good...i rather be a christian that can relate to others and be upfront. I am praying that God uses me to speak to you... i would love to receive any messages of any comments or someone to talk to cause im here...

Doing this out of Love
-Orlando