Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Cerrando el 2015 (Con el Alma Anclada)...
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Reflexiones de Navidad - No necesito una explicación
“Entonces María dijo al ángel: ¿Cómo será esto? pues no conozco varón. Respondiendo el ángel, le dijo: El Espíritu Santo vendrá sobre ti, y el poder del Altísimo te cubrirá con su sombra; por lo cual también el Santo Ser que nacerá, será llamado Hijo de Dios. Y he aquí tu parienta Elisabet, ella también ha concebido hijo en su vejez; y este es el sexto mes para ella, la que llamaban estéril; porque nada hay imposible para Dios.” (Lucas 1: 34-37)
Esta semana tuve cita para discutir los resultados de las pruebas genéticas sugeridas por mi oncóloga. Fui recomendada porque “soy muy joven para tener cáncer”; para incluirme en unos registros nacionales porque todavía no hay mucha información acerca de mutaciones específicas para mujeres hispanas aunque lamentablemente hay mucha incidencia de cáncer; y porque le estuvo curioso que tuviera un hijo con un síndrome genético.
La persona que discutió conmigo los resultados me dijo: “La buena noticia es que no detectamos alguna mutación. La mala noticia es que no tengo una explicación para que tú, con 39 años, tengas cáncer de seno metastásico”. Y yo le dije: “Yo estoy contenta, yo no necesito una explicación”. Yo misma no podía creer lo que acababa de decir porque a mí me encantan las explicaciones, y si son científicas me encantan aún más. Pero yo sé que este cáncer era parte del plan y que el Dios soberano siempre ha estado y estará en control de mi vida. El vio la primera célula cáncerosa de mi cuerpo. Ese día Dios no estaba distraído u ocupado en otra cosa. El vió la primera célula que migró y se alojó en mi hígado. Y en el momento que eso sucedió Dios no estaba de “break”. Pero también El vió mi embrión como dice el Salmo 139 y en su libro escribió todas aquellas cosas que fueron formadas, todas las etapas de mi vida, sin faltar una de ellas. Yo no necesito una explicación.
El mensaje de la Navidad no tiene que ver con explicaciones. El mensaje de la Navidad es que NADA HAY IMPOSIBLE PARA DIOS. No hay explicación para que el Espíritu Santo venga sobre una virgen y que nazca un bebé que sea Hijo de Dios. Pero fue posible porque nada hay imposible para Dios. No hay explicación para que Dios se volviera 100% humano sin dejar de ser 100% Dios. Pero fue posible porque nada hay imposible para Dios. No hay explicación para que siendo en forma de Dios, no estimara el ser igual a Dios como cosa a que aferrarse y decidiera tomar nuestro lugar en una cruz siendo nosotros rebeldes y estando muertos en nuestros delitos y pecados. Pero fue posible porque nada hay imposible para Dios. No hay explicación para que en un año de noticias amargas el amor por la Cruz de Cristo y la esperanza del cielo sean más dulces que nunca. Pero es posible porque nada hay imposible para Dios.
El mensaje de la Navidad no tiene que ver con explicaciones, el mensaje de la Navidad es que nada hay imposible para Dios. Que en esta Navidad en vez de explicaciones podamos celebrar al Dios de lo imposible.
Becky
All rights reserved. Rebecca Parrilla, December/2015.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Serie - Nuevos Significados - Mis Sueños
Photo by: Omayra Ortiz |
Go to English version
Photo by: Becky...Me encanta el otoño//I'm loving the fall! |
Free Translation - New Meanings - My dreams
All rights reserved. Rebecca Parrilla, November/2015
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Free translation - In the Waiting Room - Waiting as we should
All rights reserved. Rebecca Parrilla, October/2015
En la sala de espera - Esperando bien
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Monday, October 5, 2015
Lo Cualquiera en las Manos de un Dios como Ninguno
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
En la sala de espera - Justo a tiempo
Go to English version
El día antes de mi más reciente "scan" recibí una llamada de la oficina médica para confirmar la cita y para informar acerca de la cantidad del deducible. No pasaron ni 10 minutos y sonó el timbre de la casa. Era el cartero anunciando que habíamos recibido un paquete. Cuando lo abrimos era una nota con unas hermosas palabras de ánimo y una tarjeta de regalo con la cantidad exacta del deducible. Pensé: "Yes!!!...el cielo sabe de mi cita".
Free Translation - In The Waiting Room - Just in Time
"But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son..."
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Free translation - Update September 2015
Update - Septiembre 2015
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
En la Sala de Espera - "Scanxiety"
hair growth - 12 weeks post chemo |
La ansiedad es esa sensación de incomodidad o tensión debido a la anticipación de un evento. Experimentamos ansiedad porque anticipamos un daño o una desgracia futura. El Apóstol Pablo nos enseñó que los que pueden gloriarse en las tribulaciones también anticipan algo. Ellos viven anticipando la gloria de Dios.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Meditaciones de Fe - En la sala de espera...
Verano y familia//Summer and Family |
Go to English version
y él se fijó en mí y oyó mi clamor.
Me sacó del foso de desesperación,
del lodo y del fango.
Puso mis pies sobre suelo firme
y a medida que yo caminaba, me estabilizó.
Me dio un canto nuevo para entonar,
un himno de alabanza a nuestro Dios.
Muchos verán lo que él hizo y quedarán asombrados;
pondrán su confianza en el Señor.”
-
A Dios no podemos ponerle una
“fecha límite”. Él hace lo que quiere, cuando quiere, y como quiere.
- Él está presente en las “salas
de espera”. Él ve y oye nuestro clamor. Él rescata.
- El problema más grande es
la desesperación porque es terreno movedizo e inestable. La desesperación
es terreno fértil para el temor. En otras versiones luego dice “Puso mis
pies sobre peña y enderezó mis pasos”. La peña sobre la que estamos firmes
y seguros es Jesús.
- Hay una nueva canción prometida luego
del foso, luego de las “salas de espera”. Pero esa canción es para la
edificación de otros. Dios nos da una canción para que otros vean, se
asombren y pongan su confianza en el único que la merece, el Señor Jesús.
Desde el fondo de la tierra clamé
Te inclinaste, oíste
Desde el pozo a ti mis ojos alcé
Me miraste
Tu amor dulcemente ahuyentó mi temor
Y soy libre
Tu paz como guarda de mi corazón
Sobre la peña, te doy nueva canción
Aleluya, Aleluya
Aleluya, Rey
Becky
All rights reserved. Rebecca Parrilla, September/2015
Free translation - In the waiting room...
There is nothing new about my condition and treatment. I still have my infusion therapy every three weeks and I’ll get my scans repeated in the next weeks to evaluate my response to treatment and determine the next steps. This reminds me that I don’t like to wait. I don’t like "waiting rooms." It is in the “waiting rooms” of life where we face our “ghosts”. My “ghost” is to think that any ache or discomfort is that something is wrong…terribly wrong.
Several years ago my mom, my siblings and I were in a waiting room while my dad underwent surgery. He had some complications after a kidney transplant. That day we waited for so long…and all of a sudden we observed hospital staff bringing a dialysis machine to the operating room. We thought the worst. We thought that the surgery went wrong and that he was in dialysis again.
I stood up and started walking through one of the hospital corridors humming a tune. There were no lyrics yet but my heart was comforted and encouraged that evening. My dad’s surgery went really well, the dialysis machine was not for him, and that day I learned something about the "ghosts" that haunt us in the "waiting rooms" of life.
Weeks later, while reading Psalm 40: 1-3 I knew that I had found the lyrics of the song that I was singing that night:
“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.”
This psalm reminds us that:
• God does not follow our deadlines. He does what he wants, when he wants it and how he wants it.
• He is present in our "waiting rooms". He turns to us and hears our cry. He is our very present help.
• The biggest problem is our despair because it is like a slimy pit. It is shaky and unstable ground. The despair is fertile ground for fear. But He sets our feet on solid ground. Jesus is our solid ground, the solid rock where we stand.
• There will be a new song after the pit, a hymn of praise after the "waiting rooms." It is not any song; it is a song that will be a blessing to others. God gives us a new song for others to see what He has done so that they will put their trust in the Lord Jesus.
We praise the Lord who trades the pit and the waiting room for songs of grace and hymns of praise.
The song of that evening is available in the new album “Plan de Vuelo” by 33dc (available in iTunes):
Aleluya (Hallelujah -Free translation)
You heard my cry, you listened
From the pit I raised my eyes to you
And you turned to me
Your love, perfect love that drives out my fear
I'm free
Your peace is the guard of my mind and my heart
On solid ground, I sing a new song
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, King
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Free Translation - It's so easy to not understand ...
My daughter (one of my favorite persons) and I (using my favorite wig) |
Slowly back to normal after chemotherapy. I have infusions every three weeks with minimal side effects. I only experience some nausea and cold symptoms during the first couple of days. I lost 7 of my 10 fingernails, but my hair is growing back.
Hair growth about 8 weeks post chemo |
My 8 year old daughter is super happy about it. A few days ago she was gently stroking my head and said: "I am very excited Mom, your hair is growing. I thought you were going to leave me." I looked at my husband with a mix of frustration and compassion. Because after all…after all the conversations, the books and the pictures of bald chemo patients, our little girl still thinks that my health condition depends on whether or not I have hair. But I saw myself reflected in her ingenuousness. It is so easy to not understand. It is so easy to miss what is really important.
"but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.” (Mark 6:49-52, NIV)
This chapter of the Gospel according to Mark presents two miracles: Jesus feeding the five thousand and Jesus walking on the water. Neither the disciples, nor the crowd understood the miracle of the loaves. They thought that Jesus would be a perfect king. They wanted a prosperous kingdom, someone capable of giving them the daily bread. They did not understand that the real miracle was that Jesus was the bread of life, the bread from heaven.
The miracle of walking on water was an extension of the same teaching. Jesus certainly had authority over the elements of nature and power to challenge the laws of physics and fluid mechanics. But the real miracle was His Presence. The "I Am" in the midst of a headwind. They would not have confused the presence of Jesus with a ghost if they have understood that Jesus was the Bread.
May the Lord help us to understand the true miracle. May we long for Jesus more than we do for some baskets full of bread. May the assurance of His presence be enough even if the wind has not died down.
Meditaciones de Fe - Es tan fácil no entender...
Go to English version
Mi hija...una de mis personas favoritas...y yo con una de mis pelucas favoritas esta temporada. |
Casi 8 semanas desde la última quimio |
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Free translation - What's Next - Life after Chemotherapy
What is my greatest crisis with this new reality?
I feel that my life has a big asterisk with a footnote that states: “subject to change”. For someone like me who love planning this is a crisis of major proportions. But, my life (and everyone else’s life) already had that asterisk before the cancer diagnosis. James 4:14-16 (NIV) states: “you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.” There is nothing wrong with planning for the future but we need a heart that is completely aware of our total dependence on God. What we think of our plans and our life matters; and we may glorify God with it or not. We depend on God for the extraordinary things and for ordinary ones too.
What is my greatest source of comfort?
What is my greatest challenge?
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Marta looked forward to God’s promises for the future but she was not able to find immediate relief. Not only because the tomb and the bad odor of death (because Lazarus had been there four days by Jesus’s arrival) were so distracting, but because she still didn’t understand who Jesus was. Therefore, before revealing his power Jesus revealed himself and said: "I am". Jesus let her know that he was not only able to ask the Father for resurrection and life for Lazarus, but that he was all those things indeed. He was the champion over death; he was the Messiah; he was the life that Lazarus being dead needed and also the life that Marta being alive needed so badly. Is not enough to know what God can do in the future; is not enough to see the power of God revealed. What we need is the "I Am", who overcame sin and death, to be revealed to us today. We need the “I am” to influence our “here and now” even if we are facing the "grave and the bad odor of death."
Thanks for lifting us in prayer and for your extravagant love during these past months. Our hope is in the Lord. You can follow me on Instagram (@becksparrilla) or Twitter (@beckyparrilla).