Family of God.

I am so encouraged by the love that has been shown to me from my church family in Temecula and Murrieta. God has been so faithful. During the last Sunday that I attended Calvary Chapel Hot Springs Church in Murrieta Dave Shirley and the body prayed for me. The fellowship there has been a blessing to me. With all the opportunities to play worship for the Spanish ministry and just be apart of the church for the few months there it was a blessed time. Then later that day I had the chance to see a few of my friends from high school. Then that night I was blessed to be prayed for again by a few dear families from CC Bible Fellowship of whom will all be sorely missed, yet the Lord sends out His laborers to the harvest and in that I am glad.

Two Down, Two to Go

My sister, for nineteen years of my life (so far) ;) , is now married to Christopher Clark. It has been 1 day short of their 20 days as a married couple. It was a beautiful wedding. The Lord blessed it and has blessed Iza and Christopher with a new life together. Their story of the Lord bringing them together has been a testimony and example for many. They waited upon and acted on seeking and serving the Lord and keeping their relationship before the Lord pure, holy, and acceptable to God and that is what was exemplary (Romans 12:1-2). How exciting is it to see God's plan for both of their lives to meet and be planned out to go forward together still seeking and following Him. The Lord has been faithful. What God has brought together let no man put asunder!
Love you guys d^_^b

Gathered to be Scattered (for God's glory)

This past week I have been reminded of a saying that my dad would always used to say after every Campfires for Christ camp trip that we had, that is the Lord "gathers us to scatter us."
He calls us to be edified together and have our gifts stirred up and to encourage the body then sends us out to our mission field, whether that be our school, work, home or the more obvious far away countries to spread the truth of His gospel.

I have been able to see many Christian brothers and sisters who are subsequently going out to be scattered in the fields that God is setting before them. I myself will be moving, Lord willing, to another field by the end of and beginning of next year and am thankful for the recent gatherings that I have been able to participate and be encouraged in. The Lord is faithful to help prepare us for whatever work He has laid before us. For this I am thankful, for this I know that I don't need to worry, for this in part of the whole is why I love my God. Jeremiah 29:11.

I encourage you brother or sister to live in surrender to the Lord because He is worth living for.
It won't always seem the easiest but it is the best.

Reflections.

I am so thankful for this verse: Philippians 2:13
"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

I fail. But He does not.
He wants to have me do that which pleases Him and even provides for the motivation to do so.
How awesome is that, all we have to do is believe in Him to do what He promises.

Psalms 61:2
"From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

I have recently found myself overwhelmed.
Though it is quite humbling to say, growing up is tough.
But with my Lord who is my rock who is higher than I He will uphold me.

I thank the Lord pretty much daily for His unmerited favor towards me.
That concept seems so far from so many people's minds considering that
we are "supposed" to earn another person's love.
But who loves someone who hasn't "earned" their love in any way at all possible?
My God that is who.

I want my life to exude Christ. I want those springs of living water to overflow.
I want to be as perfect of a reflection of Christ as is earthly possible.

"A heart may be divided and not broken, and it may be broken but not divided; and yet again it may be broken and be whole, yet it never can be whole until it is broken."- C. H. Spurgeon

Sometimes I think public humiliation is good because it is just making the apparent position we should always have before God more apparent, just a thought. ( you probably could not tell that i embarrass myself a lot ^_^)

Well I praise the Father who has given us His Son to restore us to a relationship with Him then give us the Holy Spirit who helps us walk in the way we should.

What a good Father we have. Rejoice! We have been rescued forgiven and pulled from the grave!

Holy Matrimony:An Addition to the Amargo Clan

Ivan and Shannon got married this past Saturday, October 9, 2010. We are so blessed to have another Amargo in the family ;)

It's been amazing growing up with my siblings and seeing each of us draw closer to the Lord in our own lives. The Lord certainly has magnificent plans for those who trust in Him. Jer. 29:11

Everyone had an amazing time. I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly the ceremony went, not to mention how fun ceremony and reception were. They definitely put their personalities in their wedding. From the Darth Vader Groom's entrance and the light saber first dance to their pictures which they took themselves as favors and every little detail in between.

It was a blessing.

May the Lord continue to, lead, guide, and direct them in the path He has set before them as one flesh serving, loving, and glorifying the Lord.

Worship Night August 21, 2010

This past Saturday we had our first Worship night with the youth groups of Calvary Chapel Bible Fellowship. We are hoping that it will happen at least once a month. I had the opportunity to help lead worship alongside my cousins, Gaddiel
(taller vocalist) , Luke (vocalist with glasses), and my brother Izak (not pictured, on the drums in the back) as well as the bassist Jessie and our lead guitarist Luke Richardson. The exciting thing about singing worship together to the Lord and is that not only are you singing with family your singing to the Eternal God with your eternal family. Pretty awesome to say the least.

There were actually four of us different teams that lead in succession with different teams Ed, Ernie, Art, and myself. It was a wonderful time. It was amazing how God pulled it all together.

I pray that we always worship the Lord in spirit and in truth John 4. Photo Credits: Top two: taken by Tanner Yates; bottom: taken by Micaela Hildebrand

The Name of Jesus 2010

I had the opportunity to go up to Green Valley Calvary Chapel Camp Ground a second time this summer. Yet, this time it was with my home church in Temecula: CC Bible Fellowship. I went as a counselor. It was a blessing the Lord was showing me a different or rather revealing to me a wider spectrum of what He is doing especially in the area of growth in and in walking with Him. Another sweet blessing was that there were 5 of us cousins at this camp. It is sweet to know that your blood relatives seeks the Lord. It makes the family bonds ground much deeper because they are rooted in Christ. The title of the camp was "The Name of Jesus." We had wonderful men of God guest speak during our morning and evening sessions yet I believe that many would agree with me that not much else besides the Word of God can do justice to the person and name of Jesus.