I'm leaving on a jet plane...

Early tomorrow morning I board a jet plane to Hawaii.  It's been a wonderful 7 weeks in Las Vegas with family.  I look forward to going home, even if it's only for a couple weeks before leaving the country again. My heart is content and excited for what God has ahead of me...

This brings me back to a revelation God gave me just last Sunday when I was waiting to get off my plane from Colorado Springs.  I had noticed how different the atmosphere and attitude of the passengers were from when I had left Las Vegas a few days before. The plane from Las Vegas was depressing and tense. There were hardly any smiles and almost everyone seemed to be in a sour mood. This plane was full of excited people ready to party up in Vegas.  They were people expecting to leave their cares behind and experience the bliss of the city...BUT as proven by the passengers leaving Vegas, those fun times leave you empty and unsatisfied.  It reminds me of what I heard a lot as a teenager, "the tempoary things of this world only satisfies temporarily."  Isaiah 55:2 "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."

It is only the things of God that give you true joy and contentment. His never failing love brings peace and strength to live and face whatever challenges we may have.  Psalm 90:14 "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."

I thank God for the hope I have in Him! The hope that I was able to share with Kelly, the passenger who sat next to me on the way to Colorado Springs.  The hope she can cling to even after a divorce and the child custody battle she's going through.  Kelly was able to leave the plane with joy knowing that Jesus loves her...that's the love and joy which fills and satisfies, forever!!

I will wait...

I will wait by Aaron Shust
chorus:
I will wait for your mercy
I will wait for your plans to unfold
I will wait for your mercies are new every morning

Tebow...BELIEVE!

I thought this title would get your attention. =) Tebow is the hot topic in recent football circles, especially for his outstanding performance yesterday against the  Pittsburg,  Steelers. But I’m sure the name Tebow has also been mentioned in many Christian circles around the US and the world.  I must be honest I didn’t know or care much about this Denver Broncos quarter back, until recently…I’ve been living in Vegas with my sister, Darlene and her husband, Travis, who’s a huge Kansas City Chiefs football fan.  Travis is such a huge fan that they named their adorable son, Keoni Charles, so that he would have the initials K.C.  I know there are other reasons but I’m sure you can already imagine what a big fan Travis is of the KC Chiefs and how cheering for any Broncos player would be taboo in this house.  Thankfully for me, Travis was out of town yesterday, so I could cheer with no restrictions.  Heehee!!

What is it about Tebow that is fascinating so many people around the world? Well, the way I see it, He’s a man of God who ‘walks his talk.’  God has placed him in this position and as a Christian, he is grabbing hold of the opportunity to show God’s love and influence many fans around him.  He’s unashamed about His love for God…he sings, he praises, he worships, he thanks God, his creator, openly everyday for the world to see.  Who wouldn’t admire that?  As a single Christian woman…that’s exactly what I look for and admire in a man!   

After yesterday’s game against the Steelers, I caught Oprah’s new show on OWN where she enters celebrity homes for interviews.  Surprisingly, the show featured the widely-known author and pastor, Joel Olsteen.  Though there may be some who do not agree with the way he chooses to present the Gospel, throughout the interview, Joel Olsteen stood firm on the Biblical truth that God wants a relationship with everyone and that we are all created for a purpose.  As a pastor of 60 thousand members, his goal is to continue to influence others and give them hope in a God who loves them and created them.

Bringing this home…

The other night I sat in bed catching up with a friend over the phone.  She shared the joy and privilege she felt when her sister asked her for prayer and having been bold enough to do so.  Since becoming a Christian over 10 years ago, she’s been longing for her Buddhist family to come to know Jesus Christ. My friend is fulfilling her purpose by influencing the people around her towards Jesus.

In Youth With A Mission’s Discipleship Training School, we got to know God, know who we are in God and how to make God known to those around us.  Only a hand full of us are directly involved in world missions… many of the 50 students in my school returned home to finish school or go back to work.  They are now equipped to reach out to those God placed around them, so that they can come to know Jesus Christ.  We all can be like Tebow or Pastor Joel Olsteen.  We may not be able to influence thousands or millions like they do, but you can influence those God placed around you. 

All of Tebow’s fans urge us to BELIEVE…yes, believe in the God who loves you.  Believe in the God who created you.  Believe in Jesus Christ. If you do, then believe that you have the love and power within you to fulfill God’s purpose to influence those around you towards Jesus!

Where in the world is Rhoda???

This is a common question among my friends and family. It's great to know that I can keep everyone guessing...nah, actually if your my friend on FB you would know exactly where I'm at.  =)

So, I'm livin in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA... at the moment.  My nephew, Keoni Charles (first child of my younger sister, Darlene), was needing a babysitter.  Since I was kinda available before my next rhodadventure (heehee), why not. I've been here for the past 5 weeks and was blessed to be able to spend Christmas with my sister and relatives in Corona, California.  I had a jolly good time with my cousins and their children.  I was even able to visit with an old college friend, Patrick.  We then moved the party back to Las Vegas for New Years.  We had loads of food, fun and laughter...Aguilar style!! lol!

Next week, I'm taking a short trip to visit relatives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Then, back to Vegas for my last week before heading home to Hawaii. 

Don't you worry...I'll be in touch and I'll also post more great videos from DTS.  You'll love it!! =)

ooops...here's the youtube link...i think =)

testimony link

okay, so i figured out how to post the youtube video directly on the link...woohoo for me!! BUT i can't seem to figure out how to delete this post.  So, it's gonna stay! =) 

Evangelizing in Switzerland

Gonna take you back to June of 2011...We were just finishing off our 12 weeks of lectures in Discipleship Training School and was preparing for our 7 week outreach.  Here's a video with me and my Brazil teammate, Daniel, as we share about 4 people receiving Christ during our outreach simulation.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Can you believe it's 2012?!!

Can you believe I finally made it back on here??!!!  I am amazed myself.  I had so many plans for this blog last year...man, I'm sure I disappointed many of you.  My sincere apologies.  It's a new year and a new me...and this new me wants to blog. 

I had lots of concerns last year about making sure I make my entries meaningful and full of information and I felt pressured.  To the point where I had anxieties about what to write and how often and...ugh!! Okay, i"m exaggerating a little but still...blogging was definitely not something I looked forward to. Well, this year, I've decided to just to take on a new attitude about having a blog and just have fun with it! 

I'll try to catch you all up on the happenings from last year...mostly, by posting videos that are already on youtube...if i can figure that out.  (LISA: HELP!!) Lisa's my good friend from Missouri who put up this blog spot for me.  Then, I tell you about where I'll be heading for 2012...

Okie, dokie here we go....