We Win

I never wanted to be a statistic in my life. At least not a negative statistic. My whole life I tried avoiding it. When I was in high school I strove to graduate for that reason--I didn't want to be another Hispanic female who did not graduate high school. I avoided by ALL means to be another Hispanic female who became a victim of underage pregnancy or even a high school drop out. I strove to be better. I studied long and hard and I graduated high school. I held the same belief in college. I didn't want to be another college drop out or a slacker. I studied hard. So much so that I was invited to join the National Society of Collegiate Scholars which is an "honor society that recognizes outstanding academic achievement among first-and second-year college students. Membership is based on gpa and class standing, and is by invitation only." What an honor!

College had its ups but it also had its downs. I was hit with a curve ball when my mom passed away my junior year of college. She passed away the Saturday before the beginning of the fall semester. I was devastated. And I was crushed. Before me stood the decision of taking a break to mourn for my mother, or keep at it. I decided to keep at it. I was actually in denial about it and school helped me cope with that denial. (I guess I put myself in a statistical bracket right there, huh? "Denial.") But I got through college. It wasn't easy because of my personal situation, but nevertheless I strove to be better. I strove for greatness.

My last year in college I stared applying for full time jobs and internships to get my foot in the door to "Corporate America." I landed an awesome job my last semester in college and got promoted within two months of being there. And then again two-three months later. That last promotion is what brought me to Portland. The sky was the limit, or so I thought. The economy took a major downturn and people in my company were getting laid off right and left. It was only a matter of time until it got to me. Guess what? It didn't! I left that job for another job. My then supervisor was one of the people that got laid off and he got a job where he managed to pull me in too. Awesome! (A side note: the Portland branch of the office that brought me up here is no more. It closed its doors November 2009. The company itself is still in business, however.)

Needless to say, I narrowly escaped the grasps of unemployment. I worked at this new company and took on a hybrid role which was awesome! I learned so much. All the while, I'm still striving for success by taking on different projects, working with different clients, and helping where ever I could. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worst when we lost a major account. Seniority won, and I was laid off on May 17, 2010. Yep. Then and there I became a statistic. My worst nightmare.

The CEO said "It's not personal. It's not that we don't like you..." Stop right there. You didn't like me enough to keep me. You didn't think I was a valuable enough asset to keep me in your company. For goodness sakes! I wasn't even working on that account! I was on a different account that paid my salary. I couldn't help but to feel like such a failure. Remember, my whole life--even today--all I strive for is to be successful because I grew up in the poorest condition (low income housing) and because I wanted to make my parents proud. I owed it to them to strive to be nothing but successful because they sacrificed so much for me--it's only fair. My parents instilled that in me. My mom always told me "Everything you do, do it with excellence."

And there I sat in that conference room feeling like such a failure. All I could think about is how I was letting my mom down. I didn't know how to face my fiancé. Just thinking about the fact that we were going to have to dig in to our wedding savings absolutely killed me. How were we going to make ends meet? We have a mortgage (yes, another success story here--my fiancé and I purchased a house at 24 years old), bills, groceries, gas, you name it! I went home that day and sobbed the whole drive home. Then my fiancé came out to meet me (I texted him the news earlier) as I pulled into the garage and I wept at the sight of him. I wept inconsolably. He held me and was, and still is, very supportive. The next day I got up early, jumped on my computer, and started searching and applying for jobs. I had a job interview the very next week! That really gave me the push that I needed to stop feeling so depressed about the situation.

I, Liz, became an unemployed female statistic on May 17, 2010. Yet I cannot help but to feel so overcome with joy. I feel like I'm bursting with gladness and love and worship. Yes worship!! Though I didn't get that job and I am still unemployed, I cannot help but to be so thankful to God for sustaining me. I know that this is only temporary. God has ALWAYS made a way out of no way. There is not one thing in our lives that isn’t pre-planned. God has already paved the way. If he got me through death itself (I was also involved in that car accident that killed my mom), he can get me through something so minor as this. I don't know why these things happen, but I do know that through it all I get stronger and my faith gets stretched. I have not stopped worshiping God. If anything I am drawing closer to him. I am more jubilant in my worship to him. Because we win! Don't you know that the battle is fixed? We're already victorious! I know that there is a great job lined up out there just for me.

And if ever I feel down, all I have to do is listen to this song and my faith is restored.




People, take comfort in the fact that WE WIN!! This is not the end. This is only temporary. There is a great job out there just for you!

Frontline Worship

True worship is more than a church celebration service; it’s a way of life. Worshiping God is more than singing a song; it’s the explosion of praise that comes from deep within our hearts when we realize the immeasurable magnitude of God’s love and grace. Biblical worship is more than a feeling; it’s the joy of the Lord that saturates the heart, restores all hope, and lifts our countenance.

That is why I am energetic in my Praise, and reverent in my worship. I am a passionate Frontline worshiper! And I make no apologies for the way that I worship because if you knew what God brought me out of, you would be worshiping the same way.

God is good!

Love Note.

Thank you Jesus because you have proven yourself to be so faithful to me over and over again. Your ways are perfect and your promises true. For you are not man that you should lie.

Oh Majesty, I live to see your face in me transform into your image. My hearts desire is to worship you always with all my heart. I will search for you and I will find you. And I will find you with all my heart. I will lift my hands to you in worship. And I will worship with all my heart. Because you are worthy to receive all praise and honor, glory and majesty. Everything I have is yours. Absolutely everything. Every last breath that I take is yours. Nothing moves without your will, Lord. You always come to my rescue in my time of need. So I want to thank you for that unending grace.

The grace that restores. The grace that redeems. The grace that releases miracles. The grace that releases me to worship. And the grace that aligns me to your vision for me.

Where would I be if not for your grace? When I look back over my life I see that it was your grace all the time carrying and covering me in every season of my life.

Thank you Jesus because your timing is always perfect. I love you Lord with all my heart and from the deepest depths of my soul. Everything in me, Lord, praises you for who you are. Not for what you have done, but because of who YOU are. You are God. You are the God that created the universe. You are the God that created the heavens and the earth and all the creatures that roam on this earth. No mind can grasp the greatness of who you are. No mind can comprehend your thoughts. No man can know what you have in store. So I will continue to praise you all the days of my life. Because of who you are. You are my savior. My Lord. My friend. My love.

Love is...

Sean walked by today as I was straightening the weird morning bumps out of my hair and asked me how my new straightener was doing. You see, Sean bought me a new hair straightener a couple months ago because the old one that I had was on the fritz and I had no money to get a new one so Sean, being the awesome love of my life that he is, decided to buy me one. Do you know where I bought the one that broke? About two years ago at a thrift store in L.A. So it's no wonder that my hair straightener was on the fritz.

I've never owned a brand spankin' new hair straightener until now. Much less a high end one like the one I have now.

I looked over at Sean and I said, "It's great! I love it! Thank you so much for buying this for me! I've never had anything like this." And me trying to be funny, I said; "Because I'm Mexican and I'm cheap." What Sean said after that has really affected me. So much so to the point where I had to blog about it. He said: "Well you're with me now. [jokingly] you're not Mexican anymore. You're with me now. And as long as you're with me, you will never have anything cheap. Because I love you and I want you to have the best."

That affected me so much because if this is the type of love that we get from another human being, how much more from our Father in heaven? How much more does he want the best for us? And we don't even deserve the love that He gives us. Who are we but men? Yet His love for us is so unconditional and so unfailing. It amazes me!!

Psalms 8

1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.

2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,

7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,

8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!



I am continually humbled by your love God. And I thank you for using small instances like you did today, to remind me of how great and amazing your love is for us.

Let Go

Galatians 3:1-5

"1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing–if it really was for nothing? 5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?"


I have to let go and let God. Thank you for reminding me of this Jesus. I needed to read this and be reminded that everything I have, eveything I own, everything I've acquired, and everything I am is not because of my own strength and power. But it is because you have given it to me. You are so faithful and I thank you because you will continue to provide. Though I may think that I am in need, and though my circumstance is staring me in the face, the truth is, I lack nothing. And I want to thank you for that. Help me to live in faith. I pray that you grow my faith and help me to be a light unto the world.

Always my God

Psalms 22:9-10

9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;

you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast.

10 From birth I was cast upon you;

from my mother's womb you have been my God.

Finish the Race

Acts 20:24

24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.



My mom couldn't have said this better herself. As I read this entire chapter, I couldn't help but to think about my mom. It was as if though my mom was saying her last farewell to me. What an encouraging word.

Thank you for teacing me to love God the way you did, mom. So unconditionally. I pray that God increases my faith and I pray that his Holy Spirit be with me always to guide me and to give me a sound mind and heart. To fill me with power and grace. And to comfort me in my time of need.

I miss you momma bear.

My Promise

Acts 13:32-33

“We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children..."

I receive this word and believe that what my parents prophicied over me as a young child will come to pass. That there is greatness upon me for I am a child of the most high God. That I have an undeniable gift that only YOU can give. I pray that you continue to teach me. To stretch and pull me beyond my comfort zone. That I may speak your word boldly with power and authority--filled with your holy spirit.

Thank you God for all that you are. Thank you for your covenant. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for your faithfulness. But above all, thank you for your love. For the love that fills all voids and heals all brokenness. For the love that forgives and never looks back. For each day your mercy and grace is made new.

Thank you Jesus.

Psalms 8

1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,

the son of man that you care for him?

5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;

you put everything under his feet:

7 all flocks and herds,

and the beasts of the field,

8 the birds of the air,

and the fish of the sea,

all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth!