Grow Up...

Have you ever been frustrated, but you find yourself repeating the same mistake over and over again. You know better, but somehow before you realize it you've made the same mistake again. I find myself in this predicament quite often. There's a verse in Romans 7:15 that basically shows us that Paul experienced the same problem. In this verse he is asking, "why do I do the things I don't want to do, and don't do the things I want to do." It is refreshing to know the man responsible for more than half of the New Testament, the "ultimate" Jew, the apostle struggled with sin just like we all do. Our youngest daughter turned two last week and we tell her over and over not to do something, but as soon as we turn our heads she does exactly what we told her not to do. We are very much like my daughter. God tells us not to do something because he knows better, but as soon as we think God's not looking, we do what we were told not to do. I want to challenge you all this week to quit repeating the same sin over and over again. Something I do to help me out is to read my Bible daily and I try to pray through situations instead of praying about situations. Have a great week and God Bless you this week...

Tony

Go Already!

I have been feeling really good this week! In fact I have been feeling so good that I spent a few hours every day working on my boat. It's not new, fancy or real pretty, or coveted by anyone, but it's mine and it's paid for. It's an older boat and requires some TLC and lots of attention. My wife made a comment in talking to one of my cousins that got me to thinking. She said, "he does this everytime he's gonna go fishing. He spends all his time getting ready and then he's too tired to go..." After she said this I thought about it and how true that statement is about the church today and Christians in general. We spend all our time preparing for what we want to accomplish and when it comes time to produce we don't have the energy. I worked on the wiring, the fuel line, cleaned it, and hopefully this week will power wash it. Am I doing this because it needs it, or am I doing it because I need it? So many of us go to church looking to fill a void in our lives. We try to fill it with programs or studies, but what we really need is to get real with God. It's good to do all the things I did to my boat, just like it's good for us to be at church. However, I didn't catch any fish because I never got on the water. Most Christians do all the Christian things, but only at church. We're too scared to go against the flow in public or at work. When was the last time you prayed before a meal at a restraunt? When was the last time you TOOK someone to church that has never been? When was the last time you did something that made you uncomfortable? You're ready! Matthew 28:19, tells to go into all the world! Please notice that one little word, "Go"! Let's quit stalling and do what we're supposed to this week. Oh yeah, pray for me that I get to take my boat out and bring home dinner! God Bless...

Tony

How good are you?

This photo was taken in Abilene in 2005. I got 1st place at that tournament. That was the first tourney I had played in years and was kind of a joke. I felt pretty special carrying home that trophy. All eyes were one me! After being praised by many for about 30 minutes and taking pictures with my trophy, isn't amazing how your parents always know what to say. My mom walks up to me and the first thing she says to me is, "golly mijo! You looked really overweight out there!"
Have you ever heard the term, "the older I get, the better I was..." That's what I've been dealing with these last few days. Round 4 of chemo is over! Thank God, but this round was really tough. I went in on Thursday and they were ready for me, but I only thought I was ready for them. If you talk to my wife, she will tell you that the days before chemo around our home it feels like we're going into battle. Because we are. We read scriptures together, we pray together, and we all work as one finely tuned platoon ready for battle. I may do the physical part of chemo, but it affects my entire family. My wife is like a 5 star general commanding the troops and preparing the logistics. Finally, the day has come and I walk out the door I know I am covered in prayer and my weapon is ready, my Bible.
On Friday night, I knew I wasn't feeling very well. I was starting to feel really bad. As I laid in my bed I began to feel sorry for myself. Oh boohoo poor me. I had told myself I was gonna pray, but instead I began to spout off to God in my head how bad I was feeling. I reminded God how I had served Him, how I always tried to keep my cool on the tennis courts. I also reminded God what a great speaker I once was...during one of those pauses as I laid there and tried to remind God about something else that made me so good, a nurse walked in and began to apologize because she hadn't been in my room in over an hour, (I'm pretty low maintenence). I was about to really tear into her when she said, "we have a man on this floor that is really sick and he may not make it through the night..." These nurses know that I'm always asking them what I can pray about for them. Just like my mom, she really knew what to say to boost my confidence. She reminded me where I needed to be and what I needed to be doing. Praying...
As I reflected on the weekend this verse came to me, 2 Corinthians 7:10, That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
God bless you this week and let us be strongest when we're on our knees...
Tony

It was a big day at the Huerta household on Sunday. Training wheels came off our 4 year old's bicycle. She did great and I'm happy to say everyone is still in one piece and still married! One of the things I noticed about her riding was how unbalanced she was until she got going a certain speed. As soon as she slowed down, she would lose her balance and begin to fall. As I saw this it reminded me about our walk with the Lord. So many of us add so much to our lives and then complain about how busy we are, but yet that's where we find our balance. This is complete opposite of what scripture tells us to do. In Psalms 46:10, it says, "Be still and know that I am God." The world wants us to go "faster, faster" but God tells us to slow down. Romans 12:2 says, "do not be conformed, but be transformed..." my paraphrase.
I want to challenge you to slow down this week. Do you know that I already saw Christmas trees in stores! Let's slow down and listen and watch for God moments this week. When we pray we don't have to do all the talking, let's let God talk to us. Please keep me in your prayers this week as I go for what we are hoping is my last round of chemo on Thursday! God Bless you all and thanks for reading.

Tony

"Praise God"

Today I went and bought a new fishing license. Not really surprised they have gone up again. A freshwater license is now $30. I don't mean to sound "old-fashioned", but it wasn't very long ago they were only $15. Along with the new license I received a new booklet with all the new laws and regulations for 2010-11. It made me think about lots of things. For instance, what if God changed the rules for getting into heaven every year. What if every person had to read the entire Bible in order to get to heaven? What if God fined us every time we did something wrong? Aren't we glad that God isn't about a bunch of laws, but rather it's about Him! As I sat outside earlier today and felt the air cooling and watched leaves falling I got to peek into heaven just a little bit. My daughters sing a song that says, "My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do..." I believe we have all sang that song, but how many of us are living that song? As Fall rolls in, I praise God for the beauty he is letting me see. As we go along this week let's take time out of our busy schedules to thank God for who He is and not changing the rules on us every year. I am also grateful that God's gift of eternal life is "free". His price never increases. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." How does someone like that write something that goes out of date! Thank you God for your beauty that surrounds us! God Bless

Tony

"Road Trip"

This week we are blessed to have one of my best friends share a "life experience" with us. John Whitworth is one of my fishing buddies and although we seldom catch fish, we always come back with a story. John is a graphic designer for Kerr Screen Printing in Kerrville. John is married to Melissa (Gannaway), together they have two children. Thanks John!

*****Last weekend my family and I were headed out of town to celebrate Labor Day weekend. I got in my truck to leave work and found out that my battery was dead. I was finally able to get my truck started but knew I needed to replace the battery before we got on the road. "I don't have time for this! I can't afford this right now!" I grumbled. It was miserably hot outside, and I didn't have time to go to the store, install a new battery, and get all sweaty and stinky right before our road-trip! I wasn't in a very good mood as I pulled into the local auto parts store. I walked inside and was greeted by a very friendly and heavily tattooed man. I told him about my car troubles so he tested the battery and confirmed it was time for a new one. My attitude shifted as he offered to install the battery for me! This was great, because I didnt have to get dirty before our trip.

As he worked on my car, I struck up a casual conversation and quickly learned that he was a cancer survivor. He said he had battled cancer that had spread throughout his body and he has been free of it for about six years! The more we made small talk, I started to feel that tug on my heart. Have you felt this before? Its that feeling you get inside when you can feel God nudging you to share your faith.

"Not now God!" I thought to myself. "So uncool. Just let this guy fix my car and get on my way. He'll think Im a lunatic!" After a quick internal battle with God, I decided to be bold and take courage. I would try and share.

A quick little trick I learned from the book, Share Jesus without Fear, is that you can turn any casual conversation into an opportunity to share with one simple, non-confrontational question, "Do you have any spiritual beliefs?". So, I tried to work up some nerves(kind of like jumping off a high-dive) and took the plunge.

"So, do you have any spiritual beliefs?" I asked.
"Sure" he replied, "I think there is a God".
I followed up with, "So, do you believe in a heaven or a hell?"
He paused, and then said, "Yes, but to tell you the truth, my dad just died about a year ago, and I'm still struggling with that."
Ouch. Door Slammed. Point taken. How could I go on witnessing to this guy? I didn't want to seem like an insensitive jerk and tell him that without a relationship with Christ, we can not be with God in heaven. What can you say?

God gave me the words. I explained to him that I have a very close friend, that recently lost his father, and has been battling cancer himself. We now had something in common. He really opened up to me, and we had a great conversation. I explained how we are all sinners, and need a savior. I explained how Jesus paid the price for our sins, and that if we trust in Him we are saved. I explained that I believe my battery died that day so that I would meet him, and share the gospel with him! It really was an amazing chain of events. Did he accept Christ right then and there? No. Was it a "success"? Yes, I did all I could do, I shared. We cannot save anyone, only Christ can. It is our job though to tell people what the Bible(God's Word) says! I would like to hope that I planted a seed in his heart and one day he will accept Christ.

I learned a few things that day:

***1-God can take something that may seem bad to us, and use it for his good! Sure my battery died and I'm out a hundred bucks, but was able to share the gospel with someone in need!
***2-God calls each of us to share our faith! Even though it may be "socially awkward", who am I to keep such a wonderful and free gift a secret!
***3-Duralast batteries have a two year warranty.

I tell you this story to encourage you! When was the last time you told somebody about Jesus? If you know Christ as your savior, I pray that you will answer the call to share your faith! A great book I recommend is, "Share Jesus without Fear"...google it. It gives you really easy ways to share the gospel.
If you aren't a Christian, or if you aren't 100% sure you'd go to heaven if you died tonight... open a bible and read Romans 10:9-11. You can always write Tony at PocoLoco if you have any questions about all this "Jesus-stuff". It's actually pretty easy, as it is a free gift for all that accept! Billy Graham put it best when he said that God made it so easy that even a young kid can do it! Our salvation is by faith alone.

Have a great week,
--John

Well round 3 of chemo is HISTORY!!! It has gotten a little tougher to take, but it's understandable with all that has gone through my body already. This round made me pretty sick, it really upset me and messed with my body in a lot of different ways. I know that by the grace of God, I will get through this. Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for all the friends I've got. Anytime I start to feel down, I receive a letter or someone comes by and cheers me up! Last week was tough on the Hardin family and PocoLoco Ministries lost a great friend in Jay Hardin. It is now our turn to uplift the Hardin family. They are good friends of ours from Junction. Jay was truly one of my best friends and we must continue to pray for Becky, his wife, James, his son, LaVerne, his mother, and Hardy and his family. God bless you Hardin family and comfort you during this time.
The other day some friends of ours came over and brought us some homemade lasagna. They froze it for us and left us instructions on how to heat it up and get the best taste out of it. Believe me, it was very tasty! As long as my wife was home to heat it up for me, it was perfect. One day she was gone and I got hungry. I remembered the lasagna that was in the refrigerator just waiting for me. All I had to do was microvave it and I would be in cheese nirvana...Nobody was around so I snuck in the kitchen and warmed up some of this tasty treat, but just enough for me. I was in a bit of a hurry since something was on TV that needed an audience. Apparently, I didn't heat it up long enough, because as soon as I dove into the first bite, it was very hard and cold! I'm not gonna say it ruined my appetite, but it did make me gag a little and think twice about putting a mouthful of food without testing it first! What should have been one of the best tastes I've ever experienced turned out to be one of the most unforgettable experiences I've ever had.
I was quickly reminded of the verse in Revelation 3:16, that says, "because you are neither hot or cold, I will spit you out of my mouth..." (my paraphrase). Did you know that God hates a "fencewalker", someone who doesn't commit to serving him completely. Some of us want to serve Him, but only on sundays and wednesdays, or only when we're around certain people. God wants us to be faithful to Him all the time. 24/7/365! I want to challenge all of us this week to serve God faithfully all the time. It basically comes down to this..."If you ain't radical...you ain't spit..."

Thanks Cindy Hardin for the lasgna and the inspiration for this devotion!

Tony