What a blessing it was to spend the weekend with my honey. We had a wonderful time together, resting, talking, eating, learning, growing – closer to the Lord and closer to each other. After having such a great few days together, I thought to myself, "We need to do this a lot more often!" I really encourage all the married to couples to get away and seek the Lord alone/together, from time to time (if possible). Love you…God bless and keep you!
"And He said to them, 'Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.'" – Mark 6:31
We're getting super blessed at the Conference here in Tuscon, Arizona. Covering the life of David. Today's teachers include Damian Kyle, Alistair Begg, James MacDonald, Pedro Garcia and Levi Lusko. Please pray that God would speak, that we would listen and as a result – we would be men after God's own heart.
Love you ~ Manny
"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood." – Acts 20:18
What a blessing it was for my wife Shelly, and I, along with our 2 dear brothers to go down and fellowship with the group at La Posada this last Thursday. La Posada is located in Rosarito, Mexico, affiliated with Calvary Chapel Montebelo, and is a wonderful missions base for ministries to go down and minister to the people of Mexico. You can find out more about La Posada by clicking here.
I am thoroughly humbled to have the privilege to go down once a month and share the Word with these beautiful people (with the help of Pastor Victor's translation – of course). If you would ever like to go down with us (it's a great experience), let us know…and we will provide all the necessary details and guidelines. Please keep this wonderful ministry in prayer along with Victor and his wife Sonia!
May our Lord continue to bless you and keep you…and may He give us his heart for missions!
The Lord really spoke to me through the final study/prayer at the 2009 Men's Conference in Anaheim. Here's the video…Pastor Raul Ries really sums up God's heart for the church today. We really need to repent and to pray for the movement and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We need to cry…we need to cry out. You can order the entire DVD set by clicking here.
This video is only about 17 minutes long…a very good investment of God's time for your heart.
We were really blessed this last Monday to attend an event at Staples Center. It wasn't just a Clipper game – what blessed our family is that someone thought of us enough to sign us up for an event known as Pastor's appreciation day. And so, the Coronilla Clan headed to the Staples Center; we had never been there before, nor had any of us ever been to a professional basketball game. Prior to the game the chaplain from the Clipper's gave a message from God's Word, and Shelly even won the grand prize (they had drawings). I just "happened" to run into a Calvary Chapel Pastor, who expressed a very sincere interest in teaming up with us in the missions work in Rosarito, Mexico – all in all – we had a wonderful time! As a "ministry" family we so appreciate the love of God and His beautiful people. You can check out some more photos in the album we posted. Thank you so much for all your prayers…we really do need them. Thank you my brother, for blessing us this way.
This morning I was reading the book of Proverbs when I came across the section of the hard-working exemplary ant. I was reminded of this video I took when we were in South America (El Secreto, Chile). Proverbs 6:6-8 says, "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest."Man, how we need that reminder to work hard, and to fight that temptation to "chilax" too frequently. Another Proverb puts it this way, "The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich." (13:4) (And for further study/conviction: see Proverbs 10:26; 12:24, 27; 15:19; 19:24; 20:4; 21:25; 24:30; 26:14-16; Matthew 25:26; Titus 1:12-13). I know, I know, that's a lot of verses, but I need a grip of reminders 🙂
It was May 9, 1992 when Shelly and I made these vows to the Lord, before family and friends. May we never forget the vows we made to God. Ecclesiastes 5:5 says, "It is better not to vow than to vow and not to pay."
I must say that I have had an absolutely wonderful and fulfilling life, because I've spent it with the one God made for me. He has His ways of reminding me of that, everyday. Shelly completes me – in Christ – we're truly husband and wife, ish and isha (she's actually my better half). We've had some rough times, but the Lord and His amazing grace have always kept us…may God be glorified, and may He strengthen our marriage even more.
This last Sunday we met with a brother named Steven Cass – founder of the ministry "Breaking Chains." We are praying about teaming up with Steven and using the house we're renovating in Rosarito, Mexico to shelter girls that they rescue from slavery and prostitution. It's so heartbreaking when you discover the epidemic of human trafficking in Latin America. Please pray for this ministry, and pray that the Lord will show us His will. If you are interested in serving in construction in one of our work trips, or just ministering to the girls, please contact us. For more information on Breaking Chains you can go to www.breakingchains.org.
The very next day I received this email from one of the brothers in the congregation – Sean:
"Manny, I met this band at the two day evangelist training class. Today I recieved this email from them. If you click on the link you can watch a video of their new song about women and children trafficking and slavery. Wow what timing after hearing the brother share today about the same thing!" ~ Sean
Every year we take a photo as a family on Thanksgiving day…here we are in 2009. Ariel is 15, Aaron is 13, I am 43 and Shelly is still so young. Wow…we've all changed/grown so much (except Shelly). I figure by Spring of 2010 Aaron will actually be taller than me (especially if he keeps eating the way he has been). The girls are beautiful as always…I just don't know what happened to me, gray hair, less hair (I shaved my head…oh well, Shelly likes it…that's the most important thing, huh?).
I just pray that we, as a family would love the Lord and love each other.
If the Lord lays us on your heart…please keep us in prayer – that God would keep and touch our children – to love Him with all that we are. That God would give Shelly and I wisdom, as we attempt to love and lead our family, for God's glory, and for their good!
The Coronilla clan saw the movie, "A Christmas Carol" yesterday…and we thought it was pretty good.
Whenever I see a movie I have the tendency to look for Spiritual lessons and this one was full of them.
Case in point: How we need to be so careful not to live for money; how we need to be so careful not to lose our joy. How we need to do our best to love and live, knowing that we're all leaving behind a legacy…how will they remember me? Did I make a difference for good?
May God help us as Christians, to abound in generosity, to abound in joy (no Scrooges please), and to really make a difference in people's lives by freely giving out the love of Jesus Christ.
The 3D was cool, and the writing of Charles Dickens in "A Christmas Carol" is definitely classic. If you have an artistic side to you, I believe God can use this movie to stir you up! (2 Timothy 1:6)
