Mother's Day or Dia de las Madres?

The holiday passed. We know. And we're sorry. But this post wouldn't be very Valley if it was on time, though we're on board to change that. Eventually.

If you haven't realized, the Valley is a cultured area where holidays such as Mother's Day are taken very seriously and are celebrated grandiosely. 

Every restaurant is packed and all the grocery stores have run out of charcoal and lighter fluid.

But that's not the challenge. The challenge is knowing when to celebrate Mother's Day or Dia de la Madres.

Living in a border town can often be pretty confusing. The majority of our families are of Mexican-descent so it would only be natural to celebrate Dia de las Madres on the 10th, which is the celebration date in Mexico.

But there's this unspoken tension about technically living in the United States so celebrating Mother's Day should be left for celebrating on May 11th.

I see 3 options: 

• Celebrate both days because you can't go wrong in making much of your mom for a full weekend.
• Choose to celebrate on the 10th or the 11th, but make a big deal in leading up to whichever day you decide; a surprise.
• Stop being a menso in using the 11th as an excuse to buy your mom something because you completely forgot that it was Dia de las Madres and you're "saved by the date."

I know you're still living at home with your mom anyway. You might as well make the weekend all about her and do her laundry for a change. 

How Fast Can A Stone Heart Sink?

By: Sergio De Leon

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;
I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)

There are few things that are more dangerous for the believer than sin.

Don’t get me wrong, sin alone is the ultimate separation from our Lord and Savior.  I am not saying that some sin is ok – not at all. Sin, when repented of (the true meaning of repentance,) leads us only to forgiveness, mercy, and grace.  Paul tells us that “conviction is only through His kindness, and it leads to repentance,” meaning we are allowed to be convicted in order to be in the presence of the Lord, blameless and clean….BECAUSE HE LOVES US.

So, what can be more harmful than sin itself?

A heart of  stone.

A heart of stone is the outcome of a reliance in self and a complacency in God’s mercy for oneself.  We forget about who God is and rely on what we can do, or can’t do for that matter. We often find ourselves caught in the “I know” stage or working for the sake of pattern. This soon becomes monotony in our lives.  We forget about the Gospel. We forget about the joy that we had when we were saved.  This is why the Psalmist writes,

“Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:12)

When a heart of stone is fully developed, it functions as a sound barrier between God and us.

No transition can get through; therefore you grow cold and choose to continually rely on yourself. The pebbles of self-reliance grow and become a boulder. Your heart is a heart of stone.  You choose not to repent.  Sin left un-repented of is death.

So what’s the medication? How do we begin to erode the stone to reveal flesh?  The prescription is this: You recognize who God is and who you are not.

You must come under the authority of Jesus and remember He who saved you, because He loved, loves and will love you.

Understanding that the only way to break the stone is through the authority of Christ will do several things:

1.  You will know who you were…and who you are now because of Jesus.  

2.  You will repent of your sin and start chipping the stone.

3.  You will thank God for mercy and grace.

4.  You will have the joy of your salvation restored.

5.  You will know, trust, and share the Gospel! 

All these things are great news! It all starts with knowing who God is and who you are not.

So how deep can a stone heart sink?  To the deepest trench.  The question really is, will you sink with it, or will you watch it sink?

"He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the Lord."
(Psalm 40:3)

The Wedding

By: Marco De Leon

In a few short days, by God's grace, I will be blessed with an amazing woman, Rebecca, of who I will be given the pleasure of calling my wife in addition to having an awesome 8-year old son, Seth.

The first thoughts that cross my mind are that I must lead out of humility, patience, and selflessness.

Humility

I can give you a list of reasons as to why I absolutely love my Mexican-American culture, but unfortunately humility is not one of them.  My culture tagged the "macho" in Machismo and stands firm in the "I" of pride.  Humility is weak.  Humility is not manly.  But for my bride, she needs to see that I cannot do it on my own a part from my relationship with Jesus Christ.  And my son needs to see his dad shed tears because in my weakness, the Lord is strong.

Patience

I was raised by two teachers and fortunately patience was a virtue greatly instilled because with work comes time so you might as well wait.  My bride needs to be comforted because just like me she has a story; one covered in truth and redemption, but the pain and hurt is difficult to forget.  As I lead, I must be patient in an effort to serve her better.  I get to watch my son play baseball and as I teach him the value of sports, I will need to coach with patience because the philosophy of "figure it out" is cancerous. 

Selflessness

My father and I differ in beliefs and teaching, but he taught me that the man comes last when there is a family.  Their needs become priority; spiritual, emotional, and physical.  My goal is to point my family to the cross of Jesus, especially in my failure.  That is contrary to my culture but a pillar in my faith as a follower of Christ. 

The Wedding

I love Rebecca more than she could know, but it has only been possible because Jesus loved me first. My love for Seth grows deeper each day and just like Jesus adopted me into His line, I can do the same with Seth and he will never be snatched from my hand.

A Valley Reminder

By: Marco De Leon

I was driving to Roosevelt's (local pub in McAllen) and became frustrated as drivers strategically prevented me from arriving on time.  It's as if everyone knew where I was going and collectively decided to give me smiles at 20 mph in a 45 mph zones.

The Clock

As I sped up to give drivers a verbal two cents, it hit me. I am part of the generation that is focused on lusting after the finish line that we forget about the race. We want everything for the now to live in the future and decided to suffocate by agenda.

The drivers of the Rio Grande Valley taught me something important: I can't beat the clock. The Valley is an area where time doesn't exist for the majority of its residents. Change is heretical and isn't appreciated and several cities are a representation of what the Valley once was.

The Point

The Valley is a great place for a reminder: the appreciation for what used to be is nurtured and most days I'm too focused on the expansion of what I think I own, am entitled to, or deserve.

Amigos, the Valley houses some of the only survivors of time and have been placed in our direction in order to point us back to humility.

Stop taking yourself seriously. Be Still. 

La Revolución

By: Marco De Leon

"Do not think I have come to bring peace. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword."                                                                                                                        - (Matthew 10:34)

Che Guevara wrote that it is the people who make a revolution possible; without the people, there cannot be a revolution and the mission is to serve the people at all costs.

Gloria Anzaldua wrote of Mexican culture saying "to escape rejection, we conform to the culture." In other words, tradition constitutes what is acceptable.  Despite her love for her family, people, and culture she was rejected.

Che Guevara and Gloria Anzaldua knew their revolution and understood the possible outcome: death or rejection. My revolution is not one of political stance or social injustice, but spiritual freedom in pursuit of Jesus Christ.

Born Mexican and raised Catholic, I was taught work ethic and family value. I was instilled principles that validated my legitimacy such as having candles with portraits of Jesus or the Virgin Mary underneath my bathroom sink, hanging a rosary on the rear-view mirror of my truck, and prayer was reserved for the defense of the Evil Eye (El Ojo). 

Then, one day, I realized I had upset the value of tradition and custom when I made Jesus my priority. In Mexican culture, family is religion, our house is the church building, members of the family become the congregation, and time spent together is like community groups or bible studies.

To be clear, I'm not against time spent together as a family or that family isn't important.  I am, however, saying that family can be idolatrous; the displacement of Jesus as my savior. Jesus loves families. He adopts us into His based on His love for us that while we were still sinning, He died for us (Romans 5:8). Yet, Jesus makes it clear to all by seeking the kingdom of God first (Matthew 6:30-34).

All things work to glorify Jesus and my fear isn't that I have lost my family, but through grace and Jesus' work on the cross, I have been chosen to show my family the love of Jesus so that we may worship Him freely as a family!

A revolution is a time of need and the need is Jesus. No revolution is without mistake.  But every revolution stands in hope.