Category: Music

Inspiration, Life, love, Music, Short Stories, Work

Gratitude

There is a beautiful song, called “Gratitude,” that simply and faithfully describes that one has nothing to offer to God “except for a heart singing halleluiah.” So simple an act, yet sometimes our life is filled with work and activities that we miss out on thanking God for faithfully guiding us through it all. Missing out is rather harmful to us, research shows that the more grateful one is the healthier, resilient, and happy we are. “A merry heart doeth good like medicine…” indeed!

A few weeks ago, it felt like work and activities were piling up all through the week. On Sunday, I purposed to finish drafting a sermon and get a head start on work. It was around 8:30 in the evening, and I had drafted the sermon and had enough bible verses and quotes, so I switch computers and started to work for only an hour or two. I left the office and felt the New England cold air, turned on the car and waited for it to warm so that the frozen windshield could melt. It was cold but I felt so happy, the window looked pretty with ice crystals and light shining through from the light post.
There is great joy when we think and believe in the goodness of God. As I was writing earlier, I felt so encouraged to do, and keep going, and continue doing. The bible truly gives life, strength, and even time. I had prayed that morning for strength for the week ahead, and God gave strength and peace. I thanked God for helping me, for making a way light and enjoyable.

That week I worked 53 hours, including a long Wednesday with departure of 12:15 am …twas cold. On Friday the entire set plotted smoothly with a completion time of 2:15 pm. I was so thankful, what at first seemed hard to complete on time, was done, the week had run smoothly. There was a lot of work to do but it wasn’t burdensome. I left the office and went to pick up groceries from the store, prepared something to eat at home, and continued studying for the sermon. Upon my parents’ arrival, my dad mentioned that if I wanted, I could give the sermon in English. I told him that I had already prepared it in Spanish and that it would be ok to deliver it in Spanish. The last time I had ”preached” in Spanish was 13 years ago, so I was concerned about the outcome, and my sister shared the concern with my parents. After fellowship with them I continued studying and again went to sleep around midnight. The following morning as I stood up, the popular line “it is time” ran in my head. “Father, it is time for you to speak.” I had been asking people to please pray for me, especially because I had to deliver the message in Spanish. Near the end, I was so moved that tears ran down my face. I had to catch my breath, I could see people also wiping their eyes, my mom especially. The Holy Spirit touched my heart so deeply, that I sensed such need to receive, and give a double fold of the joy that Christ gave me.

What a blessing to share the love of God, the mission of Jesus Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit with believers. The message, based on 2 Timothy 2:4, has been ringing in my ears since March 2022, and I have grown to love and desire to dedicate my life as such, that nothing will separate me from the father and that all my decisions are made to please Him. “El Soldado del Futuro” or The Soldier of the Future is indeed the Jesus Christ in us and through us. The passion to serve can only come from above.
As we pulled out of the Hispanic church in Brockton, MA that Sabbath afternoon, I turned to my sister and said, now unto “The Lord’s Prayer,” we both laughed.

Two weeks before that Sunday, one of the sisters from our church asked me to sing at a wedding. Me? I said in my mind, at a wedding!?
Oh sure, I said – do you have a specific song that you would like me to sing? The Lord’s Prayer, she said… Oh! …That’s a beautiful song that I’ve dreamed about one day singing but I don’t really have the voice for it, I told her. She was kind with her feedback, and went on to say, but if you think of any other song just let me know. Well, the day arrived, and I had barely practiced the song, at 3:45 pm I was getting ready when I get a call. Melody, where are you? Hello, I’m getting ready will be heading out soon, are you already at church? Yes, we are waiting for you because you are first in the program after the pastor prays. Yes, I said, is the program starting at 4:30? I asked. No, it’s at 4 o’clock and it’s very short so we can’t start without you, she said.
Oh! Well, let me get out quickly. Arriving at 4:07, the sister told me that I almost gave her a heart attack, thankfully she didn’t get one. I walked up to the front and waited for my turn. The wedding began, oh I wanted to be at peace and enjoy it, but it was hard. The pastor introduced me, I stood and waited for the track to play. I really couldn’t believe that I was about to butcher such a beautiful song. I finished singing and sat down. The nephew of the bride, who walked her down the isle, was crying while I was singing “The Lord’s Prayer. It was so warm to see him react to it, deep feelings of joy warmed my heart. God is good, this is all I can say, and I really believe, that God tunes people’s ears to hear of his true beauty, it just can’t be our voices.

Gratitude coats the heart with pure joy, elevates our spirits like birds freely flying in the sky, molds and builds our characters to cherish the love of God. You too can experience freedom and joy, test and see that the Lord is good, for His mercy endures forever…. I am so grateful for what God has done, is doing, and will continue to do in my life. All that we live through has a lesson, whether it is suffering or joy, God uses it all to show us the way, the truth, and the life. Thank you for being the most wonderful Father, best friend, and savior of all time, in the name of Jesus thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

“So come on, my soul
Oh, don’t you get shy on me
Lift up your song
‘Cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord“
…
“And I know it’s not much
But I’ve nothing else fit for a King
Except for a heart singing hallelujah“

DACA, Landscape Architecture, Life, Music, Poems, Short Stories, Travel, Work

A Dream Come True

Nineteen years have gone by since I first heard the questions:
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how should they preach, except they be sent?*

At the age of 20, I decided to become a missionary in a third world country, I was willing to go anywhere but because of my immigration status I couldn’t leave the country. At 26, my two friends and I had signed up to go on a mission trip to Florida, everything was ready. Unfortunately, we got a notice telling us that the trip had been cancelled due to lack of participation.

The Mission Preparation

Today at 30, this desire continues and I’ve come to realize that each year is closer to the big dream. Last year, I watched a video of a group of missionaries in Peru and their work there. Maybe I could be one of them soon! But I am still unable to leave the country, so my home in Southern California, is the mission field God has given me.

 It has been six months since my parents and I were re-baptized at a lake. It brought so much joy into our lives. My parents became two of my best friends in adulthood. The day after I told them I was going to get baptized, my dad called and said, I’ve decided to get baptized with you, we both cried. And then an even greater surprise filled our hearts, as my mom walked up to also get baptized on August 17, 2019. So from that day on we share an anniversary / birthday together.

This is part of my pursuit of happiness. I had been wanting to get baptized for the past ten years and to finally do it was a completion and also the beginning of my love for life.

The Big Dream

I dream of an environmental and sustainable school for orphan children. I dream of designing green spaces where they can play and learn in nature. I can see them climbing the trees, and running while holding each others’ hands. I hear their laughter as they run and sit around the fire pit, singing songs and clapping with joy. As the breeze runs through our hair, the pure air nestles each of us to Our Father.

As I write the idea of a dream come true, it makes sense to say that I am dreaming of heaven itself. Not to ruin my earthly expectations but to raise the bar by 100%. We are all orphans in this world – we don’t fully understand the title of being a child of God. And yet we are each called to be dependent missionaries of the kingdom of God – not by choice but through adoption. We were rescued to live for eternity ‘the gift of life’ and dream big. Whether I accomplish to be a part of an orphanage in the future or start a new one, God has greater plans than what I could ever imagine.

The Great Commission

Jesus said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”*

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.*

May peace, love, and joy fill your hearts.

Bible verses taken from Romans 10, Matthew 28 and John 15.

Life, Music, Short Stories, Travel, Work

A Refreshing Start

“The hills are alive with the sound of music” were the chords sang through the day and into the night. The girls hummed and danced as one who encounters pure fresh air on mountain tops. The boy run as soon as he heard the chords and danced along with joy and excitement. The dog, also, jumped and ran through the house bursting the smell of Christmas and the beginning of a New Year.

“We are here!” were the words of my sister as I announced my arrival to the Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. It was Christmas Eve and the beginning of 20 days filled with memories of laughter, fellowship, more laughter, delicious food, and love!
The ending of a blessed year with a cherry on top, my parents’ home.

During those twenty days I got to walk the streets of Boston and smile at the “Make Way for Ducklings” statues at the Boston Common. Each working evening I will let my sister know that I was on my way to meet her at her work. I worked remotely with a friend for 7 days and got to roomate with my sister during that time. Every day was so filling, so loving, and at each farewell, a see you later or “nos vemos más tarde” was followed up with a kiss on the cheek to my sister.

We got to play volleyball, we got to prepare our meals, and feed each other like sisters do. We even experience sadness together, as we heard that one of her friends from Argentina had suddenly passed away. We got to take the T and the commuter rail, and the bus. We experience Boston together, or rather, I experienced my sister’s lifestyle for 7 days.

Both of the last weekends that I was there, my sister and I drove to Western Massachusetts, where my parents live. “Do you want to play with me?” Each of my brother’s children would ask. God truly blessed the last sabbath before departure on Sunday. It felt like high 60s outside, so we ran around for hours, until I injured myself while running.

I loved the time with my family, and I cherish it more now that I live 3,000 miles away. You see, not everyone gets to spend New Year’s Day with a 61, 60, 34, 8, 6, and 4 year old team. Not everyone gets to read a book on New Year’s Eve to a 4 year old. Not everyone gets to whisper “Happy New Year!” and go to sleep from tiredness of playing all day. That was our December 31st, and my end of the year was praying by my nephew’s bedside and listening to his peaceful breath. I teared of joy understanding that God has a beautiful plan for each one of us.

On the following day we sang happy birthday to my second niece, as she welcomed her 7th year of life on January 1st.

The hills do fill my heart with the sound of music. And I can hear the echo of us Tapias laughing and filling the house with joy and love.

May you bloom and grow forever!