Trust Him Always

My life has been a bit crazy lately, it’s taken some crazy twist and turns. My faith has been rocked, my emotions have been all over the place and I felt like it was time to give you all a little peek into it. 🤪

In the end of June, I was sent to the ER with a kidney stone and infection. There wasn’t too much said at that visit, they discharged me with blood work results and told me to see my primary. I saw my primary doctor through a FaceTime visit that following Monday and got news I was NOT expecting. It turned out my kidney function was in trouble and did not look good at all. According to the blood work, I was in stage three kidney disease and needed to see a specialist immediately. My kidney function was 53%!! I was devastated to say the least. I’m pretty sure I cried that entire day. 

Jon and I went to the nephrologist within a week. He said he doesn’t give anyone a “stage” unless they’ve been at the same level for 3 months straight. He advised me he is all about nutrition healing your kidney function and told me to eat meat only once a week. I said I will do anything to heal them, I do not want kidney issues. While in there I saw a chart in regards to kidney function, I said to Jon I will get my kidney function above 90% to make it normal by the time we come here again. 

During all this, it requires lots of testing, lots of appointments and I’ve just been completely drained so I have been on medical leave to take care of my health. Jon was called to Tampa on business and since I was out of work, I was able to go with him. In reality, I know God was calling me to Be Still so that He could talk to me. One quiet night in the hotel, the Holy Spirit told me I needed to get my pacemaker checked. Honestly if you could see my crazy conversation in the shower with the Holy Spirit (who you cannot actually see or hear) you’d think I was a crazy person. I was like my pacemaker??? Why my pacemaker?? Lord, I’m dealing with my kidneys right now, why are you telling me to do something with my heart now?? He reminded me of how I’ve been drained and will feel from one second to another that all energy has been zapped from me. It was like an ‘ah ha’ moment but I was still confused. Being obedient, I called my cardiologist office and told them my symptoms, they spoke to the doctor, called me back and said I needed to come in the very next day to have the pacemaker checked then see the doctor. 

The next day comes, I go into my cardiologist office get my pacemaker checked and to my surprise my pacemaker battery had dropped 11 months in a 3 month timing. It showed I had only 7 months of battery life left and it had just shown 1 year and 6 months just a few months before this. You know how God tells you something and you think He might be crazy or you think you’re crazy and hearing Him wrong but then He proves it to you. He proved once again, He knows what He is talking about. Yeah! This was one of those moments. I was crying, I was chuckling, I was shocked, I just couldn’t believe it. 

Then I meet with the doctor, in his eyes yes, the battery is dropping fast, but in his words you still have time left on it, we can ride it out a little longer. Excuse me? Does this doctor know how crazy I am?? He said don’t worry, when it gets too low, the siren will start going off. Ummm...my chest will start alarming?! I said doctor, if my chest starts sounding off, I will have much more problems than just needing a new battery! I am crazy!! And I will flip out!! He then said we needed to do some other tests on my heart to make sure everything else was ok then he will bring me back in for another check on the pacemaker and discuss what to do from there. 

In the meantime, I went back to the nephrologist to follow up, he did more in depth blood work to recheck everything and also to check my vitamin levels. That’s when I got word that God HEALED my kidneys. My kidney function was 91%!!! To God be the glory!! I screamed and shouted praise God with my arms straight up in the air. I’m not sure what it was prayer, nutrition or what but I know God gets ALL the glory because He directed my steps and led me there. 

In that same appointment he then went over how my iron was dangerously low and I needed iron IV infusions immediately. I was really shocked and bummed to hear this because I just got done hearing one praise report and then boom another setback. 

It felt like I was on this roller coaster ride that was taking my body through ups and downs and taking my mind fully with it. I wanted time to be excited about my kidneys but then it turned into a new issue again. So, I cried it out again but once I did I realized I have SO much to be thankful for! No matter what God was still looking out for me. It was because of Him this was revealed so that I could get the treatment I needed to feel better and get healthy again. I started the IV treatments the next day, to be honest, they stink! They don’t make me feel the best and it taste awful! Yes, you taste it the entire time it’s going through the IV.

It had been 29 days since the cardiologist appointment, I had gone for all the testing he ordered. Now, I was back to get the pacemaker checked again and see the doctor. I find out the battery life dropped TWO more months in 29 days! The doctor came in and said are you ready? We need to get this done! So now I am scheduled for surgery on September 10 to get a new pacemaker. 

Honestly, I cried the whole way home but after getting it all out and letting God speak to me. I was reminded He has me. It’s all thanks to Him for revealing this to me. How amazing is our God that a kidney issue which ended up being healed, led to me getting my iron corrected and ultimately led to revealing I needed a new pacemaker. The Lord knows if my chest started an alarming sound, I would probably meet Him in person A LOT sooner than planned and now I really know He has more plans for me here on earth. I’ve told Him I will always share of what He does for me in hopes that it gives someone else hope.

Does it bother me sometimes that I do have some health issues? YES. It definitely does but ultimately I’m thankful I’m here and I’m thankful to be used, even if it means another surgery. Ultimately, I TRUST God and I trust His plan. In the midst of all of this about a month or more ago, I heard the words to the song Available by Elevation Worship and that is when I chose to let go and trust Him fully. Those words in that song, are truly the cry of my heart and if I mean that, like truly mean that, then it’s that simple. I trust Him and I trust His plan for me. So, please keep me in prayer that God will use me during that time in the hospital and He will use me to witness to those around me. Most days I’m happy and jolly, acting like my crazy self but many days during the past three months I’ve cried more tears than I knew I had, eyes swollen, face all red but it’s in those moments where God meets me, speaks to me, comforts me and makes me realize HE HAS ME. 

“Trust in the Lord with ALL YOUR HEART and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:5-6 NIV

Love always, 

Lynette 

Quarantining and Fasting

This quarantine has had me pretty mellow. It’s actually very weird, if you know me. I’m an outgoing person, I love to get out and do things. I work from home, so breaking out of these four walls is sometimes needed for my sanity. Hearing about this virus would normally worry me. Hearing  about stores being closed, would normally freak me out, but I’ve just been at complete peace and calm during it. I’m not worried, I simply and fully trust God. I know God has a purpose in this and He will allow Romans 8:28 to come to life by the end of it. 

Everyone hearing about the quarantine at first seemed like ok, it’s all good, we can do this! As a few days pass, we keep finding new things to do or getting stuff done from our list. Now, the last few days, I see a lot of people are getting to the point where they may be over it. They want to get out and really go somewhere, it’s starting to get tough. 

Tonight I was thinking about it all and I can’t help but relate this to fasting. When you start a fast, you’re excited about it, you’re ready, you know it’ll be a sacrifice but you’re ready to do it. A while in you’re still doing ok and pushing through. Then a little more time passes and it starts to get rough, you're hungry, your stomach is growling and you almost feel sick. In that moment in the fast, is one of the most vital moments. You either cave and start eating or you do what you came here to do and that is keep that sacrifice going, get on your knees, press into God, open up His word and pray through those hard times. That’s the beauty in fasting, you don’t quit in those tough times, you press in harder and allow God to really show up. Then something beautiful happens, you gain a new energy, an endurance to keep going on the fast. Your stomach calms down and you’re filled with strength and you’re lit up. 

I feel like we need to treat this quarantine as a fast. In those moments it starts to get hard, the moment you get bored or begin to feel over it,  press into His word. Remember we are in this moment and in this season for a reason. Dive into His word until He fills you with that new energy, let Him give you the endurance you need to make it through this time. Don’t miss a moment.

I don’t know about you but when I fast, I come out stronger, I come out with a light, with clarity and full of the Holy Spirit. Treat this as a fast, it is basically a fast, only it’s not a self deciding one, it’s a forced one. What’s so cool about it, is pretty much the whole world is in this same fast. So imagine just how powerful it could be, if we all choose to turn to Him through this, cling to His word and allow Him to dig up the junk in our lives and birth something new in each of us through it all. This is something none of us have gone through, why not allow it to change us for the better? Allow it to change you from the inside out. 

I’m hungry for what God is doing and about to do. I’m ready for Him to change me. How about you?

“Create a new, clean heart within me. Fill me with pure thoughts and holy desires, ready to please you.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51:10‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:20 MSG‬‬

“Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD ’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to GOD! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor GOD with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don’t, dear friend, resent GOD ’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that GOD corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:5-12‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Love,
Lynette

Consume Me

Consume Me

Today, I went to the gym after church, well after lunch because you know us church people have to go straight to eat after church. Lol! After eating, we drove straight to the Y to workout. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like working out after eating garlic bread, especially when you haven’t eaten bread in a long time. I felt like I had extra weights on me and was sweating bullets! I had to pay for eating that piece of bread. Anyway, I put on my worship music to do my workout and the song With You by Elevation Worship came on. Once the chorus came on with these words, I nearly lost it, right there on the elliptical. 

So let all that I am

Be consumed with who You are

All the glory of Your presence

What more could I ask for?

So let ALL that I am, be consumed with who You are! I started to really sing those words and cry about how much I mean them. I want every single piece of me to reflect Jesus. I get that there is no perfect Christian but I feel like we can easily make excuses for ourselves by saying that. It’s almost like we give ourselves a free pass by saying that. No, I’m not perfect but I surely do want Him to consume every part of me! 

If we are choosing Him and choosing to live for Him, we need to go all the way! So let ALL that I am, be consumed with who He is, means you should see Him when I smile, you should see Him in my marriage, you should see Him in my family, you should see Him in my finances. If I am letting Him consume all of me, then I should be living a vibrant life. A life that reflects Jesus. It means people at the gas station should see Jesus in me, people in the gym should see Jesus in me. My family should see Jesus in me. 

This morning at church we had Vision Sunday, where we got to hear some amazing things we are doing this year. I’m ready! I want to be a part, I want to do what I can. I plan to go on my first missions trip this year and God confirmed this morning He wants me there and He will provide the way. In a separate conversation, my spiritual mama said to me something so simple but they were words that came back to me during this moment in worship with this song, she said “Yes, God is not done with you yet, you still have a lot to do.” When I thought of those words in my moment of worship at the gym, I just began crying so hard, realizing she’s right my job is not done, I have work to do and He is depending on me to do it. Therefore, I need to be positioned, consumed and ready to do ALL He has for me to do. 

So, I ask you, what is living to you? For me, living is fulfilling my purpose. It’s me walking with God and being ready to do all He has for me to do. It’s getting people to Jesus, it’s helping save marriages, it’s helping to save a family, it’s living and walking in the joy of the Lord. 

Are you living? Are you wasting time? Are you doing all He has called you to do? Are you consumed by Him? 

If not or if you don’t know, take a moment and listen to this song. Listen to it more than once if you need to. He will speak to you, just be ready to listen. 

So let all that I am

Be consumed with who You are

All the glory of Your presence

What more could I ask for?

Really, what MORE could I ask for? He is so fulfilling, He is so satisfying. Live and walk for Him and I promise you, you will receive a fullness you could have never imagined. 

With All My Heart, 

Lynette 

This blog was inspired by: With You by Elevation Worship

What is He Saying to You?

The other morning I was making a single cup of coffee in my coffeemaker. I was on little sleep so I was exhausted. I put the water in, then the coffee pod, pressed start and walked away. I went back to get my coffee a few minutes later and realized I never put my coffee mug there to collect the coffee. I didn’t immediately see the mess, again, I was really tired and if you know me, you know I don’t function well before coffee. I said “oh no!!!” and started looking for the mess, I had to have made. It brewed EVERYWHERE! A single cup of coffee caused more of a mess than I could have imagined. Now, I’m cleaning before ever getting to drink my coffee. It caused quite the mess for me to clean. 

This morning, I was thinking back of that morning and I felt like God spoke to me and said you know just like you need your coffee mug there for the coffee machine to distribute as it’s supposed to, I need you to be postured correctly for you to receive what I have for you. It nearly brought me to tears in my kitchen this morning receiving such a powerful revelation. 

How many times is God trying to pour into your life and it’s just going everywhere but IN you because you’re not ready to receive it. He’s just pouring and pouring, meanwhile we’re asking God where He is in a situation but are we taking that vital moment to receive? We can talk, beg, plead with God all day long, we can even do it for years, but if we aren’t listening to what He is telling us, we are basically running on a hamster wheel, losing all our energy, feeling exhausted and drained because we can’t take one moment to stop and receive what He is speaking to us, showing us or possibly asking us to do. 

Think of how you would feel if you know your friend or family member needed sugar. So you’re  trying to pour some sugar in their hand but they aren’t cupping their hand to receive it, instead their hand is just flat out not even trying to catch it. You would say to them, what are you doing? I thought you needed this?? You’re making such a mess. Why aren’t you even trying to receive what I am giving to you? 

Imagine God. Imagine how many times He has tried to tell you something, to give you an answer, to lead you to an answer, to reveal something to you, but you’re so busy asking Him that you forgot to take a moment and hear from Him. Or have you heard from Him? Have you received your answer and you haven’t acted on it yet? Don’t wait anymore, allow Him to guide you and direct you. Trust me, He will. Listen to Him and take that step to see what He is guiding you to do. 

With Love, 

Lynette

Remembrance - He's been SO good to me

Remembrance - He's been SO, SO good to me...

I had this word stirring in my heart yesterday and I felt like the Lord really put it on my heart to share.

On Tuesday of this week, we had an amazing business meeting. The opportunity that was given to us was pretty big and we knew God sent this person to us, from step one. The future business with this person, would all be determined by our appointment on Thursday to get a big job done.

On the way home Tuesday night, we were praising God and just thanking Him for paving the way for us. We prayed that everything would go well Thursday and we knew as He always does, He would help us to get the job done.

Thursday, I had to work my regular job and Jon planned to go get started early and after work, I would go join him to help. Well, Jon gets to the job and things start to go wrong, our surface cleaner wasn't spinning properly.  In order to work correctly and clean the right way, this thing has to be working at full speed. So Jon texts me and tells me about it, I sent back a prayer, demanding that it work. I had tons of thoughts running through my head, saying why today? Not today, not on this job!

A while after Jon calls me and says "Babe, I'm not trying to stress you out, but we really need this tool for this job. Is there any way you can go rent one?" Our pressure washer is a very high psi, so you can't just run into Lowe's or Home Depot and buy one, we had ordered it on Amazon originally. So there was no quick fix, unless I rented one.

So, I headed over to Home Depot and on the way there I was listening to Remembrance by Hillsong Worship, it's one of my favorites so I just put it on repeat. The drive to the nearest Home Depot that rents, is quite a ways away. So, I'm just listening to the words to that song and singing it loud...

You've been so, so good to me
You've been so, so good to me
Oh, to think where I would be
If not for You, if not for You

And it hit me... So many times in life we are given something great, a big blessing or an answer to prayer and the moment something goes wrong, everything we were thankful for 5 minutes ago, goes out the window. There is not a doubt in my mind that God aligned this appointment to happen on Tuesday. It was totally God, but then why in the moment one thing goes wrong we start asking why and acting like it's the end of the world? 

Yesterday, some of those thoughts hit me, but I had to choose to make them leave and believe only the truth, remind myself that He is FOR me and not against me. I reminded myself we have this business because of Him. Things are going to happen, that's life, we just need to learn to navigate through the trials and allow Him to show us the way.

Hearing, You've been so, so good to me, it reminded me just how good He is. Just how much He has done for me. If not for Him, we wouldn't have this business. So, I even thought, how dare you Lynette, even start to question or act like everything He just did was erased all because ONE thing went wrong? When this hit me, I just began praising Him harder, thanking Him more with tears running down my face. I started talking to Him out loud, riding down the road, claiming He is for us and not against us, I know He will help us to complete this job with His hands all over it.

I got to Home Depot Tool Rental, rented a surface cleaner that is a BEAST and headed back to help Jon get the job done. At the end of the day, our customer was so thankful for all we did, he paid us above what we asked and wanted to cover the cost of the rental.

My point of sharing all of this, is to hopefully encourage anyone who might go through this when hiccups or roadblocks happen in life. Pray through them, praise through them, ask God to see you through it and He will. We ran into a trial yesterday in the midst of a job that we knew would completely bless us on the other end. It was a busy day, but it was not a bad day. We kept going and finished the job, then received a reward at the end of it.

Stay running this race, stay on track, keep trusting Jesus to pave the way, don't let minor setbacks discourage you. Remind yourself, He is for you and not against you.

When your own negative thoughts try to take over or the lies of the enemy, start singing and reminding yourself...
You've been so, so good to me
You've been so, so good to me
Oh, to think where I would be
If not for You, if not for You

He is such a good Father and just wants us to trust Him and turn to Him, in times of need. Let's all stop throwing in the towel, when trials come our way, let's start saying Jesus, you helped me get here and I know, You will see me through it.

With Love,
Lynette Colón

I couldn't but God DID!

Today, Isaiah and I had our routine 6 month cleanings at the dentist. The moment I walked in there, I was reminded of the last time we were there and all we were going through at the time. As I shared in my blog "I can't but God can" we went through some super tough financial times last year and I was reminded today of it and all God saw us through. 

Today as we walked into that office, I remembered them scheduling our six month follow up, I remember her asking us if the date and time was ok. I sat there with a smile on my face that day and said, yes that should be fine. Meanwhile, all I could think in my head is what does six months bring us? Will we even have a roof over our heads? Will we still have our house? Oh God, get us out of this mess. I remember having that icky feeling in my gut when she said March 8, because all I could think is, what else will we have lost by then? 

The lady helping us had no idea all of these thoughts were going through my head, of course, neither did Isaiah. I remember leaving that day and thinking, Lord please help us. I love our house, I love the area we live in, I love living so close to my parents, Lord see us through it all. 

If you didn't read my blog I'm referring to, you're probably wondering what was going on. Briefly, Jon had recently been laid off from his job, I was on medical leave, that the doctor's just kept on extending, I felt like I would never get back to work and lastly, we had recently started a pressure washing business and ALL three of our machines were down. None of them were working, so we had a complete stop in income. We went to our scheduled dentist appointment right in the midst of all of this loss, so I couldn't help but be a little bit worried and wondering what in the world the future held. 

Today, as I'm in that office, I was reminded of that exact feeling, that desperation I felt, the way I would plead for God to help us. Let me just tell you, He has truly helped us. That journey was tough and it has felt super long. After being without income, family members miraculously helping you, landlords miraculously letting you pay late, later and more late, you see that God was there all along. He never left us. It might have looked like a mess, I may have been a mess but God was there SEEING us THROUGH it. 

““Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because GOD, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.””

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:6‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Many times we think the answer to our prayers, means He removes us from it entirely, like maybe money falling from the sky or a snap of my fingers and our bills are all caught up, but that's not the way it works. He literally saw us through it. It was long, it was hard, it felt sometimes unbearable, but all along while I was crawling through this tough journey, He was there, holding my hand, doing what only He could and that was, making a way for me. The way may not have been smooth, but He was pushing things aside, allowing me to squeeze on through. 

I was back at that dentist office today and I was reminded of everything I felt. I will never forget what we went through, it was tough but I am SO thankful for it. I learned through it, I became closer to Him through it and He showed me how even though things might not be as easy as we would like them to be, He is there, handling it for us, making a way, where there is truly no way. 

Today, I stood in that dentist office after working all day because God made a way. Jon came and met us there, after WORKING all day because God made a way. Our pressure washing business is going again because God made a way!! I sat in that office with tears, realizing how He truly does do the impossible and how even though that journey seemed long, when I look back 6 months ago, to now, it feels like He picked me up out of the mess and stood me on solid ground. 

“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:20 ‭MSG‬‬

Y'all, God is good!!!! He truly is good! This is the verse I held onto during our hard times, the moment I started believing this verse for our business, He opened the doors and performed a miracle to get us back in business. Whatever you are going through, no matter how rough the waters are, trust that Jesus is there, holding your hand. He will never leave you, lean on Him, allow Him to teach you something during the mess and He will. He is a good good good Father! 

I couldn't but God did! He loves us, He cares and He is there for us, even when it's hard for us to see. 

Lynette Colon

In His Time, NOT Mine

Have you ever prayed and felt like you have a right and you have the authority to request something within a certain timeframe? Of course! I have too and I believe that we can. I believe we can be bold about our prayers and make our requests known BUT I also know God sees all, He knows all, He is aware of what we need and exactly when we need it. He actually knows more than us. Crazy, right? When I think I have an urgent need and I need something by noon tomorrow, God might know, I actually have until next week. Honestly, I might even know that but I think it's more of a security thing. I want it by noon tomorrow, so I know we are ok, I'll have peace, I won't have to worry and the list goes on. However, everything I said there as a reason why I need it by that time, is basically saying I only follow the word when I have what I need. The word says "do not fret or worry" yet I just told you I'll have peace of mind, I'll know we're going to be ok "if" I have it.


This word I want to share all came from my son. Isaiah just turned 8 and he has been a prayer warrior since he learned how to talk. Anytime he hears a need or I say I have a headache or stomach ache or I'm dizzy, anything at all, Isaiah will come over and put his hand on me and begin praying. Every single time he prays for healing or for a need, he says please heal her tonight or later or in the morning or tomorrow or whenever". I've actually corrected him many times and I've even chuckled and there were times I whined and said I want to be healed now. And he will say "or now Lord". He's been doing this for so long and it wasn't until he did this the other night while praying for my headache, that God really spoke to me through it.

Isaiah KNOWS God will answer the prayer and he trust that He will answer it in His timing. Isaiah understands that God knows best. We have always chuckled and say, you give God a lot of options and he says yep. He knew even when I corrected him, he wasn't doing wrong. He has so much faith and is confident that the prayer WILL be answered.

So going back to what I was saying in the beginning, we put time limits on God. We say I need this and man, I have prayed some desperate prayers and I do know from experience some of those do have a crucial time limit on them, but when I look back at all we have gone through over the past few months, all of the desperate prayers I prayed. Some of them, were very urgent and some, God knew best. My point is, do you know how much stressing I could have saved out on if I just saw it like Isaiah does? If I followed the word exactly how it tells us to, I could have had a little bit more peace and a lot less stress. Yes, God wants us to bring our burdens to Him, yes we need to be bold in our praying and yes, sometimes our prayers do need to sound desperate. He wants us to cry out to Him but I am also learning that when the word says do not fret or worry, He means it. He's got us. Just as I shared in my last blog when I can't, He can. The same goes for you, when you can't, He can.

We've all heard those words, it's in God's timing and sometimes they are so hard to hear because we want it, when we want it but He knows best. Let's all work towards having childlike faith. The kind of faith that KNOWS He will answer but ultimately trust in His timing.

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Philipians 4:6-7 MSG