For such a time as this.

Hi friends,

Wishing I had the time to stop and blog more often but I'm excited to share some exciting news with you. You know it's funny how many excuses we can make to put off what God is calling you to do. I decided to come into this year with the mindset of stop making excuses and just listen and take every step that God is taking me thru with no questions or doubts. Have you ever had one of those days that you wake up and feel God just tugging at your heart in a unusually loud way? Well I had one of those days a couple of weeks ago and as the day went on God led me to step out by faith and decide to join a cause that is so close to my heart. In December 2013 I will be traveling to Cambodia with Jordan International Aid. My heart literally jumps every time I think about this trip. I am so excited! Not only because I have been wanting to take this trip for a long time but because the mission field is such a special piece of my heart. It's been a little over 10 years since my family returned back from the Mission field. Being a missionary family for 4 years, it changed my life forever. I can still look back at moments in the mission field and God speaks to me in a new way. Growing up in a Pastor's home I have learned that every opportunity that we have to serve is a chance for God to minister to us thru the people we serve. Serving others reveals the heartbeat of God into our lives. His compassion for His children is so special and many times incomprehensible. The thought that I am going to be able to go out into the world and serve such special people is so exciting. To make this trip possible I will have to raise $1,500.00 by May 15th to pay for the 1st portion of this trip which is my plane ticket. I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and sharing with her how much I need to raise. When I told her that it needed to be raised by next month, her mouth dropped, and she said "that's impossible!" I looked at her and said "no it's not! God is going to do something special!". To be honest, normally I would be afraid, doubtful, and nervous that I could not get the financial aspect together. However, since I decided to join this trip I have had nothing but peace. I KNOW that God is going to make all of this come together for His good. I am reminded of one of my favorite woman in the bible, " For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14) 

I encourage you, if God is tugging at your heart to make a step of faith in your life, stop hesitating! Listen to His voice. Remember, if He calls you it's because He will provide every step of the way. Maybe it's not a missions trip but maybe He is calling you start a small group or step into a new ministry. Get up and do it. This is your time. You were born for such a time as this.

Ps. If you would like to participate in my Cambodia trip by being a financial blessing, simply visit my page; https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/2UW82 and click on the "Give" to give your donation. Anything you can give would be a HUGE blessing! THANK YOU!!

~Vanessa Katherine Cardenas

Good enough.

The power of not wanting to fail will hold back someone's dreams and the power of wanting to please will drive someone's passion in the wrong direction. When your afraid to fail, you hold yourself back. Being afraid to fail comes from many different sources; insecurities, lack of knowledge, and even words of discouragement that were spoken to you. "I can't do it, I'm not good enough, I don't have what it takes." People say that your worst enemy is yourself and isn't that so true at times. Here is God saying "Hi, I have these huge amazing plans for you!" and here we are "No! You don't know, I can't do it!" We hold ourselves back. We stop the process; shut the door! Many times we wonder why God will not move us forward and we neglect to realize that we are the ones that are in the way. When you say yes to God, you will not fail. Even in your valleys, your brokenness, your lonely moments you will see the very hand of God with you reminding you of your victories.

Others live their life in the shadows trying to please people. Fact of life is that you will fall short of people's expectations for you; you will disappoint and on the other hand people will disappoint you. You will feel abandoned, angry, hurt, and frustrated. When trying to please others, you will constantly be looking for approval from them, hoping that they will focus on the good and forget the bad. The problem with trying to make people happy is that it will never be satisfying. Even if you do something right, the feeling is temporary until you "mess up" again and the cycle of trying to please begins all over again. That person will always expect more, always point out the wrong and eventually stop celebrating the rights. This behavior in a life causes a person to live in a emotional rollar-coaster. Constantly wondering if they will ever be good enough, smart enough, brave enough. Usually comparing themselves to others and how they can be better to receive that approval they so desperately desire. Can you imagine living your entire life placing this burden on yourself. Never feeling like your good enough? Pretty enough? Smart enough? The truth is that many women do. We would never know it because we're pretty good at smiling, waving, looking pretty so that no one can see the tear stains on our face. The thing is that God gave His life for us, He wasn't up there on the cross looking down on us with his checklist of "expectations" in order to see if we were "good enough" to give up His life for. As a matter of fact, He gave up His life for people that didn't even love Him! Wow! What a love. What a heart God has for us! The more you focus on trying to please others, trying not to fail, the more you kill your own spirit and passion. The problem here is that your no longer focused on becoming who GOD wants you to be but now you are focused on who MAN wants you to be. You create a detour from the original path God has for your life. Our goal should be to reflect the heart of Christ. And the BEAUTY of His love is that He requires nothing but a humble heart. There is a difference between being humble (knowing that you are merely a servant of God, nothing without Him) than lowering your self worth. Someone with NO self worth says "I'm nothing, I'm no good"; a person who is confident in Christ says "I am a child of God, that makes me worth everything". Which are you? Start reflecting the heart of God today; know that He paid the price for you with no pre-requsites. You were worth it.

"I will do all that I can, with whatever I have, wherever I am... and I'll let good enough be good enough." 

Mistakes Worth Making

Mistakes. We all make them. Although, some never like to admit that they did. It's inevitable that we all will make mistakes and also be victims of mistakes made in our lifetime. Whether its burning the pre-cooked pizza until its hard as a rock (true story) or life altering mistakes, we all make them more often than Im sure we would like to. The thing about mistakes is that they cause all sorts of problems. Some aren't as easy as "sweeping it under the carpet". Mistakes are the cause of so many issues. Issues like insecurities, doubt, shame, bitterness, anger, depression, suicidal thoughts; and the list can go on and on. My point is that we sure do give mistakes a lot of credit. Talk to a person with mistakes present in their life and your bound to hear,"what if" quite a bit. They will always wonder what would of happened if... - The pressure that question brings into a persons life can be overwhelming and cause a whole new set of problems. My point in all this, is when we focus so much on what could of been and what should of been, we end up losing ourselves in a cycle of unending torture. I will be the first to admit that there have been many,many times that I have spiritually (and sometimes literally) thrown my hands in the air and said "God, I have no idea what is happening and what you are trying to do!". In my young journey with God, I have come to learn one very important lesson and that is, I CAN NOT FOCUS ON WHAT I CAN NOT CHANGE. It will drive you crazy. If you have made a mistake, yes it was a decision (free-will), and yes, there will be consequences to your mistakes. However, the greatest outcome a person can have from making a mistake is learning from it. If you make mistakes, make excuses, do not take responsibility and then go on and repeat it over and over again...well...then it is no longer a mistake. Learning from something that was negative can bring such a positive outcome. God is a God of justice but He is also loving and merciful. 

Victim of mistakes? That too can keep a persons heart captive. Maybe your best friend hurt your feelings or maybe something tragic and life altering happened to you as a child. Whatever the case may be, you must recognize the mistake and not let it take captive of your life. You can not let someone else's mistakes control your life. They say never to let things go unsaid. The same concept applies. So many times people can not recognize their own wounds in their heart because they know nothing else but to be broken. The first step to your freedom is to recognize that you need to be free.

So many times, it's hard for us to utter the words "I don't regret..." but I do know how much freedom those words bring. We must never forget that God is a God of seasons and in each season we grow to know and understand Him more. I pray that if you've allowed a mistake to overtake your life and consume your joy, that you would realize the power of overcoming the burden of a mistake. That you would discover the power of forgiving the mistaker and letting go of the hurt in your heart. Discover, that in spite of your negative feelings towards mistakes, mistakes can be the most powerful tool that God uses to minister to others. We focus so much on ourselves and like I said, what could have been, instead, what if you focused on how your experiences can change the lives of so many people. What if you realized that God has a purpose thru it all? You can make a difference in the lives of so many that need someone who went thru the same mistake. 


"Learn from your mistakes, then your mistakes will be worth making" -Author unknown


-Vanessa Cardenas 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T (GUYS, this one is for you)

I know this blog is a bit late but my crazy schedule means that my blog writing along with the holidays make their own date. Lol ...February 14th is what I'm referring to (Valentines day, love day, V-day, etc.). The infamous day that you are either one of three things. Your either the girl that wears some sort of red or pink to the office ecstatic that there is a holiday just to celebrate love, you might be the girl who walks around complaining that there is a day just to celebrate love, or you just don't really care.  Either way, it's hard not to notice the holiday. I was working most of the day February 14th but simply logging into my Facebook and Twitter account I was clearly reminded that IT WAS VALENTINES DAY! It was hard not to notice all the girls posting pictures of their beautiful flowers, candies and presents that they all got from their special someone. Don't worry, this is not a "I hate Valentines day"  post. As a matter of fact, I posted a couple of love quotes myself. That day and the days leading up to V-day I made an observation that inspired this post. The observation is that I noticed a lot of males posting quotes, opinions, statements about respecting women. At first I thought to myself "well that nice" but then I began to notice that some of these posts were becoming very popular. The FB friends that I had were getting hundreds of likes on their posts. Girls were commenting like crazy saying that they agreed and saying things like "finally someone said it!". As I began to think about it, it completely bothered me. Not the fact that these posts were becoming popular but the fact that these statements regarding respecting women have become so "precious" to our girls. These posts were SO simple. The point was simple. Respect women. Treat women as the queens they are. Never hurt a woman. Simple. I couldn't understand why everyone was going crazy?! Like if they had never heard this concept before? Then I figured it out, respecting woman is no longer a norm for this generation. There was a time when respecting a woman was the only way to treat a woman. A man would not think twice before opening the door for another woman. It was unthinkable to sit down at a table before helping her take her seat first. With society changing the rules of chivalry, for me, this goes beyond chivalry. While having the door open for you is quite nice it's much more than that. Now I know this may come out a little strong but the way I see it is a guy can posts or say something about respecting women and all of a sudden he is applauded by the entire world. He is now what we call "a great guy". It is so sad that us women have come down to this. We have accepted that not all men will have this "quality" of respecting women. I'm sorry, but it's not a quality. Respecting women should be a way of life just like respecting men should be a way of life. Women often ask themselves why are men the way they are? What are they such "dogs"-well I think the answer is quite simple. Because we have allowed it. What happened to the days when respecting woman was not an option. Today, if you respect women, your nominated for the "great guy" award. He is one in a million. Now please do not take me wrong, I am not saying "go and hate all men" -- I stand for quite the opposite. I believe that men should be respected just as much as we want to be respected as I stated earlier. Neither am I say that all men are like this, but I think it's safe to say that a good majority of men have lost their way at some point. This was just a simple observation that men have lost that sense of manhood. This word respect is nothing new so why are we treating it like it's some sort of new discovery? Why are we rewarding the act when it should just be natural. It's not something we can take lightly. My hope is that both men and women wake up and realize that we need a new "normal". 

~Vanessa Katherine

It's time to change.

Change: to make radically different. I believe that our character is truly tested when change occurs. It can be change for the bad or even change for the good. Whatever type of change it may be, our true colors come out and we discover who we truly are. Want to know what is in the depths of your heart? Make a drastic change and your soon to find out. For me, 2011 was a year of change. So many events happened in my life that change became my right hand man. This Mr.Change and I became quite the companions. As I have always vowed to be honest when writing, I will tell you that Mr. Change and I did not get along quite so well. I've always been the type of gal that was never afraid of change. Some people get uncomfortable just by changing the routine of their daily activities. However I loved change. My family and I have moved to several different places growing up and I was always the first to pack and unpack because I was so excited to move to a new place, meet new people and start a new adventure. While these circumstances should of caused me to be doubtful and scared, I looked change in the face and conquered it. 2011 however, it felt as if Mr.Change conquered me. We all deal with it differently and the outcome of our situations are all different. I'm not sure what was different this time but for whatever reason I felt myself being trampled by the many changes in my life. Not just personal changes but circumstances around me, people around me changed, and I can fairly say that I was disappointed in others but whatever the case was I was not conquering change. I do admit that I became disappointed in my self for not "keeping it together" and handling my situations. I was frustrated physically, emotionally and spiritually. I felt like I let those who cared about me down, but mostly I let myself down. I was reminded that sometimes the only thing that will cause YOU to change is change (if that makes sense). See, during this time, I have discovered myself again. MY TRUE SELF. Who I really am. What I really think. The intentions of my heart. I may have felt like I was loosing control of my life but in reality I was gaining back control again. I was putting my heart back on check. I was re-aligning my thoughts with God's thoughts and connecting my heart to God's heart. Change has brought change to my life. We're not going to have it together all the time but as long as we recognize the change that comes thru change. Have my circumstances changed? No. Actually, my circumstances have not changed one bit but I have chosen to let this experience change me for the better. I have decided to let change win in the sense that it will make me a better person. Am I defeated? No! I'm better for it.  I have recognized what this change has revealed in me and I'm letting it change me. I have recognized that I won't be able to change certain things in life but I can let it change me. A lot of people blame their unhappiness on a number of things. "I can't get an education because I have to work", "I'm single because nobody is attracted to me", "I can't get a job because of the poor job market." The truth is that we can blame our lifestyle on a million things but only we can change our circumstances. No one or nothing has the power to take your happiness. If your not happy it's because you have chosen not to be happy. You have chosen to neglect yourself. Neglect is our worse enemy, especially as women. We tend to neglect so much in our life until it piles up and explodes (this also means physically). If you find yourself in a situation that has turned your world upside down; don't get frantic, let it change you. Let your situation win for once...stop fighting it and let it win.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." -author unknown

~Vanessa Katherine

Answering the "WHY?"

What drives people to do what they do? If you examine those who have accomplished extraordinary things in their lifetime people often wonder what drives them to do it all? Growing up in a Pastor's home, ministry is all I know. I've never been anywhere else. I was the kid, along with so many of my friends, that grew up sleeping underneath the benches, waking up in the middle of the night for sunrise service, getting home at 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning from church and having to get right back up at 7am for school... so many memories I can run thru but my point is that I know nothing else but sacrifice. It was birthed in me since I was a kid. I've seen 1st hand the many many sacrifices my parents made and still make to this day to serve God's children. I've seen 1st hand how they've put aside their desires and needs to help the desires and needs of others...they gave up so much to answer the call that God placed on their lives. And with this I've also been able to see the very hand of God walk with us every step of the way providing every single need. Growing up in a selfless home, I find myself as a young adult willing to give up everything I have to make a difference in this world. I remember as a teenager I would pray to God saying "even if I make a difference in just one person's life, I just want you to use me!" I was desperate for God to make me a world changer. I didn't care what I had to do, I just wanted to be drenched in God's will for my life. I wanted to make a difference. Years have passed and I've been able to discover just some of the plans God has for my life. It seems that He has much bigger plans than I thought which always amazes me. However, a price must be paid. I have to be honest and say that there are many times when the life I have chosen can be quite overwhelming. Like in every ministry, there is much brokenness that goes on in secret and our human bodies get tired, our hearts get weary. When your constantly pouring yourself out, you find yourself getting tired real quick! But you see, the truth is that very few understand this calling. This calling to completely give yourself. To eat, sleep and breathe this lifestyle. Where your only desire in the world is to impact the lives of others thru the love of Christ. To know that God has to break every part of the "me-syndrome" in you in order for Him to be the focus. To be willing to see your world shaken and shattered into a million pieces so that God can put it back together again. To be able throw away all the dreams you once hoped for and allow God to give you bigger dreams to look forward to. To be able not to have control of your life, not knowing what is going to happen tomorrow, not knowing if you'll actually make it to see tomorrow but allowing your heart to trust in a God that can do anything. So why do we do it? Why do live a life that to many people would seem "crazy"? Why am I here at 1 o'clock in the morning writing when I could be sleeping? Well... it's in those moments when my human body gets tired and my heart gets weary that I go back to my 12yr old self praying to God, "if you could just let me make a difference in one person's life, I will be happy." If everything I have gone through and everything I will go through as I grow in you will be for the sake of reaching out to ONE person... it would be worth it all. God always has a way of taking us back to the reason we started this journey. Never forget. I will never forget that everything I endure is so that God would be glorified through that ONE person God has allowed me touch... whoever you are.

VC

Who Will Go? ...Send Me!

Hello bloggers :) Wow, there is so much to catch up on! First thing is first... I recently moved to San Diego, Ca. It's been about a month and a half since the move, however much I do miss my family God has been with me every step of the way. He's allowed me to see my family 2 times in just under 2 months, which has made my life so much better! lol He provided an amazing place to live and has surrounded me with some great great people. I never knew that God could teach me so much in so little time... but then again, God doesn't go by time. ;) (another important lesson to learn)

It's been amazing to see the doors that God has been opening...and if I could be honest, the whole process has been a bit scary. You see, I've always been a sort of "behind the scenes" type of girl. I like it! I love it! I do it well! It's comfortable for me :) ...which is the problem I'm finding out. I'm the girl who gets the work done and dreams of what could be and will be one day ... "when the time is just right and everything is in place". However God has been teaching me something that somehow I thought I knew but I really had no clue about. This whole idea of "when the time is just right and everything is in place" doesn't exist! It really doesnt! The thing is that God has been asking me to do some things that is going to require me to step WAAAAY out of my comfort zone. Really...He didn't even ease it on me...just plain out of my comfort zone. Things that I knew one day would come but have always been afraid of. (yes, I have fears) haha! I'm sharing this with you because I know I'm not the only one out there that feels this way. Especially as a woman. I believe with all my heart like never before that there are so many young ladies out there that are ready to do something for God. There are so many of you out there that are ready to be the change! To make an impact on this world but for some reason we have gone into hiding. We have stepped back instead of stepping forward. And to be honest I'm not sure why. Maybe you don't feel qualified, maybe your ideas were shot down at one time, maybe your past is holding you down. I've had all these same thoughts in the past couple of months...let me tell you! The enemy has been throwing every thought possible into my mind. There are things that have been put in my path in the past couple of months that honestly could be handled by someone else who is more qualified and plainly someone who knows what they are doing lol but God has been reminding me that He does not call the qualified...he qualifies the called. Let's be honest, we're never going to have it together. We're never going to know how to do it just right... so why should we wait around for that moment when God is asking us to step up now! There are so many of us who have these dreams...these amazing dreams of something big and we are hiding them! We put them away for someone else to do. My question is why not you? Why not me?

The truth is that I will never be able to fulfill what God has promised me and has called me to do. Not on my own. Anything that happens... I KNOW it will only be by God's grace and mercy. I could never do this on my own. But I do know the calling on my life will never die and I'm choosing to step out and take the challenge that God is putting in front of me. Despite all my doubts and fears, God has been confirming every step of my journey. In the past month and a half, I have never heard the voice of God more clearly. God will always confirm the purpose of your journey. But you wont see it until you take that step of Faith...once you take that step, God opens up His world to you.

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking. -Marianne Williamson

"Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” - Isaiah 6:8

VC