Merry Christmas, and YES, Happy New Year

Luke 1:38 (The Message)

36-38"And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God."
And Mary said,
Yes,
I see it all now:
I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me just as you say.
Then the angel left her.

As the Christmas week closes out and we look forward to the New Year, I can’t help but reflect on the miracle of the birth of Jesus and our very own Christmas miracle He brought this month through Maddie’s healing. I think about how Jesus is the same yesterday , today and forever, and the miracles, signs, and wonders, that still continue today …..The beauty of how the miracle of His birth touched people then and still does today - the power of God and how it extends from generation to generation.
Last night my mom wanted to go see a movie. At her request, we went to Foothills Mall to watch Jim Cary's "Yes Man". He played a divorced guy who pretty much lives his routine life day in and day out - saying " no" to many opportunities that came his way. After an argument with his best friend over missing his engagement party and going home to have a dream about dying this pitiful monotonous life, he winds up attending a motivational seminar that he buys into and makes a "covanant " to pursue the power of YES. While a brainfreeze of a movie to me, the message that parallels, lures me into the covenant of “YES” in our own life.

We’ve gone over the Christmas story so many times in the past few weeks. Tonight I’m remembering when the angel told Mary she would give birth to the son of God , thinking about the circumstances of the time that surrounded Mary and Joseph……Mary wasn’t counting the cost or thinking about what people would do or say , what might happen ……instead, Mary said “ YES”. We’re starting to see it all now too, just like Mary did…..but can I, like Mary , be as bold to tell God “ let it be with me ( my family) as you have said?”

In the months leading up to Maddie’s initial findings of the tumor, our Wednesday night prayer group had prayed many times from the book of Acts - chapter 4: vs. 29 –30. It reads : Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

God had given us a word for Maddie’s surgery from the book of Nahum, that” trouble would not strike a second time” for her. Doctors told us there was no way to get all of the tumor out..….we knew there was nothing impossible for God. We chose instead to declare His word with the boldness His word said he’d enable us with ….. Jeff and I believe that not only the power of prayer, but in the declaration and speaking forth of God’s living word , that as so many prayed His word over the situation, and as we, too said “ Yes” to the things God had already declared in His word as being done…..that His hand stretched out to heal - and He has shown His miracle working power. After we all prayed, we know full well, our little world was shaken! Coming from the San Francisco bay area and having experienced many earthquakes, we can’t help but parallel the shaking to the ripple effect in aftershocks that happens in the physical sense.

We are overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and support so many have shown to us through this time. The ripple effect came with so many saying Yes in their own hearts to respond in our time of need. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough. So freely we have received....and so thankful we are...... we've prayed and asked specifically how we can " give " our thanks. Lindsey shared with us how she wanted to paint Maddies room , but while praying the Lord told her He wanted to do so much more…..she said “Yes” to partner with His plan, and we are so thankful to see the “ aftershock” effect that rippled out to total strangers!

Many have shared how much the caringbridge site meant to them to stay connected – several even asked if we would keep up the journaling. We thought to ourselves – why would we keep it up, she’s home and not going into the hospital again?!? What we didn’t see clearly, was that there were so many connected in one way or another to the site, our family, our friends, that God was really doing something bigger than healing our baby girl……He was showing His power in a fresh new way and the shaking was still being felt in the hearts of friends all over the map ( even Nebraska?!?) So after many ' no thanks" to family blog suggestions from dear blogging friends like Sandy Martinez, this new year we'll say " Yes" =) Welcome to the Garcia family online. Thanks for walking with us this past year! Hopefully this page will continue to declare His goodness and faithfullness for all to see!
The night we learned the news about the extent of Maddie’s tumor and how it infiltrated the spine and organs was the same night we learned of cousin Trevor’s clean bone scan – free from neuroblastoma. Yes Yes and Amen! We praised God for what He did for Trevor, but that night would we, like Mary that night the angel appeared, also say “Yes” to His word for our daughter too? Isn’t He the same God whose word says he heals ALL our diseases?
Mary said YES…..Annanais said Yes in the conversion of Saul…..Maybe Jim Carey said YES to all kinds of stupid things in this movie , but when I was woken up last night to put this into writing, I can’t help but scream YES LORD……
........I am in awe of how The Garcia family has come full circle by His grace and power……
It will be 4 years ago this spring that Jeff and I came out to Tucson with Pastor Johnny and Mindi for the very first time – Noah was a newborn, we had just said YES to moving here to be part of the vision for the church plant Johnny had. They toured us around town and one of the days we all stood at the top of A mountain…..As we looked out at the high point of that mountain Jeff turned and boldly said something …"See all those people out there – they all need Jesus . " Simple to some, but for us, it was a pivotal point in this desert experience.......Tomorrow morning, New Year’s Day 2009 , many likeminded and likehearted will gather for mountaintop prayer at sunrise around this city …..some of our friends will join at A mountain once again to declare much of the same that was declared that month in 2005 when we said YES over this city. It was hard to leave California then , and even harder to step out in obedience when God called us out from the church plant we love so dearly in October, bittersweet really, …..but saying “YES” to His new thing for our family opens our eyes even more to His kingdom power making the way for us in our desert walk. We hope to continue the journey with you all through this family blog this New Year. We will choose to say " Yes" to His word to us to not be silent - freely we will give all we've recieved , back to Him in praise and thanksgiving, and out to you by the word of our testimony ....and we pray you will join us here on this blogspot in 2009.

Jeff and I know deep down we wont be here in the desert forever, San Diego sits not too far on the horizon of our hearts , maybe 2, 5, 10 years – 20 ? who knows when ….for now, we’ll say “YES” in our desert journey , like Isaiah 26 : 7 – 9 …..
YES, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.
While we don’t “ see it all “ , like Mary did that night she said Yes in front of the angel , and while we may never understand the fullness of all He is doing, we know going into this new year that This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43
It is fitting that we count down tonight, New Year's Eve, not dwelling on the past year , but be open to seeing the “new thing” He is doing - the way He is making for us all in this desert! It is truly our hearts desire that His name be lifted up and renown, that His power move in your life and that you walk in the fullness of what He destined for you ……. We’ve watched many close to us struggling with situations they thought were right yet appear to be taking a turn otherwise, unexpected circumstances that shook families, or things that didn’t work out this year how our loved ones planned…..do we not know that God works ALL things together for good ?
We believe the miracle we experienced this Christmas through Madison and others in the hospital has shaken and continues to ripple out to all who will also say YES to Him and His ways. So many of our closest friends and family have their own circumstances that they need God’s miracle working power to move in ……to you we boldly say - this is your year ! Let us all go forward expecting …..nothing is impossible for God!
It is our prayer this New Year that you would expect a miracle in your own life- That the Lord would give you boldness to declare His word and speak it into your own circumstance in 2009. That He would stretch out His mighty hand to heal areas of your life that need healing, to restore what the enemy has stolen and tried to destroy in your life and family ….May 2009 be a year of miracles, signs and wonders, in Jesus name for you …. As you say “Yes” to Him and His ways this year let us remember His written word 2 Cor 1 : 18 – 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are YES in Christ And so through him the ‘ Amen” is spoken to us by the glory of God…..Let Him speak to you and give you a word for your”New Thing” that He is doing….May He shake your world in such a powerful way that you will be filled afresh with his Holy Spirit and enter 2009 with His YES within you ….as His “Yes” and your “Yes” become our AMEN ( so be it )that this new year is a sure beginning of what He is destined to complete for you …..YES and AMEN!

WE marvel at His wonders, and laugh at his creativity - who would have ever thought "YesMan" Jim Carey would have inspired such a timely New Year's message to our hearts!

Merry, Merry Christmas, and YES – HAPPY NEW YEAR to you too !

Much love, Jeff and Rhonda ,Ryan, Maddie, Noah, and Luke Garcia


2 Corinthians 1:18-20 (The Message)
17-19Are you now going to accuse me of being flip with my promises because it didn't work out? Do you think I talk out of both sides of my mouth—a glib yes one moment, a glib no the next? Well, you're wrong. I try to be as true to my word as God is to his. Our word to you wasn't a careless yes canceled by an indifferent no. How could it be? When Silas and Timothy and I proclaimed the Son of God among you, did you pick up on any yes-and-no, on-again, off-again waffling? Wasn't it a clean, strong Yes?
20-22Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God's Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.

Expect a miracle this New Year......