With all the chaos going on in the world, it can become overwhelming, especially if your heart and mind are filled with fear. It is hard to ignore all of the news, social media, and conversations about all of this. Every which way we look, there is fear lingering in all corners of every space. But it does not have to be that way. Considering all the talent that walks through the doors of our church, there are many that have reached out to try to find a way to bring comfort and to remind us all that God will be glorified through all of this. We, at Greeley Mosaic Church, want to offer you space of calm, humor and God’s word, as we all (as a family) navigate through the current situation. 

We understand that it is hectic, to say the least. It is easy to succumb to the spirit of fear concerning the pandemic we are facing. There is uncertainty in the air that is literally making it hard to breathe. We want to support you in any way we can and offer too, our prayers, our resources, and our ability to see the light of God in all of this.  

One of the ways we will offer a space of calm is to share our own journeys -utilizing words of encouragement and God’s goodness.  We offer messages that we hope are relatable and inspiring to change the view to which many of us are looking, and remove the spirit of fear.  

Hello! I am Gena Duran. I am excited to participate in the effort of bringing us all together through blogging and online conversation.  For those of you that know me, you know that I have a lot to say…basically about anything- so I thought that I would use this time of quarantine to focus on the things that God has been pushing me to do-like writing more and sharing with you the experiences, experiments, and entertainment that I will take on while in this stay-at-home time. 

We anticipate there will continue to be an uncertainty of so many things; however, it is my hope that while I share my own vulnerability through this, that we can connect and realize God’s grace more so than anything. 

The last couple of weeks, when the news of the COV-19 was unfolding on the news and basically all social media outlets, it was was very overwhelming and frightening. Everywhere we turn, there is more discouraging news and uncertainty than ever. I admit that at first, I too felt anxiety in the first couple of days. Then, I was reminded of a recent church service that Pastor Angel shared the spirit of fear and how the spirit of fear is not of God. We learned how the spirit of fear is meant to bring harm to us, to take us away from God’s blessings and the purpose that we all have given by God. Plain and simple- fear is a liar! If you have not watched or heard the message that Pastor Angel spoke about the spirit of fear, I highly recommend you do so soon! 

Thinking about this, I started to focus on God’s design for us all-He designed our bodies to heal naturally by creating the very touch of another person, like a warm embrace to send messages to our brain to help us heal from pain and sadness, creating a joyous element of peace and calm-even if for that one minute that someone embraces us. We are designed to interact with and touch one another. There is more to the scientific wording, but I am not equipped to use the terminology, but you get my point. 

The pandemic is real, the guidelines set in place because of the virus are real-there is no doubt about that; however, this virus is a deterrent. It is causing fear all over the world, it is literally making us all remove ourselves from touch and interaction with one another-so what it is, is a spirit of fear. The good news is that God will be glorified through all of this. He will show us all the way to come closer to Him.

For example, I have made excuses for many years to not do the things that I know God has nudged me to do. My excuses include not having time, not have the energy, not enough money, and not enough of worldly expectations. Because of the current situation that we are all facing, my excuses have been removed. 

With that said, I have decided to take advantage of being self quarantined and not working at this time. Some of the ways that I am going to utilize the cards we have been dealt with include me starting to do and see through some of those things that God has asked me to do. For starters, I am going to write, workout, and spend time with my family-real quality time. You know what I am talking about- actually to be present, participating and praying. What God wants for all of us, is to go back to the basics: FAITH, FAMILY, and then, everything else. 

In the next few weeks, I hope to share with you short videos of what we are doing here in la casa de Duran. I will post spirit-lifting thoughts and how I am growing in my relationship with the Lord.  Our intent is to make this time fun, a place to grow spiritually, and an opportunity to connect to you all during this time. 

I have set forth some goals to work on and I am sharing with you so that you can hold me accountable and to perhaps, inspire you to create some goals too. 

• Workout every day-this This can be anything, like walking, 30 minutes of exercise using videos and other apps available.   
• Spending more time reading the Bible-development and application of learning
• Cook healthy meals for my family-try new recipes and share 
• Find a location in the community to volunteer my time or talent- food banks or homeless shelter-if it is an option
• Do lots of crafts from Pinterest – I have lots of fun pins to try out that have built up for about two years
• Restore my marriage- actually engage in better communication and give him my full attention
• WRITE- God has instilled in me the desire to write a book- I will write for at least an hour a day about what God has placed in my heart
• FAMILY-engage in conversation and play with my grand babies as well as be more present in my children’s lives, and be a better daughter and sister too
• FRIENDS-connect via social media with friends that I keep putting on the back burner

Now, my list of goals may change as something more meaningful may emerge through my quest to find the beauty of all of this; however, I will share what I am learning, what I have accomplished, and whatever else comes from using the time at home. 

I know that I will be inspired by you all-if you choose to share your goals to help you navigate through all of this and how God is working in your life too.  I am excited to be a part of this journey with you and will definitely be a better person because of it. 

Make Sure to Watch Greeley Mosaic Live On Sundays! 

~Gena