Reinstating My Calling.

My Yes Has Not Changed

To reinstate means to restore someone or something to a previous position, rank, condition, or state.

As I prepared to return home from this mission trip, I wanted to understand what the Lord had been revealing to me. One word kept coming to my heart:

Reinstating.

The same Scripture the Lord had given me years ago was speaking to me again. This time, I was beginning to understand the deeper meaning behind it.

Talk about revelation—it had taken me twenty years to understand.

In John 21:15–17, Jesus asks Peter whether he loves Him. As I read that passage, I heard the question personally:

Ivette, do you love Me?

“Yes, Lord. You know that I love You.”

Feed My lambs.

Again, the question:

Ivette, do you love Me?

“Yes, Lord. You know that I love You.”

Take care of My sheep.

And a third time:

Ivette, do you love Me?

Feed My sheep.

This was the Scripture through which I gave the Lord my yes. And my yes has not changed.

Looking back, I can see the different seasons of my journey: serving, learning, loving people, and making myself available. I fell in love with the mission before I fully understood the calling.

There were years of preparation and wilderness seasons. There were opportunities to serve, followed by a breaking point in 2009—divorce and the loss of ministry.

Then came the years between 2010 and 2017, when I stayed away from teaching, serving and  sharing; the enemy has taken my voice. Once again I was left broken and alone. 

I hid. I was hiding in plain sight. Doing church. Checking the boxes. But God. He was carrying me through and teaching me to depend on Him.  

But those years were not the end of my story.

In 2017, I began sharing again.  A group study at a ladies home, became my sanctuary.  There I felt like I was in a lioness dent. In that house I was love into healing. Where I regained my voice. 

Later came the women’s life group in my own house to be open to do life group with strangers one more time, trusting God with a tomorrow I couldn't see. 

Looking back over all those years, I could see the thread connecting the different seasons.

I believe in my heart that this mission trip was bringing me back to my calling. I was coming home with healing and understanding—with a clearer sense of what the Lord had entrusted to me.

People change. Circumstances change. But the call of God on my life had not changed.

The invitation was still there:

Feed My lambs.

Take care of My sheep.

Feed My sheep.

My yes was to Jesus. He is the One who allows me to do what I do, and He uses all of me for His glory.

After all these years, my answer remains:

Yes, Lord. You know that I love You.

Thank You, Jesus.

Ivette Diaz-Yee

7/11/26

Freedom through the Holy Spirit

 The Holy Spirit is our advocate—one called to our side. He is also known as our comforter, called to stand by us and help us. He is the one whom Jesus promised to send to His disciples after His departure.

He is the Spirit of truth, who takes residence inside us. He teaches and guides us; He leads us, intercedes for us here on earth, and speaks directly what the Father tells Him to say to us.

The Holy Spirit is our companion. For me, the Holy Spirit is my alarm system, my warning sign, my precaution lights. He brings conviction into my heart.

I am in a season of patience, or forbearance, waiting patiently for what God has for me, developing endurance in the process and deepening my roots in His solid foundation.

I still remember the day in children’s church when I was sealed with the Holy Spirit. This season is a reminder of the importance of the Holy Spirit in us. We still have so much to know, learn, and understand about Him.

I was rebaptized in 2003 at a funeral home. As I went under the water for baptism, the Lord filled me once again with His Spirit, and I came out speaking in tongues, changed, hungry and thirsty for more of Him.

What was once a place for the dead became a place of resurrection and life. I became alive in a funeral home. The Lord resurrected me that day, and I have not looked back. My future is ahead of me. My past is over. 

This year, I am celebrating 24 years of freedom in Christ. I learned to walked in the freedom I have found in Him. You will know the Word, and the Word will set you free.

Ivette Diaz-Yee

#wedorecover

10/13/26

Laundry Day

 🧺 Laundry Day

A time to let God cleanse what we carry inside.

We can know the Word of God and still need to grow in knowing the God who speaks it. Knowing Scripture is more than remembering verses; it means allowing His truth to search our hearts and shape how we live.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart.” — Psalm 139:23

Just as dirty laundry needs washing, our hearts need God’s tender care. Hidden pain, resentment, fear, and old ways of thinking can collect beneath the surface. Sometimes we become so accustomed to carrying them that we call them our personality instead of recognizing the wounds that need healing.

We make excuses. We shift blame. We hear what feels comfortable while avoiding the truth that calls us to change. Second Timothy 4:3–4 warns us about seeking messages that satisfy our desires instead of receiving the truth.

But God, in His mercy, doesn’t leave us there.

His Word reaches beneath the surface, revealing the thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). He helps us face what we have buried and surrender what we cannot cleanse ourselves.

The process may be uncomfortable. Healing asks us to be honest. Growth takes time. Yet we can trust the One who began His good work in us to continue it (Philippians 1:6).

Our part is to keep saying yes—to receive His Word and put it into practice (James 1:22). As we do, we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

Let’s stop dancing around what God is inviting us to surrender. It’s laundry day. Bring Him what needs washing.

🙏 Prayer
Father, search my heart. Show me where pain, pride, fear, or excuses have kept me from receiving Your truth. Give me courage to face what needs healing and humility to receive Your correction. Create in me a clean heart, and help me live to please You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Today’s reflection: What am I defending that God is asking me to surrender?

Ivette Diaz-Yee
Sisters Loved by God
Adapted from “Laundry Day,” March 19, 2020.

The crossroads of Life.

 When We Don’t Know Which Way to Go

Isaiah 30:21

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”

There are times in our spiritual walk when we come to a crossroads. New roads appear before us, bringing new opportunities and possibilities.

In the natural, each road seems to lead to greener pastures, new beginnings, and a promising future.

That happened to me many years ago, in 2003.

As I was preparing to embark on a new season in my life, I found myself at a crossroads. I had to make a decision: Would I continue on the road toward wholeness and healing, or would I take one of the roads opening before me?

I had the opportunity to return home to my family and friends, find a place to live with my children, and return to my job with the company that had placed me on medical leave six months before my ordeal.

I had missed my children terribly. It was the first time I had ever been away from them.

I was on fire for the Lord! I was learning how to develop a personal relationship with Him.

Everything seemed to be an answered prayer.

But something inside me wasn’t at peace.

Something wasn’t right.

In the natural, everything I had prayed for was falling into place: a place to live, a job to return to, and the opportunity to be reunited with my family and friends.

Yet something within me was unsettled.

Then I came across this Scripture:

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” — Isaiah 30:21

My life had been a roller coaster. I had traveled down many roads, searching for my way back home.

I had encountered countless detours. Life itself had derailed me many times. Along the way, I had to stop, refocus, and find my way through the hurt and disappointments.

I had allowed situations and distractions to hold me back. Fear and insecurity had kept me prisoner, preventing me from moving forward.

But in the midst of it all, there was one thing I had never lost.

My hope.

My hope was in the Lord.

I had learned to cry out for help, ask for direction and prayer,  and surround myself with people who would hold me accountable.

I was learning that I didn’t have to walk this journey alone.

As I stood at the threshold of a new season in my life, I knew I had to take the next step.

I was stepping out in faith.

My recovery was not just about me. It was also about the person who would one day find help, encouragement, and hope because of my recovery.

Let’s be honest. We are all recovering from something.

The other day, someone posted a quote on Facebook that stayed with me:

“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done before.”

Those words stuck with me.

And today, the Lord called me awesome.

I looked up the definition of the word awesome. According to Google, it means extremely impressive, amazing, or unbelievable.

And I realized that anything awesome about me is because of Him.

Because of His grace.

Because of His mercy.

Because He never gave up on me.

Today, I am choosing to trust Him, even when I don’t know which road to take.

I don’t have to know everything that awaits me on the other side.

I only need to recognize His voice and be willing to follow.

I’m stepping over the threshold!

In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Ivette Diaz-Yee
Originally written October 23, 2018
Reflecting on a crossroads in 2003

His Glory

 

I had the opportunity to walk the grounds of one of the oldest and most beautiful colleges in the Midwest. Voted the #1 Best Value Liberal Arts College in the nation, it welcomes students from 26 countries, representing a variety of faith backgrounds. There are 125 years of history within its walls.

Thousands of prayers.

As I walked inside the old church, allowing my imagination to wander, I could almost hear the hymns being sung and the many messages preached from the pulpit.

How many lives were changed because of their dedication and submission to God.  Their willingness to let go of themselves so they could discover God’s purpose for their lives and the reason they were created.

Going after their destiny. Running after God.

Faithful, available, and teachable.

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall, just to experience what they experienced.

As I continued to make my way up the stairs, every step seemed to bring me closer to a new revelation.

I came across hundreds of volumes on church history. Walls filled with books, each containing years of history. Every step brought me closer to what awaited me at the end of the room.

As I walked through, I noticed the large church organ, a small desk with information about the college, and a wing chair sitting by the window.

I felt such peace in that room.

I stood there for what seemed like an eternity, not wanting to move. Reluctantly, I made my way down the stairs, only to return once again.

There was something special about that little room upstairs. I wanted to take pictures of it, to capture the moment, if that were even possible.

This time, I brought my daughter and my phone. I wanted a picture of myself sitting by the window. My daughter took several shots, and we left.

Sometime later, as I was looking through the pictures, I noticed the light coming through in one of the photographs of me sitting by the window.

Then I realized that, thanks to technology, we had been able to capture what looked like a glimpse of heaven—the rays of His glory.

His presence had been so tangible, and now I had a photograph that reminded me of that precious encounter.

This was the second time in the last few months that I had experienced what felt like a glimpse of heaven.

If we are willing to press on, if we yield to His presence, if we search for more of Him, if we thirst and hunger for more of Him, we will find Him.

For His presence filled that room.

It was as though the light of heaven had come down and dwelt among us. His presence was felt, and He allowed me to feel it, too.

I don’t know about you, but when we seek Him with all our heart, mind, and soul, He will not disappoint us.

For He will meet us there.

I saw the old church. I went inside looking for Him, and I found Him.

For He was waiting for me, sitting by the window, overlooking the Mississippi River below.

Our Lord and Savior is calling.

He is willing to meet with you at the most unexpected times.

Don’t allow distractions to move you away from Him. Don’t allow what is taking place around you to rob you of intimacy with the Lord.

I was on vacation.

I had no plans for an encounter.

But the Lord gifted me with His peace, His presence, and His love.

Ivette Diaz-Yee
July 2023
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois