PEACE is being able to walk in your circumstances and stay patient as God guides you down the path He has planned for your life. However, sometimes, if we are not careful, we will take our frustrations out on others... doing and saying things that we later regret.
As difficult as it can sometimes get, do your very best to be kind to others during those days that seem to be challenging and you ge...t a bit frustrated, being careful as not to use others as your "bad mood" pin cushion! Take time out for yourself to get back to a place of calm and relaxation just as God intends for you to be.
Remember to treat others with love, respect and compassion at all times, even in the times you are afraid, you feel anxious or you are having a very challenging day. Always allow God's gift of peace to remain upon you by spending some "alone time" with Him. Only He can restore you and help you leap hurdles over your circumstances as you patiently wait for Him to answer any prayer requests and open up doors of favor on your behalf. HE LOVES YOU AND HE UNDERSTANDS.
“And the PEACE OF GOD, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
One of the most baffling things each of us face as “Believers”, is how our circumstances can sometimes seem to be getting worse than better. Prayers are consistently going up, but it just seems like God does not hear… Why God, are you taking so long? Have you forgotten me? Is it something I've done wrong?
It is in these moments that GOD IS EVEN CLOSER than you may realize. Every prayer and request that you have cried out to Him, He has heard and is working to answer you in w...ays you cannot begin to imagine. Contrary to what you may be feeling in your current situation, GOD WILL NEVER ALLOW YOU TO FALL beyond the point of resurrection. What looks to be your last or when you feel you simply are down to nothing, is really God’s way of giving you a brand new and fresh start in your life or current situation. Your “tomorrows” are in His hands and you can count on Him to come through for you at just the right and perfect timing. He’s never early… and equally HE IS NEVER LATE!
Whenever you’ve given it absolutely all you’ve got and you’ve prayed until… well… you don’t even know what to pray for anymore… GOD HAS HEARD AND HE’S WORKING EVERYTHING OUT FOR YOU. Contrary to what your situation “looks like”, God wants you to TRUST HIM and know that He will never, ever fail you! Use your Faith and watch in amazement at the things He’s about to do in your life. TRUST HIM… because that’s all He wants from you.
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows FAVOR and HONOR. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO TRUSTS IN YOU! (Psalm 84:11-12)
“Therefore I tell you, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? SO DO NOT WORRY, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:25-34)
No matter what you do or think, Jesus died for you. It is that simple. You can never get away from that fact, even by saying you don't believe it, because it is a well documented fact. No matter where you are at in y...our life, no matter how much the enemy of your soul wants you to believe that you can never be good enough for Jesus or God to love you, the real truth is that you can never be too far away from Him. He suffered the most horrendous beating and death, so that you, through faith in Him, might have eternal life. You do not have to do anything, He has done it all, you do not have to 'be better' or work harder, you just have to confess that you are a sinner and that you believe that God sent His only begotten Son to die as your sin offering. Invite Jesus Christ into your heart and ask Him to forgive your sins and He will save you and give you eternal life. We offend Jesus when we strive to 'do' something to earn our place beside Him in heaven - if we could do that, then He would not have had to suffer and die for us.
The horror and suffering of the cross gives way to the amazing understanding that He is RISEN! Jesus conquered the grave, death could not hold Him and through His resurrection power, we have eternal life. Hallelujah! Not only can we look forward to an eternal life in heaven with our Lord and Saviour, but we can live an abundant life here on earth. We have the Holy Spirit within and we have had ALL our sicknesses and diseases removed and nailed to the cross, they died with Jesus, and He most definitely did not resurrect them! So begin to believe the truth, do not believe the lies of the enemy who puts symptoms of illness and disease on you. Start to claim and visualize your healing and good health and it will come. Let us begin to live the life that we are born to live, one free of the shackles that the enemy would bind us with. Let's stand and be strong in the power of Jesus' finished work at the cross.
George Soto was born en El Barrio de Newton Avenue in the great city of Seguin, Texas. George didn't have a dad; His dad died in the war in Europe in early 1943 before George was born. His mom lived in San Antonio, Texas. He was raised by his abuelitos or grandparents. Adding to his sense of family was a black lady, Mrs, Redix, who lived next door and often asked George to stay and eat. He felt so close to her he called her aunt.
In 1949 at the age of six George was enrolled at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School in Seguin, Texas. In 1955 George graduated from said school. George also lost his grandmother Leoner Martinez in the middle of 1955 and only George and his grandfather were left. Next school he attended was Joe F Saegert Jr. High and he graduated from that school in 1958. In 1955 George started playing Football, Basketball, Track, Baseball and Gymnastics. All that ended in 1960 at Seguin High School after passing to the eleventh grade, George left school.
George and Munchie (Ramon Salazar Jr.) were old friends. One day he watched Munchie's brother, Rudy, play the harmonica and guitar. George sensed a flicker in his blood. "To me Rudy was more of an inspiration than anybody else," remembers George. But of the Salazar brothers, Munchie was George's buddy. When Munchie bought a guitar in 1958 and began to practice, George's musical ambitions heated up. "When Munchie bought that guitar, it even inspired me more because we were always together," recalls George. "I also bought my own guitar, and we started practicing together." Several months went by and Ramon Salazar Jr. left and joined Charles McIntyre and his band while George stayed practicing by himself. Another Two or three months went by and Ramon requested to rejoin George. For the record George Soto never played with Charles McIntyre or any other band!!
In 1958 George Soto and Ramon Salazar Jr. formed a Rock-N-Roll band and named themselves the Playboys, a popular name at that time. Sometime between 1960 and 1961 the Playboys became the Broken Hearts. George started developing a special gift that he didn't know he had. George stated, "If I knew a song it changed when I started playing it, my feelings took over and the song came out different. My feelings controlled every song that I played." George who had the talent and his own original style also arranged (Rhythm-Lead) many of the group's recordings, and broke new ground in tejano music with the guitar arrangement of Las Cuatro Milpas, an instrumental recorded in 1964, featuring George on guitar. Las Cuatro Milpas Became a Hit for the Broken Hearts.
Concerning Las Cuatro Milpas, Lupe Gonzales of Tierra Tejana in 2011 stated, "On that polka, George Soto played those famous pasadas on his guitar that no one to this day can duplicate"! A Littlefield, Texas fan in 2011 also stated "You forgot the best Broken Hearts song...Las Cuatro Milpas....played by George Soto....I watched him in Littlefield, Texas in 1964." Sergio Martinez posted to George Soto B H; "George it is my pleasure to meet you through FB. You are indeed a legend in Chicano music. My best to you," Sergio! Joe Ybarra stated "Your one of a kind George, especially in "Las Cuatro Milpas" we don't have bands like that anymore, I mean playing with your Heart! We do have great Bands now & I like to change with the times music wise but back then...well it's hard to explain, you know what I mean George! Del Corazon, Great Memories. God bless you my friend". Margie Gonzales on Las Cuatro Milpas, "Great Song, love it"! Luisa Medina Arteaga stated on facebook, "Hi George! I just finished reading your story in the "About" section. It is a VERY impressive story...you are a true Tejano Legend. To be honest with you I have not heard of you or the group Broken Hearts. I just listened to the videos you uploaded on YouTube and you are an extraordinary guitarist. I just wanted you to know that I'm honored to be part of your friends." Raul Sanchez" WOW! That's a great story, GEORGE SOTO "EXTRAORDINARY GUITARIST" April 11 at 12:54pm 2014. "To George a very dear friend & one of the greatest Lead Guitarist I've ever had the pleasure of knowing" by Chepe Ramirez
George Soto's guitar riffs were highly original. The manner in which he combined different musical genres in his guitar riffs was truly remarkable. Those "pasadas" could imitate a "bajo sexto" or imitate a "requinte" and a "keyboard" as well. What the guitarist (George Soto) in "The Broken Hearts" did was a make up for the instruments they may have lacked and accentuate the instruments that they did have as well as the vocalist in their band. Their "sound" was unlike any other band of that era. Every song George recorded had a Rock N Roll and Jazz Flavor. He was one the first Guitarist to combine Rock N Roll and Jazz into Hispanic Music.
At the beginning of 1967, George Soto left the Broken Hearts. On June 2, 1969 George invited Jesus Christ into his heart and asked Him to forgive his sins and the Lord saved him, changed him and gave him eternal life. George became a complete new person in Christ. Soon thereafter, he met Angelita Ramirez Cervantes and on October 29, 1971 she became his wife. George never finished high school so he started his quest for education by getting his GED and then getting diplomas as a Medical Laboratory Technician, Accounting, Electronics, Communications, Land Titles and etc. George became Responsible Head of a Blood Bank and Laboratory in San Antonio, Texas. That lasted for over twenty years. After that, he became a Customer Service Representative specializing in surveys for a title company.
George did his most important work serving the Lord with his wife. They ran a Sunday School Bus Ministry, bringing over 150,000 (after thirty years of service) children and adults to church and overseeing their lives many of whom are now serving the Lord. In 1969 George was appointed Choir Director at Bethel Mexican Baptist Church. That lasted until 2005 at another Baptist Church. George also served the Lord as a Lay Preacher, Bus Director, Sunday School Director and Usher. George and Angelita are still serving the Lord by presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world and have a Ministry called "JESUS ONLY" in Facebook.
George Soto is a member of the National Hispanic Music Hall of Fame inducted February 1, 1991 in El Paso, Texas and Tejano Roots Hall Of Fame inducted January 05, 2013 in Alice, Texas.
When death comes knocking at your door you will not be able to pretend you're not at home. You will not be able to tell him to come back later. You will have no choice but to answer the door. The Bible says "...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27) We all have an appointment with death! The question you must ask yourself is. If death came knocking today.... Where would you go? Heaven or Hell? Would you consider yourself a good person? Good enough for Heaven? Have you ever lied, stolen, or used God's name in vain? Even once? If so you are a liar, a thief, and a blasphemer and you have to face God on judgment day! Will you be innocent or guilty? Will you go to Heaven or Hell? The Bible says "...There is none righteous, no, not one." (Romans 3:10) You know you will be guilty and end up in Hell! That's not God's will! The Bible says "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (II Peter 3:9) Two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ came to earth and lived a sinless life. He took your punishment when he died on the cross. He was buried and three days later rose again defeating death. No one knows when death will come knocking. You are not guaranteed tomorrow. The Bible says "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1) Repent and trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. Invite Jesus Christ into your heart and ask Him to forgive your sins and He will save you and give you eternal life. He is the only way! Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6). The ultimate statistic: 10 out of 10 people die!
One of the most interesting and original bands to come out of the Old Guard Era was a band known as The Broken Hearts. The Broken Hearts were from Seguin, Texas. They were highly successful as a musical group and their success not only took them to several playing engagements throughout the U.S.A. but into Mexico as well. This made them one of the first Texas bands to become international. One of the most interesting and unique individuals to come out of this talented band was Gilbert Gonzales.
Gilbert passed up his first opportunity to learn music when he chose not to learn how to play the guitar and accordion from his grandfather at around the age of nine or ten. It is my understanding that he regrets passing up the opportunity to learn the accordion. His next opportunity came when he started out as a trombonist in the junior high school band in Seguin. His interest was trumpet but his band director convinced him to play the trombone. During this time he also learned how to play the saxophone thru one of his friends who played that instrument. His older brother, Fred, started playing the guitar and pretty soon, Gilbert was also learning the basics of bass guitar and honed up on this skill by jamming out with some of his cousins. After playing with a couple of groups, Ramon Salazar, Jr. offered him the opportunity to play which at that time was the up and coming Broken Hearts. This proved to be fortuitous. Gilbert would become the work horse of The Broken Hearts. Gilbert was truly a musicians' musician and a very flexible musician which made him an asset to The Broken Hearts. While he played with The Broken Hearts he was a bass man, a saxophonist, and one of the co-arrangers for The Broken Hearts.
Probably his greatest contribution to The Broken Hearts was as one of the co-arrangers within the band. Keep in mind that while in today's Tejano music has a bi-culture mixture in its music back in those days it didn't exist. The idea of playing both Rock-N-Roll and also playing Mexican Music was something new. I am not sure where it began nor can I say who started it first. Perhaps, it was a spontaneous idea since most kids wanted to hear both genres. The Old Guards composition were mostly Mexican they were not Mexican musicians, but rather, Rock-N-Rollers, first and foremost. They were, for the most part, kids from the barrios of Texas who never denied their heritage nor did they deny their culture. They played the Rock-N-Roll music they loved but also augmented it with the Mexican songs that were a part of their culture. The Broken Hearts were pioneers in this new idea. The contributions that The Old Guard made was the introduction of the Lead Guitarist. Conjunto music's principal stringed instrument was The Bajo Sexto while the Old Orquestas did employ the electric guitar, it was mainly confined to playing rhythm. The lead guitar was introduced to Mexican Music with the advent of The Old Guard. The organ was another musical instrument that was introduced by The Old Guard. Some of The Old Orquestas did employ a piano but Keyboards were not a standard musical instruments in those orquestas. Keyboards have evolved into the synthesizer of today's Tejano Music but its predecessors began with The Old Guard whose "roots" were Rock-N-Roll. Another musical instrument that came into its own was the saxophone. The saxophone was not new to Mexican Music. The old orquestas employed them and the saxophone was used in some conjuntos. However, just like the Rock-N-Roll musicians the saxophone (along with the organ) became the main instrument to play the intros, bridges, and the closings, as well as "riffs" in augmenting the vocalists. The main instrument in Conjiunto Music has always been the accordion and in the old orquestas the trumpet was its main instrument.
Gilbert was one of the saxophonist in The Broken Hearts and he did a very skillful job as a co-arranger to employ that instrument in the music of The Broken Hearts. Listen to "Plegarias Falsas". Gilbert gave the song a Rock-N-Roll sound to it. It may have been a Mexican song but it was also pure Rock-N-Roll. He was also not confined to mixing two genres of music. Listen to "Las Cuatro Milpas" and you can also hear the saxophones employing a Huapango riff into a polka. The co-arrangement between George Soto's imitating a Bajo Sexto with a guitar and Gilbert Gonzales' Huapango riff making that "polkita" quite unique.
Still, Gilbert Gonzales was not confined to being a saxophonist and a co-arranger. He was also a very adept vocalist. Gilbert also sang harmony to Sixto's voice. This harmonization can be heard on songs like, "Thrill Upon A Hill", "Andan Diciendo", "Mi Derrota" and seveal other songs sang by Sixto. He can also be heard harmonizing with Tony "Ross" Castillo in "Pledging My Love". In songs like "Te Hise Quererme", "Entre Copa y Copa", and "Viva Quien Sabe Querer" the listener can hear that he was an excellent lead vocalist and displays just as much emotion as Sixto Sanchez in his renditions of these songs. I still love listening to Gilbert's lead singing along with Sixto's lead singing. They were, to me, the best vocalists of The Broken Hearts.
Gilbert's tenure with The Broken Hearts ended in May of 1965 when he graduated and was drafted at the age of nineteen. After Basic and A.I.T. training he was assigned to West Germany. While there he managed to get into a musical group of German Nationals that played Soul Music. The band's name was "The Sounds of Soul". They played songs by Sam & Dave, Aretha Franklin, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, The Four Tops, Anthony & The Imperials, and various other Soul Artists of that era.
They were so successful that they earned top money in West Germany and Gilbert would make more money in two nights than his entire base pay in the army. As his discharge from the service neared, he decided to stay in West Germany and was mustered out of the army there. He continued his musical career there. This made him quite unique. I would venture to say that he was perhaps the only musician of The Old Guard who was an International Musician.
He was also unique in another respect. While working as a musician in West Germany the group had the opportunity to go on tour to Turkey. They decided to travel overland rather than by boat since traveling by sea would be expensive considering that they would be taking a VW Van and their musical instruments. This required them to apply for travel visas to cross Yugoslavia and Bulgaria (two communist countries) and the embassy explained the hazards of traveling thru communist countries. Gilbert experienced first hand the treatment American citizens received by communist regimes. On his return trip he was interrogated as an American spy.
While he was in Istanbul he played on the European side and the Asian side of that city and he was amazed at the differences between those two sections of that city. The modern westernization of the European side and the Nineteenth Century look of the Asian side. In the two and a half weeks that they spent there they played in The Goldfinger and Bonnie & Clyde on the European side of Istanbul and Club Rickshaw on the Asian side. Gas was very cheap there because it was about fifteen cents a gallon during that period. After these experiences Gilbert was glad to get back to West Germany where he continued to play in Europe. The Red Cross informed him to get in touch with his family because his mother was ill. He returned back home at the age of twenty-one. He was also saddened by the loss of Sixto Sanchez (whom he considered one his best friends) who died in a car accident while he was in Europe.
Gilbert once again resumed playing with The Broken Hearts until he was offered a chance to play with Alfonso Ramos which he accepted. He was twenty-three at the time. Once again he proved to be a work horse. While he was with Alfonso he played alto, tenor, and baritone sax, third trumpet, trombone, bass guitar and was also a vocalist. He also sat in with his brother, Ruben Ramos. He also recorded several singles and albums with Alfonso Ramos. Sadly, I can not write about those recordings because I don't know anything about them. He played for around eight years with Alfonso during his first tenure with him.
It was during the last year with Alfonso that he found Christ and became a Born Again Christian. With about half of Alfonso's band he formed a Gospel Group called "Born Again". They made recordings, played in various churches, Tent Revivals and Fellowships before the band finally fell apart and everyone went their separate ways.
Gilbert once again returned to secular music and began playing with a group called The Flames out of Kyle for about a year when Leonard Davila invited him to join Street People where he played bass and was on vocals with them. For the next four and a half years Gilbert would be playing Tejano, Disco and Country Music with Street People. Street People recorded several "hits" and toured through several states here in the U.S. where they were quite popular and even were the opening band for James Brown at the Fort Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.
After Street People, Gilbert went on to play with "Los Vientos" where he again re-united with another Ex-Broken Hearts band member. It was his brother, Joe Gonzales, Jr. along with Pablo Gonzales, Jr., Ruben "Tomato" Gonzales and Eli Jimenez which formed "Los Vientos". For the next six years Gilbert would play at weddings, Anniversaries, Quincenieras, and Birthday Parties with "Los Vientos".
The next band that Gilbert was involved with was a local group named "Phase 5". Due to the uniqueness of their name a local club once billed them as "Face 5" (Las Cinco Caras). Sadly, this band's existence was short-lived and Gilbert moved on to play with the "Pavo Band" which consisted of former members of "Los Vientos" and "The Broken Hearts". Within "Pavo Band",Gilbert considered Frank Rodriguez one of the best keyboard players he ever played with. Frank was a former member of "Question Mark and the Mysterians" and was one of the recording musicians in the song, "96 Tears" which turned out to be a big hit. At any rate, Frank later re-joined his former group. Pavo Band was a very popular local group but after seven years with them Gilbert re-joined Alfonso Ramos and played with him for about three years.
It was at this point in his life that Gilbert tired of the constant traveling, drugs, bars, the deterioration of his health, marriage and life that through The Lord, Gilbert finally turned to God to make sense out of the shambles that his life had become.
Around sixteen years ago The Lord led him to a Gospel Church named "The Good News Fellowship" where he began playing the bass and guitar. About six years ago with the help of The Lord Gilbert learned to play the piano within a month. He utilizes this talent to play the piano at Nursing Homes, Christmas Parties, and family reunions.
Last year, The Lord led him to "Amazing Grace Baptist Church" in Seguin, Texas where he plays the piano and sings for them on a monthly basis. He is grateful that he gets to use their beautiful grand piano and that the church band backs him up while he is performing these songs. He has plans on obtaining an alto sax and becoming a regular member of their band. It is his belief that God ultimately gave him his musical talent to follow and witness for The Lord.
Gilbert fully acknowledges that even though he is a Born Again Christian, he still stubbles and falls at times. However, it is at those times that he looks to The Lord to pick him up and guide him on the right path. He is still open to playing secular music and would consider this option but he would also use the opportunity to witness for Christ in the hopes of leading others to The Lord. For the most part, his musical talents are reserved for praise and glory to Christ in thanks for the many blessings he has received through Him.
Thus far, Gilbert has survived two heart attacks, three strokes, and five car turnovers but The Lord's plans for him on this earth are not yet finished but he is ready for Him whenever He calls him to his side. May God's Will be done.
I have tried to tell Gilbert Gonzales' story to the best of my ability. I personally apologize to him for any misinformation I may have written in this account because such was not my intention. If this was the case it was out of ignorance of the facts and not because of any other reason. The Broken Hearts were among the "Pioneers" of "The Old Guard" which is the forerunner of "Tejano Music". "The Old Guard" is a much misunderstood facet of "Tejano Music". They were mostly composed of Hispanic Musicians but they were "Rock-N-Rollers" who could and did play "Mexican Music" and not "Mexican Musicians" who could play other genres of music. That is more the definition of "Chicano Musicians". The confusion is there because "The Old Guard" evolved into "Chicano Music". i can not say that Gilbert was the only "Old Guarder" to become an international musician. I simply do not know enough about members of other "Old Guard Bands" to say that. But I can say that if he was not the only one, he was certainly one of the few. I can also say that not all of "The Old Guarders" evolved into "Chicano Musicians". Many went on to perform as musicians in Country, Blues, Rock and Jazz or in a mixture of these genres. Gilbert's story is unique in that it tells the story of a multi-talented musician in several musical instruments, vocalist, arranger, and able to play in several genres of music. Gilbert Gonzalez was and is a definite plus in whatever group he is a part of and he has certainly led an interesting life. May his music be heard and his life blessed by all that is good and true.
Gilbert Gonzales is also a member of the National Hispanic Music Hall of Fame inducted February 01, 1991 in El Paso, Texas and the Tejano Roots Music Hall of Fame inducted January 05, 2013 in Alice, Texas.----Chepe Ramirez
