A Middlemarch Summer

By: Gabriela Yareliz There she was on the train, staring into her copy of Middlemarch by George Eliot. I like Middlemarch. I even read my favorite New Yorker writer’s book that pulls themes from it, Rebecca Mead’s My Life in Middlemarch. Virginia Woolf (one of my all time favorites) said that Middlemarch is “one ofContinue reading “A Middlemarch Summer”

The Emergence of Joy

“Happiness requires that you find meaning – and meaning comes from suffering.” Arthur Brooks By: Gabriela Yareliz SamySam on Instagram has an infectious energy I admire. He stands there and hollers his signature, “Life is goooooood,” and then, does a little dance. I just want to bottle that energy up and keep it in myContinue reading “The Emergence of Joy”

The Overwhelming Theme

“The overwhelming theme in the Old Testament is not that God is a god of wrath, but that God is a god of love, and that we keep making horrible choices. I think sometimes we think that love is the equivalent of acceptance of action. God always loves us without condition. He does not acceptContinue reading “The Overwhelming Theme”

Atomic Age

By: Gabriela Yareliz We always live in a time that is a consequence to previous times and actions, and the present day actions will have consequences of their own, too. As we all wait to see what comes next, I was reminded of C.S. Lewis’ powerful words about living in the atomic age: “If weContinue reading “Atomic Age”

Florida Forever

By: Gabriela Yareliz The Florida Panthers are back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. I told you guys, they are undeniable. One of the TNT commentators (I think it was Lundqvist) said this team is a masterclass in teamwork and the game of hockey. They are. This team is fierce. Their coach— iconic. Underlying everything is their belief.Continue reading “Florida Forever”

Forecasting

By: Gabriela Yareliz Last night at church, Erwin McManus reminded us of something powerful— our hope and anticipation for the future is tied to whether we believe God is good. Erwin walked us through Ezra, where the people of Israel laid the foundation for the new temple (the temple known as the inferior temple. Ironically,Continue reading “Forecasting”

Only the Brave

By: Gabriela Yareliz I loved this message from Erwin McManus. It was a powerful reminder of the call to courage, and the role our measure of courage plays in laying hold of the life God can help us achieve. The interesting thing is courage is a decision. It is up to us. The message isContinue reading “Only the Brave”

The Real Real

By: Gabriela Yareliz I love to try things. I am a curious raccoon, if you will. There are types of supplements where I have tried them all. The language learning platforms— I have basically tried them all. Something else I have tried a bunch of are fitness platforms. I have talked about this in theContinue reading “The Real Real”