Sunday Girl: May 8, 2016

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Excerpt from a letter to friends:

My greatest prayer is:

“[T]hat the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might.” Ephesians 1:17-19

May we focus on the IMMEASURABLE greatness of His power toward us who believe. That is you and me. May we see His hand work mightily on our behalf– always.

[Image from PositivelyGlamourous.com]

25

By: Gabriela Yareliz

25 Things at 25

1. Christian
2. Daughter
3. Sister
4. Friend
5. Advocate
6. Writer
7. Explorer
8. Photographer
9. Scholar
10. Polyglot
11. Doctor
12. Boxer
13. Shah
14. Walker
15. Blogger
16. Fairy Godmother
17. Eyelash Aficionada
18. Leader
19. Radio Junkie
20. Magazine Collector
21. Reporter
22. Bindaas
23. Unintentional Comedian
24. Francophile
25. Bible Teacher

“First, say to yourself what you would be, then do what you have to do.”

Monday Inspiration: May 2, 2016

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By: Gabriela Yareliz

Hello my fellow warriors.

Monday is upon us. I hope you have an amazing start to your week. My weekend was lovely. It was a time of fellowship and laughter; of encouragement, family and love. It’s in moments like these that we experience strange types of healing. Something you can’t even point to– your heart just feels a little stronger, accepted, at peace.

And here we stand, brave as ever, to face a new week and a new month. May the Lord give us wisdom for all our endeavors and strength to submit and walk in His ways.

And as always, here is some encouragement for the path as we start on our way…

“The story isn’t over when the hero has faced their darkest moment, the story will continue and they will find a way to fight through the night. So it goes with you, the darkest times of the heart and mind are not the end of your tale. You have a whole world waiting for you to explore, be brave enough to conquer the hate that speaks lies to you. Rise up! You matter and your adventure matters because, in the end, you will see how great a story this all turns out to be. Just remember, the night only lasts for a little while, dawn is coming along with the beauty of spring.”

T.B. LaBerge // Your Story Matters

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“The blood of Jesus does not give you amnesia, but it does give you life beyond your past. I have to get to a place where I make what Jesus did for me greater than what anyone did to me.”
Christine Caine

“We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.”
Pema Chödrön

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“We touch other people’s lives simply by existing.” J.K. Rowling

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“Night air, good conversation, and a sky full of stars can heal almost any wound.”
(via deliciousdistractions)
Source: wordsnquotes.com

Have a beautiful and inspired Monday!

[Images from Tumblr]

Friday Glee: April 29, 2016

Thoughts from The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories, by Marina Keegan.

“What we have to remember is that we can still do anything. We can change our minds. We can start over. Get a post-bac or try writing for the first time. The notion that it’s too late to do anything is comical. It’s hilarious. We’re graduating from college. We’re so young. We can’t, we MUST not lose this sense of possibility because in the end, it’s all we have.”
“I will live for love, and the rest will take care of itself.”

I love that last quote. If that isn’t a life motto, I don’t know what is. Marina Keegan, a fantastic writer whose life was cut short. She is an inspiration. Her accomplishments and perspective invite me to dream. This weekend, I hope you dream. Remember, “we can still do anything.” -GY

End

By: Gabriela Yareliz

I keep being reminded that if I believe and have faith, I need to stop acting and behaving like this is the end or certain things are final. This is not it. The picture is bigger than this. In fact, I am just getting started. I am going to take back what is mine. Not because I earned it, but because He has promised.

/Came too far for my feet to fail me/ Pay For It – Jay Rock ft. Kendrick Lamar

*Edited for typos

Reflections Before Bedtime #84

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Excerpt from a letter to my mother earlier in the day:

I was on the train, and I brought my Bible. I opened it and began reading in the book of Jeremiah. This is a man whose life scares me the most because it’s evidence that life can be so much less than perfect, and it can still mean we are in the middle of God’s plan for us. I was reading in chapter 38, when Jeremiah is thrown into the cistern. It says he sank in the mud. At this point, it doesn’t take much for me to imagine how he felt. Even still, though, God sent an Ethiopian man to take Jeremiah out of the cistern. A lot happens after that. In the next chapter, Jerusalem falls and is taken, and all seems pretty hopeless. But that last thing I read today was that God promises Jeremiah, “I will deliver you on that day, declares the Lord, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid.” Jeremiah 39:17. And the next part says, and Jeremiah remained in Judah.

Earlier this morning, I had asked God to show me that He is with me. And what happened was that the most beautiful peach colored pigeon (I have never seen one like this), appeared and stood on the ledge of my window. It just sat there and stayed with me, looking at me through the window. I have never had a bird come up to my window at the office. Ever. It just sat there. I’ll take that as my sign. The bird stayed long enough to remind me, He is with me.

Furnace

“He can. But even if He chooses not to, He is still good. We will remain faithful.” Paraphrase of Daniel 3:17 and 18

“I know you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, I will speak; I will question you, and you will make known to me.'” Job 42: 2-4