Khoshbin Quotes

Compiled by: Gabriela Yareliz

I find a lot of inspiration in the Khoshbins. Manny Khoshbin never fails to remind all who look at his success where he came from, and he continues to give back. He is all about positivity, faith and perseverance. He always reminds me that life is about the things that can’t be taken away from us and that seeds of hard work, sacrifice and faith allow the reaping of great rewards.

I leave you with Manny Khoshbin:

Never give up.

[Quotes from @MannyKhoshbin]

Monday Inspiration: January 12, 2015

“She quietly expected great things to happen to her, and no doubt that’s one of the reasons why they did.”
Zelda Fitzgerald

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Happy Monday! Not much light is coming in through the sky lights today; it is dark, cloudy and rainy with a soundtrack of thunder. On Friday, I attended a very inspiring memorial service for a young woman I never met. The way people spoke about her was lovely. She touched so many peoples’ lives. It certainly made one reflect on how one lives life, how fleeting life is, how unnatural death is, and everything one person can leave behind.

Several close church friends are moving to California, which has also been a lot to take in. Lots of changes. I finished the Jane Hawking book. By the end of it, I just wanted to weep. I started reading Nick Vujicic’s book about meeting his wife, Kanae Vujicic. It is interesting to read two love stories involving people with what many would call a rare disability. Both men, while having a condition, have chosen to live so differently. Stephen Hawking and Nick Vujicic couldn’t be more different in the way they approached life. It was Stephen Hawking’s birthday not long ago, and I find it ironic that the fact that he has lived as long as he has lived defies all science and expectation. Compassion, which he despises and sees as pity and a religious sentiment, is one of the reasons he is who he is today. He is a miracle.

Anyway, perhaps I will write up my thoughts about The Theory of Everything in another post. For some reason, the desire to see the inconsistent and romanticized film has faded. I have had enough of Stephen Hawking.

I am currently hiding out with my dog because of the thunderstorm. It is definitely a knee sock and blanket day. When I don’t wear makeup and I catch my reflection somewhere, it somehow takes me back to former years. There are little parts of us that remain the same forever. Have you ever caught one of your own expressions, and it reminds you of your face when you were a kid? Sometimes, I feel exactly the same, timeless, ageless, whatever.

I am off to juice, console this doggy friend and keep reading Love Without Limits by the Vujicic family. A love story between two positive, sacrificing, wise and faith-filled people is so beautiful. While the Hawking “romance” (if one can even call it that) fills any chest with tightness and dread, the Vujicic story fills a heart with joy and hope.

This week, don’t underestimate the power a positive outlook and faith can have on your life. Don’t ever forget you have choices, and your choices determine what will come next; they really do.

[Images from Tumblr]

Friday Glee: January 9, 2015

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Happy Friday! It has been a good week. I got a wedding invitation from a good friend (so exciting), I am 3/4 through Travelling to Infinity by Jane Hawking, and I fixed my last academic schedule. I hope you had a great week. Many started work and classes this week. The busy routines begin, but Friday has come to rescue us from the grind.

“I want you to stop running from thing to thing to thing, and to sit down at the table, to offer the people you love something humble and nourishing, like soup and bread, like a story, like a hand holding another hand while you pray. We live in a world that values us for how fast we go, for how much we accomplish, for how much life we can pack into one day. But I’m coming to believe it’s in the in-between spaces that our lives change, and that the real beauty lies there.”
Shauna Niequist

“Every majestic oak tree was once a nut who stood his ground.”
Proverb, Unknown Origins

“The best project you’ll ever work on is you.”
Sonny Franco

“There’s a lot I’m dreaming about for 2015, but one thing I know: whatever I do, I want to do it with the people, near & far, who’ve shaped my path to this point. Friendship is God’s greatest evidence of himself here on earth.”
Shauna Niequist

[Images from Tumblr and Webstagram]

Tanto Que Decir

Por Gabriela Yareliz

Cielo azul con borde amarillo.
El sol se va
y se busca un espejo.
La luna se viste de dorado,
y nos manda recuerdos en cada rayo.

Cada día, el cielo nos cuenta una historia;
Con sus partes tormentosas,
y sus partes de calor.
Las estrellas, las pestañas de una mirada que no sera olvidada.

Cada mañana, la luz nos besa con su promesa de lo eterno.
Lo eterno nos deja sin palabras y con dueño.

[Foto de Aida Artiles]

Monday Inspiration: January 5, 2015

Hello all,
I hope you are having a wonderful 2015. Tomorrow is the traditional Three Kings Day (Dia de Reyes), called Epiphany, by some. Children remember the Men of the East’s journey to Bethlehem by putting out boxes filled with straw for their camels. In the morning, the children receive gifts. This tradition came to much of Latin America from Spain.

The wise men were philosophers who studied scriptures, and they had studied the prophecies leading up to the coming of the Messiah (see prophet Isaiah). They were men of “noble birth…who studied the indications of Providence in nature, and who were honored for their integrity and wisdom.” (The Desire of Ages, pg. 59).

“The wise men had seen a mysterious light in the heavens upon that night when the glory of God flooded the hills of Bethlehem…a luminous star appeared, and lingered in the sky. They were impressed that the star was of special import to them. They consulted priests and philosophers, and searched the scrolls of the ancient records.” (The Desire of Ages, pg.60).

The journey was long. They could only travel to their unknown destination by night because they needed to keep the star in view as a guide. “The travelers beguiled the hours by repeating traditional sayings and prophetic utterances concerning the One they sought. At every pause for rest, they searched the prophecies; and the conviction deepened that they were divinely guided. While they had the star before them as an outward sign, they also had the inward evidence of the Holy Spirit, which was impressing their hearts, and inspiring them with hope.” (The Desire of Ages, pg. 60).

Many at that time had interpreted the prophecies in a way that was convenient to their desires, and had closed out truth through pride, envy and comfort.

However, those seeking in humility and wisdom found what had filled their hearts with wonder. Today, what is the outward sign pointing you to something higher? And what is the conviction in your heart as you seek?

More importantly, are you seeking?

Intelligent men are seekers. And wise men still seek Him.

“I’ve noticed something about people who make a difference in the world: They hold the unshakable conviction that individuals are extremely important, that every life matters. They get excited over one smile. They are willing to feed one stomach, educate one mind, and treat one wound. They aren’t determined to revolutionize the world all at once; they’re satisfied with small changes. Over time, though, the small changes add up. Sometimes they even transform cities and nations, and yes, the world.”
Beth Clark, Kisses from Katie

“Life is a lot tougher than school, my dears.” Mr. Feeny

The wise men said, “We have seen His star,” have you?

[Images from Tumblr]