Chak de India! I am rooting for India all the way. Next match is against South Africa, I think.
[Photos found on The Hindu and The Guardian news outlets, respectively]
Reflections Before Bedtime #8 (Edición en Español)
Mi respuesta viene pronto.
No dejes de soñar.
Love Shoutout: La Familia
By: Gabriela Yareliz
A snippet of me being with the people I love the most, my family. This one goes out to the people who make my eyes sparkle; the people God has gifted to me as my home. We are the best team. We are overcomers, comedians, and we walk each day together. I am so grateful for that. May we always be the amazing friends we are because no matter the distance, (we talk a zillion times a day) we are united (and on speakerphone), always. As I get closer to graduation, I recognize every day that I wouldn’t be here without God and without your support and faith in my dreams. I love you guys.
And let’s not forget Bunny…
Tous #TenderStories
This ad stole my heart. Adorable.
Losing David Carr
By: Gabriela Yareliz
One of my favorite journalists, New York Times Columnist David Carr, passed away today. He was 58. He was always so raw, outspoken and provocative; I couldn’t help but fall under his spell while studying journalism. It is always a tragic loss when you lose someone unafraid to stand for truth and unafraid to hold others accountable. He was a religious man who escaped a past of cocaine addiction. He often showed he knew the meaning of grace.
I love the things his fingers wrote. His legacy remains.
My condolences and prayers go out to his family.
Remembering Thursday: February 12, 2015
By: Gabriela Yareliz
It really was a Goliath of a Wednesday. Life changes in an instant. Today, some walked in victory like David before Goliath; others sat innocently in a prison of life as Joseph once did before God fulfilled his dreams; others were in pain surrendering their greatest blessing in order to reap the greatest reward like Abraham; some of us laughed like Sarah when God promised to do the impossible for us; some brought life into the lives of others as did Elijah. Living is truly for the brave. It’s a challenge to live honorably; to live with a standard that is elevated above ourselves.
Despite the craziness of life, God never forsakes. His sovereignty is constant; His intentions good, beyond all we ask or think.
Remember that.
When you look around and maybe feel like you don’t have what you expected you would have by now, or you compare– remember the dreams that have brought you to where you are. Remember you are a fighter. Remember God is taking you places. Remember that.
When you aren’t exactly “normal” in the eyes of others, remind yourself that God wants you to be extraordinary and different. Remember that.
When all else fails, remember that God is love, and love never fails. Remember that.
Live life acknowledging that God does not lie. Live life not looking at what man can do, but instead live looking at what God can do (without any of your help).
Love is patient, and it’s waiting for us. Let’s remember that.
“In fact, God shows much more of Himself
to some people than to others – not because
He has favourites, but because it is impossible
for Him to show Himself to a man whose
whole mind and character are in the wrong condition.
Just as sunlight, though it has no favourites,
cannot be reflected in a dusty mirror
as clearly as a clean one.”C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
“Never run from a dream; it was put in your mind for a reason.”William Chapman
I am celebrating my journey through 2 Kings! Ninety-day Bible Challenge (day 25).
“And then her heart changed, or at least she understood it; and the winter passed, and the sun shone upon her.”J. R. R. Tolkien
“When you really matter to someone, that person will always make time for you…No excuses, no lies.” Unknown
Remember.
[Images from Tumblr]
Wednesday Musings: February 11, 2015
By: Gabriela Yareliz
Hello fellow survivors of this world. I hope your week is going splendidly. This week, I have been so impressed with how God orchestrates paths to cross for people to help each other. It’s weird how in a person’s most desperate time, he or she might stumble upon another who wants to walk alongside them. I am seeing this in the professional sense, but truly, it happens in every aspect of life. We just need to catch it when it smiles upon us, offering us hope instead of despair.
Here in NYC, we are like little ants, keeping busy in our ant piles, waiting for spring. The longing is there, but the groundhog has declared 6 more weeks of winter. I only believe the groundhog when he says spring will come soon. Now, he is just mean.
Anyway, I digress. Job applications are being filled out in daily doses, like vitamins. Life continues. I am painfully self-aware, growing, weeding, making mistakes, accepting grace, and once in a while, I am stopping to admire the garden. It’s tough. Gardening makes your hands dirty. It makes your hands bleed. But, when all is said and done, you end up with fruit and a bloom that graces those around it.
Why do we subject ourselves to other’s standards? I have realized I need to make a more conscious effort to allow only God’s opinion to count. Everyone else has plenty to say, but they are not the standard.
Life is full of surprises. This week, I learned that life can vindicate you in sweet ways, without you even trying. It’s a curious thing.
I hope that this week, you continue to be inspired by the dreams that make your heart soar. It’s good to remember what has brought you thus far. Never stop dreaming. Never stop growing. Never stop trusting God’s plan for your life.
I am off to catch some sleep. But when I awaken, I plan to be right there beside you, conquering this Goliath of a Wednesday.
“A pretty sight, a lady with a book.” Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in a Castle
“Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.” Maya Angelou
[Images from Tumblr]
Condolences to Kayla Mueller’s Family
This post is to honor Kayla Mueller’s extraordinary life. Ms. Mueller was a bright American aid worker who was held hostage and killed by ISIS.
She wrote a letter to her family that said:
“Just the thought of you sends me into fits of tears; all in all in the end the only one you really have is God.”
According to CNN, she also wrote:
“I am not breaking down + I will not give in no matter how long it takes.”
CNN wrote:
“The message […] showed that even in prison, Mueller continued to be free. Others held captive with her told her family and friends Mueller stood on her head as prisoners tried to exercise in a small space. And she tried to teach the guards to make crafts, showing them how to make origami peace cranes.”
She was and remains a light in a dark world.
Mueller family, you are in my prayers.
[CNN article is linked]
Mejor Momento de Los Goya 2015
Felicidades a Dani Rovira y Clara Lago. ¡Enhorabuena!
Zidane
“I once cried because I had no shoes to play football with my friends, but one day I saw a man who had no feet, and I realized how rich I am.” Zinedine Zidane
GABRIELA YARELIZ 