It was a chilly night, but I was blessed to be warm and wrapped up in sweaters and blankets. Yes. We are already there. I woke up to a sunny, 55-degree morning. I feel autumn in my bones. It’s Monday. Garfield hates Mondays–That is why Monday calls for EXTRA inspiration. We are trying to turn Mondays into Garfield’s favorite day…
I wanted to share some inspiration, from an awesome Twitter feed. It’s Anil Kanda’s Twitter feed. He has awesome messages and talks on Audio Verse. Below are some of my favorite posts he has written or reposted. I hope you are just as inspired by them as I was.
“‘If it’s God’s will, it’s Gods bill’ -unknown source but good stuff still!”
“Those who take Christ at His word, & surrender their souls to His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace & quietude. – DA 331”
“My worry isn’t society’s growing evil, it’s that the church won’t repel it. Right now, world shapes church but should be other way around.”
“The life of Jesus is a guarantee of who God really is…”
“‘If weak in prayer, we are weak everywhere.’ — Leonard Ravenhill #prayer“
“‘At the cross of Calvary, the worst of man met the best of God.'” Andy Bannister retweet
“Caleb did not ask for himself a land already conquered, but the place which above all others the spies had thought it impossible to subdue”
“Looking good and feeling good have replaced doing good and being good. Many no longer know the difference.” Nabeel Qureshi retweet
“God speaks to His people in blessings bestowed & when these are not appreciated, He speaks to them in blessings removed” PP 470
“Moses after communing with God, had a divine light about his face. The more quality communion with God, the greater our light will shine.”
“‘The path where God leads may lie through the desert or the sea, but it is a safe path.’ {EP 199.1} …And really is the most beneficial!”
“God teaches us two things. Be fiercely intelligent and fiercely love…yup.”
“Honorable men cry out to God until curses are broken and a grander purpose is achieved” Mansfield
“Heavenly opportunities have another name on earth. We call it ‘inconvenience’…”
“Grace, like water, always flows downward, to the lowest place.” — Philip Yancey (Andy Bannister retweet)
“Because Jesus lives, the sinner has hope…always.”
“New definition of Sin. Sin is all that which takes you away from Life and robs you of an eternal relationship with God.”
“You can have good without evil..but you can’t have evil without good.” Frank Turek
“Jesus wants to destroy sin because sin destroys you. He hates it because it hurts His children. That’s the primary reason-plain and simple.”
“We have only one perfect photograph of God, and this is Jesus Christ” (M70, 1899)
One of my favorite things to do in New York is visit churches. Many of them are old and filled with exquisite beauty and detail. This post is about how I recently found one of my favorite churches in the city.
I was walking the Highline Park some weeks ago, and I decided to get off in the Chelsea area. I figured I hadn’t walked through those quadrants by those avenues, and the architecture was intriguing. I was walking around 20th St., by Ninth and Tenth Avenue in Manhattan, when I ran into a gate enclosing a world from 1817. Its motto: “Thy Word is Truth”.
Belongs to Gabriela Yareliz
The buildings reminded me of a castle or the old British colleges I spent hours looking at online in high school. It was like finding Narnia + another century + another country. These photos are from the exact day when I walked past the gate. I almost smushed my face into the gate bars, trying to get a better view. People were moving into the place. I then noticed the sign that said it was a seminary school. Of course, I thought. I knew there had to be a chapel in there somewhere.
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I stood at the gate for as long as I could without looking suspect. I kept walking to see if there was an entrance, and I found nothing. Still, I walked home with a gigantic smile plastered on my face.
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I walked home through the NYC I have come to know filled with taxis, tourists, students with strange haircuts–you name it. As I walked home, I knew I needed to see the seminary inside. It was going to happen.
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The seminary stayed on my mind. I wanted in. I was in the fluorescent law school building taking a break, and I Googled the seminary. I found it on Yelp. Weird, I thought. It said there were gardens inside and that it was open to visitors. I got heart palpitations. I would be able to see it inside and not look like a freak because I was honestly considering just calling the place and begging the administration for a tour. So I worked my butt off and drank Kale juice for energy through the torment of doing double assignments to free the following afternoon. I went the next day.
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The next day was glorious; sweater weather that felt like early spring. The sun was bright, but I was brighter. I was walking down another street this time because it turns out you can enter the seminary through a street that is north of where I had been before.
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When I arrived, a kind Latina greeted me at the reception. She took my ID and gave me a visitor pass. I assume they take ID to make sure you exit the place; so weirdlings like myself don’t stay and sleep on the green grass courtyard.
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I walked past the dormitories, a tiny playground and a BBQ grill surrounded by cute tables and chairs. I looked up and down and around; examining every building and open window. The place was lovely. It was old world, for sure.
I imagined the buildings when they were new in the 1800s and the people that must have lived in them. I wondered what struggles the people might’ve had, and whether they sat on the same steps reading their Bibles and wondering what God’s plan was for their lives.
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When I started walking toward the gardens, I started to see some of what I had seen through the gate. There was green grass everywhere. It was marvelous. Grass you could sleep on. Grass that was soft and without noticeable ant piles (can you tell I am from Florida?).
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Then, I saw the church. I sat on a bench in front of it to enjoy the view. This was another world tucked into a corner of Manhattan. I then walked in through the grand front doors into the empty sanctuary.
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It was unique from the others I had seen. It was well lit and not dim and mysterious.
A verse I really love in the Bible, where God describes Himself, is Revelation 22:13: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” When you walk into the church, the stain glass window shows Jesus in many stages of His ministry and life, if I remember correctly, and at the top, He sits on a throne as King. On both sides of the window are the symbols for Alpha and Omega. This moved me deeply. It was a profound, artistic detail I had never seen before.
Check out the photos below of the seminary campus:
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I have a great love for churches, and it’s not so much about the building, but it’s about what the beauty inside inspires. Having the opportunity to be at the seminary was lovely, and I wanted to share my photos with you all so you could see the old beauty and inspiring art. More than that, we live in a day and age when people are skeptical of religion. People think of religion as something shallow and delusional.
I think of religion as seeing God’s hand in my life every day. I see how He orchestrates the details of my life like the artist that must have organized and planned each incredible detail one can find in a church building. I think of peace and stillness. I have seen God’s hand in my life in a powerful way, dramatic and beautiful way.
This chapel, with its many symbols, reminded me that: God is the beginning and the end. He is merciful and mighty to save me from myself. And more than anything, He is not a distant God that watches me from a distance; He is not a God I need to pacify or try to please out of fear. Instead, He is a God that has blessed me so abundantly and has shown me His unfailing love, no matter what I have done. He is a God that is constantly drawing as near to me as I allow Him to be. He walks with me. He guides me. He is that strong hand that lifts me when I fall. He is king.
In an old church, I love to look at the windows. I love looking at stained glass. Each window tells a story. And as many of you know, I love a good story. Each window’s story reminds me of the miracles and the walk my God walks and lives. Each window reminds me that the powerful God I see has not changed. He is my God, and I am His child.
In the stillness, in the peace, in the conversation, in the beauty and in the light, I see His faithfulness through and through, and I know that with God, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. (Mark 10:27)
I was walking through the village, and I saw a little brown leaf falling in front of me (I looked up and smiled). This year, I have promised myself that I will go to a park and enjoy the leaves when they are in all of their fall glory. My timing is always wrong. I go before the leaves turn or when the leaves are decomposing on the ground. This year, I plan to catch them before they fall. As someone who loves language, I have a weakness for idioms and random expressions. I love to learn about them. Idioms can be profound in many ways, and they can reveal a lot about history and human nature. This post is not a profound look at anything. Just a simple reflection.
I thought it would be fun to look at expressions that use “fall”. Some will be positive, some negative– some depend on how you look at them. Is falling always a bad thing? Not necessarily. In my opinion, some of our most powerful moments are when we fall to our knees to pray.
Stay with me here– I know this is random, but I have a proposition: Let’s fall into this together. Think about how each idiom relates to your life. And enjoy the splendor of the season.
In life, we can fall head over heels for a lot of things. The idiom can describe a scary crash into something (head first), or it can define a fast enamoring. It usually refers to some kind of whirlwind that we (may) come to regret later. I feel that in this day and age, we usually fall head over heels for things: dresses, shoes, makeup or something we want to attain. This phrase is usually associated with the sentiment that we are completely lost and powerless, following our hearts, and not logic.
Throwing all caution to the wind is dangerous, yet even after many disappointments in life, we can’t make decisions based on fear. It is important to always remember that in life we have a choice, and we are responsible for our choices.
Sometimes, life’s magic happens fast, and we find ourselves on the ground head first with our heels over our heads. Falling head over heels is a risk, but a key characteristic about risk takers is they have HOPE.
2] FALL INTO PLACE
“if something that happens makes everything fall into place, it makes you understand something that you did not understand before.”
Things may not end up being perfect in life, however, through the passage of time, even if we do not understand everything in the end, we learn to understand things a bit more than we did when they occurred. That is called personal reflection, right? I think this can only happen when we stop for a minute and examine our lives; the past, the present, the future. If we are constantly preoccupied and busy, it’s hard to see how things fall into place if we never stop to look.
Life can be bumpy like a road; but through the rattles, shakes and bumps, things do fall into place, and we can be confident as we look at the present and future that things will fall into place just as they did in the past.
3] FALL INTO HANDS
“tobecaughtorcontrolledbysomeone.”
In life, we allow too many things to control us. People’s perceptions and opinions, technology, caffeine, drugs, the desire to belong, expectations…
Free yourself, if you wish.
4] FALL APART (AT THE SEAMS)
“to stop working or fail completely.”
Some of us do this everyday (especially those of us who are students or those who work in high-pressure jobs). Keep the seams tight, and don’t unravel. A bag that falls apart at the seams cannot carry or hold the good things placed within it.
5] FALL IN LOVE
“tobecomeenamoredofsomething or someone.”
Always be willing to love again. Four of the best elements of life (according to me) are: laughter, wonder, love and hope. Allow things to take your breath away.
6] FALL UNDER SPELL
“tobefascinatedbysomeone;tobeenchantedbysomeone.”
I associate enchantment with the desire to know more. Being curious makes you seek out simple enchanting details in life, like solving a mystery. Some of the most memorable people in life are those who inspire our curiosity; those who have that je ne sais quoi.
7] FALL ON KNEES
“to kneel down, usually in respect.”
As with idioms, things aren’t always what they seem. Often, we are most powerful when we are kneeing in prayer. Because when we are weak, He is strong.
When we fall on our knees, we must have faith and know that He is, and He rewards those who diligently seek Him. We must also have faith that He is owner of all and can do all things, even what for us is impossible. Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Faith will sometimes hold hands with patience. In that time of wait, we grow and demonstrate our belief in what is to come.
Faith is believing in what we do not see, and the reward of faith is seeing what we believed in. Faith is believing that God does not lie.
Falling off the radar can be good for us. Attention is taken off of ourselves and placed on something or someone else. We can forget appearances and see ourselves as we really are, without the many hats we wear that try to define us. Being alone is important. Knowing who you are and being comfortable with yourself teaches you to depend on God in a different way. Don’t be afraid to disconnect once in a while (but always answer the phone when you mom calls–don’t make people worry).
9] FALL INTO LINE
“to do something similar.”
Each day, we seem to fall into line with all who surround us. Like the busy streets of a city show masses walking in the same direction. Falling into line can be good; falling into line can be bad. It can mean we have company as we walk, or it can sweep us away to some random place. Whatever we do, we must be mindful, and be very present wherever we are.
While each day may be entrenched with routine, we should still make every day count.
10] FALL ON DEAF EARS
“tobeignoredbythepersonstheywereintendedfor.“
When someone gives us advice or hope, let it not fall on deaf ears. Listen. Listening can change the world. Is there something or someone you’ve been ignoring lately?
[Images from Tumblr]
[Sorry for the typos–my brain is fried. I blame school.]
“I have spent my entire life studying the human body, and I can say with scientific certainty that what keeps us alive, more important than blood or oxygen or even love–is hope.” Dr. Henry Morgan, Forever
[We shall keep rowing forward.]
By: Gabriela Yareliz
Have you found yourself dreading the upcoming week? I did. It’s only Sunday. I know. Bad. Let’s change that.
When you look into the week’s horizon, it’s blurred with deadlines, work, long sleep-deprived days and nights; so instead of looking into the distance in front of you, look at the clear present. I remember driving through country roads on foggy nights. Sometimes, my headlights couldn’t cut through the fog, but where the car was, in that moment, was not foggy. It might have been enveloped by fog, but it was also enveloped by the soft glow of light. The present; where we stand now. We need to embrace those things that keep us alive and happy. So turn your headlights on!
Here are some things to remember as you begin to work hard and prep for the new week.
1] Hope–let it fill every single one of your minutes. Hope is a powerful thing. I mean, they say that someone who goes into a medical procedure with the will to fight and live has a better outcome (usually) than someone who is resigned. Hope has power to change our realities.
Wake up with it. Go to bed with it. Cling to it, always.
2] Own what you are, even if you aren’t what your head says is ideal– is you hair in a weird awkward grow-out stage (Just me guys?)? Bad acne? As shallow as these things are, we all allow little things to affect our moods. Why do we often allow what is on the outside to determine how we feel on the inside? Shouldn’t we allow the outside to shine based on who we are on the inside?
You look marvelous, darling!
3] Thank God for everything– someday we may see why it all happened the way it did; and if we don’t, we can trust in Him knowing it was what was best. For our perspective is a drop in a sea of eternity.
I hope you navigate through a successful week. Drive carefully (wink).
I remember one particular afternoon, where I was sitting in my high school adviser’s office. My high school adviser was and is a friend; someone I would talk to about concerns and life in general– not just school stuff. I was sitting back in a chair chewing on a candy from his glass jar and complaining about what we were working on in English.
“It’s poetry. I don’t know much about these British poets, and I have to write a poem. I don’t even know what I am doing,” I whined.
He turned from his computer, I see it now in my head, and he looked pensive.
“That is great,” he said at first. “I am sure you will write something interesting.”
I made a face.
“You can’t be good at everything you know. This is new. You are learning. It will be fine,” he said to me.
Those words have always stayed with me.
In the end, I fell in love with the poetry unit. However, there are many things in life I have faced that are new that I did not become great at.
After that moment, I know that one of the things that most makes me uncomfortable is getting slapped in life with something I don’t know how to do. It’s easy to be comfortable and good at something you know a lot about. When it’s something brand new, it’s a challenge.
Beginnings are difficult. Always. As much as I abhor being clueless–in my field, there is a lot of being clueless and learning involved. I face the unknown, every day. It’s impossible for someone to have all the laws and possibilities stuffed in his or her sleep-deprived, tingly brain. I suppose law school has taught me a lot of humility– or humiliation. Depends on how you look at it.
A new semester has begun. I don’t know how many of you started a new semester or employment at a new place. I guess this applies to new jobs, moving to a new place, new circumstances, divorce, death, meeting new people and anything that takes you out of your comfort zone or known world.
Learning and growing can be embarrassing, awkward and painful. I sound like one of those Welcome to Puberty pamphlets they give you in jr. high health class with a stick of deodorant that will probably give you a rash you’ll never forget.This new semester has been tough on me. I claim no expertise. But as I live a little, I learn a little. Usually, I learn the most about myself.
Some things I have tried to learn is as painful as beginnings are, they pass. Things get better, you learn, and you also become more patient with yourself. You may never get to a state where you feel you have a handle on everything, but you learn to deal.
When I was in jr. high and dealing with my family suddenly breaking and my “perfect” world was shattering, two of my favorite books were Someone Like You and That Summer by Sarah Dessen, and the movie based on the books called How to Deal, starring Mandy Moore.
The movie begins saying: “Sometimes life is so perfect. Isn’t it? It has to be, to make up for all the hard stuff it throws your way. You have to learn to walk; you have to learn to talk; you have to wear that totally ridiculous hat your grandma bought you. You have no say in the matter. And when you are a little older, even though you get to choose your hats, you don’t get to choose what they put in those meatballs at the cafeteria, or when to fall in love. Things happen, and you just have to deal.” -Halley Martin
When you are faced with work and tasks that are new, frustrating and unknown… keep these things in mind:
1] Prayer Is The Most Potent Instrument
Prayer is not an old woman’s idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.-Gandhi
Prayer can get you through anything. Again, life and situations take patience, but wisdom and peace can be acquired in the process through prayer. Prayer changes things. Prayer answers things. Prayer changes us.
2] Do Something you Love
Going through initial struggles of learning and trial and error are easier when you are driven by something you are passionate about.
3] Do Something For Another Person
All is worth it when you can make someone else’s life better.
4] Choose Joy
It won’t always be easy. Sometimes the struggle is really real. And even still, we have to decide to be happy. No matter how many trials, how much embarrassment or how much pain our personal growth brings, find joy in small and big things.
5] Do Good
6] See Possibilities and Have Hope, Despite of What You See
Instead of looking at what is in front of you, look up.
7] Make Learning an Adventure
8] Decide What Kind of a Person You Will Be
9] Look Good and Make Time For Breaks
10] Always Look Again
11] Know What You Are Building
12] Be Conscious of How You Feel
Life can be surprising and unexpected. No matter what it throws at us, there are small miracles twinkling around us waiting to be noticed. We can’t let life just happen to us. Instead, we need to decide and learn how we are going to deal.
I had to drink three cups of water to get one horse-pill multi-vitamin down;
today will be a long day filled with classes–
the struggle is real.
After waking up early and getting some stuff done, I thought, I can go to bed and sleep for ten minutes. Yeah, right. First of all, I did not even have ten minutes to sleep because ten minutes becomes 30 minutes with me.
I still ignored the fact that there was no time, and I started to set my radio alarm clock. When I did that, one of my favorite songs was on. God works in mysterious ways. I waltzed around my room a couple times, and the nap faded into the forgotten. And so, this is how my day began. I woke up, read my Bible, did classwork and stayed on a roll. Today, I will stay awake until night (as any normal person would; I don’t consider law students normal. I consider them extra-exhausted.), and I will live this day, straight through, from dawn to dark.
Still, life is filled with many blessings. Despite the work and exhaustion, there are great rewards looming in the future and great rewards each day. They say that gratefulness turns what we have into enough. So on days when the struggle is real, it’s time to bust out some inspiration. It’s a different type of daily vitamin. One that is easier to swallow.
[In between childhood and old age, there is a marvelous instant called life. It’s up to us to enjoy it.]
[Images from Tumblr]
This song reminds me of William Wilberforce’s friendship with John Newton, and how they would always encourage each other by talking about God’s grace. Wilberforce is one of my biggest inspirations, and this song always touches my heart.
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GABRIELA YARELIZ 