India gang rape

By: Gabriela Yareliz
I just heard on NPR that the ring leader of the gang rape was found dead, he hung himself, in his jail cell.
This is infuriating. Weak. So weak. Way to take the easy way out.
India’s justice system needs to get it together.
Read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/world/asia/suspect-in-india-gang-rape-found-dead-in-jail.html?_r=0

This Week’s Picks: March 10, 2013

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Hey guys,
Here are fabulous thoughts to inspire your week.

1] Jueves, Thursday March 11, 2004
In Madrid 192 people died in the terrorist attacks.
This song was dedicated to those victims and it is one of my favorite songs by La Oreja de Van Gogh.

Remembering the victims of this tragedy in our hearts. It is a song that explains our humanity and what is most important to us. It personifies those on the train whose lives were ended.

Translation of lyrics:
If I were more beautiful
and a little more smart
if I were special,
if I were on a magazine
I would have the bravery
“to cross the coach”*
and ask you who you are

you sit in front of me
and you cannot imagine
that I wore my best skirt for you
and when I see you
giving a yawn to the glass
my pupils inundate

suddenly you look at me
I look at you and you sigh
I close my eyes and you avert my gaze
when I breathe I become so little
and I start to tremble

and this way days go by from Mondays to Fridays
as the swallows in the poem by Becquer
from station to station
when we are in front of each other
the silence comes between us
suddenly you look at me
I look at you and you sigh
I close my eyes and you avert my gaze
when I breathe I become so little
and I start to tremble

and this is what happens
my lips wake up
they pronounce your name stuttering
I guess you think “what a stupid girl”
and I would like to die

but time stops and you come closer
saying “I don’t know you yet
but I already miss you”
each morning I refuse
to get on the nonstop train
and I choose this train

and we are already arriving
my life has changed
this 11th march is a day so special
you take my hand
we arrive to a tunnel
that turn the light off
I caress your face with my hands
I become brave and kiss your lips
you say you love me and
I give to you the last puff of my heart

DEDICATED TO THE VICTIMS OF MARCH 11, 2004.

2] Soooo true.

3]

4]

5]
“It is time we recognize and embrace the supernatural power that Christ provides to equip us to live triumphant, victorious, valiant lives–lives that literally shock this world around us.” Leslie Ludy

6]
YOLO

7]

8]

Have a fabulous week!

Madame Figaro: Olga Kurylenko

Madame Figaro, Numero 21

By: Gabriela Yareliz
I was absolutely captivated by Olga Kurylenko’s photoshoot in March’s Madame Figaro. Wow. Magnifique. The photography is brilliant.

Madame Figaro, Numero 21

Behind this gorgeous face is a young woman who lived through the explosion in Chernobyl; who ate cereals when there was nothing else; who grew up with her mother and grandmother, seeing her father only once.

Despite now being a top-model, Bond girl and more, it is safe to say there is a story and sometimes a lot of suffering behind every face, even the beautiful ones.

She has risen above every obstacle and continues to fight her way to success. Her palace in Paris was well earned; and she rocks; she rules and she shows that with God’s providence, hard work and compassion you can go a long way.

She is a philanthropist who helps children in need in her native Ukraine.

Your wings

By: Gabriela Yareliz

This morning my mother shared with me a thought she heard in an Alejandro Bullon sermon:

When an eagle has baby eagles, she throws them from high heights. The baby falls and cannot do anything for itself. She swoops down and catches the baby birdling. She continues to throw them. Life is like this. It throws you from high heights and God allows you to fall, and when you are helpless He catches you. He continues to allow you to be thrown from great heights until you realize, you have your OWN wings and YOU CAN FLY.

He is always beside you, strengthening you and guiding you. If you place yourself in His hands, nothing can take away the purpose He has for your life. When things go wrong, God swoops in and transforms your situation. If you submit yourself to Him in this life which is like a chess game between God and the forces of evil, God will always have the last move, the last laugh, the victory.

This Week’s Pick: March 4, 2013

By: Gabriela Yareliz
Hello survivors,
In this life, you’ve got to be a gladiator! Yes.

1] The Telegraph’s: Former French minister Rachida Dati says: Wear lipstick and you lose credibility

The FAB Rachida Dati, earning some RESPECT. In this article she talks about the delicate balance of being feminine, glamourous and a respectable leader who earns the respect of men counterparts who often times try to sexualize the woman into a mere symbol.

In the article, she said:
“Here, as soon as you dress in too feminine a fashion, you get criticised,” she shrugs. “I get criticised all the time. People aren’t used to seeing powerful or political women looking feminine. I think it also bothers the men because their subconscious is a little sexualised.” So the criticism has nothing to do with the looks that have both helped and hindered her over the years?

“No, no. Until I became a minister, I was never told that I was pretty or not pretty. If you’re just beautiful, it’s easy to get rid of you. Far more troublesome is to be feminine and have a temperament. So wearing stilettos is still a problem and if you put lipstick on, it means you’re not credible as a woman. But I’ve never changed. It’s part of my identity.”
–The Telegraph, Interview by Celia Walden, Feb. 15, 2013

2] On Kissing, Bollywood and Rebellion

An excellent blog post by Arnab Ray on India Ink–“where a kiss is no longer just a kiss but a small symbol of unintentional rebellion.”

3]

4]

5]

6]

7]

8]

This is what you do when you step out into the day and go to law school.

A breath of lavender

By: Gabriela Yareliz

If you read my last post, you will know I have a long way to go when it comes to being Christlike (I was in my feisty, law student mode), but I wanted to share the following quote, which really inspired me and poured some peaceful ointment on my agitation from today’s news and politics. Sometimes we need to step away from the politics, the criminal law casebooks, the media (is it just me or are people who call themselves journalists on TV being commentators absolutely stupid?–No offense to them, but really. Have they seen their own shows?)–We need to look at what really matters.

This quote is like a breath of lavender.

“We must have more faith. Let us begin to believe unto salvation. Let us come to God in faith, fully assured that as we surrender all to Him, He will make us Christlike in character. We must tell this to all over and over again[…]Let us honor God by showing firm faith and unswerving trust. Let us remember that He is not glorified by the manifestation of a fretful, unhappy spirit. The Lord cares for flowers. He gives them beauty and fragrance. Will He not much more give us the fragrance of a cheerful disposition?[…]Let us now, just now, place ourselves where He can give us His Holy Spirit. Then we can give to the world a revelation of what true religion does for men and women.” Bible Training School, Apr. 1, 1905, Ellen G. White

http://www.redbubble.com

Something I am sure of

By: Gabriela Yareliz

[For those of you who like my personal posts, you are in for a treat. (I guess that depends on if you actually really like them.)Here is today in a nutshell, and thank you for reading. I know I am not the president or anything, so, I appreciate you taking time to read my thoughts.]

Today was an incredible Sabbath. Nothing extraordinary happened, but yet at the same time I think something extraordinary DID happen. I think when God takes the time to speak to us, it is extraordinary– not because He isn’t a God who speaks to us, but because He, being God and infinitely greater, takes the time to communicate with us small beings.

Through the overwhelmed times, and times of trial, God has comforted me.

I won’t lie. There is plenty in this world to get you down, but still you cling to God on your knees in tears hoping for comfort and peace.

I found a slip of paper with ribbon tied to it, and it said:
2 Timothy 1:7 King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

He reminded me to not be afraid. Lately, I have been so stressed, and I forget that it is God who is in control and not me. It is not up to me. If it was, the stress would be legitimate, but really, it is God. The same God who parted the Red Sea, the same God who fought battles for nations and the same God who conquered death. If it is in His hands, then there’s nothing to worry about.

He knows our hearts.

Then, I came across the verse that was handed to me when I first arrived to New York City.
Joshua 1:9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Today, during the sermon, the man preaching said, “When God does something for you, He does it well.”

At the end of the service we sang my favorite hymn on a whim because it was fitting–(coincidence? I think not). A man randomly walked up to me and told me two miraculous stories and told me he felt like sharing with me to let me know that miracles happen. Then, he opened a leather folder he had, and on the yellow legal notepad paper was my favorite Bible verse.

By the end of the random conversation, I smiled because I realized it was not so random at all. God was making sure that I wasn’t missing His signal. He heard me, and He was speaking back.

Why am I sharing all of this? I have realized and often shared, that sometimes we end up where we least expected and this means we are living by faith. If we weren’t living by faith we would have chosen to stay in our comfort-zone.

Moreover, something special happens when we decide to branch out and walk into an unknown tunnel that goes in a direction unknown. We are in darkness. Somehow, however, there is light piercing darkness in the tunnel, and we know we are in safe hands because we are in His hands. Don’t get me wrong, because we are humans the journey can still be filled with uncertainty and fear. Yet God has not given us the spirit of fear–instead, He has given us power.

He tells us He will never leave us or forsake us. We will never walk alone.

When we seek Him, He promises He will find us. As Moses, Abraham, Jacob and others, if we seek Him and speak with Him, we will find Him. If we ask Him to speak to us, He will, even if it means through a burning bush, a sea being split open, or a song at the right time and place.

When we pray we must be watchful and see How God speaks to us through His word, music, other people and through things that are no coincidence at all, which shows how much he knows and loves us.

Inspiration of the day:

Hymn: Day by Day

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Every day the Lord Himself is near me,
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counsellor and Pow’r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,“
This the pledge to me He made.
Help me then, in every tribulation,
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation,
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till with Christ the Lord I stand.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/713#ixzz2MRXmWdCV

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!“
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/19#ixzz2MRYsg3Ug

The following song means so much to me. The day I was baptized, I was given a card with these lyrics and the song. It is a song I am convicted of in my heart. He will walk with us.

Walk with you

When you walk down the road
Heavy burden, heavy load
I will rise and I will walk with you

When you walk through the night
And you feel like you wanna just give up, give up, give up on the fight
I will come and I will walk with you

Walk with you
Until the sun don’t even shine
Walk with you
I’ll be there all the time
I tell you I’ll walk with you
See you through

When you walk from this place
And you gotta go to meet Him face to face
Take my hand and I will walk with you

Oh, oh walk with you
Till the clouds fade away
I tell you I ‘ll walk with you
Each and every day
Oh yes I’ll walk with you

Oh, oh oh when nobody cares
I’ll be right there by your side
If all your hope is lost
I’m the one that’s gonna help you see the light
Just look into my eyes
Please know you’re not alone
I’m here, I’m here by your side

Walk with you
Walk with you
Walk with you
I’ll be there all the time, I’m gonna walk with you
Walk with you
I’ll be there until the clouds just fade away
Walk with you
I’ll be there every day, every day, every day, every day
Walk with you
I’ll be with you all the while
Walk with you
Be right there through the longest mile

Walk with you
I will walk with you yes I will, yes I will, yes I will, I will
Walk with you
I will walk with you
I tell you I’ll be there and I will
Walk with you
Believe me I’ll be there and I’ll walk with you, yes I will

—————-

No matter what you are going through, know God is there. Even when it is dark and you feel no one there, He is there, always near you, willing to help you when you call.

He wants to speak to us day by day. He wants us to seek Him as we walk by faith. His plan for us is unfolding every hour, day by day.

We may not know what lies ahead. Apparently, God has a wilder imagination than we do. Believe the impossible, and expect the unexpected.

Know the battle is not yours. He will fight for you. Know you are not alone. He will hold you. Know that even when He seems silent, He will speak to you.

Ask Him to speak to your heart, and He will. The whole way through, He will walk with you.

What makes you different, makes you beautiful

What makes you different… makes you beautiful to me-Backstreet Boys

You don’t run with the crowd
You go your own way
You don’t play after dark
You light up my day
Got your own kind of style
That sets you apart
Baby, that’s why you captured my heart

I know sometimes you feel like you don’t fit in
And this world doesn’t know what you have within
When I look at you, I see something rare
A rose that can grow anywhere (grow anywhere)
And there’s no one I know that can compare

What makes you different, (alright) makes you beautiful (alright)
What’s there inside you, (alright) shines through to me
In your eyes I see, all the love I’ll ever need
You’re all I need, oh girl
What makes you different, makes you beautiful to me

Hey, yeah yeah yeah
You got something so real
You touched me so deep (touched me so deep)
You see material things
Don’t matter to me
So come as you are
You’ve got nothing to prove
You’ve won me with all that you do
And I wanna take this chance to say to you

What makes you different, (alright, yeah yeah) makes you beautiful (alright)
What’s there inside you, (alright) shines through to me In your eyes I see, all the love I’ll ever need
You’re all I need, oh girl
What makes you different, makes you beautiful

You don’t know (you don’t know) how you touched my life (touched my life)
Oh in so many ways (so many ways) I just can’t describe
You taught me what love is supposed to be
It’s all the little things that make you beautiful to me (so beautiful)
Oh yeah, yeah

What makes you,
What makes you different, (what makes) makes you beautiful (to me)
What’s there inside you, (there shines) shines through to me
In your eyes I see, all the love I’ll ever need
You’re all I need, oh girl
What makes you different, makes you beautiful to me

Everything you do is beautiful (so beautiful)
Love you give shines right through me (shines right through to me)
Everything you do is beautiful (ooh, ooh ooh ooh oh)
Oh, you’re beautiful to me (to me)

Be you.
-Gabriela Yareliz