I was driving this morning. It was raining. I saw this mom and her two little girls at the bus stop. The mom and youngest girl with thick round glasses were standing under the umbrella, while the other girl with the wild curly hair was standing out in the rain because she wanted to.
It made my smile to see them on that side of town. I know them because they used to take the bus with me on the other side of town. It is kind of funny the people we see over and over again, and it’s like we know them, but not really? They become a part of your life and they may not even know it.
The rain is lovely because it is warm. Everything is humid. It is horrible for crazy, wild hair like mine (and the little girl at the bus stop while I am at it), but it feels so amazing. It almost looks dark outside, the budding trees are outlined in a strange pale pink because of their small flowers.
Today, I was thinking about the world, politics and people. I was thinking about Jesus. Who was Jesus? Often times we who carry His name as Christians don’t reflect half of what He is and showed to be during His ministry on earth. I wanted to share these quotes. They are glimpses of God as Jesus the Son. God with us.
“From His earliest years He was possessed of one purpose; He lived to bless others, ” (Desire of Ages; Ellen G White, 70).
“He labored earnestly for humanity,” Ibid., (86)
“So utterly was Christ emptied of self that He made no plans for Himself,” Ibid., (208)
“Jesus did not count heaven a place to be desired while we were lost,” Ibid (417).
“In His contact with men He did not ask, What is your creed? To what church do you belong? He exercised His helping power in behalf of all who needed help,” Ibid., (86)
“While He does not palliate sin, nor lessen the sense of guilt, He seeks not to condemn, but to save,” Ibid., (462)
Luke 19:9 “And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Today, and everyday, we should keep in mind Christ’s great sacrifice. We should think of who He was and how we can reflect that same love toward others.
Love, compassion, tenderness, empathy, truth– all of these should rain from us over all who surround us.
Lastly, I wanted to post this song. It is a song spinning in my head. Natasha Bedingfield is a true poet.
Neon Lights
Everyday there’s a thousand things
That somehow pass us by,
Go cut through the noise So you can know what love sounds like
I’m comin’ to your frequency,
To 106 point me
So there’s no
Distractions
Take a breath
Take it in Love has no expiration date
My heart will always beat for you
At a constant rate It will outlast everything
You think is set is stone
It goes on and on and on and on,
On and on and on and on…
Spastic like
Neon Lights
Can you feel my love?
Loud and clear
Pulls you near
Can you feel my love
We got all the memories
So much more we can see
Better than our first kiss
Snow falling at Christmas
Like sleeping in on Sunday
Laughter we never faked
Bob Marley in Summer
One love for each other
Oh it feels like…
Fireflies
Day and night
Can you feel my love?
Everyone is looking for a special connection
But it’s like your compass points
A million directions
Do you need me to buy you
A telescope so you can see
How good
This could be
Spastic like
Neon Lights
Can you feel my love?
Loud and clear
Pulls you near
Can you feel me love?
Oh!
We got all the memories
So much more we can see
Better than our first kiss
Snow falling at Christmas
Like sleeping in on Sunday
Laughter we never faked
Bob Marley in Summer
One love for each other
Oh it feels like…
Fireflies
Day and night
Can you feel my love?
(Can you feel it?)
And I’ll wait for you
As long as it takes
Until I get through
And it hits you right in the face
Can you feel my lo-o-ove?
Can you feel my love?
We got all the memories
So much more we can see
Better than our first kiss
Snow falling at Christmas
Like sleeping in on Sunday
Laughter we never faked
Bob Marley in Summer
One love for each other
Oh it feels like…
(One love for each other…)
Spastic like
Neon Lights
Can you feel my love?
Fireflies
Day and night
Can you feel my love?
Have an amazing day, and if it rains- dance in it.
Is that not the most fantastic thing you’ve ever seen? Happy 200th birthday Charles Dickens. Your stories with Pip, Estella, Scrooge, Oliver, and my personal favorite, Davy Copperfield, have inspired generations. They are stories about life, love, introspection and social change.
I couldn’t let the day pass without posting. I was unaware, until my mother told me that one of my favorite men was on Google.
“‘Never,” said my aunt, ‘be mean in anything; never be false; never be cruel. Avoid those three vices, Trot, and I can always be hopeful of you.'” – Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, Ch. 15
“We are so very ‘umble.” – Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, Ch. 17
“My meaning simply is, that whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do well; that whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself to completely; that in great aims and in small, I have always been thoroughly in earnest.” – Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, Ch. 42
“A loving heart was better and stronger than wisdom.” – Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, Ch. 9
“Oh Agnes, Oh my soul, so may thy face be by me when I close my life indeed; so may I, when realities are melting from me, like the shadows which I now dismiss, still find thee near me, pointing upward!”
“I hope that real love and truth are stronger in the end than any evil or misfortune in the world.”
And this is my short tribute to a man who is a genius. I read David Copperfield three times, and each time I love him more!
Let us always meet each other with a smile … for a smile is the beginning of love. — Mother Teresa
Love to be real must cost; it must hurt; it must empty us of self. — Mother Teresa
Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. –Mother Teresa
We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do. –Mother Teresa
We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls. –Mother Teresa
Reporting on Cricket has been so much fun. Every Tues./Thurs. it makes my day. I am usually tired, hungry and cold by the time practice begins, but it is always a blast. I am starting to understand what the team’s Hindi means without knowing Hindi. And I think we’ve made a connection where they know I am there to stay, and I am a fan.
I like sports reporting because you can establish relationships with your sources, who are the players. You become friends, and you end up spending a lot of time together. It is a fantastic thing.
Now, at practice they are playing in teams, and I am still, slowly, learning how the game works but youtube has been my friend. They’ve always helped me by explaining things to me.
This week has gone well, despite my looming deadlines and sources that I am stalking for other pieces. I was admitted into another law school yesterday, I’ve gotten some important things done, and my brothers have been doing well in school. What more can I ask for?
Sometimes, (I’ll admit) I feel “unlucky.” I think even murderers have less problems than me sometimes, but then I remember the people I’ve seen at the hospital. Young people with cancer, people who are alone… then I remember how blessed I am. Life is like that and we often don’t realize what we have, until we realize others are in pain or unfortunately have less. Or until it’s gone.
This reminds me of two things:
1] In Cricket the ball is hard. Super hard. catching it or even having it hit you leads to a sting in your hands from the impact and its hardness. Life throws you cricket balls, and when you catch them and it hurts. But sometimes catching them leads to victory. There is so much more beyond the pain.
2] Romans 8:28
28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
I hope you have a wonderful day, and if the cricket ball is thrown your way- catch it.
Yesterday was a busy day. All week I’ve been running to and fro, rain or shine, trying to make my hair look decent and such things. Yesterday afternoon I stopped at the Taco Bell off of Archer. It used to be gross to be honest, but now it’s remodeled and clean. The people that work there are really sweet. The two cashier people were hispanic and very smiley.
After eating-I left while still chewing- sad, I know. (I don’t even have time to eat?) I went to the hospital to meet my mom there to see my cousin who had surgery yesterday.
When we got to the lobby, a man with white hair and hard of hearing noticed us after we said hello twice. We didn’t know what room she was in and so we told him her name. Of course, being Puerto Rican, the name is a hispanic name. The man picked up the phone and kept trying to pronounce the name to himself and we kept aiding him in his attempt.
Suddenly, I guess someone answered on the other line because he said her first name and then when it was time for the last name he lowered his voice and mumbled something that resembled Chinese. My eyes opened wide with the What-the-Heck expression. For some reason, my mother and brothers could not contain themselves and they started a laughing fit (one of the kind you can’t control). Horrible, I know, but it was priceless.
It was awesome (once we got to the room). She is a strong woman. My other cousin was there, and we laughed and told stories. Classic family time. I love that about hispanic families. Through pain and laughter, through the injustices of life and the craziness people cause one thing is sure:
But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. 5 Fear not, for I am with you; …
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Today, I feel strong, nationalistic and happy. In life’s routine, it’s so easy to go a while without seeing family- but there are hardships that bring you together. Though we are always together in my heart, it was good to be there in person.
Good morning to you! It is Monday. I grabbed the paper this morning, and I am wearing a skirt, which means it is a good Monday. I started off the morning by pouring 1/20th of my tea on myself on the bus (the girl in front of me was watching it all happen and said not a word. I found out when suddenly I felt wet.)
Friday was eventful. I spent two hours with my social justice class at a protest downtown. Cornel West showed up. It was quite the event. The video is below, done by The Independent Florida Alligator.
22 Then He [Jesus] said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? 29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.
31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things[c] shall be added to you.
32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
-Amen
So, worry not because our Father knows what we need even before we ask. Even in the midst of my stress and rushing against deadlines, I know God has come through for me every time.
That is because when you serve and obey a God that does not fail, He honors you.
GABRIELA YARELIZ 