Queda Prohibido

By: Pablo Neruda

QUEDA PROHIBIDO

Queda prohibido llorar sin aprender,

levantarte un día sin saber que hacer,

tener miedo a tus recuerdos.

Queda prohibido no sonreír a los problemas,

no luchar por lo que quieres,

abandonarlo todo por miedo,

no convertir en realidad tus sueños.

Queda prohibido no demostrar tu amor,

hacer que alguien pague tus deudas y el mal humor.

Queda prohibido dejar a tus amigos,

no intentar comprender lo que vivieron juntos,

llamarles solo cuando los necesitas.

Queda prohibido no ser tú ante la gente,

fingir ante las personas que no te importan,

hacerte el gracioso con tal de que te recuerden,

olvidar a toda la gente que te quiere.

Queda prohibido no hacer las cosas por ti mismo,

tener miedo a la vida y a sus compromisos,

no vivir cada día como si fuera un ultimo suspiro.

Queda prohibido echar a alguien de menos sin

alegrarte, olvidar sus ojos, su risa,

todo porque sus caminos han dejado de abrazarse,

olvidar su pasado y pagarlo con su presente.

Queda prohibido no intentar comprender a las personas,

pensar que sus vidas valen mas que la tuya,

no saber que cada uno tiene su camino y su dicha.

Queda prohibido no crear tu historia,

no tener un momento para la gente que te necesita,

no comprender que lo que la vida te da, también te lo quita.

Queda prohibido no buscar tu felicidad,

no vivir tu vida con una actitud positiva,

no pensar en que podemos ser mejores,

no sentir que sin ti este mundo no sería igual.

It is now Forbidden

by Pablo Neruda

It is now forbidden to cry without learning; to wake up one day and no longer have dreams; to become afraid of your own memories…

It is now forbidden to not smile in the face of adversity; to stop fighting for those who you love; to abandon it all because of your fears; or to give up in making your own dreams come true.

It is now forbidden to pretend we don’t need understanding each other; to place less value in the lives of others; to ignore each of us has a unique path to joy… It is now forbidden to give up on happiness, to abandon optimism, to quit improving ourselves; to believe the world will be a better place without you.

My Choice

By: Missionary and martyr Bill McChesney

I want my breakfast served at eight

With ham and eggs upon the plate.

A well-broiled steak I’ll eat it on

And dine again when day is done.

I want an ultramodern home

And in each room a telephone;

Soft carpets, too, upon the floor

And pretty drapes to grace the doors.

A cozy place of lovely things,

Like easy chairs with inner springs,

And then, I’ll get a nice T.V.

– Of course, I’m careful what I see.

I want my wardrobe, too, to be

Of neatest, finest quality,

With latest style in suit and vest.

Why should not Christians have the best?

But then the Master I can hear

In no uncertain voice, so clear:

“I bid you come and follow Me,

The lowly Man of Galilee.”

“Birds of the air have made their nest

And foxes in their holes find rest,

But I can offer you no bed;

No place have I to lay my head.”

In shame I hung my head and cried,

How could I spurn the Crucified?

Could I forget the way He went,

The sleepless nights in prayer He spent?

For forty days without a bite,

Alone He fasted day and night;

Despised, rejected – on He went,

and did not stop till veil He rent!

A man of sorrows and of grief

No earthly friend to bring relief;

“Smitten of God,” the prophet said

Mocked, beaten, bruised, His blood ran red.

If He be God, and died for me,

No sacrifice too great can be

For me; a mortal man, to make;

I’ll do it all for Jesus’ sake.

Yes, I will tread the path He trod,

No other way will please my God,

So, henceforth, this my choice shall be,

My choice for all eternity.

Complete

By: Gabriela Yareliz

It was a bright morning, and Mary Magdalene walked to the sepulcher, in a hurry, with a heavy heart to find the tomb where they had laid Jesus.

As she walks two angels appear to her (John 20:12), but she is distracted by another presence. It is Jesus himself.

He says to her, “Mary,” and she then recognizes He is the one she has been looking for, (John 20: 16).

That is Jesus. He said “Mary.”

“He who knows eternity, calls you by name,” Ravi Zacharias.

Ravi Zacharias tells this parable: There was a very poor man, if I remember the story correctly, who paints a portrait of a very rich man’s son. At one point, he no longer sees this young man who he was fond of and so finally someone shares with him that he had died suddenly, and that his art collection would be up for auction.

This beggar man finds some decent clothes and goes to the auction. When it comes time for the portrait of the son, of course he bids for it and bids all that he has. No one bids against him, so he gives his pennies and goes up to get his portrait.

The thing is there was a second condition. The person who buys the portrait of the son gets the son’s entire art collection.

(Spoken and presented at the UN Assembly breakfast)

He who has the Son, has everything.

Colossians 2:10 says: And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

He completes us.

Have a blessed day.

The Widow: “Shall Not God Avenge His Own?”

Compiled by: Gabriela Yareliz

From: Ellen G. White’s Christ Object Lessons

“Christ had been speaking of the period just before His second coming, and of the perils through which His followers must pass. With special reference to that time He related the parable “to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”

“There was in a city,” He said, “a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man; and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.”

The judge who is here pictured had no regard for right,

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nor pity for suffering. The widow who pressed her case before him was persistently repulsed. Again and again she came to him, only to be treated with contempt, and to be driven from the judgment seat. The judge knew that her cause was righteous, and he could have relieved her at once, but he would not. He wanted to show his arbitrary power, and it gratified him to let her ask and plead and entreat in vain. But she would not fail nor become discouraged. Notwithstanding his indifference and hardheartedness, she pressed her petition until the judge consented to attend to her case. “Though I fear not God, nor regard man,” he said, “yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” To save his reputation, to avoid giving publicity to his partial, one-sided judgment, he avenged the persevering woman.

“And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.” Christ here draws a sharp contrast between the unjust judge and God. The judge yielded to the widow’s request merely through selfishness, that he might be relieved of her importunity. He felt for her no pity or compassion; her misery was nothing to him. How different is the attitude of God toward those who seek Him. The appeals of the needy and distressed are considered by Him with infinite compassion.

The woman who entreated the judge for justice had lost her husband by death. Poor and friendless, she had no means of retrieving her ruined fortunes. So by sin, man lost his connection with God. Of himself he has no means of salvation. But in Christ we are brought nigh unto the Father. The elect of God are dear to His heart. They are those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, to show forth His praise, to shine as lights

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amid the darkness of the world. The unjust judge had no special interest in the widow who importuned him for deliverance; yet in order to rid himself of her pitiful appeals, he heard her plea, and delivered her from her adversary. But God loves His children with infinite love. To Him the dearest object on earth is His church.

“For the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste, howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.” Deut. 32:9, 10. “For thus saith the Lord of hosts: After the glory hath He sent Me unto the nations which spoiled you; for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye.” Zech. 2:8.”

[This chapter [14] is based on Luke 18:1-8.]