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.
1] I found out today that Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp have separated. This makes me sad. It’s one of those break-my-heart moments. I guess because I come from a broken home, I know what this means for the children invovled. That is always who I think about. When parents divorce, separate or even just leave their children in the care of others- I don’t even see a bad parent. Instead, I see the child standing there with a broken heart.
I really enjoyed a video about Johnny Depp and how he was “stupified” by Vanessa’s beauty when he first saw her.
“I saw a back from about 30 yards away, I saw a back and a neck, and it turned around suddenly and looked at me, and I was stupified. And then it was over.” -Johnny Depp
2] Continuing with the random chain of my thoughts, I was reading the CNN Freedom Project Blog which is to end modern child slavery. There was an excellent article about children in the Ivory Coast who pick the Cocoa beans for our chocolate around the world and no one has passed a law to stop it.
“UNICEF estimates that nearly a half-million children work on farms across Ivory Coast, which produces nearly 40% of the world’s supply of cocoa. The agency says hundreds of thousands of children, many of them trafficked across borders, are engaged in the worst forms of child labor.”
“Scars crisscross Yacou’s legs from a machete. He can’t clear grass in the cocoa fields without cutting himself. During harvest season, he works day after day hacking the cocoa pods. ”
(By David McKenzie and Brent Swails, CNN)
These children are out there slaving away for our chocolate, and they’ve never even tasted it. These children are deprived of a childhood and education.
My point? While those who can work with the legal aspects (I hope to be one some day soon) We as consumers play a role. CHOCOLATE STRIKE. How selfish would we be if we continued to give money to those who enslave others?
Many of these children are held against their will and never paid, according to CNN.
The Ivory Coast is also the largest Cocoa producer in the world, for all of the major world brands.
Anyway, watch the videos and read the awesome reporting going on about this at the link above. We must raise awareness, because as Martin Luther King Jr. said, and injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Good morning! So, guess who the new Cricket reporter is? Yup- me. Thank you Patalia House (bollywood movie) for peaking my interest. I really need to get a Cricket for dummies book or something. At least I know what a bowler is.
This morning, I looked up at a building and it was a glass encasing for each floor, and on each floor I could see a custodian. All of them waiting for the elevator with their carts. It was neat to see the elevator move through the building. Elevators are quite magical.
Random thought from this morning’s reading: “Fear not, believe only…” Luke 8:50
I have been thinking a lot lately. My mind has ADHD ever since my editing prof decided to make me open 30 new accounts and keep up with every news organization that is reputable. Half of my days are spent listening to French and the other half is in English-Spanish with me still trying to say merci.
I’ve been thinking about:
1] How selfish we can become. We realize, I think, our own selfishness when we notice others. we are forced to introspection, and I think this is important. Everyday, I am more and more convinced that we should pour ourselves out for each other.
We should give ourselves entirely until there is nothing left for us to hold on to.
2] Our desperate need for prayer and fasting. It is crucial that we also separate time to study God’s word for ourselves. It is not enough to be told something or go by emotion and feeling.
3] People are so complex. But people are people, and we must relate ourselves to them as such. There are also amazing people.
One day they don’t exist, but the next minute they walk into your life, and something in you has already changed.
4] The heart, it is so deceitful. I am still working on the execution of guarding it. Only Christ can guard it for us. It is hard though. It’s that ADHD mentality. (This is where fasting comes in, I’ve heard,- discipline).
5] Tim Tebow is amazing. Everyone knows it. He is an example of what God can do for each one of us when we put our lives in His hands.
6] Lately, I’ve felt like I am 15 again. (Those were not my prettiest years, so maybe the fact that I am short and look that young is God giving me a chance to relive those years hahaha). I’ve been thinking a lot about the good messages in the cheesy movies Disney Channel puts out. Like how a princess is someone who helps others and is beautiful inside. How friendship and trust should be valued supremely.
I’m Disney Channeling it, complete with a more bare-faced look and clear Smackers lipgloss. Yes, Smackers. Reminds me of when I was 10. It’s a good feeling.
7] When it comes to romance…ahh the ever popular topic- these complexities are true:
-one deserves to be someone’s first choice, NOT chosen by default, boredom, selfishness, neediness…
-the person you commit to shouldn’t just be good looking and empty, or nice, great and “cute.” I think we should all reserve our right to have someone who takes our breath away. Now granted, different things will take different people’s breath away- so, yay for that. But it’s got to be that way.
-Sometimes we expect too much. (The above is not too much.) But, though we should reserve our right to be a bit shallow, we’ve got to realize that finding someone who will really care about you- that is special. Someone you really care about; that is not someone you should let go of. No one is perfect.
-Lo que sera, sera…
8] For those who are going through dark times- better times will come, because the sun always rises after the night.
By: Gabriela Yareliz
Look who is back… I know after much silence. It’s a tough life we lead. (Smile). It’s back to school, and I am already preparing presentation outlines in French, and trying to decide how I will live through my capstone course. I will. I am convinced all things are possible through Christ. This now means, my life has officially evaporated. Yup. Last time before fall, when it really goes “poof!” because of law school (grin).
At least I still have my books. I finished a Queen Noor autobiography “Leap of Faith.” I felt like it was more about her husband, but whatever. Something had to fill the 600 pages. She is an interesting woman with interesting thoughts. I still don’t know how I’d feel being the fourth wife of a man double my age, but hey- whatever, right? That is why is is called “Leap of Faith.” I am now reading Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. I am surprised I didn’t have nightmares (thank God). Truly tragic. It put my problems into perspective by page 3.
Lastly, I read a book called “Cross Examination,” the author will be coming to UF at the end of Feb. it’s about whether our beliefs make our religion true or if we believe our religion because it is true. It was pure excellence. Logic and philosophy at its best.
In the book I found a quote about Jesus, by C.S. Lewis, that I really liked:
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -‑ on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg ‑- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse.You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
Truth.
I have contemplated much lately. So, I’ll have a lot to share on other days. For now, I depart from you to breathe. I have to get into some social media thing because my professor wants me to have the account-lame- no offense to him.
I am just a weird non-conformist who respects authority, but I don’t like people telling me what to do, when what is ordered is dumb. But here goes-
PS. It is End Sexual Trafficking Week!!!
I have finished two books. I am proud of myself. Today on the radio I cried (again) with Kidd Kraddick’s Christmas wish. Today they granted money and $10,000 (money for tuition) to a 19-year-old girl who has terminal cancer and takes care of her brother’s three kids. When you look at other people’s problems, yours seem to disappear.
Also on the radio, Jose Feliciano sang Feliz Navidad and the DJ said “Ole!” Jose Feliciano is Puerto Rican, not Mexican or Spanish (roll of the eyes). Yesterday, on a Christian station the women were talking about what they expect and want for Christmas. All they talked about was a clean house. For an hour! How shallow. Really? There’s nothing more important?
Christmas is coming and I have survived shopping thus far. I have navigated the stores well; found good finds and good sales. I have also managed to avoid eye contact with pushy sales people and the Dead Sea people that always want to put lotion on your hands. They are so friendly- but scary.
This weekend we get to go to a nursing home to sing Christmas songs and then pastor is having a Christmas party chez-lui. That is exciting! A lot of people are out of town though; the students are leaving and final exams are ending for the general population.
Today, for some reason I feel a bit of the Christmas spirit. I struggle with this from day to day. I keep thinking it better kick in because we are only days away. I think of lists to Santa; reindeer; Frank Sinatra (don’t ask); snow; Central Park; lit up store windows; faith; a baby in a manger; a bright star. Despite the melancholy, I feel a stripe of hope.
I am done. No more final exams. I took my final final. 🙂 I am feeling great. Now, I must start doing what I dislike most, going to stores. It is that season. This morning, I thought no buses were running and I got all scared until some ghetto bus with what looked like Latin written in its header screen pulled up, and a hispanic driver in a beanie said, “Good morning!” Strange- but miraculous.
Now, I have free time! I have a stack of books waiting for me at the library. I already read one book called Praying for Strangers by River Jordan. It was excellent.
In it was a quote I’d like to share:
“The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, buy unoffered prayer.” F.B. Meyer
And I found these other ones:
“The reason why we obtain no more in prayer is because we expect no more. God usually answers us according to our own hearts.” Richard Alleine
“Effective prayer is prayer that attains what it seeks. It is prayer that moves God, effecting its end.” Charles Finney
Prayer- it is what moves the hand that moves the universe :)(anonymous?)
I also must add that the little town of Williston looks amazing in the dark, all decorated. 🙂 A magical Christmas wonderland.
GABRIELA YARELIZ 