Wide Awake

By: Gabriela Yareliz I am coming out of a season that I can only describe as exhausting, dark and uncertain. There is still plenty of darkness to go around in the world around us and plenty of circumstances that have not yet been made clear or resolved. And yet, something feels different. Apart from theContinue reading “Wide Awake”

Bunny

By: Gabriela Yareliz The unimaginable day came. She is gone. Bunny entered her rest on October 18, 2020. Yet another assault this year has laid upon us. As a child, I think it’s safe to say I was afraid of animals. I never had good experiences with them. I avoided them and stared at themContinue reading “Bunny”

Go in Peace

By: Gabriela Yareliz I think we have all found ourselves in certain types of prison in 2020, and by this I mean a place that confines us, where we feel up against a wall. Maybe our wings feel clipped. Maybe we feel afraid. I have been reflecting on all the pain people around me areContinue reading “Go in Peace”

Erwin McManus: The Futurist

By: Gabriela Yareliz Erwin McManus is one of my favorite thought leaders. He is a pastor, philosopher, writer and futurist. I identify so much with how he communicates Jesus and authentic faith living. Born in El Salvador, McManus has overcome so much. Christ found him, and since then, he has dedicated his life to sharingContinue reading “Erwin McManus: The Futurist”

Rituals

I am up at 4:34 am, as we wait for the downpours Hurricane Laura is supposed to bring to NYC. There is an occasional drip-drip outside, but nothing else. I have been thinking a lot about rituals, lately. Sometimes, rituals get a bad rap. They are considered to just be routine or things on aContinue reading “Rituals”

A Lesson on Father’s Day

By: Gabriela Yareliz Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are often avoided by people who have experienced childhood trauma. Some people have experienced pain caused by one or both parents, so they distance themselves from the holiday and deeper yet, from the person it celebrates. Father’s Day isn’t a holiday I like to embrace. Sometimes, itContinue reading “A Lesson on Father’s Day”

An Uncomfortable Topic

By: Gabriela Yareliz A scene keeps playing over and over again, in my head. Summer of 2009, I visited France and did a stage with the French government. We were living in a small French mariner village. I gathered with young people from around the world (whom I love— friends for life), and what weContinue reading “An Uncomfortable Topic”

Stillness and Light

By: Gabriela Yareliz I just saw a little video on Mimi Ikonn’s Instagram stories of how she was walking in London and a hail/rain storm came out of nowhere. She and a friend took shelter under the ledge of a building. They were laughing and confused, getting soaked. It reminded me of that summer nightContinue reading “Stillness and Light”