Waldorf Glamour

By: Gabriela Yareliz Night fell on the Upper East Side. After a delicious raclette sandwich, we navigated the pockets of sidewalk ice and dark residential buildings. We passed the new JP Morgan Chase building, which is stunning (like a monument to capitalism— it stands there with the biggest Christmas wreaths I have ever seen, ‘HappyContinue reading “Waldorf Glamour”

Closing Out 2025

By: Gabriela Yareliz It’s cold and gray out here in NYC. Feels like 12F outside. It’s sick, but this is the price we pay for all seasons. Some slushy mountains of snow remain. The truth is, there are days when I can close my eyes and see the sunset at Cedar Key, salty air hittingContinue reading “Closing Out 2025”

My 2025 Library

By: Gabriela Yareliz It’s almost time to let go of the year. Before we do, I wanted to say ‘thank you’ to all of you for reading, the comments, and engagement this past year. Whether you are new this year to the site or you have been with me for the 16 (yes, crazy, 16)Continue reading “My 2025 Library”

Waiting

By: Gabriela Yareliz Waiting has been a theme recently. I think my whole week of Glorify App devotionals were about waiting. Then, I heard the sermon Fourteen, about waiting and the transformation in the journey. We have Christmas coming up, which is filled with much anticipation and waiting. It reminds us we are waiting forContinue reading “Waiting”

Maximum Tilt

By: Gabriela Yareliz We have reached our “maximum tilt away from the sun,” my almanac tells me for the month of December. I tuck the ribbon bookmark into our last month. There is a soft tap-tap on the window of rain mixed with some sort of sleet because it sounds harder than just rain. It’sContinue reading “Maximum Tilt”

A Betting Person

“Faith is not being sure. It is not being sure, but betting with your last cent.” Mary Jean Irion By: Gabriela Yareliz Life is brimming with uncertainty. So, faith is one of the ways available to us to deal with the unavoidable uncertainty. It’s the way God asks us to handle the uncertainty ahead. IContinue reading “A Betting Person”

A Bad Cup

By: Gabriela Yareliz Here is your PSA now— Starbucks and Dunkin cannot make a matcha to save their lives. #disgusting With each passing day, NYC unlocks a new sub-basement of low IQ. If there are a few things I have learned along the way in the last decade— -Steel yourself from the opinions of othersContinue reading “A Bad Cup”

The Path is Paved By Choices

“If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s.” Joseph Campbell By: Gabriela Yareliz Our path is one we need to clear. That requires making decisions. Choices. I think the world is full of people who are afraid to take ownership of their decisions because they don’t trust they can make theContinue reading “The Path is Paved By Choices”

When Grief Rips Through

“Let’s not romanticize grief. It is a ghost parade. Sleep doesn’t come. Only reckoning.” Rainier Wylde By: Gabriela Yareliz Grief can stem from so many things or circumstances. It is often tied to death, but it can be tied to addiction, abandonment, loss of time, betrayal, not being understood or loved, and the loss of aContinue reading “When Grief Rips Through”

An Overlooked Blessing

“I’m grateful that Heaven operates on a ‘need to know’ basis. It’s one of life’s most overlooked blessings.” Sarah Ban Breathnach By: Gabriela Yareliz When life squeezes us and wrings us like an old cleaning rag, we often wish we could have seen whatever we are going through ahead of time. Usually, our wish toContinue reading “An Overlooked Blessing”