Sometimes we are so busy looking too far into the future that we forget the present moment. That is one of the problems I faced when starting my diets or better said healthy lifestyle changes. We have to learn to live in the moment, and it is taking note of the present moment that will enable us to embrace the future. Discouragement has knocked at my door, but one thing I am learning to do is fall in love with the person that GOD has created within me. We fail to take note of the who we are and the beauty within us. There has been a very controversial article all over the media about a women writer that has been accused of being vain for writing about the "repercussions" of being a beautiful woman. This morning on the the TODAY show she spoke about how her intent was not to make others see her as this vain person, it was simply to make a statement. However, never did she imagine recieving so much criticism for her article.
It had me thinking..once again about how focused we are on the perception of beauty through the eyes of others. We fail to see beauty through the most important figure in our lives, which is GOD's. I am able to understand everyday more and more the true value of my life because I have come to a complete understanding of the love the GOD has for me. I don't only feel "special" but honored. Honestly, feeling honored is many times more important than simply feeling "special". There is a sense of respect to honor, and if we love and honor the person that we have been created to be then we will truly respect our bodies as GOD has intended for us to do so.
I no longer question the value of my life, because i know that I am loved. I have also been blessed by seeing this love materialize through the lives the of the amazing people I have been surrounded with. This love has not made me vain about my beauty but humble because I was honored by HIS life.
Thank you Jesus for you unconditional love, and for teaching me to love myself first, so then I can love others!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Finding inspiration in my thirties...
Who said turning 30 would be a bummer? Lies, it was all lies. I have experienced nothing but excitement as I embrace this new era of my life. I can freely say that obtaining my degree after what seemed like an eternity was one of my greatest accomplishments at this age. I received my new era in Florida surrounded by warm weather and the beach. I felt so close to nature. It reminded me of what are the things that inspire me. I must confess despite classifying myself as a very logical thinker, I obtain much of my motivation through inspiration, which means there is a very emotional side to me.
I need to focus on what inspires me right now to continue to pursue my goals: travel, weight loss, active participation in helping immigrants, my career, my education... my own family?
Things I need to focus on:
1. My faith - loving GOD above all things!
2. Self-Control
3. Nature
4. Family
5. Friends
6. Loving me
7. Letting go
I need to focus on what inspires me right now to continue to pursue my goals: travel, weight loss, active participation in helping immigrants, my career, my education... my own family?
Things I need to focus on:
1. My faith - loving GOD above all things!
2. Self-Control
3. Nature
4. Family
5. Friends
6. Loving me
7. Letting go
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Finding hope in a hopeless place..
Happy New Years 2012!
I can't believe how fast time has flown, we are now in 2012 ... it seems as if just yesterday I was 19, but we know that is not true. :) Yesterday a friend of mine asked me about my blogging and the fact that I hadn't blogged recently. She was right, I have had so much on my mind but hadn't had the chance to write because of all my school work, aren't I glad that I did today though. My last semester towards my bachelors approaches, in approximately one week I will be done with my semester culminating my bachelors degree, Aleluya! It is a dream come true. It is my reality. For so long I battled about completing this degree, for whatever "non-justifiable" reason I found, in other words making excuses. Truth is, we all encounter times in our lives where we have these dreams, these future goals and plans that seem so far away to us. So far at a distance, that we are to afraid to believe in them because, they are barely visible. It is almost as if these dreams will never happen, and then boom, next thing you know it your dream has become a reality. Now, I ask myself, how exactly did this transition from dream to reality occur for me?
For so long I doubted my ability to achieve this goal. I have to admit at some point I didn't even want it anymore, only because I figured I was better not having it. But in the pit of my being, there was a small, very small chunk, that I was unaware of, that still believed in me and wanted it. I had my fair share of bloopers in my life as we all do, but they are simply lessons learned. I faced some hardships and so many changes in my life that simply made it easy for me to say, "this is too tough, I must quit". I am so glad that I didn't. I thought to myself, I am better off not wanting more for now because I will not manage it. I was wrong and right at the same time. I tell you why, although that time in my life didn't necessarily feel equipped to do it, it was really up to me to make that effort to want it enough to commit to the responsibility.
Looking back, today, I realize these past two years have not been any easier but what was different? Believe me, I had plenty of "good" reasons to say, perhaps this is not my time, or I must simply leave it for later but, I didn't. I was determined to continue. Today as I examine my life, I realize that my efforts were not ineffective they paid off. My emotions weren't always in my favor, staying focused was so difficult and I found myself contemplating complacency in my life, but I stayed determined, I didn't give up.
There is a song from Rihanna that has been flooding the radio, I have to admit I am kind of hooked on it. The title of the song is "We Found Love in a Hopeless Place", what does this have to do with what I was saying earlier, you ask. See, here is the thing. I find that sometimes , this is the truth in our own world we are hopeless because of the troubles we face. According to the thesaurus, hopeless is - "bad, beyond recall, cynical, dejected, demoralized, despairing, desperate, despondent, disconsolate, discouraging, downhearted, fatal, helpless, ill-fated, impossible, impracticable, in despair, incurable, irredeemable, irreparable, past hope, pointless, sad, shot down, sinister, sunk, threatening". Sometimes we can't seem to grapple hope in such a hopeless world not to mention love in a loveless world. There have been times that I have lost hope for myself, for my own life, and for my dreams, but we must not give up on hope. As much as I wanted in the past to give up on my dreams, I am glad I didn't. Here I am almost 12 years later about to finish my degree. It took me twelve years, but I never gave up. I lost hope many times but never gave up. The same applies to any current dreams we may have. I know that it is better to give up and say it will never happen. I will never be happy, I will never achieve my dreams but this isn't true. Don't ever give up. Even I have to remind myself this. We forget how we made it to our goals once we achieve them, but glad I was able to take this moment to reflect and remember what I had to go through in life in order to get here. There were many obstacles but I am grateful because I was always given the strength to continue believing. Believe in love, find hope in a hopeless place.
I can't believe how fast time has flown, we are now in 2012 ... it seems as if just yesterday I was 19, but we know that is not true. :) Yesterday a friend of mine asked me about my blogging and the fact that I hadn't blogged recently. She was right, I have had so much on my mind but hadn't had the chance to write because of all my school work, aren't I glad that I did today though. My last semester towards my bachelors approaches, in approximately one week I will be done with my semester culminating my bachelors degree, Aleluya! It is a dream come true. It is my reality. For so long I battled about completing this degree, for whatever "non-justifiable" reason I found, in other words making excuses. Truth is, we all encounter times in our lives where we have these dreams, these future goals and plans that seem so far away to us. So far at a distance, that we are to afraid to believe in them because, they are barely visible. It is almost as if these dreams will never happen, and then boom, next thing you know it your dream has become a reality. Now, I ask myself, how exactly did this transition from dream to reality occur for me?
For so long I doubted my ability to achieve this goal. I have to admit at some point I didn't even want it anymore, only because I figured I was better not having it. But in the pit of my being, there was a small, very small chunk, that I was unaware of, that still believed in me and wanted it. I had my fair share of bloopers in my life as we all do, but they are simply lessons learned. I faced some hardships and so many changes in my life that simply made it easy for me to say, "this is too tough, I must quit". I am so glad that I didn't. I thought to myself, I am better off not wanting more for now because I will not manage it. I was wrong and right at the same time. I tell you why, although that time in my life didn't necessarily feel equipped to do it, it was really up to me to make that effort to want it enough to commit to the responsibility.
Looking back, today, I realize these past two years have not been any easier but what was different? Believe me, I had plenty of "good" reasons to say, perhaps this is not my time, or I must simply leave it for later but, I didn't. I was determined to continue. Today as I examine my life, I realize that my efforts were not ineffective they paid off. My emotions weren't always in my favor, staying focused was so difficult and I found myself contemplating complacency in my life, but I stayed determined, I didn't give up.
There is a song from Rihanna that has been flooding the radio, I have to admit I am kind of hooked on it. The title of the song is "We Found Love in a Hopeless Place", what does this have to do with what I was saying earlier, you ask. See, here is the thing. I find that sometimes , this is the truth in our own world we are hopeless because of the troubles we face. According to the thesaurus, hopeless is - "bad, beyond recall, cynical, dejected, demoralized, despairing, desperate, despondent, disconsolate, discouraging, downhearted, fatal, helpless, ill-fated, impossible, impracticable, in despair, incurable, irredeemable, irreparable, past hope, pointless, sad, shot down, sinister, sunk, threatening". Sometimes we can't seem to grapple hope in such a hopeless world not to mention love in a loveless world. There have been times that I have lost hope for myself, for my own life, and for my dreams, but we must not give up on hope. As much as I wanted in the past to give up on my dreams, I am glad I didn't. Here I am almost 12 years later about to finish my degree. It took me twelve years, but I never gave up. I lost hope many times but never gave up. The same applies to any current dreams we may have. I know that it is better to give up and say it will never happen. I will never be happy, I will never achieve my dreams but this isn't true. Don't ever give up. Even I have to remind myself this. We forget how we made it to our goals once we achieve them, but glad I was able to take this moment to reflect and remember what I had to go through in life in order to get here. There were many obstacles but I am grateful because I was always given the strength to continue believing. Believe in love, find hope in a hopeless place.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Forget Everything And Restart
When faced with fear we are tempted to give up, we are pushed to surrender but we cannot let go. We must not give up. There are days that I am forced to face with opposition in life, there are days when the circumstances I am faced with seem so unfair and I cry because I simply don't like what I am seeing. Frustration takes over and the patience that I claimed seems to start failing me. My persistency to succeed and move forward is hit, we want to give up. Pain and sadness sneaks up on us and tries to bound our feet from moving forward, it paralyzes our dreams. One must not give up though. Those pains that sneak up on us try to establish a fear in us. What does that FEAR do? It limits us to what greater things are prepared for us.
I sometimes find that I am tempted to surrender to fear, let it control my present. FEAR is a result of a belief that something terrible will happen. FEAR of being in a relationship because you might get hurt. FEAR of being single because you will never find someone. FEAR to go to school because you can't see yourself being smart enough to make it. FEAR of not going to school because you will never reach your dreams. YOU see fear will limit. SOMEONE over the summer taught me such a valuable lesson. NEVER, EVER make a decision out of fear -- why? Because if you make a decision out of fear you are already setting limits to the results of that decision. The decision made out of fear will be short term -- and perhaps have permanent damage. When we make decisions out fear we will compromise ourselves because we are afraid that if we don't make this decision there will be no other options for us. So you choose, whether you want to live your life in fear or love. "Perfect love will cast out fear" and I believe in that.
NOT always am I the best are living this but I have found that this is the best way to live your life. YES, we will have some fears in our lives. SURE, somethings will almost seem to make more sense if we do them out of fear, but partly there is a sense of control on our half and our lack of trust and faith will push us to compromise. Sure, I question why somethings are the way they are in my life now, I won't even lie. I doubt at times that things will work out for me, but that is short term. ON the long run I know deep in my heart that I will get to where I need to get as long as I continue to believe. LIFE is too short to compromise ourselves to walk unhappy. I am compromised to myself to be happy. If I can't even love myself enough or love, love, then chances are I will be miserable but conformity has taken over. Don't misunderstand me, BE HAPPY where you are, but don't mistaken conformity for thankfulness. Life is intended to live progressively, NOT for us to never learn and grow. Lately, YES true, I am scarred sometimes, the past haunts us and the future just simply scares us. I guess that is why truth is the best way to live life is by the moment. We will use our knowledge of our past and our future to help us create consciousness of who we are but it will not control the outcome of what we will do. As tough as it may seem sometimes we simply need to restart and conduce ourselves in a forward manner. Just remember as Winston Churchill would say "NEVER GIVE UP" ... proceed with your goals .. move forward with your life. YOU CAN DO IT. Believe IT!
I sometimes find that I am tempted to surrender to fear, let it control my present. FEAR is a result of a belief that something terrible will happen. FEAR of being in a relationship because you might get hurt. FEAR of being single because you will never find someone. FEAR to go to school because you can't see yourself being smart enough to make it. FEAR of not going to school because you will never reach your dreams. YOU see fear will limit. SOMEONE over the summer taught me such a valuable lesson. NEVER, EVER make a decision out of fear -- why? Because if you make a decision out of fear you are already setting limits to the results of that decision. The decision made out of fear will be short term -- and perhaps have permanent damage. When we make decisions out fear we will compromise ourselves because we are afraid that if we don't make this decision there will be no other options for us. So you choose, whether you want to live your life in fear or love. "Perfect love will cast out fear" and I believe in that.
NOT always am I the best are living this but I have found that this is the best way to live your life. YES, we will have some fears in our lives. SURE, somethings will almost seem to make more sense if we do them out of fear, but partly there is a sense of control on our half and our lack of trust and faith will push us to compromise. Sure, I question why somethings are the way they are in my life now, I won't even lie. I doubt at times that things will work out for me, but that is short term. ON the long run I know deep in my heart that I will get to where I need to get as long as I continue to believe. LIFE is too short to compromise ourselves to walk unhappy. I am compromised to myself to be happy. If I can't even love myself enough or love, love, then chances are I will be miserable but conformity has taken over. Don't misunderstand me, BE HAPPY where you are, but don't mistaken conformity for thankfulness. Life is intended to live progressively, NOT for us to never learn and grow. Lately, YES true, I am scarred sometimes, the past haunts us and the future just simply scares us. I guess that is why truth is the best way to live life is by the moment. We will use our knowledge of our past and our future to help us create consciousness of who we are but it will not control the outcome of what we will do. As tough as it may seem sometimes we simply need to restart and conduce ourselves in a forward manner. Just remember as Winston Churchill would say "NEVER GIVE UP" ... proceed with your goals .. move forward with your life. YOU CAN DO IT. Believe IT!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Consuming Fire.
There is a strong feeling of love that consumes my heart. Sometimes I don't even know what to do with this feeling? I am humbled by this great overwhelming feeling that has wrapped my heart to a point where I don't even know how to keep myself from showing it. However, there are different levels of love that we will have for each other. All I can pray is that I can know that the purity of GOD's love is what keeps my heart pounding for HIS love. But what when you love someone that doesn't love you the same way back? Do you stop loving them or do you continue to shower them with GOD's love and deposit in GOD's hand the rest because there is just so much you can do. I can no longer hold back that love that consumes my heart, so much that my heart wants to jump out and just love everyone with so much passion. It is a fire that surely consumes but only because of that love. God's love is that one that consumes you with love. That consuming fire that we know of is that eternal love that GOD has for us. There is no fear, no evil, no wrong doing in LOVE. I cannot completely ever comprehend the intensity of GOD's love all I know is that it has taken my heart to another love. There are so many things one can do for LOVE one of them is to completely devote oneself to that LOVE one feels.
MY love comes from above and because it is derived from God's love I am able to experience love to a whole other level in my life. All I can do is embrace this LOVE because fighting it will lead me nowhere, I am surrendered to this powerful gift of LOVE. MY heart delights in YOU LORD because you are my strength and because the LOVE that POWERFUL love will be the one that will help me overcome evil with LOVE. I believe in the power of LOVE I believe that there is a fulfilling power in the LOVE GOD has given us.
MY love comes from above and because it is derived from God's love I am able to experience love to a whole other level in my life. All I can do is embrace this LOVE because fighting it will lead me nowhere, I am surrendered to this powerful gift of LOVE. MY heart delights in YOU LORD because you are my strength and because the LOVE that POWERFUL love will be the one that will help me overcome evil with LOVE. I believe in the power of LOVE I believe that there is a fulfilling power in the LOVE GOD has given us.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Love and Respect
Relationships are about Love and Respect
While loving you is crucial for us to be together
Respecting you will insure us making it till the end
We build our life based on fairy tales dismissing the fact that reality
has to do with more important factors
Encourage me to love and respect you so that at the end these two
can continuously reinforce why being together simply makes sense
Not only will it help us make it work but it will prepare us to face the not
so workable days
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Glass half full or half empty?
Previously I wrote about how we were our own worst enemy. And I believe that this topic pretty much follows the same train of thought in some way. Recently, I was experiencing some real low moments in my life, not because of any reason in particular I guess just an accumulation of different things. None of these situations called for such attention but still I couldn't help but to feel sad about some things in life. We all know perfectly well that life never goes as we plan it to go. What the heck, even when I don't plan for it.. my not so sketched out plan still seems to suck sometimes, now that is bad. lol Our life may sometimes have a load of problems what we have to deal with, and disappointments but in addition to those we are surrounded by blessings that sometimes we ourselves are not even aware of. One thing about our faith that sometimes troubles is really putting things into a greater and more positive perspective, even when it is really not such a pretty site. I think many times I am considered a giddy very cheerful almost a little too positive in the eyes of some. And I won't argue I do seem a little more positive than other people but I guess it is in my nature to help people see the light that is found at the end of the tunnel. Now that doesn't mean that I have faced my moments of despair, because surely I have. Some frightful almost helpless moments where I question many things in my life. I even sometimes find myself being super hard on myself because things that are beyond my control I seem to want to become accountable for. It is this superwoman syndrome, I have somehow acquired, not by choice that is.
Now, I find that my faith in those moments of despair is what keeps me floating. Notice how I said floating. Sometimes the trials in our lives throw us deep into the water like a storm in the sea and swimming is not even a choice anymore. Imagine this for a second with me, just imagine yourself in the sea on a ship things were nice.. the wind was blowing at it's normalcy and then all of a sudden that weather takes a shift for the worst, like in life. All of a sudden, you find yourself like Jesus disciples in the sea and this storm seems to want to kill you, throw you off track, off the boat. Guess what, maybe just maybe, you will be thrown into the water because of this sudden storm... maybe even lose some air and drink some water in the middle of all of this but guess what you are still floating. I see my faith as my floaters, even in the worse situations of life. These little, simple balloons on your arm , the things they can do. That is your faith. I don't know what your fear may be but find what will keep you floating in those stormy moments.
That takes me to my faith and what keeps it going. I was hearing a friend preach on this character in the bible called Mephibosheth (2nd of Samuel 4:4) I was sooo-oo intrigued by this character, let me tell you why. Mephi (my nick name for him) was only 5 when his father Jonathan and grandfather Saul passed away) Mephi's nanny, the moment she heard the news rushed out and took Mephi far where he would be protected. In the process of leaving the nanny drops him and now Mephi is crippled. Time passes and Mephi continues with his life, even has children of his own but one day is requested by the king. Mephi was terrified when King David requested for him to visit him at his palace. This is it.. was probably what Mephi said to himself. David is going to kill me for sure. Poor Mephi little did he know if the promise that David had made Jonathan (his father). --- David spared Jonathan's son Mephibosheth,* who was Saul's grandson, because of the oath David and Jonathan had sworn before the LORD.2 - 2 Samuel 21:7--- Mephi had no idea, according to him his life was over. So what is my point you are asking? We live our lives crippled many times because of the mistakes of our parents or even grandparents. NOT to say that I encourage for people to live chained to their past but I do acknowledge that our past can have an affect on who we are today. Like Mephi, we are all promised a redemption plan. We do not have to subject ourselves to being crippled for he rest of our lives. Crippled by our past, even crippled by our present. Mephi didn't realize that his father had made an oath with King David, and because of this oath he would be redeemed from his families chaos. Our chaos can very well be our world, this world we live in. Our environment, our friends, our family even ourselves. However, we have to trust the promises that have been given to us.
Like many of us Mephi's life was good in the beginning, he came from a life of royalty, he probably had all the money he needed as a kid, toys, he had it all, he was a son of a prince. Things changed for him though. Life took an unexpected turn. Such that he had no control over, this was out of his hands. And then to top it off he is crippled because his nanny dropped him. Man oh man.. did things change for Mephi. It is sooo much easier in a situation to say "It's not fair" and I know that we are tempted to do so many times. Like Mephi we say, but why me? things were so much better.. life would have been great. However, we cannot dwell on what we don't see, but see what is in front of us, what is that we are missing out on. Mephi's curse was turned into a blessing. His families disgrace wasn't his disgrace, he was blessed at the end of it all.
Remember there was a promise that HIS now KING David had made with his father, it still stood. The promises of GOD stands in our lives also. Mephi didn't know this. As we sometimes don't know. In order to keep on in life it is important to have faith and believe. Believe in the person that GOD has created you and the purpose you have been appointed for. We get so lost in our lives because we cannot find our purpose. We cannot see the hope that lies ahead for us. It is time to change that. Mephi's situation and past didn't change. He was still crippled, and his past didn't change but his future would. What a promise can do! This story not only proves the importance of the integrity of King David but how the integrity can save the life of another. Everyday you will be blessed to be surrounded with people that you will impact in a negative or positive way. May our integrity and character never be stained. May we come to see the importance of our faith, and carrying our faith everywhere we go. Living a life of integrity, passion and commitment. Taking a stand for the things that are right, and doing what should be done. This all starts with us, and ends with us.
As we continue to journey in this path called life, may we remember that his promises will keep our faith standing. We have to believe and never loose trust. At the end of the day we chose whether or not we will live our lives to the fullest or give up on life. We will chose to LIVE and live STRONG. Turn your curse into a blessing today.
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