Letter to Annie

        Gods path can be very hard to understand, very challenging, and very confusing, On my search for God I've struggle. I've gotten confuse by so many opinions on what God consists of.  In the article "A Letter to Annie's Sunday School Class on The Bible and Homosexuality" by Mark Yaconelli, The author begins his letter by introducing himself. Yaconelli states the amount of years that his been familiar with this topic, he does this to inform the reader, that he has a clear understanding about the Bible and Homosexuality. 
          Yaconelli bases his thesis in love, God said; love your neighbor as you love yourself. Yes indeed this is the most important message of the Bible. Before we go any further I would like to ask; What is love?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
            Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.   (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
            Yaconelli explains that there is nothing wrong in practicing love between two men, and two women, that if it's true love God is there and it is blessed. God created everything based on his image, God says "It is not good for the man to be alone" so he created women, 

Genesis 2:18-24

21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[b] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[c] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
    for she was taken out of man.”

24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

       Marriage is  between a man and a women is for life, they promise love to each other until their last breaths. Marriage is the blessing of God. In the Bible indeed there is parts where it specifies that homosexuality is prohibited, just as is prohibited adultery. 

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God

    Whether homosexuality is a sin or not, it is not my job to judge others. God is love, and he loves us so much that he gave us intelligence, he loves us so much that he allows us to make our own decisions. He loves us so much that even though we make decision against his rules, he still gives us the opportunity of the doubt. He has faith on us. 

By www.godisreal.today

07/20/16

I heard this song  a couple days ago and I liked the beeping. Today I actually took the time to listen to the lyrics, and I really liked the message. I think that when he says "Mama said it was okay" he refers to, its okay to not have everything, its okay to have dreams, and once the dreams are achieved its okay to remember where we come from. 

Gratitude Task Day 7

Add Happiness Through Subtraction 

Practicing this exercise off adding happiness through subtraction has helped me realized the importance of appreciating what we have. I don't want to wait until I've lost something to realize it's worth. I wanna be able to recognize what I have today. That I'm blessed with a beautiful family, amazing friends, co-workers. I'm blessed to have a job,  I'm blessed to have the opportunity of education. I'm blessed to be where I am, I'm blessed to have a place where to sleep, I' blessed to have a bed, I'm blessed to be alive. Thank you God for all you have done for me, thank you for so many blessings, even though sometimes I don't deserve them. Thank you for never leaving my side.  I don't want to wait to appreciate what I have no more, I want to start today making a difference. I don't want to wait until something happens for me to realize how important is to be grateful. 

Lets Make A Difference

By Leo Buscaglia

Grateful Heart

By Pinterest

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/362047257525321954/

Gratitude Task Day 6

 Its been five nights since I started the exercise "Add Happiness through subtraction" I have had my ups and downs. Some nights are better than others, I think I'm getting used to it, but I definitely can't wait until is over.  I miss so much sleeping in my bed. The point to this exercise is for us to realize the importance  appreciating what we have. The importance of being genuinely thankful for our lives.  

I Am Grateful

I am grateful for my beautiful mother who has always been there for me. I am grateful for all the things that you've done for us. When I was around five years old, my parents decided to get divorce, I don't really remember my dad being around me. Many times I felt bad for not having my dad, but God blessed me with an incredible mother. She always thought  me to be brave, independent, to be strong. I am grateful to be your daughter. 

Today's Reality

By Pinterest

I Truly Believe!

I truly believe that everything that we do and everyone that we meet is put in our path for a purpose. There are no accidents; we're all teachers - if we're willing to pay attention to the lessons we learn, trust our positive instincts and not be afraid to take risks or wait for some miracle to come knocking at our door.

 ~Marla Gibbs 

Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_positive.html

Henry Nouwen

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. 

By Henri Nouwen

I really liked this quote because those who struggle, suffer, who stick to your side are those who are worth keeping in your life. Many times we receive false advice's, false solutions when we are down. There is no such a thing as an easy path. We must go through difficult moments and those who never let go of you, those who cry with you, they are worth keeping in your life.   

Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/ourselves.html

Grateful

So grateful for my family and friends. Grateful for being able to enjoy the beauty of nature with them. After a long week of work and school, I finally had yesterday off. I enjoyed the heat, the water,  the company, it was a beautiful day. Thank you God for never giving up on me. Thank you for all the blessings, thanks for always being with me. 

By Mark Twain

By Quotes Gram

Capstone Submission

A Happy Little Thing Called "Thank You"

This video was about a research done in the University of Boston. The research was done to prove that gratitude, can decrease stress, improve self-love, and increase happiness. During my English 101 class, we were asked to do about the same thing, for one of our assignments. The 30 students in Boston were asked to write a letter to the person that they were most grateful for. After writing the letter they were asked to call the person and read it to them. It was fun seeing their expression when they were asked to call the person and actually read it to them. During school assignments many time we write on how proud or thankful we are for our parents/friends, but when do we actually take the time to tell them? we never really tell them. This assignment was really different from the others. Some of the student were able to control their emotion when expressing their gratitude, and others weren't very successful. It was really fun watching the different reactions of the students.
 

Gratitude Task Day 5

Yesterday Sunday I didn't have the chance to write about the exercise, adding happiness, because I spent all day in company of my family at Rim Rock, it was a beautiful day. This past four nights that I've being practicing this exercise, I have felt really good. I'm always really stress about school and deadlines, about work, about meeting the seals of the month. Every day is the same routine and it's just so stressful. Maybe this exercise hasn't realized the tension of my body, but I feel that mentally it has. I feel more happy with what I have, and I try to avoid thinking of what I don't have, or what I think I need. This exercise has also had an impact in my pocket, every time I go to the store I ask myself do I need it? or do I want it? If others can live without it so can I. 

Grateful 07/17/16

Even though we are so different from each other. I love doing crazy stuff, feeling the adrenaline and you can't even get on the rides at the fair. When it comes to movies, you'r favorite movies are horror movies and I hate them so much. I am grateful for every memory that we have made together, for all the laughs we have shared. I am grateful for this past two years by your side.  

Gratitude Task Day 4

I have to admit that this exercise is a little exhausting. I worked from 9:00 am -7;00 pm, I had a really long day and I'm really tempted to just give up, at the end who would know it right?. After all we have learned this quarter about being grateful, I think I shouldn't give up.  Being grateful  can help me in many ways, and not just me but also those who are around me. If we are grateful we become healthier, happier, efficient, etc. So why not give it a chance to see how much I could improve on myself.

Nature

Grateful for the beauty of nature !

http://www.naturebridges.com/news/2008100501.php

Helen Keller

Life is either a great adventure or nothing.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.

The highest result of education is tolerance.

-by Helen Keller

Gratitude Task Day 3

Last night was my third night sleeping without the comfort of my bed. I think I slept on my arm because it was hurting, it sill hurts a little. I was thinking on giving up, I really wanted to. So I opted to get some inspiration, and I found the following video. After watching the video I felt bad for having so much and others so little. But it's not about feeling bad for what you have it's about being grateful, and helping others. Ex:  We know that kids in Africa are lacking of water, a way to help can be avoiding wasting water.

By Sarah McLachlan - World On Fire

Gratitude Task Day2

Add Happiness through Subtraction

I think that showing appreciation is a key point to being more human. Many times we don't know what we have until we've lost it. Today I am grateful for being alive, for having a wonderful family, for having unconditional friends, and a boyfriends who understands my goals and priorities. I am grateful for always having a place where I can call " home" last night was my second night practicing "Add Happiness through subtraction" sleeping on floor is very uncomfortable, last night I woke up in the middle of the night because I was freezing, The AC was on and it was right next to me. I am lucky because I fixed my problem by turning the AC off, but those who are on the streets, they cant change the weather. All those little thing such as the heater, the Ac, blankets are something to be thankful for, even though they seem so small and worthless, if we would to lose them it would be a dramatic change. 

"Always show appreciation. What's taken for granted will eventually be taken away.

 Then you end up missing most of what you least appreciated."

By Pinterest

Pay It Forward

Pay It forward 

This movie is about a social studies teacher who gives an assignment to his classroom. The assignment was to think in a idea in how to change the world, then put that idea into to action. The eleven years old Trevor McKinny creates a plan for "Pay It Forward". The plan consisted in doing three things for for someone else, it had to be something big, something they couldn't do by themselves, and that person had to pay it forward, and so and so. I really liked this movie it was very inspiring. Trevor was a really smart boy with such a big heart, even thought hes life was pretty hard, he was a happy kid, he cared for others and he did hes best to help them. I really hated the ending, wish it would of been different, but at the same time it was very emotional. 

By unknown 

http://castlegarsource.com/news/pay-it-forward-day-feature-random-acts-kindness-castlegar-nelson-and-grand-forks-thanksgiving-w#.V4fbx7grLIU

Gratitude Tasks IV

For one of my assignment for my English class I had to read an article by Kira M. Newman "Five Science Backed Strategies for more happiness". I chose one of her exercises, and will practice the exercise for a week. As I reflected in the importance of appreciating what you have I decided to chose the second exercise which is Add happiness through subtraction. I decided to give up the comfort of my bed, many people have to sleep on the streets, under  bridge, they aren't as lucky as I am. I decided to do this to be more human, to put myself in the place of others. Maybe after this assignment I will appreciate more those little thing, such as sleeping in my bed.

Princes Ana

My little niece Ana was born a month ago.

So grateful for this little angel, can't wait to see you grow. 

Tia Loves You Princess

06/12/2016

Be Wise

A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. "I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone."   "The Wise Woman's Stone"   Author Unknown A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.   D. Elton Trueblood http://www.inspirationpeak.com/kindness.html

I really enjoyed this reflection because it expresses the importance of being honest. The men knew the stone could be the solution to he's problems so he took it, but he also recognized that it was wrong, and was humble enough to return it, to do the right thing. The women was a wise person who gave food and the stone without expecting anything in exchange. I think we should learn from the traveler and recognize when we've made a mistake, and correct it. 

Friendship

"So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart,

 I shall say that life is good".

I met you in our freshman year of high school, and we clicked right away. We laughed, had long conversation, teared up once in a while. We made memories that I will always cherish them. Life has carried us on different routes but I am grateful for all the memories we made.

You will always be my best friend, my sister by choice. 

Memories!

Today was my sisters Veronica's birthday, and I decided to surprise her with a little cake. My sister is ten years older than me, even thought there is a big gap in age we are still very close to each other. My mom says that since the first day she saw me she loved me, she would change my diapers, she would take care of me all the time, As I was talking to my sister today, she said she still remembers the first time she saw me, she remembers how I looked, and what I was wearing. I am so lucky to have her in my life, words can explain how grateful I am to have her as my sister.