Keeping our Lights Shining Bright!

 Hi everybody! I promise I'll try to visit some blogs today! It's been really busy here... and then after the horrible tragedy in Connecticut I haven't been feeling like blogging... Such a horrible thing! It's made me sick to my stomach... My prayers with the families of the victims. May God's surpassing peace flood their hearts.
 
Today is a new day but even when it's new... nothing will be the same...  what happened in that school, may it be something that we always remember, to use it for something good, if possible... hug more our children, kiss them every time, avoid holding grudges, focus on what matters most...

This Christmas hold your loved ones tight! Don't focus on gifts but focus on Jesus, on His love, eternal, perfect, pure! And rejoice in that love with those around you! The events made me want to turn my Christmas lights off... I thought: "how can we be celebrating in the middle of so much pain?" But how can we not? When our hearts ache most we need to remember and celebrate that Jesus was born! in the darkest hour His light continues to shine! His light came to this dirty, painful world that didn't even want Him but that so desperately needed Him... and we continue to need Him today, my Christmas lights are shining to remember that! not just for "decoration" ... Let your lights shine this Christmas... not to represent "wealth, parties and good times" but to reflect on the fact that this dark world needs Him, and if we don't let our lights shine... who will?

John: 8:12 -Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”-

© Paloma K.

Tuned-In Tuesdays

 Hello everybody! Welcome to "Tuned-In Tuesdays" as you know I usually post "quotes" or some words of wisdom on Tuesdays! I usually just call it "Tuesday of quotes" I don't even remember how that started... But I've loved it and I actually get great feedback from my readers on the quotes I share! I usually try to choose quotes according to the season, world events, etc... So, thinking about it, I thought I would actually "name" this tradition, and that's how I ended up with "Tuned-In Tuesdays"

This time I am sharing quotes about weather, for obvious reasons! My prayers with the people from the East Coast!

 "Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come". - Robert Schuller

"Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes He calms the sailor. And sometimes He makes us swim." - Author Unknown

"There's always another storm. It's the way the world works. Snowstorms, rainstorms, windstorms, sandstorms, and firestorms. Some are fierce and others are small. You have to deal with each one separately, but you need to keep an eye on whats brewing for tomorrow.” - Maria V. Snyder, Fire Study.

 “When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” - Haruki Murakami

"Clouds, leaves, soil and wind all offer themselves as signals of changes in the weather. However, not all the storms of life can be predicted" - David Petersen

 "But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” - Mathew 8:26-27

Hopefully most of the damages and loss are just material, not human, as far as I know 10 lives have been lost due to Hurricane (now storm) Sandy. My prayers with the grieving families and with all of those going through storms right now, weather storms and personal storms.

Blessings!


© Paloma K.

9/11 perceived by a Mexican

I don't know how my brain even missed that today is September 11 when I posted the previous entry! I guess I wanted to somehow block it out although I know I will always remember... and even when I was a young teacher (22) and living in Mexico when it happened... I know exactly what I was doing... such horrifying acts shook the entire world not just the United States... In my case I was in school teaching some teenage girls (I used to teach English Grammar and Spelling) and I remember going to the principal's office for some copies to give to my students,  the faces that I saw in there told me something was wrong and my mom, who worked at the school too, just looked at me and told me "The Twin Towers were attacked" I have to admit that I laughed in disbelief... She said: "Paloma, an airplane just crashed INTO one tower" I left the office not even knowing what to make of it... what was she talking about? Not the twin towers! It couldn't be! She must be wrong! Maybe is something else, an airplane? a real one? well, hopefully most people will be ok... My thoughts scrambled in my head... I remember that my students were not in the classroom anymore... we all gathered around a small TV in the cafeteria of the school where I saw that horrifying scene for the first time, I got there just in time to see the first tower collapse and everything stopped! I knew this was huge! This couldn't be happening! Did I fall asleep while I was teaching and I am having a nightmare? That had to be it... and then everything else is history... I watched it all... and then President Bush speaking... this was war!

I thought I would share about what I was doing when this tragedy that we will never forget happened... I thought I would let you know how someone from another country perceived it all...  

I thought since it's Tuesday of Quotes here at the Coffee shop I would also share some famous quotes in regards to this event that changed so many lives... and to those who lost someone in such a painful, coward act... just know that we all still think of them... And I am deeply sorry for your loss.

Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children. “
- President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

 “Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew. “
- President George W. Bush, December 11, 2001

 The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom. --Rudolph W. Giuliani. December 31, 2001.

© Paloma K.

Haiti Earthquake - Donate

We all know that not everything is good news in this world... So, even when this is a blog where I want you to feel happy, relaxed and enjoy yourself we cannot close our eyes and ears to what is happening around the world and today specifically to what's happening in Haiti! I do not need to say more, you have probably watched it in the News, heard it on the Radio and read about it online.... I just want to invite all of the wonderful readers of this blog to help, pray and if possible make a donation just click on the link of your choice:

Donate through United Nations Foundation

Donate through American Red Cross


Thanks dear Coffee Lovers!


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