Month: September 2014

There They Go!

lauriann 4 Comments

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Like every other Sunday morning;  I sit on my balcony to look at the airport and watch how the airplanes take off to the sky.  Sometimes I even wave them good-bye.  This morning I watched 2 JetBlue’s leave as early as 6 AM.  The early Sunday FedEx left sharp at 7 AM.  And while I drank my morning coffee a huge Delta soared through the sky leaving the Luis Munoz Rivera International Airport behind.

I often wonder what’s the plane destination; who are those passengers; what are their plans for the future and who will be waiting for them when they arrive.  I do love living in front of the airport; but it could be a frustrating experience too.  Specially when you feel trapped and you want to leave; but you don’t have the means to do it.  Every time a plane departs; a piece of my heart leaves too.  I feel like leaving; but I can’t.  I guess that’s the way prisoners feel.

Living in Puerto Rico during these last four years have been hard on me.  Since I lost my job and I haven’t had financial stability; the only steadfast supply in my life has been my faith in God.  But what happens when you get shaken to the point that you even doubt if what you’re doing is right?

I started a job two weeks ago; it doesn’t pay much, I only work four hours a week, I prepare very well for my job (I do the lesson plans), I filled all the documents the way they said so I could get paid in time….but still, I didn’t get paid.  It’s so sad when you see the fuel tank of your car almost on empty, it’s the end of the month when you know you won’t have money; then you work, expect to get paid, and it doesn’t happen.

When I told my mom yesterday, that I didn’t get paid, she told me to quit.  But I have a contract so I just have to breathe deeply and try to manage the best that I can.  But then this morning, I watched the planes departing again and….I….just….wanted…..to….leave.

Satanism Vs. Atheism

lauriann 2 Comments

satanic book

Do you know what is the difference between a Satanist and an atheist?  The true simple answer is: nothing.  There is no difference at all.  Now you may say:  but the atheist do not believe in God or the devil.  And you’re right.  But neither do the Satanists!  The church of Satan is a humanist organization; in other words: they are atheist. They don’t adore the devil. They adore man. Many church goers ignore this information completely; they have been deceived by Hollywood and sensationalism for a very long time.

News and pictures about people dressed in black cloaks, killing animals, drinking blood and virgin sacrifices are all images that don’t occur in the Satanic Temple.  But the real question remains: is this really a good thing?  The Satanic Temple sells us the positive thinking, the man-god concept, the word declarations….but, do you know what’s worse about this?  That these philosophies are being taught in many of our churches as we speak.

Our own declarations are substituting the powerful Word of God.  Our positive thoughts are substituting the mind of Christ in our way of thinking.  The man-god concept is substituting the sovereignty of the Almighty God working in our lives.

But the funny thing about all of this is that atheist are always bragging about being free from religion.  Think again!  Cause Atheism is an organized religion.  I already mentioned where it comes from: the Satanic Temple.  So they may argue that they don’t have to go to a temple to worship.  Neither do millions of Roman-Catholics but they are still called “Catholics”.

Atheist’s so called “freedom” is just an illusion.  Can they be free of sickness?  Can they be free of depression?  Can they be free of their own mortality?  Can they be free of loneliness?  No, they cannot.  Humans cannot free themselves of problems or situations…not even positive thinking will save anybody.  Not even being a genius will help anybody from their fate.  Just ask Stephen Hawkings, he’s a genius tied to a wheelchair.

The devil doesn’t want people to believe in God.  He wants people to be sick, to be lonely, depressed, to die without hope.  Unfortunately, his scheme is making people live in despair, taking their own lives, thinking that there is no way out.  But God is real like the invisible air that surrounds us.  We cannot live without him.

But, what can we learn about all of this?  Atheist are Satanist; they just don’t know it.  And if they know it; they probably don’t care.  But the sad thing is that one day, they will care.  But by then, it will probably be too late for them.

So, church be on alert!  Parents, keep an eye on what it is taught to your children at school.  Remember, God is powerful to deliver us from any sin, there is nothing that He cannot do.

Feel Guilty or Not?

lauriann 2 Comments

Good morning

This has been a good week.  Well, under the circumstances of being broke, yeah it’s been a great week.  I mentioned in an earlier post that I went to a job interview.  Well, the update is that I didn’t get that job.  But, a few days later I did go to another job interview and I did get that other job.  Yesterday was my first day of giving conversational English to Spanish speaking kids.  I used music as a tool and it was the best decision I made.  Kids made great comments to their parents and the lady owner of the school was happy about it and she let me know.

Also, during this last week I started giving voice lessons to church goers on Monday night.  There’s something about teaching others that makes me feel that I’m doing God’s will.  When God gives you a talent, the best thing you can do is use it to bless others.

So, I was very busy making plans, looking online for ideas to spice up the lessons for my students so that they could have fun while they learn when I made the mistake of reading the news.  Suddenly I saw the photograph of a tall man dressed completely in black.  His face was completely covered except for his eyes.  His left hand held a knife while another man dressed in orange kneeled beside him with a sad face seemingly accepting the unavoidable fate of his demise.  Suddenly, I felt distressed.

There I was feeling good about myself and enjoying my life while others suffer.  Am I wicked when I make plans for a blessed future for my daughter and myself while others are being battered, murdered, tortured and even massacred?

“So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me.  All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”  Ecclesiastes 2:17

This morning I prayed.  I prayed for the persecuted churches in North Korea, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Africa, Indonesia, Pakistan and all other countries where women are being mistreated or enslaved, kids are being massacred, men are being jailed or executed.  I prayed for those parents forced to endure the pain of watching helplessly as their adored offspring are being beheaded for reasons they don’t even care for.  I prayed for God to fight for His people, the innocent, the hurting, the lowly….  I prayed for peace that passes understanding.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and time for peace.”  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

And I pray for us, that we appreciate the time that we can share with our families, that we learn to put our plans into God’s hands; that we learn to listen to His voice and obey Him.   I pray that all of those who read this post are loved, blessed, protected, touched by His hand and that may we never lose hope…

Smile

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Letterman

I live in an apartment complex. So there are lots of people that I see constantly coming in and out of the building. I try to be courteous whenever I take the elevator. If somebody is inside the elevator when I take it, I greet them and if I leave first, I wish the other passengers a good night, day or whatever. That is politeness.

We live in the same community and you never know when you may need help or when you could help some neighbor in crisis. Well, there is a lady that I’ve encountered many, many times. I greet her when I get into the elevator or when I see her, I smile courteously. She never answers my greetings and she never smiles back at me. Actually, if she sees me, she even ignores me.

The truth is that I’m not offended by it. I pray that some day she will meet happiness in her life. But I think that her personality is making her miss out in lots of opportunities. I will explain myself.

I have noticed that she doesn’t have a car. I’ve seen her in the bus stop waiting. She has to take public transportation to go anywhere she has to go. I have to tell you that public transportation in Puerto Rico, sucks big time! When I didn’t have a car, I had to develop a lot of patience waiting for the bus for even 2 hours or more. And I’m not even mentioning what happens whenever the bus drivers decide to go into a strike fighting for their rights.

Last week I went with my daughter to an appointment into a shopping mall. It was midday. While we sat, I saw the aforementioned non smiling neighbor there. As always, she saw us but decided to ignore us. My daughter and I did our diligences, had a great time visiting stores, (even if we just window shopped), ate at a McDonalds and just enjoyed ourselves. When we were ready and tired, we got into our little old car and headed back home. It was late in the afternoon.

While my car was entering the parking lot through the electric gate, I saw the non smiling neighbor arriving at the same time. She was walking from the bus stop and still not smiling. She probably had to wait hours for a bus before arriving home. It made me wonder.

If she would’ve been more open to friendships, at least I would’ve been brave enough to offer her a lift so that she wouldn’t have to wait for the bus. Or maybe I’m the one who needs to be braver and not be afraid of being rejected. Experience has taught me that people can be so mean sometimes.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:12-13 “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

I pray that someday, I learn to be more brave and that my non smiling neighbor can find happiness and more friends.

Ugly

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CIMG2557  Hello!  My name is Midna.  I live with my two servants: Lauriann & Anna.  Yesterday a visitor came to my dwelling place or should I say: my castle.  My servants kept me safe in a room so that that visitor couldn’t harm me.  But I could smell her from a mile away.  I was quite content in that safe room.  I had everything I needed:  my food, my water and my favorite potty box.  Oh! And I also have a tall bed that almost touches the ceiling from which I can see through the window all the tiny moving objects that I long to catch & play with… or maybe eat them.

So I was quite comfortable but I could still hear that stranger walking around and talking about me.  Yeah!  She said I was “ugly”.  My servants insisted that I was not.  But the stranger stubbornly kept saying that I was the ugliest cat that she had ever seen.  She also added that the previous cat (whom I’ve never met) was prettier. The nerve!  What did I ever do to deserve to be insulted like that?

All I do is play around with anything that I can find.  My favorite pastimes are: following balls and hunting my snacks and eating them.  I still wonder why my servants grimace whenever I eat my snacks.  It’s so much fun to watch while my snacks try to escape but I always catch them…..mmmmeow  and that crunchy sensation while I chew them is sensational.  My servants call them “cockroaches”  but I call them “yummy”.

I like my life and I even have a friend.  His name is Marlute and he lives next door.  He’s much older than me but I like to bother him whenever he visits and stays over.  I like intimidating him with my furry tail.  He may be bigger, older and probably cuter by questionable standards; but I’m funnier!

I am loved, well cared and I have my own kingdom.  And, I don’t give a meow who thinks I’m ugly!

So, bite me!

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