Tag: Religion and Spirituality

READER APPRECIATION DAY!

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I want to send a big shout out to my 1500+ blog followers. You are the best audience ever 🙂 So I have to share the latest developments  on my new book, SALSA! The Taste of Life, with you. I just heard from my publisher, TATE PUBLISHING that the book is going into print SOON! That’s right , you heard it!  I will give you more details as I get them. Again, thank you for reading my blog and stay tuned because when Salsa! comes out I will be having contests of all sorts and if you want a free autographed copy then, you’ll just have to play along!

Have a fantastic week-end friends!!

RANDOM ACTS

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The other day I was doing some school work with Esther and we discussed what prose is. She said she didn’t understand the word at all so we looked it up.
Prose- A prose work that has poetic characteristics such as vivid imagery and concentrated expression.
She still drew a blank . So I told her my definition; word pictures or observations. She smiled and said she preferred my definition because it made sense.
So I offer you a word picture today!

Random Acts of Kindness
Have you ever walked by a card shop and thought, ‘ Hmmm I’d like to get that card for my sister .’ You stop and think about it;mulling it over in your brain and then you dismiss that thought and move on? What if that card was what your sister needed to get her through her day? We all do it. We have an inkling of a thought to do a spontaneous act of kindness for someone and then poof, quick as a flash we dismiss it and we pass up on the chance to have made someone’s life better.

Next time that happens think about this: What if when God was considering sending us His Son to save us, He just dismissed it and went on about His business? After all, He is a busy God! But He followed through and did what He purposed in His heart to do from the very start!

When I finished my book, Salsa! The Taste of Life, my new book soon to be released; I wondered just who I could dedicate it to. My first book, As Clear as Claire Gets, A Conversation with the Past, I dedicated to one of my nephews. His graduation from high school was around the time of my book release so I thought, ‘ What a fine present for a young man who has everything!’ Now, I tried to talk myself out of it at first. I reasoned I didn’t really know him and I came up with other excuses and then I decided to go with my gut instinct and do what I had purposed in my heart from the start. I’m so glad I did because I’ll never forget the look on that young man’s face when I presented him with a copy of my book at his graduation. It was priceless!

Last night something wonderful happened. My daughter Raxy’s bestfriend came over for a sleep over. I had dedicated Salsa! to her and when I told her, last month, on her birthday, that the dedication was my present, that little girl was ecstatic about having her name in my book. Yesterday,when her mom dropped her off, she stopped in for a bit and I showed her my proof copy of Salsa! . When she saw her daughter’s name in the dedication section of the book, she was overcome with emotion and we hugged. I tell you, I live for moments like these.

Don’t wait for a special moment. Do a random act of kindness for someone and see how it lights up their world. The old adage is true: It is better to give than to receive. When you have an inkling to do something for someone, do so. Those in the unseen realm see what you do here in this life and they are pleased.

-EVA SANTIAGO copyright 2012

 

365 Snap Shots of Life: Day 229

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HOLA!! Here comes yet another edited poem that didn’t make it into my new book, SALSA! THE TASTE of LIFE which will be out in a little while. I wrote this when I was going through a rough spot of feeling as if life were passing me by. I sat down and this poem just came gushing out of my pen and unto the pages of my journal. I felt so good after I finished it because I took it as God comforting me and letting me know He never forgets me. I hope this soothes you as it did me  🙂 HUGS!!!!

Your Tears

The wind howls outside,

“Won’t you let me come in?”

It beckons: “Follow me!

Girl! Get up and at ‘em!

Your life IS passing you by.”

 

 

The wind howls outside my window;

Knock, knock, a knocking on my resistance.

Whispers ever so cunningly,

“Surely there is somewhere way better.

Won’t you find out?”

 

 

The wind, it blows in my ear;

a strange lover seducing me with sweet songs:

“You are too good for this, Mujer.

You deserve BETTER.

What are you doing just giving your life away,

for the sake of others?

No one does THAT anymore!”

 

 

The wind scolds me;

I feel it, a whip stinging my raw emotions—

ÂĄEstupida! When are you going to learn:

In this life, nice never pays!

GO! Find your way.

GO! Get your life back.

You should’ve never thrown it away, ¡Tonta!

 

 

“Be still, mi alma!”

 

 

Silence


 

 

Uno, dos, tres


 

 

Here comes the gentle breeze,

the one who doesn’t knock me around,

rocks me gently to and fro.

Sweet, sweet lullaby in the night;

I fall deep in a restful slumber,

only to wake up to your gentle caresses.

The lover of my soul whispering to me,

“You are my girl, the one I lose sleep over.

The one I weep for as I pick up your tears

and collect them in this flask,

and with which I bathe my face.

 

 

Your tears are the fragrance I wear.

Never stop shedding them;

I gave them as my gift, so your heart can be healed.

In my world, nothing is wasted,

Not even one single tear.”

 

One day I will show you

what your tears have done.

For now I will tell you,

every single tear you’ve shed,

since the day your heart broke

for the very first time.

I stored your tears in a safe place;

as a rich man hordes gold.

 

 

Your tears have set the captives free,

watered thirsty travelers.

Your tears have nourished dying souls,

and watered many gardens.

Your tears have brought conviction,

turning stony hearts into repentant souls.

Your tears have set one thousand to flight,

and dispelled irksome fears.

Your tears have turned the dry arid desert

into a beautiful oasis where many come,

from near and far, to rest,

before continuing their journey.

 

 

And your tears now fill a vast ocean

that teems with life,

because when you gave away yours,

it was so I could give you something better.

 

 

From a child they forbade you to cry,

because your tears make people feel-

something people don’t want to do anymore.

I designed you to feel
that’s why you weep,

because hard hearts are dry hearts,

who are all bitter and brittle.

“My daughter, my child,

I gave you a lamenting heart:

A fountain, a reservoir full of living water.

when you weep, my river of living waters flows,

through you
my vessel of honor.”

–EVA SANTIAGO copyright 2012

365 Snap Shots of Life: Day 227

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I ‘m back! I took some days off to rest after a family ordeal. All’s well that ends well I say 🙂 Where is my book?? That’s what I’d like to know 🙂 Seriously, the last stage seems the longest and the hardest of anything including the publishing of a book. So here is another preview of Salsa! the Taste of Life. This poem I edited out of the book and I hope you enjoy it. Smile and keep smiling because it makes your enemies nuts!

The Five W’s

Everyone has asked,

What are you?

What can you do for me?

Who are you?

Why are you that way?

Where did you come from?

When are you leaving?

 

 

Then you came along,

You didn’t assault me

With all manner of intrusive questions.

You said, “Eres mi hija. You are my daughter.”

That’s all I want from you,

Don’t matter who you are,

You’re one of mine now,

I love you


Just the way you are.

I know where you came from,

A place of sorrow, torment and pain.

I know so

Because I too have been there before:

Familiar with peace of mind,

Also aware of what it is

To feel like you’re going insane.

I know who you are,

You’re one of mine now;

Doesn’t matter who, what, when, where why or how.

 

 

Thank you for taking me in,

For not bothering me with the five W’s,

For being what I need,

For giving me what I crave:

A feeling of belonging.

Though I’ve buried many things in a grave,

You are heaven sent,

To help me heal, find and restore.

I’ll never ask you

For anything more,

‘cause what you do

Is a perfect gift

From heaven above.

Te amo! Te quiero! Te adoro!

Thank you, siempre, for your unconditional love.

-EVA SANTIAGO copyright 2012

Better Than a Clockmaker

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I know God loves me. I’ve known even. I am becoming more and more aware of a depth of grace that no one ever talks about. At least I have never heard of anyone in church talk about it. What I’m referring to is beyond “amazing grace how sweet the sound that save a wretch like me.” It is a grace so deep that it comforts and nourishes me simultaneously. A grace that gives me room to be human and not feel ashamed about it. A grace that holds me up when I trip and stumble. God said He would never let me fall on my face because his right hand would uphold me when I struggle. I am living those words now. I have a God who looks out for me. I am in love with an amazing God who watches my back at every turn. I am in relationship with the Creator of everything who knows my every thought before I even think it. He knows the inner workings of my soul better than a clockmaker knows every click and turn of all the gears in his clocks. He knows what every one of my sighs mean; He understands each one of my soul’s groans when I have run out of words to pray. He knows why I shed every tear and why I laugh when I am happy.

I can say I have discovered a tender side of God that looks at me not with disgust when I mess up; but with a tender compassion that melts my heart and makes me want to draw even closer to His presence. Has your child ever messed up so badly that when your anger toward him subsided, you took him into your arms and said,” I love you no matter what you do or say.” ? Well that’s the kind of mercy God has been demonstrating to this sinner lately. God shows mercy when you are merciful to others. His love is never ending. His love is true. Give Him a chance to work in your life and you’ll never be disappointed. Does it sound too good to be true? I have been lied to all of my life by people I trusted and I ought to be the world’s most distrusting soul. But alas I found out that God never lies. So even though people’s lies hurt me, God never has and that’s why I trust Him with all I am. Take a chance on God whose very essence is LOVE!

-Eva Santiago

The Majestic Oak Tree

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The majestic oak tree does not produce acorns until 50 yrs. old. Your greatest career capacity manifests after 50! It is the time when your personal history, wisdom and core gifting come to integrated maturity – “convergence” – and thus the time when you need to be open to a fresh INVITATION to join God in what HE IS DOING as you finish your race. Welcome to what you have been preparing for….your entire life.

365 Snap Shots of Life: Day 181

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HELLO BLOG WORLD!! I am exhilarated today for you see, I heard back from my editor and she says I did a superb job on my first round of edits. Umm let’s see, she also congratulated me on a job well done and well, that just about covers it 🙂 Now you get my source of excitement? So I’m sharing an excerpt of my book on this post. I hope you enjoy it and leave me some feed back. As I mentioned on another post, I cannot wait to share it with you. I will have trivia quizzes and other contests where you’ll be able to win a free copy of SALSA! The Taste of Life. Happy Friday!!!

 

 

 

 

 

365 Snap Shots of Life:Day 148

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Do you believe in this old saying: You reap what you sow? Do you still believe in the kindness of strangers? In this world we live in with all the negativity the media broadcasts it’s easy to forget those simple truths.

Yesterday I was at the library. When we came out our car was dead. So we tried to figure out what the problem was,looked under the hood trying to trouble shoot. Then a man in his 60’s walked by us with his grandchild, a cute little kid who wore glasses just like grandpa’s . He offered to help us jump-start the battery and then we ran into the second problem; the jump-start cables were too short. Thankfully I had paid attention to the person who had parked on the other side of us just a few minutes before. I ran back into the library and found her checking out. I asked her if she could help us and she hurried to finish checking out and a few minutes later she allowed us to use her car to jump-start our battery.

There are a lot of good people out there who will help. If you do your part to help someone out, it DOES come back to you when you need it. In the movie BRUCE ALMIGHTY,God tells  Bruce,” Be the miracle people need.” Sometimes those miracles can be something as practical as jump starting someone’s car 🙂 

HAPPY SUNDAY!!! Be someone’s miracle today 🙂