Good Night

Stuck in frame.

I think I've reached the point in The Rhythm of Life that I haven't ever gotten to before, so it's pretty exciting in my imagination I must say.

This is a true sign of reading progress---considering I can't count the number of times that I've tried finishing reading it and failed every single time.  Poor Matthew Kelly.  When he came to visit my high school three years ago, most of my schoolmates weren't very receptive of anything about him other than his accent.  Some of my close friends and I were enthralled, but as my attention span for books wasn't very optimal back then, I never was able to finish the book he gave us.  However, he continues to be one of my favorite people.  He even generously allowed his new book to be $2 for a month or two...so I bought 6 for Christmas and have been distributing in my family.

The White Stripes is playing and I'm so tempted to make some coffee, drink it, and feel fabulous about myself.  However, discipline tells me that I will be happy in the morning if I go to bed soon instead.  I need to get on the whole school schedule soon....classes will be here before I know it and I want to be ready to attack it.

With every new semester, I like to reinvent and tell myself that THIS TIME, yes this time, I'll get everything right.  Every semester, I fail my high expectations and tell myself that it's okay and that I must try again.  Every time, I get a bit stronger in my convictions and work harder.  This semester is going to be the same in a way, I don't imagine wanting to lose passion and purpose. I want to be happy, isn't that logical?

Oh Jack Johnson, you're making me want to sing to a song.

Anyways, I think I have enough random thoughts that I've been a-typing.  I'm gonna search for some chocolate, talk to God, and take out my contacts.  Probably not in that order.  Good night world!

~Esa Cita

P.S. This morning I woke up and my throat didn't hurt anymore, nor was I dizzy, and I can breathe.  My "disease" is gone!!!!! Yessssss.

Stufffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff.

My Book List Journey is continuing....


So far this year I have finished:
-Stuck in the Middle - Virginia Smith
-Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love - Edward Sri
-The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis

I am currently reading:
-The Rhythm of Life - Matthew Kelly
-The Way - Josemaria Escriva
-P.S. I Love You - Cecelia Ahern
-Love on a Dime - Cara Lynn JAmes
-Love and Freindship - Jane Austen

Matthew Kelly and Love on a Dime are getting most of the attention.  I'd like to think that this whole reading multiple books thing is keeping my brain on it's toes this winter break.

I got my U.S. passport today! It's too much money I tell ya, too much. I feel so broke. I haven't needed one since I was 5 months old, so my "latest" passport was a Spanish one with a picture of some infant girl I don't recognize. ;) It made the post office lady giggle.  I also got my hair cut today! Dundundun, Cita has "bangs" and short hair again!


So, with my short hair, no money, fun books, and possibilities of cool changes within the next few months, I say the year 2011 can bring it on!!!!

~Esa Cita
 

Hero of the Day

"Some people live famous and well-known lives; others slip in and out of our lives without much notice. Take the time today to notice someone who usually doesn't attract much attention."


St. Thorfinn was a tight guy, no one knows much about him though.  Just the thought that so many saints go through life unrecognized with their beautiful souls makes me want to sit and smell the roses so much more!  Hey you saints, come have coffee with me I want some of your advice!


St. Thorfinn, pray for us!

A Garden

Baby took a picture of moi. Madrina is proud of his 3-year-old skills.

I am diseased... with a cold.  It's no fun.


However, I am very proud to say that I went for my every-other-day run today after I had been awake for a few hours.  It was very rewarding, for the first time in a long time I didn't stop to take a break!

So awesome.  I love when my body makes progress. 

My goal is to prepare myself for my two-week daily program that I am going to embark on next month.  It's gonna be sweet, I can't wait.  Well, actually, I can. Until my body is ready for it.


There's this song that is a gorgeous song, it's called Garden by the fabulous Matt Maher.  I'm actually listening to it right now.  Singing is painful for my throat because of my cold, but I must say that little life is better than no life.  Plus, I believe that this song is a perfect representation of life and how I'm looking at it right now.

I watched Eat, Pray, Love.  Gotta say, it was enjoyable.  It makes me want to read the book, but I'm too afraid to add it to my list of books to read due to the fact that I procrastinate on ideas...really badly.  Actually, I'll add it.  Who cares if it takes forever to get to it.  At least it'll be on my list, and then one day I'll get to it.

Currently Reading:
-The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
-The Letter to the Romans - a bible study book
-Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love - Edward Sri
-P.S. I Love You - Cecelia Ahern
-The Way - Josemaria Escriva

Want to Read:
-Because God is Real - Peter Kreeft
-Rediscover Catholicism - Matthew Kelly
-The Shack - Paul Young
-The Rhythm of Life - Matthew Kelly
-Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
-Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
-Stuck in the Middle - Virginia Smith

I'm currently procrastinating.  I told myself that I'd complete my CV tonight and show my dad.  Sigh, best get to it if I want a future with food in my stomach and clothes on my body..

~Esa Cita

Word of the Day

My favorite bible verse for the longest time has been Romans 8:18.  To me, it is a verse for warriors, for superstars, not for the faint of heart.  Today I read in a book about the next verse and how this special word was used in the original translation.

Apokaradokia – “eager expectation”

“…it describes the attitude of a man who scans the horizon with head thrust forward, eagerly searching the distance for the first signs of the dawn break of glory.  To Paul, life was not a weary, defeated waiting; it was a throbbing vivid expectation.”

“Nonetheless, the Christian does not live only in the world; he also lives in Christ.  He does not see only the world; he looks beyond it to God.”

“…the keynote of the Christian life is always hope and never despair.  The Christian waits, not for death, but for life.”

 So cool, soo cool.

~Esa Cita

Christmas

Fact: I read a whole book for FUN in a day and a half.  That NEVER happens, and hasn't since I was a tween.  Crazy junk. This winter break is a cool one let me tell ya actually.

According to Plan

Good ole' Florida, I miss ye.

This morning I woke up to a text from one of my lifelong friends saying good morning and asking me what the agenda was for today.  I answered getting two of my brothers their presents, running, and yell at Paul. 

Life has a different plan.  I did none of those things so far. The first because my brothers have needed the drivable car today, the second because I needed to clean, and the third because I was just kidding.

Instead, I spent about 2.5 hours cleaning the kitchen chairs with a sponge, pledge spray, and a knife; along with the past few days doing endless loads of laundry, cleaning, and more cleaning.  My mother has high expectations of cleanliness, and this is among the celebrations where we go all out on the clean house thing.

Christmas celebrations will be taking place tomorrow and the next with about half of my big fat immediate Cuban family.  My uncle's family will be staying at our house: a family of 8 and our family of 9.  That's 17 people and two bathrooms, and only 6 of us are over the age of 18.  We're experts at these things lemme tell ya!!

So back to the not going to plan topic.  After not doing what I planned, I snuck into my room and watched Along Came Polly on my laptop to enjoy more free-spirited attitude.  This is probably one of my favorite quotes from Polly:

Polly: Hi, Reuben. It's Polly Prince.
Reuben:   Oh, hey, Polly! How's it going? Good.

Polly:   I'm just calling to say that, um, I'm free tomorrow night if you want to get together.
Reuben:   Yeah, I would love to get together. That'd be great.  Should I, um-- Should I pick a restaurant or—

Polly: Oh, no, no. You know what? I should probably just check

my schedule, see if I can even do it.

Reuben: Okay. I'm...Did you say you were free?

Polly: Yeah, no, I'm actually not sure. But okay, I'll talk to you later.

Good stuff, good stuff.

"It's not about what happened in the past, or what you think might happen in the future. It's about the ride, for [bleep] sake. There is no point in going through all this crap, if you're are not going to enjoy the ride. And you know what... when you least expect something great might come along. Something better then you even planned for."

Last night I discovered that something I was really looking forward to in my life may not work out.  After an hour or two of grumbling about the house, I came to the consensus with myself that all I can do is be proactive, make a back-up plan or two, and just go with the flow.  And while I don't believe that everything in life can be particularly enjoyed like the quote says, I do believe that there's a greater interior plan beyond the exterior "crap"...and in that I can "enjoy" things, or rather attempt to live a life in love.

Time to be productive. Too-dah-loo.


~Esa Cita