A Memory of Memories

There are certain things in your life that you can never forget.There are things so precious and so memorable.We would try to keep those memories with certain things.You could keep it in a journal,scrap book,or even a camera.I mostly keep my memories in a camera.My camera holds a lot of memories that I hold sentimental value on.I remembered Wednesday May 13,2009 I was taking pictures of my room because I was bored.I also wanted to keep a memory of what was on my wall.I took random pictures of random stuff.Then I uploaded everything to facebook.After uploading my pictures I inserted the memory card into the camera and put the camera inside its case.Then I carelessly put my camera somewhere on the table.I never cared to look at it ever since.Friday May 22,2009 my friend Isabella and I were suppose to work on a science project that required pictures of our experiment.So I went to my room and looked for it.At the time I needed it,that's when I cared to look for it.I never touched or used it for over a week.Right then I needed it.I couldn't find it anywhere.I searched every inch and corner of the room.I was freaking out and going insane.That camera was expensive!Then my friend Hannah was kind enough to lend me her cellphone which happened to have a camera in it.So Isabella and I went off to do our science project.Later that evening I called my mom as nervous and anxious as can be.I told her that I lost the camera.Then my mom freaked out.The both of us were scared to tell dad about the situation,especially since a few days before we lost a jacket and car keys.First a jacket and car keys...now an expensive camera?Obviously,mom and I were scared to tell dad.I constantly prayed for God's guidance and that I would eventually find the camera.So the following day we went to a prayer rally at BOCCC,using the Avalanche truck.There we met our siblings in Christ.We prayed for the nations of this world,especially the Philippines,America,and Israel.It was an amazing experience.After the prayer rally and dinner,I read a verse in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10.It said,"We are pushed hard from all sides.But we are not beaten down.We are bewildered.But that doesn't make us lose hope.Others make us suffer.But God does not desert us.We are knocked out.We always carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies.In that way,the life of Jesus can be shown in our bodies."It really related to me and the situation I was trapped in.When it said,"God does not desert us,"it really comforted me.Around seven in the evening it was time to leave and we came to the car.Tito Rolly was with us.There was some stuff in the middle seat.So,I voluntarily said,"I'll go to the other side."Tito Rolly said,"Thanks Dara!"I sighed with a heavy heart,still in grief because of the missing camera.I opened the door and climbed in the car.I gasped with mixed up emotions.There it was...the camera!!!!I was happy, relieved, excited, shocked, confused, and thankful all at once.I started shouting,"Thank you Lord God,Thank you Lord God" countless times as I cried tears of joy.My dad was bewildered and said,"Yes Dara.I took the camera to take pictures of my work."I kept crying uncontrollably with joy and relief.My mom said,"Oh praise God!"Tito Rolly said,"Amen!"And then I started laughing because it everything that I expected turned out the total opposite.My dad never got mad,the camera was never missing,and everything was okay.I thanked God in a little prayer,as I stared out the window,gazing at clouds.And I thought in my mind Hello camera!It's good to see you again.But most importantly it's good to know that there's a God out there who truly loves me.My camera holds a lot of memories.But the fact that God helped me to find the camera is something I'll never forget.

No Worries & No Sweat

I remembered last December I was given a high school application to apply for high schools.My eyes grew wide for I never expected I'd ever do such a thing.I was underneath a lot of pressure and I thought my whole life would depend on it.I signed up for the best schools in Queens.I applied for Benjamin Cardozo,Francis Lewis,Bayside,and then Townsend Harris.I prayed hard to God that I wouldn't end up in my zoned school Flushing High School because I heard a rumor that it was a horrible and dangerous school.A few months later we got our high school results.Mr. Fleischman the guidance counselor came to our room and he announced that he was holding the high school results.Gasps filled the room.Everyone was anxious and scared at the same time.He called every student in alphabetical order.Sometimes I resent having a last name that starts with the letter S.So when he finally called me I felt my heart pound extremely fast and my whole body trembling.I can't tell what made me tremble more,the cold temperature in the classroom or the fear of not getting into a good high school.So I hesitantly took the envelope and went back to my seat.When he called the last student he said,"You may open them".I quickly opened mine, anxious and scared all at once.And there I saw it.I was put into the supplementary level along with 24 other students who didn't get into a high school.I cried hard in front of everyone not caring of what they thought.Rosa and Isabella came to me with sympathy.They patted me on the back and said that everything would be okay.So I applied for the second time with only Bayside and Francis Lewis available.They were the only good schools left.I lived by faith hoping I would get into one of those two schools.I prayed hard again in my mind saying Lord God I don't know what your will is.But whatever it is just let it be done.I shall follow wherever you lead me no matter how hard it will be.I will cling to you.Just please let me go into a good high school.And if you can't do that then protect me if I do have to go the horrible high school....Flushing High School.I know life can be tough,but my burdens are nothing compared to yours.Thank You Lord God for never leaving nor forsaking me.In Jesus Name I pray,Amen.Today May 1, 2009, during Science Mrs. Capitini got a phone call from Mr. Fleischman saying that he needed to see me and a few other people.So we all came to Mr. Fleischman's office and he smiled at all of us.As he handed the envelopes to each of us he named the high school we were going to.I was breathing heavily and silently because I was so nervous.When he called me he said,"Congratulations Dara you're going to Bayside High School!"I sighed in relief and said,"Oh thank God!"Right now I am so happy!I'm actually going to Bayside!!!!!God is wonderful.He would never turn down someone who desperately needs Him.I know that when troubles come my Father in heaven up high will take good care of me.He does the same to all His other children.And He'll do the same to anyone who calls upon His name.Just put your faith in Him and He will light the way through your darkness.

This Should Keep Us All Thinking

One of my best friends named Aubrey showed me this video.I was really inspired about it.I know in parts of the video it goes too fast for you to read it.But you can pause it.It's about an Atheist professor who brainwashed his students into thinking there was no God.But one day there was this brave student who was a christian and stood up to him.Many times before the professor would do an experiment on a chalk saying,"If there's a God he would stop this chalk from breaking."He did that on the student and slammed the chalk on the floor.And the chalk didn't break.I find this story amazing and I believe it with all my heart because God can do anything.Thanks Aubrey for the inspiring video!God bless you!And God bless anyone who believes in this ♥ :)

My Daily Medicine

Everyone has some sort of sickness.I'm talking about a chronic disease.Everyone has a chronic disease within them.And no I'm not talking about cancer or asthma.I'm talking about a disease within our spirit.We are all sick people.We all have weaknesses.It could be anger issues,insecurity,or jealousy.Everyone has at least one of these sicknesses.There's no denial.At some points in your life your weaknesses seem to vanish…but for a while.Then when certain problems erupt you begin to break down and your weaknesses pour out.I for example,have anger issues.Even with a simple issue I could erupt like a volcano.But there is hope.Chronic diseases never go away,but it can be treated.Just like our weaknesses,there is healing.God can treat us with a medication for the heart.God is our doctor.He can heal us in parts regular doctors can’t.He can touch our hearts in places where no one has touched before.He knows our every thought.He knows what revolves around us.He is our best friend!And when we come to Him,we can be recovered.My medicine is daily devotion.I read the Holy Bible every morning and every evening.And what I’m about to tell you is true.Ever since I started having daily devotions,my heart has been at peace.Life has been much easier to live.And in every problem that comes my way,I simply laugh.It’s wonderful to say that God has healed me.Just like a chronic disease…my sin nature will never go away.It’s hiding inside deep inside of me.As a human being I’m still imperfect.But my sickness can be treated with daily devotions.The Word of God is not just my daily bread.It’s also my daily medicine.I know whoever is reading this right now might have a sickness too.If you want to treat your symptoms,come to God and he will give you a new life.Start having daily devotions.He will make your paths smooth and straight.I guarantee it!

Death of Faith

Have you ever heard of the verse James 2:17?In James 2:17 Jesus said,"Faith without work is dead."I truly believe in that.Because last month God made a big miracle for me.I moved to College Point,Queens two months ago from Great Neck,Long Island.I went to Hannah's school J.H.S. 185 or as I'd like to call it Bleeker Middle School.I was a little sad about my class 802.It was a whole different environment.Most of the kids in the class were obnoxious and unfriendly.No one wanted to be friends with me in that class.I made friends with Abigail,Jasmine,Deborah,and Isabella.(Grace is another one of my friends in 803)They were all in 823 which happens to be a top class.I didn't make it to a top class because I got 3's on my state tests.During December I prayed hard to God and asked if by any chance I could move to 823.I asked if there was a possibility that if the principal did move me above all SP classes it could have been 823.One day on January 14 our class 802 had detention for misbehaving.I was punished along with all the others even though I didn't misbehave!I was infuriated and cried at detention.Later that day Mrs. Long yelled at the class and said how tired she was of their behavior.Then suddenly I felt like God spoke into my heart.Like a little whisper He told me to do something and take action.He told me to write a letter to all my teachers complaining my rights.So in the letter I mentioned about the detention and how unfair it was that I got it even though I didn't do anything wrong.I said it was the same exact thing that happened to Jesus Christ.I said that He died on the cross just for preaching about love and compassion.He never did anything wrong.He just died for the foolish sins of this world.I begged for a transfer in the letter.A week after I gave out those letters the Dean of 8th grade Ms. Davis gave me the schedule to 823.I was welling up tears of joy.I was just so happy.I didn't know how to repay God except just praise His Holy Name.God works in small ways just to help us out in life and turns it into big things.God is so amazing and yet indescribable.No one can measure what He's worth!Hallelujah!!I'm so happy to be in God's hands.I'll let Him lead the way in my life.Whatever I pray for must also include action.Faith without work is dead.If I never had the nerves to write a letter like that I'd never end up in 823.So keep faith alive by putting effort!Don't take the death of faith!

To Hear God's Voice

After a year of living in Lodi,NJ my parents and I moved to Parsons,NY.It was really a big change for me.I went into a whole new different environment.From a clean friendly environment into a place where dogs eat dogs.It was like every man for himself.Well,in my case it was every girl for herself.Parsons was a cruel place.A lot more cruel than Totowa,NJ.I was in fifth grade at the time when this happened.It was like a pattern in my life.I moved into a school called P.S. 86.There were kids in that school who cursed all the time.I got a little intimidated by that.I thought kids who were in fifth grade were too young to curse.But they didn't seem to care.P.S. 86 was a bad school.All the students there fooled around.I only had two friends at that school but they were always into a conversation that they would leave me out of it.I felt really left out.There were so many bullies at that school.These two obnoxiuos girls would tease me.There was this really mean girl named Dulce.She treated me horribly.I missed all my friends from Lodi,NJ.I was so depressed.Then one morning at breakfast,I started crying through the tears of pain that I was going through.Suddenly I heard my favorite song.It was called "Back In His Arms Again By Mark Schultz".I wasn't imagining it.No one was playing it.It just came to me.Through my pain God comforted me by singing that song.It's too hard explain but it was so beautiful.It wasn't Mark's voice either.But its just like how the Bible would explain it"It's like the voice of a thousand angels,the sound of a blowing trumpet,the sound of rushing waters".It was miraculous.You may assume I was just hearing things but I wasn't imagining it.I know deep down in my heart that God sang to me. A few months later my parents and I moved to a place called Jamaica where new obstacles and trials awaited me,just lurking as I travel this path.

In God's Hands :D

I remembered how miserable I was in fourth grade.You must be wondering why I was so sad in fourth grade.Well,let me tell you the story.My parents and I just moved from Pelham,NY to Rochelle Park,NJ to Totowa,NJ.It was affecting my education.I also had great friends in Pelham and Rochelle Park.But when I moved into Totowa,I had no friends at all.When I tried to be friendly to people,they would ignore me.When I asked a question to them like "Where's the cafeteria?" because I was a new student, they wouldn't even respond me.I was a total outcast.No one even tried talking to me except the teacher.I was so depressed.Then I thought why would the kids do this to me?Then I realized something.Totowa was a white neighborhood.There are hardly any minorities.I guess that's why they were discriminating me because of my skin color or something.One girl in art class called my drawing "stupid".The thought made me cry.I couldn't say anything back for some reason.At the point I would just break into tears,I started to turn to God.Sure...I was a born again Christian since I was a toddler.I would always sing to Jesus,but I was an immature Christian who didn't take God that seriously.I would always play with my toys,watch tv and stuff...but never pray.But during that time of depression I had to turn to God.My parents would try to comfort me but it wasn't enough.Then day by day I was happier.(singing christian songs,reading the bible,and praying)Then,one day a girl asked me to sit with her at lunch.I was so happy and thought wow I finally have a friend!But at lunch one of the snobs(who treated me badly) sat with her.It was awkward and I felt uncomfortable.Then she whispered loudly that I could hear "Ugh,Ugh,do you like Dara?"I got so hurt by those words.Then the other girl whispered so quietly I couldn't hear what she was saying back.Then afterward they both said sarcastically"Oh,you know there's this girl in this school who doesn't have any friends.Yeah,I feel so bad for her".Likely story!!!Whatever.So later that night I cried so hard and forgot to pray to God before sleeping that night.I had a dream.I was running around the backyard of where my mom works.I was minding my own business when suddenly the sky turned dark.I walked over with curiosity.Then lightning struck down close to me.I was so scared!I assumed it was the power of God.Then,the sky suddenly turned pink.White puffy clouds came.Then these giant hands came down to earth.They were white as snow and had the features of a ghost.But I wasn't scared at all.I knew exactly who it was.It was my God,my father,my rock,my savior,and my everything.I smiled and cried tears of joy.And I knew I was in good hands.=]Ever since then,I was never intimidated by those kids in school.Months later,my parents and I moved to a place called Lodi,NJ.It was an awesome place!I had a lot of friends there who respected me for who I was.So,to those who just read this story and who don't believe in Jesus,it's okay if you think I'm crazy,but I'm not.And to those who just read this story and are Christians,I hope you believe in me that this story is true.Because God can do anything,even in dreams.