ISIS Recruiting Teens

For those of us praying for peace in Syria, things have not improved by much, if anything they have worsened. The city is now a completely inhabitable ruin, and the fighting continues to rage on each day. 

The problem is that most of us are unaware of what ISIS even is. 

It stands for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Their goal is to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and in Syria. ISIS is the group of Islamic terrorists that have taken over much of Syria, forcing thousands of innocent people from their homes and murdering hundreds more.

What is worse is that they are beginning to recruit teenagers and young adults all around the world. They have propaganda in an estimated 23 languages so far, and the CIA has detained 15 teenagers in airports who were on their way to Syria to their "rightful place" with ISIS.

This group in KNOWN for being ruthless. They posted the graphic beheading of American captives publicly online, expressing no remorse. 

So, how are they getting youth to join?

Through effective social-media campaigns that promise devout Jihad spouses, and a home in a true Islamic State where they are free to devote their lives entirely to their religion and their God. 

The video looks a little something like this:

Let's not be so naive. 

Spread the word to everyone you can and inform them of the evils that ISIS has committed so that NO MORE youths are encouraged to join such a horrible group! 

Ignorance can infect an entire generation if we are not careful, knowledge is the only cure. 

Whimsical World News: What's for Lunch?

The one thing most people will never be able to forget about their school days it is the food they served in the cafeteria. Depending on what school you attended, there are different variation to the generally uniform bland preservatives being passed off as food.

I did not look forward to these meals at all and would fantasize about deliciously packed lunches from home.   

When I moved to Puerto Rico, though I did not appreciate the public school system, I was incredibly impressed with their lunches! Each public school offered students free home made breakfast and lunch. The meals include rice and some sort of bean, meat, vegetables, a baggie (yes, bag) of milk, and a fruity dessert. 

 

This made me curious as to what children eat for lunch around the world and here is what I found:

France

 

Kenya

 Brazil

 

Japan

 

Israel

 

Finland

 

 

Sweden

Germany

3 Tips to Keep the Winter Weight OFF

Yeah, it's that time of year again. We are putting away the bathing suits and busting out the sweat pants and leggings! We are finally stepping away from the scale and hiding that extra chub under giant comfy sweaters. 

But wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to get back in to shape come summer 2015? Imagine a world when you look good in a bathing suit ALL YEAR! 

With these simple tips, you can enjoy this holiday season and still avoid falling out of love with your beautiful body! 

1. Toasty Workout! - In some places, I'd imagine that it is getting in to the "Too Cold" temperatures. Too cold to go out for a jog, too cold to take the kids to the park, too cold to enjoy the outside world, just TOO COLD! When the threat of frost bite seems too high, you don't have to risk it. Here is a secret you might not have known; there are hundreds of free full length workout videos on YouTube! And the best part is that there is an excellent variety to fit different needs. Whether you like Zumba, Krav Maga, Belly Dancing, or Weight lifting, I guarantee there is something for everyone. Find a quiet, private place (like your room) and get physical! 

2. Portion Makes Perfect - You might have heard of the healthy alternative to all of the yummy holiday snacks that are floating around this year, and if you are anything like me, that is simply NOT an option. Everything tastes better with an extra scoop of butter, am I right? So, instead of eating cinnamon spice celery sticks, eat whatever you want, just be mindful of how much of it you are eating. If you must try everything this year at Thanksgiving, again like me, try 2 bites of everything and then go back for you favorite. And since you're trying one of everything, you might want to hold off on that second piece of pie. Food for thought. (get it?)

3. Get a dog! - I love animals, but dogs are my all time favorite. No animal will make you feel as loved and welcomed and needed as a dog. Yes, they need you to love them back, and care for them, and most of all, they need you to walk them. A dog will force you to brave those "too cold temps." and by taking them out to do their business, you will receive some much needed sunlight and a breath of fresh air! (Don't only get a dog for this reason though, get one because they are AWESOME!)
But seriously, go outside every once in a while to change your body out of that comfortable sitting position you find yourself in throughout most of the day. Sometimes it is easy to forget that we have legs too!

REAL Proof That God Exists

From the time that I found out I was going to have Nico when I was 18 years old, all I did was worry. People tend to make the mistake of assuming that because a girl is in her late teens, she is more mature in her ability to deal with the situation. 

I assure you that I was not. 

Pedro was unemployed, I only had a part time job, we were living in my mother's house, we were not married, and I was only in my second year of college. I honestly thought my life was over. I would have to quit school to get a full time job to be able to afford a place to live and all the things that a baby needed. Now, I realize that I should have had more faith, but I couldn't see past the things that society had told me about teenage mothers my entire life. 

I was terrified. 

But, Jesus really did come to our rescue. I don't mean that I prayed and some how found the strength, (it took MANY weeks of prayer for that to come) I mean that He literally rescued us! Real time, in our tangible world, He was doing things for Pedro and me that we could physically see! 

First of all, we found out about my pregnancy around Christmas time. What a wonderful present! 

Then, around the time of January, my mother received a large payment of back child support owed from my father, and she gave Pedro and I enough of it to get married and have a mini honeymoon in Disney World! 

AND, she agreed to pay the rent of our apartment if I agreed to stay in school and graduate! (I already had a full scholarship) 

Almost immediately, upon returning from our vacation Pedro found a secure full time job, and I with my part time job, it fit our needs almost perfectly! 

And on top of all this STILL God was working in our lives. As if all of that wasn't enough, He sent us absolutely EVERYTHING we would need for Nico for free! 

The clothes, the lotions, the books, the furniture for his room, the toys, the bottles, the bathtub; we did not need to buy diapers for Nico for the first 3 months of his life! It was incredibly mind blowing to me how He was there for us, even when we had such little faith. 

The most recent donation!

 

Amazingly, even now, He is still showering us with love and gifts. 

We STILL have not had to buy any clothes for Nico, over a year later! As he grows, generous loving people give us clothes that have been lightly used and that are in almost new conditions! Pants, shirts, sweaters, jackets, hats, socks, even shoes!

He even sent it to us according to my style taste! Look at how CUTE this outfit is!!

Received Sunday (Yesterday) 

 

I am sharing this testimony for the benefit of anyone who believes that Jesus is only an abstract idea. 

I want people to know that being unable to see Him, doesn't mean He can't see us! People think that God is far away in heaven, or that He has left us, but He hasn't, and I am giving you real live proof that He never will. 

If you ever doubted that He cares about us, this should put those doubts to rest. If He did this for me, He will do it for you. 

Why?

Because He loves us all the same, and He wants to bless us, even when we resist His love!

World News Wednesday: Ebola

First of all, for those of you who don't know, Ebola is an infectious and generally fatal disease marked by fever and severe internal bleeding, spread through contact with infected body fluids by an Ebola virus, whose normal host species is unknown.

The disease has been a problem in West Africa for decades, but now that it has spread to our soil, it seems like we are finally giving this crisis the attention that it deserves. The US Government donated $750 million dollars to fund a 6 month mission to fight Ebola at a known source; coincidentally, West Africa. 

That's reassuring. 

Meanwhile, as the world continues its struggle to contain the epidemic, the CDC warns us that we have 60 days to get this under control. Read More. And if we don't, we are faced with a challenge that we are not prepared to handle.  

This was not meant to scare anyone!!

I just feel that it is important to stay informed in ordered calmly prepare ourselves, and as a reminder to be careful. I always recommend that if you are really paranoid about something, do some research about it. Fear can sometimes stem from not knowing what you are up against. 

Personally, I don't think we have anything to worry about. I know that we can get this under control, and I am grateful that people are taking it seriously. 

However, history is being made, yet again, during our life time.

We should be aware of that.

College For FREE..... in Germany!

 I bet a lot of you got excited when you read the first half of that heading! Of course upon reading the rest of the heading, you were disappointed fairly quickly, unless you live in Germany! As if they didn't already give us a reason to love them by introducing Oktoberfest to the world, now they have completely abolished University tuition fees. That's right! 100 percent free, for local and international students! No full-ride scholarship required!

 

College prices were already considerably lower than the outrageous prices in the United States,($1,200 vs $25,000 - $60,000) but students were still upset. They, much like myself, believe that if their country was going to prosper, everyone should have the right to a higher education.

The accumulation of knowledge leads to improved problem solving skills, higher tolerance for personal differences, improved decision making skills, and higher paying jobs for anyone who is willing to put in the work. It would also encourage high students to graduate because they would have the realistic hope of being able to receive a higher education. Studies show that people who have been to college have higher self esteem, self respect, and self value. 

My only question now is, when is this going to happen in the United States? When are we going to decide that no one should be able to put a price on education? 

No one should be turned away from the opportunity for a better life simply because they cannot afford it. 

When is the United States of America going to realize that people are worth more than money?

What "They" Don't Want YOU to Know

Today's pop culture has a problem of perspective. The world is trying to convince us to live for ourselves. Messages like "Do what makes you happy." Are accepted and shared and encouraged over and over again. 

But what happens when "what make you happy" is destructive to yourself or others? What if you like to cut yourself? What if you like to shoot BB pellets at animals?
If the message is, "do what makes you happy" then what makes those things wrong? Who then gets to decide what is acceptable and what is not?

Paul's first letter to the Corinthians shows us that the Corinthian society had the same problem. (Follow the link to find out what made Corinth like us) 

They were all about gaining knowledge and wisdom, but they were not focusing on the right kind of philosophy. They had no idea how to fulfill their needs, so they looked for pleasure in all the wrong places. In 1 Corinthians 2:8 we see that even most leaders of the ancient world were lost.

If you continue reading 1 Corinthians 2 you will find the key to the fulfillment that we have all been looking for. The greatest thing about God is not heaven or all of the blessing that he can give you. It is the fact that he chose to reveal himself through Jesus. He could have left us to our sin. If he had this world would be a much darker place. But because he didn't, ALL things work together for good. 

Even things that we don't/can't/won't understand. 

We can see evidence of Him and his love for all livings things all around us through nature and we can see examples of His greatness and power through the Universe and laws of science.

The fact is that God wants all of us to know Him like He knows us. He wants us to accept the gift of salvation and be filled spiritually. 

He wants us all to experience the peace and rest that we can ONLY find through Jesus. 

Because He loves us, He gave us free will. He wants us to come to Him because we want to out of love, not because we have to. He gave each and every person on Earth the freedom to make a choice.

Now that you know the truth, what will you do about it?

Beautiful Revolution: Hong Kong

ITS TIME FOR A REVOLUTION!! 

At least some people have the courage to stand together peacefully and demand to be given rights they deserve! 

Isn't it a beautiful thing when youth comes together to do something positive to help their country!

  

I just can't believe that we are living in a time of monumental and radical historic events such as this one. 

  

Yes, this is history in the making, this is what we will tell our grandchildren, this is our world NOW!

World News Wednesday : Syria

It is important for the young people of our country to know what is happening in the world around us. Many of us are too focused on silly lighthearted news that does not have any impact on the overall culture of our society. Though that type of news can be nice to hear from time to time, I feel that we are all a part of the human race, after all, we should know what goes on where so that we learn how to help each other, and how to coexist. 

This week I wanted to bring some light to the on-going conflicts in Syria. I am not a very political person, I tend to lean more towards ethics and morality. To me, it is important that every human on the planet, especially the children, has what they need to make their life more enjoyable and more simple. Of course, we all know that any kind of war would make that impossible for some people in the countries involved. This week, air strikes have been launched in Syria, further destroying the lives of millions of displaced Syrians (Video: Official News Report on the Airstrikes ). People who have watched their homes bombed and burned to the ground, families that have been separated, kids who have been orphaned; they all continue to watch in horror wondering when their suffering will end.  

Video: The Aftermath of a Small Syrian Village

Food for Thought:

• If you could do ONE thing to change the life of a Syrian, or to change the pattern of violence that has swept across their nation, what would you do? 
• Put yourself in the shoes of a Syrian for just a few minutes today, try to imagine what our brothers and sisters are feeling just on the other side of Earth.