rdiaz2018

Too Late for Cuban Refugees!

On Thursday, January 3, 2019, more than twenty Cuban refugees arrived in the Florida Keys on a makeshift boat. The blue and green tarps either attempted to keep them afloat or were protection from the sun and high waves. However, Border Patrol found them at Veteran’s Memorial Park and have processed them for return to Cuba. While the numbers of refugees attempting to flee Cuba has slowed down significantly, there were still multiple attempts in 2017 and 2018.

One has to wonder if these men did not know that former President Obama pulled the plug on the “wet foot, dry foot” policy in January 2017 as diplomatic ties were being reestablished between the countries. OR, was their life so horrible that they had nothing else to lose?

Seeing this makeshift boat in person really hits home as to how lucky we are living in the United States. One also feels compassion for these refugees who risked high winds at sea and even possible death.

Please understand that this post is not political, nor intended to promote or hinder immigration. It’s about compassion and humanity. One has to wonder what is really going on in Cuba since people are still willing to risk their lives at sea knowing that the “wet foot, dry foot” policy has come to an end.

May God bless us all!

*Photo courtesy of Livin’ the Keys Life

Raising The Bar…

There are so many self-help books about the power of positive thinking, achieving more in less time and striving for excellence, but how many of us really stick with it for the long haul? In reality, not many.

Yesterday, I came across the book 212, The Extra Degree by Sam Parker and Mac Anderson. The subtitle, “Extraordinary Results Begin with One Small Change” really stuck in my mind. I personally began to think of New Year’s resolutions we all have made that were not realized because we couldn’t fulfill the promise to ourselves and just gave up. Then I began to wonder, “what if”. What if I had stayed the course? Would my life be different today? I can answer this question with a firm “yes”!

Why do we change courses without achieving our goals? For some it’s life’s unexpected curve balls that have caught you off guard, or the goal may have been set too high while for others it is simply a timing issue. So what do you do? Instead of throwing in the towel, set small, achievable steps and build upon each success as you go through the process. Consider tweaking the goal along the journey to keep it relevant. Can you see the long-term benefit of the goal? The point is to keep learning, growing and achieving.

Throughout my life I have set many goals and attained them, but there are a few I wished I would have accomplished. Perhaps you have also had goals or dreams you did not accomplish. Would you resurrect any of them today? If so, why?

Think about this phrase taken directly from Parker and Anderson’s book:

“At 211º, water is hot. At 212º, it boils. And with boiling water comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive. The one extra degree makes the difference.”

What area of your life will you launch the extra degree to make the difference?

The Love & Hate Relationship With Cars–Uggh!

Americans have fallen in love with the automobile a long time ago, but cars can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. One one hand it’s a great luxury to be able to drive to the store versus walking or biking in this heat! The curse is when they break down and cost too much to repair.

My love for cars began at an early age when I assisted my father while working on his antique car. He said every young girl ought to know the basics about their car and how to fix it in a pinch. For me, that car was a sporty Pontiac Bonneville that had a supercharged V-8, a moon roof, electric everything and leather seats. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I have jumped in the car with no particular place to go and driven along the water to relax or unwind. I remember many carefree drives where the sun is shining down through the moon roof, the windows are down and the fresh smell of salt air is blowing through the car.

Unfortunately, today was not one of those enjoyable “love my car” days!

Fast forward to today, and my car has more electronic parts and sensors than you could even imagine. The fun began when I stopped at the bank and it would not restart when I returned. I knew it wasn’t the battery because I replaced it just three months ago and AAA was slammed with service calls. It would be at least an hour before I could get service. Being the adventurous and “driven” person that I am, I decided to walk home and change into something cooler. I was up for a walk and the distance was only three blocks, but I never imagined the scorching heat would make me feel like I was going to melt into the side walk! My face even felt like it was burning.

Feeling all hot and sweaty, I finally arrived at my front door. When I opened the door I instantly felt the cool air hit my face as I walked into the house. I thought, “How wonderful it was to have air conditioning”. Then the phone rang and it was AAA stating that the service truck would be there in fifteen minutes! I didn’t even have a chance to cool down before I had to make a mad dash for the bedroom for the quickest clothes change of my life which included putting on my tennis shoes. Now I thought, all I had to do was get back to my car before the service truck arrived. I burned rubber, on my tennis shoes that is, and managed to arrive before the service truck! Whew! Now two of us sweating in the hot sun–the service truck driver and me. He hooked up a handheld diagnostic device to my car which ruled out the alternator and battery. He said it was probably the starter, yet the car started when he tried it and I was able to drive home.

I knew that this repair would not be cheap from previous experiences repairing my car. I took a moment to stop, look up at the sky and had a little talk with the Lord. I said, “You know I don’t have money to make expensive repairs to this car. Could you please help me out here?” I began by viewing You Tube videos to find the location of the starter and other possibilities for the problem. Then I began to call mechanics and one mechanic was very familiar with this type of problem. His experience with the same type of car led him to believe that the crank shaft position sensor had gone bad. He asked me a few more questions about how the car was acting and he was right on the money.

After speaking with multiple car mechanics who blew my mind with $710+ repair quotes, I desperately needed to find a cheaper alternative. I called an auto parts store and the part was only $66. I wondered, “Why were the mechanics charging so much to fix it?” Thankfully, I remembered a neighbor saying she had a great mechanic who was reasonable. I went to see her and then called her mechanic. She was right–for less than $200 my car would be fixed! I yelled, “Thank you Jesus for answering my prayer!”

So after all the feelings of frustration, walking in scorching heat, and mind blowing quotes, I felt so blessed because I am able to talk to a God who answers prayers! In fact, I’ve realized that I have had many circumstances where God has answered my prayers. That is why I am recording these stories for myself, for my children and for others to always remember to be encouraged and to give thanks to the Lord.

What kind of prayer answered stories do you have?

Compassion and God’s Grace Seen Today!

The power of God’s grace and compassion for people was seen today at the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Pinellas Park, Florida.

A couple entered the store and went to the men’s section where they began looking for black pants. The husband and wife had been unemployed for three months and Publix offered the husband a job. The couple was elated but quickly realized that he did not have the appropriate clothing needed for the job and that is how they ended up at the Salvation Army Thrift Store.

The husband entered the dressing room to try on pants while the wife waited nearby. The Store Manager had passed by her several times before she worked up the courage to speak with him about their situation. She said that they cannot afford to buy anything new. In fact, it would even be a stretch to purchase the items needed at thrift store prices so she asked if he could help. He asked, “Why type of help are you looking for?” She responded, “Could you authorize 50% off of our purchases?” He paused for a moment and said, “Yes, because we truly want to help people.” Then the Store Manager called over the Assistant Store Manager and said she may even give you a better deal and explained the couple’s situation. The Assistant Manager reviewed the couple’s purchases and offered to give three pairs of pants for free and 50% off the remaining two items in the shopping cart (a pair of shoes and one more pair of pants). The couple was elated and thanked both managers repeatedly.

When the couple arrived at the cashier station, they told the cashier what the Assistant Manager said and the cashier promptly rang up the two items and bagged the other pants without hesitation. As a matter of fact, the cashier offered words of encouragement along with his congratulations on the husband’s new job. To hear this was truly amazing! The couple then gathered their purchases while almost in tears as they walked towards the doors thanking God for his grace and for the compassionate staff who helped them.

Once outside, the husband turned to the wife and said, “You see how much God loves us!” The wife agreed and thanked Jesus and they walked to the car.

In this day and age of little kindness and compassion shown for our fellow man, it was refreshing to see God refresh this couple’s faith through the compassion and kindness of the Salvation Army Thrift Store Manager, Assistant Manager and Cashier!

May God bless all those involved!

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

I’ve always loved to write, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized how deep my passion for writing truly is. The journey began writing grants which included stories of men and women who have overcome great obstacles to change their life. However, it wasn’t until I began to write about client stories as the Executive Director of a homeless nonprofit that things fell into place.

This blog, however, will also explore the areas of religion, careers, life, and student loans.

“Living Life With Purpose and Passion!” Robin Diaz