Last week, I spent a very visually rewarding time in dreamland. I dreamt that I actually slept outdoors in a tent with a clear top, looking at all the stars and constellations in the night sky. The moon was also apparently beautiful and golden in this dream too. I dreamt of a peaceful running stream, the smell of pine trees and the smell of campfire that has been carefully doused out. Add that to the smell of roasted marshmallows (rare and never burnt) and I was probably in a sleep-state of heaven.
Which is why I found it weird when I started dreaming of an annoying little woodpecker on what appears to be a giant dose of Red Bull. I woke up to the sound of jackhammers, yes plural, and this woke me up from my camping dream (which I was not sure why i was dreaming of either. I love the outdoors, don’t get me wrong, but have just spent so much time on the ground growing up that I may not willingly go to a lot of camping trips in my lifetime).
It was fine since it was a day, but ever since then I awake to jackhammers. I wake up really early, pray and then doze off again because I stay up late due to insomnia. I am not a morning person, and this noise is really bugging me. It will stay that way for three months until the place is renovated.
However, the Lord revealed something to me today by way of memory. The verse is in Psalm 3 and it was the psalm David wrote when he was having conflicts with Absalom. The verse reads, “I lie down and sleep, and wake again for the Lord sustains me.” It reminds me of something as simple as waking up to a new day is a blessing in itself, no matter what the circumstances. I am humbled, again, that my heart is in need of constant reminder, constant molding and grace that is in Christ. The reality is no matter how comfortable we get, sleep or otherwise, there will be times that we get downright uncomfortable and we won’t have control over the circumstances. What we can pray for is a heart that is reminded of the reality of Christ’s ongoing work in us.
I’d ramble some more, but I have a glazed doughnut and iced coffee sans whipped cream waiting for me. Plus a houseful of cleaning, best time to do it is when it’s an empty house.
God bless you guys today, and may you be reminded of the reality of Christ’s love and grace today.
So for lunch, we went to a cafe and had steak and portobello mushrooms on ciabatta bread. Mhmmmm it was so yummy! That and my cherry coke. =)
The berry dessert was okay too, a little too buttery for my taste (I admit I’m not much of a butter person). The berries were cooked perfectly though.
And then, it was a lot of walking around the mall. we went to a bunch of shoe stores and looked at some pairs. It’s quite funny that all the men sit down on some couches while us women go through racks and racks of shoes. I found a lot of cute pairs of shoes, but not the pairs that I needed. I was looking for a flat pair of walking sandals and a pair of black peep toes. Cole haan, Kate Spade, and Macy’s had a lot of nice heels that were classy (which I usually go for church and semi-formal wear). There were two pairs, one was a classic gray suede pointed flat shoe and the other was a lime green/beige peep toe. It was decently priced, but still too much for a pair that I was not planning to buy so it was time to walk away. :)
It was a bit of a drive and there were a lot of people, but it was a great saturdate!! I’m grateful that i didn’t have to do any driving, even if I do find driving relaxing. =) Friday night was awesome too, went to the local pub with some friends after work and had some spicy calamari and chicken tenders. I love the dip!! Getting off the car, there was a very nice sunset. We just had to soak that in. =)
Hello summer vacation! On to my research writing and review for my grad school stuff. Praying that the Lord shows me which school I should continue in, each school I’m considering has their pros and cons so I’m hoping for a clearer leading.
How are you going to spend your memorial day?
(via papercrushed)
My cooking has been reduced to friday nights, weekends and the occasional dinner or lunch dates! But, today, I actually got to relax after my final and got to cook my ziti meaty red sauce. I’ll assemble the rest in 6 hours. We’re having a potluck at my job and I would bring Filipino food, but it’s easier to just make pasta. =P
Tomorrow, the menu is… Baked Ziti and Pizza Wheat Squares. I’m making meat and vegetable squares so hopefully it turns out good. I was a little ditzy today and I forgot to get asiago/fontina cheese for the pizza squares. :( I like making pizza with different cheeses (I’m always at the cheese aisle even if I’m a cheese prude. :) ) I’m using thin cut italian sausages (all the way from Milwaukee) MHMMM!
What’s the special occasion you might ask? Well one of my friends graduated from nursing!! And we’re gonna celebrate during bible study. =] She’s worked real hard so she deserves good food tomorrow!
And in addition to that, my tres leches remix cake didn’t turn out so bad. I was worried when my quick grocery trip left me empty handed with regards to cream and half and half. But the substitute I used was actually quite decent, made the cake moist yet firm still. Gone in two days.
So for the summer… I’m going to try my hand at baking and cooking… other cuisines!
1. Baking - My list includes twix cakes, snickers cake, tiramisu, chocolate mousse, Rum cake with dried fruits in it, Panetonne, Panna Cotta, Limoncello cake, etc. This means a trip to the alcohol store and grab some stuff for baking. :)since i have yeast still from my siopao making, i will have to make foccacia bread and italian bread. =]
2. Cooking - I wanna experiment with marinades and meat/seafood. Also, I’m going to try and make Chicken biryani (my friend maryam’s recipe) and i want to make jamaican patties. And seared scallops on pasta, yummmm! oh and I have to play with that grill I got for Christmas hehe. I’m gonna try my hand to make real Louisiana food (beignets, gumbo, and crawfish here we goooo!)
3. Deserts - I’m gonna try to organize a halo-halo party for some friends from church, we’ll see. Also, i’m thinking of borrowing an ice cream maker because I’m craving for avocado ice cream and I think it’s expensive buy a pint for 7 dollars. :/ Since my lola (grandmother) used to make homemade ice cream anyway, i should try it. I’m definitely buying a huge mixer someday (if it stays in budget, of course. :) )
First of, apologies to Charles Dickens for borrowing his story title, it was quite catchy, you see.
This is a short post to talk about crafts, hobbies and my little trinkets. See my etsy, here.
And yes, it’s been empty. School, work and internship pretty much took my time. I turned into a little bit of a workaholic, you see with no time to update my little shop.
But, if you’ve been on my Tumblr, you’ve noticed that I picked up one of my old hobbies again called knitting. Crochet I’m still not that much into, but sewing is right around the corner. I’m still trying to calculate some numbers (giving it some C-B analysis, in business speak ;) )
So, this season, watch out for cute knits and affordable accessories. I’ve been inspired with hand dyed fabrics, marbled things, uneven paper and lace recently. The products will reflect that. I’ve been really into antiquated maps and old text fonts. See you, hopefully soon!
Faith, hope and love,
Krista <3
The book titled, “The truth about grace” is one of the three books in a series called “The truth about..” penned by John Macarthur. It is an attempt to discuss the concept of grace, a concept that is so simple yet so complex at the same time. It defines the Christian faith and makes it different from other belief systems. It is a simple equation summed up in the following words, A free gift given in abundance to those who do not deserve it.
John Macarthur uses the scripture as a way to discuss grace and he divides the discuss in five parts, namely, Grace defined, Grace received, Grace misunderstood and twisted, Grace realized and Grace lived out. It somehow reflects the walk of a Christian, in how grace does transforms us from merely receivers to testimonies of grace. It is a book that uses plethora of biblical truth that is carefully explained in context. It is also explained in a way that is easy to comprehend and follow.
All in all, it is a fabulous book to read and a great resource to have in order to understand grace. It can be read by ‘seasoned’ Christians and those who are new to the faith.
I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for a
review. I was not asked to write a positive review in exchange for a
copy, but choose to write a review that is constructive, honest and
helpful to other consumers.
A REFLECTION ON PSALM 139
“A situation like this is much more complicated than simple answers I could offer here. But might I give you one stepping stone upon which to stand, to stop the panic and balance yourself?
Decide today that you are worthy.
Because you are. Worthy. You may not feel like it. But a quick glimpse at Psalm 139 assures me, you are. And I’d rather depend on the solid truth of God than the roller coaster of fickle feelings.
You are beautiful and captivating and attractive and smart and capable. But if you are in a relationship full of unmet expectations, unresolved issues, and frustrating communication, I suspect you feel a little less than all I’ve described.
Broken down relationships can really break down a woman.
And if you’re anything like me, when you feel broken down those around you get your worst. Then upon all the hurt and anxiety you layer on regret, shame, and the feeling that you’ve lost yourself. You’ve lost that girl inside you that used to be so positive and happy and ready to take on the world.
Can I whisper a tender truth to you? The only way to recapture her is to come up for air and remember you are worthy.
Then you can act worthy.
And step aside from the emotional yuck to make some level headed decisions. Get a plan. Talk to wise people who love you and will walk this tough journey with you.”
She continues on sharing…
“Remember you can’t control how he acts and reacts, but you can control how you act and react.
Reclaim who you are.
I pray your relationship survives. I pray it with every fiber of my being. But if it doesn’t, I pray most of all that the beautiful woman you are rises above all the yuck, still clinging tightly to the only opinion that matters — the One who forever calls you worthy.”
——
Dearest Lord, no one can compare to You. You are my treasure in this earth, and I am only an earthen vessel, cracked and in need of molding only in the hands of the true Potter. Please fix my eyes ever so slightly on You, because You are the only the only one who really, really matters. The whole earth will falter and fail, but You are my strength and portion forever. :)
Before I start off with this post, I feel the need to post some disclaimers. 1) If you ever are a fan of movies from graphic novels, avoid preschool. It has been a busy few weeks for me with school, work and internship winding down and with God’s grace, I pushed through with several liters of coffee and/or Cherry coke. However, with my exit from the ‘real world’ of fun and entertainment, it has been filled with spoilers for me. My preschoolers have excitedly told me EVERYTHING that has happened in the movie, The avengers. :( As a teacher, I am really proud of their increasing memory skills but wish that I did not know all the spoilers in the movie. 2) I still haven’t seen it. Yes, I am aware of how sad that sounds. 3) It is quite different to be a child development major who will use something like pop culture to teach children about learning concepts. I will defend this by saying that, despite issues on materialism, consumerism, and all those isms, as an influential adult you have a choice to “shield” your child from all the bad in the world but you can also use those as teachable moments.
Granted some characters from comic books are downright disturbed (haha) but they will be exposed to them somehow, someday so teach them to learn to be discerning.
One of my students and I were talking about Mr. banner and his thing with anger. The thing about the hulk is children get carried away and start carrying heavy things they shouldn’t (haha). Instead of giving them this stern look, we started a conversation and talked about The Hulk. (So note to all the guy friends I hung out with in high school. Your comic geekyness paid off, I am thankful for all the talks on marvel superheroes. )
First point: Be discerning yourself, you cannot teach your child skills you do not possess or actively do not try to develop.
As a teacher or parent, if you are teaching your child self control, the best way (though not the only way) to do so is through modeling. If you are an adult who struggles with this and gets home from work cranky and takes it out on people, maybe the art of discipline has to start from you. If you somehow exhibit negative behavior toward your spouse or children, it will be a good moment to immerse yourself in the Bible and pray for a repentant heart. For those who aren’t Christians, pick up the Bible and read some verses and pray (it won’t hurt ;) )
Discernment is a skill that you can teach the children. One way you can do this is by spending time with them and watching their shows with them. I admit, it is very hard for me to watch disney channel or nickelodeon these days, but I have to sacrifice a little bit for whoever children I’m babysitting or hanging out with. Their tv interests provide opportunities for conversation and learning. Teach them to think critically and this applies to music and books as well.
Next point is the tricky one so keep reading on.
Second point: Anger is okay. It is a human emotion, but teach your children to exhibit it in appropriate ways. Set clear behavioral expectations and boundaries.
A good way to phrase this is, “Your body is telling me that you’re angry. You may not punch or kick. Kicking hurts, what can you instead?” Different children have different ways of dealing with anger. Redirection definitely helps so try different strategies. One of my cousins who i babysat since he was a baby, really had a tough time with everything, so we got him a tension ball which he would squeeze. Breathing exercises also helped calm him down. One thing you can remember is not to engage in a screaming match with an angry child, nothing will happen, both of you will just get angrier. Talk once the child is calmer because that means they will converse with you better. Stressed children and stressed adults don’t amount to good listeners, so wait for the time and pray that you’re calm also.
A lot of child development books on discipline that we read at school don’t mention much of Christ. If you’re a Dobson fan, you can pick up his parenting books (I’ll type up a list maybe soon). You can also pick up Boundaries with Kids by Cloud and Townsend. The best resource; however, is the Bible. The Bible is filled with stories of human beings just like us who struggled, and some of them (with Christ’s help!) prevailed and their persons were changed more. A great example to share with them, I think, is Samson! Isn’t he almost the biblical hulk? Moses got angry. Jonah got angry. Of course the best model for everything is Jesus so read some on that too.
Third point: Everything can be a teachable moment.
Yes, even mistakes are learning moments. Parents lose their cool, children make mistakes. As an adult, it doesn’t make you less mature to be the humbler person. It may mean that you get given a look of utter anger (yes, that happens and sometimes it makes me want to cry). It may mean that you have to repent and apologize to your children. It may also mean that you can be honest with them, you can tell them that something makes you mad.
Fourth point: With God, all things are possible.
There are days that you just really want to throw down the towel and quit. I’m not a parent, but from growing up with 5 boys and 1 girl, it was not easy. Some children were showing stronger personalities than others. They have their cute moments but their unattractive moments, were very unattractive. In a classroom, it’s the same thing. Some children just are really strong-willed. You don’t have to break their spirit, but you do have to speak truth in their life and let God work on their hearts just like He works in ours.
If you have an physically aggressive kid, you can encourage more verbal communication. It means reminding him/her that words can be understood far better than hitting or kicking can. You can encourage breathing exercises and support by giving adequate transitions. The most significant thing you can do is pray for him/her and pray with him/her. Prayer is a powerful tool, don’t be afraid to use it.
If you’re afraid of consumerism and all those isms, remember the verse that says, Be in the world but not of it. While we are in this earth, we are to keep preaching the gospel daily and that includes to children. So, in a word of encouragement, Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”