Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Hope

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead -- since he was about a hundred years old -- and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why it is credited to him as righteousness. The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Romans 4:18-24

Monday, December 29, 2008

1 year anniversary







"Seahorses are monogamous, picking one mate for life. Daily greeting rituals include the male and female coming together each morning, dancing and changing color, twirling around with linked tails, and then separating for the rest of the day."  Taken from here

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Entertaining Angels


I was cold and wet waiting for the bus yesterday. I was a little annoyed that I couldn't find the receipt I needed to exchange a pair of jeans that fit perfectly one day and were too small the next. I was also complaining to myself, wishing I could jump in a car instead of having to wait for the bus in the pouring rain. I decided to head out to the mall anyway.

Only a few minutes passed before a middle-aged/older man made his way to the same bus stop. He was friendly and said hello. He went on to say that it was a great day because we're still here. He had a grin on his face, I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic.

To be honest, I was a little surprised by his friendliness. I'm used to the hustle and bustle of Bean Town, where most people don't have time to be extra friendly, usually a smile is all strangers exchange. (I was almost weirded out by it, but I shouldn't have been. After all, I do find it strange when other people find friendliness itself strange. It usually doesn't make sense.)

The bus arrives and I'm relieved that I didn't have to wait in the cold too long. I sit down, the stranger sits in the available seat in front of me. I begin to understand what he meant when he said 'we're still here' after he goes on to say 'we're here to serve God' a few moments later, on the bus.

Again, I was surprised that I was surprised by his candidness. He continued to chat. 'You know, most people don't hear the voice of God because they're distracted by the little things around them, but if you listen, you'll hear his voice; his message is one of love.'

I had to agree. He was mumbling a little after that, saying something about how the government isn't going to change anything because in the end it's all up to us. I nodded in agreement and then laughed a little to myself when he said 'we really need to stop burning gasoline'. After that, he said goodbye and hopped off the bus. I should note that I didn't laugh because what he said seemed disconnected from everything else he was saying; instead, I laughed because it was connected to what I was complaining about earlier.

I felt guilty about the ungrateful attitude I had just minutes before; I realized I'd missed an opportunity to hear God's voice instead of my own ungrateful thoughts. Thankfully, he also speaks through all kinds of friendly folks, even the ones you meet at the bus stop on a cold day.


Thursday, December 18, 2008

Illustration Friday: Rambunctious


...and that would be a deflating balloon that the evil cupcake is holding on to, it's a bit hard to tell, I know :D.

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

First (and second) snow!




From The Snow Fairy by Claude McKay

Throughout the afternoon I watched them there,
Snow-fairies falling, falling from the sky,
Whirling fantastic in the misty air,
Contending fierce for space supremacy.


And they flew down a mightier force at night,
As though in heaven there was revolt and riot,
And they, frail things had taken panic flight
Down to the calm earth seeking peace and quiet.


I went to bed and rose at early dawn
To see them huddled together in a heap,
Each merged into the other upon the lawn,
Worn out by the sharp struggle, fast asleep.



The sun shone brightly on them half the day,
By night they stealthily had stol'n away.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Christmas Lights!



A gluten-free gingerbread couple decked out in pink marzipan :D

Sometimes I feel like the older I get, the faster the Christmas season goes by...

I remember when I was little, time never passed quickly enough. Staring at the presents under the tree was torture! But I loved counting down the days until Christmas, especially when I got to eat the chocolates in the Advent calendar :)!

Jose and I took a mini-trip tonight. We went to go look at a neighborhood, more like 3 houses :P, decked out over-the-top in Christmas lights. I don't think I've ever seen a house so festive and bright, to say the least, it really put Disneyland to shame.


Saturday, December 13, 2008

About

At the ripe old age of 25 (kidding :), I can say that I've learned a few things -- but I've still got quite a bit of learnin' to do. This is where I reflect on what the Good Lord has taught me. He's been my source of strength and inspiration throughout the years. One of the greatest gifts he's given me? Well, there are 2 (actually, there are many). A strong, wise and loving husband and this tiny baby in my belly, Mirabel -- the little (miracle) girl I hope to meet around May 17th 2010. You can read more about her story here.

Life's been exciting so far. I grew up mostly in Northern/Southern California, then moved to Texas, and now we're living in good ol' Massachusetts (around the Boston area). Why are we here? (I ask myself that when it's 5 degrees outside. ;) Well, the husband is in grad school, so we'll be here until May 2011... then we'll find ourselves deep in the heart of Texas, once again. That's where pretty bluebonnets line the long, expansive highways (with little traffic) and the skies are just as blue, with many puffy clouds (whose funny shapes are guaranteed to keep you entertained for hours, thinking of unicorns and flying pigs).

You'll hear about our adventures on this blog -- mostly the indoor ones that revolve around yarn, fabric and drawing paper. I also try to post about etsy shop updates. Music and love keep us sane and content, so occasionally I'll blog about those things, too. Oh yes, and trips. We take those sometimes. We always have fun no matter where we are or what we're doing, even if we're just grocery shopping. Flour Arrangements is where I post about what becomes of the items purchased from the grocery store :).

Feel free to drop me a comment/email. I welcome random friendly hellos.

Thanks for stopping by :)!

Want to know how I came up with the blog name? Click here then fast forward to about 7 minutes and 20 seconds for the answer :).

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