Energy-givers / Light-reflecters

I have at a time in my life that there were energy-drainers around me and I have learned to run from them, since I felt exhausted every time I had been with them for just a few minutes.

I am just reminded recently how I'm surrounded by so many energy-givers and light-reflecters. Those that you feel up-lifted and encouraged just being with them for a few minutes.

There's a women's group called Embrace Grace, who minister to single pregnant women. We adopted a couple of women to give them a baby shower. So, we hosted a baby shower at Kim's house for the 3 ladies in Embrace Grace on Dec. 6.

I was completely overwhelmed when the sign-up sheet for the baby shower gifts were filled up the first day we passed it around. Some even signed up for multiple gift items, during this time of the year when we all spend so much on gifts for friends and family...here they are committing to buy gifts for total strangers. On top of that, we had a lady that were giving beautiful jewelry to make the mother-to-be's feel special, and one even hand-made matching hats for moms & babes. We also had women bring food for the shower a couple of days prior because they would not be able to come.

On the day of the shower, I was moved by the love showered on these women, who were honored as God's precious daughters, not condemned as the world often see. We see them beautiful like their Father sees them. We have loved them before we even met them, we have prayed for them and their babies. We have prepared for this special day to make them know how much they are loved and our Father has divine purposes for the little ones they were giving birth to.
We came together in worship and in prayer. It was a sweet time in God's presence. They were in tears, aside from the gifts, that they were so honored by so many and more importantly, they felt their Father's love.

I have women whom I call friends, who often ask when they see a need in someone, "What can I do to help?", "What do they need?", "Is it okay for me to bless them with...?" One lady I know even gave away her ticket of the church Christmas dinner party to a nursery worker and offered to work her shift, just so that person would be blessed with a fun evening with her friends. These women are shining the light of God, showing God's love to others for no reason other than they've experience God's love and they can't help but to give it away and share it.

I have seen extravagant giving in this season like no other times. God honors giving, especially extravagant giving since He's the first Extragant Giver, our life-giver!! When we give Him our hearts, He fills it with Him!!

I believe 2009 is going to be a year of God's ourpouring love, goodness and revelation. "Every good gift and ever perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures." - James 1:17-18
Are you ready to give Him your all? Your heart and everything you are and everything you have. When you do, get ready, He's been waiting to pour out into your life everything that's amazing. He is AMAZING!!!

Holiday yummy food suggestions

We had our women's group over for a dinner party the other night, ladies and husbands. We had a blast!! Great food and conversations!!

I wanted to share with you what we had for food, it may give you some ideas for upcoming parties.

Cheese spread with crackers
Cheese spread -- President rondele's spinach cheese spread and pumpkin spice cheese spread, the pumpkin one is delicious!!! - from Sprout Farmers Market
Crackers -- good multi-graine ones from Cosco.

Potstickers (chicken with vegetables)
This is my favorite thing to keep in the freezer. Follow the instructions and cook them, they are everyone's favorites!!

Nathan's lil' smoked sausages
This is another easy item to make, just throw them in a small pot with some BBQ sauce and a little water and let cook for a little while.

Thin-crusted frozen pizzas-tomatoes and basil (I forgot the brand, it's from Cosco)

Gia Russa's Whole Wheat Rotini pasta (or Barillo) with fresh chicken basil sausage in Pesto Sauce
Bake 4-5 Chicken Basil Sausage (from Sprout) for about 1 hour until internal temp reaches 165 degrees, let cool, cut into small slices. Can be done a day or 2 before.
Saute chicken sausage slices until heated, add some crusted garlic, chopped tomatoes and red or orange bell peppers, then 1/3 jar of Kirkland's 22oz. Pesto sauce (in Cosco's cooler section, already made pesto sauce can be found elsewhere but can be pricey)until mixed well, then add cooked 16oz. (1 lb.) pasta, then mix until everything is heated through, add salt and pepper to taste.

For dessert, there's the Bumble Blossoms from Cosco's freezer section. These are puff pastries stuffed with apples and mixed berries and they look like blossoming flowers. So beautiful and delicious.

I hope you'll get to try some of these delicious items, they also make wonderful everyday treats too.

The Holiday season...

Every year I try to be relaxed during the pre-holiday season. I ask God to give me grace to deal with those stressed ones around me, that I wouldn't be affected by the craziness.

I went to Macy's 2 weeks ago to exchange something on a Saturday morning, without the knowledge that there was a morning sale going on. With people waiting in a long line and each person was buying at least 20 items (for the bargains), when it came to be my turn to pay, I couldn't help but started to sweat and felt so much under pressure to get my transaction done as soon as possible since every person behind me was staring me. I ended up having to go back to the cashier twice after that because I got so nervous. There... the JOY of the holiday... I just took a deep breath and moved on.

I have been doing our holiday shopping throughout the fall, so that has been done pretty much 2 months ago. Then, I did my gift-wrapping marathon for 3 nights last week and got that done. I have intended to post something on this blog 2-3+ times a week, but have found myself pre-occupied with gift-wrapping, greeting-card-writing and parties, and here I haven't been writing as much as I have intended.

Anyway,am I the only one on the planet that is not on Facebook? I feel like I am.

I have resisted to get on Facebook fearing that would suck up the little free time I have. It looks like I may need to open an account soon since everyone seems to be putting up their latest photos and news on there. I'll let you know how it goes.

I can't believe Hanukkah and Christmas is coming up next week. The kids have been asking every day when Hanukkah is, since we celebrate Hanukkah (that is this upcoming Sunday at sundown). I set out all their presents in the living room already, so they've been waiting to open them. In the meantime, we keep reminding them Hanukkah is about honoring God as our LIGHT and to remember how we have dedicated our lives to Him.

There's always an opportunity for a lesson when it comes to raising kids... a lesson for them and a lesson for me. So much I have learned about my Father's love for me as I parent.
I realize that I lack NOTHING. I mean...I really have everything I need and more. Psalm 37:25 says, "I have been young and now am old; yet I have not seen the rightious forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread." God is our ultimate provider. He supplies all our needs according to His riches in Glory.

I remember last year when my mother was visiting here, we were watching my kids play with their daddy. My mom was so touched by the scene, and said, "you know you are so blessed, though you don't have millions of dollar, yet you lack NOTHING!" I know what she meant, no matter how she or I or my sister has underminded life without a father, deep down inside we long for him to have been there.

My mom was at one point baffled at why I would want to stay home to be a "housewife" rather than continue to pursue a career after all the time and money invested for my education. Then, later, she told me how she felt bad for children that rarely get to spend time with their mothers and was glad that I had made the choice to be home. Although I have learned to look for approval from my heavenly Father, I surely am glad that my mother has come around to see His will for my life.

I am at an incredible place where I am so content!!! I have been content for quite some time, it's a gift from God. I don't desire much. As a matter of fact, I told my son, "if I get no gift this holiday season, I am completely fine with that, I don't need anything!!! NOTHING!!" I need nothing and I don't even want anything. It's a great place to be!

Lesson of a temporary voice loss

I got a sore throat a few days ago, then I consistently took vitamins and xylitol to fight off whatever thing that tried to start in my body. Well, the sore throat left and I started to lose my voice. I guess between a sore throat and a voice loss, I'd choose no pain any day.
So, though the painlessness did not bother me, I had to whisper most of the time, sound just would not want to come out of me... which brings me to not be able to raise my voice at my children, whether it be "don't climb on that!" or "come over here." were not said but in a whisper in my children's ears.

God is teaching me a valuable lesson through this which He wouldn't be able to otherwise, my words are effective even when they are not spoken loudly. When all you can do is whisper or speak with a horsey voice at best, you come across much gentler and it makes speaking with grace much easier also.

Even when I have to give my children warning before a discipline is necessary, I have to get very close to them and whisper into their ears, "You will get your discipline if this continues." And then a few times, I had to do what I'd promised. Boy, my gentle words whispered became so effective.

I was raised that in order to get someone to listen to you and to get their attention, you must scream. I came from a fairly loud family. They speak loudly and many times louder than someone with a microphone. I have gotten softer-spoken over the years. My sister is worried that I'd get pushed over with that change. Once at a family gathering, my husband wondered what the fight was about, I had to explain, "they are not fighting, that's just the way they talk."

I have prayed for some time that God would teach me to consistently speak with grace and gentleness, especially to my husband and my children (since we do that most of the times with friends and aquaintences). Well, I think I got the lesson.

Mourning over a lost friendship

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

As I realize there are seasons of friendships, some are meant to be for just a short little while for us to learn a lesson, some are for a lifetime (those are sweet - I have some dear sisters like that), and some are in our lives for just a season (well, a season could be several years). It's especially hard when the season ends before we would want that to or at an unexpected time.

Thank God for sweet friendships, we are given the freedom to choose our friends. We learn to accept our friends for who they are. When we open up our lives to our friends, we accept their talents as well as flaws. We share our thoughts, and as God instructs in the bible that we are to speak truth into one another's lives.

I am mourning over a lost friendship. As painful as it is to see a friendship go, not according to my own will. Father reminds me that sometimes He has certain relationships distanced for my own protection. I have to trust in Him, even though I have done the best I could to keep and to rescue a relationship... God is in control!

Paul and I have met people that they just didn't like us, we had done nothing wrong toward them. It was for our protection... later we found out that these people caused so much trouble to some people that they had finagled themselves into their lives.

God has so many times blessed me with new friends to take the place of those whom I had grown to love and lost. He is faithful and I am thankful for many new friends He continues to bring into my life as great blessings.

You (who is reading this) are probably one of them. Thank you! I do count my blessings, I've gained more that I've lost.