Sergio and I kind of exist by semester. As long as we've been together, it's been this way. We were college students when we met, dated, got engaged, and during the first two and a half years of our marriage. Then he started seminary. And though my days aren't measured by deadlines and finals anymore, I still feel the burden of them. Even though I don't have winter and summer breaks from studies, I still enjoy them as just that. I no longer have "first days back," but they still encroach bringing excitement, anticipation, and hopeful planning alongside them.
Well, we recently started a new semester. Last semester was our first as parents. In a way, this semester feels like a first as well. I guess it really isn't, but it feels that way sometimes. This time around, by the time school started, we felt settled. The newness of being parents has worn off (although it still hits me at random times). Calvin and I are in a groove in our day to day routine. We get each other. He knows how to let me do my housework and I know when I've asked too much of him and he needs some play time with his mother... or a nap. We eagerly await my husband's return at the end of the day. And we feel so thrilled (in a settling way) when he does arrive. We are comfortable.
Sergio and I evaluate each semester. We don't formally sit down and write out our hopes and plans, but we do talk about them at each school break. We communicate what we would like to see done better or differently than the previous semester and what we would like to see accomplished in the one to come.
I'm keeping myself busy this semester. I'm attending Every Woman's Grace, a women's group bible study that meets weekly. We go through a study of a book of the Bible by doing homework-styled questions pertaining to the book. I'm still a part of the Seminary Wives fellowship that also meets weekly. It is a group of women married to seminary students that break into smaller groups for the purpose of encouragement, edification, praying for and building one another up. I'm also exercising regularly and we have decided to bring in Sergio's parents' dog, Paxton. This isn't to mention some of the books I want to read! In addition to these, I have a couple side projects in mind that would use some of my gifts to serve the body in different ways.
As wonderful as all these things are, I think that this semester will be a good measuring stick for my threshold of time management. I don't want to neglect my duties and responsibilities in the home (as they are my first priority). But Sergio and I also want our family life to revolve around the church. We want to love what Christ loves and the church is his bride. We want to establish those relationships, grow in our understanding of Scripture, and serve our brothers and sisters. We want our son to see the love of Christ displayed in what we choose to do with our time. So this semester will really be instrumental in me finding that balance of time in the home and time outside of it.
I have women in my life whom I love, admire, and want to emulate who vary greatly in their involvement in activities outside the home. I've come to the conclusion that the amount of things someone can put on their plate and execute well is different from person to person. I don't know how many things I can do yet. That's what I'm trying to determine. And I realize that things will also change as life's circumstances do (finances, more children, etc.).
So far, about two weeks in, it's going well. I don't feel at all overwhelmed or stretched too thin. I'm feeling refreshed, encouraged and blessed. Above all though, I want the Lord to be glorified in my life. I so don't want to compromise my relationship with him or my calling to my husband, children and home to pursue other things. I think it'll be a good learning experience. If I have bags under my eyes come June, you'll know why and I'm sure another blog post about the lesson I learned will soon follow!
What it means to be a woman, a wife, and a student, from a sinner that's still learning.
Showing posts with label Nothing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nothing. Show all posts
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Why I Prefer the "Old."
My husband often tells me I'm an old lady at heart. Sometimes, this is very true. When it comes to style, I often prefer things that look like they've come out of an Alfred Hitchcock film. At times, I prefer to listen to music from an LP instead of my ipod. I'd rather read about people that have been dead for hundreds of years than people that are alive today. It annoys me when people say "like" too many times (incorrectly) in a sentence -- though I must admit that I'm guilty of this as well. I appreciate it when men properly don neck ties. I consider many modern styles/make up trends to be garish. I use words like "garish."
Another area in which the "old lady" in me comes out is in my preference of worship music. Give me an old timey hymn over a contemporary christian ballad any day! There are several factors that feed into my preference. These are in no particular order. (Beware, there will be song lyrics quoted so it might be a bit long).
1. Profound truth. I'm not saying that contemporary christian music has no substance. It often does. The difference is that that which is found in old hymns seems more... substantial. If contemporary christian music is jell-o, classic hymns are creme brulee. They're both sweet. But one is far more complex, intricate, and enjoyable to the discerning palate. Let's look at two songs. The first is a contemporary song about God's kingship and his faithfulness to us. The second is about the same thing, but is an old hymn.
"You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are
You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are
There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City."
Not bad. No heresy. Kind of vague, though.
And here's the classic hymn.
"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, Now to His temple draw near;
Join me in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen How thy desires have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew What the Almighty can do
If with His love He befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the 'amen' Sound from his people again;
Gladly forever adore Him!"
Specific, worshipful, spiritually meaty, saturated in truth.
2. Poetic beauty. I'm convinced that people who prefer the contemporary to the antiquated don't read or like poetry. I love poetry. Specifically, I love poetry that is beautiful. Even more specifically, I love poetry that is beautiful and calls you to adore its subject matter. So beautifully authored poetry that begs us to adore and admire the beauty of the Creator of the universe and all his works really has no rival.
Here's a contemporary Christian song that speaks of the beauty of Christ and the beauty of Salvation.
"You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
And I will sin again
You are so good to me, You heal my broken heart
You are my Father in Heaven
You are so good to me, You heal my broken heart
You are my Father in Heaven
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You ride upon the clouds, You lead me to the truth
You are the Spirit inside me
You ride upon the clouds, You lead me to the truth
You are the Spirit inside me
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
And I will sing again
You are my strong melody, yeah
You are my dancing rhythm
You are my perfect rhyme
I will sing of You forever
You poured out all Your blood You died upon the cross
You are my Jesus who loves me
You poured out all Your blood, You died upon the corss
You are my Jesus who loves me
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song (x6 -- I was tired of writing this out)
And I will sing again (x4)
You are my Father in heaven
You are the Spirit inside me
You are my Jesus who loves me. "
That song encourages us to view Jesus as beautiful especially in light of his sacrificial work on the cross. But so do this one... and, in my opinion, does so more beautifully and more effectively.
"My Jesus, I love Thee; I know though art mine.
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou:
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me
And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow:
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
I'll love Thee in life; I will love Thee in death
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath.
And say when the death-dew lies cold on my brow,
'If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.'
In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright.
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,
'If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.' "
3. Spiritual Maturity. Like most pleasures in life, the level at which we enjoy something is revelatory of your maturity. The entertainment you enjoyed as a child you probably now find juvenile. And likewise, if you've been a believer for a while, your worship is probably more informed and therefore deeper than when you were first saved. This doesn't diminish from the genuineness or sincerity of our pleasure in those things when we were younger, it's only a natural progression of physical maturation as well as spiritual maturation.
Here's a song we might sing with a fullness of heart on the eve of our salvation. (And in the car on our way to work too...)
"Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations
Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender
Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
(2x)
Shine Your light and
Let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory
Of the risen King
You're the Savior
You can move the mountains
Lord You are mighty to save
You are mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
You rose and conquered the grave
Yes You conquered the grave
Shine Your light and
Let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory
Of the risen King"
All of that is true. And the truth of it is glorious. But here's a song I'm actually going to put effort into memorizing and singing to myself in remembrance of the glories of salvation.
"And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?
He left His Father's throne above;
So free, so infinite His grace.
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam's helpless race.
'Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For, O my God, it found out me.
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.
My chains fell off; my heart was free.
I rose, went forth and followed Thee
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou my God shouldst die for me?
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine;
Bold I approach the eternal throne
And claim the crown, through Christ, my own.
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou my God shouldst die for me?"
Each verse is filled with doctrine and truth that we could study and meditate on for hours on hours on end! And it's a joy to sing this song in its entirety because of its richness!
4. The Story. This one is perhaps my most weak argument for the superiority of the classic hymn as opposed to the contemporary christian song. What I mean by story is that hymns have survived the test of time. They've been here for centuries and are still being used. The contemporary Christian song seems to last only a few years before it's chucked out of the musical repertoire of the modern worship leader. Not only that, I have never heard of a personal story surrounding the conception of a contemporary worship song that revealed God's character to the song writer, inspiring them to write the lyrics. This isn't to say that hasn't happened, I'm sure it has. I just don't know of when/where. Off the top of my head, I can think of three examples in which personal experience was the beginning of a timeless hymn that we still enjoy today. (I won't include all the lyrics to these three songs, but just enough to give you the taste of the spirit of them).
A. Louisa M.R. Stead witnessed her husband drown in an attempt to save a boy that was drowning. In the late 19th century, being a widow essentially meant being despondent financially. Yet, she saw the Lord's hand in his provision for her in every trial. This caused her to pen the words,
"'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word
Just to rest upon His promise
Just to know: 'Thus saith the Lord.'
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I've proved Him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more."
B. Horatio Spafford, who had already by this time lost his only son and his business to the Great Chicago fire, experienced the loss of all his daughters as they traveled trans-Atlantic in a ship that sank. Having sent his wife and daughters ahead of him after being detained in the states, his wife sent him a telegram after the crash saying, "Saved alone." As he traveled to meet her, he wrote,
"When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
'It is well, it is well with my soul.'
It is well with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
...
My sin-- O the bliss of this glorious thought--
My sin-- not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Oh my soul!"
C. And of course I would be remiss without mentioning one of the most known, most loved hymns of all time. John Newton's life was inundated with hardships and events that had him staring at death in the face. He eventually found himself involved in the slave trade. Wikipedia says that, "While aboard the ship "Greyhound," Newton gained notoriety for being one of the most profane men the captain had ever met. In a culture where sailors commonly used oaths and swore, Newton was admonished several times for not only using the worst words the captain had ever heard, but creating new ones to exceed the limits of verbal debauchery." He was saved after crying out to God in the midst of a dangerous storm. Reflection on his life prior to conversion, particularly over regret of his involvement in the slave trade, John Newton wrote,
"Amazing Grace. How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found.
Was blind but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
and grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun."
Another area in which the "old lady" in me comes out is in my preference of worship music. Give me an old timey hymn over a contemporary christian ballad any day! There are several factors that feed into my preference. These are in no particular order. (Beware, there will be song lyrics quoted so it might be a bit long).
1. Profound truth. I'm not saying that contemporary christian music has no substance. It often does. The difference is that that which is found in old hymns seems more... substantial. If contemporary christian music is jell-o, classic hymns are creme brulee. They're both sweet. But one is far more complex, intricate, and enjoyable to the discerning palate. Let's look at two songs. The first is a contemporary song about God's kingship and his faithfulness to us. The second is about the same thing, but is an old hymn.
"You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are
You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are
There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City."
Not bad. No heresy. Kind of vague, though.
And here's the classic hymn.
"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, Now to His temple draw near;
Join me in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen How thy desires have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew What the Almighty can do
If with His love He befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the 'amen' Sound from his people again;
Gladly forever adore Him!"
Specific, worshipful, spiritually meaty, saturated in truth.
2. Poetic beauty. I'm convinced that people who prefer the contemporary to the antiquated don't read or like poetry. I love poetry. Specifically, I love poetry that is beautiful. Even more specifically, I love poetry that is beautiful and calls you to adore its subject matter. So beautifully authored poetry that begs us to adore and admire the beauty of the Creator of the universe and all his works really has no rival.
Here's a contemporary Christian song that speaks of the beauty of Christ and the beauty of Salvation.
"You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
And I will sin again
You are so good to me, You heal my broken heart
You are my Father in Heaven
You are so good to me, You heal my broken heart
You are my Father in Heaven
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You ride upon the clouds, You lead me to the truth
You are the Spirit inside me
You ride upon the clouds, You lead me to the truth
You are the Spirit inside me
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
And I will sing again
You are my strong melody, yeah
You are my dancing rhythm
You are my perfect rhyme
I will sing of You forever
You poured out all Your blood You died upon the cross
You are my Jesus who loves me
You poured out all Your blood, You died upon the corss
You are my Jesus who loves me
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song (x6 -- I was tired of writing this out)
And I will sing again (x4)
You are my Father in heaven
You are the Spirit inside me
You are my Jesus who loves me. "
That song encourages us to view Jesus as beautiful especially in light of his sacrificial work on the cross. But so do this one... and, in my opinion, does so more beautifully and more effectively.
"My Jesus, I love Thee; I know though art mine.
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou:
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me
And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow:
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
I'll love Thee in life; I will love Thee in death
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath.
And say when the death-dew lies cold on my brow,
'If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.'
In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright.
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,
'If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.' "
3. Spiritual Maturity. Like most pleasures in life, the level at which we enjoy something is revelatory of your maturity. The entertainment you enjoyed as a child you probably now find juvenile. And likewise, if you've been a believer for a while, your worship is probably more informed and therefore deeper than when you were first saved. This doesn't diminish from the genuineness or sincerity of our pleasure in those things when we were younger, it's only a natural progression of physical maturation as well as spiritual maturation.
Here's a song we might sing with a fullness of heart on the eve of our salvation. (And in the car on our way to work too...)
"Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations
Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender
Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
(2x)
Shine Your light and
Let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory
Of the risen King
You're the Savior
You can move the mountains
Lord You are mighty to save
You are mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
You rose and conquered the grave
Yes You conquered the grave
Shine Your light and
Let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory
Of the risen King"
All of that is true. And the truth of it is glorious. But here's a song I'm actually going to put effort into memorizing and singing to myself in remembrance of the glories of salvation.
"And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?
He left His Father's throne above;
So free, so infinite His grace.
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam's helpless race.
'Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For, O my God, it found out me.
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.
My chains fell off; my heart was free.
I rose, went forth and followed Thee
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou my God shouldst die for me?
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine;
Bold I approach the eternal throne
And claim the crown, through Christ, my own.
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou my God shouldst die for me?"
Each verse is filled with doctrine and truth that we could study and meditate on for hours on hours on end! And it's a joy to sing this song in its entirety because of its richness!
4. The Story. This one is perhaps my most weak argument for the superiority of the classic hymn as opposed to the contemporary christian song. What I mean by story is that hymns have survived the test of time. They've been here for centuries and are still being used. The contemporary Christian song seems to last only a few years before it's chucked out of the musical repertoire of the modern worship leader. Not only that, I have never heard of a personal story surrounding the conception of a contemporary worship song that revealed God's character to the song writer, inspiring them to write the lyrics. This isn't to say that hasn't happened, I'm sure it has. I just don't know of when/where. Off the top of my head, I can think of three examples in which personal experience was the beginning of a timeless hymn that we still enjoy today. (I won't include all the lyrics to these three songs, but just enough to give you the taste of the spirit of them).
A. Louisa M.R. Stead witnessed her husband drown in an attempt to save a boy that was drowning. In the late 19th century, being a widow essentially meant being despondent financially. Yet, she saw the Lord's hand in his provision for her in every trial. This caused her to pen the words,
"'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word
Just to rest upon His promise
Just to know: 'Thus saith the Lord.'
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I've proved Him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more."
B. Horatio Spafford, who had already by this time lost his only son and his business to the Great Chicago fire, experienced the loss of all his daughters as they traveled trans-Atlantic in a ship that sank. Having sent his wife and daughters ahead of him after being detained in the states, his wife sent him a telegram after the crash saying, "Saved alone." As he traveled to meet her, he wrote,
"When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
'It is well, it is well with my soul.'
It is well with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
...
My sin-- O the bliss of this glorious thought--
My sin-- not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Oh my soul!"
C. And of course I would be remiss without mentioning one of the most known, most loved hymns of all time. John Newton's life was inundated with hardships and events that had him staring at death in the face. He eventually found himself involved in the slave trade. Wikipedia says that, "While aboard the ship "Greyhound," Newton gained notoriety for being one of the most profane men the captain had ever met. In a culture where sailors commonly used oaths and swore, Newton was admonished several times for not only using the worst words the captain had ever heard, but creating new ones to exceed the limits of verbal debauchery." He was saved after crying out to God in the midst of a dangerous storm. Reflection on his life prior to conversion, particularly over regret of his involvement in the slave trade, John Newton wrote,
"Amazing Grace. How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found.
Was blind but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
and grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun."
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Just.... One... Word...
Starbucks is going to kick me out in a bit. But this week, I will write on how and why "apologizing" is not the same as "asking for forgiveness" and why the distinction matters.
*Sip of coffee*
*Sip of coffee*
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
A Thought I Had
This is going to be a quick entry, but I had a thought earlier today. It really is silly that we're often surprised, disappointed, angry when our plans don't fall through. Isn't it silly?
I mean, where did we ever get the notion that by simply making plans, we've entered into some cosmic contract that validates our disappointment when they don't happen?
Silly. Just silly.
Friday, May 4, 2012
A Quick One
Despite the fact that the next two weeks are going to feel like two months, I am elated that the semester is coming to an end!
After this post, I'm going to take a brief hiatus from the blog only for a couple weeks. (Yes, I know that sometimes I don't post for several weeks anyway, but that is coincidental - this time, it's intentional). I have four major assignments to work on this weekend. After the end of next week, the load should get a lot lighter, but I still have to study for one or two exams.
As of May 18th, I will be done with CSUN for the foreseeable future. On that day, my aunt and I will be driving up to Chico, CA to pick up my sister-cousin, Isabel from Cal State Chico. I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE HER!!! I haven't seen her since her spring break back in early March. But because our breaks didn't coincide, we didn't get to see much of each other. Now I get to spend four days with her!
I love road trips. There's something very "Jack Kerouac" about them. Except for the fact that I don't have any delusions of grandeur and I'm not a guilt-ridden Catholic trying to suppress my crazy, very Kerouac indeed. I'm excited for listening to music and to sermons on the way up. I'm also excited for all the conversations throughout the weekend.
I love my aunt, Narcisa. I love all my aunts. To explore how much my mother, grandmother, and aunts have influenced me could probably be a great blog topic one day. I have definitely been blessed to have so many God-honoring models of femininity and womanhood in my life.
The plan is to drive up to Chico and get there Friday night. We'll stay in Chico for a day or two and then drive down to San Francisco where we'll stay for a night. On our way down, we'll stop at Napa for lunch and get our wine on! :) It will definitely be a great ending to a busy and stressful semester!
So long for now, blog-readers. The next two weeks, I will do my best to avoid the blog, facebook, and twitter to focus on getting all the school work done. I look forward to sharing some of my academic projects with you (really... just the Alice paper) upon my return. Your prayers are great appreciated and, let's be honest, probably desperately needed. :)
Daniela
After this post, I'm going to take a brief hiatus from the blog only for a couple weeks. (Yes, I know that sometimes I don't post for several weeks anyway, but that is coincidental - this time, it's intentional). I have four major assignments to work on this weekend. After the end of next week, the load should get a lot lighter, but I still have to study for one or two exams.
As of May 18th, I will be done with CSUN for the foreseeable future. On that day, my aunt and I will be driving up to Chico, CA to pick up my sister-cousin, Isabel from Cal State Chico. I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE HER!!! I haven't seen her since her spring break back in early March. But because our breaks didn't coincide, we didn't get to see much of each other. Now I get to spend four days with her!
I love road trips. There's something very "Jack Kerouac" about them. Except for the fact that I don't have any delusions of grandeur and I'm not a guilt-ridden Catholic trying to suppress my crazy, very Kerouac indeed. I'm excited for listening to music and to sermons on the way up. I'm also excited for all the conversations throughout the weekend.
I love my aunt, Narcisa. I love all my aunts. To explore how much my mother, grandmother, and aunts have influenced me could probably be a great blog topic one day. I have definitely been blessed to have so many God-honoring models of femininity and womanhood in my life.
The plan is to drive up to Chico and get there Friday night. We'll stay in Chico for a day or two and then drive down to San Francisco where we'll stay for a night. On our way down, we'll stop at Napa for lunch and get our wine on! :) It will definitely be a great ending to a busy and stressful semester!
So long for now, blog-readers. The next two weeks, I will do my best to avoid the blog, facebook, and twitter to focus on getting all the school work done. I look forward to sharing some of my academic projects with you (really... just the Alice paper) upon my return. Your prayers are great appreciated and, let's be honest, probably desperately needed. :)
Daniela
Sunday, February 26, 2012
15 in 3
I often say that the little blessings in life are evidences of God's love for his creation. If it weren't enough to send His son to die on our behalves that we may have a relationship with Him, He gave us husbands, wives, friends, family, puppies, flowers, sunshine, rain, babies, coffee, music, sunsets, mountains, nap times, dancing, cute dresses, sex, fabric softener, literature, art, a perfectly executed poached egg, comedy, ice cream, fire, rainbows, landscapes, expendable organs - I'm looking at you, appendix, cute woodland creatures and the hawks that hunt them, anything my grandmother cooks, aurora borealis, and chocolate!
None of which is deserved or earned. All of which I am thankful for.
Currently, I'm thankful for the ability to move. Physical movement. If one sin warrants immediate damnation, I can only think of few greater evidences of grace than the permission to keep roaming the earth. And yet, even with this knowledge, we often spend our free time sitting idle - and usually in front of a box from which we demand constant entertainment. I'm not saying entertainment is bad. Frankly, I find it amusing and... well... entertaining. The problem is when we start finding our refuge in it, when we start needing it, and when we can't think of or find anything else to provide a sense of release from the day to day stresses. But that was a tangent.
Back to moving!
I haven't always liked exercising. My weight fluctuated a lot when I was a child and so I often found exercising difficult and uncomfortable. Also, exercise always meant only one thing: running. And I hated running. I still hate running. (Notice running wasn't on my list of God's graces - I know it is, but.... still). However, over the years, exercise has really grown on me. I didn't do it nearly as often as I should have, but for the better part of the last 5 years, I've had a gym membership that did get used.
Since I started working at the gym, I've been hitting it more often than ever before (and I love it!), but things very easily distract me and deter me from it for extended periods of time. Since I started working there, I've lost - and kept off - about 13 pounds, but most of it was done within the first 3 months of my employment.
Well, I find myself in a very interesting place this year. I would like very much to have a baby sometime in the near future. Yes I am aware that it is a long and drawn out process (I've been told about 9 months). So I guess it's more appropriate to say that I would like to entertain (there's that word again) the idea of getting pregnant sometime in the near future.
The problem is, I'm still about ten pounds heavier than I ought to be. Pregnancy takes a toll on a woman's body. A toll that my body can't quite afford yet. So, I've set a goal for myself that I think is reasonable and not too driven by vanity. The goal is to lose fifteen pounds in three months. That's a little over a pound a week, which is super manageable and healthy. I want to do this so that when I do have a bun in the oven, my body is in a strong and healthy place for the well-being of the little one as well as my own process and recovery.
Why am I telling you this? I may not even know you! The reason I'm putting it out there is simple: accountability. I often set lofty unattainable goals for myself, tell no one, and then accomplish nothing. I figure that there are two problems here. The first is that it's silly to train for a marathon in 2 months when you don't run. (I never really set that goal for myself, but the ones I have are just as foolish). The second is that no one knew about my goals, so I never really had to face anything if (and when) they weren't accomplished. This way, the blogosphere knows what I've committed myself to, and I hope everyone that may come across this helps keep me accountable over the next several weeks. If you see me around, ask me how my workouts are going. I won't feel offended, I promise. I hope you don't feel offended when I tell you to mind your own business.
KIDDING! :)
None of which is deserved or earned. All of which I am thankful for.
Currently, I'm thankful for the ability to move. Physical movement. If one sin warrants immediate damnation, I can only think of few greater evidences of grace than the permission to keep roaming the earth. And yet, even with this knowledge, we often spend our free time sitting idle - and usually in front of a box from which we demand constant entertainment. I'm not saying entertainment is bad. Frankly, I find it amusing and... well... entertaining. The problem is when we start finding our refuge in it, when we start needing it, and when we can't think of or find anything else to provide a sense of release from the day to day stresses. But that was a tangent.
Back to moving!
I haven't always liked exercising. My weight fluctuated a lot when I was a child and so I often found exercising difficult and uncomfortable. Also, exercise always meant only one thing: running. And I hated running. I still hate running. (Notice running wasn't on my list of God's graces - I know it is, but.... still). However, over the years, exercise has really grown on me. I didn't do it nearly as often as I should have, but for the better part of the last 5 years, I've had a gym membership that did get used.
Since I started working at the gym, I've been hitting it more often than ever before (and I love it!), but things very easily distract me and deter me from it for extended periods of time. Since I started working there, I've lost - and kept off - about 13 pounds, but most of it was done within the first 3 months of my employment.
Well, I find myself in a very interesting place this year. I would like very much to have a baby sometime in the near future. Yes I am aware that it is a long and drawn out process (I've been told about 9 months). So I guess it's more appropriate to say that I would like to entertain (there's that word again) the idea of getting pregnant sometime in the near future.
The problem is, I'm still about ten pounds heavier than I ought to be. Pregnancy takes a toll on a woman's body. A toll that my body can't quite afford yet. So, I've set a goal for myself that I think is reasonable and not too driven by vanity. The goal is to lose fifteen pounds in three months. That's a little over a pound a week, which is super manageable and healthy. I want to do this so that when I do have a bun in the oven, my body is in a strong and healthy place for the well-being of the little one as well as my own process and recovery.
Why am I telling you this? I may not even know you! The reason I'm putting it out there is simple: accountability. I often set lofty unattainable goals for myself, tell no one, and then accomplish nothing. I figure that there are two problems here. The first is that it's silly to train for a marathon in 2 months when you don't run. (I never really set that goal for myself, but the ones I have are just as foolish). The second is that no one knew about my goals, so I never really had to face anything if (and when) they weren't accomplished. This way, the blogosphere knows what I've committed myself to, and I hope everyone that may come across this helps keep me accountable over the next several weeks. If you see me around, ask me how my workouts are going. I won't feel offended, I promise. I hope you don't feel offended when I tell you to mind your own business.
KIDDING! :)
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
COFFEE!!!
So the last week and a half or so, I've been sick. It crept up slowly with fatigue and headaches and then, on Tuesday, hit me like a big yellow school bus. I woke up and could barely move. My throat felt like it was on fire every time I swallowed or try to talk. If that weren't enough, I was sweating and shivering at the same time. No me gusta!
All in all, however, the Lord was kind. I was only seriously down for two days. By Thursday, I was weak, but found strength to go to work, come home and knock out for the rest of the afternoon. Also, I lost three pounds! Hooray! I know, not the best way to lose weight, and besides, I've since gained back two of them, but it was still nice to see that low number. (Well, at least the lowest I've seen it in several years).
I still have a few symptoms left. I'm still coughing considerably though my throat is no longer sore. And my bi-polar nose arbitrarily decides to change from congested to runny. Ever since I can remember I've had a very weak immune system that seems to catch everything thrown at it. Thankfully though, I've never really been seriously ill and I recover relatively quickly.
The real purpose of this post, however, is to express my genuine and sincere thankfulness for coffee. It's been a week since I had some coffee. I probably shouldn't be having coffee if I'm not completely healed, but I really wanted some, and besides, it's Valentine's Day. (I am my own Valentine this year). So, I treated myself to Starbucks this morning and purchased a medium cup of their new light brew. In the process, I got to see one of my husband's friends who, I am glad to say, has become my friend. (Shout out to Catlin!) He works at the Starbucks I like to visit when on my way to LACC. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, he wrote a little platonic love note on the bag in which my chicken sausage and egg white breakfast wrap came and brightened my morning commute considerably.
In the car, I began to sip my coffee. Fair disclaimer: I generally detest Starbucks brewed coffee with the exception of their Christmas blend. I love their crafted beverages, but their drip coffee... not so much. I was very pleasantly surprised with this libation, however! (Side note, I love it when I find something I like to consume that's cheap). It gave great energy as well and really helped put me in a good mood. It's amazing how the little gifts in life can do that so subtly and significantly.
After a week without coffee, this was a fantastic return. It gave me the jump start I needed for the long day ahead. Starbucks, and Catlin, your influence is profound, and my gratitude is real.
All in all, however, the Lord was kind. I was only seriously down for two days. By Thursday, I was weak, but found strength to go to work, come home and knock out for the rest of the afternoon. Also, I lost three pounds! Hooray! I know, not the best way to lose weight, and besides, I've since gained back two of them, but it was still nice to see that low number. (Well, at least the lowest I've seen it in several years).
I still have a few symptoms left. I'm still coughing considerably though my throat is no longer sore. And my bi-polar nose arbitrarily decides to change from congested to runny. Ever since I can remember I've had a very weak immune system that seems to catch everything thrown at it. Thankfully though, I've never really been seriously ill and I recover relatively quickly.
The real purpose of this post, however, is to express my genuine and sincere thankfulness for coffee. It's been a week since I had some coffee. I probably shouldn't be having coffee if I'm not completely healed, but I really wanted some, and besides, it's Valentine's Day. (I am my own Valentine this year). So, I treated myself to Starbucks this morning and purchased a medium cup of their new light brew. In the process, I got to see one of my husband's friends who, I am glad to say, has become my friend. (Shout out to Catlin!) He works at the Starbucks I like to visit when on my way to LACC. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, he wrote a little platonic love note on the bag in which my chicken sausage and egg white breakfast wrap came and brightened my morning commute considerably.
In the car, I began to sip my coffee. Fair disclaimer: I generally detest Starbucks brewed coffee with the exception of their Christmas blend. I love their crafted beverages, but their drip coffee... not so much. I was very pleasantly surprised with this libation, however! (Side note, I love it when I find something I like to consume that's cheap). It gave great energy as well and really helped put me in a good mood. It's amazing how the little gifts in life can do that so subtly and significantly.
After a week without coffee, this was a fantastic return. It gave me the jump start I needed for the long day ahead. Starbucks, and Catlin, your influence is profound, and my gratitude is real.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Procrastination
One of the great things (or bad things - depending on how you look at it) about blogs is that they serve as a good distraction. School has only been in session for one week and I'm already behind in a couple of my classes. I'm not concerned with the reading because I can really do that anytime. I'm always up for reading. But I have two online classes (physics and art) that require me to log on and watch the lecture. I'm not too crazy about that.
The beginning of school is always bitter-sweet for me. I love reading. I love the pursuit of truth. I hate the classes I'm required to take that have nothing to do with my major. I hate how even within my major, my pursuit of truth is so limited, stopping shortly before the greatest truth that can be attained by the human mind: the knowledge of the creator and His will.
My desire to be more "settled" is growing. I don't mean settled in the sense of where I live or how I make money. I mean settled in the sense of being in the circumstance that will really occupy a good portion of my life. I do feel that my desire for a family is being deepened. While I think it's important for me to finish my education, I know that you never really stop learning. I know that I'm going to learn a lot academically this year and I'm going to enjoy it. But what I'm going to learn will have very little bearing on how I conduct my life after I graduate. And that's ok. I'm fine with that. I will continue to intellectually exercise with material and texts that are more focused to how I want to be sharpened and refined. I don't get to read much Jonathan Edwards or William Carey in school.
The beginning of school is always bitter-sweet for me. I love reading. I love the pursuit of truth. I hate the classes I'm required to take that have nothing to do with my major. I hate how even within my major, my pursuit of truth is so limited, stopping shortly before the greatest truth that can be attained by the human mind: the knowledge of the creator and His will.
My desire to be more "settled" is growing. I don't mean settled in the sense of where I live or how I make money. I mean settled in the sense of being in the circumstance that will really occupy a good portion of my life. I do feel that my desire for a family is being deepened. While I think it's important for me to finish my education, I know that you never really stop learning. I know that I'm going to learn a lot academically this year and I'm going to enjoy it. But what I'm going to learn will have very little bearing on how I conduct my life after I graduate. And that's ok. I'm fine with that. I will continue to intellectually exercise with material and texts that are more focused to how I want to be sharpened and refined. I don't get to read much Jonathan Edwards or William Carey in school.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Food Seems to be One of the Most Frequent Displays of Grace
Another thing that reminds me of God's unwavering grace that results in my joy and admiration of his goodness is:
New Recipes!
We are blessed to receive food from my grandmother three times a week. Usually, we're able to get by with the left overs on the alternate days. Well, today, I felt like cooking something new. I had a pound of turkey that I wanted to use as well as some tomatoes, mushrooms, and bell peppers. I asked Sergio to bring home some lettuce, and I had some brown rice in the pantry.
First I sauteed the bell peppers for about 5 minutes until more tender than crispy. Then I added the diced tomatoes for one minute. I transferred that to a bowl and seasoned that with crushed red pepper. Then I sauteed the sliced up mushrooms until super tender and seasoned those with salt and pepper.
I grilled up the patties of ground turkey. All of this was happening while the brown rice was cooking. Then it was just an assembly game. We wrapped the burger in the lettuce as a healthier alternative to a bun.
Overall, great recipe. Health: Wife-approved. Taste: Husband-approved.
:)
New Recipes!
We are blessed to receive food from my grandmother three times a week. Usually, we're able to get by with the left overs on the alternate days. Well, today, I felt like cooking something new. I had a pound of turkey that I wanted to use as well as some tomatoes, mushrooms, and bell peppers. I asked Sergio to bring home some lettuce, and I had some brown rice in the pantry.
First I sauteed the bell peppers for about 5 minutes until more tender than crispy. Then I added the diced tomatoes for one minute. I transferred that to a bowl and seasoned that with crushed red pepper. Then I sauteed the sliced up mushrooms until super tender and seasoned those with salt and pepper.
I grilled up the patties of ground turkey. All of this was happening while the brown rice was cooking. Then it was just an assembly game. We wrapped the burger in the lettuce as a healthier alternative to a bun.
Overall, great recipe. Health: Wife-approved. Taste: Husband-approved.
:)
Monday, August 2, 2010
My Birthday Amazingness
I turned 23 this past Saturday. It was, by far, the best birthday I've ever had. The first reason it was the best birthday is because it was the first birthday of my marriage life. And it was wonderful to enjoy everything and be able to come home with my husband to our humble home. Secondly, it was a three-day event.
Friday, Sergio and I had dinner at the Bowery where Sergio had, arguably, the best burger of his life. I had a pretty amazing bowl of Mussels and a very tasty Ginger Martini. We then saw Inception at the arclight.
Saturday, my mom and dad organized a birthday dinner for me and invited my in laws. Sergio's parents, grandparents, little sisters, and niece all came over to my parents house and my mom put on a pretty amazing spread of food for us. Including lamb, parmesan risotto, and among many other things, chocolate espresso cake. (My little cousin, Esther made this really great Chocolate Peanut butter cake as well). Everything was delicious and good times were had by all. I feel so blessed to not only to have married into a family that I love, but that my husband's family and my family like each other and enjoy spending time together. What an amazing blessing!
Sunday, Sergio and I woke up, got ready, and went to church together for the first time, EVER! Sergio has been working 7 days a week for about a year now which means that we usually just meet at church. But yesterday, it was wonderful to be woken up by my husband to get ready to go to church together.
After church, Sergio's family took us out for lunch at La Parrilla in Downtown. Then for dinner, we met up with my cousin Isabel, her boyfriend Greg, and my friends Anna, Sharmin, and Oliver at El Carmen in Los Angeles and had some amazing Mexican food and kickin' margaritas. It was an amazing time and I'm so thankful to everyone who contributed their love, presence, and time to make my birthday so special! I love everyone of them with all my heart and I praise God for his graciousness in provision of all these wonderful individuals in my life!
Friday, Sergio and I had dinner at the Bowery where Sergio had, arguably, the best burger of his life. I had a pretty amazing bowl of Mussels and a very tasty Ginger Martini. We then saw Inception at the arclight.
Saturday, my mom and dad organized a birthday dinner for me and invited my in laws. Sergio's parents, grandparents, little sisters, and niece all came over to my parents house and my mom put on a pretty amazing spread of food for us. Including lamb, parmesan risotto, and among many other things, chocolate espresso cake. (My little cousin, Esther made this really great Chocolate Peanut butter cake as well). Everything was delicious and good times were had by all. I feel so blessed to not only to have married into a family that I love, but that my husband's family and my family like each other and enjoy spending time together. What an amazing blessing!
Sunday, Sergio and I woke up, got ready, and went to church together for the first time, EVER! Sergio has been working 7 days a week for about a year now which means that we usually just meet at church. But yesterday, it was wonderful to be woken up by my husband to get ready to go to church together.
After church, Sergio's family took us out for lunch at La Parrilla in Downtown. Then for dinner, we met up with my cousin Isabel, her boyfriend Greg, and my friends Anna, Sharmin, and Oliver at El Carmen in Los Angeles and had some amazing Mexican food and kickin' margaritas. It was an amazing time and I'm so thankful to everyone who contributed their love, presence, and time to make my birthday so special! I love everyone of them with all my heart and I praise God for his graciousness in provision of all these wonderful individuals in my life!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Another Reason I'm Thankful I Got Married Young
I love food that makes your breath smell like death. You name it. Garlic, onions, coffee, sauerkraut, stinky cheeses (the stinkier the better!), everything. I'm thankful that I'm already married so I don't need to suppress the desires for these delicacies to which I might sporadically yield. (Dear Beloved Sergio, this is how you properly use "sporadic" in a sentence). Not that I hid my tastes from Sergio during our courtship but I have a feeling that as I mature in age (much like a fine and stinky cheese), my appetite for such indulgences will increase.
Basically, Sergio's stuck. But then, it is a two-way street. Looking forward to every minute! :)
Basically, Sergio's stuck. But then, it is a two-way street. Looking forward to every minute! :)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Compact Constrict
The Los Angeles City College parking lot's regular-sized spaces should be marked "compact" and the smaller ones should be marked "clown cars." Really, what's the point of being able to fit your small car into a compact space if there's is no reasonable hope for you to be able to get back into it once cars park on either side of you ?
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