little big miracles

last Saturday after our worship concert - headed to celebrate JP's birthday

The best way to live Christianity is to live a life that daily reflects his power in our life. And that doesn’t mean that we are necessarily walking around and flashes of light and thunder happen (which is possible and cool J) but I mean that the joy of the lord is evident in our faces. That we should live a life of little miracles that are only possible through him. 

Like you are praying for a specific thing you wanted and then you get it.

Like you say a prayer and ask God that you really need something to be at the store because you only have so much time. You get to the store and the item you needed is there with specifications and all. And as an added perk, it’s very affordable. 

Then you all of sudden you get three invitations to worship internationally with your worship band, all in one week’s time. 

Supernatural. 

These little miracles only reflect a God that honors his people when they choose to obey him and do what he asks of them. 

I am grateful for the mercy of my father over my life. But I am also aware that “to those to whom much is given, much is required” 

and 

I want to daily be made ready to surrender 

more and more of myself. 

life is about...

silliness :)

hanging on a greater hope.
spending hours in your parked car, laughing hysterically with friends
mending broken hearts by offering sincere apologies
leaving freer because of said apologies
doing the best to love those you love freely, selflessly
enjoying saturdays at home,
watching a favorite show, reading a dear book, sipping coffee
learning & doing little things to uplift others, it has a way of reciprocating
soaking the beauty of others & letting it make you better
and mostly, learning to love the person we are, good & bad

here's to a new week.

a pleasant farewell

with a simple but yet beautiful sunrise (see above), i began the journey of 2011. with great expectations and wonderful promises, i took on the challenge of walking the uncharted territories of the new year. with time i learned that just as the lord told me through Ecclesiastes 9:11, this was my year of opportunity.

when we think of opportunity, it may sound as if it's always a positive, fun, bewildering chance to do something amazing, for our own good. And many times this is the case, but it can also depict a chance, a moment, a season, a few minutes of suffering, for an amazing result. i perhaps did not assume that the lord intended suffering when he spoke of opportunity, but nonetheless, as i walked through the seasons of 2011 i experienced perfect days of balanced cool and sunlight, and those of heavy rains, hail and persistent wind. sometimes for days at a time. and although i could not always explain it, many times it felt like it was raining while the sun was still shining. a perfect combination of amazing result and fervent suffering.

my land of opportunity, 2011, will cease to exist at the strike of midnight, but the lasting changes caused by each experience it afforded me has only begun its course in my life. nothing that i endured, celebrated or cried for is wasted matter, rather all of it has come together to make this puzzle complete, to give sense and sensibility to what it means to grow in character and worth.

i would not change any of it, even the most fearful and trying moments because i look back today and see that the young girl who started this path, 365 days ago, was merely just an infant in comparison to the woman of faith, worth and love she is today.

with much enthusiasm i wait for 2012, unafraid and rejoicing for the chance of new experiences and the opportunity to grow an inch or two. but most importantly i look forward to great discoveries, amazing stories, great novels and books to read, passionate experiences with my lord and victories over battles. i'm ready.

happy new year friends and thank you so much for walking beside me, by way of this blog, throughout 2011. i hope you'll stick around in the new year and inspire me some more as i grow, endure and overcome.

the wonder of ordinary moments

image via

A popular slogan says, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." I see the phrase everywhere, on everything from T-shirts to pieces of art. It's a catchy phrase, but I think it's misleading.

If we measure life by breathtaking moments, we miss the wonder of ordinary moments. Eatin, sleeping, and breathing seem "ordinary" in that we do them every day, usually without much thought. But they are not ordinary at all. Every bite and every breath are miracles. In fact, having breath is more miraculous than anything that takes our breath away.

King Solomon may have had more breathtaking moments than anyone. He said, "I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure" (Eccl. 2:10). But he expressed cynicism about it saying, "All of it meaningless" (v.17 NIV).

Solomon's life reminds us that it's important to find joy in "ordinary" things, for they are indeed wonderful. Bigger is not always better. More is not always an improvement. Busier doesn't make us more important.

Rather than look for meaning in breathtaking moments, we should find meaning in every breath we take, and make every breath meaningful.

by Julie Ackerman Link

dinner party success

we enjoyed such a good time together, my youth group and I.

not many words can express the fun it was.

my turkey was a success.

the food, entirely, was succesful.

delicious!

all the "kids" dressed up and look the part.

so fun.

thank you 2011 for giving us such a good time.

we look forward to making it count in 2012.

so many things to be thankful for

thanksgiving is probably one of my favorite holidays. it's a day to be with family and give thanks for the year's worth of blessings and even difficult times. and everywhere you turn people are coming together, cooking, shopping and eating. there's no other day in the year that i eat turkey, but today is a day worth eating it and sharing it.

today there's nothing more that i am thankful for then having jesus in my life, my family and friends. 

jesus because without him i would be nothing. and without his love for me and his work in my life i would not be able to enjoy my family or my friends. and everything that i am today, that i have, that i have accomplished, and even every tear i've shed, he's had to do with it. he has made every second of this year worthwhile, no matter the cost (Rom. 8:28). he has made me better, continues to make me better, and everyday he reveals to me who i am and where i'm going. and although, seeing my humanity for what it is, it's not always fun, he shows me it to remind me of my worth, his love for me despite that and to show me how much potential he sees in me for his kingdom. and today unlike any other thanksgiving, i am grateful for who i am in him. i'm grateful for every good quality, every flaw and every little thing i struggle with, because with all of it, he has made me, he has chosen me and wants to use me.

and today im grateful to be in love with jesus. to posses a new found joy and contentment. and even for the battle i've chosen to fight, daily, to let go my will in order to have his. i'm finally learning what matters most and for that i am grateful.

and i am also thankful for you. i've learned so much from you all about love, creativity, selflessness, and being real. thank you for that and for visiting my little place where i've learned to shed some light into my heart and to allow my heart to bloom. 

may you have a happy thanksgiving and beautiful joy with your loved ones.

and please do eat tons. i sure will. 

my weekend at camp

my body still aches from the effects of an amazing weekend at camp.

our annual camp did not disapoint. not only did we have amazing fun,

but we also had amazing moments in the lord's presence.

he really embraced us with his love and adoration. we felt so loved by him.

his ways are so beautiful. i felt his hand holding me close. i felt his encouraging love.

and he affirmed me so strongly in the moments that i needed it most.

he surely loves us. he is surely good. he is surely faithful when we choose him above all.

seeing the pictures takes me back

how sore my legs are, takes me back

it takes me back to those long hours standing up

those hours of me in the kitchen, making grilled cheese, pasta, ribs (for the first time)

and it takes me back to worshiping the lord with all my heart

and seeing young people worship him with the utmost desire for more

and our hearts connected

we became one

and as camp arise came to an end sunday afternoon

we were all convinced that this had been the best weekend of our year

and that there was nothing more we wanted

but to go back there

to meet with god, eat smores

and run like crazy.



today is the reason why i love august so much

today i turn 27. and i couldnt be happier. it is my birthday after all. but most of all because i have been saved by the blood of the lamb. and for me today, there is no greater joy but to know that i have an assurance in Christ. a freedom. a hope. a plan. and a future to serve him and glorify my lord and king. and because at 27 there's still so much to be done and accomplished. a lot of growing to do. a lot of places to see. and a lot of loving to share. so thank you lord for giving me this day. for this is the day in which you made me, and chose for me to come into the world. and now i'm all grown up. you've seen me grow and you've seen me cry and you've never left me. i love you god. and this day i say cheers to you, because today, my life is all about you.

and thank you lord, for being able to celebrate my birthday like a true miamian... hurricane Irene on it's way (and is then following me to rhode island. aaah) and of course, Cuban pastries...

somewhere along the lines of office party heaven

i love birthdays.

especially when it's someone at the office.

cause then this happens.

is that cupcake heaven or what??

uuh. yeah.

its's taste {sigh} beyond what my words can describe,

 so yeah,

heaven.

to end my day with a bang.

my friend had her rehearsal dinner last night.

im a bridesmaid. woot woot

and well here's a recap.

rehearsal was so sweet. i held tears.

and dinner, was different than most rehearsal dinners.

but,

it was FUN.

i didnt take a lot of pictures,

but i made sure to capture the important stuff

that's right. food.

cause at the end of it all, that's what matters.

food really brings people together, don't it? 

ps: yes, those are chicken wings.

from a little sweet pizza place in Miami.

if ever in town.

look up Casola's Pizza.

it's a little hot, humid, and loud.

but without those three,

you wont really experience the place.

Life is good.

life comes at you fast some times and all you can do is live through it.

hold tight.

enjoy the ride.

and enjoy the weekend.