godly friendships

my cravings for closer godly friendships surfaced when i experienced community with those from my bible study group. i had been attending for years but it wasn't until i put effort into sharing my vulnerabilities that i began to see the importance of surrounding myself with other believers.

being intentional with friendships that mattered is something i place on my priority list, most especially with girlfriends. their is a sense of accountability that is unique when god is at the center of the bond. it challenges you, encourages you, & moves you out of your comfort zone according to his word.

while i feel it is important to have deep, authentic, meaningful friendships regardless of who is at the core of our beliefs, more & more i find myself desiring godly friendships & community. god answered my prayers when he reunited me with an old elementary school friend who i kept in touch with during junior high but lost contact with in our high school & our college years. social media re-connected us. we bonded over our love for crafts. one day we had a sweet reunion when i visited her in SF. we both came to know that we were no longer active in the catholic faith of our childhood upbringing but rekindled our love for jesus within the christian faith.  just a few months later i found out i was pregnant & she has been such a source of wisdom & guidance for me during my pregnancy. during the month i juggled 2 jobs & was to tired to go home, she let me take naps at her house. she sent me off with crackers to keep nausea at bay on my commute's home. she's a wealth of advice about what i "really" need as far as mommy gear. she encourages me when i have doubts if i will be a wonderful mother. she reminds me of god's calling. its a friendship that draws me closer to him & keeps me connected with god. i'm thankful for my answered prayer.

hello! its been awhile..

theirs been much excitement between my husband & i as we are expecting our firstborn child. however, this week i was filled with doubt & anxiety. will i be enough as a new mother. is my knowledge about jesus adequate enough to raise up a child that we hope to be disciple of christ? aside from the normal parental worries, that question has been lingering on my mind. what a gift & true blessing god has entrusted us with & we want to make sure we raise up our first born in a way that honors him. 

i stumbled upon this verse as i was reading up on mommy blogs. 

" and i am sure of those, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of jesus christ." philippians 1:6

it brought me peace as i wrestle with feelings of motherhood in this new season in my life. god put this sweet reminder of hope as we await the arrival of our firstborn child. he put me on this journey & called me to the vocation of marriage & motherhood & he will always be my side. 

for you, my god

i don't want to live a lackluster, lackadaisical, uninspired christian life. may the worldy view of success continue to dim in comparison to the deep, life altering, & unchanging view of sucess & love according to god. i want to live a life that matters to his kingdom. 

heart check

she spoke life giving words & prayed for me during seasons of extreme discouragement. she left a life restlenses & financial comfort to seek gods calling through an intensive 9 month christian centered mentoring & leadership training. what a true inspiration! she's become my mentor & im so thankful god made our paths cross. im thankful for this spiritual relationship that allows me to grow stronger in god's word. 

since coming back from her training, we have our almost weekly dates. sometimes we meet for coffee. sometimes we take nature walks. we check in with one another, pray over each other, & have "heart checks." is our heart aligned with our god given purpose? how's our heart feeling today & how can we better serve each other as sisters in christ? she blesses my heart. 

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, & all the more as you see the day drawing near.   hebrews 10:25

juice cleanse..the beginning

juice cleanse as a way to detox has been on my to do list for quite sometime. however, the cost of it has always deterred me from taking the full 3-5 day plunge. pressed juicery (at in store locations only) offers a one day cleanse & i thought this would be a great way to see if i can even last a day without solid foods. well..what do ya know, i powered through the day feeling full & confident that perhaps i can last a few more days of relying solely on nutrient dense juices from plants & fruits.  they recommend one bottle of juice every 2-3 hours but each bottle left me feeling so full, so i was stoked to have some left over juices for the next day. 

vanilla almond has always been my favorite from pressed juicery. its creamy, filling, & the medjool dates add a perfect amount of natural sweetness. other notable favorites were the greens #3  (kale, spinach, romaine, parsley, cucumber, apple, celery, lemon, & ginger) & roots #2 (apple, carrots, ginger, kale, parsley, romaine, spinach). the chlorophyll water is probably the cleanest water i have ever tasted! ive been reading & researching the benefits of chlorophyll & it looks like i may have to visit the vitamin store soon. 

aritzia

i recently introduced a co-worker to aritzia. it has been my go to place to shop on the very rare occasion that im in the mood to add staple pieces to my wardrobe. they are a bit on the pricey side but the quality is superb. im careful with what i choose making sure each piece can be wearable throughout all 4 seasons. she absolutely loved aritzia & picked up several items while i left empty handed as my search for a durable winter coat turned out unsuccessful. i donated most of my jackets as ive put quite the mileage on 2 in particular & it shows! like worn down..really shows! im still on the hunt for a jacket since winter will soon arrive & i have nothing heavy enough to keep me warm. in the meantime im hoping for layers of clothing & a huge scarf to keep me warm until i can find coat durable & heavy enough to not make me shiver (i get cold very easily).

aritiza..oh aritzia..i always leave lusting over items i can't have. i love their scarf blankets. it's huge, chunky, & can be wrapped around several times. all the traits of a great scarf in my opinion! & that sweater..oh that alpaca sweater. so soft & cozy as if i were wrapped in clouds of fluff! i wanted to take home both these items. however, i refrained. ive gotten quite good at this over the years *pats myself on shoulder*. it was fun to play dress up while it lasted. 

15, october

Jesus Calling | 15, October


"TRY TO STAY CONSCIOUS OF ME as you go step by step through this day. My Presence with you is both a promise and a protection. My final statement just before I ascended into heaven was: Surely I am with you always. That promise was for all of My followers, without exception.
The promise of My Presence is a powerful protection. As you journey through your life, there are numerous pitfalls along the way. Many voices clamor for your attention, enticing you to go their way. A few steps away from your true path are pits of self-pity and despair, plateaus of pride and self-will. If you take your eyes off Me and follow another's way, you are in grave danger. Even well-meaning friends can lead you astray if you let them usurp My place in your life. The way to stay on the path of Life is to keep your focus on Me. Awareness of My Presence is your best protection."

Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 12:1-2

---

Lord God, 

During this season of awareness, help me learn to be still & listen. I am tempted to busy my schedule to avoid your voice because listening sometimes means dealing with with the darkness, self condemnation, self pity, despair, & these hard truths you are opening my eyes to. Help me to remember you are my place of rest. You are my protection.

staying in scripture

im having a really hard time staying consistent, daily, with being in the scripture. i would do it for a few days consecutively then miss a few days. pick back up then fall off my daily schedule. im feeling discouraged so i researched what has helped other women stay focused in filling their lives with HIS truth & with the glorious life-giving words of the bible. 

ive come up with a few guidelines & ideas that i may implement during my daily quest to seek god. 

1) heading to work a few minutes early to  read in my car

2) set my alarm to remind myself to learn & memorize verses

3) find an app or podcast that i can hear the bible being read. great for excercising or when walking iggy 

4) schedule weekly reading plan on my planner

5) have an accountability partner that checks in on you or sends encouraging verses throughout the day

6) decorate home with scripture that ill see throughout the day

frenchie fridays

im looking forward to a weekend filled with birthdays, baptism, volunteer, good food, & even greater company!

its been awhile since ive posted a photo of iggy but make no mistake..im still as smitten as when we first took him home. he really is my little ray of sunshine.

i started my granny squares for my fall throw a few days ago & as im crocheting iggy just so lovingly wedges himself next to me to keep me company. such a sweet boy! 

september scripture challenge

i'm participating in my first bible study challenge. every morning id write in my prayer journal whatever is in my heart..sorta like a conversation with god. however, i find myself going on & on, sometimes thanking jesus sometimes ranting with no direction. i found kristin schmuckers september scripture challenge through a hashtag via instagram & thought what a wonderful opportunity to read the bible with direction. to be more disciplined & intentional every morning drawing nearer to christ. 

im in day 2 of the reading galations so i thought id share my thoughts.

no one can please god by simply obeying the law. so we put our faith in christ jesus & god accepted us because of our faith. galations 2:16

i have died but christ lives in me. & i now live by faith in the son of god, who loved me & gave his life for me. i don't turn my back on god's undeserved kindness. it we can be acceptable to god by obeying the law, it was useless for christ to die. galations 2:20-21

i grew up in strict practicing catholic home, praying the rosary every saturdays, bible school every sundays, & also attending a private catholic school. while everyones experience is different, later on in life i felt as if i were operating on auto pilot not really knowing christ as i should have given my up bringing. i followed both cultural and catholic mores. it became about the do's & dont's. the should's & should not's. the good & bad. the guilt when i didn't do what i suppose to. the praise when i felt like i earned gods love because i did something right. their was a point in my life where i wanted nothing to do with organized religion. 8 years ago my best friend invited me to a christian church & my life has change since then. i no longer operate on auto pilot rather i seek relational union with christ. i put my faith in jesus christ & him alone. 

i'm thankful for this path he is leading me to. for his guidance & blessings. for his unconditional & undeserved love wether i do something right or wrong. 

hello!

my 100 happy days has somehow made it's way onto the pages of my prayer journal instead of this blog like it initially started. i haven't had the interest to take photos to go along with it but ive kept on documenting an attitude of gratitude somewhere private instead. 

ive often thought about this blog & how id love for it to be a space where i pour my heart out with honest vulnerability. but that's scary. since i was a young girl i loved writing words on paper about life, my thoughts, & my feelings. i have many paper journals to account for this. i think there's a part of us that longs to share our story, for memories sake..even if our only audience is the one who is writing their own life's story. so ive been pouring out my feelings & experiences on paper where i need not worry about being judged or silenced. it's been therapeutic & freeing. 

my blog has been quiet for almost 3 months now. ive been spending some much needed quiet time with god. prayerfully asking him for discernment about what it looks like to lead a life of courage. 2014 has been full of quiet alone time & solitude, reconciling with myself, digging deeper in my faith so i can become who God designed to be.

much to often when im presented with challenges or when i don't know the answer i retreat to myself. not wanting to come out of my shell until ive "figured it out." but if theirs anything ive learned about this walk with christ..it's the importance of sharing. i have been blessed by words of encouragement & personal testimony that has tremendously transformed my heart & mind but ive done very little in the sharing aspect. it's taken years of being in bible study & small groups but it's only recently that ive begun to share & to expose a heart that is sometimes uncertain & distrustful of my own creator but hopes to love & grow through christ more daily. 

day 7 | 100 happy days

the hubby & i showed up to easter service at church a bit earlier than usual since ive been volunteering the last 2 weeks. it really has been so wonderful to see new faces at church & faces whom i haven't seen in awhile. today, on easter christ rose from the dead! to truly feel the depth of gods love for us brings me to tears. i get so emotional at times thinking about it. for god so loved the world, that he sent his one & only son to die for us. 

after easter sunday service we had brunch with everyone at church then ran a few errands. bbq-ed dinner & dined al fresco. 

god, thank you for you for loving us. help me to desire to know you better, so that i may keep you at the forefront of all that i do. thank you for the food on our table. 

day 6 | 100 happy days

ive been thinking about adding more succulents to my collection & by collection i mean two. succulents require far less maintenance than most flowers/plants that i know, so it's no wonder why the two that i have are still alive. succulents suite me quite well.

day 3 | 100 happy days

remember those gorgeous flowers i saw on my walk with iggy? as it turns out they awaken & sleep! on my drive home from bible study i noticed they were shut. to be sure i was seeing correctly i dragged the hubby for a late night walk & lo & behold! they do sleep at night time! i thought that was pretty cool!

i walked iggy again today & love how they remind me to always lean into the light! you blossom that way! :) 

day 5 | 100 happy days

walking towards our car, from a wonderful lunch with my girlfriend i saw these blooming peonies & what a wonderful sight it was! peonies are such cheerful flowers.

day 4 | 100 happy days

while grabbing tea i came across this little free library. i read about it months ago & had always hoped to run into one. i love the concept of a community library where you're free to take one and/or leave a book. i took a small book "what to expect from reading the bible." ill make a quick stop tomorrow to donate some books. 

day 2 | 100 happy days

these cheerfully colored flowers made today's walk with iggy even better. spring is in the air! though my least favorite season.. i love that flowers come alive!

day 1 | 100 happy days

im taking part in the 100 happy days challenge & thought id document it on my blog.

today i was able to cook dinner for the hubby & i. while this isn't anything out of the ordinary i hadn't expected to be home until midnight from work. i unexpectedly got canceled which allowed me do more spring cleaning & cook dinner. filipino bistek was on the menu for tonight. happiness is in filipino comfort food.

on failure

i don't think ive reached that point where i can fully claim it. 

or say it with conviction. 

maybe because i have yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel on this particular road in my life. 

sad. indifferent. constant wondering. hopeful. anxious. the constant comparing & wondering why & when.

they say the road to success is riddled with bumps & failures. 

im learning to own my failures. embrace them even. 

it's only when i own up to my failures that i release this power of shame it's been holding over me.  

one step at a time. 

come again

the howling winds

bent trees outside

the sounds of peltering rain

scent of petrichor

alluring warmth of being indoors 

i miss rainy weather all the time