Classical Music...With a Twist

   Here is a string quartet that greatly enjoys to perform classical music. However, they have a very unique style that makes most of their listeners very comfortable...watch and enjoy. :) Blessings!

Thanksgiving Musings...

   This past Thursday, many households in America gathered together with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. What a special time to come together and give thanks to Christ for all His great blessings. I hope that all of you had a lovely holiday. :)

   Traditions are always a trademark for such family-oriented occasions. This year, my family and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our church. We all enjoyed sweet fellowship with those who we do not always get to talk to on a regular Sunday morning. How did you celebrate?

   Of course, who can forget the scrumptious meal that is served each year? Families usually enjoy dishes such as cranberries, mashed potatoes, peas, green beans, stuffing, ham, turkey, and good ol' pumpkin pie. At church, we had quite a bounty of food and everyone seemed very satisfied at the end of the dinner.

   God has been very gracious to us this year. Personally, I have witnessed my own relationship with the Lord flourish this year for which I am very thankful. My family is the greatest earthly blessing I could ever ask for. Not only are they my closest companions, but my wisest mentors and best friends. Cherish the relationship you have with your family; it is a beautiful thing. Also, I consider my friends very significant people in my life. Just recently, one of my friends and I went to San Francisco for the day, just for fun!! Sweet memories!

    And you, my dear readers, fill my life with joy! Every comment and every pageview brings a smile to my face and makes each day a little brighter. I am abundantly thankful for you!! Let me know how your Thanksgiving festivities went. God bless you as we begin the Christmas season. :)

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!"

- Psalm 107:1

Thanksgiving

At the very first Thanksgiving, this was a speech given by Mr. William Bradford who helped settle Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts:

"May not and ought not the children of these fathers rightly say: “Our fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and he heard their voice, and looked on their adversity, etc.” Let them therefore praise the Lord, because he is good, and his mercies endure forever. Yea, let them which have been redeemed of the Lord, show how he hath delivered them from the hand of the oppressor. When they wandered in the desert wilderness out of the way, and found no city to dwell in, both hungry, and thirsty, their soul was overwhelmed in them. Let them confess before the Lord his loving kindness, and his wonderful works before the sons of men." - William Bradford

    Notice how they heartily gave thanks to the Lord!! God truly had His hand over the pilgrims as they set out to the New World, so they could freely worship Christ. The members of the Plymouth Colony settled down and decided to give thanks.

   We should always be quick to earnestly thank Jesus Christ for all He has done for us. He willingly went to the cross and purchased our pardon on Calvary, so that we would not have to spend all of eternity in Hell. Because of His perfect life, His endless love for us, and incredible sacrifice, we can go to Heaven to be with Him for ever and ever!! Amazing love! Take a moment and thank Jesus for what He has done. Happy Thanksgiving, my dear readers!

Doing the Impossible

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 

- Philippians 4:13

   A few months ago, I announced that I was going to train for and run a half marathon. For the blog post, click here. Two teens who I greatly admire, Alex and Brett Harris, wrote a book called Do Hard Things. For more information about their cause, please click on "The Rebelution" under the links tab. 

   They wrote this book a couple years ago with the realization that the teenage years were (and still are) widely viewed as a season of life to goof off and mess around.  Parents are always warned about the dreaded "teenage years". In their motivational book, these brothers presented a new philosophy - teens should rebel against these low expectations and do hard things for Christ. I read their outstanding work a few years ago, and I highly recommend it. On a side note, these two are currently seniors at Patrick Henry College ;) 

   Anyway, two friends of ours ran a half marathon last year, and I really admired their determination. Naturally, I desired to be like them - full of endurance and strength!! In May, I decided that I would take up running and train for a half marathon myself. Looking back, I still remember my first day of training. It was a hot summer day, and I decided to go run 1.5 miles. After that long and painful 15 minute work out, I felt absolutely drained and exhausted. I was doing a really hard thing. At that moment, 13.1 miles seemed truly impossible. However, I had already committed to the race, and I was not going quit no matter what. After the first week of training, my Mom decided to join me :)

   Over the next few months, we followed a training schedule that we found online. Nearly each week of the training was identical to this: rest on Sunday, run on Monday, run on Tuesday, run on Wednesday, rest on Thursday, cross-train on Friday, run on Saturday. Day after day, week after week, and month after month, we were very faithful to stick to the schedule. Gradually, both our endurance, strength, and speed began to build. 

  Then, last Sunday November 20 came. The morning of the race, I remember being hit with the shocking reality that it had actually come. Lining up to the start line still felt like a strange dream, but once I heard the word "go!", my anxious mind became engaged with my restless body.

    After two hours, seventeen minutes, and twenty-two seconds, I crossed the finish line having run the entire way without stopping. Realizing what had just been accomplished, I thanked the Lord for being faithful to push me across the finish line. Readers, with the help of God I had just run 13.1 miles. 

   I do not write this to parade myself or bring glory to what I did. I could never have completed such a distance without the help of Christ. This blog post is intended to show the grace of God when you decide to not only attempt, but do the impossible in His name. It causes me to remember the passage from Hebrews, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." 

   Today, I want to encourage you to attempt things that you think you could never do...and do it in the name of Jesus!! Before accomplishing this feat, I never thought of myself as a distance runner - just one mile completely drained me. However, when you trust in the Lord, He will help you do things that you never thought were attainable. Take a step of faith and watch the hand of God do the impossible :) 

Yard Sale

   In August of 2010, I joined the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra. We hold four large concerts every year, and sometimes play at Christmas events and various schools. In June of 2012, we will be embarking upon a grand European Tour!! When I heard of this news, I was so thrilled! :) We will be going to Germany, Vienna, and the Czech Republic and performing in three major cities: Vienna, Salzburg, and Prague. 

   Lately, I have been holding numerous fundraisers so I can afford the cost of this trip. Not only have I been selling coffee and advertisement space in our programs, but just recently held a yard sale. My brother Robert even pitched in and sold baked goods and coffee...he makes a pretty good salesman! The Lord really blessed our yard sale, and I am so grateful. :) 

   Thankfully, a good amount of people showed up and walked away with a couple treasures. A sweet lady from our church and her daughter volunteered themselves and came out to help - their assistance was so invaluable. During this whole fundraising experience, I have witnessed God's blessing...30% of the funds needed have already been raised!! He is so faithful to provide. 

    Here are a few pictures from our event:

My cousin came out and sold cake pops...they were
very delicious and very popular among the shoppers!!

Even my Uncle from Texas surprised us with a visit :) It
was so great to see him!!

"The Lord was ready ready to save me; therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life, in the house of the Lord." - Isaiah 38:20

11-11-11

   Dear Readers, today is November 11, 2011!! This is a unique once-in-a-century occurrence that we get to be apart of! In fact, we may never get to write down this date again :) I thought that it would be fun to compile a list of "eleven things" that make each day a little brighter for you.

Eleven Things

1. Jesus Christ...of course :)

2. Sharing a room with two wonderful sisters

3. Finishing a good book

4. Highlighting verses in my Bible

5. Sipping a fancy drink from Starbucks

6. Laughing until your belly hurts

7. Watching the rain drops hit the cement

8. The sweet aroma of freshly-baked goodies

9. Long conversations with my parents

10. Having a discussion with Robert about something completely masculine :) Love that guy!!

11. Receiving letters in the mail

Please leave a comment about eleven things that are meaningful to you! God bless you, my dear readers.

Fall Recipe #1

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread



   This is my custom banana bread recipe :) Originally, it was a chocolate chip banana muffin recipe, but I altered the baking time so my family and I could enjoy some delicious bread!! This recipe is great with coffee and hot tea, making it a very simple yet delicious breakfast. Feel free to print out this recipe and add it to your cookbook. Enjoy!

Ingredients:                                                                                

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup mashed ripe bananas

A couple handfulls of chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease two loaf pans.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla.
5. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
6. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips.
7. Pour batter evenly into the two loaf pans
8. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is risen and nicely browned.
9. Cover with tinfoil and bake for another 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
10. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
11. Serve with hot coffee or hot tea! Enjoy!

Fall is Here!!

    My favorite time of year is when the leaves turn a burnt orange hue, when I can see my breath in the cold air, when Starbucks releases their Pumpkin Spice Latte, when Thanksgiving Day arrives, when I dust off my winter wear, and when the aroma of home-baked goods fills the air. As fall arrives, it brings promises of cozy evenings near the fire, and hot soup for dinner. It is also a glorious time to begin planning for Thanksgiving.

   Ever since our family started pastoring Calvary Chapel Turlock, we have held Thanksgiving there. It is a neat time of fellowship where we can enjoy a delicious meal with the company of our beloved church friends. This year, we intend on making the festives extra special :) What do you all do to celebrate Thanksgiving?

    As the chilly rain showers beckon us indoors, it becomes time to open up the recipe books and start the baking routine. Soon, I will be posting a few autumn recipes that our family likes eating so that you can enjoy some as well!!

   Aren't the changing seasons glorious? When God created the world, I love how He implemented variety. We do not have the same weather every day of the year, but we have four different revolving seasons. I went to a Christian women's conference a few years ago, and the theme was "Seasons". Each one of these seasons is a small picture of Christ.

   We have winter - a time to celebrate the birth of Christ. During this snowy period, everything around us seems dead. No leaves on the trees, no rosebuds on the bushes. However, I think this is a good symbol that we need to die to ourselves, so that we may have new life in Christ (spring!).

   Spring - a new beginning. A time where we clean out our homes after being cooped up from the winter. The blossoms pop out on the Almond trees, and the farmers begin to plant their spring crops. 

   We have summer - the delightful period of vacation from school! The weather is hot, and we spend most of our day outdoors. To me, this season represents laboring through the heat. The heat symbolizes the trials in our lives, and we must continue to "run with endurance, the race that is set before us".

    Then, there is fall. The fruits of our toil in summer are finally harvested. A true representation of Heaven, when our good works on Earth (coupled with our faith in Jesus Christ) will be rewarded. A time where we glean our crops and store them up for the winter months. Then, the glorious cycle begins all over again. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." - Matt. 6:20

    Enjoy this beautiful fall weather that is already in full swing. Please comment below stating your favorite thing about fall! God bless you, my dear readers!!