The Servant Girl

I found this as a draft that I had written a few months ago. Just a little insight and thought on this verse I had read back then.
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"And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate." Act 12:13-14

This was my Bible reading for the day. Of all verses to stand out, this less-than-significant verse popped out of the text. I thought it would be a good verse to break down and learn a few lessons from this servant girl, Rhoda.

#o1. First off, isn't it so funny that this servant girl was important enough to be included into these two verses, and even on a first-name basis! Just that simple acknowledgement of her existence tells me that God really does care about what would seem like an insignificant person in the world's eyes.

#o2. What faith! It says, "she recognized Peter's voice." No mention of her doubt, of any hesitation to question if it was really Peter (who should have been in prison) at the door. Just simple faith that is was possible that Peter was standing at the door.

#o3. It made me laugh to think that people in the Bible were also so filled with gladness and excitement that they do stupid things. Because I do that all the time. She was so excited she forgot to let Peter in!!

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Imagine if we could learn this much from every single verse in the Bible!? And we can. I know that I've got a whole lot more learning to do! Have a blessed holiday season and strive to learn more about the Savior this special time of the year!

Humility, Hope, Joy

I am so encouraged every time I go to church. By the message, the open discussions, the fellowship, and the maturity of every believer in that fellowship, young or old. How much I can learn from each individual and the different perspectives from each one that has been molded by different, individual experiences. It almost brings me to tears every week when I realize how blessed I am with such a giving and honest body of believers.

On an entirely different note, I'm so glad that I've gained full energy since the semester has been over! I guess I just never realized the difference in my behavior because of my lack of rest! I was just so full of energy and talkativeness today at church and kinda surprised myself in the difference I saw in my own self. You have no idea what rest and sleep does for your confidence. Plus a cute white sweater dress. ;)

Another one of those Sundays when I come back from a great time at church and it dawns on me that tomorrow's Monday and life yet continues. Next week is going to be yet another crazy week for me. It consists of working, possibly spending some time with a sweet friend, and moving into yet another home. And then, as crazy as it seems, it'll be Christmas already. I guess all this moving around and staying busy has made me lose track of how fast Christmas is coming!

Excuse me for the very incoherent post this is. I guess I just wanted to write down my thoughts and what's happening to clear my head. Again, I'm just so grateful for all the learning that takes place every Sunday that challenges me to keep growing throughout the week. So my little message for you today is to learn to be humble, to learn how to be truly joyful even in the midst of trials and grief, and never lose hope of the eternal plan! Have a great week ahead of you!

Christmas Break Plans

It's finally over! My third semester of college, the first half of my sophomore year, is finally complete. Way too excited for this break! I'm going to have so much fun, get so much stuff done, and spend the next seven days or so packing, cleaning, moving around to different living stations, and spending some quality time with my one-year-olds. Yippee for work and the paychecks you get in the end. Because after that, it's really party time for me.

So, you'll be glad to hear (I hope), that I am NOT planning on being a couch potato. In fact, my brain is simply bursting with all the stuff I want to accomplish... and do... and experience... that I decided it deserved a blog post of its own. Here's to my Christmas break:

#o1. Get some domestic projects done!

So I've been working on this Infiniti scarf since technically last winter. Really got it started a few months ago and worked a ton on it during Thanksgiving break. So I think if I just spend a few more days knitting intensely, I'll get that done.

A month or so ago, the pompom on my adorable black winter boots fell off and got on the sidewalk where a sea of walking people probably trampled upon it. Knowing me, it aggregated me to the extreme extent and I couldn't even look down at my boots without freaking out because honestly IT LOOKS SO RIDICULOUSLY UNBALANCED. Well anyway, I purchased some pompoms for my ever faithful Michael's, so I need to sew them on pronto.

Pinterest DIY projects! So in love with them. I have a ton of T-shirts that I've totally outgrown - finally, may I add? I take forever to outgrow things - and I've found so many sewing projects that I can do with the extra fabric. Going to transform my wardrobe into something else.

#o2. Catch up on some reading!

As you can see, I've got a nice stack of some really good reading! Just absolutely love John Eldredge's books - Wild at Heart being my favorite to the point that I had to buy myself a copy so I could read it again! Plus it was on sale so I couldn't help myself.

I also have a huge pile of design magazines that I collected while at High Point last October. Just never got around to looking at them so they're coming along for the break.

#o3. Get further down the road regarding my driver's license. (Get it, further down the road, hah hah.)

I know, you don't have to tell me. I'm like behind in all this. Really behind. I mean, all my 16 year old friends have theirs already and are driving around like it ain't a big deal. Like Savy puts it, I'm ahead in everything else except this. And it stinks. So I'm going to work towards it, now that I'm finally legal and don't have to jump any more hoops because, "well miss, you need your parent's signature. I just can't let you do it without your parent's signature."

#o4. Improve my football skills.

Okay so I've discovered over this pretty intense semester that the highlight of my weeks has always been those amazing 1 hour + of football playing time I get every Sunday with all my church buddies. I mean, you really can't beat that. Its just an awesome time of playing and shocking everyone that a small Asian girl can actually pull her full 94 pounds around on the field. Its so much fun that I actually want to improve... like jump a little bit more, run a little faster, and make interceptions. Because, let's be honest, this is the only time of my life I'm actually going to be able to play American football. (1) Because it is a common established fact that grown up women and mothers don't go running around playing backyard football and (2) its not like there's women football teams.

The sad truth about how unestablished women sports are. Possibly my most passionate subject of talk. I mean, get me started on women soccer and you probably won't have breathing space. I have personal experience that makes me so.... passionate. We'll stick to that word.

#o5. and lastly, the boring stuff like writing a scholarship essay, looking into my summer plans and finding possible internship opportunities, establishing my portfolio....

Speaking of portfolio, I went to my final Studio class today to pick up my final project. Turns out mine was one out of six that had the "wow factor" and a good grade, so my professor requested to keep it there to show for accreditation when they come in the Spring of 2015, yes my senior year. Which I am totally fine with because that's a complement. Except I only just finished this project and I never had time to admire it before turning it in. So I was like, can I take it home for the break? I'll bring it back next semester, I promise!

... and now, I can admire it all throughout my break.

#o6 on my list.

Reality Check

You know the song Count Your Blessings? Well I do that often. Especially when I'm all boggled down with the things that make life not so great and then I realize, well hey. I've got it a whole lot better than a lot of people.

So I'm carrying my fairly large pile of dishes (that accumulated in a matter of two full days) into the bathroom and I look at myself in the mirror and its like instant self-pity. Because here I am, red nosed, coughing and sputtering like no one's business, the amount of snout coming out of my nose enough to wash all my dishes (if, for some reason, you would want to wash dishes with snout). And then that song instantaneously pops into my head. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God has done.

And so I began to count them.

What a blessing it is that I'm already clad in my sweats at 11am in the morning and can spend the entire rest of the day inside my warm dorm room, catching up on homework.

What a blessing it is that my work allows us to find subs when we're too sick or busy to come in and work with the precious children.

What a blessing it is that I have a computer, internet, and resources to do my homework.

What a blessing it is that if I were really dying, someone would come rescue me and nurse me back to health because I know so many loving mothers that treat me like their own.

What a blessing that I really am not dying, that I only have a cold, and that I can still focus and think, go to classes, and finish this semester off.

What a blessing that there are only a little more than 2 more weeks till the semester is over!

So many blessings. :)

Finally.

Finally. I'm the big one eight.

I decided it was worth enough to actually spend a few minutes of my precious time to record this special day. Let's be real: you only turn 18 once.... you only become a legal adult once. At least, once in the country you're currently in. I pretty much had a span of one and a half days when people started wishing me happy birthday because technically, in their time, it was my birthday. And technically, I turn an adult again in countries where the legal age is 21. But anyhows, it is a somewhat special day.

Since November is the month of thankfulness as well as the month of not shaving - you know I just found out that some girls celebrate No Shave November as well... gross! - I decided I would do a thankful post to go along with this birthday post because (1) I am just so thankful on this special day and (2) I probably won't find any other time to write another post in this crazy month. So here goes:

To my amazing roommate and suite-mates, as pictured above, thank you for baking my a delicious gummy cake, for giving me an over-generous-way-too-big slice of it, for the love, the words on the mirror, and just being great living companions. I could have never wished for better people to spend my sleepy mornings and lazy Saturdays with.

To Cathy, for bringing me around today to get my fingerprint scanning and buy art supplies, for being there to help out in any way possible, for your welcoming family, for the dinners at your house, and for the sightseeing we've done in the past year or so, thank you.

To my ten favorite one-year-olds in the entire world, for always smiling and being cute and making my Tuesdays and Thursdays always so much better. For being one, for making messes while eating, for never wanting to take a nap, for giving me hugs and smiles. I love my work.

To my favorite soccer player of all time, Michael Bradley, for scoring today and playing a HUGE part in getting a tie against Russia. For being the greatest-volley-goal-scorer of absolutely all times and giving me the opportunity to convince my dad of that fact: after forcing him to watch your goal today, after talking about your goal against Scotland... after watching Ibrahimovic's amazing goal and still thinking your goal was pretty amazing (although in Ibrahimovic's defense, that was a pretty darn good goal.)

To my friends, both old, new, long-term, short-term, for being and playing such an important role in my childhood, my fun times, and my life-challenging moments. There are just way too many things to cover, but you know who you are and what big part you've had in my life. And for each and every one of you, I am grateful that I know you.

To my church family in Highland Christian Fellowship, for your continual support, for your acceptance, for playing a huge role in my growth as a believer. For the many good times I've had with you all, at the corn maze, at parties, at church, playing football, climbing trees, hanging out at people's houses... talking, laughing, growing in maturity as a body. I cannot thank or express my gratitude in enough words. Y'all are truly my family.

And finally, to my precious three members of my blood related family, for the skype conversations that we have, for my daddy bearing with me as I talk about soccer until it gets out of my system - which takes about an hour - for my sister, and her amazing gift buying skills, and for my mommy, for being a mom. Thanks for also trying to find the guy who stole my first kiss... they're talking right now about hiring a private investigator and all. ;)

To think that just last August 2011, I was a naive 16 year old, on the brink of starting college life. And man have I grown since then! Its funny when your boss, as she is pulling out paperwork to be filled out since you're turning 18, was like, "and to think the first time you came here you were sixteen! How time flies!" You know you've really grown up when the sheriff you saw more than a year ago recognizes you and asks you how old you are because the last time you saw her you were sixteen and too young to get your fingerprints scanned.

It's surreal. Today happened. I'm finally eighteen.

Inspiration: Jay DeMerit

"The poorest man is not without a cent,

but without a dream."

Recently watch Rise and Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story, now showing on Netflix. Best documentary by far. At least, to me because (1) I usually hate documentaries but (2) this one was about a subject I really like! Not only was it about soccer (which I love in general) but it was about an American guy fighting for his dream of playing soccer in a world full of Greenbay football fans. I have never had so much passion about soccer gaining popularity in this football-centered America. And this documentary just emphasized and explained how important soccer is to every other part of the world.

Besides that, this documentary focused on a dream-motivated guy, Jay DeMerit, and his fight to achieve those dreams despite being all the way in England with not a cent in his name, knocking on doors at training grounds, asking around for trials just so he could play his beloved game.

& he achieved his dream!

I think all soccer/football-ignorant people should watch this, just so they realize how insanely intense football is around the entire world, especially in Europe, extra especially in England. And how, in spite of being like every regular boy and man in Europe, with a dream to play football professional, Jay DeMerit managed to achieve his dream and play for the Premier League. THE Premier League. I don't think anyone would get the significance of that unless they're football educated like me.

Conclusion: great life story documentary. I'm officially a fan of the Vancouver Whitecaps now. And congrats on the engagement, Jay. :)

Family in Christ

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...

It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things
that give value to survival.

said C.S. Lewis

Why C.S. Lewis says art is unnecessary, I cannot fathom. I beg to differ. However, I do agree entirely with him when he states that friendship is something that gives value to survival. How true is that. Friends are what make life more interesting. Relationships are what make life more intricate.

The last few Sundays at church, we've been exploring Ephesians 4. We've been talking about the unity and diversity of the church. When I say church, I'm referring to the body of Christ, both locally and universally. We've talked about being humble and patient, gentle and enduring. We've gone through the basis of our unity: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one Father. Matthew, our pastor, then told us to go back and think about our relationships.

So I've been thinking. Thinking about the different circles of relationships I have. Whether it be within my blood related family, at college, in Malaysia, in Maine, within my church family, within other various circles. I've been especially thinking about any form of disunity that may exist in any of those relationships. Because I've realized something: disunity is really shallow and foolish. With my brothers and sisters in Christ, we share all those things I listed above - there are so many things as a basis for unity. With my other friends, there is something so much greater at stake - the urgency to make disciples - that why should I let some little disaccord break our unity?

I used to be a little five year old declaring "I'm no longer your friend." In elementary school, picking my one and only best friend. I used to be in middle school, sticking to my own beloved cliche. In high school, judging every single person I met. But wow, have I grown. I'm in college now, learning to put an end to my judgmental ways. Learning the true unity that Christ desires from me. Learning... and forming some of the greatest relationships with fellow believers that I've ever had.

So to those pictured above (and to others in my church family), thanks for being some of the greatest, spiritually mature friends I have ever had. For accepting me into your family, for building me up, for caring, and for maintaining the unity.

10,000 reasons

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Came back from church today and again felt a rush of gratitude for the family of believers I have to call my own. I smiled at the recollection of today's frisbee game and being bulldozed to the ground after catching a frisbee. I'm so glad that I have found a body of believers that I finally feel like I belong to. Perhaps its because I've always struggled with a sense of belonging. Perhaps its because I've always resisted fitting in, belonging. But now I embrace that sense of belonging with every bit of my being.

Then a stray thought entered my head. It seemed that for the past five months, since after Easter, I've always been in a happy-go-lucky mood. Its like my problems have become so minuet that they've almost completely disappeared. Every Sunday I'm just so excited for church and while I'm there I'm just so full of joy. Every week, little strains and problems here and there barely disturb me.

So I thought to myself, "Is that a bad thing? That I truly don't have any problems?" And the answer was no. It isn't a bad thing that little minute things don't bother me anymore. Over the past months, from February onwards, since I started going to Highland Christian Fellowship every Sunday, I've grown so much spiritually and drawn so much closer to the Lord. And as my daddy once told me, when I struggling in 11th grade with priorities, when you stick close to God, everything else falls into place. What truth. Because now that my relationship with my Father has doubled and tripled, I know that He is the one in control, and He carries my burdens for me.

Singing the verse written above this morning in church, I couldn't help but smile. There really are ten thousand reasons for my heart to sing and for my soul to resonate. I'm just overflowing with His joy right now and I can't keep silent.

My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits. Psalm 71:15

Perfect Place, Perfect Time

So I'm taking a very minute break in my insane study-as-hard-as-you-can-before-the-day-of-your-test afternoon to type out this really quick post.

Basically because I'm overwhelmed with thankfulness.

Thankful that crazy weekends can be so much fun.

Thankful that I'm strengthening old relationships... all the way from Malaysia. Strengthening current relationships... in different states. Strengthening newer relationships. And forming different impressions of different people as I start to spend more time with them.

Thankful for different personalities, genders, ages, and race.

Thankful for people I can look up to, people I can depend on, people I can laugh with, people I can help, and people I can learn to accept.

Thankful for relationships. For friends.

But most importantly, thankful that in this period of my life, God knew exactly whom I needed to know and interact with.

God was into Building Science.. too.

Every day, after attending all my classes for that particular day, I come back and kinda fall into this semi-conscious state which I'll entitle as: the state of shock when you actually realize you're learning a lot from college.

I mean, it is so true. I went through elementary, middle (partly), and high school learning a lot of stuff mentally, emotionally, and spiritually but it wasn't like it dawned on me everyday how much I had learned in that one day. But after just one day of college, each day, whether it was 4 classes that day or only one class, I come back and I'm like, "Wow my knowledge has just increased!"

So I've formed a conclusion why my earlier education didn't seem as educational as college is. Basically, throughout my 10 years or so of earlier education, I learned exactly the same thing each year, just in more advanced levels as I progressed. Math, Science, English, History, Reading, Writing... Math, Science, English.. the cycle continues.

But here, in college, I'm learning completely different skills. I mean, think about it, when was the last time you were taught to draw? Possibly when you were four. And I've never been taught about how a building is built, how to draw out floor and elevation plans, how to draw in perspective, how to present your design to your client, and stuff like that. I mean, some of those skills come naturally to some of us - just like how some people just know how to write. Doesn't mean if you know how to write, you get to skip English class.

I guess the point I'm getting to is that this college education that I'm getting, it's actually working.

So in class today, we were learning about foundations. And my professor was talking about building on rock, or sand, or silt, or clay. And he said, "So if you build on rock, you know your foundation and building is not going to sink. It ain't going nowhere."

Immediately the parable Jesus tells us about the house on rock and the house on sand popped into my mind:

The Wise and Foolish Builders

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Matthew 7:24-27

These are one of the times when I wish I knew Greek. Cause then I would actually be able to research and find out if Jesus really said "sand." Cause I learned today that sand really isn't bad of a foundation. Not as great as rock, obviously, but still pretty solid. However, maybe in the original language, Jesus said silt, or clay, or soil instead. And perhaps the translators just weren't building science majors.

But that really isn't the point. The point, that dawned on me, was that:


God was into building science too!


Which really isn't super surprising but I guess I never really thought about it that way. Obviously he was into building science! He created the whole world. He's the best architecture, general contractor, interior designer, landscape architecture, mason, electrician, and all others professions related!

It looks like I have some high standards to live up to. But I don't really see it that way. The fact is, I'm not trying to compete with God and become better than Him, instead the greatest interior designer of all times is going to be helping me and we're going to be business partners working together for the glory of the Creator! And that business contract is the best I've ever heard of. :)

Courage... and Honor

"Courage is a hard thing to figure. You can have courage based on a dumb idea or mistake, but you're not supposed to question adults, or your coach or your teacher, because they make the rules. Maybe they know best, but maybe they don't. It all depends on who you are, where you come from. Didn't at least one of the six hundred guys think about giving up, and joining with the other side? I mean, valley of death that's pretty salty stuff. That's why courage it's tricky. Should you always do what others tell you to do? Sometimes you might not even know why you're doing something. I mean any fool can have courage. But honor, that's the real reason for you either do something or you don't. It's who you are and maybe who you want to be. If you die trying for something important, then you have both honor and courage, and that's pretty good. I think that's what the writer was saying, that you should hope for courage and try for honor. And maybe even pray that the people telling you what to do have some, too."

- Michael Oher, from The Blind Side

Paradox of Our Time

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers.
Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less.
We buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families.
More conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees, but less sense.
More knowledge, but less judgment.
More experts, but more problems.
More medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much,
Spend too recklessly, laugh too little,
Drive too fast, get angry too quickly,
Stay up too late, get up too tired,
Read too seldom, watch TV too much,
And pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life
We've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space.
We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We write more, but learn less.
We plan more, but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait.
We have higher incomes, but lower morals.
We have more food, but less appeasement.
We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion.
Tall men, and short character.
Steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare.
More leisure, but less fun.
More kinds of food, but less nutrition.
These are days of two incomes, but more divorce.
Of fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom.
A time when technology has brought this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to make a difference, or to just press Ignore.

The End of London 2012

. US Soccer Women win GOLD!

So two weeks and more are finally over and I no longer have my beloved Olympics to entertain me. This was probably the first real time I actually watched, and followed, and kept track of athletes... with that being said, I've emerged as a more educated, informed, fan of sports. And of course, an even stronger, more passionate fan of soccer. I cannot began to describe how happy I am that the women aspect of soccer is really expanding... and that the other parts of the world are definitely catching up with the whole English/European mentality towards the game of football/soccer.

With that being said, I stumbled across a passage in the Bible that actually talks about the Olympic Games. Isn't it so awesome that we can always find something of relevance in the Bible? Anyway, here's a variety of translations of this verse:

1 Corinthians 9:25

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. (NIV)

And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. (NKJV)

You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally. (The Message)

And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. (ASV)

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. (KJV)

I then did a little research on the Olympics games. Since this London 2012 was the 30th Olympic games... I did the math: 30 x 4 = 120 years. That means the Olympic games started in 1892. 1 Corinthians was approximately written around A. D. 55. So when Paul was talking about the "games" or "running" for a prize.. what was he talking about?

It so happens that the games were going on a long time before 1892. According to John Piper, he writes,

When Paul wrote these words to the Corinthian Christians, he assumed that they all knew about the games. The Olympic Games took place in Greece every four years without interruption from 776 BC until they were suppressed by the Emperor Theodosius in AD 393. That's 1,169 years. Everyone knew about the games. So Paul didn't have to explain the games. Everybody was aware of the games then. And everybody is aware of the games today.

Who knew the Bible is so relevant to the modern world? It looks like the Olympics were as big as a deal as they are today in the 21st century!

Finally, and most importantly, is finding out what Paul was trying to tell us about the Olympic games. I believe that Paul mentioned the games because he wanted us to compare the games to the everlasting picture of God, the gospel, and the Christian life. He gave us a guide as to how to watch the games. To paraphrase what I believe Paul is trying to say:

When you watch the games, transpose what you watch into another level. When you see the athletes running, see another kind of running. When you see them swimming, see another kind of swimming. When you see them pushing, striving, and working so hard for that gold, see another kind of pushing and striving. When you see the discipline and sacrifices they make, remember about the sacrifice God made for you. Don't strive to become extremely fit so you can be one of those athletes in Rio 2016, strive to become spiritually mature, working for the everlasting gold.

I don't know about you, but that puts the Olympics into a whole different light for me. Because as much as I enjoy watching the games, as much as a secretly wish that I could be an athlete working my butt of for a gold medal, I realize that there is something else much better than getting a slab of gold. Something way more everlasting, something way more fulfilling. Something that will make me feel that I have accomplished greatness in my life.

& that something is loving my God, loving His people, and making His disciplines.

Ruffled, Tiered Skirt

This is what it started out as:

This is what it became:

This is such a good beginner's sewing project!Simply go to Walmart or some other store that sells fabric and buy a fat quarter for each tier you want. The last tier will most probably need two far quarters instead of one. I found an awesome tutorial via Pinterest that gave me step by step directions on how exactly to sew it. It also provided this awesome calculator to give you all the measurements you need. Just provide the measurements of your waist and how long you want the skirt to be.

The link to the tutorial is here.

This was such a great summer project and I am so satisfied with the end result! Big credits to Mrs. Perreault for teaching me how to use a sewing machine and guiding me along the way.

Can't believe there's only a week until my summer break is over. Gonna enjoy it in the best way possible. :)

P/s. All the best to the US Women Soccer Team as they take on Japan in the Gold Medal Match tomorrow. You know I'll be rooting for them every second of the way. Go for GOLD.

Hey, I just met you.

Go For Gold!

So the Women Soccer Olympic games kicked off yesterday. It was such a great day of soccer, for various reasons. Before I get into that, welcome the 18 players that form the US squad!

I will declare you proficient in US Women knowledge if you can name me all 18 players and match them to their faces without the help of google. Trust me when I say I will be more than eager to train you in the subject of US Women soccer knowledge if you ever have an interest. I've already "trained" my dad and he is about as good as a US women soccer fan as I could make an old "all-men" sport sort of guy.

You can also go to www.ussoccer.com/Community/Downloads.aspx and get yourself all geared up to show some American spirit. I am, for sure, all geared up. I even made my own personalized Facebook profile picture, going with the same theme of GO FOR GOLD:

And if you ever question why I support the US Women in particular, this video should put you to ease. I mean, you cannot find a better team with more skill, character, and humor. To learn more about this team and the individual players, you can also go to their Youtube channel and watch all the videos you want!



Too much character in just those 3:23 minutes. Gotta love these women.

Finally, yesterday was such a great day because....

#o1. Tobin Heath, favorite US woman player, played an amazing game and gave an amazing assist. She also nutmeg'd quite a few France defenders. Also great seeing her nutmeg opponents. She talks more about that in this video."Everyone's always primed and ready to be nutmeg'd... you MAKE them ready!"

#o2. Michael Bradley, my favorite man player, had a great day with his new team, AS Roma. I was actually considering awhile back to attend the game between Roma and Liverpool since it actually took place in Boston at Fenway Park. Michael Bradley was the first one to get himself on the scoreboard with one of his great strikes... and believe it or not, Roma came away with a win!! Surprise, surprise. The world is catching up with the English Premier League. The world is also catching up with Europe. Today, the shocker was that the Japanese men's national team beat Spain.

#o3. The MLS All Star team consisting of some former glory with the likes of David Beckham and Thierry Henry and some new talent Chris Wondolowski, Landon Donovan, Jay DeMerit, Kyle Beckerman, and Eddie Johnson took on former Champions League winners Chelsea with Frank Lampard and John Terry. After a 91st minute goal from Johnson, the MLS All Star team came out with a 3-2 victory. What did I just say about the world catching up with the Premier League?!

#o4. Finally, and I shall end on this note, the best of all is that the US Women secured a win over France after being down 2-0 by the first 15 minutes of the game. Thank goodness for the best strikers in the world, Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan, that they emerged in a 4-2 victory. I don't support those women for no reason, they get the job done.

The next game is on Saturday, July 28th at noon (EST) broadcasted by NBCSports. If I haven't convinced you yet that this game is worth watching, I don't know what else to say.

More Pinterest

Whoever created Pinterest was a creative genius. Its been my source of inspiration and distractions in the past couple of weeks. When I said in my previous blog post that I had finally accomplished my first craft project, I had completely forgotten about my July 4th decors. And they account for something.

To start off, one must always do something to satisfy the stomach. Especially when the author herself has a huge stomach and extremely high metabolism, meaning she eats nonstop and puts all that extra fats to good use. I saw these adorable July 4th strawberries on Pinterest, yet again, and I had to make these little treats for myself.

These are made from real strawberries, melted white chocolate chips, and food colored blue sugar. One thing for sure, they aren't as easy as they look. The chocolate was the main problem. I definitely expected it to go on smoother. Just a little hint: don't microwave the chocolate chips for too long. I speak from experience. One second they're looking like a beautiful white ocean of goodness and the next second, they're black.

My other project was using part Pinterest creative juices, part my own creative juices.

Inspired by these blue star garlands that I saw on Pinterest, I decided to create my own blue star garland... in the form of a necklace.

It turned out really well! I made it on July 3rd and then while getting dressed on the fourth, I realized that my necklace had gotten into a pretty big knot overnight. After struggling with it for an hour at the least, I finally gave up and had to restring all the stars. Therefore, my hint - again, learned through experience - is to store this necklace really well if you intend to (1) wear it someday or (2) wear it often.

The stars are made out of this really thin, kinda see-through paper that I bought from Michael's. I bought two 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper and cut out 0.5 x 8.5 strips from it. You can make paper stars by following the directions listed here. Since my mother had taught me how to make paper stars from a really early age, I didn't have any trouble with perfecting them. It does take some practice to make them perfect though. Sharp nails is a plus when pushing in the edges to inflate the stars.

Those were my two July 4th crafty projects. If that was all you were here to read about, you are free to click the x button at the top of your screen. I am about to go off into a soccer tangent - I do that often. But one more thing somewhat related to this, have you ever watched Craft Wars on TLC? Cool show. I've had two people tell me, "You should go on that show." I wouldn't mind.

--

Fernando Torres and his little children, Nora and Leo,

after winning the EURO 2012 Cup with the Spanish national team.

//

I'm sorry but is there anything cuter than a really cute soccer player and his little cute mini hims. I think not. Plus it makes him seem more humane. I might just have to become a Chelsea/Spain fan. Being a Spain fan isn't hard, I mean Spanish guys playing soccer. It doesn't get better than that. Chelsea fan? That isn't happening anytime soon unless Clint Dempsey joins them. I don't think I can compromise with John Terry when he has some issues.

Speaking of Clint Dempsey, rumors has it that he might be playing for the Liverpool Reds next season. I don't know, my daddy's wish of me becoming a Liverpool fan just may come true. On the other hand, he'll have to become a Clint Dempsey fan.

Babysitting Adventures

-when you're in charge of one eleven year old, three goats, two rabbits...

Babysitting the Asian way. He was being a bad boy.

You got to get him under control somehow.

Goats and person on the loose. Oh no!

And then I tried to take a picture with Moonshine...

.... she bit my hair. :(

I'm having a pretty great summer. How about you?

Bible Verses Reminders

So my summer break has been very relaxing. I've been ambitiously dreaming up some craft and design projects to accomplish and I've finally started on two... and completed both.

Firstly, once my sister moved out of the Girl Cove in the basement, I took over and moved in. I spent an afternoon jamming to Hunter Hayes and cleaning it out of all the daddy long legs and dirt. I also put my profession into practice and rearranged it so that it looks like it is three times bigger than it was originally. After putting a fresh scent of Cinnamon Mango in a Scentsy warmer and opening the windows, I was very satisfied with the end result.

And then comes my Pinterest worthy project, putting some bible verses into these empty frames I found while cleaning the room out. The canvas size for each were only 2 by 3 inches so up came my devoted InDesign and I set up my document size appropriately. To save printer space, I opened a regular letter size and used the Rectangle Tool to draw four 2x3 boxes for guidelines.

Of course I picked some Bible verses that I need to remember in this season of my life. I've been really focusing on being a witness of Christ that these verses are just a really good reminder. Seeing them daily will really be an encouragement.

I've also recently been into colorful colors. Thus I have one that's blue, another green, yet another yellow-to-red, and finally a pink/purple one. I mixed up fonts and typography to get some variety while still trying to keep some consistency so that it doesn't look too incoherent.

The house printer wasn't printing so I ordered a print at Staples and got it colored printed on an 8.5x11 white card stock so there was some firmness. I picked it up a day later and cut out each one separately inside the black lines and framed each.

This is a really easy project but I really like the end result. You can put any phrases you want and it's really all about getting the text set up in a way thats professional but casual at the same time. If you want to know more about how to set up the InDesign file and what fonts I used - or any other specifications - feel free to comment on this post or email me.

The Carousel

Nostalgia - it's delicate, but potent.

Teddy told me that in Greek, "nostalgia" literally means "the pain from an old wound."

It's a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone.

This device isn't a spaceship...

it's a time machine.

It goes backwards...

and forwards...

It takes us to a place where we ache to go again.

It's not called the wheel,

it's called the carousel.

It let's us travel the way a child travels

around and around

and back home again

...to a place where we know are loved.

Don Draper from Mad Men (Season 1, Episode 13)
(memories from 2010 to 2012)

Be that Fly on the White Wall

"You have enemies? Good, that means

you stood up for something."

says Eminem

I think it all started almost two years ago at the inter-school Christian Fellowship birthday bash. Being one of the main organizers for the event, I was running up, down, and around making sure everything was running smoothly. I had taken off my flip flops and was holding a can of coke when some friends of mine asked to wear my flip flops and have a slip of my coke. I agreed. They thanked me with a "You're so nice, Hazel" and as I ran off, I heard a girl say, "Of course, everyone loves Hazel. No one dislikes her."

That isn't a bad thing. But is that actually an achievement? I had heard the quote from Eminem and it started churning those thinking gears. Had I really been so nonchalant, never really wanting to get into a discussion that would lead to a disagreement, always being the peacemaker, sitting on the fence, maintaining my reputation? Don't get me wrong: the Bible tells us "blessed are the peacemakers." I still don't like getting into arguments. But when my values and beliefs were sitting on the line, how many had I stepped back and rather become ignorant of the subject at hand than to stand up and take my side?

Many times. Sadly.

What is a belief if you don't bother defend it when it is being discussed? What is a faith if you don't tell others about it? What good does it do if you keep your personal experiences to yourself? Why keep it to yourself when it can actual encourage others? Why hide your life story when maybe the very person who needs to hear it is sitting in the room? Why be shy of religion in front of the unreligious?

“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God." Luke 12:8-9

I believe that is the burden God has put in her heart the past week or so. Even as I travel in the coming week and am in the company of men, some of whom are farther away from God than others, I am just praying for the boldness to confess Him before all men. Be encouraged and be the encourager.

Greatest Goal

This is the greatest goal of all times (in my opinion) and deserves to be watched a million times over and over again. It makes it even better that it was scored by my favorite soccer player.

A Sister's Birthday

"She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child." ~ Barbara Alpert

Happy birthday Chech. ♥

All This Time

All this time: from the first tear cry

'Til today's sunrise and every single moment between

You were there; You were always there.

It was You and I.

God is good. All the time. He's been there for me since the moment I was conceived in my mother's womb to this very minute. There hasn't been a single second in my 17 years of existence that He hasn't been right beside me. Even during those times of doubt that He didn't exist, He was still there. What's the greatest news of all is that you - yes, you there! - can say the same exact thing. God has been there for you whether you believe in Him or not.

I write today my Finished-One-Year-of-College post, not because I'm actually finished yet (three days left), but because this is probably the only spare time I will have in the coming week. It still feels so surreal that in just another week, I'll be officially completed with my freshman year in college. Does that not sound grownup or what? When I look back to the journey that started last July 2011, I'm just amazed at how much has happened since then and I have to say: I'm proud of myself.

I'm proud that I learned to live by myself. It isn't easy when you have to be responsible for yourself. You have to take the extra effort to make sure you eat every meal of the day, to make sure your room stays in a fairly sanitary condition, to do your laundry, to do what you know needs to get done without your mother nagging you and telling you to do this and that. You have to keep track of your spendings, budget, and experience what it's like to not have your dad right at the kitchen table to ask, "Dad can I have some money today to go shopping?"

I'm proud that I've learned to cope with all the responsibilities. Adjusting from a home schooled mentality that allows you to push off that assignment till the next day, it was definitely a challenge to keep up with the due dates. It was also a challenge to learn to cope with people during group projects. Not to mention looking for jobs, getting a job, applying for a SSN all by myself, jumping the hoops of all those international restrictions on jobs and the age barriers, tax forms, and whatnot. (Who knew living by yourself when you're not of legal age can be so tedious?!) The amount of things I've learned out of the classroom exceeds that of which I've learned in the classroom.

I'm proud of putting myself out there and being outgoing. I'm so glad I know so many more people, some of whom I've gotten really close to and some of whom I only say hi to when I see them. Nevertheless, it's making connections. I'm glad that I know so many people outside of Appalachian State too! I'm so grateful for the church I've found that is literally a big family to me. I'm so grateful for other families I know outside my church: my host family, the LeBlancs and Abernathys. I'm so grateful for my fellow peers, my neighbors, my roommate, and even the bus drivers.

I'm proud of my academic achievements. Hey, it is college and I came here to learn and prepare myself for my career. A big thank you to all those who have taught me and helped me during the last two semesters. I've learned so much about interior design, I almost feel like I'm prepared to design a house right now. I've pushed my envelope, exceeded the boundaries, and stepped out of my comfort zone. And it's paid off with the grades I've gotten!

Finally, but definitely not last, I'm proud of how much I've grown spiritually. If this wasn't the biggest lesson I've learned, I don't know what is: I can't do anything without Him, but I can certainly can do everything and anything with Him! Every day is a good day when I find that little time to start my day with Him. After all, He has been with me all this time, I owe Him some time every day. :)

I'm excited for summerrrr! Who's with me?

Gladiator: Through the Eyes of Lucilla

“If only you had been born a man. What a Caesar you would have made! You would have been strong, I wonder… would you have been just?” Those were the words my father, the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, said to me after he and his general, Maximus Decimus Meridius, led the Roman army to victory against a barbaric Germanic tribe. My father was wise and old at that point, and both my brother, Commodus, and myself knew that his days were numbered. One of us, the former, was looking forward to his death. After all, Commodus believed he would be emperor next.

My name is Lucilla and I am the Emperor’s daughter. As Maximus told my father, I believe that we, the royal blood of Rome, are here “for the glory of the Empire.” But perhaps, this not something exclusive only for the royal blood, for Maximus, our general, is almost family to us, although we do not share the same blood. My father loved him. Before his death, my father approached Maximus and told him it would be Maximus who would be the heir the to throne – not my brother Commodus. But when my father told this to my brother, Commodus lost control, strangled, and killed my father.

I loved Maximus too, but he had no choice but to escape as my brother Commodus became the new emperor. Out of fear for my brother I could not weep, for my father or for Maximus. My only motive for living was my young son, Lucius. I loved him more than I loved myself. My brother loved me in the way a man loves a women, and not the way a brother should love a sister. I endured it, for the sake of my son. Years passed and during the commemoration of my father’s death in the games at the Colosseum, I saw Maximus again. I thought he was dead. But he was very much alive and defeated the legionaries on horseback. Through the grapevine, I found out that my brother had murdered Maximus’ wife and son. Maximus had been captures and had become a slave as a Gladiator, fighting for his life ever since.

My brother did not kill Maximus because he was at the service of the people and the crowd loved Maximus. Rome is the mob. Rome is the people. However, my brother did try to kill Maximus. He set him up for a battle against the Tigris of Raul, the only undefeated warrior of Roman history. The game was bloody and unfair, with tigers involved. Yet the Maximus that I love survived.

Only then did I realize I needed to be courageous and risk my life for those whom I loved – both Maximus and my son Lucius. I helped Maximus get his freedom back and plotted with him and a senator to battle against my brother. But my brother found out and Maximus was captured again. I was responsible; I betrayed Maximus when my son’s life was in jeopardy. Finally, my brother decided that he himself would fight Maximus in a brutal game that resulted in both Commodus’ and Maximus’ death.

Maximus’ last command was “Release my men. Senator Gracchus is to be reinstated. There was a dream that was Rome. It shall be realized. These are the wishes of Marcus Aurelius.” Maximus taught me so much. He taught me the meaning of love, of loyalty, and of will power. His love for my father, for Rome, and for his family exceeded beyond my love for my son, Lucius. Maximus’ last words to me were, “Lucius is safe.” His name will be remembered in the centuries to come because he knew his identity in the eyes of my father, the Emperor. Maximus knew who he was even in the face of tribulation and death. “Is Rome worth one good man's life? We believed it once. Make us believe it again. He was a soldier of Rome. Honor him.”
--
How often do we forget our identity in Christ? We are princesses and princes, co-heirs. We are the apple of His eye. Don't forget that this weekend: you are loved.

Lessons

I like to think I'm matured and have grown up long ago. But truth be told, I'm still really young and we never stop growing, learning, making mistakes, and maturing. The amount I've grown in the past four months have been incredible leaps and I'm so grateful to God for everything He's been putting me through and teaching me. Here's a few of those lessons He's taught me.

- "It's not about you. It's about your availability." Being human, I'm always thinking of myself - what I need to do, what I want to do. But God is just telling me: be available with your time. Minister and spend time with the people He's placed in your life for a reason. Stop focusing on yourself.

- "I have a plan for you." Look, it doesn't make sense all the time. Most of time, it doesn't make sense, at all. I thought He wanted me to get that scholarship, but He didn't. I was upset and disappointed, but just think: it means there's something greater installed for my life. I'm just excited to find out what that is!

- "Let me be your Healer." I've been hurt. Who hasn't. I've held on to regret, pain, disappointment, maybe even some anger. But God has just been so awesome. He's told me just to let go, to let him heal and bandage those wounds that I've allowed to open up again.

- "Share." I don't believe God put me through so many things in my life just for me. After, this ties in with the first point, it isn't about me. I'm learning to be a testimony and sharing little bits of my life story with others to show them that God is really... God. There's no other way to put it.

- "Let me drive." Picture your life as a car and let God be in the driver's seat. Not only that, don't be a backseat driver, telling God where you want Him to drive. Enjoy the ride. He's in control.

Have a blessed day. :)

He Is Risen!

“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10

Today I am just so overwhelmed by how amazing the God I serve is. My heart is light, I have a big smile on my face, and I'm so overjoyed that I get to spend this special day with my big family in Christ. I love you all and I hope everyone has a great Easter. Don't forget to thank Jesus for what He did for us on that cross two thousand years ago... and for rising from the dead!

Nothing is Impossible

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Then the lame shall leap like a deer,

And the tongue of the dumb sing.

xx.

Isaiah 35:5-6

The song "Run to You" by Kari Jobe is playing in the background. I need You, I can't get enough of You, I come alive when in Your presence, oh God of my salvation! How true. Every day I am reminded of how much I need Him, how I am absolutely nothing without Him. When I start my day off right, with Him, the day just goes so much better.

I've learned so much since starting college last year. One day can be crazy busy and you find yourself occupied every second of the day. I see so many people all around me bending under the pressure of college work, balancing basic life activities with education, and other problems that come their way. The biggest thing I've learned is that if I make it a priority to wake up extra early to spend some of my precious time with my Savior and surrender the entire day to Him, the busy day ahead of me doesn't seem so bad after all.

Recently, I've been preoccupied with a certain prestigious scholarship that I'm applying for. It is so prestigious that I had to go through a prescreening with my own college first before I actually apply to the real scholarship committee. I had an interview just last week and it was going to be a packed day for me starting at 8:30am and only ending at 9pm after my interview at 8:40pm. I realized it was going to be a crazy day and I wouldn't be able to handle it on my own. Days before the interview, I was in constant prayer... simply surrendering the entire thing into the hands of God, asking Him for His favor on me, for his strength and peace to fill every nook and cranny in my life. I also texted a few of my close Christian friends and asked them to pray. A friend of my replied, "Matthew 6:33-34." I turned the pages of my Bible, curious as to what it said:

Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

There is such a simple message in this passage: Do not worry. Throughout that whole day, I felt so in sync with God, His spirit was so present in my life, and I was filled with a peace that truly surpasses understanding. The interview went amazing - I could literally feel God in that room with me - I was selected for the next round of applications that I will be submitting next Monday.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Through that day, I kept on repeating, "Lean not on your own understanding." In my own understanding, there was no way I would survive such a busy day. In my own understanding, there was no chance I would get through that first round with such good competition. In my own understanding, no! It may make no sense to the world but I would survive today. It would make no common sense to the human brain that I would be selected for the next round of applications. But it was not out of human understanding that I functioned.

Perhaps it's the second part of this verse that's really the hardest to do. I can trust in the Lord, no problem. I can lean not on my own understanding, no problem! These are all internal actions. But acknowledging Him in all my ways!? Actually saying with my mouth that He is in control, actually declaring with my tongue that He is my Lord? Now that is a different story. But yet I did it. I acknowledged to my friends that I needed their prayers and it was all God and none of me. I mentioned in my interview that I was a Christian. And above all else, I went through that day praying constantly and admitting that it was not me at work, but the Spirit of God that was enabling me. So I acknowledged, I leaned not on my own understanding, and I trusted.

Psalm 37:3-5
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

That pretty much sums it up. I'm going to trust in Him, delight in Hm, surrender every little aspect of my life to Him and let Him lead the way - not only in the terms of this scholarship but in every single part of my life. I know that what He allows to happen to me is going to be the very best for me. I know that He is in control. I gave Him control. He's shown Himself faithful.

Don't miss out on that chance to simply pile all your burdens onto Him. Don't miss out on that guarantee that every day is going to be alright as long as you start it out with Him. Don't miss out on knowing that the greatest person ever on the earth loves you so much more than anybody else could. Don't miss out, I promise you, you will never ever regret knowing Him.