Remember

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?

My tears have been my food day and night,

While they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?"

My soul is cast down within me;

therefore I remember You...

at night, His song is with me,

a prayer to the God of my life...

Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him,

my salvation and my God.

-Pieces of Psalm 42

I just pray-read this scripture,

     and I

          remembered.

I remembered what God has done in my life.

I remembered knowing He was real.

I remembered being on the mountaintop,

     and knowing I was being sent into the valley,

     expecting the opposition to be overt

     and easy to spot,

     but now I see that it's not.

     It creeps in stealthily --

apathy

     laziness

          negativity

               doubt

I remembered His promises.

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

"When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me."

"Seek first the kingdom of God... and everything else will be added unto you."

"If God is for me, who can be against me?"

"The Lord is my portion and my cup."

I remembered His promises, too many to count!

I remember!

The 50th Post

Hmm... it seems like some kind of celebration is in order.

50 things I've done since beginning this blog.

In four short months, I have:

1. Created 50 posts for my blog
2. Persuaded each member of my family to read (and comment) on my blog
3. Read Gossamer and Esperanza Rising (review to come for the latter)
4. Begun to read Esperanza Renace (practicing my Spanish!), Of Mice and Men (distressed face), and The Princess and Curdie (my Christian fiction relief!)
5. Purchased the perfect pointy-toed black flats on clearance for $10.
6. Been in a wedding
7. Fasted 21 days
8. Been to Kirkland just twice :(
9. Lost my keys twice
10. Been in a church dance
11. Memorized Luke 16:10-13
12. Ended my second quarter of teacher training and begun the third
13. Paid a ticket for running a red light
14. Made pinapple upside-down cake for my dad's birthday
15. Finished reading The Calvary Road for the second time
16. Taught middle-school students MATH!
17. Painted my name on a bedroom wall
18. Heard Armando and Lisa share a testimony of God's faithfulness
19. Watched Jane Austen's Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice (6-hour version), and Pride and Prejudice (newest version, twice!)
20. Seen snow in April :)
21. Bought United Pursuit Band's EP album on iTunes, along with the songs "Prodigal" and "Wrap Me in Your Arms" by the Michael Gungor Band and "When God Ran" by Benny Hester
22. Seen the one-year anniversary of Ivory and Jared courting :P
23. Confronted my youth group
24. Reminisced over lunch with my friend Liz
25. Had breakfast at the Anjou Bakery with Ivory and my mom
26. Participated in a third-grade classroom!
27. Begun tutoring a fourth-grade girl in reading!!
28. Helped initiate a Future Teachers for Christ group
29. Led a prayer service at my church
30. Totally called a student I work with by the wrong name when I saw her at a wedding
31. Learned that our cat who mysteriously "disappeared" had actually been shot by my dad :(
32. Begun cooking for my family on Saturday nights!
33. Exercised consistently for about a week :D
34. Savored the first corn-on-the-cob of the season
35. Bought a PINK jacket on a whim -- because I was cold!
36. Picked out a purse for Ivory to gift me next month
37. Watched my laptop crash
38. Gained weight...I'm pretty sure...
39. Visited the dentist to have 7 cavities filled....only to be told that I have NO cavities!! What?!
40. Soaked in the hot tub once
41. Been convicted by the Holy Spirit in the area of punctuality
42. Had an amazing prayer time with my mom and Ivory for my dad, while he was in Mexico for three weeks
43. Received a heart of intercession
44. Been notified of Laura's engagement to Erik -- AAH :)...and begun planning a trip for the wedding
45. Been encouraged to serve my mom's vision
46. Ventured out on a walk with Jayna in Bellevue dry, and returned drenched (What movie is this from?: "I said drrrrrenched, and I mean drrrrrenched!")
47. Created my first prophetic art...for Grace! :)
48. Weeped for the nth time while listening to the song "Never Alone, Martin" by Jason Upton
49. Taken up practicing the piano again on occasion
50. Seen the Lord's faithfulness over and over again

Happy 50th :)

Easter Sunday!

Here's a rough rehearsal of the dance we prepared for Easter this year!

Bigotes de Arroz, aka Rice Moustaches

I have made these so many times now that my dad refers to me as the "bigotona," which could mean either "girl who makes bigotes," or "girl with a big moustache!"

A tasty Zacatecan rice dessert.
Makes about 15 bigotes (moustaches)

Ingredients
2 cups milk
1 cup water
1 cup sugar, divided
1 cup rice
1 egg
1 cup dry bread crumbs
Oil for frying
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Cook the rice in the milk, water, and half the sugar over medium to medium-high heat, until rice is tender.
2. Remove rice from heat and spread on cookie sheet to chill.
3. Heat oil in a skillet, enough to cover the bottom of the skillet.
4. Beat the egg. Set aside in a dish. Also have a dish for bread crumbs and another for the remaining sugar mixed with cinnamon.
5. Form little rolls with the rice. Dip them in the egg, coat with bread crumbs, fry on all sides, and place on wire rack. Once all the moustaches have been formed and fried,
6. Coat moustaches in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
7. Enjoy warm or cooled.

Recipe from my abuelita

Commercial Break

I must endorse this new CD.

If you are interested in having a copy of it, email me. I will in turn email the group and arrange to have the necessary amount of CDs mailed to me.

Toma Tu Lugar is a group of Hispanic prophetic worshippers, perhaps comparable to Rick Pino, Jason Upton, or Sean Feucht.

Here's a link to their website, where you can preview any track from the new album. (The first album was phenomenal, too. :P)

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, told Twitter style [HD]

If Twitter had been around 2,000 years ago, here's how the story of Jesus' death and resurrection might have been reported in real time ...

The perfect poem to hang on a classroom wall

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

-John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

Easy as Strawberry Shortcake!

We just started a dinner rotation this week, and today marks my first assigned day to cook dinner for the fam! Here's what's for dessert -- it's super easy to make and super delicious:

Makes 4 shortcakes

Prep time: 6 minutes
Bake time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup sugar (or honey)
1 cup Bisquick pancake mix!
2 Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup milk
Whipped topping

1. Stir strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar.
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Stir Bisquick mix, 2 Tbsp sugar, and milk until soft dough forms. Drop by 4 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Split warm shortcakes; fill and top with strawberries and whipped topping.

Recipe from box of Bisquick pancake mix!

Gossamer: Check!

I have finished reading one of the books from my reading list, Gossamer by Lois Lowry. Read it in one sitting, three hours straight. Here are my thoughts:

What's it about?

A young dream-giver-in-training learns both the art and the importance of her job when the elderly woman she is assigned to takes in an angry foster child who desperately needs love and good dreams.

This book is written in multiple short, compelling chapters that would appeal to young (and even not-so-young) readers. I would recommend it to my future students, from fourth to sixth grades.

"I didn't know we had shadows!"
"Of course we do. All creatures have shadows. They are a phenomenon created by light."

What's the author's style?

Gossamer is written by Lois Lowry and has no illustrations. In it, Lowry intentionally withholds key information from the reader, some to be revealed later in the story and some not to be revealed at all. The nature of the dream-givers, for example, she never discloses. What they look like, how big they are, what they are made of – it is as much a mystery to the reader as to the unknowing humans in the story.

Lowry also makes use of such literary devices as consonance–“in the darkened bedroom, during a dream” (32); alliteration—“thin cloud slid” (1); and dialogue, the latter often used to develop characters instead of lengthy descriptions.

Who is Lois Lowry?

Lowry is a two-time winner of the Newberry Medal, for her novels Number the Stars and The Giver. A consistent and intentional theme throughout her books is that, as humans, we need to love and care for one another, because our lives are connected to and dependent on each other.

For more on Lois Lowry, visit her website: http://www.loislowry.com

Other books I would recommend:

Granny's influences

That last poem was greatly inspired by the early works of Constance B. Breigenzer, a.k.a. my grandmother.

I have a collection of love poems she scribbled for her friends during high school English, all of them marked with her colorful humor.

Here's one:

"Grace and the Wolf" or "Grace Finds True Love in the Dentist's Office"
Walking down the street one day,
Chewing her bubble gum,
Grace went to the dentist's her bill to pay,
And gave him some.

Ah! Sweet mystery of life!
They both chewed the same brand.
Grace chewed and chewed among the strife
While he kissed her dishpan hand.

"Oh, Grace, you are just like a rose
That's newly sprung in June.
And most especially your nose.
Will you grant me one boon?"

But coyly Grace her sticky face hid
Behind the dentist's drill,
As she primly said, "Oh you kid,
I just came to pay my bill."

No obstacle could bar his way.
He tenderly knocked her out with a slug of Novocaine.
And he said all that he could say
When she came to again.

"Oh gosh! You are so strong and smart.
I'm clear in love I bet!"
Said Grace -- dear of his heart.
"If you talk long enough, you may convince me yet."

He threw his arms around her waist.
He tried with all his might.
But soon his problem he bravely faced --
That Grace could really fight!

At last she stood there still and white
While again his suit he plead.
Then at last, she whispered in his ear
The tender words, "Drop dead!"

He tore his hair, he said bad words
As Grace departed with a flout.
"My, Grace was hard -- she really hoards
That molar of hers I wanted to take out."

Ode to Ivory, or The Couple that Plays Together Stays Together

This is a story about a mademoiselle
Who hails from Drydenshire.
She snagged a handsome gentleman
To stoke her spirit's fire.

She likes to sing. He does, as well,
While playing his guitar.
And so the two, as you must see,
Are destined to go far.

For when he angers her enough,
She'll spit a feisty song,
But then won't keep from laughing as
He cheerily strums along.

Top 10 tips to snag low airfares

Download the PDF

Here comes the bride!

Searching for cheap flights to Michigan in December, and Lindsay of Michigan referred me to Airfare Watchdog, a website that sends you email alerts on super good deals!

I'm getting excited!

It's a beautiful day

Dahlia's journal
May 8th, 2010

God, I'm beginning to see that the reason there are so many Christian songs, so much Christian writing addressed to hardship is because there will always be hardship. When I'm not going through one hardship, I'm going through another.

So, I begin to think, what is the sense in wishing a hardship away?

What is the sense in rushing through difficulty? Better to chew it slowly to extract all the nutrients than to spit it out or swallow it down whole.

My hope is not in brighter days ahead, or in more peaceful times. My hopei s in the promise that nothing of the present is in vain, nothing at all.

What a beautiful day this is!

On my reading list

The jell-o glazed popcorn was enjoyed by all.

As of today, I will be reading the following three books (not your typical college textbooks!):



Any insights?

Jell-O Glazed Popcorn

1. Pop popcorn in your own popcorn-popper (8 cups popped)
2. Mix it with 1 cup lightly salted peanuts
3. Heat 1/4 cup butter & 3 T corn syrup over low heat
4. Stir in 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 4-serving package of Jell-O, any flavor. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer on low for 5 minutes.
5. Pour syrup over popcorn immediately.
6. Toss popcorn, then spread on wax-papered cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool, then break up into a bowl.

(Recipe adapted from JELL-O Classic Recipes)
I just made this tasty popcorn treat tonight for a class birthday tomorrow! Super easy, & super tasty!

Motivating quote of the week:

"Students today must understand certain concepts about language content primarily because they are constantly exposed to the pervasive effects of the media. They must learn to comprehend...They must learn to distinguish...They must learn to realize..."

-Mildred R. Donoghue in Language Arts

Spending time with a forgotten friend

I am running errands in front of my computer screen (you know -- those types of errands that involve switching between several Internet Explorer tabs) while spending time with my forgotten iTunes friend, Misty Edwards. :)

It's been too long, Misty.

Sent Off

Just said goodbye to MJ's mom, one of the kindest women I've met - and we don't even speak the same language!

She gave us a taste of Korean, and we gave her a taste of Mexican-American, and the only way any of us understood each other was through MJ's two-way interpretations!

SO fun. What a blessed weekend.

Some pictures of our weekend:

The mother-daughter duo treated us to "kalbi," an authentic marinated steak dish!

The kalbi

Getting ready to "exercise" (yeah, right) on this nice Spring day

Posing on our walk. My mom's getting ready for the waters.

Getting the camera girl in front of the camera this time!