A Sweet December

Hello all!

I am writing while being all snuggled up in my blanket. It sure has been cold these last few days but overall, December has been warm!!

Catching you up on a few things.....

Work.... DISASTER. lets just say I pulled my first ever weekend overtime due to a server failure! It was a burden to us all but we carried on! I am thankful we had sweet treats to feast on every day this month and enjoyed gifts given to us by vendors!

Secret Santa- TOTALLY SCORED! Man, I have really really generous friends and future family. lots of thoughtful and undeserved gifts!

Check out this most wonderful video my brother Aaron made of one of the Christmas parties we were apart of. These people I absolutely adore and it was sweet to write encouragements to one another, play games, eat together, and exchange gifts. SO AWESOME!

CHRISTMAS! first time really spending it with joses family and mine. it was crazy, fun, loud, and sweet. I saw a lot of love in the gift giving and in how others wanted to show their appreciation to one another. I was so thankful for a fiance who kept pointing me to Jesus. I sometimes am surrounded by the hulabaloo of gifting and eating and family when really its about JESUS! My fiance put this on his facebook to help my soul!

What I love about the holidays and summer is that friends come home! I got to see many I love for pilates, lunches, bobas and more! It is such a joy!

I got to take a part of old traditions like caroling and my dads company luncheon (SO PROUD!)

On the wedding front, I BOUGHT MY DRESS!!! hooooray!!! I love it, and cant wait to share in about 7 months!!!

Lunches, cantadas, getting to know members at my new church FSBC has helped me grow in trusting God and loving this church!

Grinchmas at Universals was sooooo fun!

Jose and I were Mr and Mrs Claus for a murder mystery. We lost......

alot is better this month and all thanks goes to jesus who continues to be really gracious!

Fishers of Men

God really blessed me today through the preaching today. Just had to share because it's set a fire in my soul!

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. (Mark 1:16-20)

I heard this passage a few times. It's always been something I've been trying to apply to my life- to evangelize, to make disciples of Jesus, and call dear friends and family out of darkness to marvelous light.

But man, it was so convicting asking myself, am I really a fisherman if I don't catch fish.... I need to be preoccupied with catching fish. I need to be doing it in my home, city, work place, and across the world. My missions needs to be making disciples to help missionaries in the field! Growing in prayer, growing in giving, growing in going! Then, I need a clear calling to go overseas! So good,

Jesus is calling us to ultimate allegiance (to be an ally of Jesus above family, friends, work, status), a unstoppable promise (to be fisher of men), and undistracted focus (in seeking first gods kingdom and magnifying Jesus, being called away from homes, jobs, family, status)

But what was so AWESOME was seeing that just as simon and Andrew left their father to follow Jesus, JESUS left His God the Father to be fishers of men. He left His throne, he became a slave and servant and give his life a ransom for many. He dropped the nets. He died on the cross for our sins for us and rose from the dead.  MAAAAAAANNN JEEEESUUUUSSS!!!!

I am following someone who is worth it all. Jesus is worth it all. 

Bits and Pieces of Lately

An Update of this Month

These last couple of weeks have been filled with trials. Engagement season is tough. Everything is heightened. Im literally breaking out because of me being anxious or worrying. My emotions, my actions, and my sin.... I've relied on myself, my control, and my works.

Some specific struggles are as follows.... Everyone's opinions (mainly my family- learning how to transition out of my family's home into being one with jose) and how to balance the roll of being a daughter, sister, and soon to be wife....not having a local church family and having that accountability and reminder of the gospel, and just trying to obey God in plugging into a church that is challenging me like crazy. some days at work is tough because of not meshing well with every one...lots of draining arguments with Jose which reveals my selfishness, pride, wanting control, and lack of joy in Christ alone... Wedding planning itself is the least of all my issues, but yet it's still another 100 decisions I need to make... I see my deep sin coming out as of late and it's consequences take away glory from The Lord. 

Its been really helpful to tell people these issues so I dont have to save my face and act like everythings all good. I suck. I am drained and on edge. Its so nice to get encouragement, wisdom, and help. I am thankful.

When I am weak, You are strong, God. Help me glorify You.

A sweet lady gave me this bookmark my first day at Bellflower :)

Halloween on Bowcreek

A bit late for this halloween post but OH WELL. I just wanted to share pictures of pumpkins throughout the years.

LOL OMG MY ATTEMPT TO CARVE. AND THE MOLD THAT GREW IN IT AFTER...

Family tradition is dad carves the pumpkin, I allocate the candies into about 6 -8 bowls. We usually are buying 8 bags of candy from Costco! We have hundreds of kids who trick or treat down Bowcreek Drive! We live next to a park and elementary school! We make comments to cute kiddies who dress up but also bag on those much older high school kids who dont have a costume and are just going around with their backpacks. Those kids always just get 1 piece for having the guts to come to the door haha. We keep a tally chart of how many trick or treaters come to the door. And we always get about 450-550 kids! Its been a blast. I will miss being on bowcreek for halloween.

Farewell Crossview Party!

My church had a fun party on Sunday evening to give thanks to the Lord for our time together as a church. Here are some pictures from the party where we ate el pollo loco, watched a slideshow, played games, photoboothed it up, thanked God specifically for one another, and ate dessert. Its becoming all too real that these people who I adore- I will not see them as often as Id like, and there are icky sticky emotions! But God is sovereign and good always. I was glad to have a celebration like this :)

Tina and Paulo Got Married :)

My best friend got married at her home this weekend. Ive been to this home many many times in my life, but indeed this visit was a special one :) Being friends with tina for 18 years, seeing her look stunning in her white dress was a day I very much looked forward to. Her hair was beautiful- she did it herself!!! Oh the many talents of this girl! Paulo and Tina are so darn cute. They are affectionate and clearly loving towards one another. Paulo (who is from Brazil) is just a sweet man, Ive had a chance to hang out with him several times during his trips to the United States. He even played a hilarious trick on Jose by replacing a soap bar with a slice of cheese. Jose ended up rubbing that cheese on his face! :p It was a nice, simple, caring, double-languaged, ceremony filled with support from all who attended (even those in Spirit like Paulos fam in Brazil)! Tinas mama baked a most beautiful cake. Can you believe that! She also cooked for us delicious goodies afterwards. May many more memories be shared between these two and may they be apart of my life all the more! They are trekking up to SF for this season for their careers. Will visit SOON! I snapped a couple hundred pictures that day but those are a handful of my favs.