Fashionably Late

(Day 34) 2Ch 35:16 - EZ 10:44

2010-02-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

(Ch. 8, 22 partial)

" The favoring hand of our God is upon all who seek him, but his mighty wrath is against all who forsake him."

I think this verse is pretty clear. As much as God is all forgiving, He will favor those who seek him and then he will, how should I put it, act not so favorably on those who don't. I don't like the words "mighty wrath", especially when used in this way, but then again I don't want to discredit the consequences of not following His commandments. I guess if I see it in terms of the legal system, its not so scary. You do something wrong, you (might) go to jail. I still don't like to see God as a punisher of sins but as a forgiver. I don't think there is much disagreement in that sense of the role He plays. SO I will focus on the first part. Instead of wishing He didn't see all my sins, I will try to focus on my constant seeking if Him in me.

(Day 32) 2Ch 7:11 - 23:15

2010-02-15T18:41:00.000-08:00

(Ch. 15, 7)

"But as for you, be strong and do not relax, for your work shall be rewarded."

This reminds of this past Sunday's 2nd readings from Luke (See below) where Jesus praises the poor, hungry, and weeping and denounces the rich, full, and well spoken of. I'm sure we all feel that life isn't fair when we have to go through tough times and see other people who are successful but lead lives filled with sin (deadly ones?) or disregard for others (my pet peeve!). But in Luke, the situation is flipped. Perhaps those who lead more prominent lives are the ones that need to be worried. They need to fight obstacles bigger then ours and they might not realize it. Maybe fighting richness is just as difficult as fighting poverty. Each one of us has a battle to fight (fearlessly might I add) and we might not understand other people and even get jealous when we compare our lives to others. Unfortunately, we don't get to choose. The only choice here is "to make it bitter or better" as my mama would say and be strong and have blind faith that will reward us more than we ever could of imagined.

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false
prophets in this way.”

(Day 31) 1Ch 24:1 - 2Ch 7:10

2010-02-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

(CH29, 20)

"Be firm and steadfast; go to work without fear or discouragement, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or abandon you before you have completed all the work for the service of the house of the LORD."

This verse comes in handy since I just started a new job :)

What better encouragement than just "be firm and steadfast." I think the reading talks about believing in God but also in ourselves. Believe in His power as it works through us. Do what is right, don't falter when faced with temptation and he won't abandon you. Personally I have noticed how much more confident and firm I am now in my new professional adventure. I have grown into myself as a worker and I am firm in my knowledge, although I am exciting and willing to learn as much as possible. I know that here, in particular, he doesn't mean work work, but our work in life, as humans. Same insight.

I also like how fear creeps up here again accompanied by his evil twin brother, discouragement. Ahhh I hate those two! Again though the two are mostly our own creations - obstacles we create and then use as excuses for not doing the "work." But hey, guess what? Even if we fail Him, He won't fail us! He won't abandon us! The game isn't over if we fail once (or twice) and instead of looking back at what could of been, we should be firm. There are opportunities waiting for us to notice them

Let's HELP HAITI!

2010-02-14T12:17:00.000-08:00

HELP HAITI! Raining season is coming and hundreds of thousands of people are still homeless - Please let me know if you'd like to donate new or like-new CAMPING TENTS OR TARPS - We need them by next Sunday, February 20th!

You can drop them off or mail to:

St. Monica's Catholic Church

1700 Buford Highway
Duluth, GA 30097
678-584-9947
Fax: 678-584-9760

For more info, call Mark Coughlin at 770-513-4112 or Dennis Andrews at 770-315-9785

On Lent

2010-02-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I found out last week that the Catholic bible has 7 MORE BOOKS than the Protestant one...which means I'M WAY BEHIND! I didn't think for a minute that I should skip these books because after reading about the difference between the two, it seemed that there is a reason they're there. This is also coming at the same time I am finalizing my lent plans. Last year was a big year for me in terms of changes - and my "kick-off" was lent. I gave up alcohol and started putting more time into long projects - job search, trying new things, etc. So I want to keep up the good work and choose another "good" thing to give up (or add!). So at mass this weekend I started thinking of all the "Lent Finalists". Working out everyday, flossing, improving my posture, giving up cheese or coffee - all strong candidates. But then my main concern was to not follow through. Not because I'm weak but because I've got a lot going on - new job(s), plans, etc. So my lent answer is simple - don't add, instead, finish what you started. SOOOOOO I am vouching to read the whole CATHOLIC Bible by Eater. That's 7-8 weeks, 20 pgs a day. LORD Help me!

(Day 30) 1Ch 10:1 - 23:32

2010-02-09T18:39:00.002-08:00

(Ch. 16, 11)

"Look to the LORD in his strength; seek to serve him constantly"

Short and sweet! I think this is a good reminder next time I'm feeling weak. For one, its ok. For second, instead of sulking (which I find is NEVER productive) we should find strength in the Lord. I mean, why didn't I think of that before!? Its clear to me since, you know, He's a pretty powerful guy. The best part about it is that He will clear his schedule to give you strength! We're the ones that got to make time from all our sulking and clear our heads by finding strength through Him. Seems simple, right?

(Day 29) 1Ch 1:1 - 9:44

2010-02-09T18:39:00.001-08:00

One word: genealogies! No, like, seriously that's pretty much what this entire reading is...a little review of the genealogies of the Kings of Israel. FUN! 2 (quick) thoughts sprung from this reading.

1) After reading hundreds of names, its interesting to me which ones are used in our society versus the more "ethnic" sounding ones. Aaron, David, Jesse, to name a few. As I read them I wonder if most people that have biblical names know about its origin. Also, and this is pretty bad to admit, I finally understood why its called Judaism - because these are the descendants from the tribe of Judah! Such a "DUH" moment - felt I should share :)

2) I was curious to see what Amy posted for today's reading and was pleasantly surprised to find Christ's genealogy on her post. Make sure to check it out - especially at the bottom for comments...really interesting!

(Day 28) 2Ki 15:27 - 25:30

2010-02-09T18:37:00.000-08:00

OK, so I'm a week behind on reading and -uh, a little more on posting...BUT I feel ok because I've had an unusual past couple of days. My routine is getting settled so I'm confident I will get back on track. A positive sign I had was that I actually "missed" reading the Bible the last couple of days and felt the urge to read last night - even though I was dead tired. I shall try to catch up on posting tonight and pace myself so that I can catch up and read with pleasure - not pressure.

(Ch. 17, 39)

" But the LORD, your God, you must venerate; it is He who will deliver you from the power of all your enemies."

If there's one thing God didn't want the Israelites to do was - you guessed it - venerate other gods. But that's what they did all the time! I can't believe it! But then again, maybe I would to if I was around back then? I just can't believe that people that lived in an age where huge religious events like these happened still managed to question their faith...we're really messed up! Any who...

I think God and faith has many facets. His love can be forgiving, nurturing, "tough", rewarding, difficult, you name it. In the end though, He is a God. We must venerate Him - that's a way of showing our love, devotion, respect. He is a "higher" being and we are below Him. Now you can take that and interpret it in a million ways, but I'm only interested in the useful ones. This is mine. today.

I've just started a new phase of my life and of course I'm started to question my decision. Not that I've had a bad experience so far, its just that I'm a chronic anti-decision maker. Just ask the people I go to dinner with - I always take the longest to order because of all the choices! As a result, I tend to question every decision I make and how that will affect me - which doors I'm closing in order to open other ones type of dilemma. I know though that this new phase of my life has been the result of much inner searching, discovering, and questioning - something that I am really proud of doing in this state of my life. But as time has progressed and I start questioning my decisions I see that I need to take a step back. I need to venerate and understand that there isn't a right choice or a best option - any decision I make or ignore will lead me down a path of success, challenges and obstacles. one needs the other. I need to understand that just because I feel I made this choice because of the help i got from my new found faith, it doesn't mean there won't be failures in the future. In fact the reason i made risky decisions this past year was because I believe that I could risk more and as a result gain more. So in conclusion I need to take a chill pill, enjoy the ride and be prepared for a bumpy road. If only it were that easy!

(Day 27) 2Ki 4:38 - 15:26

2010-02-03T16:37:00.000-08:00

(Ch.6, 17)

" Then he prayed "O LORD, open his eyes, that he may see." And the LORD opened the eyes of the servant, so that he saw the mountainside filed with horses and fiery chariots around Elisha."

Here, God literally opened someones eyes so that they could see but we can take it into another context - that He is the only one who can really OPEN up our eyes and hearts. How many times have I looked back and realized something that at the time I couldn't. I think this goes back to the "trusting God" theory I have written about in previous posts. Maybe sometimes we are not required to do anything but trust God and let Him open our eyes when the time is right. Like they say, timing is everything. Perhaps there is a reason why are eyes are not open at a certain time - there's a lesson to be learned there for sure. How many times have I thought "how silly was I to never see this!" Why is it that once our eyes are "opened" everything seems to apparent!? Maybe its to keep us modest...we don't know everything, all the time. Understand that and trust God. Sounds easy, right?

(Day 26) 1Ki 16:21 - 2Ki 4:37

2010-01-27T09:01:00.000-08:00

Elijah the Prophet.

So in this reading, we get to know a very important figure, Elijah. I know of him through another book, the Fifth Mountain, from Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. I started it one my plane ride to Rio last fall, but never finished :( Its on my bookshelf, reminding me to finish it!

Elijah follows all of Gods requests, putting himself in danger some of the time. He doesn't ask explanations, he just obeys (something that can be hard to do). As a result, he resurrects a young boy, brought fire from the sky, divided the Jordan and ascended into heaven accompanied by chariots. Most importantly, he is also able to listen to God:

(CH. 19, 12)

"After the earthquake there was fire - but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound."

Here we are not confuse God with nature. He speaks through it, He is not nature in itself. That is why Elijah listens to the whispering sound. I think here is another lesson - God doesn't speak from the high mountains in gold chariots, He is in the quiet, whispering sound. You have to listen for Him. I like that - He's not loud and omnipresent. He's quiet and patient, whispering his wisdom into our hearts. Very beautiful indeed.

(Day 25) 1Ki 7:38 - 16:20

2010-01-27T08:41:00.000-08:00

Solomon Sins.

In the previous post, I commented on the unique request Solomon prayed and how we should do the same. The post is a follow-up - where Solomon sins regardless of what God gave him.

(Ch.11, 9)

"The LORD, therefore, became angry with Solomon, because his heart turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice."

So here is another lesson. Even though we can be modest enough to only ask God for wisdom, serenity and courage, and He gives it to us, we still have to work at it. I think we see an example in Solomon. God gave him wisdom, and as a result he became one of the famous kings in the world. But then he got carried away, married 700 wives and started worshipping foreign idols - which was like, God's only request that shouldn't do! Like they say "with more power, comes more responsibility". Solomon received great power from God, but he didn't realize that with all this power, comes responsibility. We must see that its not just a matter praying and receiving. We need to follow up on what we ask and are given. We must be grateful and live by God's example even more, not less. Solomon forgot that, and paid a hefty price. God doesn't give us things so that we can forget about him, on the contrary, his gifts should be serve as motivation to go after bigger challenges. He does this in order to see us succeed and reach out to more people. I think we all forget that. We are used to asking for something and if we get it, we move on to asking for something else, our thirst for more becomes never-ending. Now if we don't get what we requested, we whine, instead of changing our ways or praying for wisdom instead. We can be so silly sometimes!

(Day 24) 2Sa 22:19 - 1Ki 7:37

2010-01-24T20:42:00.001-08:00

This verse is from Chapter 3, "wisdom of Solomon" and his prayer is quite different from the others. Solomon can ask for anything - cities, soldiers, land! But he doesn't. Instead he asks this:

(Ch.3, 9)

"Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?"

God really appreciated Solomon's prayer, so much that He gave Solomon more than any king before him. We too often ask for things (a job/raise, material things, luck, etc) and not for more wisdom (in order to achieve those things!). I think of the fisherman metaphor, where its better to teach a man how to fish, so he can teach others and never be hungry, than give him fish to eat once and leave him dependent on you for more. Wisdom will last longer than most other requests we make, yet we don't ever ask for it! No wonder God was so happy when Solomon prayed to him. This verse reminds me of how much I cherish the serenity prayer where we pray for serenity for that we cannot change, courage to change the things we can and wisdom to know the difference.

(Day 23) 2Sa 12:11 - 22:18

2010-01-24T20:41:00.002-08:00

This verse is from David's song of Thanksgiving

(Ch.22, 3)

"my God, my rock of refuge! My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge, my savior, from violence you keep me safe."

On the surface, this song is a way for David to say thanks to God for helping keep him safe from his enemies, but I think it can take another meaning when we it as God being our savior and refuge from the evil in the world. He is our rock, a sturdy refuge where we can always go to for He will receive us with open arms. This brings me back to the story of the prodigal son, where the father completely and unconditionally welcomes his son back, no string attached. If you think about it, when you're a kid and you mess up, you run to Dad for help, comfort and forgiveness (you might try to hide for a little bit at first, then feel guilty). This is exactly the relationship God has with us. We are his children. He wants us to succeed, but he might give you some tough love in order to really push you. All we need to do in return is be grateful and love him back, unconditionally.

(Day 22) 1Sa 28:20 - 2Sa 12:10

2010-01-24T20:41:00.001-08:00

Nathan's Parable

The entire parable (ch.12, 1-6) is worth mentioning in this post. Here, Nathan comes to David asking for help judging a case concerning a poor man and a rich man. The poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb who he cherished very much. When a visitor came to town, the rich man, who had had flocks and herds in great numbers, grabbed the poor man's lamb and made a meal of it to his visitor.

When David heard this, he became very angry and said that the man who has done such act merits death. Then Nathan tells him the story is about David himself, who went after a poor man's wife, while he himself had numerous wives and concubines.

This story here shows the sin of David against God and how his descendant Solomon came about (Solomon was the child between the poor man's wife and David). But to me its also about a story of greed. I instantly thought of the "grass is always greener" metaphor since David literally looks over to his neighbors wife and goes after her. I think we constantly ignore all the blessings we have and lust after what our neighbor has, even if that neighbor is more humble and modest than we are. That is a BIG no-no. We must feel grateful for all we have and achieved. We must be happy for others that have achieved other accomplishments. We can't have everything for ourselves, because its greedy and because there is no fun in that (really, think about it?). We also have to understand that we are given what we need, not what we want, and that there is a lot of insight from understanding and accepting that notion. I have started praying less for things I want, and more for what I have (family, health, etc). I tell God that I am grateful for all his has given me and that I will accept whatever his plan is for me. I must end this with a Russian saying my mom recently sent me:

How do you make God laugh: Tell him your plans!

(Day 21) 1Sa 16:1 - 28:19

2010-01-24T20:36:00.000-08:00

(1Sa Ch.22, 23)

"Stay with me. Fear nothing; he that seeks your life must seek my life also. You are under my protection."

David is the one who says this verse to his loyal friend Abiathar. I like to think he is channeling God when he says this because its very motivational. The entire time God wants His people to fear Him but I think that means He wants us to fear Him and nothing else. He seems to say that all is possible if we "stay with Him". I have recently discovered that fear is a very present part of my life. We typically think of fear in the case of the monster under our beds when we're kids, or fear of death, etc, but I think we act out of fear for a lot of the little things. Fear of not being liked, or accepted. Fear of failure (yikes!), fear of standing out or being different. Fear controls so much of what we do. Without it, we could really unleash ourselves from this transparent biding we put ourselves in. That's why I'm trying to be more fearless in my day to day. It sounds pretty cool - being FEARLESS - but its also a nice new motto to think about.

(Day 20) 1Sa 2:30 - 15:35

2010-01-24T20:23:00.000-08:00

(Ch.15, 22)

"But Samuel said: Does the LORD so delight in holocausts and sacrifices as in obedience of command of the LORD? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission of the fat of rams."

Obedience is better than sacrifice. I know here, they mean sacrifice of animals, but I think it works for any kind of sacrifice. I know people that preach about all the sacrifices they make to God, but I feel they do it just so they can SAY it. Being obedient might not be so flashy, but it seems to pay off in the long run (Not that never sacrificing yourself - to anything - isn't good also). I sometimes feel guilty and pray God to forgive me and that I will sacrifice x or y for Him in a dramatic, childish way. I promise too much, deliver too little. Instead I should just try to also be obedient to God. Pray for forgiveness when I sin and sacrifice only when I am certain I will take it seriously. Obey, obey, obey. As children, I wonder why we disobey Him so much. We like to rebel against our Father and try to prove Him wrong. Try to be independent of Him, as if He detains us from getting what we want more then we detain ourselves. It seems just really silly to me now. Part of me thinks the harder we try to fight Him, the more we want to feel His love. The more lonely and desperate/hungry for love we are. At least its what I feel - again, I've been wrong before!

Day 19 JDG 15:13 to 1Sa 2:29

2010-01-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

A note on the Chapter of Ruth.

So I had no idea, that there was a little chapter about a woman(!) in this reading. Its only 2 pages long, but because the Book has the name of a woman, I felt it deserved some attention in this post. The intro to the book explains that the Book of Ruth is a beautiful example of filial piety and its aim is to demonstrate the divine reward for such piety even when practiced by a stranger (non-Hebrew). I won't lie, I had to google "filial piety". My guesses were confirmed when it describes it as devotion to parents and the book, Ruth is loyal to her mother-in-law and makes sure she is taken care of. The result of this self-sacrifice and moral integrity is that Ruth is an ancestress of David and of Christ.

On Wikipedia, they mention how filial piety is highly infused in Confucianism and Chinese culture overall. Besides the commandments, Ruth is (so far) the most detailed example of filial piety - and its from a woman, loyalty, kindness and redemption. Here Ruth goes beyond her mother-in-laws expectations and chooses the unexpected in order to remain loyal to her "family". This is a great example for the rest of us. Ruth's loyalty and kindness is rewarded as she receives redemption by marrying again into her late husbands family and being a part of the most important line of descendants, that of David and Christ.

Day 18: JDG 3:28 - 15:12

2010-01-24T19:53:00.000-08:00

I have always been aware that God didn't appear/come to those who were the richest, purest, most devoted to Him. He seemed to like to come out to the most "undeserving" of his people. This is the case with Gideon, in today's reading. Gideon is pretty low in the social economic hierarchy and is a little dumbfounded when the Big Guy comes to him to save Israel"

(JDG Ch.6, 15)

"But he answered him, "Please, my lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the meanest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father's house?"

I sometimes put myself in that category - the not-good-enoughs. This is dangerous because it can become a self-pity mechanism and serve a good "scape goat" for not being diligent in my faith. I can see God being upset that instead of fighting and going after our faith and being in charge of our destiny, we just stop and ignore it because "we're not good enough to have faith". It can be initially a modest thought, but this feeling can change into something more dangerous if we continuously whine to God when things get bad, but refuse to follow Him when things a re good. We kind of want to be His favorite in a sense (father and son theory here). We want to be left alone when things are good (as if we earned it ourselves with no help), but come running to Him (even blaming Him!) when things are bad and questioning why we deserve such a thing to happen to us in the first place. The more I think about our relationship to God and faith, the more it looks like a father/son situation and the more "unfair" we really see it. Definitely makes me take a double take next time I complain...

Day 17 - JOS 15:1 to JDG 3:27

2010-01-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

I am pretty behind now on posting, although I'm am catching up on the readings. I decided to keep posts short and sweet in order not to overwhelm myself and keep me motivated to catch up. I haven't felt "lost" or guilty yet, just anxious to catch up.

(Ch.21, 45)

"Not a single promise that the LORD made to the house of Israel was broken; every one was fulfilled"

What I instantly think of here is how equal God's pact with us is. He seems to put us on the same level in terms of what is expected of us and in return what we should expect from Him. This really shows how just He really is. He isn't asking the "world" of us and in return giving us something small; He will fulfill EVERY ONE of His promises is we follow Him. Now that's inspiring.

JOS 1:1 to 14:15

2010-01-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

This reading has a Big climatic moment that we've been patiently waiting for... the crossing of Jordan into the promised land! Sadly Moses dies before the crossing (spoiler alert!), so instead we have Joseph take over. This chapter mainly depicts the battles that took place in the promised land and then the distribution of the land between the tribes of Israel. In it, God reminds His people of how powerful He is and why He is the mighty one.

(JOS Ch.4, 24)

"in order that all the peoples of the earth may learn that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and that you may fear the LORD, your God, forever."

God says this as he dries up the water of the Jordan in order for His people to cross it safely and arrive in the promised land. He does it at the same time of the year they crossed the Red Sea, which really signifies His power - for taking them out of Egypt and bringing them to the promised land. He wants them to be aware of His powers for only though them can the other peoples learn of Him. I think this is Him telling us that we are to set an example to the rest of the world. We are to follow Him and in return be rewarded with many blessings. We are also to fear Him, as a child fears his father, for that is the only way we will obey him.

DT 23:12 to 34:12

2010-01-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

So as you may have guessed, I'm really trying to catch up by posting all 3 DT readings. I am trying to catch up (I am 5 days late!) slowly but surely.

(DT Ch.30,6)

"The LORD, your God, will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, that you may love the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, and so may live."

What a beautiful verse! Earlier in the reading, we hear of an uncircumcised heart, which means a heart that is "closed and unreceptive to divine grace and guidance" (in ch.10, 16). The thought of God's power to open up our hearts and love him with all our soul is truly inspiring. I think this verse is our calling to love God unconditionally, as He loves us. Again, its a two-way street. We need to love and let ourselves be loved. In order to do that we need to feel worthy enough to love him and be fragile enough to let Him into our hearts and then truly live as He intended. How cool is that!? Only He has the power to really let us live a fulfilling life. Not money, power, success, blah blah blah. All that isn't important to truly LIVE. All we need to do is open our hearts everyday because it is a daily struggle. It is the journey we all take and our most important mission.

DT 8:1 to 23:11

2010-01-20T06:57:00.000-08:00

In continuing with God's lecture, the following verse gives us some insight:

(DT Ch. 8, 3)

"He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD."

I found there are two messages in the text above. The obvious one (for me) was the idea that God and his commandments give us "spiritual food" and that it is given to us to feed our hungry spirit and that without it, we "die". How many times do we feel a void inside us? We get so frustrated about it that we even start whining and feeling self-pity. I sometimes "allow" myself to "wallow" in that self-pity for a while, even though I know deep down its not very productive. I think its a two-way street, God gives us his commandments, and we thus have to FOLLOW THEM and practice our faith instead of waiting around for something or someone to change our fate. I think He is reminding us of that here.

The other insight I got from this was the "He let you be afflicted" part. Not going to lie, but at first I didn't like it. But then I read it again. God gives us challenges to see how strong our faith is. He gives us challenges because he wants us to be successful. He will not spoil us just because we are His children because He wants us to be strong. He gives us the freedom to do anything we want, but He offers up his kingdom to those that follow His commandments. That's a loving Father! And a liberal Father, for that matter! Its here where the concept of "father" really starts to hit home for me. And that's another reason why I am so happy to be doing this project!

NU32:20 to DT 7:26

2010-01-20T06:32:00.000-08:00

I got a little side-tracked, but fear not, I am back and full of energy! I actually read this passage this weekend and really enjoyed it. I really like Deuteronomy because its kind of a revision of the laws Gods gives Moses. By repeating some key facts, we get a deeper sense of what is expected of God's chosen people as they cross the Jordan into the promised land. My favorite is in the first chapter

(DT Ch.1, 31)

"as well as in the desert, where you saw how the LORD, your God, carried you, as a man carries his child, all along the journey until you arrived at this place."

I like this for many reasons - let's break it apart then! First, there is the desert. I know this is talking about an actual desert, but I can relate to it as my spiritual desert. I think we all walk on it (sometimes it feels like 40 years!). Then there is the "carrying part". I immediately think of the footsteps in the sand prayer where we look back, thinking we are walking alone since we only see one footstep and then realize that is was God carrying us along the way (the entire time). That is hard to believe sometimes. I mean, do I deserve to be carried? Definitely not in some cases. But He doesn't care, he does it because He loves us - and that is SO hard for us to believe that we rather ignore it (and thus walk in the desert some more). I've had plenty a conversations with my mom on the subject of God's love and how we sometimes feel we don't deserve it and how we need to understand that is is UNCONDITIONAL. I love that word. That means there is NO condition that can change that fact. That is hard to do - love someone unconditionally. I mean, imagine all the little things God sees us doing! But it doesn't matter, he will carry us through the desert, in our time of need, because He just loves us. We just need to accept it.

It is also worth mentioning that He carries us like "a man carries his child." After reading all of Deuteronomy it really seemed that it was one big "lecture". On one side, He preaches all the blessings that will happen if His people follow his commandments and on the other, He warns of all the horrific things that will happen if they disobey Him. At first, I thought God seemed scary, but then it really sounded like a Father lecturing his beloved son. He may need to instill some fear in order for his son to obey him, but He's doing it because He loves him.

The last part of this verse I like is the "journey". I can't remember where I heard this but it stuck with me - that all our decisions are based on the fact that we are finite, yet we still try our hardest to ignore that same fact. Its so true! Here, we are reminded of us it again. This is a journey. He is with us to lead us to the "place". This is our purpose as the Chosen people. he wants us to make it there and receive all the blessings...all we need to do is follow our Father's rules...

NU 21:8 to 32:19

2010-01-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

Its amazing how while reading the Bible you start noticing things in your life different and getting insight from them. Some are good and some point how your imperfections. I do believe however that noticing that something is off is the first step to recovering. With that said this part of the reading is when the people of Israel are making their way up to the promised land. The verse below is from Balaam, the diviner King Balak calls to put a curse on the incoming Hebrews:

(NU Ch.23, 8)

"How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?"

This stood out to me because I have noticed something different about myself ever since I started this project. I think I am judging people more now than before. I think I give myself the excuse that I can because I'm reading the Bible. AND THAT'S NOT GOOD! I see myself giving that excuse for little things and then I realize how easy it is to become self-righteous and think you know better than others, just because you read the Bible. (I mean, I think that's how the crusades started). After this realization, I immediately thought of the story of the prodigal son and I felt like the older brother (who I never thought I would be in that scenario!). I also saw myself setting up lower standards for myself and higher standards for others...and that made me sad. Its easy to fall into the trap of feeling superior because you follow God's word and judge the ones that still haven't. But then again, that is way worse then not doing anything at all. I don't want to become spiteful (that word is scary). I want to accept love and love more, not the other way around! I really need to work at accepting people and the way they choose to lead their lives. I can only set an example and be there for them when they ask for help or advice. I have to understand that just because I'm adding reading the Bible to my life, doesn't mean I can lower other personal standards and criticize others in the process. Reading the Bible is one thing, but acting through it is completely different (and 10x harder!).

NU 8:15 to 21:7

2010-01-13T09:22:00.000-08:00

So in Numbers, we read about all that happened in the 40 years the people of Israel spent in the desert. The reason why they were in the desert so long, was basically because they made God angry with all their whining. I find this a little amusing. I guess I thought that if I was present during all the miracles God made through Moses (uhm, parting of the sea?) I would be more obedient to God. BUT, hindsight is 20/20 and we're human, we like to complain (uhm, Adam & Eve anyone?)

(Ch. 11, 22)

"Can enough sheep and cattle be slaughtered for them? If all the fish of the sea were caught for them, would they have enough?"

This shows EXACTLY how we are in terms of our faith. We want it all. And even if we had it all, we would still be unsatisfied. I believe that is why God is a mystery and that our believe in Him is truly a "leap of faith". Not knowing EVERYTHING is hard for us (especially since we proud ourselves in knowing about how everything works) and perhaps its the only way to have true faith in God. Just as a child is spoiled when it gets everything it wants, we too, can't have and understand all of God's mysteries. If we did we would most likely take it for granted. So, instead, He shows us through little things how powerful He is. We just have to look for it. That's probably the hardest!

I also think this verse acknowledges how God was learning about us at the time we were getting to know him. He seems a little "moody" in these early readings. Moses has to "calm him down" multiple times as He threatens to kill off the entire Israel community...and they were the chosen ones! It looked like God saw the patience and wisdom from Moses and learned to do the same. That boggled my mind because it seems that our relationship with God may not always be a one-way street but a conversation where both sides are learning...I mean, I still believe we are the pupils but its nice to think that every once in a while the teachers learns something too :)

LE 26:27 to NU 8:14

2010-01-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

Not going to lie, but it was hard to find a verse that stood out during this reading. For one, its got 2 different books, Leviticus and Numbers, and there are a lot of rules and rituals, so I sadly didn't get any "insights" from them. I chose the first verse in chapter 26 "the reward of obedience"(so technically, its not in this reading, but the previous) that struck a chord.

(Ch.26, 1)

"Do not make false gods for yourselves. You shall not erect an idol or a sacred pillar for yourselves, nor shall you set up a stone figure for worship in your land, for I, the LORD, am your God."

This may at first seem easy. "I don't worship other gods!" "I don't erect idols or sacred pillars!"

But we all worship earthly "gods" to some extent. They may not be sacred pillars, but we do. My freshest example is the idolatry my dad and brother have sometimes in terms of soccer. They are really into it which is cool, but sometimes it can get carried away. It can also be idolizing celebrities or someone else and the power they have. I guess for me it would be how I idolize certain ideals that I have for myself. I have so many goals that go in so many directions, that I spend the day rushing through them. I catch myself feeling unfulfilled even as I complete tasks because I didn't spend time reflecting on them. I need to take things slow and "smell the roses". I guess part of me is so afraid to fail (again) that I get all worked up about it. I'm trying to take one day at a time and have smaller goals in place of big ones.

The more I rationally think about it, the easiest it is to stop idolizing certain things that society itself thinks is normal. The perfect, skinny body for one. Or the perfect relationship. If you just think how ridiculous it is, it becomes easy to "let it go". I mean how much TIME I have spent "worrying" about my body or "worrying" that I won't find the perfect mate. Its ridiculous. I need to just trust myself and God. Worrying, I have learned, won't get you anywhere. Idolizing models on the magazine and romance shown on the movie screen is unreal and unhealthy. I blame half of it on the pressure society puts on women, but we make up "half" of society, so we need to change it ourselves. Its easy when you rationalize it and come to terms with what it really is.

LE 14:33 to 26:26

2010-01-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, so Leviticus is hard. There is a lot of repetition and rules on how to build the tent next to Mount Sinai and then how to perform rituals (usually involving animal sacrifices). I mean, the whole book of Leviticus is sacrificial and other ritual laws, so its not like I didn't know what was going on. Still, it made it hard to push through the reading and get inspired. At the end of many paragraphs there would be a reassuring sentence that I really enjoyed. It said "I, the LORD, am your God". Sometimes, the most simply sentence can really hit you. I guess we try to interpret each reading in a deeper context because many times a text will bring out different meanings to different people. But then when you read something so simply like the phrase above you go "Oh yeah, of course you are!" At least I thought that :)

(ch.19, 5 partial)

" Be holy, for I, the LORD, am holy"

Through one of my many religious discussions with my mom, we once talked about how God created us in His image, and wants us to be holy like he is. I thought that was awesome. I mean, he isn't like "I'm up here and holy and all, and y'all are inferior and have to live down there". NO!!!! He is the opposite! After all we are (sinful, imperfect, etc, etc), he still loves us unconditionally and wants us to holy like him. He wants us to succeed in our missions down here on earth so that we can become holy like our Father. My favorite prayer of all time has a part that asks God to fill my emptiness and how we should empty ourselves of earthly attachments and fill ourselves up with God. This is some positive reinforcement from the Big Guy!

LE 1:1 to 15:18

2010-01-10T17:34:00.000-08:00

Sunday is a good day to catch up on my posting. I am actually on schedule, catching up on my reading yesterday and hopefully my posting today.

Ch.10, 10

"You must be able to distinguish between what is sacred and what is profane, between what is clean and what is unclean"

This verse caught my attention because it reminded me of a homily I heard once where the priest was talking about how us as catholic need to distinguish what is good from bad in the most simple, every day things in life. He mentioned bad, reality TV as an example and to this day I remember it for that. I'm sure this is an extreme example but still, it came to mind. I think that I mostly understand the "biggies" in term of what is sacred and clean versus what is profane and unclean. Profanity is bad. Obviously. I still do it (I'm trying to stop that). Now the "little" everyday things that are profane to God and unclean are harder to perceive, yet we should still try to distinguish them. I think laziness is one for sure. Lack of patience (that's a personal one) in everyday situations and relationships is another, and so on. As I get older, I start to think that things don't naturally work out, you have to work at it to achieve it. If I want to become a better person, I won't naturally become that person unless I make changes and sacrifices to my life. However, the work to do that is twofold. I think we need to take out what is profane and unclean in our lives first and THEN we have to add in healthy, clean ones. My biggest example is how I am training for a 5k. I am NOT A RUNNER by any means so I have slowly started "training". I am in turn trying to eat better since I feel more energize when I eat healthier and am more motivated to run. Another is the readings. I have to organize my time better to read and in return have watched less TV and spent less time on the internet. I've also tried to be less lazy and floss more often. See, all these are not "biggies" but they are still small changes that can add up to some amazing results :)

EX 15:19 to 28:43

2010-01-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

(EX ch. 19, 5)

"Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people"

This part of the reading is right before God gives the Hebrews the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Again, I've heard the "story" but reading it through and through gives me a deeper insight that I really appreciate. While reading the ten commandments, I was impressed by how specific God was (I mean it seems that in modern day, His messages are more generic) and then I felt guilty for performing some of those "sins". I tried to both be conscious of my sins but also understand that some were more relevant at the time it was written (eating unleavened bread, etc). As a catholic, I love feeling guilty, but I know that unless I do something about it or try to impede it from happening at all, there is no need to feel that way.

Besides feeling guilty, I also felt weird when I read the part above. As a catholic I do feel that we are a "chosen" people (isn't that a part of faith?), but when I read God saying it, I felt guilty that everyone else is left behind. I am very unsure what my "belief" is on others of different faiths. I definitely want everyone to come "up" with me, but I never get specific. I felt this same feeling when reading of God's wrath on the Egyptians in Genesis 2 days ago and the first time i read it as a child. I almost cried when I found out God "took away" all firstborns. I mean, that sounds so mean! My mom then assured me it was just a story and not take it so seriously. I guess some parts of me never grow up. If I take a less dramatic look on this reading, I can say it was a way of God motivating his people to keep his covenant. We're not perfect and maybe we need a bigger, more dramatic method of persuasion. I know I was.

EX 1:1 to 15:18

2010-01-08T08:54:00.000-08:00

I got pretty into the last verse from Genesis so the one I picked from this reading is similar:

(EX ch. 14, 13 partial)

"But Moses answered the people "Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today..."

I personally re-interpret this and put it into context in terms of my faith and religious views. I am not a preacher and I always try to listen to people about their religious views, but I am very passionate about my own. Sometimes my faith is tested, either by others or myself and I must learn to stand my ground more when this occurs.

I also think this reiterates God's advice for people to simply continue on with their lives, even when they can't understaSave as Draftnd why things are going the way they are. God has his plan for you and sometimes (I think most of the time) he doesn't disclose it you. We would take it for granted if he did. So all we need to do is stand our ground. Not change out of fear or spite or jealousy, but stand our ground. He will make sure we are rewarded. He will give us what we need, not what we want.

Finally, a part that I didn't notice firsthand but that I now really like is the "fear not" part. I have recently come to conclusion that a lot of our actions are done out of fear. That that people won't like or accept me, fear that I won't be successful, fear, fear, fear! If I could only be FEARLESS, then the world would open up to me! I took an oath late last year (ok, like a month ago...it WAS December) that I would try to become a more fearless woman. It would be hard and challenging, but most good things start out that way :)

I'm late on my reading...tell me something I don't know.

2010-01-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

So naturally I am late on my readings...but only by 1 day which to me is actually not so bad. I got a little unmotivated when I actually saw that I have a lot left to read (that sounds obvious but I jumped on this opportunity not knowing exactly how many pages I would have to read - and I'm glad I did that). Amy, the head of the Blogging through the Bible program has a link on her blog about getting frustrated with this project.

I haven't reached a point of frustration in regards to me being behind, but I've had a hard time adjusting time to meet the demands. I don't have a good schedule yet on my readings (before I go to bed or randomly in the day is when its happening now), but I will blame that on the fact that I don't have a set schedule at ALL right now. So I'm going to just relax about that. I also think I need to be a little more patient altogether. I will confess I get a little bored reading sometimes, but then I try to think of what I'm doing in the long run and that will give me a little extra gas. My Bible is larger print (I think) and has a lot of footnotes, so I get excited turning pages at a quick speed. I also try to read faster on the more repetitive lines so that I get to more "content" parts sooner. So far, that has helped. I am focusing on setting a better schedule for reading, then posting. After all, this is only the first week! Lots more challenges lay ahead. Good luck to us all!

GE 40:12 to 50:26

2010-01-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

This is the last reading in the book of Genesis. Even though I had heard a lot of the stories told here, it was refreshing to read it from beginning to end. I have a much better understanding of the story, the Bible itself and the beginning of my catholic religion.

My favorite verse happens when Joseph reveals his true identity to his brothers in ch. 45, 5. He says:

"But now do not be distressed, and do not reproach yourselves having sold me. It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you."

To sum it up, Joseph should be really mad and resentful that his brothers sold him to passing Egyptians as a slave. But instead he thanked them because he had to go through that in order to achieve all that he achieves. God was always by his side and he never doubted Him. He just did his best and kept moving forward. I think everyone can take something good from that (otherwise sad) story. Perhaps instead of complaining that things aren't going my way or blame others for my misery, I should just try to do my best or simply keep going. I should trust God more for I know he has a better plan for me than I could ever imagine and that my patience is a testament of my trust in him. I will try not to doubt Him and work on being calm and patient with myself and others around me.

GE 28:10 to 40:11

2010-01-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

As a modern (tad feminist) woman, I am very interested in how women are portrayed in the Bible. I know I have to be open-minded, because the culture and time was so different that although some aspects might be shocking to me, it wasn't back then. So its pretty clear that taking multiple wives and concubines is normal. So is marrying within your family. I realize as the book reveals the descendants of important figures, its clear how keeping your culture is crucial and intermarrying seems the most logical.

Throughout this reading I have to admit the chapter where Dinah (Jacob's Daughter) is raped stands out the most for lots of reasons. One, I thought it strange that the Bible describes the raping at all. This shows how I have already judged this Holy book by its cover. Then her Brothers rage and eventual revenge really struck me. Even though I considered myself open-minded when reading these passages I still saw women back then being treated with little rights and seen as objects, relevant only in terms of reproduction. But in ch. 34, when Dinah's brother revenge her by killing all the men in the village (oh, first they made tricked them into circumcising themselves) I see that there were still rules around how women were treated. They weren't total objects. There was still respect and raping a woman (even though you're in love with her) is an extreme offense. I see now that I need to let go of my pre-conceived notions of this Book and the times it describes even more.

Ge 17:1 to 28:19

2010-01-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

I guess its not a good sign that I am already late in posting, but this is a fact of life. Fear not, for I shall still prevail and post.

This second reading talks a lot about Abraham. God really liked him. He bequeathed Abe and his descendants land and riches and power. The part that caught my eye wasn't something new. I've known about the part of the story where God asks Abe to kill his favorite son Isaac and offer him as a holocaust to God. When God messenger sees what Abraham is about to do he says

(Ge 22, 12)

"I know now how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from me your beloved son".

I also knew that we should offer something of ourselves to God in order to show our faith, but I never dared to think it should be what is most important to us. That's a tough thing to do. I don't think a lot of us are brave enough to offer what we hold most dear to God. I don't think I should try to slay my family as an offering, but maybe understand the sacrifice that I may have to endure of not depending on them so much as I get older. We are very close-knit family and maybe sometimes I hide in their comfort and don't take as many risks as I should. I think my time is also a sacrifice to God. I am really trying to give more time to God this new year. Part of me feels its "forced" because its coming from my daily devotional reading and going to mass. But then again, doing this religious "exercise" might bring me something far deeper then I have experienced before.

Ge 1:1 to 16:16

2010-01-02T09:22:00.000-08:00

Since my New Year's Resolution was to read the Bible (which was a concrete goal that falls behind my deeper search to get closer to God) I decided to participate in the "Blogging thru the Bible in 90 Days" challenge that a blogger I follow has helped set up. I am following a set schedule and am receiving emails with Amy's SOAP message of the day. I will also be blogging my thoughts as I read my way through this book. I think it will be interesting to compare how each person will interprets this Holy book differently, and I vouch to offer my twenty-something in a quarter-life-crisis perspective.

Background: I have never read the entire Bible. My religious background is Roman Catholic. I have completed catechism, confirmation and have (very recently) started going to Sunday Mass with my Mom. When I saw this opportunity to read and blog about the Bible, I thought it was a sign that I take the leap and go for it. I am excited to take on this amazing challenge!

So... let's get started:

Last night I did the first day which is Genesis ch,1 through ch.16

I have heard the story of our creation many a times, but never fully read it. I was first amazed at how much I felt I was reading a "normal" book, wanting to get closer to the "ending." As I read the first chapters of Genesis, there was a part that really struck. When Adam and Eve eat from the forbidden fruit and (Ch. 3, 7) "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves."

This verse got my attention because it documents the moment we humans lose our godliness and become of the earth. In portuguese there is a saying that one can "cair na real" which translates to "to fall into reality." I think that happened here. Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden fruit and awoke into a new reality. One where nakedness isn't pure but evil and wrong. This totally sets us up for the rest of time. It seems that we "don't get it" from the beginning and the Bible documents this fact. From that moment on, we think we can distinguish good from evil, right from wrong because we ate from the tree of knowledge and we build civilizations around that. Recently I think we have started to see how we don't know everything. We see we can't produce at full speed without thinking about the outcome it will have on nature. We can't spend all this money, and ruin our credit and the economy. We can't keep being so selfish all the time. This reading also hit me because I felt I too have "awoken". Its been a year or so where I started to realize that I wasn't going in the direction I wanted. I saw that I wasn't living life, but that life was living me. I have changed a lot since, and plan on not stopping. So far, so good :)

2010 Resolutions

2010-01-01T14:48:00.000-08:00

Resolutions 2010
1. Enjoy being single MORE!
2. No more smoking
3. Cuss less
4. Cook more
5. Wake up on time/earlier
6. Run a 5k
7. Read the Bible
8. Take the Gmat
9. Apply to grad school
10. Start Biz (Marketing and/or Stylist)
11. Or Get a Job
12. Write more (articles, blog, dairy, etc)
13. Go to Austin, DC, NYC?
14. Go Visit Fe and Cica in France
15. Take more pictures/videos
16. Get more music
17. Speak more Portuguese at home
18. Take one of the following classes:
a. French
b. Drums
c. Sewing
d. Singing
e. Creative Writing

aha momment while walking #1

2009-04-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know if this is pessimism or optimism:

"Happiness is when nothing bad happens"

pessimist bc nothing that makes you happy, happens. The lack of bad= happy
optimist bc we're able to enjoy every single moment of life (except when bad things happen, which is true for everyone)

I do think that extreme orgasms of bliss happen, and what makes them that way is their rarity. So really, there's 4 stages of human feeling, 2 of which are in your hands and 2 that are up to fate/destiny/what have you:

Bliss-happy-neutral-bad

(i obviously need help in naming these stages)

Both bliss and bad are rare, but we never manage to hold bliss for long until it escapes us, almost immediately (like an orgasm does). Bad, however, we keep in us and let it sink in - most of the time anyways.

Both bliss and bad can spawn from big events (like getting engaged, to car wrecks) or little experiences (a funny text from a friend, to well, no text from a certain crush).

Both bliss and bad are an inner struggle (although perhaps initiated by the outside world). When I am bliss, I am in my little world, that I discovered and only am its only inhabitant. Its like no one has experienced that bliss before and its all mine. Same with bad. We feel like its unfair and that we don't deserve it. NO one else understands our problem and no one seems to do anything about it (well, yeah, its YOUR problem).

me - on mornings

2009-04-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

new fave quote

2009-03-31T18:21:00.000-07:00

"you can do anything, but not everything"

(if you don't like it, suck it. Yeah I said it)

New Exhibition

2009-02-28T06:44:00.000-08:00

The Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) will open its newest exhibition, “In the Bag,” on February 5. The exhibition will run through May 2, 2009, and will explore the origin, evolution and design of the handbag.

Day 2

2009-02-26T17:28:00.000-08:00

So Day 2. So this whole story of how much money I will save, and weight I will loose...I've been snacking like crazy. Maybe I'm trying to switch from drinking to snacking. Nah, i just think I was bored at work. The real problem is the lurking weekend.

Day 1

2009-02-25T19:02:00.001-08:00

Today I wasn't tempted in the way I thought I would. Instead of craving drinking, I was being tempted by a roast beef sandwich. Good old lunch club. I'm not suppose to eat meet today or every friday during lent. So I didn't count on getting a roast....beef sandwich for lunch. So instead of saying "well I didn't plan this and I'm not going to let it go to waste," I first took off the evil beef and ate a tasteless cheese sandwich, but then sucked it up and went to Wendy's to eat a baked potato. I felt good and still hungry afterwards.

Let's hope this is gets better, although I think its the 1st of many new challenges.

Well, either way, we're 1 down, 39 to go

stop surfing the net, go play outside!

2009-02-25T18:55:00.000-08:00

At least that's what the new dentyne website is saying. It allows you 3 minutes of surfing its website, then kicks you out to enjoy other, more simple pleasures. This is one of my favorite new campaigns and the site is the cherry on top.

http://dentyne.com/

fave new qoute

2009-02-25T18:46:00.001-08:00

All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move."

--Benjamin Franklin

40 days

2009-02-25T18:00:00.000-08:00

So i'm giving up drinking for lent. That's right, you heard me right. No alcohol of any sort. For 40 days. I to make it interesting, if decided to chronicle it here day by day. Julia thinks we should bet on when I crash like they do in that Josh Hartnett movie. So far, no bidders...

The type of sister I have...gives me encouraging cards

2009-02-23T17:39:00.001-08:00

resolution part deux - not so distant future

2009-02-23T17:39:00.000-08:00

- I want to learn to sew.

- write a book.

- learn to drive a stick shift

Pantone color forecast

2009-02-23T17:26:00.000-08:00

Even though Spring is not even here, Pantone just came out with its new fashion color report for Fall 2009. Here's the link to where you can find Fall 2009 and Spring 2008.

http://www.pantone.com/pages/Pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=20644&ca=4

Enjoy!

that's tight

2009-02-19T17:03:00.000-08:00

If you have an extra $500, then you totally get these LV monogram tights. They are nearly impossible to find...but definitely make a statement. OH, and get me one too when you're at it. I'll hit you back.

mother of the year!

2009-02-16T19:42:00.000-08:00

Julia sent me this on V-day and I wanted to share. Apparently this tiger mommy had stillbirth babies and got so depressed, zoo keepers tried to find her some adoptive baby tigers. To no avail, they dressed up baby pigs instead. The outcome is sweet and hilarious at the same time. One of my personal favoriteshttp://www.sonnyradio.com/motheroftheyear.htm

Julia got a tattoo!!!

2009-02-16T19:31:00.001-08:00

She's 3x cooler then moi. Now I must cut my hair to just be in the same race! What a lightweight I have become!

make your own converse!

2009-02-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

http://www.converse.com/index.aspx?mode=c1#CATEGORYC1

me in college...

2009-02-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

defied the laws of physics

(Day 33) 2Ch 23:16 - 35:15

2009-02-16T18:41:00.000-08:00

(Ch. 26, 16)

"But after he had become strong, he became proud to his own destruction and broke faith with the LORD, his God."

Big no-no. Why isn't that when things go wrong, we don't blame ourselves, we blame God. But when things are good, we either forget Him or think we are the sole reason for being successful! And then we turn blind and slowly start "falling" back in faith because things don't keep going our way. We're so predictable. Its true, we don't pray or ask for God when things are good, but when things are bad. I think that's fine and natural - but we should keep check on ourselves and give Him credit. Being proud is not good - anyway you spin it. It isn't "productive" and pets our egos way too much. I guess the moral of this verse is modesty. Especially when you are successful because that is when He is testing you the most.

Christian Siriano's new shoe line to debut in NY Fashion Week

2009-02-11T18:02:00.000-08:00

Project Runway Fans beware! I liked Christian for his hilarious takes on ppl around him. Plus the fact that for a 21 yr old he had pretty "haute" skills. I've always wondered what PR Alumni are up to and Siriano is no different. The designer is launching a collection for Payless of shoes and handbags. I love it! He'll unveil the collection next week, so until then, we have to be content on Runway reruns.

How lovely!

2009-02-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

The story behind the card. I found one of these "I love you" cards on a blurry night on the A town. Finally got the scoop on it. Local photographer and social experimenter Heidi Geldhauser gives away these sweet cards and then photographs them in their natural environments. Just ordered mine. Oh, and if you want 'em in different languages, that's possible too, just let her know:)

pshop stickers on pshopped ads

2009-02-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

Really awesome idea that I found byhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/epoxy_one/3175236394/

idea is to show imperfection by defacing ads by showing the pshop tools used to change the real image

http://facehunter.blogspot.com/

2009-02-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

photographer that shots the stylish on the streets around the world.

in his own words its "eye candy for the style hungry" which is exaltly what is it. Check it out

awesome blog

2009-02-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

http://facehunter.blogspot.com/

Facehunter is eye candy for the style hungry. absolutely love it.

Photographer that goes around the world taking pics of the stylish on the streets.

2009 Resolutions....at last!

2009-02-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

So I never got to post my 2009 resolutions. I have them all written down and I am constantly looking at them...I carry them in my planner (i know how lame this all sounds btw)

so here's 2009. Mind you, the first ones are inversely related

1) Wake up on time

1.2) Be less late

2) Drink more water

2.2) Drink less alcohol

3) learn to breakdance

4) moisturize elbows

5) smoke less/quit (i've only had 4 cigs in 2009)

6) flirt more (especially while driving)

7) go to more cultural events

- Cirque du Soleil

-Titanic at the Aquarium

-King Tut at the Civic Center

-Bodies (COMPLETED ON 1/30)

-High

-Fernback

8) take vitamins

9) try different foods (and maybe even learn to cook them)

10) join the Y

11) take the GMAT (ai, I hate this one)

12) create my website

13) blog it up!

- write more on mine (doing it now:)

- bxc fashion blog (done! fashionsims is born!)

14) improve my french (either read this french book, practice with Cissa or take on a french lover. I prefer the latter)

15) buy a new MAC laptop (done! on it now)

16) Singing lessons

17) throw a fun Vday Party

18) work book club

19) make more $

20) bxc brasil

21) Visit Fe in Lyon

22) Pedro's wedding in Sept

Now for future resolutions

- Carnaval in Rio (2010 or 2011)

-Pilgrimage in Spain (2010)

- Live in NYC

- Live in Europe

-Buy house

oh advertising

2009-02-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

So my good friend Nat sent me this link about a new (now disabled) fb app from ad agency Crispin Potter for the Whopper. Really great idea: for every 10 friends you de-friend, you get a free whopper. Point was to show that your love for the Whopper was bigger than your love for those acquaintance you call fb friends. With over 233k friends, the app got disabled by fb not too long ago.

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3i9953839003c11ce8f1ee2c582df7e343

still great advertising from Crispin, who apparently just laid off a % of their staff

cool blog

2009-02-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

blogogilvy.nl is the blog from ad agency Ogilvy in amsterdam. So you know its cool and creative. Also something good to read.

http://www.blogilvy.nl/

street paint

2009-02-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

Then we found these high tops from Vans that I wold LOVE to get a hold of but I think are last season

mommy, I got paint on my ...heels

2009-02-07T06:46:00.000-08:00

Check out some nice paint stained Sergio Rossi heels. We've come to the conclusion that the red ones just look like blood, but green and black (not soon) are killer

Welcome Fashionists!

2009-02-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

So I've been wanting to start a blog for some time dedicated to fashion, design, art, pop culture and boxers (more to come). Hopefully I will convince the rest of the gang to sign up and start posting.

until then...

new show I like

2009-02-03T18:31:00.000-08:00

trustme on tnt...

about the business of advertising in a big agency in Chicago

arranged marriage

2009-02-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

so apparently CBS is going to have a reality tv show based entirely on friends and family choosing a someone their livelong partner. As weird as that may be, I am extremely interested. Because I personally don't find this to be such a bad idea. The tv show is, but the idea of arranged marriages, or "introduction only" arranged marriages isn't so bad. Parents due the all the hard work (research suitors background, family, jobs, past, etc) then introduce you to them. The rest is up to you. Hell, I bet the divorce rate would be a tad better if this was more prevalent in America.

there's something to think about.

Breaking up was the only quickie we had

2008-12-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I'm never the breaker upper. I'm the broken up with-er (sp?). I'd rather go to the extra pain of someone not wanting to be with me then instilling that pain in someone else and living with the QUILT! Blame the catholic in me...

This time was no different. It was a cliche though. He came over and said those line as if they were rehearsed:

"We need to talk" and "I don't think we should see each other again"

The first is only said by a boy when things are about to go under. When do they really want to talk with us? I rather the whole 3 months he talked less and did more. But he didnt listen.

The second is a connection between the first and the explanations that follow:

I'm don't have time. Im too busy (going back to our last "talk" 1 month ago)
You deserve better
You're going to Brazil in 1 week anyways

As he sat on my chair, I decided this was my chance to tell him what I thought about him

I felt like I was in a competition with him
The fact that he was visually upset that I (luckily) knew something he didnt
How he was guarded and never let his guard down
Why, in 3 months, he never tried to get far with me
He was a snob with my friends
He talked and rarely listened

I dont think he planned on hearing me go on and on like I did. He didnt seem too upset, but he is guarded enough that I have no clue what he really felt like. That was the problem. I never knew at all. Oh well, its done. And it took him 40 minutes to do it. As he left, I said I had to go too and we said goodbye. I turned to my roommate and commented:

"Breaking up was the only quickie we ever had!"

heaven

2008-11-03T21:11:00.000-08:00

My idea of what you do once in heaven is...

I believe that everyone here is unique and are here to accomplish a special mission for God. So once we ourselves move on to the other side, we go into a movie theatre where we live each person's life and how God tried to show us the beauty of live and what we could do as we lived our journey on earth a better live for us and people around us. We would laugh and cry a lot. And because it covers every single person that has ever lived...it takes...well...eternity.

I think explains my want to be living out and experiences different people and their lives. Because I want a glimpse what's to come. Its weird.

food hell

2008-11-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

Food hell has various forms:

One is when you are hungry, but just can't find that one food that will SATISFY your hunger. You end up eating an array of foods that put together (in your stomach) are not good (for you or your taste buds).

the better version is when you're not hungry but end up eating half the pantry (more common among women)

Ultimately, food hell is when you are unable to taste food. Imagine not having pleasure in eating all the marvelous things in this earth. Makes me think I should get into cooking...if only it didnt take up so much time, space and money...huh.

Thing is that eating is one of the routine activities we do the most. From day one. Besides breathing, walking, sitting, sleeping, etc, eating is not a continuos and often unconscious activities, but one ppl separate as special; taking time, money and effort to do. I do dare say that its one of the most pure and easy ways to find pleasure. any one in any socioeconomic class, geographic location, age, sex or race can enjoy food and have pleasure doing it. Pretty awesome.

No wonder I have a hard time giving up my most numerous pleasure...

heaven

muse/create/audience

small gifts

2008-11-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

Getting thank you notes after speaking in my old fashion class
hearing my old religion professor say he used to have a crush on me
Having someone tell me they met a Dr. Stevens
Watching skywriting on my drive back home after work (twice)

Favorite new VH1 show

2008-10-19T09:25:00.001-07:00

Favorite new qoute

2008-10-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

I think I deserve something beautiful
- eat, love, pray pg. 44

happiness pt II

2008-09-17T19:24:00.001-07:00

happiness is doing math homework with your brother

driving to work/Athens with your sister

Crying/discussing life with your mom while drinking wine

Watching Brazilian soccer games with your dad

laughing at yourself. loudly

happiness

2008-09-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

I've decided to be happy. and to pursue it at all cost. I mean its not like happiness is always found at the completion of something: only after a promotion, move, love affair. Its while its happening. When you don't know what might happen next. When you do, then there's no more fun in it. "no alarms, and no surprises" as Thom would say. So why not enjoy the damn journey for once.

Its funny because as a young person, you are always forces to think of the long term future....and how you'll only be happy after you have that awesome C-level job, happy marriage, then perfect kids, big new house...on and on. BUT when you get there, you keep thinking back to the good old simple days, when you had that shitty job that gave you the time to do the hobby that you really like [insert band, artistic, sporty talent here], the girl that was not right for you but made you feel alive, or the shitty apartment and crappy roommates that seemed like a big family.

huh....weird

July 1st Resolutions

2008-09-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

1- Read all the new books I bought (not yet, 1 down so far)

Read: How to be single

reading: Basic Black, Eat, love, pray, the end of fashion, and shorts dumped and when the messenger is hot

2- Have a platonic fling (extra points if he's foreign)

let's see, no actual fling, but fillers:

jan: Tim W
Feb: Jason A., Cam
March: David, Luis,
May: Jason X.,
sept: Alex

3- Get a job offer

3 phone interviews, 2 personal interviews. Not interested in any

4- Move out by Sept

Tried with Julia, Laura, Linda, solo and no luck so far. Buy hey, its only the beginning of Sept!

5- Loose 15-20 lbs (hopefully I haven't gained any)

6- Take fun classes (Ad copywriting !?)

7- Write more (doing it right now :)

***TRIPS: seattle/Victoria, Spain&/or France, Rio

weaknesses

2008-09-02T20:04:00.000-07:00

1- lack of patience. Weird thing is that I like to do crafts, but rarely finish them due to lack of patience. hmmmm. This also applies to studying, and dealing with family, especially one's mom.

2- Never say "no". Even if I can't make it, I'll say I'll stop by. Which evolves to #3

3- can't make decisions. Do I want to move out? Where? How long? with who? But I want to go work in Rio. And Spain. And France. And New York. Should I rent or stay home so I can save money. But I'm not good at saving $...and on and on

4- Can't commit. This is a bad one. I can't commit, so I just end up right where I am, not moving forward. For even if its the wrong move. Its at least a MOVE.

5- jealously of friends. More successful. professionally, romantically or just by moving out, I'm happy for them but a bit jealous that things are working out for them. Really a horrible trait I must confess. makes me human, I suppose.

idiots

2008-09-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

So on a recent trip to Chicago (for Lolla 08') I've come to the conclusion that we, the human race, would benefit as a whole if we all just thought of OURselves as idiots. We wouldn't think we know more then the next person, act that way, etc. I mean, no one person can know everything- actually we individually don't know much compared to OUR human knowledge collectively. If we sat and listening, with the intent to learn vs criticize or one-up, we would become better and know better/more. And isn't that the reason we're here anyways? To learn from each other and spread the knowledge and hope it takes us somewhere. I think so.

post-break-up hookup

2008-09-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

You know when you break up with someone but then have that last night of sex just to finish things off. Well that's what 8.29 was to me and John Mayer. I've known him to be lame for some time now, but I've reluctantly remained a fan. But seeing him post real breakup from guitar boy, things just seem childish. He wasn't that good, and we just didn't match. Its sad when most your audience is made up of teens and young women and their boyfriends and husbands. sad. So I renounce my fandom of JM and put in my past and will turn the volume low when I sing your songs in the car every yr or so in a bittersweet, nostalgic tone.

wedding dress color

2008-07-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

So, I think its a little silly to wear white (right now). I like the tradition aspect, but it came from virginity and patriarchal society. So why not shake things a bit? This would be the color I'd go with (mind you, the cut and beyonce can go).

new favorite pasttime

2008-07-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

true love is hard to find, and so is a good job

2008-07-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

Finding a great love is hard. You got to get out there, go through numerous bad dates, bar nights, phone calls and texts, just to get in the front door. When you have a sneaking suspicion that you might actually like someone, you have to think back and see if it's the right fit (as in fit in with your friends, family, and in bed) and has good benefits (sense of humor, $, cuteness factor, intellect, and so on - not in that particular order).

Interestingly enough, we go through the same process while job hunting. We first send out our resume to multiple companies, just as we flirt/date with numerous people. We expect to hear back from some companies, while others are just our plan "B" or we just sent the resume to boost our morale or make a friend happy. We keep checking our emails or hope a strange phone number will pop up and give you good news.

Same exact process, different outcomes. Professional vs. Personal happiness.

And when we get it (the love or the job), we are ecstatic. But that is just the beginning. We need to go through that phase where we meet all the new co-workers (or friends) and you need to analysis your Boss (family-aka parents) to make sure you keep him/her happy and the company productive (aka drama-free).

But what it comes down to is that no matter where you are, if you're already are in a relationship or have a job, when that great person/job comes your way, you recognize it. It doesn't have a reason and it can come in the worst time and it can either make or break you. Hopefully its the first.

right now, my door is open. the job/person is out there roaming and it just might come sooner then later. We'll see.

Wait 'til I'm in my 30's

2008-07-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

Wait til I’m 30

So I know I’m not perfect. Using that as motivation to continuously improve myself, I have also come to the conclusion that there are some traits that I can hold off on until I’m in my 30s. No need to rush into them now. I’m young and cute enough to push it off another, say, 7 yrs. Sweet.

They are:

Wearing high heels: I will still buy them, with the intent of using them, but when its crunch time, I will opt for my flat sandals. It happens every time. And when I do guilt myself to wear them, I regret it. They are there reminding me of my mistake the rest of the night. I even get jealous of other girls wearing their confortable flats. So, I have decided that I can wait until I’m 30 to learn how to wear heels. Because that is what it is. You learn to wear them. You toughen out your feet long enough, that they give up and stop bitching every time you wear them. See I give in too easily. I like instant gratification. In everything in my life. If I can it, or stop doing something that I don’t want, this minute. I will do it. Its not always the best trait to have. Maybe I should work on patience, and then move on to more difficult habits, like wearing heels.
Wearing make-up (everyday, to work): I know it works. I will wear it out Friday and Saturday night, but besides that, I will not use makeup. Why bother? I’m cute enough that I can get away with it. At least I think so, and really, that’s all that matters. I don’t even know how to wear it. One of the perks of being raised my a hippie(ish) mom who never wore heels, makeup or stuffy clothes. I can’t even get up in the morning to have breakfast. That is what I should work on. Get my grown up ass out of bed in time to put on makeup, then years later, do it. It has kind of become this moral principle in which my sis and I are against putting mascara before 5pm. WHY BOTHER. Why wake up earlier to put on something for those idiots at the office. Do I care if Susie thinks I look tired today? No, unfortunately I don’t. She can suck it for all I care….hahaha.
Drink Martinis, scotch and other adult like concoctions: Just give me a vodka tonic and we’ll talk in 7 yrs. Period.

why blog, why now?

2008-07-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

because thoughts should be free to wonder out into the world and come back, better then before. And its time to join the revolition.