Blessing 169 - Last Day of Fall for Me

Niko and I went twig hunting this afternoon and found some laying on the curb leafless and bare. Bright colored leaves covered sidewalks only means bare, lonely, colorless branches. I felt like it was the last day of fall, being the last day of November and all. Officially, the first day of winter begins on December 21. The tree in front of my house always seems to be the last one to have color left. I plopped these twigs unto my dining table and I'm still trying to figure out what to do with them. But for now, I praise God that it made quite a lovely picture to capture for the evening. I'm also thankful for the pleasant walk I had with my son and my dog. The fresh air did us some good!

I posted my last Fall Leaves pictures on my Tumblr. When you have time, kindly view them as a small favor to me. =) I promised the leaves from Yountville that they would be visited by my friends. Hahaha! When I go back and view my fall leaves pictures, I can't help but smile thinking that they will be seen and admired by others. And hopefully praise God for His greatness as they see how much care He puts into His creations. I am almost positive that those leaves are no longer there or as vibrant in color. It was nice to have captured them in their full array of vivid hues!

Come visit them on www.whentimestoodstill.tumblr.com

Just click on it on the left side of this blog. "When Time Stood Still"

Thank you much!

Blessing 168 - My Fuel

It felt really good to read God's word today! I was more tired today than usual. After all the holiday festivities, it felt nice to be able to not think about anything except God. He is my Everlasting Strength. Funny how I wore this shirt tonight and I was next to a fireplace. "Hmm...Fuel For Life?" It was the perfect picture for today's blessing!

God's word and encouragement is my

FUEL FOR LIFE!

The everlasting God...never faints nor is weary.

Isaiah 40:28

Blessing 167 - Blessings Blowing My Way!

It was so neat to see the leaves running down my street this morning! Such a blustery fall day in my neighborhood! I loved the parade of colors marching down to the howling of the winds.

I chased the leaves around with my camera, but not for long because...

The leaves were not the only ones running down my street! Two "Leeroys" (Boxers) were on the lose as well! I ran back into my house so fast but paused for a second to take this shot!

Later on this afternoon, a couple of families joined us for Davis for some coffee and tea! It was so nice just to sit and relax and have great conversations!

We finally reached our dinner destination in Sacramento! We had a buffet feast at Mizu's! Sushi, crab legs, oysters, fish...anything you could imagine was there! I really enjoyed the fresh sushi and steamed fish they served tonight!

Then, without expecting it, my friends bought me a new tripod at Best Buy! My other one broke doing a previous photo shoot. This was their way of saying thank you for taking their family pictures. I really felt so undeserving. I was planning to wait until after Christmas to get it, but God blessed me with special friends. I am truly grateful to be able to do what I love and to see others be blessed by God's strength and enablement.

Today was a perfect Saturday. I loved being surrounded by my family and loving friends. Thank you, Lord! Good night, my loves!

Blessing 166 - Too Much of a Good Thing

Is there something wrong with having "too much of a good thing"?

It has truly been great to be able to eat a lot of crab this past week! I love crabs, but I had to refrain from them today just to stay on the healthy side. There was truly nothing wrong with having a good thing to eat, but I felt that other options for a meal would be better for me. That's how I felt about going shopping early on this Black Friday. I didn't hit the mall until after 3:oo p.m. I felt that it was better for me and our bank account (the small amount that was in it) if I refrained from all the great deals just because they were too great to pass up. I was still able to knock off four people from my Christmas list without putting a dent in my wallet! I praise God for allowing me to be obedient and wise in my shopping today.

Blessing 165 - Giving Thanks to God!

We find it a great blessing to have you in our lives!

(Before the turkey was stuffed...)

May you "STUFF" this Thanksgiving Holiday

with God's great LOVE!

(Sorry, I couldn't help but see a heart at the "end".)

"Wink!"

Blessing 164 - My Vineyard

What a beautiful day I had in the vineyards of Yountville! I hardly get my picture taken by someone else, because I'm always on the other side of the camera. This shot, taken by Irene, reminds me that I need to always be connected to the True Vine, the Lord Jesus Christ. Such a tangible reminder that I cannot doing anything without Him.

I am the vine; you are the branches.

If a man remains in me and I in him,

he will bear much fruit;

apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

Blessing 163 - My Devotional Today

I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best.

(The Opposition of the Natural)

Looking out the window, and doing a self-inventory of what is keeping me from being God's best.

Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires —Galatians 5:24

Blessing 162 - We The Redeemed

WE THE REDEEMED

HERE US SINGING

YOU ARE HOLY

YOU ARE HOLY

Exodus 15:13

"In your unfailing love you will lead
the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling."

REDEEMED: To set free; rescue or ransom; to save from a state of sinfulness and its consequences.

GOD, out of his unfailing love, has redeemed us from a life of sin. Jesus' death on the cross has cancelled out all of our sins. Now that we are redeemed, He will guide us to His holy dwelling, a place where is it beautiful and wonderful. It will be a journey of thankfulness. No matter where He leads us, we can rejoice in the fact that we can now sing in His presence and cry out "You Are Holy"!

Blessing 161 - A New Song (for me)

The Real Me

Foolish heart looks like we're here again
Same old game of plastic smile
Don't let anybody in
Hiding my heartache
Will this glass house break?
How much will they take
Before I'm empty
Do I let it show?
Does anybody know?

But You see the real me
Hiding in my skin
Broken from within
Unveil me completely
I'm loosening my grasp
There's no need to mask my frailty
Oh, Cause You see the real me

Painted on
Life is behind a mask
Self-inflicted circus clown
I'm tired of the song and dance
Living a charade
Always on parade
What a mess I've made of my existence

But You love me even now
And still I see somehow

Wonderful, beautiful
Is what You see
When You look at me
You're turning the tattered fabric of my life into
A perfect tapestry

When it comes right down to it, there is a part of us

that no one really knows except God.

Yet...He loves us just the same.

"There's no need to mask our frailty."

I hope this encourages you.

Blessing 160 - FBCV 20th Anniversary!

Praise God for a blessed time we all had at our 20th Church Anniversary! Look how beautiful our centerpieces turned out with the help of some wonderful ladies who also went out to collect leaves and twigs as I did! I'm not the only crazy one! These were blessings from God's nature and they were absolutely free!

This picture reminds me of how bountiful God's goodness were towards us and our church! Looking forward to more wonderful years and the bright future as a body of grateful believers. I pray that we will bear abundant fruits in our personal walks and ministries!

The cake was lovingly made by Menchie's Munchies! It was so delicious! God has blessed our church with very talented and giving brothers and sisters!

Ate Cecil lead our worship time with the help of Saved by Grace... Praise God!

Our children had an awesome hand performance

"The Light of a Million Morning".

Ate Mary Ann graced us with a beautiful hula praise!

I am just so thankful for Pastor Reuel and his beautiful family! It has been an awesome journey to be able to serve with them after all these years!

I am humbled at the fact the God doesn't really need us, but He chose to love us. As long as God calls us to serve at FBCV, we will work for Him with all our hearts, soul, and strength. It has been and will continue to be a blessing to be part of such a loving church family!

HAPPY 2OTH ANNIVERSAY

FBCV!

Blessings 159 - A Great Idea!

Today's Fall Leaves in the Rain

Alex and I were suppose to collect leaves for our church anniversary banquet's centerpieces. But it rained today and was forced to stay inside Starbucks. We had a wonderful time talking over our cups of warmth!

A Great Idea!

My friend, Adelin, gave me the funniest idea today! Kiddingly, she said that she could just picture me drying the leaves and twigs in the dryer! WELL... that's exactly what I did! Desperate times calls for desperate measures! I dried those beautiful leaves for 10 minutes and VIOLA! Instant dried leaves! Praise God! If you happen to be at the banquet tomorrow, smile at those fall leaves! Hahaha... I waited till the sun went down so my neighbors wouldn't see me collecting leaves in front of their lawns! Shh... they will never know... but you! =)

Blessing 158 - Sanity

Photography by Elyssa Casugay

Sometimes the only thing that brings any sanity to my day

is being behind my Camera.

A question was asked tonight at my Steps Bible Study:

What is your definition of SANITY?

My Answers: Knowing and living in open truth without any hesitation or guilt. Being free from the bondage of fear or doubt . Having a peace of mind. BEING STILL AND KNOWING THAT HE IS GOD. - Psalm 46:10

What a blessing it was to know that there are some gifts we will receive when we believe that our Higher Power, Jesus Christ, has the power and will restore us to SANITY!

STRENGTH, ACCEPTANCE, NEW LIFE, INTEGRITY, TRUST, and YOUR HIGHER, JESUS CHRIST, LOVES YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!

Blessing 157 - A Handful of Peanut M&M's

One of life's simple joys for me is a handful of peanut m&m's. I'm quite content in the moment when I have the chance to munch on them. Before I know it, they've disappeared from my hands and into my mouth.

Sometimes I have to be reminded and refocus where my true joy lies in when life's trials and disappointments get the best of me. More often than none, what God gives me in my hands should be more than enough. Those "blessings" (sometimes disguised as trials by my own blindness) are to be vessels of unwavering joy. I must be content with what I have and who I have before they disappear from my hands and into my forever past.

Enjoy the "m&m's" before they melt away...

Blessing 156 - From Infancy to Adulthood

Aaden (3 months)

I'm watching Aaden tonight so his mommy and daddy can watch Jeremy Camp's concert. It's always a joy to be with a baby again! And NO... I don't think I will have one anytime soon! (In case you guys were thinking!)

Elline (20 Something)

It was a blessed time to be able to just catch up with Elline today! She is now a registered nurse in Chico. Praise God our schedules finally matched up! What I really enjoyed about our time together was that it was centered around God.

From infancy to adulthood, God continues

to fill my time with blessings from all ages!

Blessing 155 - Tonight's Dinner (Peeling Shrimp!)

Shrimps sauteed in garlic and butter!

Tonight, Niko learned how to peel his own shrimps! I said to him, "If you want to eat shrimp, you need to peel them yourself. Don't expect your future wife to peel them for you, boy!" So he peeled three.

Along with the shrimps, we had fried Tilapia

garnished with tomatoes and salted eggs.

For dessert, we had freshly made Banana Fritters,

or a.k.a. Turon.

Blessing 154 - A Warm Glow

After manipulating and editing this picture, I absolutely fell in love with the results! I knew this was to be the blessing for today. So God spoke to me through the cooling effects of the blue background contrasting with the warm glow of the candle.

In this cold and hopeless world, we are to shine a warm glow that reflects the warm love of God. Our lives are to be so inviting that others cannot help but be drawn to us. We are to stand out shining even when you think no one is looking. Is your life a contrast to the world?That flicker of light will start in how we talk, love, give, dress, respond, serve, work, sing, etc.... Maybe it begin in my life today.

Psalm 118:27

The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us.

Blessing 153 - Dinner With Friends

Dinner at ZUZU in Napa...

(Tapas place)

It was a blessing to be able to celebrate Franz's birthday tonight! Praise God that he was feeling well enough after being sick with the flu all week. I asked him what his new goals for himself this year were. He said that he would like God to help him really balance his time with his wife, Maria, his three kids...and especially with a new baby on the way! But most of all, he would really make it a point to always put God as his #1 priority. What an encouragement!

I had a wonderful time just relaxing and eating around the dinner table with great friends! Gloria and I really missed our husbands though. Glen had to work and Jon had to lead a devotional tonight. But I praise God that I still had blessed time!

By the way....Gloria and I saw a falling star on the way back home from Napa! What were the chances of us seeing it fall? One in a million! I felt that God just wanted to show us that He was with us. I whispered a little wish in God's ear upon seeing it ... I expect great things to happen in my life.

Blessing 152 - Strength in Weakness

My soul is weary with sorrow;

strengthen me according to your word.

Psalm 119:28

Blessing 151 - Injured Arm

I was cleaning out my closet last night and did not realize I was injuring my left arm in the midst of all the carrying, fixing, and organizing. My muscles grew so painful before I went to bed that it was so difficult to sleep. This morning, I couldn't even move it. I had to apply a hot compress, some muscle ointment, and this bandage wrap. It was so hard not to be able to use it even for the minor things at home. I didn't realize how much I needed my left arm until I injured it.

Isn't this so like us in some of our relationships? We take each other for granted and we don't even realize it. Only when they are gone or something drastically happens, is when we painfully discover how much we really need them in our lives. Sometimes it's just way too late and the damage has been done. While we still have each other, let's be honest, loving, and appreciative. Let us never forget that we have a God who deserves our undivided attention. If injuring my arm will make me more appreciative of the little things in life, then may it also be a lesson for me to not take God for granted for the wonderful things He does for me day in and day out.

Please pray for healing. Thank you.

Blessing 150 - Trying Something New

I'm trying something new.

Going on a different track.

Seeing where God would like to take me.

Blessings 365 will continue.

Still Impressions (my first-born) will remain forever.

Come with me!

It's quiet beautiful...

WHEN TIME STOOD STILL

http://whentimestoodstill.tumblr.com

Blessing 149 - Fall Leaves

"When I FALL in LOVE...It will be forever."

If I could paint the colors of Fall, I would gather each and every leaf and use them as my color palette.

I Love Fall.

Just collecting memories of colors that will soon fade away.

Blessing 148 - Dinner is Served!

Pork Spareribs in Black Bean Sauce

Tonight, my girlfriends and I had a huge cookout and made two delicious dishes for our families! I learned how to make this pork spareribs and boy was it awesome!

Green Mussels in Clam Juice

This one has been an all time favorite for nearly 18 years! I haven't made it in such a long time. So easy and economical...hehe! I just want to praise God for my dear friend Gloria for opening up her kitchen to Irene and I as we learned from her awesome cooking skills! We had so much fun! Laughing while cooking should always go hand in hand! I think it's the secret ingredient to a delicious meal =)!

Blessing 147 - Thrift Store Treasures

Steve Madden Wedge Heels $5

Ooo!

Black Leather Jacket $18

ahh!

There are things in life that we can probably do without. There are some things in life that may cross our paths with a price tag that you cannot pass up. I have been really careful in how our money is being spent. Just have to be wise in knowing what is a need and what is a want. These two treasures were both. I prayed before I purchased them even though they were really cheap. Both were in great condition and in quality. Oh what to do....?! But God was good. They were His gifts to me.

Blessing 146 - Salvage

Placed the old rose petals in an antique bowl...

Salvaged the ribbons to make a new centerpiece...

God takes what could be thrown away and salvages what's left.

He then creates a new beginning,

a new found beauty in all of us.

Blessing 145 - Gentle Showers, God's Goodness

Gentle Showers...

Enjoying a peaceful morning

Letting God gently kiss my face with His blessings.

GOD'S GOODNESS!

I will let the pictures speak for themselves!

What an insane night I had! God allowed me to be a photographer at the Warriors Game/Filipino Heritage Night! What a tremendous blessing to be part of such goodness! Can't wait to share my experience and the pictures with you soon! I'm just a small V-town girl following around a small town boy that made it HUGE! Don't stop believing!!!

Upcoming Still Impressions - My personal "Journey" with an awesome Individual!

God's goodness overflows!

Good night ...

Time to put my tired Canon to bed and my tired feet to rest.