God gave me an awesome time to be with my college and high school ladies bible study group during their spring break! I loved being their photographer and they loved being my models!
In this photo, I want to tag my mom Lyn, Elline, Elyssa, Hem, Joy, and myself. These coffee mugs were given by them and we use each mug daily at our home! I just love how others keep my in their thoughts and would lovingly give me a mug that reminded them of me. I think the number one kitchen item that's always in my sink are these mugs! Just goes to show how we love to drink tea, coffee, and juice! I just wanted to remember those who have remembered me. I love each mug and I still have more room for more! Care to share your favorite mug with me?
Just had some left over Edamame on a plate and no one wanted to finish them. I praise God that we can afford to not eat everything on our plate. We are blessed beyond compare! I know there are so many people in the world that go hungry every single day. We are so fortunate to always have food in our kitchens. So. maybe the next time you still have some great food left on your plate, it won't hurt to to make a clean plate. I'm very thankful for every meal I am given by the loving hands of my Heavenly Father!
I totally forgot, for the very first time, without even a thought, TO BLOG MY BLESSING yesterday. =( =( =(... Well, just letting know you my whereabouts, I was in the city doing this: Taking pictures of my dear friend, Iris Velasco's 40th birthday, and the city lights! I praise God for a wonderful time of images and blessings with great friends.
"If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot... Reading is the creative center of a writer's life ... You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you."
This was an old photograph taken a long time ago of Ashley. It's sad how much time flies by so fast before your eyes. She's already as tall as I am at 13. She's home today trying to get better from a cold. Please pray that she gets better. She has tons of homework and a possible volleyball tournament this week! Can't be any prouder of her! She's managed to maintain a great GPA and become one of the team captains on her volleyball team!
Niko takes an art class every Friday. I tried encouraging him to paint even outside of class time. Just to make me happy, he willingly prepared this acrylic paints, brushes, and paper canvas on the table outside in our backyard. He dabbled a little here and there, trying to create something out of nothing. Needless to say, he began a work of art but never finished.
I found this poor plant quite amusing! Doesn't it look like it's having a "bad hair" day? Haha! Sometimes we find ourselves having a "bad hair" day and we know it goes beyond the hair! Our outlook on a given day may seem all together chaotic or bleak or down right hopeless. We try everything to "fix" our situations only to find dead ends to our solutions. Why not try looking at our "bad hair" days from a different perspective? Have you tried seeing the positive side of things? I bet it will put a smile on your face =)! I bet you will start to feel that life isn't so bad after all. I bet the next time you find a weed plant like the one in this picture you will immediately remember me and start to laugh! 
I noticed that our rain gutter was dripping its droplets of water on this one area in front of my house. The drops of water kept falling on one particular rock. I looked down and saw a familiar shape. Do you see it? 
It was no coincidence that the one spot was a heart rock. God continually pours out His love within our hearts so that we can be assured that He will never leave us nor forsake us. His love is everlasting! He will provide for all our needs.
Elyssa and I made 48 of these Strawberry Cup Delights for Tia's 21st Birthday! It was absolutely delightful to bake with a sweet little friend! Who said that discipleship is just about eating God's word? That is a major part of it. But I think it gets sweeter and better when you can share a recipe that can make someone smile! Sharing life (good times and bad) just makes our relationships within God's family more real and satisfying! 
Monta and I took our morning walk in the bright sunshine! It was so nice to see the sun again! I brought my camera along and noticed how cute Monta's short legs were! They instantly made me smile! Don't be fooled by his height. He may be short, but he's fast as a bullet and can play defense pretty well in basketball with Niko! One sweet blessing of having a dog is to hear his little footsteps following me. It really reminds me that where ever I go, God is right there beside me. I may not hear His footsteps, but I am absolutely sure of this presence!
I was so ready to take some awesome wonders with my camera toady. I was waiting patiently for the rain to stop. It did for a few minutes. Got my rain boots, slipped them on, opened the door, then a huge downpour instantly happened! How disappointed I was! I didn't even have to look out my window to see if it's still raining for I can hear them pouring above me as they dance on my rooftop. 
Without a doubt, it was a beautiful day to have breakfast at the Suisun Marina! Bab's Delta Dinner was the place to be! I surprised Hem today by taking her out for an early birthday breakfast gift!
I absolutely LOVE Hem! She has been a breath of fresh air ever since I have known her. She has a big heart for children and the young people! She's determined to finish her nursing program. She' crazy in LOVE with God! She serves God with all her heart! She has everything great going for her!
I know she's been having a pretty busy and hectic schedule lately. It's just so nice to see her have fun today and relaxed for a change! Can you tell???
A moment in the rain to capture these lovelies was so worth it! As soon as I got out of my car, I noticed them growing wildly in front of my friend's yard. I forgot about everything else, like the coming rain. I then got on my knees and started shooting away. Not until I got the shots I desired, did I decide to come in from the rain. A friend once told me that it takes great patience to get the picture you want. You wait until the image unfolds before your eyes. I love that!
I realized that my hair is really starting to get long again and I praise God for this! If I haven't told you yet, I noticed, back in November, a small bold spot on the front right side of my head. I started to panic thinking there could be something terribly wrong with me. I was actually quite embarrassed. My doctor assured me that it wasn't anything life threatening. She told me to take some fish oil tablets and my daily multivitamins. Wow! One day, I noticed that my bold spot started growing new hair sprouts! I was so happy! My hair, in the process, has been growing quite healthy ever since! I have learned that we really have to place on a priority in staying healthy. This was a wake up call for me. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. God resides within each of His children. Let's keep our bodies healthy and clean. God lives in us.
I had a cup of tea. I didn't bother using loose tea leaves, but decided to use an ordinary Earl Grey tea bag. Simplicity, in my opinion, is the key to contentment. I focussed on the tea bag and the fuzzy stuff on it's string. For some reason, it was the "fuzzy stuff" that caught my eye and decided that it was the best part of this image. It amazed me that I was able to capture the details on "a string". Nothing significant, you may think, but it's necessary. 
I love my morning cup of tea even though I will still have my cup of coffee right after. I love the simple pleasure it gives me to start my day. I love it even more for the lesson God gave me because of it. It was "necessary" for me to enjoy a taste of simplicity ... for it reminded me that my life is blessed today. God will take care of my tomorrows. 
After we left Camera West, I was a little down. I was told that my old Canon will soon have to retire. I tried not to think about it too much. I really don't have the money right now to buy the camera that I really need and want (40D). So I will just pray for God to provide. I know that He won't allow me to stop taking pictures. After all, He has called me to do this. I decided to use my old lens. To my surprise, the camera started working again! So I let Niko fiddle around with it. I figured that it will soon be his. He took this picture of me while I was pleasantly distracted by the view in front of me! 
God wanted to show me that the sun still shines from behind the clouds. Soon, the clouds will disappear. I really love this picture of God's encouragement to me! After all the rainy days, He gave us this beautiful sunny day of hope. I am very hopeful that He will provide for all my needs. In the meantime, I will be content and use what He has given me while it is still working. 
Meanwhile, our garbage bins had no such order. We even had an extra garbage bag sitting on top of the bin! Haha! Epic!
It's so easy to compliment and see their beauty and grace at the first glance. They might even bring feelings of happiness upon receiving such richness. They may add a touch of needed color into your mundane existence. Praise them as you will from above...
But their beauty stems from what is truly happening from below. They are well-watered and rooted. They thrive because of their healthy habitat. Their source of strength and life is unlimited. 
