“whatever draws me to your presence..
what brings honor to you..
if it leads me to your goodness..
helping me to become more like you…
if it draws me to your throne of grace…
what brings glory to you…
if it deepens my affection for the prince of peace…
then there’s nothing else i’d rather do….
whatever is true, whatever is noble…
whatever is right and pure….
if it is lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy..
…. i’ll think on these”
There’s nothing more that I love than to come home to my kitchen, put on my lil apron, turn on some inspirational music and start to cook 
Even though there is still so much to learn, I really enjoy my time washing, cutting, preparing, marinating, cooking, and then even cleaning up afterward! of course eating is enjoyable too what’s REALLY cute is when I make Lee Lee’s dinner at the same time mine is, so than we are both enjoying our meals together .
..there’s also nothing more that excites me than the fact that this season is the reason I can bake pumpkin bread! mmmmmmmmmmmm…. my holiday FAV i like my pumpkin bread without nuts and raisins, just plain i thought that i would be ever so generous and share my recipe with all of yall who enjoy food just as much as me!!
•3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•2 tsp. baking soda
•1 1/2 tsp. salt
•2 tsp. cinnamon
•2 tsp. nutmeg
•3 cups sugar
•4 eggs, beaten
•2 cups of fresh pumpkin –> 16 ounces if using canned pumpkin
•2/3 cup water –> if pumpkin is canned
•1/2 cup water –> if pumpkin is fresh or frozen
•1 cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, water, oil and pumpkin. Stir until blended. Add nuts. Mix well. Pour into two 9×5″ loaf pans. Bake 1 hour. Cool slightly and take out of pans to let cool on a rack. This tastes best if you wrap, refrigerate and wait a day to eat it. It keeps well in the refrigerator and can be frozen.
E N J O Y!!!!!!!!!!!!
…there’s nothing more in this world that I enjoy more than experiencing those small world moments…
those moments that make you think….now what are the chances of that?
it makes me realize that I really believe EVERYTHING is purposed… and that I’m always looking at how God is going to bring something together. I love the way He works
so.. just think.. every moment in your life, whether you feel it or not.. that the PERSON you meet, the PEOPLE you encounter on a daily basis, the PLACES you go……….. look at them as divine appointments.
you can only be at ONE place, at ONE time……. what are you going to do in those moments that God specifically places you in?!
LIVE EVERY MOMENT TO THE FULLEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what do you think of when you think about a tool? It’s not only USEFUL for getting something done. But it’s ALWAYS ready to be used!!!! When’s the last time you saw an UNWILLING tool?
I think most all of us want to be used by God…we want to know that we are living out some purpose, but I think we forget that ALL He requires for us sometimes is just first to have WILLING and AVAILABLE hearts.
I have always been a person who loves to be inspired. I could spend all my time reading Christian inspiration and trying to figure out how I can follow the Lord better, how I can improve myself, how I can diligently practice the spiritual disciplines better…etc,etc.
however, something the Lord reminded me of was how important it is to have balance in everything. even though it’s good to let the Holy Spirit sanctify me to become more like Christ as I follow him wholeheartedly, it is also imperative that I know I am made for COMMUNITY. how am I blessing others? how am I making a difference to the community around me? what am I really doing for others BEYOND myself?!
when it comes down to it, being a christian to me sometimes can become a little bit too comfortable when i am focusing on myself…. isn’t it funny how we as sinful people need to constantly stay focused on God so that we can see that we are only looking at ourselves?!
So, in order to keep myself usable for God, it requires me to take a step out of my comfort zone sometimes to challenge myself in the practical aspect of LIVING out my faith…really puts me back into a KINGDOM perspective… to the heart of Jesus. He cares about my self-improvement, but He also cares about being a good steward of the things He’s entrusted me
with…how am I using my time? my finances? my energy? my skills…for God’s purposes? How can i be a living testimony of a God who is molding and shaping my heart after his? How can i BE USED to FURTHER his kingdom? Not that he NEEDS me…but CHOOSES to partner with me…so that in the process… I can live out what I was created to do… be in relationship with Him.
How can I be close to someone if I dont share His heart, his thoughts, his plans?!
so… i want to not just be a tool, but an willing and available tool that wants to be used over and over again by God!
oh my gosh. i thought this was the cutest thing i have ever seen. why do i get soooo excited about animals? hehe…this is a walrus who does peek-a-boo for food. how cute is that!!! i tried to think of a “message” to go with this picture… but just thought I’d let yall smile just because it’s a cute pic. i changed my igoogle homepage theme to puppies! i get to see a cute puppy everyday! thank God for creating animals!!!!!
i went to the dentist on tuesday for my 6 months cleaning, but found out that even though I am so careful with taking care of myself, especially cleaning my teeth and making sure I eat a healthy, balanced diet… that there is STILL so much I can do to make sure I take care of my teeth !!
I found out the reason my jaw has been hurting and my gums are so sensitive is mainly because I have a horrible habit of clenching my teeth! it’s just as bad as teeth grinding!! apparently i’ve had this habit for years now because the dentist said my teeth are already showing wear and tear on the enamel and flattening out!! and gums are getting more sensitive!
so now i’m waiting for my customized night guard to come and then i’ll be super nerd with a night guard and retainers LOL. I also bought a new Rota-dent electric toothbrush, so now every night i have my own “dentistry” cleaning… this is my new procedure:
last night (the first time) actually took me like seriously 20 minutes, lol, but I know that doing this every day as well as getting my teeth professionally cleaned every 6 months will keep my teeth and gums healthy, healthy, healthy– no bacteria/germs in THIS mouth!!!
Yall remember it is SO IMPORTANT TO BRUSH AND FLOSSS!!! AND EAT HEALTHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m sitting here in my New Testament class and the professor is taking us on a “visual tour” of Corinth, talking about life during Paul’s time. It is sooo interesting. I think I can really appreciate looking at these pictures when I am learning more and more about the history ..
the agora -- area of shopping, trade, and markets in corinth
so i was thinking.. after i graduate seminary in 3 years… the PERFECT graduation celebration would be to GO VISIT ISRAEL …and see for myself!!! Go to Greece, Rome, Corinth, Jerusalem, Egypt…
that will be the best trip ever I can apply all my “seminary” knowledge then!!!
“It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set you free” Galatians 5:1
Learning about Paul and his letters to the early churches really reminds me of how awesome our God is. In my new testament class, we spent some time studying Galatians and Paul is writing a letter because some of the early Christians are being persuaded by “rival Jewish teachers” to go back to living strictly by the LAW.
Paul argues though that we are no longer slaves to the law. Before Jesus Christ, God gave his people His law to set them apart as his people, but through Jesus’ death and resurrection, salvation has come to ALL men, and we are now considered righteous not by WHAT we do, because CHRIST has already done it for us!
I have always believed the propitiation of Christ to be the most powerful truth in my life. That “He made him who knew NO SIN be sin for us..so that we in him we might become the righteousness of God” ~ 2 Cor. 5:21. That I am no longer bound by living for the law, but that God has given us His Spirit to experience internal transformation and produce fruits of the Spirit? What a gracious and loving God.
See, you can’t really appreciate this truth in your life, unless you study the history of the scriptures and see that before Jesus, people did not have the access to God as we do. They had to follow the laws of obeying the Sabbath, circumcision, food laws to obey the covenant law… but God wanted a new covenant with us because he desired for us to have His Spirit…transform us…and give us life.
The law could never give us life, but instead kept us in bondage to our works. But the Spirit gives LIFE! and God has given us FREEDOM from living as a slave to the law.
It is for FREEDOM that CHRIST HAS SET YOU FREE.
Don’t take this truth for granted! God has made himself so available to us..
….Be FREE. Be Spirit – led in all that you do and say!
so how often have I heard the phrase, “Don’t worry,” but then go right ahead and worry more and more?
I have been worrying so much lately and not even really realizing it until yesterday… I believe God BROUGHT me to a church service where the message was on “DO NOT WORRY” just because God knows what gets my attention I love it when God uses a message to speak directly into our lives!
God has been reminding me lately HOW much I worry worry worry about things, instead of REALLY trusting in Him!! How much of a witness am I of God’s goodness if I am worrying all the time? Yesterday I was so convicted that worrying actually shows that I don’t believe God at all! For if I really believed in WHO GOD SAYS HE IS, then I would really live by this truth…wow, what conviction this truth brings!!!!
Worrying not only shows a lack of faith, but it is also unnatural and that’s why our bodies do not react well when we are stressed out! Isn’t that interesting to think about? We were not CREATED to worry! Yesterday the pastor said that the ONLY thing in creation that worries is human beings! When’s the last time you saw your dog or pet worry about something? How true!
so, this is my re commitment.. to not worry. simple enough right? GOD IS BIGGER THAN MY WORRIES!
“Do not be anxious about ANYTHING….and the peace of God will transcend all understanding and guard your hearts” ~ Phil 4
DIANA LEE UPDATES
My tutoring job starting in November will most likely be on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My last day at the church is next Sunday 
how hard it is to leave a church!! I know, I know…I will miss seeing you all, but it was soo good to see all of yall in September and my mom may come to visit in january!! YAY!!! …okay, are you ready for this? my absolutely favorite moment…is that moment where God reveals His BEAUTY to me… and it takes my breath away!
Last night, I was driving home while the sun was setting..and the sky was absolutely LIT UP with a really beautiful pink color…it was absolutely enchanting. I felt like I was driving into heaven! THEN…it wasn’t just visual stimulating…but I was listening to Shawn McDonald’s “All I need is your love..”
There’s something about blasting worship songs that have powerful lyrics that really speak to me..and then simultaneously being visually enthralled with the beauty of God’s creation! this moment makes me feel God’s presence more than any other moment. I love songs of praise! I love God’s creation! It’s moments like these….that I thank God for being SO good and SO SO SO beautiful!
I just wanted to share that with yall because I have been so stressed out these past couple of weeks with distractions, that I was so blessed that God used a moment like that to refresh my spirit and remind me HOW BIG HE IS…and there is NOTHING He is not already working together for good… I love that
onto life…
I am so glad that God blessed me with a love for learning, reading, and writing — because you definitely do a lot of that in seminary school This coming Monday, I have two papers due !
One paper is very interestingly enough about Paul and what is really was like for him to write the letters that we now see in the New Testament. Do yall know that Paul had coauthors and a secretary? that the letters underwent editing and multiple drafts? That letter writing often took a long time and was quite expensive to do!? It’s really eye-opening when you think how different life must have been around 2000 years ago! Also cool to think that God is still the same yesterday, today, and forever more
Other than learning Greek <κυριοσ Ιησους Κριστος ειμει αγαπη> I think I just wrote Lord Jesus Christ is love LOL ; and learning about Paul in my New Testament : Acts through Revelation class, I am also learning so much about the reality of our brokenness in my Foundations of Youth Ministry class! How much we all really need a Savior and thank God we have one It’s so interesting when you are learning how to work with others in “ministry,” how much you really come face to face with your own depavity and how much it should draw you closer to the Lord so that you can serve/minister to other people!
Other thoughts is that sometimes, when I’m walking on campus, it still baffles me to think “I am really living in California, and I am really in Seminary school … ” it baffles me because in my one life to live here on earth… God really also surprises me for the best when i give him control of the direction of my life
As far as housing goes, I am still looking for a place that Lee Lee and I can be welcome at. I really want to find a place that I can live out for my whole stay here in California! Please pray that the right door will open, where hopefully I can just have a safe neighborhood and a place that Lee Lee can walk outside. A place where Lee Lee and I can just feel at home…away from home
What is God teaching me lately? mmmm (smiling to myself) Oh, God is so good. He always is so faithful to provide! I sometimes still feel like I cannot fathom what it means to be loved u n c o n d i t i o n a l l y. God reminds me that He simply loves me…just because! What a freeing feeling!
God lately has been taking my innermost needs/desires and securing me with his Love. It’s such a good and renewing time..where I can continue being sanctified by His spirit. Not by my own efforts or anything else. God has been reminding me that everything I say and do, can be a way to represent Him to others in a life-changing way .. and as I feel His work in my life, I deeply desire more and more to be used by Him.
God has been showing me that before He can entrust me with the bigger things in life that I desire, I must prove faithful in the small things that He entrusts me with. What a wise Father who knows what’s best for His children. I really see this truth so vibrant in my life! How can I expect to do the bigger things for God, when He’s already placed these little tasks/ little challenges in my life currently that I need to glorify Him with!
Also, I love it when God humbles me. When He whispers lovingly and gently reminders that LIFE IS REALLY NOT ABOUT ME. It always comes down to this truth for me in my life. To RE surrender, RE commit myself fully to live for him, not for myself…so that I not only can enjoy Him…but REALLY be HIS HANDS and HIS FEET. What a privilege is it to PARTNER with GOD. that He has chosen you and me.
Let us be JOYFUL that we CAN glorify HIM…. with EACH moment He has so graciously blessed us with.
Let our lives be a Love Song to You, Beautiful One.
