excuse my absence....

excuse my absence.  it's been hectic.

but trust me, I've got lots to share... I still have been writing.

AND... My friend WHITNEY! arrives tomorrow.  I've had to clean up to make sure she fits in my apartment. 

(I understand that makes me sound dirty.  but I rather her not sleep in my living room and hear the noisey neighbors below)

hope you've been well :)

Paris: A Dream Come True (via Parisien Salon)

I had read this blog on the train and did everything I could not to weep:

Paris: A Dream Come True


I remember towards to end of my great grandmother's life, we had to push her around in a wheelchair.  She absolutely hated it.  She kept saying it was such heavy labor for my madre and I.  I kept insisting that I'd push her in her wheelchair around the world if she wanted.  Then she asked, "Even, in Paris?" "Yes, even in Paris!  I'd take you to any patisserie you want!"

Love

I confess that I've been blind

Open up this heart of mine

Show me how to love

Farther than this world I know

Take me where you want to go

Show me how to love

Sidewalk Prophets "Show Me How To Love"

It's hard to love everyone, let alone like everyone.  As a teenager I experienced what it was like to be unloved for who you are and had experienced conditional love.  I didn't realize how common conditional love was in my life: my dad and my nanny are (present tense) people who only know conditional love, as a teenager you only know friendship on conditional terms, and I witnessed my immediate and extended family express conditional love all the time.  I came to a conclusion one afternoon: of all these people in my life (and this took a year of therapy to conclude) my madre is the only person who has expressed unconditional love to me... I compared her actions and kindness to all the other people (minusing the whole Mother's Love thing) and she was unconditional to SO many people in her life, myself included.  No matter what I did she still expressed her unconditional love. 

Looking back, it must have been hard.  There were a lot of hurtful things I've said and things I had lied about.  I experienced a lot of pain when I realized this, because wasn't right that I did such things and she just kept loving me in return.  Upon reflecting about all of this, I had asked her for forgiveness and had apologized.  I then realized that I had to start forgiving my dad and my nanny for their actions as well.  Afterall, my madre forgave me.  I needed to forgive too (and let go of the hurt). 

Since then, I've done my best to love others.  Loving certain family members has been hard, but I just keep prayng for them.  Loving my colleagues for their best qualities, as opposed to their worst qualities has been rough.  I pray for them too.  Loving my friends despite some of their decisions has been a challenge, but I get over it.

Everyone who crosses my path, I make the genuine effort to offer my unconditional love.  There are people who I have met that have never experienced any sort of unconditional love.  They think they've made so many mistakes and have said and done too much to deserve an unconditional love.  But once I started to take my faith more seriously, I learned more about the ultimate unconditional love. 

No matter where I was in my day, I'd speak the desires of my heart, pray, confess my wrongs and ask to see the right... and this Love has never changed.  This Love is the same as it was yesterday, as it is today, and as it will be tomorrow.  I'm accepted and loved despite my wrongs. 

When I first heard this song my heart melted... I ask to be shown love everyday.  I wake up asking that I'm given what it takes to best represent His love throughout my day.

it's important to love.

more important to love unconditionally.

and to experience the ultimate love of Jesus Christ.

22.08.2010

This weekend was a great weekend.  I got to spend time with my friend Amy, who I haven't seen in two years!  We had margaritas, guacamole, and salsa from El Vez, we shopped, and had gelato from Capogiro's.  It was a delightful Saturday!  We were able to catch up on all sorts of things, but we mainly talked about our time living abroad... we're both "homesick". 

I came home to receive a lovely new addition to my kitchen:

Two Beautiful Violet Le Creuset Rectangular Dishes.  LOVE!

So, I had sliced some aubergine, wrapped some mozzerella cheese in it, chopped up some fresh tomatoes, used some jarred sauce, crushed up some seasoned crutons, and put some asiago & parmesan cheese on top:

stuck it in the oven for an hour:

and enjoyed:

Today was also a productive day of writing, laundry, and catching up on some shows online.  Upon receiving a great suggestion from Renee Johnson, I'll be incorporating some devotionals and parts of my testimony in my blog.  Whatever your beliefs may be, your comments are always welcome!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

xx r.

Avery Hope

This is Avery Hope.  She was born on July 31st, 2010 at 3:38pm (28 weeks and 4 days).  She weighed 2lbs. 12 oz.

Parents, Aubrey and Ryan, are estatic that she's here!  As well as my partner in crime, Patty, who is the god-mother.  Many prayers went towards this one, as Aubrey is unable to carry to full term.  Aubrey had spent several weeks in the hospital trying not to go into labor.  Avery is happy and healthy!  She'll still be in the NICU for more weeks to come to assure that her health is in tip top shape to go home.

Once she gets home, she'll be cuddled up in this blanket that I had made her:

"You have to get everyday and redeem that sucker!" - Pastor Paul Scanlon

do do doooooo dooo dooo dooo ddoooo

I love all songs by Brooke Fraser: her solo stuff and everything done with Hillsong United.


Her new single was posted this week on her web site and I have listened to it on repeat.. A LOT.  I just love it.  I'm super excited that I'll get to see her while she's on tour too!


GIVE IT A LISTEN:  "Something in the Water" by Brooke Fraser