Light of the world

Loving Yourself

I can't do this...

therefore I will never be good at this.

You probably heard the saying: "sometimes, we are our toughest coach."

It stinks when we deceit ourselves to think that we are not good enough.

You and I are both worthy, beautiful, and smart. 

We are not perfect. 

We are also not dumb, ugly, lonely, etc.

God loves us soooooo much. Don't forget that!

Have Faith.

__________________

Today, I was beating myself up about a research paper that I am in the midst of writing. English classes do not click for me, and at times it is SO frustrating. You know, focusing in the wrongs at the start of a task cannot lead you to the finish line.  I've learned.

"God doesn't require that you succeed, he only requires that you try." -Mother Teresa

I once went to my teacher's office to let him know that I had low confidence in writing papers. In my last paper, my teacher gave me hope by writing this note next to my grade:

Try and try again. Pray.

and you know what? At times like these, when you feel like you are beating yourself up, talk with friends and family. They are God's gift to you, and will make your feel so loved.

Live life. 

Lastly, remember to pass it on. We all faced trials, and it is necessary to remind others that they are amazing and we have faith in them to succeed.

Sincerely,

Ahhhhhh-me

P.S. Check this website out: Made In His Image

Pedro Santana, DR

Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness.
Opened my eyes, let me see. Beauty that makes this heart adore You.
Hope of a life spent with You.

Summertime

S is for Summer and smoothies!

It is so fun to experiment in the kitchen with a variety of ingredients to create a delicious and healthy smoothie. 

This week for What I Ate Wednesday, it was exciting to put the good ol' blender to use after being away from home for a couple of weeks. 

Today, the day started at 5 am. I went for a run ( not going to lie...my deepest fear was that a deer was going to get me). Prepared smoothie for later breakfast and drove to 6:30 daily Mass.

Breakfast around 7:30  am

Power Smoothie: coffee, yogurt, coconut milk, half frozen banana, vanilla protein powder, chia seeds, and stevia.

Morning snack

Yellow peppers and carrots dipped in my mom's famous Huancaina sauce.

 Lunch

Papaya smoothie and fiesta salad (cucumber, walnuts, strawberry, blueberry, mozz. cheese, chopped greens, & hummus dressing)

 Attempted snack.

I went to the store and found this box of flavored white chocolate raspberry snacks on sale for 99 cents. I thought it was a good deal for a nutrient source snack that was also gluten free. Personally, they tasted gross.

 Cannot go wrong with cookies! Snack #2

Nut-Thins and cookie butter = yum yum.

 I do not think I have ever recorded a full day of WIAW meals, this time as well.

I snacked on Tostitos hint of Lime chips and then prepared another smoothie with frozen strawberries and blueberries.

I went on a walk, and now I am here finishing some work.
My goal this week is to wake up in time to go running before going to daily Mass. So far, so good!

Whole Grain Crunch

The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness, sends to us day after day.

 – St. Gianna

Defining beauty

Sleepy face. Spending time with my niece.

I realized that accomplishing the 'sensible snacking' challenge is harder when I am away from home. 

Breakfast cereal + soymilk + bananas

Snack

Lunch (this + hummus + ice cream)

Dinner: Pollo a la Braza + yuca

Special Thanks To: the Diaz family for being so kind to welcome me to their home for the day. 

A day to remember. Afternoon Mass, dinner at a Peruvian restaurant, and a night walk/run in the National Mall. 

WIAW #1

Now Playing: Dueno de Mi Corazon by Jaci Velasquez
__________________
Founded by Pease and Crayons. June is the month of 'sensible snacking'






"Along with a post full of your daily eats, tell us about your snack attacks and how you practice sensible snacking.  Feel free to tell us all about your favorite snacks, make some snacking goals for yourself, come up with a new spin on an old favorite, and even tell us how you sneak extra fruits and veggies into your snacking routine."

-Pease and Crayons

Well... today I had this for breakfast:

Toast a la crunch

Toasted rye bread, pb + jelly, greek yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, and pecans.

7 am 

 then for a mid morning snack, I had this:

Cheesy n' Crunch

Sliced mozzarella and baby carrots

and for lunch:

Spinach Banana Smoothie 

Inspired by Itty Bits of Balance.
Spinach, almond milk, frozen banana, sugar, ice.
Oats and pecans for topping.

the end.

Okay, not the end. I just forgot to document the rest. I am such a newby at this. Hopefully next week, it will be better.

For the record, I had a cheese and ham wrap later (hint of mustard and 'spanish' mayo added), follow by vanilla ice cream (shhh), and soon my family and I will have lasagna.

I really enjoy checking other blogs who participate with "WIAW" because they share not only good looking food, but healthy and creative as well. So far, the things I have tried have been delicious.

As I participate with "WIAW", I hope to change my junk-food college habits to better alternatives. Not to be taken as a strict diet, but rather to change the usual eating habits to choosing food that will rather help my health. 

I hope that in some way the posts can help my readers too. Foodies for life :)

Yellow Balloon-Amy

Home and Food

Now playing: Can You Feel the Love Tonight (Lion King Version) by Stellar Kart

Flying Home
The midwest is so beautiful. From the view of an airplane, one can see the green land and yellowish/brown crops.

Traveling home from the the suburbs of DC, after almost 6 months, made the flight more special.

Urban and rural areas are so unique.

If "Home is where the heart is." then my home is in two states. :]

Dessert
I went to Walmart last week. In the frozen section they had a 'clearance' isle. I found two items that were each a dollar!

Chocolate Vitatops (4/box) and So Delicious Organic Coconut Ice Cream (1 pint).

I hope they keep the isle. I seem to find all these food blogs using items like these two, but it is so expensive to buy sometimes.

Lunch
Papa a la Hancaina is a Peruvian dish made of yellow potatoes and the Huancaina sauce that is pour on top.

We had leftovers at home, so I added in chopped vegetables. I chopped a cooked potato and poured the sauce as the dressing.

This sauce had red pepper, salt cracker, 'queso fresco', 'aji amarillo', milk, and salt. I think that is all.

Love,

Ahhh  me

Compilation of photographs [1]

[1] Places

Now Playing: Photographs & Memories. by Jason Reeves

Campus

View from above

Photos from university day

New York City

Little apple in the big apple. 

Manhattan.

 Chicago 

Taken from 95th floor in the Hancock building.

The famous bean.

The Chapel

Sunday Mass

University special with the president. "Last lecture".

Columbia University

Add caption

Lecture on microchips and history of ipods.

Washington D.C.

Chinatown

Near the White House

Intramural Fields

Futbol

Co-ed team for International week. Representing Vatican City.

Fe

"And I can't understand, all that You allow. I just can't see the reason, but my life is in Your hands."

 "...when my world is shattered and it seems all hope is gone
Yet I will praise You Lord."

Silly Thoughts

What if you could not smile for one day (dare)?

Imagine someone counting down the start.

I would laugh. No way Jose!

 

 Just a silly thought I had this morning.

Random occurrence.
A couple of months ago, at church, I was sitting in the second row alone for a little while before Mass started. I couldn't help but notice the old couple sitting in front of me. They were just adorable. The husband wore a blue jacket, while the wife wore a red blouse. A woman wearing a purple blouse sat in the pew across from us. The sitting arrangement was just perfect. From my view, I saw blue on the left, red on the right, and purple in the center.If I remember something from my childhood painting days, is that when you mix red and blue, the paint turns purple . Like the symbol of unity in marriage. Do you get what I mean? :] Ah so great!
Guess what else?! This happened during Lent.

Thank you God for the little things that can make a person smile. 

 If this made you smile. I feel like this post was worth being published. If not, disculpame.

Happy Thursday!

Freeze the moment

I should be packing right now...but I have been wanting to post for such a long time.

Forgive me.

Packing? On-campus housing college kids are kicked out after finals...ayayay ;)

BUT, there is a bigger news. A new plan. God's plan. And like always, I fight it in the beginning because I see it as unfair but luckily, it only lasts for so long.Then I can understand that God loves me (and you) so much, that His plans are just bigger than what I (and you) could ever imagine.

With that being said. I decided to accept the facts and enjoy the time with my friends. Cherish, because at points I forget to.

I made a bucket list of things to do, which I will be posting later.

Now Playing: Mi Maravillosa by Fernando Varela

What kind of world do you want?

History starts now.

La última

The last...

day of school.

hour of the day.

*insert word here*

"Time falls aways but these small hours still remain."-Little Wonders by Rob Thomas

Nom nom

Breakfast for CHAMPIONS! Yeah Buoy!

-French 101-

Croque: crisp (or toasted)

Madame: lady

Croque Madame: toasted ham and cheese sandwich

Yellow Balloon: Ballon Jaune

Using my  "wonderful" French 1 skills...I came up with the title for a delicious sandwich. Called:

Un Croque Ballon Jaune

Munching on some iron, protein, fiber, potassium, selenium, magnesium, vitamin b2, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, Omega 6 fatty acids, and the list goes on. *

Ingredients

(2) Whole grain bread slices + egg whites + spinach + olive oil + sprinkled parmesan cheese + salt + pepper + garlic + spicy mustard = Nom nom. 

* sources: (Whole grain, egg whites, spinach, olive oil)

Discovery, do you copy?

April 16, 2012. Discovery says one last goodbye to the Kennedy Space Center and flies to its new home.

Dulles International Airport

Ever since the 1960's discovery of space shuttles, dreamers around the world expanded and develop their career hopes.

When asked: What do you want to be when you grow up?
They said: Astronauts! 


Although some changed their mind as they discovered new talents and fields, some kept the hope that someday they would have such opportunity. But recently, it seems that the hope has become so thin as some believe that the future does not hold many spots for astronauts in the US. Although it seems that private companies are the first in line at the moment, I believe that there is still hope.


Si Dios quiere
If God Wills
___
Amy's story: Three days ago, I checked my e-mail to see if I had won a ticket to see the space shuttle arrive. I didn't win. Two days ago I received a message from a friend inviting me to come watch the space shuttle arrive at the airport. One day ago, I watched the most amazing landing of a Boeing 747 carrying a space shuttle. Today, I am still trying to take it all in.

If motivation was like a rechargeable battery, then the motivation I am carrying right now is fully charged!

I thank God for the miracle of surprises. It held a very powerful message this time:

Don't give up.

Specially when the future looks like a blur.

This yellow balloon girl is not going to give up when the tide gets high. I might be that student who always leaves the class labs last, takes the full class time to finish exams, asks the very basic questions, etc, but I am alright with that.

"God doesn't call us to be successful, God calls us to be faithful." -Mother Theresa

Now lets Discover. All in the Glory of God!

-Ahh meee

I thank God that I have met you

Believe

That the things that you live through are not meant to be burdens, but blessings along our path to Christ.

That instead of deepening our feelings of fear as we approach those bumps, we hold on to His word and let Him steer the way.

That the times when  we cannot see what is ahead, we believe in God's plan for us.

That even when we love the scenery around us in the present, we can accept any changes.

 

So enjoy the ride now. Cherish it.

Embrace the journey and all of its bumps.

Be thankful for them, for they brought you to many familiar faces.

As you sit and whatch the night sky shine.

Spend it with your love ones nearby.

If you are miles apart, kindle the love coming from your heart.

Do not let the time advance, without telling them your thoughts:

I am glad that we met, and that we will meet again.

If not in this world, then I pray that we meet in our father’s place.

The beautiful city of Washington DC

___________________

To all of my friends, teachers, and mentors. From the past, present, and future. I thank God that I had the honor of meeting you!

-Ahhhh meee