No Pretenses

"Each of us must come to the evening of life. Each of us must enter on eternity.  Each of us must come to that quiet, awful time, when we will appear before the Lord of the vineyard, and answer for the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or bad. That, my dear brethren, you will have to undergo. ... It will be the dread moment of expectation when your fate for eternity is in the balance, and when you are about to be sent forth as the companion of either saints or devils, without possibility of change. There can be no change; there can be no reversal. As that judgment decides it, so it will be for ever and ever. Such is the particular judgment. ... when we find ourselves by ourselves, one by one, in his presence, and have brought before us most vividly all the thoughts, words, and deeds of this past life. Who will be able to bear the sight of himself? And yet we shall be obliged steadily to confront ourselves and to see ourselves. In this life we shrink from knowing our real selves. We do not like to know how sinful we are. We love those who prophecy smooth things to us, and we are angry with those who tell us of our faults. But on that day, not one fault only, but all the secret, as well as evident, defects of our character will be clearly brought out. We shall see what we feared to see here, and much more. And then, when the full sight of ourselves comes to us, who will not wish that he had known more of himself here, rather than leaving it for the inevitable day to reveal it all to him!"

— Saint John Henry Newman, p.101

Thinking

 I just want to run, I tell myself a lot.

I just want to move. Sitting still is such a task.

Too many thoughts, not all of them entwine.

If I could just get my blood flow moving, perhaps I won't be blind.

Heedless acts, I wish them to extinct

They lower the standards of what people mean 

Is as to be wise as to listen rightly,

Not all lips moving are conscious, they could smite thee

Be forewarn to think things through

Alford plea is real, bargains misconstrued

Can the head, the heart, and mouth align?

Perhaps there is not much blood flow, it would not be a surprise.

Not all running means to quit.

Sometimes running helps grip

the vital vessels required to live.

Croissants

Now Playing: El Viajero by Nabalez & Yera

I made croissants a couple of days ago. It had been a few years since my last attempt. The process is slow, but I like the ending. My tip for anyone: choose your butter wisely, it makes a difference!

Have a meaningful day!

Ahhh-me

Eyes have not seen

Now Playing: Whatever It Takes by Lifehouse

Today's God moment came from the egg carton. 

I am a morning person, so long as I get a restful night. But it was not... I woke up so groggy and disoriented. I just kept asking God a variation of "whyyyyyyys." As I dragged my feet towards the kitchen, I prepared some coffee and scramble eggs. I chuckle now, as I look at the photo of what I had seen a few hours ago: the present. 

My playlists have been consisting of 2000s hits. There is something marvelous when listening to a familiar song and picking up something new. This reminds me of how often I hear words, and yet not listen. 

"She said if we're gonna make this work

You gotta let me inside even though it hurts

Don't hide the broken parts that I need to see

She said like it or not it's the way it's gotta be

You've gotta love yourself if you can ever love me"

-Lifehouse

We are called to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. I think about this in terms of pouring out love to others, when we are not deeming ourselves as worthy of love. Now, I do not mean to go on a tangent of the "self love" topic, but to simply ask: if one is slightly blinded to see themselves in the image and likeness of God, can one truly see others in the image and likeness of God?

Check this clip out from The Chosen: the women at the well (scene).

Sincerely,

Amy

Hiraeth

 Now Playing: 85 - Andy Grammer

Everytime I move, I get a little hesitant to unpack thinking in the lines of "what is the point of stuff?" The thoughts continue to form the debate on whether it is worth hanging and placing things if in the end, they will be put back in a box anyway. It is a willful act to place things on the wall despite the interior thoughts that counterattack the action. While I would love to say that my thoughts of detachment from living places is due to the full awareness that this world is not our home, it is not fully that. There is a yearn to have a place be a home, which seems unattainable and perhaps that is that. Does it stink? Yes. Will I survive without it? Yes. Keeping my eyes on the prize (heaven), tends to remind me that any suffering on earth has to be temporary. THE home is eternal :) 

Sometimes, the kitchen is a therapeutic place for me to dedicate attention into perfecting flavors. I like learning "efficient" ways to cook delicious and nutritious meals. Recently, I've been on an oatmeal hunt. I enjoy that oatmeal and bananas are cost effective. The combination is highly packed in nutrients like fiber, protein, potassium, and iron. The "efficiency" comes in to making something that is both time saving and cleanup reducing without compromising the integrity of the dish quality. There are still many trial and errors to come...

Oatmeal Breakfast

Ingredients: Rolled Oats, Water, Salt, Stevia, honey, banana, cinnamon, vanilla extract, walnuts, and splash of heavy cream.

Quiche

Ingredients: eggs, heavy cream, broccoli, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, corn, kalamata olives, chives, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and pie crust.

Have a good day...

and if you are not...

hang on to hope and love ALL you can,

Ahhhh-me

Food for thought

Now Playing: When I Fall in Love by Michael Buble 

 Compati (Latin) means to suffer with. 

"If you are not willing to suffer with someone until death do you part, then you are not compatible."

-Jason Evert