I AM INTELLIGENT!

Since the new year is almost here, I'm going to tell you a motivational story about Gerson.

He once told it to me, and now I love to share it with others.

My mother-in-law has told me plenty of times that Gerson would always say he wanted to become a doctor. Adults would ask him "What do you want to be when you grow up" and Gerson's reply was always "Un doctor!"

When Gerson graduated highschool in Colombia, he had to serve the military for one year. It's mandatory. After he finished his year, he went to the public medical school of Bogota to apply and take an exam that was required to pass to be accepted. There are some private medical schools, but he knew he couldn't afford any of them. So he went to take this exam and to his dismay, he failed. He wasn't even close.

He recalls wondering what he was going to do. All his life all he ever wanted to do was practice medicine and be Dr.Pineda. His dreams were basically shattered. Can you imagine how that must feel??

Thankfully, that same year, his whole family was given the news that they would most likely be moving to the country of abundance, the United States of America.

A year later, the Pinedas arrive to Texas, as residents of the U.S.. They had been given a religious visa through his father who was a pastor for many years.

Gerson enrolled himself to a college to learn English. After a year, he decided to go to seminary school and studied two years at Christ for the Nations. Through out these years, Gerson told me that he felt as if God was giving him a second chance to fulfill that dream he so longed for… the dream to become a doctor.

He then graduated from Christ for the Nations, transferred his credits to Dallas Baptist University and became a full-time student majoring in Biology. There was no doubt in his mind that this was God opening a door, giving him an opportunity to try again!

Nevertheless, as he started to take the biology class that every student is required to take, he realized it wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. Actually when Gerson told me this story, he said "I was dumb! A dumb student!" He barely passed his first exam for his biology class with a C. He became very discouraged because if biology 101 was difficult, he thought, how would he ever pass microbiology, organic chemistry, pathology, calculus, etc...

There are many people that would have probably thrown the towel, but Gerson decided to do something he had never done before. He began to declare words over his life and tell himself that he was indeed smart.

He told me that everyday he would wake up and tell himself "I am intelligent! I am smart!" He would write it and remind himself daily that he was smart and that anything was possible with God.

Then he started studying like never before! He read and read and studied and studied until he understood the material completely.

In 2006, Gerson graduated with a B.S. in biology and a minor in chemistry. He graduated with honors and a great gpa. According to his professors, Gerson was one of the best students from the Biology majors w/ excellent grades. He still keeps in touch with them.

The great gpa served him well, when he applied to medical schools in the U.S. He was interviewed and accepted to 4 different schools and decided to attend the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

He's now in his 3rd yr of medical school, and God willing in 2012 his dream to be a doctor will become a reality!

This career is not easy, but Gerson believed in two things… First he believed in God. He believed that with God he could do it, and although it wouldn't be easy, he knew God would give him the wisdom and strength he needed. Second, he believed in himself. He not only declared and believed he was intelligent but he worked at it too.

As you can tell, I am a proud wife and admire his determination and dedication. He has been an inspiration to my life. We can do anything we set our minds to!

MY ROOM (videoblog)

At my parents house for Christmas but they're doing some work to the house... check out my room as a teen!

The Collector

I was thinking the other day, that I'm kind of a collector.

I tend to collect many things, sometimes unintentionally. I kind of feel bad for Gerson because he has to help me complete my collections.

I haven't bought one in a while, but I collect denim jackets. It's not even considered a fashionable item, but I love having different styles. I have dark, light, washed, striped, ripped, cropped. They're fun and you can wear them all year long!

I guess you can also say I collect shoes. I own probably 100 pairs, so that's a collection right? I was looking at my shoe boxes the other day, and there are many shoes that I don't and probably won't wear anymore. Hopefully these next months I can get rid of some.

Because Gerson and I love to travel, we collect things from the places we visit. We have magnets from all the cities we have visited. We also buy mini-snowglobes. But the last time we moved apartments we accidentally packed and put them in storage. Hopefully they're safe. And we also collect the Starbucks city mugs from each place (that has a Starbucks)... Which was the majority, but we never saw one in Croatia.

Something that I also buy when I'm in a different city or country, are earrings. If I can afford to buy me several I will, but if not, I'll buy me a pair from each city.

The last thing I could say I collect but don't have too many of are signs. Hopefully, I can fill my home with lots of signs one day.

Is there anything you collect? Or would like to begin collecting? Is there something you collect unintentionally? Tell me about it, I would love to know a little piece of you! :)

The Heart

There's something symbolic about the heart.

When I first met Gerson and he mentioned that he wanted to study medicine, I clearly remember him telling me that he wanted to specialize in a field that involved the heart, because to him it was a symbol of life, not just physical, but eternal life.

This past week, I was running around town, meeting with different centers, churches, and organizations for a project I'm working on at my job. On Friday, I met with a man named Pastor Clayton. He has a church on the East side of San Antonio.

Well Pastor Clayton is a man that knows the East side like no other. He was born and raised there. Growing up he became part of a gang and basically just got into a lot of trouble. He told me that God called him to talk to people that could relate to him. He had been in prison, crimes, fights, gangs, drugs, and he wanted to share about God's love exactly where he was raised.

Pastor Clayton doesn't like to preach to the gang members or drug addicts. He simply likes to reflect love, reflect Christ. He thinks it's pointless telling people that they're wrong, or that they're going to hell. Or telling them what to do and what not to do.

Pastor Clayton mentioned that he had visit a gang member the day before. He said the gang member who doesn't live in the best conditions, nor has much, had a sandwich and insisted on sharing half of his sandwich with him. Although this guy is in a gang and tattooed, he has a heart just like all of us. And although he runs the streets acting tough, probably hurting others, his heart has a piece of kindness. Pastor Clayton is convinced that if he continues visiting and showing love to him, showing God's love, he will be captured. He believes this because he has so many testimonies to share of people that lived in that same situation and were captured by God's love. He then said that it's important to learn to see a person's heart, see the kindness, the sorrow, anger in them, because when we do we, we get the opportunity to build a relationship with them.

The meeting that I had with Pastor Clayton taught me two things. First, that I need to constantly show love to everyone and remain transparent so people can see God's light in me. Second, that I need to build relationships with people that need of God. Get out of the "church walls" and build relationships with others. I honestly haven't even attended church in a while, but even so, I truly believe that through me others can meet God the way I have and eventually have Him touch their hearts the way He touched mine.

I also couldn't help but think about the opportunity I have not just at my workplace but in my life to impact a heart. Just like when Gerson told me he wanted to work in a field that involved the heart, I too, want to work with families, people and their hearts. I want to speak life to hearts. I want to speak life, just like many have spoken life to me that inspired me to change and excel.

Meeting Pastor Clayton was such a pleasure. He touched my heart by learning about the work he is doing in the community. I really hope this is the first of many meetings with him.



As I walked out, I took a picture with my phone of Pastor Clayton's church. It's in the heart of the East side of San Antonio.

Dressing up your veggies!

So I have high cholesterol.

I know it sucks! It's probably from all the ice cream I love to eat. But since I don't want to be on medication, I just make sure I watch what I eat. I'm really hoping it lowers the next time I go to the doctor.

I do however love eating salads and vegetables. If I don't have a vegetable for lunch and/or dinner, I feel like my meal was incomplete. I especially love creamy dressings on my salads. The bad thing is that all those creamy caesars, ranches, and blue cheeses are filled with calories, fat, and CHOLESTEROL!

But here are some that will make your veggies tasty:

Brianna's Chipotle Cheddar is delicious! You can prepare a healthy, southwest salad with this dressing. It actually has zero cholesterol, and fewer calories compared to other dressings.



Cardini's Caesar dressing is actually the original caesar dressing. His name was Cesar Cardini, and I believe they named Cesar Salads after him. Well, if you've ever been to Chick-fi-la and have tasted their cesar dressing, it's Cardini brand, and it's creamy-licous! But it's EXTREMELY unhealthy. Bummer I know... Until I tasted Cardini's Light Caesar Vinagrette. It's just as good with only 60 calores, 5g of fat, and zero cholesterol per 2 tablespoons.


Marie's Yogurt Ranch dressing is the best ranch dressing with low calories that I have tasted. I've gone through several bottles of different healthier choices to substitute a fatty, caloric, ranch and none were good enough until I tasted Marie's . Since it's made with lowfat yogurt, it has fewer calories and fat.


So if you're a salad lover, I highly recommend you to try these. Actually, try several of Brianna's dressings. You can make all sorts of flavorful salads and veggie sides with them.

Do you have any favorite dressings you can recommend???

Transitioning

I’ve had such great feedback from all my blog readers!

People that I never imagined would even be interested in reading have text, called, emailed, commented, FB-ed me about the posts that have inspired them. I am so grateful for each one of you that have found my blog inspiring and entertaining. It means A LOT to me!

Not too long ago, I read a book that had their definition of blogging. It was defined as personal websites written by somebody who is passionate about a topic, provide a means to share that passion with the world and to foster an active community of readers who provide comments on the writer's posts.

Besides really liking the definition,I also thought of several of my friends who have a blog. Here are few :

*soynuevacriatura.wordpress.com
*http://iamthegoodseed.com/
*http://devotionmama.blogspot.com
* http://chantelortiz.com/
*http://www.natashabrownphoto.com


Not all of them blog w/ a specific aim or topic, but many do, and I like that. Which is why I have decided to transition my Pieces of Me blog, to a blog w/ a more specific subject .
I have many passions, but ever since I was a teenager, I loved writing about one topic. I enjoy it so much I’ve even created theories of my own haha.
For now, I will not say more. And for those who know me well,you probably already know so just keep it to yourself so I can think of a new name for my upcoming blog ;)

The plans for these next coming weeks are to blog often about pieces of me. This way I can share a little bit more about my experiences and end it well to transition next year to my new blog.

Thanks again for all your positive feedback. I really hope you continue to read my blog posts. Although, I want to be less general and more concrete, I still plan on writing about my crazy experiences and life lessons. God willing, I’ll be spending New Years Eve in Chicago with the cold of the Midwest! Gerson and I have never experienced weather below 5°F so if we do, there’s no way I’ll skip blogging about that! ;)

Content & Unsatisfied

Several weeks ago my husband started telling me quite often that "we have everything we need, and lack nothing". It's sort of became a motto in our home.

During Thanksgiving weekend, we stayed with my in-laws in Dallas. I'm sure I've mentioned this a couple of times, but my husband (and his family of course) are from Colombia. Which explains why their dish network provides all the Colombian channels and the reason why we watched the Colombian news while we stayed with them.

I blame it on the tons of work I have, but I learned that weekend that Colombia was going through some major floodings. Anytime we see tragic news, where people are losing their homes and belongings it hurts, but I think it hurts even more when it's happening in your native country.

The next day, Gerson and I went to have lunch w/ Ari. Discussing the situation in Colombia then lead to this conversation. Gerson told my sister that for the past weeks he tried to think of something he NEEDED (not wanted). Daily he would think of one thing he desparately needed and would come up with nothing.

Gerson then said that he realized that the society we lived in had no satisfaction. Our society always wants more of all the STUFF. We want more material things, we want more money, we want more from our relationships, we want more in our careers. We simply are never satisfied because we often think "If I had an Ipad..." "If I had a boyfriend"... "If I had a house" ... I would be satisfied. But the truth is you wouldn't, because you would still want more!

Now, is there anything wrong with wanting more? Gerson, Ari, and me came to the conclusion, that it's part of our society and nature to want more. All 3 of us, are dedicated, determined, ambitious, and hard workers by nature. I doubt we will ever settle or give up on the goals we want to achieve. But sometimes we just need to be like a children and be content. Look and see that you probably do have everything you need.

I guess the best way to phrase it would be to passionately work towards those goals and things you want, but live the present contently. Let's count our blessings and look at the things we do have. I'm sure that the people reading this blog have tons of the STUFF!

Moving to San Antonio took a twirl for us. Being unemployed, financially limited, and now living on one income has taught me more than I ever imagined. I've definitely learned to value the things I do have and live happily with just that.

WET CEMENT

I have been getting so many compliments on my current nail color that I had to blog about it!

My older sis, who is an amazing hair dresser and make-up artist, told me that the in nail color for this season was gray. So I went to every store you can imagine looking for that perfect gray. Not silver or frost, but gray.

I finally found it, at a Walgreens on the South side of San Antonio. And even after a week of polishing them, I still get compliments everywhere and anywhere!

It's from Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear. It's called Wet Cement. I found this picture on google images, they're not my nails, but that's exactly how the color looks. Do you like?

Black Friday's just not for me!

So this morning, 5 am early morning I should add, I decided to drive to Macys to buy me a coat.

Honestly, I never do Black Friday. I'm one that chooses to pay the extra cents or dollars to shop on a normal day. Plus, I've read several articles that say many people end up spending more on Black Friday than shopping on any other day.

Anyways, yesterday, we went to the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, and after walking in the 35 degree cold weather, I was inspired to buy myself a coat for the long weekend.

So I googled coats. Found one that I liked and decided to partake in Macys Black Friday. And so this is how it went... I arrived around 5-ish and it was already PACKED. It took me probably 15 minutes to find parking. I went to Macys, looked at the coat I liked, tried on others, and couldn't decide. Then I remembered I had seen a nice, brown coat at the Gap. So I ran to see if they had it in my size, and what do you know, they did! AND everything at Gap was 50% off!

Unfortunately, I did not like the coat. But saw sweaters that I thought Gerson would like. I then realize that the line to pay was extremely long. I don't even know how exactly to describe the length of the line, but it was too long. Still, I decided to buy those items for my man.

After 40 minutes of waiting and waiting in line, I put the sweaters on the closest shelf and left. I just couldn't believe that after 40 minutes I got no where. I was so upset that I had actually waited that long! I normally put things back where they belong. I've done retail, so I don't like it when people just throw things they don't want wherever they can. But I'm guilty. I did it today, cause I just couldn't believe the time I had wasted, or even the time that I could have used to sleep since I seem to get so little of that.

I went back to Macys to get my coat. And once more, I stood in line. Waited and waited and wondered "Is this $50 coat REALLY worth it?!" And my answer kept on being no. But I decided to wait since the line wasn't half as bad as the one at Gap. When I got to the counter, I gave her my debit card and they declined it! I wanted to scream "the money is there!" But I'm sure everybody tells that line, so I asked her to try again. By the fourth try, it was finally accepted.

I walked out with my coat at 9am feeling exhausted and unhappy. I just thought 4 hours of my Black Friday experience was totally not worth it.

I don't want to bash anybody who loves Black Friday. I love shopping and bargains! I really do. But after that experience, I came to the conclusion that Black Friday is definitely not for me. I don't like the pushing, the crowds, the attitudes, and the craziness. Maybe one day that I want to purchase an expensive appliance or electronic device, I will do it again, but for now, I will make sure to stay away from Black Friday and shop on other days.

Maybe I'll give Cyber Monday a try this year... ;)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving is only days away and I can't help but give thanks to God for all His blessings.

Actually, this year didn't start too well for me. In January, my dad suffered a heart attack and was in ICU for 7 days. It was one of the most horrible experiences in my life! But thankfully, God gave him another chance. And that's exactly how my dad sees it... as another opportunity to eat better and be a healthier person.

On a different note, these last two years have not been the easiest for me (or Gerson). I was use to working for pleasure and not for money and Gerson was use to always working. But the roles kind of changed. I had to work and provide for our household, while Gerson accepted that he would be financially supported by his wife. You can imagine... it wasn't easy adapting to these roles.

Nevertheless, we have learned so much through this ongoing journey. It's not over yet, but we have a focal point, God on our side, and a dream that's gradually becoming reality. It's exciting! And I believe that we have become stronger individuals and stronger in our marriage.

All this to say that this year I give God thanks for granting my dad life here on Earth. I love my dad so much!!! He's not perfect, but an amazing father, a loving husband, and a gullible grandfather.

I'm also grateful for the doors God opened this year (for both Gerson and I). It's been an extremely challenging adventure. But God has never left our side. Even when I thought we wouldn't survive a certain trial, he showed me to trust Him, to not give up, and continue running the race.

I thank God for giving me the wisdom to make smart decisions that have resulted in blessings from Him. And I give Him all the glory for this beautiful life He has given me. :)


I want to wish everybody a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! I hope you all have a wonderful week, that you eat lots of turkey and pie, and enjoy the company of your loved ones.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING BLOGGERS AND READERS!!!!

Love,

Adri

Step up your game

I had a wonderful anniversary. It was only the weekend, but we got to spend much needed quality time together.

I think I enjoyed the resting and relaxing too much because Monday was a dreadful one. I didn't feel like going to work. So I thought, maybe if I go to bed early, I will feel much better.Unfortunately, that did not help either! Sometimes sleeping too much does not help our bodies.

Well,while I was driving to work, I remembered something my mom would tell my sisters and I. She often told us "Remember that wherever you go, you are always replaceable."

What she meant was that we should never get too comfortable or too cocky at our game (whether it's your school, team, workplace, etc), because someone with more eagerness or more willingness can come and replace us.

That reminder was my energy pill for the day. It changed my attitude and pumped me with adrenaline to start and finish the work I need to do.

We should constantly be aware of that and work with excellence, walk the extra mile, give all we can, and step up our game! Someone is always ready to prove that they can do it better than we can.

In a Nutshell...

Four years ago I married the man that makes me so happy. He's my biggest blessing.

I'm not sure if psychologist or sociologist are right when they say opposites attract, but Gerson and I are pretty opposite. He loves Gilberto Santa Rosa music and I listen to rap. He's into science and math. I'm into English, writing, and arts. He's patient, I'm not. I love sweets, he loves salty foods. But the one thing we do have in common is that we're crazy about each other. I have no doubt about that!

In a nutshell, this is how it all began. We met at CFNI through mutual friends. My friend told him to give me a call cause I could get everybody to show up to the party we were having at his house. He called me and basically never stopped.



After a year of a really good friendship and a lot of chemistry, the summer arrived. Our friends had gone home, and it was just me and him. We went out several times and realized that we really liked each other.




We dated several months and eventually became an official boyfriend and girlfriend couple. We had a blast together. He's extremely romantic and I loved it! But after a year and a half of courting, Gerson broke up with me. Not because he didn't love me, but because he wanted to marry me, and I wasn't ready for marriage. I was leaving to Brazil, and he felt that I would never stop fulfilling my dreams and would probably never marry him.

4 months apart did it for me... for us. I knew I had lost a good guy, but I also had Brazil and other adventures ahead of me. My heart ached the whole time.

A day before I left to Houston to then leave to Brazil (for 6months), Gerson came to my apartment at Dallas Baptist University and admitted to being stupid for breaking up with me. He told me he was happy to see me fulfilling my dreams but wanted to eventually fulfill these dreams together. I completely agreed! He then asked me there at the parking lot of DBU if I would please marry him when I came back and I said yes! The most informal proposal ever. And this is always my response to when people ask me how I knew Gerson was the one, I say " I lived 4 months with out him, and life was much better with him in it"

I went to Brazil, six months later came back to the states.




He proposed in the Fort Worth botanical gardens, with a picnic and a scrabble board. 11 months later on November 5th 2006, we married.



I never made up my mind on a cold or hot honeymoon, so he gave me both... 7 days in Vail, Colorado and from there flew to Playa del Carmen in the Mexican Riviera for 7 more days of paradise. Can you imagine our luggage?!



In these four years as husband and wife, we've laughed, cried, fought, loved, traveled, lost, won, moved, stressed,been surprised, given, sacrificed,hugged, kissed, and experienced so much. And I so very much look forward to the many more years to come. It's been an amazing ride, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I never thought I would get married young cause society had convinced me that once you're married, it's over, so do everything now and then get married. But society was so wrong! My life only got better when I married Gerson. And I give all the glory to God. He has blessed us so much in this marriage and I'm forever grateful that we met, fell in love, and now only grow in love. All I can say is GOD IS GOOD!




So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. Matthew 19:6

PS Mark my words, we're in this til' the end! Happy anniversary to Gerson and me!!!

Think Before Judging

Last week, I spent 4 days in Washington D.C..

I had to attend a conference and do some training. During one of my workshops titled "Supporting and Working with Latino Families" we had to write down our favorite "dicho". Incase you're reading this and do not speak Spanish, a "dicho" is defined as a "saying"

The dicho that our instructor told us was "Nadie sabe lo que pesa su barril, solo el que lo está cargando". Which translates to, Nobody knows how much their barrel weighs, only the person carrying it.

This saying is so true. I think most of us have the tendency to judge others for not doing things the way we do them. We've all been there when we've judged a friend or even a stranger.

Not too long ago I got into an argument with my sister. I basically told her how she should raise her daughter. And OBVIOUSLY she did not like that, so it lead to an argument. What I do remember is that she told me " When you have your kids, you can come tell me stuff, for now don't tell me how to raise mine!" She was mad!

Although we apologized and forgave each other, I often remember that. Why in the heck would I even think about telling her how to raise her kids?! How can I give somebody parenting advice when I'm not even a parent.
I admit, that was very stupid and I regret it.

I know it's human nature to judge, and think that our ways are better. Or sometimes we think we are better because we have more things or a "better life". But that's an erroneous and childish mentality. If someone is going through something, we should be a friend and help, pray, and bless them by simply listening or getting the specific resources they need. Not judge them. We have no idea how heavy their barrel is. They may be carrying a load that we've never carried.

Like I said before, it's natural, everyone has judged at least once and some do it more than others. But I have found this dicho helpful. Before thinking about judging, think about how you can help... And think about it. If everybody was like you and did everything like you, this planet would be boring... and quite honestly it would suck!

Simply Things

This is a picture of what Gerson and I gave to our guest as favors at our wedding. It was a lace bag with a Mexican heart shaped cinnamon, sugar cookie, called hojarascas. The card you see there had our names, but on the other side it had the recipe to make hojarascas. And then the best part were the heart shaped measuring spoons! Many of our friends tell us that they still have and use those measuring spoons. :)

Well, the other day, I was baking and used my measuring spoons. As I'm washing dishes I turned the garbage dispose on and heard it making a louder noise than the usual. I had not seen that my heart-shaped spoons had fallen in the drain and with the dispose on they got completely scraped. I almost cried! I plan and want those spoons to last me forever!! I had to remind myself that they're just spoons.

Then that same week, probably a couple days later, I'm at the post office, getting ready to mail a gift to a friend. I was trying to decide on what box or envelope to buy that would fit my package. I finally got it, stood in line and began to fill out the envelope. I started looking for my phone, because my friend's address was in an email. I couldn't seem to find my fairly new Iphone 4. After probably a minute, I began to FREAK out! I ran to my car, it wasn't there. I went to the counter to ask if anybody had seen a phone. I began to suspect that someone had gotten it and hid it in their pockets. I looked and looked, and finally I saw that I had left it on a shelf where the boxes and envelopes were placed.

What a relief! I thought that there was no way I could afford another phone. It wasn't so much the fact that it's an Iphone and I'm emotionally attached to it, but it was the monetary value. It's an expensive phone!

At the end of the week, I remembered those two incidents.

First, I almost damaged some pretty cheap measuring spoons that probably cost a total of $5. I probably could order some online if I wanted to. But these spoons mean something to me. It reminds me of the day I married my love. It reminds me when I was planning the wedding. It takes me back, and EVERY TIME I use them, I remember my wedding.

Second, I almost lost my IPhone. Honestly, it means nothing to me. It's so new, that I'm still learning how to use it. It doesn't remind me of anything. It helps me make phone calls, text, check my face book, etc. But because it's an expensive phone, I feel the need to take care of it. I know I can't afford one daily, or monthly. If I lost it, I would probably have to wait a couple of months before buying another one.

However, both are just things. That's what I thought. Regardless, if I lost both, everything would be just fine. Because although they may have some type of value to me, at the end of the day they are just things. They don't define me, they don't fully benefit me, they don't enrich me, they don't do more than what they were made to do.

Thankfully, I'm married to a man that has taught me to relax and realize that it's ok if something breaks, bends or dents. Our focus should be on greater and eternal things. And it doesn't mean we need to be careless with our stuff, but it has taught me to know that it's absolutely ok. I think sometimes we get mad at people or even ourselves for breaking or damaging our things. But have you stopped to think how silly that is?? It's human nature, I realize, but it's silly to overreact. Nothing in this life and on this planet is eternal. So it's best not to fret and just relax. Find a solution. And move on.

My Parents

This past week I kept on asking myself one question, "What did my parents do to raise my sisters and I so well?"

My sisters and I are not perfect nor always have it together, but we all have our careers, we are happily married to great men, we have hobbies that we enjoy doing, and we go to church and know that without God we're nothing. And although we did go through stages where we thought our parents were "uncool" and would get upset if they would ground us, my parents honestly did an excellent job raising us.

Last week, for different situations and reasons, I kept asking myself that question. I had a couple of friends telling me about the difficulties of raising teenagers nowadays. Then Gerson and I talked about when we should plan to have a baby and the ginormous responsibility that comes with one. So I just couldn't help but ask myself, what exactly did my parents do?!

Well, I know that when the time comes, I will definitely be going to them for major parenting advice. But for now I will remember the small things they taught me.

On Friday we rented Disney's Beauty and the Beast. It was my favorite movie when I was a child. After watching the movie, I was full of childhood memories.
I remembered one year on Thanksgiving day, after having dinner my parents took us to the movies. We watched Home Alone and loved it! When I was a kid, we wouldn't go to the movies often, so it was a big deal. Then my dad suggested we'd watch another one, and we were very excited. I remember thinking "let's just walk into another movie" but my dad told us that we always had to be honest people and pay for the movie, regardless if anybody was watching us or not. So we all walked outside again to pay and went back inside.

I realized that my parents have always tried to be the best example for us. They're not perfect, but they knew that if anybody was watching it was their 3 daughters. Maybe I'll never really know exactly what they did to raise us well and maybe they can't even answer that question themselves... I'll have to ask them. But I am fortunate and blessed to have them in my life. Til this day they have a beautiful marriage, they're amazing grandparents who spoil my niece and nephew to pieces, and still really great parents who always want the best for my sisters and I and even our husbands.

I know they're very proud of the outcome of their daughters. They constantly tell us. But I've got to say, I'm even more proud to call them my parents.

Living life to the fullest

Two weekends ago, I met two different women.

They were both in their 60's. But I met them at different places and different times, one in the morning and the other in the evening. They didn't know each other nor do I think they ever will, but I learned something that day.

The first woman I met began to tell me that soon she would turn another decade. She told me that she had dedicated her life to a job for over 30 years and soon she would retire. I remember her being in awe of how fast time flew for her . She couldn't believe that she had committed to her job for so many years. She never complained but it sort of seemed like she wished she would have done more. She talked about her retirement as if it was going to finally give her life.

Later that evening, I was at another location, and I met the other woman. This woman was completely different from the first one. Although they were probably close in age, she talked about everything she had done. This woman was full of memories! She talked about how she had worked in PR for several years, then her husband and her began to publish the first colored front page newspaper in Texas. She continued to tell me how in her career for many years she continued to grow and learn. She said she would never retire because she loved her job. Then she told me about all the countries she's visited. How she loves to travel and collect antiques from different places. This woman rambled on and on and honestly I was entertained.

I came home telling Gerson about them. I'm not sure what defines "living life to the fullest" but the second lady seemed like she was living life, regardless of her age, she was living it to the fullest.

It really got me thinking about my life. I too want to live life to it's fullest. I don't want to think back and see that I did nothing but commit 30 years to Corporate America. I love my job and enjoy working, but I want to make time for other things. I love new experiences. I actually keep a journal of simply memories. When I remember a memory, I write it down, cause I don't want to forget them.

Making dreams reality is not always easy, but I feel so good when one of my dreams come true. Or when I experience something like never before.

Last summer Gerson and I visit the Dalmatian Coast. Our last stop was HVAR Island. And through out all of the cities we visit we had wanted to kayak, but all the excursions were extremely expensive. So at Hvar, there was a beach by our apartment, and this guy was renting the kayak for 30 Kunas which is basically $5. So we decided to rent one and kayak! We had never kayaked and maybe this was stupid and dangerous, but Gerson and I took off. We kayaked several miles from shore, and eventually we couldn't even see the shore! The water was crystal clear, and it was such a beautiful experience. We just talked and talked sitting in our kayak in the middle of the ocean and felt very blessed to have the opportunity to travel to Croatia, and experience such things.

I want to continue building memories as those. I want to do things that I've never done before. I want to serve and help others without expecting anything in return. I want to travel the world and embrace other cultures. I want to work and learn from my workplace. I want to be open to learning new things. And I want to live life to the fullest ... whatever that means! :)

RACE

A while back, I began to buy signs to hang in my apartment. I don't know why, but I like them. I think they're fun. I really don't know much about decorating or interior design, but I really like them. Maybe it's because I love words. Who knows?!

Here are some of the ones hung on my wall

I love this one! I got it at Pier 1 Import and love the colors to it. It INSPIRES me to be colorful. :P


This one is pretty cheesy but it's cute.


I think this one is my favorite! I don't know why I love it, but I do. It's super simple... BECAUSE... you're welcome to fill in the rest. :)



Well, I bought a new one Labor day weekend while I was in Fredericksburg with my girl friends. I had seen them with Gerson and liked them from the beginning but we couldn't think of a word so I decided to wait since I knew I was returning the following weekend with my girls. They're wooden letters that are wrapped and glued with magazine paper. So I went back and stood there with my friend Mariela. We kept on thinking of different words and then I said "How about the word, RACE" and she asked "Race?"

So I told her that I sometimes thought of my life as a race. I feel like I'm preparing for a marathon, and I'm preparing to win the race.

I believe that God has given us so many talents, dreams, and desires, but if we don't prepare well, and run the race to win then someone else will beat us to it. I know I've written this at least once, but I will write it again : If we do our part, God will do His! ... The key is doing our part, preparing for the race and running the race to win the prize!

And then I also thought that some of my favorite verses (of the Bible) have the word RACE in it

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?
Run in such a way as to get the prize... 1Corinthian 9:24

or

If you're worn out in this footrace with men,
what makes you think you can race against horses? ... Jeremiah 12:5

and

This is the only race worth running. I've run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that's left now is the shouting— God's applause!... 2 Timothy 4:6


So I bought the word RACE. I still don't know where to hang it, but I like it.



What word do you like???

One man's junk is another's treasure...

About 2 years ago, when I moved to SA, I gathered a whole bunch of my clothes to list on Ebay.

Gerson has been an "ebayer" for quite a while. He bids, buys, and sells.
True Story: Gerson bought our IMAC by selling everything we found useless in our home. He did not use one penny from our accounts to buy the computer, it was all saved through his ebay sells.

So I thought I would give it a shot. I listed old clothes that I wouldn't wear or that didn't fit anymore. I specifically remember listing a dress I had bought in 2006 (the year I got married) at Forever21 for $3. I wore it once and my sister told me it made me look pregnant, so I never wore it again. Well last year I sold that dress for $25 plus shipping. I could not believe it! The saying "One man's junk is another man's treasure" is very true.

My apartment is 500 square feet which means it's tiny, which means no walk-in closet for me, which also means sharing closet with the hubby, and which means not enough space! We can't keep too much of anything in our apartment.

But I love fashion. I wouldn't consider myself a shopaholic, but I do like trends. So I began to buy seasonal trends by first selling some of my old clothes. It helped me keep my closet less filled AND continue being fashionable!

I don't sell all of my clothes. I just sell the things that I know I won't wear anymore, the pieces that are faded, or that have "what was I thinking?!" written all over it.

Well, it's that time of the year again for me to sell some of the old to get some of the new! And I thought I'd share this with you incase you're wanting to make extra cash... or if you want some really nice boots for the winter, but still don't have a clue how you're going to buy them.

It has helped us a lot since we live on a tighter budget now.

Scared for my life!

So I'm sure you're familiar with the popular 21st century online coupon, GROUPON

A couple weeks ago, I saw that the daily Groupon was for an unlimited fitness bootcamp class for 4wks. It's a $300 value given for only $20! Greatest deal I've seen on Groupon. So I thought, eh, what the heck, I'll do it!

Well, I remembered today that I had to register cause classes begin next week.
The online registration literally scared the bejeezus out of me!

They clarify that just because us Grouponers paid 20 bucks for the class doesn't mean we can slack off and attend when we feel like it. They expect us to take it serious, to change eating habits and attend 80% of the classes, which mine happen to begin at 5am, 4x a week for 4wks! I seriously thought I was signing up to be part of the U.S. Army!
I'm imagining a muscled trainer screaming in my ear to get down and give him 20! If they only knew that I can't even do one push up. :s

And I've got to be honest, after 10 minutes of registering, it took me about another 10minutes to simply click on the submit button. I was thinking "screw my 20 bucks!" but I didn't, I submitted my application, and now I'm determined to commit to 4 wks of bootcamp.

I'm scared for my life!

It's a Luxury.

I should be working out instead of blogging, but I couldn't help it. I haven't written in a while, so I will write a quick post.

Today was my first day at my new job. However, I have decided not to 'talk' too much about my job on my blog...just to remain professional. What happens at my workplace, stays at my workplace. :)

I will say though, that today being my first day and all (at my new full time job), I missed home. I missed getting home early, making myself a healthy lunch, facebook, blog, and pretty much have time for my stuff. Don't get me wrong, I was extremely excited about my first day at work. It was definitely the high light of my day. But I missed being home.

Several months ago, my sister told me that being a housewife or stay-home-mom is a luxury nowadays. Many people need jobs so the fact that a spouse can stay home and take care of the children is a luxury. I don't think I had thought about it too much, but today when my husband asked me about my first day at work, I told him "It was good, but I missed home" I was actually just kidding with him pretending to insinuate that I wanted to stay home. But his response was "Staying home is a luxury we can't afford right now"

Isn't that funny? He thinks it's a luxury as well! Well, in no way am I bashing any housewives. I am aware that mothers that stay home work more than 40 hours a week, raising children, cleaning, cooking, etc etc etc but overall it's a huge blessing.

So whether it's a blessing or luxury for you, I hope someday I also have the option of being a housewife... although I've gotta be honest, I love having a job. I am blessed to work in something I love to do and hopefully my hard work will eventually get me to where I want to be. But having the simple option of staying home or getting a job is nice. Don't you think?

If you are a beautiful and hardworking housewife, I hope you know you are super duper blessed! It's a complete luxury. The economy SUCKS so much right now that many households need 2 incomes. So if you are having a bad day with maybe too much laundry, or too many diapers to change, or too tired, just know above all of that, many women would want YOUR job. Many women would love to stay home for all the good reasons, but simply can't because like Gerson told me," it's a luxury we can't afford right now."

This one's for the women...

Last week, one morning, I woke up feeling extremely pessimistic. I no longer wanted to be the bread-winner of our household. I didn't feel like looking for a second job plus still have to cook, do laundry, work-out, and write (for my current job). My exact thought was "I did not sign up for this!"

My husband began his 3rd year of medical school a couple months ago. Third year is all about completing rotations at the hospital. For example, the next 5 weeks, he will be in the OBGYN field, which means his schedule begins at 4am til' 7-8pm, sometimes 10pm. Therefore, Gerson can't have a full-time job while he's in school. He sells 'stuff' on Ebay and does photography on the side, but it's not the same as having a full-time job. Money is not my main concern, but the time we spend with each other matters too. Gerson and I are very aware of our schedules, thus, we value very much the time we do get together. It's worth gold.

Well, that morning, I did not want to have this load of responsibilities on my shoulders. The good thing is that Gerson leaves way before I wake up so there was no way I could have vent with him (that only makes things worst). But what I really wanted was to wake up to my husband being the main household provider,so that I could do the things I enjoyed without any stress, and also of course have Gerson arrive around 6pm so we could actually sit and enjoy a dinner together like most families. Does that sound like too much to ask for? Maybe so, cause the truth of the matter is that those wants are far from me right now.

I have my days just like any other wife. We all 'wish' many things. I'm sure many housewives sometimes wish they had a job, or some free time from their children and some working wives dream of being able to stay home with their children and have the cleaning and cooking perfectly done for their husbands . I believe we all have our days!

The good thing is that my pessimism didn't go too far that morning. I decided to read my daily Proverb before starting the day that I was so not looking forward to and Proverbs 19 told me exactly this :

vs 8 Grow a wise heart—you'll do yourself a favor;
keep a clear head—you'll find a good life.

vs 13 ...a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.

vs 14 House and land are handed down from parents,
but a congenial spouse comes straight from God.

vs 15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless man goes hungry.

vs 21 We humans keep brainstorming options and plans,
but God's purpose prevails.


These proverbs made my day so much better... you have no idea!

I know that I must be wise in situations such as the one I had last week. I have an AMAZING husband, who loves me and does so much for me. The last thing he needs is a nagging (quarrelsome) wife, after a long, tiring day. The Word of God says that we (wives) come straight from Him. We're God's gift to our husbands.

Whether we're wives that have jobs or stay home, we should constantly be proactive and productive. Laziness gets us absolutely no where. There's actually another Proverb that says Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare. God knows our hearts. When we do our part, God does His. Our husbands, children, and complete lives are in His hands. His purpose always prevails!

Eat.Pray.Love.

I'm sure you have heard of Julia Roberts' new movie, EAT PRAY LOVE. Yes, I watched it this weekend with my sisters and mom thinking it would be the best chick-flick for a girls night out. But I would not recommend it. I'm no movie critic, so don't take my opinion too serious, but all four us became a tad bored after a while. Or maybe we were too silly that night for such a passive, somewhat melancholic storyline.

Well, although we didn't like the movie I felt that the title of the movie best described my weekend in Houston.

EAT: I enjoyed such great treats this weekend. I arrived to Houston early on Friday, met my sister, Ari, at the Galleria to shop. Since we were at Nordstroms, she insisted we buy a drink at their Ebar. She ordered a Mexican iced mocha and I a Mexican iced cocoa. It was yummy with enough calories and caffeine for the day. That night I met many of my girlfriends at La Madeline, and one of my friends bought a chocolate cake and cheesecake for everyone, so of course I had a slice!
The next day, I really wanted to take Gerson to Star Pizza. If you live in Houston, you better know what I'm talking about and if you plan on visiting H-town, you better stop for a slice, because it is the best pizza in Texas! I hate that I didn't take my camera this weekend, you would have been drooling over a simple picture. We ordered a chicken alfredo NY style pizza, and a salsa verde chicago style pizza. It was OMG so amazingly good!
After eating pizza, we stopped for another type of pie ... the sweet kind. I had always told Gerson about the Flying Saucer. It's the best pie shop in Houston. During Thanksgiving and Christmas the lines are so long, out the door and across the street. They even have cops guiding the parking and traffic, cause everybody wants the best pie for the holidays! But since we were all stuffed from pizza we took a coconut cream pie home to eat later. I was so excited! It had been YEARS since I had eaten a pie from Flying Saucer. My mom would laugh at me cause I would take a bite and say "I am so happy right now!" The pie was incredible!
Well, we finished this weekends food crawl with our usual pit stop to Risaralda Bakery. It's a Colombian bakery that's literally 5 minutes from my parents home. We actually have to drive by it in order to get I10, the highway we take to go back to San Antonio, which is why I refer to it as our pit stop. Gerson loves the empanadas or papas rellenas (stuffed potatoes) but I go strictly for their avena fria (cold oatmeal). It's a Colombian drink that's made out of oatmeal and it is so good!! I definitely splurged and spoiled myself this weekend.

PRAY: Although we didn't go to church and literally prayed, we did spend a weekend praying for one specific thing ... air conditioning. All of us spent the night at Analaura's house (She's my older sister). It was a big slumber party with my parents, two sisters, niece and nephew, brother-in-law, hubby and me all in one house. But her a/c stopped working on Saturday. It just kept on getting warmer and warmer. We would move from room to room thinking that if we all sat in one room our body heat would make us hot. Completely mental, I know! And although we could have left the house to somewhere fresh, we were so lazy and just wanted to bum around. We kept hoping and praying that someone would come fix it ASAP. And the prayers worked cause around 8pm a friend of the family finally came to check it out!

LOVE: Well, it's obvious that my family and I can't get enough of each other. We all love each other very much and enjoy the time we get together. I feel so blessed to have them in my life. ♥

The greatest love of all.

When Gerson and I started dating, we would constantly tell each other when we were "scoring points". For example, if I had cooked dinner for him one night, he would tell me "You just scored yourself 100 points!" The number fluctuated depending what we would do for each other. It's stupid, I know. We did it just to kid with one another, but sometimes it bugged me cause it made me feel as if I had a score board that would keep record of all my good and bad points with him. And the more good points I got, the bigger chance to get him to marry me someday. But since I knew it was just to play around, I never took it too serious. Besides, Gerson (and I) meant no harm at all. We've always loved each other no matter the "points" we accumulated.

Well, this afternoon I couldn't help but think of the greatest love of all... God's love. I was taking in, breathing and feeling God's love for me. I don't think no one on this planet could love me like He does!

It doesn't matter what you do or don't do, He will always love you. He's compassionate and loves us more than you could ever imagine. Even when we have fail or forgotten Him, He's there with His continuous love. There's absolutely no score board with God. It is truly the greatest love you could ever know... an unfailing, unconditional, and promising love.

Isn't that comforting? The security in knowing that no matter what happens in this lifetime, He will always be there for you...


And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God. Romans 8:38-39

GERSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Part of having a blog means putting my PR skills to work and promote any business that I think is worth sharing. Well, today I've got for you a very handsome photographer.... drum roll please ... MY HUSBAND!

Gerson has enjoyed photography for several years, and now that he's in medical school full time, this is his part-time job. He is currently working on his website, which I will share as soon as it's up and running, but for now check out some of his photos.

If you would like to know more information and pricing, I would be more than happy to email it you. We will be in Houston next weekend, so if you're interested in updating your family portrait, please let me know. We would love for you to pick us for your next photo shoot. :)


Christy Sanchez



Lalo & Ari




Ismael & Keila



Mendez Family



Me

Gerson & Adri

On August 3rd, 2003 my love story with Gerson began.


Gerson and I had just come back from having lunch at a French restaurant with some friends. We were sitting in his 1997 Nissan Sentra at the parking lot of my apartment complex talking and laughing a lot. We spent about 45minutes in the car and the last 'conversation' I remember is me telling him that when he became a doctor I was going to make sure I referred everybody to him, when he then said "Ok Adri, let's get serious"
I wasn't sure if he really wanted me to stop talking or if he was just kidding (Gerson's constantly joking). But he continued to tell me that for the past months he had been getting to know me and was crazy about me. That he knew we were only friends, but not one single day would go by without him thinking about me. He went on and on about everything he felt and thought (very sweet). We always remember that he then grabbed some Altoids and offered me one and his hand was SHAKING!! He was so nervous! He later admitted that it was all unplanned. His original plan was to take me out to a nice restaurant with more of a romantic ambiance. But I guess he couldn't wait any longer. :)
My face hurt of smiling so much! I was so happy because I was crazy about him too. We had been friends for a year and although it wasn't love at first sight, we always had a special click ... chemistry (is what Gerson likes to call it).

I realize it wasn't the most romantic way to tell me. We were in a crappy car. I had jeans and a white shirt with crimpy ugly hair cause I had decided to experiment with some curly iron that day. But here we are, seven years later, more in love than we have ever been! And although we've had tons of romantic nights and dates, August 3rd will always be the one we remember the most.


In a word, there are three things
that last forever: faith, hope, and love;
but the greatest of them all is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13

Listen and Learn

Something I love is knowing and/or meeting inspirational and positive people. This week, which I may add, was one with too many ups and downs, my uncle came to stay with us for some days. Gershom (his name is very similar to my husbands so don't confuse yourself) is a person you would enjoy meeting. He has a kind heart and zealous about life. We have that in common. We’re all about trying new experiences, traveling, and embracing cultures.

Well, we talked a whole lot about absolutely everything! But there are two things that stuck with me.

One night while dining at Salt Grass, we were talking about babies and marriage. My uncle has a beautiful wife with two really great kids. He told me that several years ago, they were leading a course on marriage at a church. As they led this class they came across a couple that had been married for many years. This couple had two sons who had just gone off to college. After raising their children, and LIVING for their children, they realized that they had been so careless with their marriage, that they no longer knew each other. They did not know what they liked or what they didn’t like about each other because they focused all those years into doing everything and anything to raise their children well. Gershom told me that he knows for a fact God allowed them to meet this couple to learn from them. He advised us that when we do decide to have kids, to always put your spouse first, before the children. Because when mommy and daddy are happy, so are the kids. It actually reminded me of when my dad would tell us (in Spanish of course) that he would always take care of my mom first, before us, because he knew that one day we would leave him and didn’t want to grow old being bitter and bored with my mom. It’s very true because if you know my parents, you automatically see the love they have for each other. And I never felt that I lacked love from them. But now that my sisters and I are married, my parents are having the time of their lives! And it’s because through raising us, they took care of their marriage and relationship. That’s something I hope to practice when Gerson and I have children. I want to remember that as much as I love and adore my babies, I need to take care of my husband too.

The second thing that stuck with me was inspirational. While we began to talk about the different trips we’ve taken, because both Gershom and I have traveled a bit, he told me about his first trip to Europe (Which I believe was more than 20 yrs ago). He said he was in Paris, standing inside of the Notre Dame Cathedral and listening to a choir sing when he thought to himself “Wouldn’t it be awesome to sing one day in a choir at this very location?” FYI, Gershom is a music guru, who conducts, composes, sings, etc. Well, a couple years ago when he was the music director of a church in Houston, he decided to research about getting the choir to sing at the Nortre Dame Cathedral. He mailed them a demo and a few weeks later received an invitation from them. They told him that usually there’s a 2 year waiting list, but one choir had backed out and they wanted his choir to replace them!! This story has “DREAM COME TRUE” written all over it! It was an unforgettable experience for him that he tells it with so much enthusiasm. Dreams do come true! It motivated me to continue pursuing those goals that seem impossible. We can’t ever give up. With God all things are possible! If you keep walking toward those dreams and knocking on those doors, one day, it will happen, your dream will come true!

Well, the weekend is here and I can’t even tell you all I’ve been reminded and taught this week. Each day is a new day, with new mercies, and new opportunities.


Notre Dame Cathedral
This photo was taken in 2007 when Gerson and I visit Paris for the first time.

Detoxing the Fatty Toxins

These past few months, probably since May, Gerson and I became careless with our organic diet. I think it's the summer and heat that motivates us to eat ice cream, pizza, and Margaritas! But Gerson had been complaining that his stomach hurt, almost any time we would eat. I did my research, and many times it happens because of such sudden transition of diets. I'm thinking maybe too much fatty intake??

So I bought a book called Fast Track Detox Diet. It's an 11 day detox that boosts your metabolism, cleanses fattening toxins, and is a jump start to weight loss! It goes into detail about all the foods you will have to eat and why. Some are good for cleansing the liver, or the intestines, and of course the colon (gross I know!). The author even talks about the colon being her favorite organ. hahaha Didn't know people had favorite organs??

I've decided to join Gerson on this detox. It'll make cooking dinner much easier. However, since it does require lots of ingredients I lack in my fridge, we're going to start until next week when it's time to shop for groceries. And it also gives me time to finish the book. But overall I'm excited to do this with my husband! I've NEVER seen him on a diet. He's very much up for the challenge. I like to do it once a year, others do it every six months, but detoxing allows your tummy to feel flatter, your skin to feel smoother, and many times boosts your energy.

We start next week... feel free to join us! :)

Congratulations Krimson & Klover!

My sister's boutique,Krimson and Klover, won Best Shop for affordable Women's Clothing for D Magazine!!!

I'm so proud of her! She's a hard a worker, who's passionate about her job and boutique. She loves and knows fashion by the book. I love her so much not only cause she's my sis but also cause she's an incredible and inspiring woman.

If you live in Dallas and have never visit Krimson and Klover, I recommend you to do so. It has the latest fashion trends. And my favorite is their jewelry. They have several local designers, such as Rory Ashton who make beautiful earrings and rings. Anytime I wear them, I get compliments all day long! So if you've never been, put it on your list, and be ready to shop til' you drop!

CONGRATULATIONS KRIMSON AND KLOVER!!!!!!!!

The "No Buying Shoes" Promise

It happens to us all. The new year begins and we jot resolutions, goals, ideas, promises, and more.
Hence, on January 23rd, 2010, I decided to make a promise, resolution, or commitment (whichever sounds best to you), to not buy any shoes for 6 months.

I have a private blog with 3 BFFs. These friends know that I love shoes and one of them thought it would be interesting if I counted my shoes to know how many I have, plus take pictures of my favorite ones. I honestly don't know how this topic came about, it's been almost six months, but I took the project upon! I started counting and counting and counting and counted 84 pairs of shoes here in San Antonio. I write 'here in San Antonio' because I have more in Houston. I actually didn't end up taking pictures of my favorite ones, cause I was tired of counting.

I know some of you may think it's really cool and others may lean more towards the judgmental side and think it's really unnecessary. Well, I understand you both, because I too think it's cool but also unnecessary.
I've been to countries where people lack shoes, so I could understand why you may think it's wrong. And I've also been to cities such as New York, London, and Paris that have "Fashion Capital" written all over it. I know I'm very blessed to have shoes on my feet.

Well, I had my reasons to making this promise. Part of it was the counting cause I honestly didn't know I owned over 100 pairs of shoes. But overall, I thought it was a good way to reinforce discipline and self-control.

I think sometimes we want to be more disciplined but can't seem to succeed at it after falling into whatever it is we were tempted to do. So I thought it might be better to practice self-control by starting with one specific and realistic challenge such as 'NOT BUYING SHOES'.

The first 2 months it was pretty difficult, but after a while I just wouldn't walk by any shoe store or department. Then, a couple months ago, I went shoe shopping with my mom (for her), and did not feel tempted at all. I was so proud of myself!
By now I've accepted it and there's no way I would break my promise since it's almost over. I've come a long 6 months and I'm so glad I didn't give in.

So as of July 23rd, 2010, I can officially say : I WON THE CHALLENGE!!!!

And as for my favorite pair of shoes, I would have to say that it's between my cognac riding boots or my leopard pumps. :)

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

I read a famous poem from an extraordinary human being and wanted to share it with you. Have a fabulous Friday!


DO IT ANYWAY
Mother Theresa

People are often unreasonable, illogical,
And self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you
Of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some
False friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank;
People may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis
it is between you and God
It was never between you and them anyway.

Show a little ♥

Today I walked into the Grind House, a coffeeshop near my apt, with red, teary eyes. I had been crying hysterically.

I sat down and posted on my FB, Adriana Pineda needs to take a breather! I had to. I had just had a nervous breakdown. So I sat down. Googled stuff. Facebooked a bit. And after chatting with some friends, I had a smile back on my face.

Overall, I had been at the coffeeshop for less than an hour, when I realized the lady sitting in front of me was packing up her things to leave. But before heading to the door she began to walk straight towards me. She introduces herself and hands me a card, much like a business card, with her church's name and info on it. She was very kind. It might have been soliciting, but it didn't feel that way. It didn't feel pushy. It felt genuinely kind of her.

I honestly don't know why she approached me. It could have been the Holy Spirit or God 'telling' her. Or it could have been that she noticed I had been crying. Whatever it was, it made me think, "Do I ever stop and invite people to church?"

Many churches want to grow in number, but are they doing their part? Are they showing kindess outside of church?

Well, my hysterical cry was due to the invasion of crickets in San Antonio. Yes, you read correctly. Crickets made me cry. Fortunately, nothing tragic had happened to me.

After work I walked into my apartment to find crickets literally everywhere. On my stove, in the living room, in my closet, in my restroom and I went NUTS! They're huge and fly, and I just couldn't believe that my home had been invaded as well. More than anything, I was upset. It's disgusting and I refuse to live like that! (I'm venting now. hahaha)

Nonetheless, Jackie from Mission Point Church, approached me maybe cause she noticed I had been crying. She didn't pray for me, or even ask if I was ok. She just showed kindness. She reflected Jesus. And if she only knew that my reason to my tears was stupid.

I don't consider myself to be rude to people, but I want to show that kindness to others. Not just in church, but in other places.
Because the bottom line is that no one really is interested in hearing about the love of Jesus until they see it in our lives...right?