Summer Hiatus

It’s hard to believe that June is nearly over! Time flies so quickly. Our family has been busy with birthdays, graduations, starting summer work schedules, and more. I am taking my last college exam as a freshman this week, and will be leaving next week for a 3.5 week internship in Guatemala! It’s a very exciting time in our family! J

With that, we have decided that we need to take a blogging break for awhile. I will try to post from Guatemala at least once or twice while I’m gone. You can check my blog at www.biancalifeingeneral.blogspot.com We will resume posting here later on in the summer! Enjoy July and August!

Cooking in Our Family

~Posted by Roma

 

The art of cooking is wonderful!!! It’s so much better to enjoy a good big homemade dinner than to always go out or eat fast food. Nothing is wrong with that, but I just love to enjoy a homemade meal! It’s wonderful to see how God “gives us our daily bread” when working with all kinds of colorful foods He made! I wanted to share with you a little more of what happens in our family when it comes to cooking in the kitchen.



Me cooking in our Mi kitchen over 3 years ago!

Most of the time, my Mom is the one cooking dinner. But Thursday nights Bianca gets to cook, and Tuesday nights Ruby and I cook. My Mom wanted us girls to have more experience cooking--not just baking brownies and cookies all the time. (Which is a problem for me-I love baking but I need to get experience with actual cooking.)

 

Most all of our meals have turned out to be pretty successful and the family loves what we’re able to put together. We’re known for our Tomato Basil Pie J…but you have to LOVE asiago cheese in order to eat this pie. Just sayin’. J

 

 

Ruby and I find that most of the time we use a cookbook called: “5 Ingredients or Less.” It’s a perfect book for beginner cooks like us.

 

We also love a new cookbook we received for our Rite of Passage ceremony from our dear Abuela: “The Daniel Plan Cookbook”. It has some healthy wonderful gelato, soup, salad, paninis, chicken kabobs, etc. The picture on the cover of this book is the chicken kabobs which Ruby and I grilled recently! They are delish!

 

Ruby and I enjoy cooking dinner and dessert every Tuesday. It’s hard work sometimes but worth it. Here are some other recipes we’ve done the past few months:

 

Tomato Basil Pie. We also enjoy making Pecan Crusted Chicken J but I couldn’t find a picture of that. L

 

We’re crazy about salad!

The BEST dessert recipe in this family is my Mom’s FAMOUS double chocolate ring CAKE! It will always be the favorite.

So as you can see, these are a few different foods we enjoy making. But if you ever want any MORE recipes, just go to our recipe page and you’ll find everything from appetizers, to meat, to cakes and cookies and more. God Bless y’all, and have a great day!

First Paid Photo Shoot!

Recently, I had my very first paid photo shoot! I had done a little advertising, because I have been trying to raise money for my summer internship in Guatemala City. A friend from church—who is also a mentor of mine—asked me to photograph her kids and agreed to pay me.

So one Sunday afternoon when I was babysitting them, I took them out for a shoot!

I told them we would go to three locations, and when they were all done we would go to Dairy Queen. J They are very photogenic and proved to be excellent subjects.

Shooting at our favorite cemetery. When we were finished, they noticed 3 baby armadillos playing around. They had lots of fun watching them for a few minutes.

Love his red hair and blue eyes!

Such a sweet little girl!

I love using fences in portraits.

I was very pleased with how well the shoot went! I love doing portraits and hope to have more opportunities to do them in the future! J

The Door

Cappella Sistina, Rome, Italy. May 2014

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

 

Rev. 3:20

 

~ posted by Betsy

Moments For Sisters

Mount Vernon, VA, 5 years ago. I am right in the middle—

not only in this picture, but in birth order too.

~Posted by Rubia

 

The title of this post is taken from a book one of my sisters and I were given for our 12^th birthday, several years ago.

 

Most of you faithful blog readers know that there are 5 kids in this family, and in that 5 is a trio of girls! (Girls rule.)

 

I have been pondering lately about the relationships specifically between the three of us. What does it look like and what should it look like? Is it the same at home as it looks in public?

 

First off, I am thankful for my sisters. In fact, I am grateful for my whole family. I know that God intentionally hand-picked each family member. I know that He intentionally has us children in the birth order that we are in. Why do I believe that? Because He is sovereign. (Psalm 139:1-18.) And why might I believe that I am in the very middle? Here’s one practical reason: The experience with older siblings and younger siblings is exactly equal: 2 above me, and 2 under me. So, what? Well, I believe that God knew exactly what I was going to be like, and knew that I would need equal experience with siblings. I specifically needed to learn what it feels like to be a younger sibling, and also learn what it takes to be an older sibling.

My older sister Bianca (at age 4) holding me.

Self examination part 1: As a younger sister to an older sister: So how am I doing? I often think. This is not easy. How does it sometimes feel? I ask. Are hurt feelings or feelings of being bossed-around or less important ever my fault? My answer is actually yes!

 

I admire Bianca. She is a good daughter, sister, friend and student in her life. She is busy. She is ambitious. She is an avid reader. She is always learning. She is wise. She is passionate about being godly.

 

The question dawns on me: Do I think that maybe sometimes she has a hard time dealing with a younger sister (like me) who’s feisty, not always thoughtful, asks her for things, takes up her time, and takes over her bathroom? With her godliness and wisdom, she shouldn’t have an issue, but in spite of who I am, she might sometimes. (Guys, I’m not always sure what words describe me.)

 

What do I strive to practice and encourage other younger sisters to practice? Girls, let’s seek the Lord, and grow in being who HE is. Jesus was not a younger sister, but He was a sibling. We don’t know much of His childhood—only that He was perfect. Are we perfect? No. BUT when we have the Holy Spirit in us, we can daily become more like Christ. We can take on His characteristics. What is He like? He is everything that true love is. See 1 Corinthians chapter 13. I am memorizing it right now.

We blew it again. How much longer is time out?

Self examination part 2: As an older sister to a younger sister: I used to think that Roma and I only being 7 minutes apart did make a difference! J Now I believe that in maturity it doesn’t. Rather, the difference is in who we are. We are twins with obvious similarities, but we are also different people. People who make mistakes. People who love each other more than anyone else but also occasionally hurt each other, or even, believe it or not, misunderstand each other. Here’s one thing I’ve learned: I better not try to talk to her at 5:00 in the morning. I’m a morning gal, but even then my brain is not completely on and oftentimes, I end up saying the wrong words from my bed, which brings me grief later. (Unless both of us completely forget the conversation, since it was too early!)

 

Roma is a pure sweetheart. She is innocent, peaceful, and sensitive. She is my best friend above all others. Yet we are different. So sometimes I communicate with her in the wrong way. Sometimes my bad day spoils her good day. Sometimes the thoughts and feelings in my heart spoil her perfect cheerfulness and contentment.

 

What do I strive to practice and encourage other older sisters (or twins) to practice? Girls, be sensitive to your younger sisters’ (or twin sisters’) feelings. Be careful when communicating. Spend lots of time with her, but leave her alone when she needs it. Be enduring—be patient. Find her love language and demonstrate it to her with your best effort.

 

Jewish proverb: “Those who tease you, love you.”

(Left to right) Bianca, Roma, Rubia.

That proverb was one I took from the small book I mention called “Moments for Sisters” by Robert Strand. Great little read! Another amazing book I am working my way through is “Making Brothers and Sisters Your Best Friends” by Sarah, Stephen, and Grace Mally.

 

Q. What is a Parent’s dream for their children?

A. Of course, one would think, “Best friends!”

Q. Does that usually happen?

A. Well…..it’s a rare gem.

Q. But is that possible?

A. This blog post was meant to tell you, “Yes!!!”

Q. What do I believe to be one of the most powerful testimonies to one’s Christian faith?

A. The way he/she values/treats family! Why? Because the way he values his immediate family is the way he values his church family, which is the body of Christ. And if there is unity in the body of Christ, we can expect to be able to effectively communicate the Gospel.

 

Scripture references: Psalm 133:1; Prov. 11:24-25, 12:16; Prov. 14:26, 29-30; Prov. 15:23; Prov. 17:17; 1 Cor. 13; 1 Thess. 5:11; Matt. 5:7-9, 7:3, 20:26-28; Luke 23:34a.

 

Bible stories: Gen. 4; Gen. 27:41, chap. 33; Gen. 45; Matt. 18:21-35.

 

Busy Times

Hello readers! I am so sorry for the lack of posts around here this past week. We have been busy with graduations, birthdays, a garage sale, babysitting, and more. Hopefully later this week we'll get some posts up. Thanks for your patience! :-)

My Parents

My Parents in Rome, Italy

~Posted by Ben

This is my blog post for the month. And since we are in-between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, I thought I would do a tribute to my wonderful parents Mark and Betsy.

                              

My parents recently celebrated 25 years of marriage with a trip to Italy. In 25 years they have finished grad school, held multiple jobs, lived in 7 places in 4 states, owned 5 homes and had 5 kids! Needless to say, God has done A LOT in their lives over the past 25 years. I have been blessed to witness the last 17 of those 25 years. I have seen them go through times of joy and times of sadness, times of peace and times of stress, and they have stuck together for better or for worse, for rich and for poor, in sickness and in health…and will stay together until death do they part. For them, marriage was not a contract, but a covenant made before God.

Sadly, we live in a world of fractured families. Our world is plagued with divorce, single parent homes (particularly single mother homes), illegitimate children, and in very rare cases, even homosexuals raising adopted children. It is becoming less and less common to find families that are intact; families as God designed them. I remember as a little kid having friends who came from homes with divorce or were being raised by only one parent (I actually still have friends like that, I think we all do). I did not view myself as superior to them simply because I came from an intact family, but I remember feeling sorry for them. Sorry that they did not have both a dad and a mom in their lives. I couldn’t imagine life with either a mom or dad. Or a life where I had both parents but they did not live together. I could not imagine the feeling of knowing that my parents weren’t together anymore because they no longer loved each other.

I’ve been blessed by God to grow up with the security that I will never have to experience that pain. But I pray for those who do. I’m not inferring that it is impossible for a person who has grown up in this situation to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives and live in a godly manner. God’s grace is sufficient to use people from difficult backgrounds for His glory. But it is still not the design He had for families.

I have been blessed to be raised in a family where my parents truly loved each other and loved us and taught us to love one another. My parents have worked overtime to insure that we are being raised to love God and others above ourselves. To love one another with a sacrificial love that cares for others’ needs above our own. To love people the way Jesus loved people. Not just in word, but in deed (I John 3:18). They taught us that love is a verb, not just an emotion. This kind of love is what has given me great security over the years. No matter what came our way, I knew that our family would band together and by God’s power make it through anything that life threw at us. I thank my parents for being who they are. For loving us, for caring for us, for teaching us the ways of God, and for instilling in us Biblical ethics such as the fruit of the spirit. Above all, I thank them for setting an example for my siblings and me of what a family who follows God looks like. They showed us what must be done to preserve a Christian heritage in a time of sinfulness and compromise. I thank them for showing me Christ in their lives.

Mother’s Day has passed, Father’s day is approaching. I would encourage you to give thanks to God for the parents He gave you. Not because they are perfect, but because He knew that you need them in your life. I encourage you to thank your parents for all that they’ve done in your life. For the example they’ve set, and for loving you even when you weren’t always easy to love. I thank God for my parents, and will do so every day that I live! God bless you all!

Sunset Photo Shoot

Tonight I had the opportunity to go out on a sunset photo shoot! I just love the “golden hour.”

Heads of grain in a nearby field.

It’s not “knee-high-by-the-4^th-of-July” here in Texas. No, this corn is almost 6 feet tall and it’s only June 4^th! J

Greenery.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: I love Texas.

A beautiful, wild Texas rose.

The Roman Road

Standing on a 2000-year-old Roman road, Rome, Italy. May 2014

 

“Watch the path of your feet

And all your ways will be established.”

Prov. 4:26

 

~ posted by Betsy