SA Chamber Gala

This past Friday I attended my first SA Chamber Gala. It was held at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa & was soooo beautiful.

 

My beautiful boss lady, Tuesdae.

 



Melissa & I

 



Some of the Chamber Staff.

 



 

Membership Department.

Before it all started, selfie :)

Let the pleasure reading begin!

Now that I am on winter break from graduate school, below are three books I plan to read for the following month. I am a huge reader & since August I have been only been able to read for school (but I did squeeze in to read Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy this past October...I cried!)

Hellooo pleasure reading season! 

I'm Down is a memoir by the American author Mishna Wolff, as she relates her experience of being white while growing up in a predominantly African-American neighborhood and having a different financial situation and culture than the other white children than the ones at her upper class, private school filled with mostly white kids. She fights for acceptance in her neighborhood as she is perceived as "too white" while she struggles with acceptance (and accepting others) in her prestigious school. Mishna has trouble dealing with bullying from her peers, meeting the expectations her father sets for her (no matter how unusual they seem), the pressure she puts on herself, and learning who she is while society is pushing and pulling her into what they want her to be. She competes with the children in her neighborhood to be the funniest, the meanest, and the toughest while she strives to be rich, successful, and seemingly carefree like her school friends. When she returns home to her father and his any girlfriends and potential wives, she suppresses her school side to impress her father, while at her mom's house and at school she suppresses her neighborhood life to appeal to her mother. The theme of the book is the conflict she faces as she discovers two very different cultures and how they clash in her own life while she is stressed to discover herself as well. She spends the book (her life) trying to figure out which culture, which household, which side of the family she belonged to.

A tongue-transforming question-and-answer workbook that will challenge readers to ask themselves if their mouth is saved. The fill-in-the-blank format filled with Scripture references and the answer key in back will ignite renewal in the readers' minds and empower them to "master their mouths".

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown... Have you ever witnessed a Lady? Not a woman, but a Lady. She’s a girl by birth, woman by maturity and Lady by choice. Do you remember how the sight of a Lady made you feel? Did she smile at you? Could you feel her warmth? Do you remember her scent of comfort and truth? Can you recall how difficult it was explaining what you witnessed when she strolled by? Her high heels were music; her stride was a song. She walked in greatness influencing nations with each step. Do you remember the first time you saw a Lady? Well, when was the last time you saw her? Her story isn’t being told. Her legacy is being watered down and society is taking notes. She’s much more than a victim with hips. “GENTLEWOMAN“ sets out to explore the demise of femininity and class in contemporary society. Unlike any other book, the author shares a lifetime of relevant research and insight that will inform, educate and empower womanhood. The book is fresh, fun and sexy uncommon sense advice designed to facilitate a necessary conversation amongst the sexes that leads to real solutions. Oh, and a man wrote it!

Lessons from the storm

We would like to believe that if we do exactly what God requires, everything will always go smoothly. Not necessarily true. Sometimes following God can be inconvenient, difficult, even downright painful. Throughout history, many followers of God have experienced all sorts of trouble and persecution. God does not promise to bail us out of every uncomfortable situation but does assure us that He will be with us throughout our difficult times. 


"We are pushed hard from all sides. But we are not beaten down. We are bewildered. But that doesn't make us lose hope. Others make us suffer. But God does not desert us." 
2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Unashamed Tour 2013 - Dallas

This weekend definitely makes it to the top of one of the best weekends of 2013. Nayomi, Chuy, Brian & I drove up to Arlington to attend the Unashamed Tour 2013 featuring Lecrae, Tedashii, Andy Mineo, Derek Minor & KB. Nayomi accompanied me in my car as we drove to Arlington jamming out to 80's & other "genres," LOL. We checked into the hotel, which was sweet "suite!" Then took off for a late lunch to Plucker's Wing Bar to have great sweet tea & wings! Afterwards we went back to the hotel & closed my eyes for 10 minutes & got ready to head out for the concert. We waited outside of College Park Center (UTA) in the cold for 2 hours! It was quite entertaining...but luckily we got there early enough to be close to the glass doors. As we entered, Nayomi & I literally ran down the stairs to get good floor spots, totally left Brian & Chuy behind (sorry but not sorry guys, lol.) We were about 3 rows behind the front stage & were uncomfortably close to people. Funniest thing I heard a girl say before the concert: "Someone is going to contract something for being so close to each other!" No kidding. As the concert began, they all came out first and shot a live video for the tour song "Now they know." There was lots of jumping & dancing - I don't remember EVER sweating that much in my life.

The most memorable part:
As Andy Mineo performed "Uno Uno Seis" I was totally regretting not bringing my Puerto Rican flag  since I saw a few people who did. Towards the end of the song Andy decided to do a dive jump in the crowd. Well, he dove into the crowd, and while carrying him over I then found myself on the floor with 15 + on top of me. I got elbowed in the head and couldn't hear for a few seconds - so scary! Luckily as everyone got off me a few guys helped me up & I lost Nayomi after that but found her at the end. Would I do this again? YES!


Despite getting elbowed in the eye & head, trampled under Andy Mineo's dive jump/mosh pit, and lost a favorite earring...Unashamed Tour was beyond awesome & unforgettable!!!

    Left to Right: KB, Andy Mineo, Derek Minor, Lecrae & Tedashii

This guy had no idea - Grateful Apparel.

Brian, Chuy, Nayomi & I standing outside waiting to get in.


Video Footage from my iPhone

"Ayo" - Andy Mineo

You Are Good Enough

Strongly dislike to see people think they are not good enough. You are. You are good enough because He made you. Don't measure how beautiful/handsome you are to Instagram/Facebook likes or daily compliments. You are God's creation and He wondrously made you. 

I struggled with this for years. I would cry myself to sleep in middle school because people would tell me flat out - you're ugly! I would then realize since I was so unhappy with my outside appearance I was ugly on the inside - I became bitter and angry towards people with their attitudes and comments, especially with all the moving. I would fight verbally & argue continuously. I felt like people put standards on me not even GOD would ever put on me. I got to the point and remember praying to God if I can't be pretty physically then change me inwardly to be like You so I can be some kind of beautiful. This was obviously not an overnight process - it took time. 

But one must remember, a beautiful outside can't conceal a broken, ugly, inside. Make up and masks are temporary. They eventually come off. Some of the prettiest women/handsomest men get no attention. And I think God likes it that way. His best is sometimes hidden. 

#keepthatincheck #youaregoodenough #choosejoy

10 Beauty Habits You Should Be Doing Every Night

I came across this article & found it quite useful & actually put some things to practice last night. It turns out your body can do serious work for you while you sleep-you just have to give it a little help along the way.

1. Remove your makeup — all of it. For real.
The most important thing to do to wake up looking fresh is to remove all of your makeup before bedtime. That means leftover mascara, lip color — EVERYTHING! This ensures that your pores will be clean and your eyes free of leftover gunk. I definitely do this every night, if not I just feel oily & dirty!

2. Use two pillows
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Prop your head up on an extra pillow to prevent puffiness. You can also prop up the head of your bed on 2- to 4-inch pieces of wood. “This is a time when gravity helps you with lymph and blood flow so fluids won’t accumulate under your eyes and in your face.” How interesting! I have 2 pillows but recently started using 1 because my neck hurt from having it so high. Guess it may be time to go back to 2 pillows to reduce puffiness!

3. Do a spot treatment…with a purifying mask.

You can use it to target acne and rosacea pimples, and leave it on overnight.

4. Turn on a humidifier.


A barrier repair moisturizer (containing ingredients such as ceramides and cholesterol) combined with an air humidifier in your bedroom produces durably hydrated, plump skin which is more resistant to irritants and allergens but also to appearing dry and fine-lined. By working on your skin’s hydration overnight, you can skip daytime moisturizer altogether or choose one that’s lighter since heavier moisturizers don’t tend to wear as well under sunscreen or makeup.

5. Go to town with hand cream.

Moisturizing your hands with a thick, plain, somewhat greasy hand cream will keep your hands and fingernails looking their best first thing in the morning. Hands get dried out throughout the day with exposure to dry air and excessive washing, and few of us apply hand cream with every water exposure as we should. Night is a chance to try to undo some of the damage, which will also keep cuticles and fingernails moisturized so they will grow longer and stronger and break and peel less.

6. Sleep on a luxe pillowcase
.
Wash your hair with a silicone-free shampoo and use a silk pillowcase—sleeping on a silk or satin pillowcase also helps your hair’s overall health. Fibers on most cotton pillows are rough against the hair cuticles. Don’t want to splurge on silk? Changing a cotton or linen pillowcase every one to two days can also bring an improvement.

7. Pin your hair back
.
Your hair contains oils and dirt that can get on your face and pillowcase and cause breakouts. Braid your hair or pin it up into a bun to keep it off your face as you sleep.

8. Get 6-8 hours of sleep.

Catching a good night’s sleep can really effect the way you look. Sleep can reduce dark circles because a lack of sleep compromises your body’s circulatory system and you get stagnant blood in the vessels under the eyes because it hasn’t properly drained.

9. Try a leave-on exfoliator
.
While you sleep, the skin is working its hardest to repair itself says Teresa Stenzel. It’s the best time to apply leave-on exfoliators, to give the ingredients time to absorb and correct daily damage to the skin caused by UV exposure and environmental aggressors.

10. Use eye cream
.
No doubt you’ve heard it a million times, but eye cream is important. Start using great moisturizers and eye cream at night (even if you’re in your 20s). When the morning rolls around, your skin will be plump and hydrated.

Reference: StyleList - http://www.stylelist.com/view/10-beauty-habits-you-should-be-doing-every-night/?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl15|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D407445#!slide=1293272&a_dgi=aolshare_twitter

Make everywhere a beautiful place...

Whether you've traveled the world, or stayed in the same place all your life, it-is-beautiful. Or at least we should say that to ourselves. In the moment you may be tired of the place God has placed you due to boredom, tired of the people around you, unhappiness, etc., but we are where we are to prepare us for the next place we are to go. We should make every place beautiful because when we look back on that time and season 25 + years from now we will miss it and wish we could go back. I find myself missing all the places I've lived (Visalia, Lawrenceville, Mesquite). Those moments of unhappiness when living in those places are there and remembered but cannot replace the cherished memories that were made there & the people I came across. In each of those cities, schools, congregations I learned lessons that have impacted me to face what I face today in San Antonio. Instead of seeking for a beautiful place, make your present place beautiful and memorable.

ISTJ - Introverted, Sensing, Thinker, Judger - that's me!

Over the past few years as an undergrad they ask us to take the famous Myers-Briggs Personality Test. Once again, now in graduate school, they ask me to take it again & I get the same personality profile. Once seeing below you'll understand why I am the way I am, haha! Let me reiterate this is NOT a horoscope. Eso no es de Dios!

 

The ISTJ personality type is the second most popular one (11.6% of the U.S. population). “Only the facts, please” is their motto – ISTJ personalities respect facts greatly and tend to accumulate a lot of information in their own memory.

ISTJ strengths

• Jacks of all trades. ISTJ personalities tend to be very observant and good with facts. They often know something about everything and that internal encyclopedia often proves to be very useful in challenging situations.
• Strong-willed and dutiful. ISTJs are willing to work very hard to make sure that they fulfill all their obligations. People with this personality type are patient and determined individuals who always keep the end goal in sight.
• Very responsible. A promise means everything to an ISTJ. They would rather work overtime and lose sleep than fail to deliver the result that someone else is expecting. ISTJ personalities also tend to be extremely loyal, putting their duties above everything else.
• Good at creating and enforcing order. ISTJs loathe chaos and always seek to come up with some kind of structure or a set or rules, regardless of what they do. They also do not shy away from enforcing the existing regulations and have zero tolerance for rule breakers.
• Calm and practical. ISTJ personalities very rarely lose their temper, always approaching things from a calm and rational perspective. They believe that emotions should not be part of the decision-making process and always have their feet firmly on the ground. Not surprisingly, this also makes ISTJs quite resistant to criticism (in most situations).
• Honest and direct. ISTJs strongly dislike mind games, reading between the lines and emotional manipulation. They do not mince their words and prefer an inconvenient truth over a reassuring lie.

ISTJ weaknesses

• Stubborn. ISTJs often find it difficult to accept a different opinion, especially if it is not based on easily verifiable facts. They also tend to be reluctant to accept changes or acknowledge that they were wrong, especially if that affects their lifestyle or habits.
• Insensitive. ISTJ personalities prefer logic over emotions and often see the latter as irrational and distracting. Consequently, they may unknowingly hurt people who are more sensitive (e.g. Feeling (F) types).
• Judgmental. From the ISTJ’s perspective, facts are all that matters. If someone is unwilling to accept those facts or simply does not know them, the ISTJ may find it difficult to respect that individual, especially if they refuse to acknowledge that their opinion is wrong.
• Always by the book. People with the ISTJ personality type like having a clear set of rules and guidelines – however, this often results in them being reluctant to bend those rules or try something new. As already mentioned above, ISTJs cannot stand chaos and may feel lost and vulnerable in an unfamiliar, unstructured environment.
• May often unreasonably blame themselves. Their strong sense of duty often makes it difficult for ISTJs to relax and stop overloading themselves with work. Sooner or later, the workload becomes unbearable and then the ISTJ may feel terrible for failing to fulfill what they see as their duty.

Faithfulness

After leaving early from work today due to being sick I pondered about faithfulness. A few weeks ago I recall questioning if continuously being faithful to God would ever be worth it. 

So what does it even mean to be faithful to God? Does it mean perfect performance in terms of morality? How about perfect church attendance? Could it mean a perfect habit of prayer? God's Word indicates that he does NOT measure faithfulness with checklists or record-keeping ledgers, but in the context of covenant relationship. When we are selfless and responsive to the needs of people, the Lord interprets our actions as faithfulness. He is more interested in how much compassion you have in your heart than in how many times you've been to church this year. When our vision gets blurred by adversity and conflict and time seems to drag on, our ability to hang on to the promises of God bring Him joy and glory.

In fact, God is more concerned with your willingness to trust Him than He is any part of your performance. Your loyalty to God is determined by your faith in His promises, particularly when it requires waiting through bleak and troubled times. 

Remember that faithfulness is not measured in perfection and performance, but in endurance. 

Read Titus 3:5
"He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit."

P.S. - The songs below are on repeat, foreal. Check 'em out & be blessed!

"Cornerstone" - Hillsong

"Break Every Chain" - Tasha Cobbs 

....Now back to my 3 essays due this week. #gradschoollife #nolife

South Texas Corn Maize - Hondo, TX

Our youth group made a 40 minute trip out to Hondo, TX to visit the South Texas Corn Maize. About 30 of us went, it was a great group and we had a great time! 

Highlight: Our Assistant Pastor kissed a pig!

Be all you can be :)

Ever think if you'll ever reach your full potential and lived your best for the good of others? You want to know you are leaving a significant mark in this life, right? When God made us, He did not stop at our physical body. He made our soul & spirit. He put dreams & desires in us that He wants us to accomplish. He is able to inspire our creativity (when you feel like you have not an inch of it, like me) so you'll reach new levels. He is able to guide and direct us in ways that make you the best "you" you can be. Listen & connect with Him.

Key Bible Verse: "You, OH LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head." Psalm 3:3

New York City - August 3, 2013

Better late than never! Such a memorable trip! My parents & I went to the Church of God Hispanic Congress in Allentown, PA & I had the brilliant idea of mapping the distance between Allentown, PA to NYC. I have always wanted to go to NYC & now that we seemed close I HAD to go! After mapping it, it is only 1 hour & 35 minutes, so I begged my Dad & we made the trip! On our way there it was raining heavily and I was beginning to feel bummed out figuring it would limit our activities in NYC. Honestly, I began praying in the car, "Jesus, you're making it possible for us to go here, please bring favor & some sun." Once arriving in NYC it was cloudy & once we got off to do some sightseeing we bought umbrellas. & of course once buying them it STOPS raining & the sun comes out!!! The weather was windy, cool & amazing! So perfect! Here are a few photos from my day trip to the Big Apple -  NYC :)

National September 11 Memorial & Museum

Ready to sightsee NYC!

Empire State Building

Times Square, it exists!



Flatiron Building

Stoked to be at Times Square!

Parents ready to sightsee!

Times Square at night, beautiful!

Revamp, Renew, Restore, Revitalize...you get it.

Hello friends/bloggers/strangers! 

I have decided to revamp this page! After receiving my Bachelor's degree in 2012 in Communication, I believe I was called to communicate something to each person I have come across. God willing I can communicate something positive & edifying to you as you read through my blog. 

Peace & blessings!