curate and celebrate

AWAKEN AND RENEW

God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it.  For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God.  For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said,

“In my anger I took an oath:    ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’

even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.”

So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted:

“Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.”

Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

Hebrews 4:11 NLT

Photo taken by my brother

TWEAK AND NOURISH

CHEF'S DELIGHT: OMELETTES.

It's such a wonderful weekend surprise when my husband takes charge of cooking breakfast giving me a break from my usual oatmeal routine! Last month, he truly outdid himself by surprising me with not just one, but two absolutely divine omelettes that were inspired by the flavors of soufflés and Spanish cuisine. One omelette was a light and airy delight filled with a simple mix of tomatoes and onions, while the other was a mouthwatering Spanish tortilla de patatas featuring thinly sliced potatoes, onions, and the addition of mushrooms. The rich and perfectly seasoned tortilla de patatas instantly transported us back to the unforgettable flavors we experienced at Boqueria in DC. What a delightful culinary adventure it was!

Fluffy Omelette

Tortilla de Patatas

CREATE AND EVOLVE

MORE BOOK SLEEVES FOR YOUNG READERS: AVA, ZOE, AND A CAT MAMA

Wow, I had an absolute blast picking out the perfect complementary fabrics, buttons, and elastic for these vibrant book sleeves! Even if you're not into sewing, every sewist knows the joy of having a collection of buttons and, of course, a variety of fabrics on hand. It's all part of the creative process to spread out those buttons on the work surface, searching for just the right one for the project. Once the perfect button is chosen, it's back into the jar with the rest, ready for the next sewing adventure!

ENLIGHTEN AND IGNITE

THE FERTILE SOIL OF THE COMPOST BED: WILD GROWTH OF SQUASH.

When my husband and I returned from our exciting back-to-back trips earlier this year, we were absolutely amazed to discover a flourishing abundance of squash in our compost garden bed! Despite the 4 acorn squash being inedible due to bugs, the unexpected growth was truly a delightful surprise. Every time I toss various seeds, vegetable, and fruit scraps into the compost bed, it's like a magical adventure waiting to unfold with unexpected sprouts and thriving plants!

And let me tell you, the towering sunflower was an absolute showstopper among them all!

REFOCUS AND DELIGHT

GLEANINGS ON FAITH: 2 PETER 1: 3-11

GROWING IN FAITH

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

(NLT Version)