A Quote...

“For beautiful eyes, 

look for the good in others; 

for beautiful lips, 

 speak only words of kindness; 

and for poise, 

 walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

~Unknown

What you should eat from Mexico!

Ok, so I have been thinking lately of some of the things that taste way better in Mexico than here is the U.S, sounds odd huh? 

Well, for starters lets talk about Paletas! My Favorite! 

These Popsicles are like ice cream on a stick! They are creamy and rich with fresh fruit. Mmmmm.... They are the bomb! And just so ya know, ya don't have to get a plane ticket to get one! Albertsons recently started selling them in a chest freezer, which made me happy!

The other thing that is way better there than here is Nutri-Grain Bars.

Didn't see that one coming huh? 

Well let me tell you, the ones in Mexico have a flaky.... breading? I don't know what to call it, but the bread part on the outside is not mushy like here. It's just crisp and buttery. Almost like it's more fresh :)

The fruit is obviously way better there! Fresh Mangos and Coconuts! 

This is literally how they give you a coconut there:

 Yup, you just drink that pure awesomeness through that there straw :) 

And you can't forget the watermelon!

Well, I think that is mango with it in the picture above, but that is how they serve it! If you don't want chilli on it then you have to ask specially fore them to not put it on, because most people like it that way :)

Well that concludes this random post, next time you visit Mexico be sure to try all these! :D

Until Next Time,

Sing A Song Weekened

So I was at school the other day when one of my friends gave me one of her ear-buds and had me listen to a song, which I have loved ever since! So I thought I would share it with you :) Enjoy!

Blessings,

~Adriana

Jump Into Spring!

So I have been looking forward to spring lately, and therefore I decided to update my blog to show the excitement I have for the sun to shine and the flowers to bloom ♥

Hope ya like! :)

Blessings,

Did you know....

That it is National Tea day? Yep, it's official. I now declare to day as National Tea Day, meaning you all should go grab a cup ;)

Ok, that may be a bit on the dorky side, but I wanted to write something a bit more entertaining though for once. Seriously though.... You should have a cup! Yum.... :)

So really this post is just going to be a spur of the moment picture post, hope ya enjoy!

~♥~

As you know I love tea, which means that I absolutely adore Tea Partys! These sandwiches are sooooo cute!!!!

^Love^

I also love baking, and so these really inspired me!

^Those are teeny Oreos that they used to garnish with^

Alright, I am so going to do this!!!!

^This picture just made me smile :) ^

I so want to do this when I have a Kitchen!

^Very Creative!^

Moving on from food.... ;)

This Room just totally says me all over it!!!

^A touch more of Purple would make it perfect!^

This is such a beautiful hairstyle!

^A must try!^

So Cool!

And I would love to have a pair of boots like this!!!

^So cute!^

This dress is so cute and purple, what's not to love?!

And Lastly,

^This is just so elegant!^

~♥~

So that is the end of my picture musings...until next time ;) 

Blessings,

The Joy of Singles Awareness Day

As I write this I am surprised at myself for I have refused all these years to call Valentines Day Singles Awareness Day, yet I just felt it was so fitting for this post. 

I have often viewed Valentines Day as a day of roses and chocolates. I remember always wishing I had a special someone, or even "you-know-who" send me a valentine. Yet this year is a different time for me. I am actually very happy to not have to deal with all that stuff. Your probably thinking I have three heads right about now, I mean, what girl doesn't want some cutie pie knocking on their door with a bouquet of roses?

Well I have been reflecting a lot lately on how I used to always want to be married. I dreamed of getting married right after high school, which is approaching very soon as I speak. Yet I think now of how I have so many dreams and desires: I want to be free to start my career and move on with my life. I long for independance, and as horrible as it seems, I think that a dude would only be a hinderance to my life. If I had some guy that I had to spend time with then I think I'd go crazy, just because I really want to just be my own person at this time.

Something that has come to realization to me is that relationships require so much work. I feel as though I am struggling now with the relationships that I do have and trying to maintain them when I have so much going on at this time. And boyfriends require even more time because that is a somewhat-romantic type of relationship where you try to get to know each other on more than just a friendship level.

So all in all this Valentines day has been one focused on the love for my family and being ever so grateful that I don't have a dude right now. Although I still want to get married eventually, I also really want to be able to live out my dreams and do the things that God has created me to be capable of doing. When the time is right though I know that God will bring me back to that desire of wanting to have a relationship with someone, but until then I am excited to move on with my life and continue to just be me :)

I wish all of you though a Happy Valentines Day!

And if you do have a special someone then I hope that you enjoy this holiday together ♥

Love,

A Busy Weekend

Hello!

So this weekend was really busy for my family because it was my Grandpas 80th birthday!!! My family provided the meal though so I spent all of Saturday in the kitchen cooking and prepping everything for Sunday. It resulted though in a beautiful cake that I thought I would share the picture and recipe of with you:

~Strawberry Cake~

This cake is Gluten, Potato, Dairy (except butter), & Soy Free. 

My little sister has many allergy's so I have learned to bake things for her ♥

Well anyways, so that's what I baked and was very happy with, 

it tasted scrumptious! 

Have a blessed day,

S.A.S Weekend

This is a song that has been on my mind while writing the two posts this week, and my friend Annie commented about this song as well. Therefore, I thought I would share it with all of you since I think it goes well with the theme of having empathy and being selfless, and overall loving people as Jesus would.

Blessings,

Adriana Castillo

Empathy

This is another sequel type post, which goes hand-in-hand with my previous one about selfishness. I have found a struggle of empathy within me. I get annoyed sometimes when people start telling me about how so-and-so broke up with them and I tend to just want to tell them to toughen up and deal with it. I know that this is not the right response to such scenarios, yet I honestly don't understand peoples minimal issues sometimes and am a little to selfish to take the time to give that persons issue valid concern or even pray for them.

So I have been working with God to have understanding for people. I have found that when I listen to peoples issues, they are more open to me and will usually share struggles that go beyond just everyday tiffs.

We have empathy for someone when we try to understand what someone is going through even though we haven't gone through it. It's important to have empathy as Christians because that is what we are called to do, to show people that love just as Jesus would. Jesus never said "Dude, that's your issue so scram!", yet that is sometimes what I do, maybe not by saying so, but gesturing the same meaning.

So what do we do to resolve such lacking? What I've been doing is praying and asking God that even if I don't understand a persons problems, that He can just give them love and bring them aware of His presence. It's still hard though because I am still sometimes unsure of what to say in response, but I know though that I can care for these people as Jesus would by just listening and praying for them.

Here is a verse to reflect upon:

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 

~1 Peter 3:8

We are to have compassion and be tenderhearted to those around us even when we don't understand.So join with me in this journey of validly listening to the issues of those around us, so that we can love others just as Jesus would.

Blessings,

The Cost of Thinking of Thyself

God has really been working on me these past few weeks as I try to resolve different problems in my  life, one of which is Selfishness. Often times I think of myself alone. I don't always take the time to think of others and am selfish in that way. Last Friday though I had a major reality check that really made me examine how selfish I had been.

It was our church's winter retreat and we were on our way to the beach in a big van. My friend, let's call her Sally, was sitting with me during the ride. Her and I have never been super close friends, partially because she is a very closed type of person and we only interact once a week. Never the less, we have been friends for the past year. During the car ride we somehow got to talking about our personal lives and she started telling me about how her parents came home with divorce papers and there was a lot of other stuff that had really been eating up at her. What really hit me though was that she told me, that three weeks ago, she was about to take her life. She was so near the breaking point that she was willing to end her own life.

It rattled me that a friend of mine almost committed suicide and yet I never saw it coming. I didn't take the time to talk to her about her personal life or seek to understand the hurt that she was going through. It was one of those times where you just feel your heart sink and it made me think of how I was so self centered that I didn't take the time to seek the needs of my friends and I almost lost that friend.

This has weighed heavy on my mind ever since. I am glad though that she shared this with me because I think it is something that God will use to impact my life. Not only can I now be there for my friend, but it has also alerted me of how there are so many other people that are struggling with things and that I need to be there more for those that I really care about. And even those that I don't know, I need to show Jesus's love towards them even if it's just being polite at the Grocery store, or helping a little girl tie her shoes. Even the little things count and people will recognize that genuine God-filled-spirit that is shining through you. It may just brighten there day or encourage them.

~♥~

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves

Philippians 2:3

All I can say to you is to examine your own lives and ask yourself if you are thinking only of yourself as I was. I can't say much more for I am still going through this myself, but I hope that this will encourage you to be there for your friends and those around you.

Blessings,

S.A.S. Weekend

This is a song based off of the story of Ruth and Naomi. It has such a clear message of how, just like Ruth followed Naomi, we are to follow God.

Hope you enjoyed,

Adriana Castillo

Being Happy for Others

Last time I wrote it was about joy. Well this post goes hand-in-hand with the previous one. Not only are you to be filled with joy, but it is also part of our christianity that says that we are to rejoice for others.Now it is easy to be happy for your best friend when she (or he) has something wonderful happen. It's not so easy now to rejoice for those that have hurt us in some way.
My struggles have been dealing with people that I feel hurt by. Not physically, of course, I'm talking about emotionally. This qualifies people that are rude to you, mean, or have hurt someone close to you {such as family and friends}. Our first instinct when something good happens to these people is to be filled with rage. At least for me it is. Sometimes I will think stuff like "If everyone knew how mean they really where then nobody would want to be around them or nice to them" or other mean thoughts.
Well first of all these types of thoughts are shadowed by jealousy, although that is a completely different matter to be talked about another time. Secondly, why is it that I am persecuting those whom are being blessed? It is not my place to judge. I am not the one to say whether they deserve this or not. What I am called to do though is rejoice for them.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 

Romans 12:15

Rejoicing for those that I feel like are my 'enemys' is one of the hardest things I have had to learn. What I have found though, is that when I rejoice for those people, or stop mid-mean-thought to pray for them; I am much more happy and filled with less bitterness. Thinking such thoughts can be like carrying a lead weight, yet when you lift your hurts up to God and ask Him for peaceful thoughts it's like weight has been removed.

In the bible Jesus tells us to let him carry our yoke, so that we can carry His:

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Mathew 11:29-30

So I encourage you to let go of the hurts you feel towards those that have hurt you and show the love towards them that Jesus has shown towards us. 

Many Blessings,