Moving...

Well, I'm DONE with my degree (PARTY! *big smile*) so I figured I should "turn over the leaf" and start anew. I'm hoping to blog more (to help arrange my thoughts and continue to do some literary work) so I've created a new blog to go with my new Gmail account!!

www.var-cog-jum-zzz.blogspot.com

Yes, the blog is probably going to be as crazy as the URL link ;-) . I will explain the title, what I'm going to blog, blah blah blah, over there.

Oh and fyi, my pseudonym is Caravyn Jazmin - and yes, it does relate to my real name but just my middle initial :) .

Yesterday was the day I found out that I passed my last test. And yesterday, was also the day I received my CP! alumnus t-shirt!

Cool, isn't it? The back is a little more boring with "I am reinventing college" in Arial font.

Chopin Scherzo No. 1

Why do we keep complaining?

This past Sunday, our pastor shared an extremely touching and convicting video of a man who can look at life with a smile... even looking at a life - without limbs.

Life without Limbs

Here were my thoughts after I watched the movie:


Really, how can I go on in life saying, "Oh, I can't do this because I'm not capable,"? Why do I moan when something is too difficult? I've got both hands AND feet and I can't do some of the things Nick did. How many times have I "failed" to do something because I didn't even TRY it?  How many times have I been too proud to step out and do something for others or been just plain too lazy?  


What things could I have done better in my life?


It's only over when you stop.

~Victoria

SOOO EXCITED!!

WARNING: I'm so excited right now, my post is probably not going to make much sense, but if you get the gist of what I'm saying, you'll understand. :D So - please forgive my grammar, spelling, etc.

Guess what, guess what, guess what?!?!?!?  My mom was just talking with my aunt (her sister-in-law) and our cousin... and guess what?!?!?!?  They both accepted Christ as their SAVIOUR!!!! HALLELUJAH!!! :D :D :D (overdose of smileys here).

Annnd... now she's off the phone.  Basically - there's this (what I think is outdated and just plain stupid) system of, children only being able to get into good middle and high schools if the Dad has connections with school faculty.  Ummm... when was the last time people did that?  SO ANNOYING... Anyways - my Mom gave some testimonies on how God has been leading Alice and me through College exams and courses (never imagined God would use my schoolwork to bring children into His family :D ) and how Jesus could do the same for our cousin (named Lili).  Mother then went on to explain the Gospel completely (Jesus' death and resurrection, our confession and repentance of sins, etc.) and my aunt AND cousin were willing to accept!!!  Albeit, my aunt was somewhat doing it out a rather worldly motive (so her daughter can go to good schools), I mean, how many people do you know accepted Christ just because they didn't want to go to hell?  SO - this is a HUGE beginning!!!  Please pray that they can find a solidly-Bible-founded church that isn't controlled by the government and that we would also be able to help them in their walk with Christ.

Ok, I gotta go practice piano... I don't think I'll be able to concentrate :P  Thanks for reading my rambling... :D

~Victoria

Piano, Chocolate, and Snow pictures

Well - here's the video I said I would post with me practicing piano:

I did not even try to "perform." I played as though the camera were not there... so the wrong notes... er, yeah :P .

For Christmas... we got chocolate from Arizona friends whose Dad had just come back from Switzerland.  The chocolate just tastes Switzerland-ish... very rich with a unique flavor.  And the raisins surprisingly add a nice touch!  And most certainly - they wrap their chocolate more vivdly than Ghirardelli or Lindt. Here are some pictures:

(Sorry that a lot of pictures are not rotated... I uploaded without checking)

AND SNOW PICTURES from December 26th... the last snow of 2010.

Alice said that these birds might be migrating.  Rather late if ya ask me...

Yep - that's me with my flapping hood :P ...

Isn't this house just beautiful?!?!  There are no children to step around in the yard :( ...

Me sitting on the huge snowman part that Jane and I were working on.

The backyard early morning of the 27th...

Well... hope you enjoyed that... I should get back to my family :D

新年快樂!!!!

Cinnamon Dare

Well... I did the cinnamon dare 5 weeks later than I had planned with my CP! friend... and uploaded it onto YouTube, but just got the chance to blog about it :P .
Basically, you get to see me make faces I rarely make.  The cinnamon burned in the beginning and I'm positive it got into my nasal cavity since I duct-taped my mouth.  I will say, it's not NEARLY as bad as the hot sauce we have for dinner or lunch almost everyday, but few people I know can handle that hot sauce :mrgreen: .  The worst things were that it was rather bitter, very grainy, until you got enough saliva for it to stop burning your gums and the mass felt extremely like wet silly putty or extra firm jello or that glue mess you made in pre-school :P .
Anyways - here's the video: (I can't make myself to ask you to enjoy it, because I doubt you will...XP).


And for some reason the video cut, so I did an "ending as well".



Later I hope to upload videos of me playing piano (cause Lil' Es told me to :P ) and perhaps one of our new Taylor guitar, but that may not come until I get the nuts adjusted AND I learn to play the guitar chords without thinking 5 seconds between each chord :roll: ...

2 days, 7 hours, and 46 minutes before the new year!!  :D

~Victoria

12 Rules for Ministers by John Wesley

During winter break, our family is going through this spiritual warrior training thingamajig and the speaker brought up the 12 rules for ministers by John Wesley.  Now, I'm not what I would call a minister, but these rules are definitely applicable to all Christians.  What's really funny is why Wesley made the rules.  Firstly, to provoke other ministers to jealousy. Secondly, to supply the lack of service towards those who are perishing for lack of knowledge.  No wonder people of Wesley's time didn't like him!
Well anyways - here they are:

1. Be diligent. Never be unemployed. Never be triflingly employed. Never while away time, nor spend more time at any place than is strictly necessary.

2. Be serious. Let your motto be: "Holiness to the Lord". Avoid all lightness, jesting, and foolish talking.

3. Converse sparingly and cautiously with women, particularly young women.

4. Take no steps toward marriage without solemn prayer to God and consulting with your brethren.

5. Believe evil of no one unless fully proved; take heed you credit it. Put the best construction you can on everything. you know the judge is supposed to be on the prisoner's side.

6. Speak evil of no one, else your word, especially, would eat as doth a canker; keep your thoughts within your own breast till you come to the person concerned.

7. Tell everyone what you think wrong with him, lovingly and plainly, and as soon as may be else it will fester in your own heart. Make all hastes to cast the fire out of your bosom.

8. Do not affect the gentle man. A preacher of the gospel is a servant of all.

9. Be ashamed of nothing but sin; no not of cleaning your own shoes when necessary.

10. Be punctual. Do everything exactly at the time. And do not mend our rules, but keep them and that for conscience's sake.

11. You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore, spend and be spent in this work. And go always, not only to those who want you, but to those who want you most.

12. Act in all things, not according to your own will, but as a son in the Gospel, and in union with your brethren. As such, it is your part to employ your time as our rules direct; partly in preaching and visiting from house to house, partly in reading, meditation, and prayer. Above all, if you labor with us in the Lord's vineyard, it is needful you should do that part of the work which the Conference shall advise, at those times and places which they shall judge most for His glory.

"Observe, it is not your business to preach so many times, and to take care merely of this or that society, but to save as many souls as you can, to bring as many sinners as you possibly can to repentance, and, with all your power, to build them up in that holiness without which they cannot see the Lord. And remember, a Methodist preacher is to mind every point, great and small, in the Methodist disciplines. Therefore you will need all grace and sense you have, and to have all your wits about you."

Aren't these perfect for new year resolutions?

Note: I've got some things I've been meaning to post, but haven't gotten a chance to.  Hopefully before the new year, I'll post the necessary pictures and Youtube links ;-) .

But if I don't say it in time - Happy New Year everyone!! :D

Paul's prayer for Corinthians

I was reading Colossians today... and I noticed that Paul only had to pray that God would fill His people with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding, and so much would come of it!

Colossians 1:9-14

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.  And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the LORD and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.  For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in who we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

So what exactly happens when God-fills-us-with-the-knowledge-of-his-will-through-all-spiritual-wisdom-and-understanding?

1. We live lives worthy of the LORD.
   (I know mine isn't worthy of the LORD, yet).
   
   
2. We please God in every way. 
   (Mind you! That's every single way possible!).
   
   
3. We bear fruit in every good work 
   (And this is each and every good work you can think of and more!).
   
   
4. We grow in the knowledge of God.
   (We should never feel as if we know God enough).
   
   
5. We are strengthened with all power. 
   (According to His glorious might, which btw, is unlimited ;-) ).
   
   
6. We have great endurance. 
   (Oh don't I wish I had more of that).
   
   
7. We have patience.
   (And this too!).
   
   
8. We joyfully give thanks to the Father.
   (Thanksgiving was just 4 weeks ago and so much to be thankful to God for, already :D).
   

Isn't God's WORD just packed with goodies?? :D

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

~Victoria

And He made the deaf hear...

I knew I forgot to do something yesterday!  I was going to post a praise update... but I forgot :oops:

So guess what?  You'll never believe what I heard on Sunday... :D

There's this little boy at church (almost 3yo) that we'd (as in my parents, some ministers, family, friends, and I) been praying for several weeks.  He had moderate hearing loss (and bad balance when walking).  His hearing loss caused him to also have delayed speech.  In addition to his ear problems, his digestive system was extremely weak.  He eats more than his 5yo brother, but he's about the size of a little 2 year-old.  It's a genetic disorder that doctors can't fix.  Anyway - his parents believed that this child would not grow up impaired but mature into a strong Christian man who would serve God faithfully.  We'd been praying and praying for a while that he would be healed and saw nothing.

Then last week ....  he had a Dr.'s appointment and guess what the doctor said???

Matthew has PERFECT hearing!!  Praise God!!! :D

On the way home, his mom pointed a bridge and said, "大橋 " or "Da Qiao".  All the way home, Matthew repeated "qiao, qiao, qiao."  His father was so touched, he turned off the radio, just to listen to his son talk... such a beautiful sound to his ears.   And this Sunday when I was playing with Matthew - he was walking very confidently and without any swaying at all!

Isn't God amazing?  He never ever fails and He continues to heal today!!!  Now, I'm praying that Matthew will grow to be 1.8m and tell of this miracle to others when he's older. Nothing is too hard for our God :) .

Ok, I'd better get back to studying.  If I don't post before the next 2 Saturdays -

Merry Christmas 

and a 

Happy New Year!!!

~Victoria 

Gospel

If your Gospel isn't touching others, it hasn't touched you, yet.
~Anonymous

Convicting, eh?


~Victoria

Acknowledging God working in your life...

I've joined The Pocket Testament League, which is basically a Gospel Tract organization, that has the actual Gospels of John pamphlets, you can order online and then share with people.  You know how, sometimes when you share the Good News, you really wish you could give them something that they can read or learn from until they get connected with other Christians or a church?  This organization is awesome :D ...

But I did not mean to only give advertisement for TPTL. The other neat thing about them is their Daily Devotional.  Yes, I know - there are millions of websites like that, but since it comes with the tracts, I'd figure I would read them anyway.  Turns out - they're short enough and to the point (I hate it when people beat around the bush to give a simple and practical point) that I can gain quite a bit from them.

Day 17 was about "Celebrating Miracles".  Basically, the guy talked about what it's like when God gives us trials, He leads us lovingly in them, but when we "cross the finish line", we say, "Whew, so glad I got through that by my hard work," or "That was fortunate."  No doubt, God's in heaven, pulling His hair out, screaming, "ACK NEIN! How am I going to get you to acknowledge that I'm working in you!?!?  I love you and I want you to be blessed and in that way, I will be glorified."  Can you sense His disappointment, but oh so great love?  Can't we at least say thank you?  Can we not acknowledge our God is a God of miracles and makes the impossible happen?  It was not chance or my persisting efforts.  It was His mercy, grace, and glory.

For me, like many of my college friends, each test, school assignment, and project is/was a trial.  Isn't it amazing, God just put that lesson in front of me daily?  Sadly, a lot of times I didn't give God praise for leading me through.

Father, YOU guided my hands and cleared my mind as I answered each question and solved each problem of each CLEP, DSST, TECEP, midterm, homework assignment, final exam, project, pop quiz, and lab report.  Every moment was miracle. Glory to You for using me, an ignorant, foolish child.  Praise the LORD!

~Victoria

MORE party in heaven!!

It happened all again tonight.  More little kids were led to Christ tonight.  Some who weren't sure of their salvation and others who had never heard the Gospel.  Unfortunately, I wasn't there as Alice told the Good News using the EvangeCube, since I was downstairs playing piano accompaniment for the adults.  But I was able to pray with the kids. Just did a count, there was a total of 7 kids who joined God's family.  WHOOT!!!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!! HALLELUJAH!!

Cupcake Tour!

Last night, while I was blogging, Jane was busy decorating cupcakes  (Alice did a few). Each one was a work of art - so I figured, I should be nice and share the love :) .  

Note: I had one chance at each of these cupcakes, so forgive the low quality :P ...

General Overview 1

General Overview 2

This one I call "brains", but Jane says it's just "squigglies" :P

Note the change in saturation of brown for the middle ring.

A form of basket weaving?

Jane's second favorite

Frosted leaves

Simplicity

I think Al made this one

Alice likes single or duo tones

MY FAVORITE!!

Twirling leaves

I think this looks like Lion Brand "Homespun" yarn :P It's cool nonetheless.

Jane's attempt to use up the white and light brown

Jane was trying to do a leaf pattern, didn't quite work, but whoever gets this cupcake is getting a lot of icing :) .

Daisy/Sunflower/Black-eyedSusan ... we aren't sure which. It's pretty neat, isn't it?

Boring... jk, I think this was Jane's first and her creative juices weren't flowing yet, heehee.

Jane calls this "fireworks".

JANE'S FAVORITE II

JANE'S FAVORITE I

Braids

Alice said she messed up on this one, so Jane added some white streaks. I think it's original.

This one makes me dizzy...

GRAND OVERVIEW!!

 I apologize for making everyone's salivary glands work so hard.  But, if you'd like, come to my house this evening about 8pm and Jane could share some with you ;-) .  Hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I'll enjoying eating the cupcakes.

*skips away after publishing post*