Books & Coffee

Mike has been here...

What makes it more obvious: the books or the coffee cup?

Sunday Afternoon Picnic

It was a beautiful afternoon and I am so glad we had  an excuse to get out and enjoy some of it. After church we met up with Travis and Lydia and headed to the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. These gardens are one of my favourite places in all of the city! And what better way to enjoy it than with a Sunday afternoon picnic with friends?

Travis and Lydia are friends of ours that we have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know especially this semester. They are a couple who passionately love the Lord and love people and this they very contagiously spread on everyone they come in contact with. Although we see them most every day (or at least every other day :)) it was fun doing something besides sitting in separate corners of our tiny apartment studying and reading. Lydia was my partner in crime for making the picnic happen!

Saturday Morning...

flap jacks + coffee + friends 

= a good morning :)

Why does God not show himself?

"You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!" 

--- Yehweh (Exodus 33:20) ---

'Why does God not show himself?' -

'Are you worthy?' - 

'Yes.' - 

'You are very presumptuous, and thus unworthy.' -

'No.' -

'Then you are just unworthy.' 

--- Blaise Pascal ---

"There once lived a people who believed that no man could see God and live. These were the wisest people on earth, not from themselves, but because God chose them...

It is God's mercy and kindness and love, as well as our sin, that hide his face from us."

--- Peter Kreeft ---

"Therefore, having been justfied by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him" ...

"Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may recieve mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

--- Romans 5:1,9, Hebrews 4:16 ---

(*Pascal and Kreeft quoted from Peter Kreeft's book, Chritianity for Modern Pagans, p. 253-54)

Tim Horton's fill-the-gap-er

Every true Canadian dearly misses at least one thing whenever they leave the country: Tim Horton's. (for our family & friends who are insulted by that statement, don't worry, you're on the "we miss list" right next to good ol' Timmy's ;)).

Well, like good Canadians, the other day Mike and I were bemoaning the fact that we must endure this crazy Texas heat without any access to a refreshing and so-delicious Tim Horton's Iced Capp. But the Lord has graciously seen fit to provide for us during this time in which we are outside of the great land flowing with maple syrup and iced capps :). Thanks to Suzanne who discovered and shared the wealth with us, today we enjoyed a Frozen Cappuccino from QT (Quick Tripp). While it is not quite on par with a Timmy's Iced Capp (impossible to match - its kinda like Texas and hockey...leave the ice to the Canadians), it was pretty yummy and it will definitely fill the gap.

Mike loves when I take pictures while he's trying to study - there's some good Canadian sarcasm for you ;)

P.S. If you non-Canadian's cannot understand the depth of our attachment to this place see the following link for greater insight as to the importance and to just how far the Canadians will go to ensure their daily cup of Timmy's: Tim Horton's in Afganistan.

A new venture...

I married the son of an Italian and little did I know but at that time I was also marrying myself to salami, olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, focaccia, pizza, pasta and everything and anything with a little garlic, basil, and parsley. Just a couple of weeks ago he told me that he probably wouldn't have married me if I didn't like balsamic vinegar (jokingly, of course ;)). When visiting Mike's family I often find myself amused by how much of the conversation can center around food; they know their food and they know how to cook it too (and it is delicious)! I thoroughly enjoy cooking for my husband and especially trying to make those things which he particularly loves, although he never complains no matter what I place on the table before him and very rarely leaves a meal without praising it and thanking me for making it (and even periodically joins in the fun of the preparation).

Well, my newest venture has a lot to do with my husband's love of food and has been something I have actually thought about trying to do for over a year now: growing some of my own herbs. Texas gets a lot of sun and our apartment has huge windows facing both east and west so it really is an ideal place and time to try it out. But I know nothing of it; well, nothing except what Google has told me. So hopefully I don't kill them before we can at least enjoy them a little.

Let me introduce you to parsley 1, parsley 2, and basil:

(...if I master these I just might try growing a salami tree - it would sure save us some money! ;)

Not as those without hope

"...that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope." 

--- 1 Thessalonians 4: 13---

 Yesterday I had a divine appointment with a book, a news station, and the Holy Spirit.

While waiting for some work to be done on our vehicle Mike and I were sitting in McDonald's reading and studying. I was working through Alva J. McClain's book The Greatness of the Kingdom and specifically, a chapter on the blessings of the coming kingdom. In the background and frequently distracting me from my reading was picture after picture after video footage after testimony recounting that tragic day that ten years ago shook up and impacted this country so deeply. As I continued reading in between watching I began to realize the stark contrast between the words on the pages of the book and the reality of the events that were being remembered and which are not too far back in my own memory either. In my own little world I realized that I was seeing

the depths of the depravity of man,
the deep mark and consequences of sin upon this world,
and the hopelessness and insecurity that people live in day after day
starkly contrasted with 
the greatness of the Messiah who willing took upon himself the depravity of man,
the One who is coming again to finally remove the effects of sin and to restore this creation to its former glory, and the security and hope that no circumstance of this world, not even death can take from me.

It was one of those moments where I realized anew that there is so much more to this life than this life alone and that I truly am not as one who is without hope! In this is a renewed thankfulness and a refreshed plea in my heart: "Come, Lord Jesus (Rev 22:20), please come quickly!

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Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away..."Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new"...there will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads..."And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book."

--- Revelation 21: 1, 3-5; 22: 3-4, 7 ---

Letter L-ing it from Canada to Texas!

Letter L-ing it across the continent (in honour of the Lorusso name, of course ;)) 

1 province and 7 states, 4 430 km, 46 driving hours, over the span of 8 days...brought us back to our home in Fort Worth, Texas. What sweetened the deal is that we got to share it with friends. John and Jackie Rice mentioned several months earlier that they'd possibly be interested in driving down to Texas with us and we took them seriously...and made an adventure out of it.

On our honeymoon we somehow got stuck in a time-share presentation (after being warned many times prior by my dad to watch out for them :))...we were shocked and annoyed that they especially tried to influence us towards buying with the idea that we NEEDed a vacation place to regularly take our family in the years to come. Since when did our blessings and privileges become needs? I think of this often now anytime that we travel and it has caused me to be even more thankful for opportunities to go places, see things, to enjoy life and the world which God created!

Butte, MT (looked at the copper mine mansions, walked up to the headframes (required trespassing, but after we had been given 'permission' by one of the locals))

Salt Lake City, UT (explored the state building, toured the Beehive house (Brigham Young's historic home), got asked to leave the Beehive house because we wouldn't convert, walked around the Temple square, took pictures of Tim Horton's coffee cups with the statues of the Mormon founders/leaders)

Zion National Park, UT (rode the shuttle through the canyon, drove through a mile-long tunnel, hiked, hung out with the squirrels, nearly died of heat exhaustion)

Las Vegas, NV (walked the strip, explored the hotels and casinos, went outlet mall shopping, relaxed at our cheap and beautiful resort!)

Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV (probably our favourite part of the Vegas chapter - toured the resort, ate at the buffet (thanks Dad&Mom :)), watched the fountain show 2x, watched John and Jackie fight off cockroaches during the fountain show)

Hoover Dam, UT (drove across the dam, toured the power plant and visitor center museum)

Grand Canyon National Park, AZ (rode the shuttle/hiked the rim of the canyon)