Bake Something Beautiful

Two Sundays ago, I decided to use my Raspberry Artisan KitchenAid mixer for the first time. I knew that I wanted to bake something beautiful because I was grateful for the new investment that I had. And at that moment, baking something beautiful meant doing these three things:

1.) Making a Raspberry-Vanilla cake

2.) Including fresh Raspberries in it, and

3.) Frosting it with Raspberry Buttercream icing shaped like roses.

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I really enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen that day. Because of the freshly baked cakes, our kitchen smelled like sweet vanilla! Moreover, whipping the buttercream frosting was a breeze because of the KitchenAid mixer.

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However, I did struggle with frosting the cake because I didn’t have much time to let the icing chill in the refrigerator. This resulted to a softer cream which made it difficult for me to pipe roses out of it. After frosting half of the cake, I started to get discouraged because it didn’t seem pretty at all. And at one point, I even told my sister “Maybe I should just smudge the icing on the cake and make it look like an abstract design.”

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I placed the cake in the refrigerator and took a break for a few minutes. A part of me really wanted to smudge the icing, but somehow, I felt like doing it would be a waste of resources because I had a purpose for it. In spite of the discouragement and the cake’s flaws, God allowed me to see the beauty in it and He encouraged me to continue frosting the cake.

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And so, after 10-15 minutes, I got the cake from the refrigerator and started to pipe roses again. The amount of icing was just enough to make three layers of roses and the extra fresh Raspberries that I had were lovely toppings for the cake too.

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By God’s grace, I served the cake to my family after dinner and they genuinely appreciated it! They said that it looked pretty and it tasted good. Woohoo! (Thank you for being so supportive. :) )

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This experience reminded me of three things:

Inspite of our weaknesses and struggles,

1.) God never gives up on us.

2.) God sees the good and beauty in us.

3.) God is constantly at work in our lives.

I realized that many times, it would be more convenient for us to complain and to give up when things don’t go the way we want them to. But, I’m learning to continue doing my best as I put my trust in God because He definitely knows what He’s doing in our lives. And in His perfect timing, I know that He can make beautiful things out of our weaknesses too. :)

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

 Encourage yourself one treat at a time. :)

He Knows Our Heart’s Desires

After more than a decade, God made one of my dreams come true! I finally have my very own KitchenAid Raspberry Ice Artisan mixer! :)

I really praise God for this lovely treat because for the longest time, it has been my heart’s desire to have and use one whenever I bake. Although I knew that it was way over my budget and it wasn’t a necessity, I just admired the thought of being able to conveniently and accurately whip up batches of cookie dough, cake frosting, meringue, and many more.

YAAAAY!
YAAAAY!

 

Interestingly, however, some of my officemates reminded me a few days ago of my desire to have a KitchenAid. I just laughed at the thought and said the usual: “Hahaha. Eh, I don’t have budget for that.” But on my way home, it got me thinking. I then told God: “Lord, is it actually time for me to buy one? I mean, I know there’s a really big sale this month, but do You really want me to get one? Please make it clear.”

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The next day, I assisted my boss with one of his clients’ inquiries regarding KitchenAid mixers. It was cool because while I was coordinating with the KitchenAid department, I had the opportunity to browse through the available mixers on sale and I instantly fell in love with the Raspberry Ice mixer. I then asked the person-in-charge if she knew how many Raspberry Ice mixers on sale were still available. And she said: “We only have one left in the warehouse. If ever, you have until tomorrow to reserve that item.”

By faith, I immediately smiled and said, “Kindly reserve that last stock for me.”

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I was still hesitant about the idea, but somehow God used my dad to confirm my decision when he picked me up from work that day. On our way home, I told him about the sale and the possibility of me getting the item. I then told him about how God has been graciously helping me to save more money since the start of this year. But, I also said that I was still having doubts about it.

At first, I thought that my dad would say: “Wow. It’s so expensive. I suggest that you don’t buy the item.” But surprisingly, he showed interest in what I was sharing and said: “What’s holding you back? Go!” And at that moment, my heart skipped a beat and I felt so much peace afterwards.

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The day after that, I thanked God for the opportunity, got the item, and showed my new baby to my family!

I appreciated this treat so much because it reminded me of how amazing and perfect God’s timing really is:

  • Last November 2012, God taught me the importance of being content and grateful in the kitchen, even if I didn’t have a KitchenAid mixer. (https://encouragingtreats.com/grateful/)
  • Early this year, God challenged me to save money. By His grace, I was able to improve in this aspect and have extra money for this KitchenAid.
  • He made the last Raspberry Ice (which is very similar to my ultimate favorite color: fuchsia) mixer on sale, with a very huge discount, available for me.

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Psalm 21:2 “You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.”

Thank You, Lord, for this awesome, AWESOME treat! I pray that You would use this to be a blessing to others as well. You truly know the desires of our hearts more than we do. Thank You! :)

 

Encourage yourself one treat at a time! :)

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About Me

My name is Nicole Obligacion and I started this blog because I was inspired by Hebrews 10:24 and Hebrews 3:13. I love to eat, cook, bake, read the Bible, and encourage. :)

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