Out of the Kitchen – Page 8 – Encouraging Treats

Day 365: A Year without Shopping

“Aaagghh! I don’t have anything to wear! I REALLY NEED to buy more clothes.”

It’s funny how I’ve said this statement a hundred times before while looking at my closet filled with clothes. Unfortunately, since I graduated, I’ve spent a lot of money buying clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories that I didn’t really need. It even became worse when I started working, because I had “an excuse” to dress up everyday. But, God is gracious. 365 days ago, He spoke to me about managing my finances wisely and by His grace, I accepted the challenge of not shopping for at least two months.

INSPIRATION / MOTIVATION

It all started last January 20, 2013, when Ptr. Bong Saquing spoke at our church and shared about God being “The God of the How Much More”. Two of his main points struck me the most:

– Work hard towards contentment. “Contentment is wanting what you already have and not wanting to have everything.”

– Exercise Faith-Giving. “The way we handle our money and time might be the truest indicator of the condition of our hearts.”

When I got home that day, I spent time with God and I told Him that I wasn’t being a good steward of the money He has given me. I also confessed that my savings (in my bank account) dropped big time that year because I was buying new clothes almost every week. And the clothes I bought weren’t really cheap/affordable.

THE CHALLENGE

As a result, God challenged me not to shop unnecessarily for at least two months. This meant not buying new clothes (except underwear), sandals/heels/closed shoes, necklaces, bracelets, accessories, and many more unnecessary items.

RESULTS/LESSONS LEARNED

By God’s grace, He allowed me to fast from shopping for a year! I still can’t believe it! I listed down some of the results and the lessons I’ve learned along the way:

Loss of Appetite for shopping, specifically, unnecessary/excessive shopping. After a few weeks of not shopping, I noticed how I didn’t crave for it anymore, even after walking around malls/shops.
Good practice of Self-control. I remember seeing my sisters and mom buy clothes and shoes numerous times (they even went to Divisoria four times last year!! Haha). But being able to say “no” every time definitely helped me practice self-control.
Savings in my bank account increased by 850%. Yes, by His grace, I have 850% more savings now! Woohoo!! (This excludes the money I used to buy my dream KitchenAid mixer last December 2013. All things are possible with God!)
Dependence on God even in choosing my daily attire. I remember praying for wisdom and provision, especially when I needed certain outfits for different occasions.
Encouraged me not to have debt (e.g. using credit card, spending more than what I have.)
Found my security in Christ and not in my clothes. Every time I got tempted to compare myself or the things I had with others and what they had, God encouraged my heart to be grateful and to see my true worth in Christ.

James 1:5 says “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Looking back, I really don’t regret not shopping for a year. By His grace, I might even extend it. But, today, I just want to celebrate God’s goodness and faithfulness in teaching me how to handle money more carefully/wisely.

If ever you want to do this too in the near future, I’d like to share some tips that helped me survive the past year:

TIPS

Spend time with God. Pray. Read the Bible. Open up your heart to Him. He knows your heart’s desires and struggles and He knows how to lead it.
Get creative! Be resourceful! Learn how to mix and match what you have. Learn how to sew and put rugby/mighty bond on your shoes! (haha. It worked for me.)
If you have siblings/parents, try borrowing some of their clothes too. Thank God for my sisters, mom, and even lola who willingly allowed me to borrow some of their tops. Just make sure to return them in good condition.
Ask yourself if you really need it before buying it. If you don’t trust your judgment yet, try asking your sibling/close friend/parent for a second opinion.
If you can still use it or repair it, don’t buy a replacement. As much as possible.
During your first few days/weeks of not shopping, try not to linger in the stores, especially when there is a sale. Do other activities! Read a book! Chat with a friend over coffee!
Document your progress to encourage you and/or keep yourself accountable to another person. I documented mine by posting on Facebook and Twitter. (e.g. “Day 101”, “Day 143”). It encouraged me somehow.
Clean your closet! Declutter! By the end of the year, you’ll know which clothes/shoes/bags you can sell or give away. If you didn’t use them within that year, try selling them or giving them to others.

One of the verses that inspired me is Psalm 24:1. It says “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…”. It reminded me of being a good steward of God’s resources.

Once we realize that the money we have is not ours but God’s, we think twice or thrice before spending it. Just like what Ptr. Bong said, “The way we handle our money and time might be the truest indicator of the condition of our hearts.”

Encourage yourself one treat at a time!

Growing Broccoli and Cherry Tomatoes

Eight months ago, Nick Vujicic shared God’s word and his testimony during the Unstoppable conference at our church. I will never forget that time because it was a humbling experience for me. Before he ended his talk, he challenged the participants to grow more in their walk with God. And by God’s grace, I took the challenge and surrendered my heart again to Jesus.

On our way home, God randomly encouraged me to plant an actual seed and make it grow. At that time, I realized that God was supporting my desire to grow in my walk with Him and He wanted me to constantly be reminded of it through gardening.

And so, the next day, I bought a new pot, a bag of loose soil, broccoli seeds and I started planting my first vegetable. After watering the two seeds for 10 days, two tiny Broccoli leaves grew and I couldn’t believe my eyes! I loved it! Because I enjoyed the experience so much, I decided to buy another pot, another bag of soil, and a pack of cherry tomato seeds.

I really thank God for the privilege of gardening. He has been gracious in keeping them alive and well since day one and I am always in awe of how He is able to create such beautiful things and make them grow and bear fruit.

I’d like to share with you some of the valuable lessons I’ve learned since I started planting the Broccoli and Cherry Tomato seeds:

FIRST: God makes things Grow in His Perfect Time.

I read in various websites that we can harvest Broccoli and Cherry Tomatoes after two months. However, in my case, I was only able to harvest the tomatoes after seven and a half months and I’m still waiting for my broccoli plants to produce their heads.

It might have been ‘discouraging’ for me to see them grow slowly, but through this, I am reminded by God that He is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. So, if He thinks it’s best for the tomatoes or broccoli to grow and bear fruit immediately, He can and will allow it to happen.

In the same way, there are certain areas in my life where I feel like I’m not growing or progressing as fast as I want to. But, despite this, I am encouraged to trust that God knows best; that He is constantly at work in my life; and that He will allow me to grow into the woman that He wants me to be in His perfect time.

Ephesians 3:20 says: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

SECOND: Growth Requires Discipline and Perseverance.

For the past eight months, I’ve done my best to regularly water the plants. However, I do remember instances (especially at night) when I would deliberately choose to ignore my responsibility and do other things like: sleeping or watching TV series or surfing the internet or sleeping (again). And sadly, when I don’t practice the discipline of watering the plants, giving them fertilizer, and taking out the weeds (which hinder their growth), I end up having unhealthy and unhappy plants.

John Maxwell once said “If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.”

By God’s grace, He has been showing me the importance of discipline and perseverance not only in gardening, but also in my day-to-day activities. If I want to grow in my walk with God, then I must be willing to regularly spend time with Him in prayer and by reading/studying the Bible. I must also learn to constantly remove and let go of the things that hinder me from knowing and loving Him more. In the same way, if I want to grow in my workplace and ministry, I must be willing to go the extra mile and give my best even in the small tasks that I have.

THIRD: Support from Others Help Sustain Growth

I noticed that the main stalk of the Cherry Tomato plant started to bend after five months. When I saw it, I panicked because I didn’t want it to snap! So, I tied a number of sticks to the stalk using some of our straw and thankfully, it stood still. Also, my mom willingly helped me maintain the support system and my brothers also helped me get rid of the weeds that were surrounding the plants.

I realized that having a support system definitely encourages and sustains growth. Just like the main stalk, sooner or later, we might also ‘bend’ when we experience difficult situations. But, when we keep ourselves closely accountable and open to others who willingly support and help us, we can actually learn and grow even more.

My younger brother taking out the weeds.

1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

Special thanks to my parents and siblings, who cheerfully support and encourage me whenever I take care of the plants.

I already harvested red cherry tomatoes yesterday and I might harvest more tomorrow. Thank you, Lord, for the wonderful experience of growing our own vegetables at home. But more than that, I thank You for constantly encouraging me to grow in my walk with You.

See you soon, Broccoli!! :)

Encourage yourself one treat at a time.

Boyce Avenue Live in Manila 2013 [Concert + Meet & Greet]

A month ago, my officemate and I randomly talked about our favorite musicians. I mentioned to her that for the past year, my love for Boyce Avenue grew. Surprisingly, she told me that the band was going to have a concert in Manila on December 30, 2013. When I got home that day, I somehow felt a strong urge in me to pursue this desire of mine and watch the concert live!

L to R: Fabian, Me, Alejandro, another fan, Daniel, another fan, and my brother. :)

After a number of days, one of the websites finally posted the photo below which contained the details on the ticket prices and seats for the show. When I saw the poster, two thoughts came to my mind: 1) “Wow! Those are expensive tickets.” And 2) “But they seldom visit the Philippines and it would really be great if I can watch them perform live! Maybe I can use some of the money I saved this year.”

I prayed and told God about my desire and by faith, I told my parents that even if I didn’t have a ticket yet, I will be attending the concert. Talk about dreaming big! :) The days after that were crazy for me because I wanted to get a really good seat, but at the same time, I wasn’t 100% sure on spending a huge amount of my savings for the concert. Also, although I did my best to find discounts and join giveaways, God didn’t allow me to get one or win online.

Poster I found online (thru www.boyceavenue.com)

At that moment, the only solution that I had was to buy a ticket online as soon as possible since they were selling really fast. I tried to use my dad’s credit card to purchase that morning, but suddenly, I couldn’t because of a technical error in the website. I was getting desperate already, so I told my mom that I would go to the venue (Resorts World) after work to buy the ticket, since I couldn’t buy online. But interestingly, God had better plans for me. He had the best in store for me.

boycetix — Screen shot of the website while I was looking for a ticket last month.

After work, I received a text from my mom that one of our family friends might get a ticket with a big discount for me. She asked me not to go to the venue that night and wait for our friend’s update after an hour. I went home immediately and checked the available seats and saw that most of the good ones were already taken. I started to panic and tried to buy a seat online again.

Since my mom said that our friend wasn’t sure about the ticket yet, she thought that it might be a good idea to buy the ticket online too. We decided to wait for our friend’s update after an hour (as advised) before going online. After an hour and a half, we still didn’t have any updates from her, so I went online and selected the seat that I wanted to buy.

When I was about to confirm my reservation for the ticket, our family friend called my mom and said that she’s not yet sure about the location of the seats, but, she thinks that she could still get us two tickets for free! We couldn’t believe it! I couldn’t believe it. But at the same time, I started to get confused because I was already reserving a really good seat in the VIP area (first row, center) when I got the news. I was torn between being grateful for the free tickets (although they weren’t sure about the exact location) and wanting to buy “the best” seat in my opinion.

After praying about it, God encouraged me to let go of the seat I reserved in row A and thank Him for the two free tickets that our family friend had for us, even if the area of the seats was still unknown. That day, I tweeted this to remind and encourage me: “You have to let go of what you think is best for you in order to experience His best for you. #notetoself #Godknowsbetter”

Slowly but surely, by God’s grace, I found contentment in Him and showed my gratitude to Him for the free tickets. But at the same time, I still expressed the desires of my heart, as seen in the photo below:

Looking back, I thank God He encouraged me to do so. We were only able to get the two tickets 30 minutes before the show and when we got them, I couldn’t believe my eyes! My brother and I received the two free VIP tickets (second row, center) from our family friend!

I couldn’t stop saying “Oh my gosh” as my heart melted because it was unbelievable! As seen in the poster, one VIP ticket costs P8,400 and by God’s grace, we were able to get two! It was really crazy.

Before the concert, I was able to confirm with the organizers that they weren’t selling Meet & Greet passes for this concert. So, a part of my heart got crushed that morning since I was really hoping to meet them. Nonetheless, I thanked God for the free tickets and said that if it is His will, He can easily allow me to meet the Manzano brothers in His perfect time.

I really enjoyed the concert with my younger brother. It was definitely a breathtaking experience for me. Even though the set-up and atmosphere was very simple, Boyce Avenue rocked that night! The Manzano brothers were really amazing and it was a privilege to hear them sing and play live!

After the concert, my brother got a text from a family friend saying that she might be able to accommodate and give 1 or 2 Meet & Greet passes. Again, I couldn’t believe it! I immediately prayed to God and asked Him to give us that privilege if it is His will. After two minutes, our family friend came out of the backstage, met us, and instructed us to run with her down the stairs to meet the band outside their dressing room/lounge.

Even though I was wearing my four-inch wedges, I ran like crazy and by God’s grace, my dream came true. We were able to meet and have a photo with Fabian, Alejandro, and Daniel Manzano! I was also able to get Alejandro Manzano’s autograph before they left.

I kept thanking God because I was experiencing His best for me. If I didn’t let go of the ticket I reserved in seat A, I would have spent P8,400 and wouldn’t have been able to get the two free tickets from our family friend. Just like what was mentioned in my tweet above, God definitely knows better and He’s encouraging me to trust in Him as I surrender my desires and decisions to Him. It’s amazing how he answered my prayer a month ago and graciously gave me and my brother the privilege of meeting the band after the concert.

“Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4

My heart is still overwhelmed. Thank You, Lord, for being who You are. Words cannot express my gratitude. Thank you also to my mom (for patiently helping me), to my brother, Gabo, to our generous family friends and to Ovation Productions. May God bless your hearts more and more! :)

To my favorite band, Boyce Avenue, keep on making beautiful music! Your talent and awesome hearts inspire us. See you again soon! :)

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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! :)

Category: Out of the Kitchen

Day 365: A Year without Shopping

Growing Broccoli and Cherry Tomatoes

Boyce Avenue Live in Manila 2013 [Concert + Meet & Greet]

He Knows Our Heart’s Desires

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