A few days ago, our parents informed us that they were having a double date with our former neighbors, Tito P. and Tita A. When we were still living in the same village, this couple graciously shared their food and gifts to our family. They even let us try their new products before releasing them in the market. What a privilege! Years later, we eventually moved to another village, but, we still get to experience God’s grace and goodness through them.
Larcy’s Cupcakes
When they invited our parents for a double date to celebrate dad’s birthday last week, I remember how my dad was so encouraged by their thoughtful gesture. One of our parents’ good, couple friends remembered his birthday and sincerely wanted to enjoy it with them. It was definitely encouraging! But, it didn’t end there. Surprisingly, when our parents came home from their double date that night, they also had a box of Larcy’s cupcakes with them. Tito P. and Tita A. also thought about us (children) and treated us with six, beautiful and delicious Larcy’s cupcakes!!!
Larcy’s Cupcakes
When I found out about it, my heart was so blessed. They even went the extra mile! It was so inspiring to see others share God’s blessings and goodness to the people around them. But, it also made me check my heart. Do I also have a sincere heart for others? Or am I stingy when it comes to sharing the resources that I have, time, or even words of encouragement?
Banana Cupcake
Pastor Peter Tan-Chi once said: “Why are we still selfish sometimes? Maybe it’s because we forget how much our Father God loves us.”
Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcake
By God’s grace, I hope that I can also sincerely share God’s goodness and love to others, just like our former neighbors. If you’re reading this, Tito P. and Tita A., thank you very much for your kind hearts! May God continue to bless you even more as you walk with Him and share Him to others. :)
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” –John 15:12
Just a piece of advice: Always remember that in order to make buttercream frosting, you’ll need to use butter. Hahaha!
Sincerely,
Me.
I only had about two hours to bake and prepare a homemade chocolate cake for my younger brother who was coming home from a retreat in the province. I wanted it to be a surprise because we weren’t able to personally surprise him on the day of his birthday since he was out of town. So, I hurriedly prepared the cake batter and frosting, baked the cake and cupcakes, and frosted them just in time.
While I was making the frosting, I noticed that unlike the other batches of frosting that I made, this batch produced fewer cups. I felt that something was missing, but because I didn’t have much time, I continued to frost the cakes. The frosting was very smooth, chocolaty, and creamy! It tasted like melted ice cream and it had just the right amount of sweetness!
After eating dinner with the family at home, we brought the cake and cupcakes out and greeted our brother, Gabo, a happy birthday! By God’s grace, the freshly baked cakes were light, fluffy, and moist and the family appreciated how the frosting complemented the chocolate cakes. Of course, Gabo also pointed out that we used his favorite brand of milk chocolate on the cake and I think he was happy about it. Yay! Haha.
When it was time to clear the table and clean the dishes, I placed some of the cupcakes and cake in the refrigerator and stored the leftover frosting in a small plastic container. Just before rinsing the rubber spatula that I used, I dipped my finger on the remaining chocolate frosting on it and tasted it one last time before the night ended. I couldn’t believe it. Immediately, I blurted out “Shucks. The butter. I forgot to add the butter!”
It was hilarious because earlier that day, I even made an extra effort to buy more unsalted butter for the cake that I was going to make and I forgot to use it. Hahaha! I felt bad at first because it wasn’t the frosting that I originally wanted to make, but at the same time, I was grateful for it because it was a new discovery for me!
When I told my family about it, I also mentioned that I was actually planning on using 1 cup of butter for the butter cream frosting. And when they heard “1 cup” they immediately said “Then, it was a good thing that you forgot to add it. Haha.”
I love how God uses even the simplest mistakes made in the kitchen to remind me of how His grace is always more than enough for me. I was tempted to feel bad because I wasn’t able to use butter cream frosting for the cake, but at that moment, that melted-ice-cream frosting was THE frosting that God wanted us to taste and enjoy. Plus, although it would probably taste delicious too, we were spared from indulging on butter that night. Alright!
It was a great reminder for me to keep on trusting that God is in control, that He knows exactly what I need, and that He is always more than enough for me. :)
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.”
[Proverbs 19:21]
To my younger bro, ‘Gaboot’,
You’re now 21 years old. Woohoo! We’ve had so many crazy moments together since we were kids and I know that we will continue to be crazy when we get older. But, by God’s grace, I’ve seen you become more mature in different aspects and it has been a blessing for me to see you grow. I pray that God would continue to give you the desire to know, love, and serve Him all the days of your life. May He use you even more to reach out to others and share the love of Christ to those around you. And even though this stage in your life might be quite challenging, I believe that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. Psalm 105:4!
…would you still have to pay for it? Or would you simply receive it?
One of the prettiest things I’ve seen in Google Images is a picture of rainbow cupcakes. I guess there really is something about the combination of the colors: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet that sort of makes me smile. Interestingly, if you do some research in the internet or in books, you’ll find out that these colors have different meanings too. :)
This week, it has been raining like crazy here in Manila. Sorry to say, even though I wanted to, I was not able to see a rainbow after the rain. :( And it’s funny because somehow God told me “Hey, Nic. It’s okay if you didn’t see a rainbow. Why don’t you just make rainbow cupcakes instead? Just like the ones you saw in the internet.”, and boy did I smile. The next day, I went to the grocery and bought the ingredients that I needed to make the rainbow cupcakes.
I enjoyed my time preparing the batter of the rainbow cupcakes because my workplace in the kitchen looked so colorful. I couldn’t believe I was really making cupcakes because it actually seemed like I was just playing with paint. :)
After preparing the multi-colored batter of the rainbow cupcakes, I decided not to bake the rainbow cupcake batter first. I immediately went to my box of baking ingredients and gathered the following food colorings: Yellow, Black, Red, White, and Green. I did so because these colors remind me of something that was more beautiful than the rainbow; something that changed my life. I’ll be sharing more about these below.
I placed the cupcake paper liners in the baking pan and poured in one color at a time. :)
For the first layer, I poured in two tablespoons of the YELLOW batter.
It says in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
The bible didn’t say “For God SORT OF loved the world…” or “For God WAS FORCED to love the world…”. God clearly wanted me to remember how much He loves me; how much He wants me to have a personal relationship and a meaningful life with Him; and spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
And what’s cool about that is He didn’t say “For God so loved Nicole Obligacion only…”, He said HE LOVED THE WORLD, which includes you too! HE LOVES YOU and WANTS TO SPEND ETERNITY WITH YOU. :)
For the second layer, I poured in two tablespoons of the BLACK batter.
When ate Camille (my sister) went in the kitchen and saw the black colored cupcake batter, she immediately blurted out “WHAT?? BLACK? Why did you use black?” I just laughed and told her “Eh basta, you’ll see. Hehe.”
Personally, when I see black, God reminds me of darkness, emptiness, and the biggest problem on earth: SIN. Ate Camille was shocked when she saw the black cupcake batter. I guess it’s the same way too when God sees me enjoying or dwelling in sin.
When I fall into sin, it’s as if I can hear God telling me: “WHAT? You know that I love you so much, Nic, and I give you the freedom to choose. But why choose SIN?” Sadly, that’s reality. I admit that I am a sinner. I lied, I cheated, I stole, I did things that did not please God before. SIN. This is one big problem because…
Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death…”
Sin separates us from God. As hard as it sounds, the payment for our sins is death. The Bible even talks about two kinds of death: The first is physical (we all know this); but did you know, the second one is actually spiritual death? (This is eternal separation from God :( ) (Revelation 21:8 “…This is the second death.”)
Years ago, when I first heard about this, I started to feel bothered because I knew I’ve done so many wrong things in the sight of God. I just felt so ashamed before God. He has been so good to me and there I was sinning in front of Him. However, one of the many things that I am grateful for is the word “BUT” in the Bible. Why? Because Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God uses the word “BUT” here to remind me of hope and of His grace, which leads me to the third layer.
For the third layer, I poured in two tablespoons of the RED batter.
The color red reminds me of the blood of Jesus when He paid the penalty of our sin by dying on the cross.
When the red batter was poured in the cupcake liner, God reminded me of the hope that I have in Him. I realized that I really cannot pay for the penalty of my sin, no matter what I try to do (good works, religion, other efforts…).
This is because of Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is BY GRACE that you have been SAVED through FAITH – and THIS NOT FROM YOURSELVES, it is the GIFT of GOD – NOT by WORKS, so that no one can boast.”
I thought about it before and realized that even if I did try to save myself and try to go to heaven (after dying) through my own ways, such as doing good works (or others), how will I know when I’ve done enough already to save me? There is no security. There is no assurance. My efforts will not be enough to save me from the penalty of my sin. I really cannot save myself. ONLY ONE can save me. ONLY ONE can save us all. And that ONE is JESUS CHRIST.
John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus did not say “I am A way and A truth and A life.” He is not an option. He is the only solution. Also, 1 Corinthians 15:3-6 shows us that Christ’s resurrection proves that He is the Son of God, the Messiah, and the only Savior. It brings me to tears to know that someone took my place on the cross to pay the penalty of my sin, which is death.
Jesus didn’t deserve to die and yet He did because He loves us so much. So, what must we do now that we know: how much God loves us, how we have sinned, how Jesus is the only way for us to spend eternity with God in Heaven?
Photo taken from Google Images
We must choose to be reconciled with God and accept the gift of God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Jesus is personally inviting all of us to restore our relationship with Him. Years ago, I made a decision to fully surrender my life to Jesus, I admitted that I am a sinner and I cannot save myself; I believed that He died to pay the penalty of my sin and He rose again; I accepted Him as my personal Lord and Savior; and I claimed Jesus free gift of forgiveness and eternal life.
Taken from Getty Images
If it’s your desire to have a restored relationship with God, I’d like to encourage you to tell God everything that’s in your heart right now. Even before we talk to Him, He actually already knows what we want to tell Him. Just like what I did years ago, you can also let him know the desire of your heart by praying to Him; admitting that you are a sinner and cannot save yourself; believing that Jesus died to pay the penalty of your sins and that He rose again; receiving Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior; and claiming his free gift of forgiveness and eternal life.
For the fourth layer, I poured in two tablespoons of the WHITE batter.
White represents cleanliness, purity, freedom, surrender, etc.
If you decided to sincerely place your trust in Jesus then I’d like to encourage you because…
YOU are 100% forgiven. All your sins are forgiven – past, present, and future. (Seen in Colossians 2:13)
You are a childof God and nothing will separate you from your heavenly Father. (John 1:12; Hebrews 13:5)
You are a new person! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
You will go to heaven. YUP! And you will live with God forever. Eternal life begins the moment you place your trust in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. (1 John 5:11-13)
For the last layer, I poured in two tablespoons of the GREEN batter.
The color green reminds me of GROWTH.
Now that I’ve surrendered my life to Him, I want to be able to maximize what He has given me to love Him and love others more. I want to grow more in my walk with Him. And I’d like to encourage you to do the same too! :)
Here are some of the things that we can do to GROW more in our relationship with Jesus:
Read the Bible regularly.
Talk to God through prayer.
Obey Him.
Talk to others about Jesus and the free gift that He has given us. (Just like what I’m doing now: Sharing it through Cupcakes! )
Join Bible studies or groups of people who also want to grow in their relationship with God.
I didn’t want to let this day pass by without sharing to you what Jesus did and how God changed my life because I really, really, really, really, really, really, want to encourage you to KNOW HIM MORE. :)
I think it has been 5 years since I’ve fully surrendered my life to Christ. I actually grew up exposed to this truth, but I just didn’t really want to absorb it in my life back then. However, God changed my heart and life, and since then, I’ve been experiencing the best years of my life with Him.
Going back to my cupcakes, after preparing both batters, I finally baked them and placed vanilla buttercream frosting on top.
If I gave you these cupcakes for free, would you still have to pay for it? Or would you simply receive it?
God gave us the FREE GIFT of ETERNAL LIFE with Him through Jesus Christ. Would you still have to pay/work for it? Or would you simply receive it? :)
RECIPE: Billy’s Vanilla Cupcakes (featured in Martha Stewart’s Recipes)
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CUPCAKE BATTER:
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
STEPS:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Line cupcake baking pan with paper liners.
Using an electric mixer, combine both types of flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined.
Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla.
With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients slowly.
Beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full.
Bake (for 17 to 20 mins), rotating pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Use a small spatula or a piping bag to frost tops of each cupcake.
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. :)
