FWESDA Women

Sisters for Christ

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:31:00 +0000

I was just looking through quotations written by women and this one really caught my fancy. It was written by Christina Rosssetti and it goes this way: “For there is no friend like a sister, in calm or stormy weather, to cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands.”

I too, firmly believed that “A sister is a gift from God, sent from above to make life worthwhile here below.” And to this quote, I do not necessarily mean a birth sister. Few months back, The FWESDA Women's Ministry circle met at Shari's house for an international Tea Party and we decided to find a partner or a special sister where we can spend time to get to know each other better. A sisterhood for Christ could be a beginning of a real deep friendship. I was so excited that I picked Hilda's name. I have often observed her to be very genuine, always smiling and ready to greet me with a warm embrace and a Happy Sabbath greeting. I knew she came from Brazil and have met her family and have even visited her home. But aside from the information she voluntarily wrote on the sheet about her favorite colors and food and memory verses, i really do not know her that well - yet! And I am really guilty. Didn't I start this idea of having a special sister, anyway? Why haven't I done something special to make this quest come to full reality? I wonder if all the other women did their part?

Looking back, I realized that I truly have been so busy with other tasks at home, church and at work and I need to prioritize all of these things. We, women are always multi-tasking and do not even realize that we have been overwhelmed with the tasks we volunteered or given to us. I have been guilty. I have been busy with the Social Committee and the coming Mission Trip to the Philippines, plus my job and my home, that I have neglected the Women's blog. I have so many great plans to feature all the women in our church here so we can get to know each other. I tried but there were only a few who willingly gave their stories or return the forms so they can be featured. So for this issue, I really want to let you, my sisters for Christ know that I need you to help me make this blog possible. I need to get your stories about your life as women for Christ, as a mother, as a wife, as a sister or simply as a woman. Your experiences in your journey to the kingdom could touch one soul and make a difference. I hope you will share your stories, your sentiments and experiences by talking to me or emailing them to me so they can be featured here. If we cannot have a weekly blog, at least, we can do it every other week.

Because I am organizing our yearly Renewal of Vows scheduled on February 12, I have decided that we, women will meet on the second Saturday Night or second Sunday afternoon for a Spring Fling. I will keep you posted in the next few weeks. Please let me know what schedule you prefer: Saturday night or Sunday afternoon. It will be a "Day for Beauty and Relaxation".

Relationships are as important to us women as the very air we breathe. Without relationships we feel bereft, cut off from vital sources of comfort and support. We love our family, our husbands, our children and grandchildren and we give and give and give to them all our time and attention and sometimes, we forget to give also a treat to ourselves by nurturing friendships of other women. And because of our busy schedules, sometimes we cannot make it a priority to keep our relationship to other women current.Let his be our thought today " Today, I nurture and sustain my relationship through following my urges to give. I am a trustworthy friend to myself and others.

I will be a worthy sister for Christ.

Submitted by Raylene Ann Baumgart

A woman's thought about aging

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:58:00 +0000

A few week's ago, I left for my birth country, the Philippines to visit my mother who has been ailing lately. She is 81 years of age and due to rheumatoid arthritis, her activities are limited and this has been very frustrating to her, a woman, who once upon a time, was the busiest socialite in town. She was always the leader, organizer of church and charity events in town and a true public figure. Two years ago, I relocated my parents from the hometown I grew up to a seaside village which is also close to the city and hospitals in case they need them and where my two brothers live close by. My Papa in desperation told me that sometimes, my mother refused to get out of bed. So, I concluded, she must be suffering from depression. Lately, she had been sick and my family thought, perhaps, my presence will make her laugh and feel rejuvenated again.

(My Mama and me on my wedding day)

On my flight home, visions of my Mama invaded my psyche and I remembered vividly how I used to tell my friends that if I could half half of her genes, her beauty and her intelligence, I would not ask for anything else. I kept preparing myself on how to handle her presence, to be extra-sensitive and to plan for activities that will make it easier for transport and less strenuous outings.Perhaps, just a quiet beach vacation will do, where we can just hang around and observe the fisherman with their sailboats and watch the sunrise or sunset.

I was never so wrong in my life. When I arrived at their condo, dinner was ready and she had made my favorite hearty food: fried tuna, vegetable stew with malunggay and ginisang kangkong (sir fry green vegetables). I saw an immaculately clean kitchen with bleached-white kitchen towels neatly ironed then folded on open shelves above the kitchen counter. Bathroom was well-scrubbed with a tankful of water ready for my bath with crisply-ironed bath towels ready for my use. And instead of a whining, complaining sickly woman, here was my mother, chattering the afternoon away, telling me about her new friends in the neighborhood and how much she appreciated me for putting them up on this apartment by the sea. My father amused, confided that she had been busy preparing for my homecoming and have not complained about her aching knees and arthritic hands. She got rid of the cleaning lady who comes every other week and have been doing all the laundry while he did the house cleaning. After opening my suitcase and giving her all my "pasalubongs" (presents), she chuckled and laughed at all the church dresses and even tried them on one by one, walking up and down the stairs for a fashion show. She kept saying, "I am going to be the best-dressed old lady in our church." There was simply no sign of fatigue and I was the one, exhausted from the 25 hours flight and jet lag.

The following morning, I was awakened at 4:00Am. Before the roosters could crow, my mother was already singing her favorite hymns. Unable to sleep and without complaint, my Papa went downstairs to the kitchen to make his coffee. Still groggy,I went to their room and joined her in singing and then she started reciting her favorite sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Then she recalled how she taught me all those declamation pieces so I could be the best literary orator in the province. We switched on to reciting her favorite poems by John Masefield and Robert Frost. I had no choice but join in. These, after all are poems she taught me to memorize as a child and as a teenager. Only, this time, she memorized the lines, much better than I could. When asked how she could still memorize these lines, she just chuckled and said, "This is how I fight Alzheimer's disease. That is one disease I would never wish to have. I am exercising my brain daily."

By 5:30 that morning, we joined Papa downstairs for our morning worship and an hour later, we were walking towards the beach for their daily morning beach walk and swim. I was just amazed at all the people they knew in their new location and all the morning greetings and respect from everyone we met at this new place. On our way home, bought hot "suman" (sweetened rice wrapped in banana leaves made with coconut milk, a dozen ripe mangoes and 2 pounds of fresh fish sold by vendors they personally know in their new neighborhood.

breakfast after the swim

freshly caught fish

After a hearty breakfast, she hastened to get dressed for the town market, a place where my Papa said she refused to go due to distance. With me, we brought home lots of food for the week.

Mama and her choice of transportation: the prettiest pedicab she can find.

In the three weeks, I spent with my parents, we were able to have a family reunion for my mother's side of the family at another island where she was reunited with three other sibblings she has not seen for years. She said, she was looking forward to my homecoming so she could ride on an airplane again plus go island hopping. And we did. We flew to one island and visited three more islands by boat and stayed at relaxing and quiet tourist-free beachside resorts. We visited 6 provinces by land. While I ached and ordered massages at least three times a week, she never complained about aches and pains in all our outings. She had a real blast.

As I look back, i can only say that I was glad I went home and spent those weeks with my mother while she can still enjoy all those excursions. My father himself could not believe she had that energy and enthusiasm and he could only thank me for it. He concluded that my visit was just the prescription she needed.

As women, we face the reality that someday, our parents are going to get old and dramatically change their lifestyles. Are we ready to accept those changes? How will we cope with them?

Here is a list of things we can do to help as suggested by David Moberg from Decision Magazine:
1. Communicate often. Keep in touch by phone, visits, and letters. Remember special occasions.
2.Respect independence. As long as possible, your parents need to make their own decisions about where and how to live.
3.Support "letting go". Help them find constructive ways to dispose of possessions. Listen to them and weep with them when they must give up their homes, their driver's licenses or their leadership skills.
4.Empathize with them. If you were in their place, how would you act and feel?
5.Encourage age reminiscing. Draw forth memories of the past and help them fit together the pieces of their experiences.
6.Listen to them. Hear the accounts of their past disappointments, accomplishments and satisfactions - even if told repeatedly - as well as the accounts of their current worries and fears, joys and hopes and delights.
. Help them find large print Bibles, enriching TV and radio programs and arrange transportation for church going.
8.Support usefulness. Seek their counsel, praise their hobbies and encourage their giving services to others.
9.Stimulate their social life. Encourage them to maintain old social relationships and to make new ones.
10.Pray for them and with them. Their physical, mental, social and material well-being is interconnected with their spiritual growth.

If you have experiences as a wife, as a daughter, as a mother, as a sister or niece or simply as a woman, please share them with us, women in our church. Let's support one another in our journey. As Christian sisters for Christ, we get to encourage one another as we share our experiences. Email them to me at raylene.baumgart@gmail.com or simply sit down with me and let me write your story.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Autumn at it's glory

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:50:00 +0000

William Cullen Bryant,an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post.(November 3,1794-June 12, 1878) once said, "Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile.”

And he is right. Autumn comes with crispness in the air and a rainbow of colors paint the earth and sky. Brilliant golds and reds adorn the trees, and there are more sunshine than clouds. It was one cold windy Sunday when few Moms and Dads and Aunties drove to Carter Mountain Orchards for an apple-picking adventure and picnic. The cold gusty wind did not deter us from our quest of getting the yummiest apples of the season.

After the apples were picked, the picnic followed.

As women, we make sure we let our children experience all the fun and traditions that we want them to remember forever. And we have fun too, in the process.

What happened to the apples when they reached our homes - are beyond me. But this is what happened to ours, my very first apple pie!

Recipe for this pie:
Servings: 2 (9-inch) pie crusts
Prep Time: 50 min

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold
12 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it all up with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn’t get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball.
When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. On a floured surface roll each disk out into a 10 to 11-inch circle to make a 9-inch pie.

***To make the topping with hearts, I had to double this recipe and had a lot of extras to make the decoration an elaborate one.Use heart-shape cookie cutters to make the hearts.The brush with an egg wash (egg yolk with a tablespoon of milk)..

Getting to Know Sali Gaye Condez Deapera

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:36:00 +0000

SALI GAYE CONDEZ DEAPERA

Tell us a bit about your family (spouse, children, parents?): I am married to a wonderful husband named Arthur and we have a son named Arthur Louie, the apple of my eye. These are the two most precious men in my life.

Country of Birth: I was born in our Adventist Hospital in Cebu , The Miller Sanitarium & Hospital in the Philippines. I practically grew up in Cebu.

Favorite color:Pink although I find myself wearing a lot of black clothes which goes with anything

Favorite food:Rice - cannot live wihtout rice because fish, chicken and vegetables will not taste good without rice.

Favorite Bible Verse:Proverbs 8:17
"I love those who love me and those who seek me diligently will find me." This text gives me strength every day to help me realize that it is His strength that carried me through all those years and He will still carry me through.

Favorite Woman in the Bible and why:
My favorite woman in the Bible is Sarah. She must have been a very beautiful woman because even kings found her very attractive, that even her husband had to tell a lie about her (half lie- she was his half sister) and yet she never questioned him. Then she was barren for a while and because she wanted so much for Abraham to have a child, she consented that Abraham get their maid servant pregnant. This of course caused conflict but God had other plans for her life and even as an older woman, she was chosen to be the mother of nation. God blessed her.

As a woman of God what do you need from your fellow women from the church? I would like to get to know the other women in the church better.

Is there anything you want to do with other women or for other women? Get together more often

Tell us a short story of your life’s journey as a woman of God.
I was born into a faithful Seventh-day Adventist family and was educated in our Adventist School system since the elementary years. There was a time when I had to study at a private exclusive-for-girls college called St Theresa's College where I learned to sing, dance and be fashionable and be independent. But I missed the Adventist atmosphere, so I transferred to Adventist University in the Philippines to finish my Bachelor's Degree in English. And that's where I met my wonderful husband Arthur.

He worked full time while I worked part-time as an English teacher in college. I taught Speech Communication and Reading Comprehension to sophomore college nursing students for 2 years before I got a teaching job here in America. I am currently teaching language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies to students from K-2 with special needs. I am hoping to finish my Master's Degree in Special Education through distance learning program in March 2012. I turn to God in my greatest hour of need, stress, anxiety and hopelessness. I am blessed with a faithful Seventh-day Adventist husband and we have dedicated our son to God so he will also know Him deeply and make Him first, last and everything in his life.

Getting to Know Hilda Serpa

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 23:35:00 +0000

Complete Name: Hilda Serpa

My Family: I was born in Sao Paolo, Brazil. I married my wonderful husband in January 29, 1976.

We came to America 14 years ago together with our son, Ramon. Now we are living here in Richmond.I have a Cleaning Services Company which keeps me busy. I enjoy spending time with my husband and son and my very own church family.

Birth Country: Sao Paolo, Brazil

Favorite thing to do: Gardening and taking care of our lawn, watch movies at home

Favorite Color: Orange

Favorite Food: All kinds of sandwiches

Favorite Bible Verse: I love Psalms 100
"Shout to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with joy; and come before Him with singing.
Know that the Lord is God, He made us, and we belong to Him.
We are His people, the sheep he tends.
Come unto His city with songs of thanksgiving
and into His courtyards with songs of praise.
Thanks Him and praise His name.
The Lord is good. His love is forever,
and His loyalty goes on and on."

Favorite Woman in the Bible: Mary, the mother of Jesus
Mary was a very young and innocent girl. But when she was told that she was chosen to be the mother of the Messiah, she willingly took the risk of ruining her reputation. She knew she would be ridiculed, shamed and frowned upon, mocked and possibly put to death. Even Joseph was about to leave her at first. But she accepted this task given to her at her very young age. She was one of the bravest young woman in the Bible times.

As a woman of God, what would you like to do with the other women in church?
I would really like to get to know the women on the church better. We see each other at church, greet each other, but it would be better if we meet more often,a s women, sharing each other's stories, concerns and burdens so we can encourage each other. It does not have to be very special and elaborate: perhaps just meeting somewhere for pizza or in a garden or just having a cup of tea. I would really like that!

Short Story of your journey as a Christian.
I was born into a Catholic family. As a young girl, I took piano lessons with a teacher who is a Seventh-day Adventist. Once a week, she holds bible studies or a branch Sabbath school at her home. My sister and I would attending those meetings and we enjoyed it a lot. Later she invited us to attend Sabbath School at her church and after a few years, I accepted Jesus. There, I met Gerson, in the youth class. He was a born Adventist.

A favorite Recipe: COCADA -traditional Brazilian dessert

Traditional Cocada

1 lb grated coconut
1 lb sugar
1 cup water

Dissolve sugar in water and boil the mixture until it spins a thread (I use a candy thermometer; 232 to 234° F). Remove syrup from heat and add the grated coconut. Stir well until it becomes sugary. Pour onto a buttered platter (a marble pizza stone is great for that purpose) and let cool, then cut into squares (about two inches).

Cocadas with Condensed Milk

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 equal measures of sugar (use the empty can to measure the sugar)
1 lb freshly grated coconut (or frozen grated coconut, which you can find in Latino markets; it tastes very much like fresh coconut)
1 can evaporated milk

Mix all ingredients together. Cook in low heat stirring constantly until you can see the bottom of the pan. Cook for another 2 minutes or so. Pour onto a greased marble pizza stone. Let cool and cut into two-inch squares (yields about 20 cocadas)

Getting to know Jinnyfer Laporre

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 23:35:00 +0000

FAMILY: I have a very quiet husband who is very understanding and respectful. We have two precious gifts from God - our two wonderful boys: Brent and Devon. I am not the only pianist in our home. My husband Rey Booz also plays the piano and spends his time training our older son Brent to be a good pianist so he could be a great help in God's ministry through music.

COUNTRY OF BIRTH: I originally came from the Philippines. I arrived here in May 9, 2005. My husband was the one who got a job offer to relocate here from our country. The boys and me came with him and after passing the NCLEX, I am now also working at MCV Medical Center in Acute Hemodialysis Unit.

FAVORITE THINGS TO DO: Piano-playing, Reading, Playing tennis and badminton

FAVORITE COLOR: Purple

FAVORITE FOOD: Filipino food (Pansit, lumpia, etcetera)

FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 19:26 "Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (New International Version)

FAVORITE WOMAN IN THE BIBLE: Dorcas - very resourceful and kind.
Her name was Tabitha, in Hebrew, or Dorcas, in Greek. Both words mean "gazelle". She lived in Joppa, A seaport 35 miles NW of Jerusalem on the Mediterranean Sea:the only natural harbor in Israel between Egypt and Ptolemais. She was a true disciple of Jesus, always doing good for others. She helped the poor, the widows and sews clothes for them; always on the alert on who needs help and attention. She was very resourceful and kindhearted. And like a gazelle, she was always quick to answer the call for help.

She got ill one day and everyone thought she was going to die. Peter prays at Dorcas’ bedside and calls to her to get up. She is revived and becomes living testimony of presence of God. She is the only woman in the Bible who was named a disciple of Christ. There are a lot of woman known as Jesus' followers, but she was considered a disciple because she was a disciple in every meaning of the word.

AS A WOMAN OF GOD, what do you need from your fellow women from the church?
We should just really be supportive of each other and try to understand each other's weaknesses. We have different personalities and talents but we have only one goal in life - to go to heaven and live there with God.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO WITH OTHER WOMEN OR FOR OTHER WOMEN?
I am always busy with my two kids and family while working full time and study. I am presently taking a Masters Degree in Nursing. But I am always willing to help as long as I can.

SHORT STORY & JOURNEY OF MY CHRISTIAN LIFE: I have the greatest privilege of being born to an Adventist family. Although my father was never ordained as a minister, he is a very good preacher. My parents have always encouraged me to be a living witness for the Lord and to play an active part in God's work. They tried to send me to music school to be a pianist just so I can be useful in all church activities. So, now, here I am - willing to be used by God in His ministry whether in the music department or in any aspect of our church life.

September

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 23:39:00 +0000

I love September!
The air is still warm but the evenings are cooler. And just when you have enough of the summer heat and humidity, the cool, crisp evenings of September can be real panacea for the soul.

September also brings a lot of exciting activities. Children are back to school and moms can have moments to do things for themselves – just for themselves – for a change. In Germany, there’s a lovely first-day-of-school tradition called a “Schultüte” or School Cone. Parents prepare a giant cardboard cone and fill it with back-to-school supplies, candies, and other small goodies. This gift, makes the first day of school extra special. The tradition dates back to the early 1800′s in German and children from German heritage, even here in the USA practice this.

In Texas where we used to live, we always have “block parties” to celebrate the kids’ back to school event. We all bring out some portable tables and chairs and set them outside on our street and we bring lost of food and drinks and spend it getting to know the neighbors and setting up play dates for the younger siblings.

September is the beginning of apple picking season and weekends are spent looking for the best deals and the best places to go apple picking and picking up pumpkins to decorate our homes. Carter Mountain Orchards seem to be the most popular in our area and families and friends can come together for an excursion or a picnic.

Pretty soon, our front steps will be decorated with pumpkins, dried corn stalks and colorful mums. Warm tones like chocolate browns, rich red and golden yellows will replace the cool summer blues and greens. And I will really look forward to the cool evenings this fall.

Our church has scheduled a Back to School Pizza and Ice Cream Party and a Movie Night this coming Saturday, September 10. Because of the uncertainty of the weather, we are holding it at the Richmond Academy Gym. Please support this occasion. This is not just for the kids. It is for everyone to enjoy. Just bring your favorite ice cream or ice cream topping and let’s have fun and enjoy a family movie.

September 24, we will be visiting Carter Mountain as a church family. It will be an apple picking event but we will also have a lunch picnic on the grounds. I firmly believe that as women for Christ, we can be a great influence, an encourager of sorts to our church as a whole. Our responsibilities as women in the church does not end in planned brunches or going-out-for-dinner appointments. We have a role in making our children look up to us as role models for active participation in church activities. So pack your picnic basket and bring picnic food to share with everyone. It will be a great occasion.

I love this quotation from “The Education of Women” by Daniel Defoe:
“For I cannot think that God Almighty ever made women so delicate, so glorious creatures and furnished them with such charms, so agreeable and so delightful to mankind with souls capable of the same accomplishments with men: and all, to be only Stewards of our houses, Cooks and Slaves.”

Yes, God created us to be of service to others.

International Lady Chefs' Summer Tea Party

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 02:30:00 +0000

It started as a very warm and humid morning.The weather bureau predicted thunderstorms that afternoon, so I had a sick feeling that perhaps nobody will show up except Shari and me. I have ardently prayed that more women from the church would come to enjoy this special bond of friendship, a sort of a women's club for sisters of Christ. And I was not ready to be disappointed.
Few minutes before 4pm, the women arrived and the fun began.

Marie arrived with an intricately-carved watermelon teapot which served as a great centerpiece. Then Sarah showed her exquisite mini cupcakes and we all exclaimed our "Ahhs" and "Ohhhs". More yummy goodies came. The white tablecloth was a perfect back drop for all the colorful aprons that were draped around it plus the display of homemade, gourmet hors d'oeuvres, appetizers and desserts.

Shari's collection of 4 kinds of freshly-brewed tea was just wonderful! And to think that she said, she does not like tea! I still could not decide whether it was the raspberry or the peach tea that caught my fancy! The orange-pineapple was just as yummylicious and the chai tea was just as energizing. Linda's tofu spread was the favorite of the afternoon and a copy of her recipe was in order. Anna's varied selection of Russian pastries was simply tempting and scrumptious. And there were a lot more: stuffed tomatoes,lemon bars, black bean quesadillas plus Hilda's "coconutty" dessert flavored with pineapple. All I can say, is that: to those, who did not make it, you missed a lot of the fun and camaraderie.

Then the game began. Each lady was asked to pick a household gadget that reminded them of an experience about their lives as girls, wives, and women. We were richly blessed with the shared stories and we knew that this friendship will thrive for as long as we make it.

Ruth Bell Graham once said that "The center of power is not to be found in summit meetings or in peace conferences. It is not in Peking or Washington or in the United Nations, but rather where a child of God prays in the power of the Spirit for God's will to be done in her life, in her home, and in the world about her." The stories shared were testimonies of God's love for us, women.

We then had to pick up a piece of a puzzle to search for our matching piece our "prayer sisters" and it was quite a revelation! We wanted to have a very special friend for the year, someone who does not have to be a secret, someone we can pray with, pray for, share our joys, our passion and our concerns. And what a fun revelation it was for all.

This has been a wonderful experience for the ladies, and we certainly hope, that you will join us in our next scheduled activities. We want you to be part of our ministry. We want you to join our fun, the laughter and the friendship. A Canadian writer once said, "A good laugh is as good as prayer sometimes."
Proverbs 31: 25 NIV says, "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come."

Thanks to Shari for hosting this beautiful memorable occasion.
And thanks to Luke for reminding us, why we enjoy being mothers and women for Christ!

A Mother's Thank You Letter to a Blankie

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:00:00 +0000

It’s only 4:45 in the early morning. I just got back from the Newport News Williamsburg International airport after sending off Katie for California. This was her college graduation present of choice: a trip to Southern California to reunite with her High School friends. She has been home for over two weeks now, and she had been busy. She introduced us to her love for organic food and tempted me to let go of my love for fried foods and indoctrinated me to her freshly-made gourmet smoothies for breakfast. She completely unpacked all her stuff from her student apartment and re-arranged her room. Now, it looks like she intends to stay for a while again, although she was certain of being accepted on a job interview last week.

Now, I really missed her and went to her room to look around. There I saw important things that are still very dear to her heart.

Here is Pablo, from the famous Build-a-Bear Company. He sometimes becomes Pablita when Katie decided to dress her up with frills and laces. Now he is standing forlorn among her favorite books and movies.

Here is the dream catcher I bought her at a county fair in Texas, when she was still obsessed with everything America Indian.

This morning, I felt a need to feel her presence, so I decided to lie down on her bed to catch more winks of sleep before daylight. But sleep was far from reach. Then, suddenly, I felt a bulky lump from underneath her pillow. I turned on the light for closer inspection and then I saw it – Boobie (her blankie), her lifetime companion since she was a baby. Did she forget it? I knew she cannot sleep without it. Or is today, the day she says goodbye to her Boobie, a sign of total independence?

As I looked at its tattered hems, I cannot help but shed tears. I saw a few safety pins on some corner, a testament that she tried to fix some corners to prevent them from being totally frayed and worn out. It is no longer pristine white and the pictures of tiny bears wearing sky blue dresses are beyond recognition. It is now almost khaki-colored plain fabric with lots of stains and tear: signs that it had been well-used for comfort when she was sick, hurting or frustrated. Then memories of the past came flooding to my touched psyche and heart.

During her first trip to the Philippines when she was two years old, Boobie was her constant companion in the plane during the almost 30 hours flight. Boobie was in the stroller, in the car, to the beach and even in the hammock. Katie hugged and talked to Boobie when she saw my brothers butcher a goat to celebrate our homecoming. She simply could not sleep without it. A year later after needing a Myringotomy (ear tube insertion) at barely three years of age, Boobie took full center stage as she proudly displayed it to the nurses and doctors at the Surgery center.

Then, I remembered the day I dropped her off for her first day in Pre-School. She was full of excitement but extremely worried that nobody will take care of her Boobie while at school. I promised I would, and every time I come to pick her up, her Boobie would be waiting for her in the car and she would immediately grab it, rub her cheeks with it and then she would suck one corner and with her eyes close, she'd take a nap. All is well with the world with Boobie. This blankie has always been under her pillow through the years. She took it with her when we sent her off to Germany for full immersion of German Language and Culture when she was 13. She took it again to Zweibrucken as an exchange student for the Yorktown-Zweibrucken Exchange Program during her Junior year in high School. Boobie explored Switzerland, Austria, Paris and other European tourist spots. Boobie has cruised all around the Caribbean and Mexico.

When we unloaded all of Katie's belongings at her appointed Gladding Residence Center in VCU as a freshman, Boobie was the first to be unloaded. And it had been transported to two other off-campus apartments she has resided. I am pretty certain, Boobie had been her constant companion and confidante during exciting, frustrating as well as her triumphant moments as a student. I am sure it had been her refuge when her heart was broken. Boobie was there during all these times when I couldn’t or those nights when she preferred solitude. If I could, I would preserve this old, stained and “stinky” memorabilia and place it on a shadow box together with her diploma – because it certainly deserved its place there.

So to you, my dearest Boobie:
Thank you so much…
~for comforting my little girl all throughout these years when she was scared of the dark in her tiny room;

~for being her constant loyal companion, when she most needed a friend;

~for not being judgmental when she was not her own true self and when her attitude was not acceptable to my standards;

~for drying her tears when she was broken-hearted;

~and for simply being there for her in all the good and the bad times.

For the next two weeks while she is away, I will celebrate your existence. I promised not get so attached, knowing you will be needed again when she is back. I promised not to wash you, (tempted as I am) because your smell will be the first thing she will notice when she gets back. Today let us both celebrate her choice for independence away from both of us. And if perchance, she decides not to keep you, any longer, DO NOT WORRY! I will keep you for myself – forever.

by Raylene Ann Rodrigo-Baumgart

Post Script:
To all of you ladies, moms, sisters, aunts and grandmas - this blog has a special place where you can post all your longings, your thoughts and experiences. Please share with us your innermost feelings and experiences as moms, sisters, aunts and friends. If you do not want to write it, talk to us and we will help you. As sisters for Christ, it is great to share each other's burdens and happy thoughts.

Meet Junette Bofetiado

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 01:30:00 +0000

Junette Bofetiado

I am a Registered Nurse, currently working in MCVH as a Transplant Nurse. I married Alexander in July 1999. Together, we are blessed and thoroughly enjoying the privileges of having two healthy boys, Alec and Josh.

Country of Birth: Philippines

Favorite Hobbies: Cooking. I love to experiment on new recipes.

Favorite Color: Pinks and shades of Green

Favorite Food: All sorts of salads

Favorite Bible Verse: Roman 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose". (KJV)

Favorite Woman in the Bible: Queen Esther and her bravery

I have always loved the story of Esther ever since I was a young girl. Her story is filled with intrigue, romance, bravery, and honor. It is the story of an orphan girl who became the chosen queen. And yet she did not forget her people and who through a curious mix of fate and need, saved her people just when she was most needed. It is truly a story of remarkable love and devotion to her own people and where she came from and the love of her King who admired her bravery.

As a woman of God, what do you need from your fellow women from the church? Prayer for strength, wisdom and guidance as a mother and as a woman.

Is there anything you want to do with other women or for other women? It would be nice if we can do some cooking together and do some outing as a group of church women, getting to know each other.

A short Story of your journey as a woman of God:

My parents have always been faithful Seventh-day Adventists. I grew up in an Adventist community and most of my contacts and friends are from the same Adventist Church and Church School.I spent most of my school days in Seventh-day Adventist schools. I graduated as a nurse at our own Adventist institution, Mountain View College in 1995. After graduation, i worked in Davao, Adventist Hospital, Davao, Philippines. There I worked for 7 years before coming to the United States. It is not any wonder that I married a Seventh-day Adventist man.

I firmly believed that God has a plan for each one of us. We just need to put our trust in Him completely.

"In A Little While" - by Renee Cerovski

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:43:00 +0000

I remember standing at the gate in Richmond International Airport, full to the brim with anticipation. Back in 1996, we could do that—wait inside the terminal for someone to exit the plane. I carefully scrutinized every face that came out of that gate. I wondered if I’d recognize her, or if I’d just know she was my grandma. Finally, a small Chinese woman appeared. Our family of four, Mom, Dad, Nathan and I jumped to greet her. During the whole car ride home, I was so excited: I was actually sitting next to Lau Lau. My grandma.

When Lau Lau came to visit us in Richmond 1996, I gave Lau Lau my room and I slept in Nathan’s room. She was completely different from my other grandma. I would sneak up to my bedroom and push my face against the frame to watch her through the slim crack in the door. I’d watch her do mysterious, graceful exercises every morning. At first, I thought it was a strange Buddhist ritual, but later learned it was only tai chi. She mostly kept to herself. During the day, I’d see her sitting on my bed playing Solitaire over and over. She looked so lonely. I finally got up my courage and timidly came in and sat next to her on the bed. She taught me how to play Solitaire and I was so happy that I’d found a way to connect to her.

I only saw her a few other times after that. But before I came to Korea, she got so excited. She wanted to give me a fur coat and all kinds of advice: don’t get involved with any North Korean men and to stay out of any political demonstrations. She wanted me to learn Chinese over there so we could talk. She wanted to tell me all about her life and about being Chinese. It tugged at my heart. Why hadn’t I tried harder? It was one of my life-goals, but the time never seemed right to learn.

About two months before I came to Korea, Lau Lau got sick. She broke her wrist and Mom wanted to go to her so badly, but she couldn’t because the timing didn’t work out. I went to Korea, knowing that I’d go to Hong Kong at some point.

In March, I learned that she was doing much worse. She hadn’t healed well from her injury back in October and had lost a lot of weight. She had advanced-stage lung cancer and it had spread to her bones. Mom got on the earliest flight to Hong Kong and got there at the beginning of April. Once in Hong Kong, Mom said Lau Lau was slowly doing better, so I decided to go at the end of April during my term break.

After I arrived in Hong Kong, I took the bus to Sheng Shui, the small town where Lau Lau lived. It’s the New Territories, almost in China. Mom met me at the bus stop. She told me that Lau Lau was doing better, but she had lost a lot of weight and was still very weak. Even though I knew this, nothing could prepare me for the shock of actually seeing her. I couldn’t recognize her at all. The tiny, stick-thin woman who greeted me with a tired voice looked nothing like the Lau Lau I had known, or rather, always wished I’d known better. However, her mind and will were still as strong as ever. Mom said that the doctors said she should have at least 6-8 more months.
That night, as I sat on the couch next to Lau Lau, she started talking to me.
“Soon….Lau Lau go bye-bye…” she said in mixed Chinese and English. She pointed at herself and made sleeping gestures with her hands. I understood her, but pretended I didn’t. I took her hand.
“I’m praying for you,” I forced myself to say. For some reason, speaking had become almost impossible.
Mom walked over, and Lau Lau started talking to her.
“Lau Lau wants to say goodbye. She wants you to take good care of yourself, you have a good future,” Mom translated.

I couldn’t keep the tears from spilling out.
“Lau Lau says you’re a good girl. She says not to cry.” Mom said and I managed to hold it back.
Those next few days felt like I’d hit the “pause” button on my life. Every day, I’d wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed and go walk around Sheng Shui with Mom. We’d look at clothes, or pick out food for lunch. After a couple hours, we go back home and cook lunch. Depending on how she felt, Lau Lau might join us. I’d take a nap while Mom talked to Lau Lau. Then, we go out again and repeat the process until dinner. Sometimes my aunt came home early enough for us to make dinner with her. Then, we’d all sit in front of the TV and watch Chinese game shows and dramas. Those few days in Hong Kong are so precious to me. When I came to Hong Kong before, I was always a tourist. Now I wasn’t a tourist, just Lau Lau’s granddaughter who had come to visit.

That Sabbath, my 24th birthday, Lau Lau decided to become a Christian. People from the local SDA church came over in the afternoon and anointed her. They prayed for her and sang with her. When they sang “God Will Take Care of You” in Chinese, Lau Lau looked so happy. I know that this was one of Mom’s greatest wishes come true.

In June, I got an e-mail from Mom saying that Lau Lau had passed away in the night. She had been in the hospital for a few days and was in a lot of pain. They gave her a lot of morphine and oxygen and it made her drift in and out of consciousness.
I learned one Chinese phrase this last time I was in Hong Kong. “Yet tsung geen” means approximately, “see you later.” It’s “good-bye,” but not for long. We’d tell that to Lau Lau whenever we went out shopping. After she passed away, I remembered that phrase. As a Christian, it expresses the greatest hope I have. This isn’t good-bye forever. I’ll see her again, in a world where there is no more sickness or pain. Yet tsung geen, Lau Lau.

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 NIV

Getting to know the Women in our church

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:12:00 +0000

MEET MARCELA ALEXANDER

I am originally from Brazil. My family were originally German miners who migrated to South America and lived in Chile for a while. I am married to Hebe Duarte, a Civil Engineer. Heber is a Pastor's son whom I met at an Adventist Retreat-Revival Camp when I was in college. We got married in Patterson June 16, 1991. Together we have two beautiful girls: Sofia and Sabrina.

Country of Birth: Sao Paolo, Brazil. It is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the western and southern hemisphere, and the world's eighth largest city by population. The city is ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among the five-largest metropolitan areas on the planet. São Paulo is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state and exerts strong regional influence in commerce and finance as well as arts and entertainment.

Favorite things to do: Spending time with my daughters.

Favorite Color: Yellow

Favorite Food: Italian food: Pasta and anything Italian

Favorite Bible Verses:

Joshua 1:9 "Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. Do not be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go.
Romans 12:2 "Do not shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; then you will know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect."

Favorite Woman in the Bible and why: Ruth

Ruth was poor, a foreigner from a despised Moabite nation, and a woman, and all this counted against her. But when her husband died, she decided to stay with her mother-in-law Naomi and faithfully followed her including her beliefs in her God. She shared loneliness, anxiety and grief with her and returned with Naomi to Bethlehem. Because of her unfaltering loyalty, God blessed her. She married a close relative of Naomi and had a son called Obed who grew up to be the grandfather of King David

As a woman of God, what do you need from your fellow women from the church or what can you do to help other women? ~ I love helping the Spanish Community as a translator. I am multi-lingual and speak Spanish, German, Portuguese and English. I am very open to any task that I am needed for the church.

Tell us a Story of your life's journey as a woman of God - My mother's family are mostly Catholics. My father was a former Lutheran. But in Brazil, to get a good education, you have to enroll at the Adventist Church School. So, I grew up with Adventists all my life. Most of my friends as a young woman were all Adventists. So it was normal for me to become an Adventist and to go to church regularly and attend all retreats and revival meetings for the youth. I attended college at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Federal University of Minas Gerais, abbreviated as UFMG). It is a public university located in Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is one of Brazil's five largest universities, being the largest federal university. Then I taught as an Agronomist, specializing in agronomy, which is the science of utilizing plants for food, fuel, feed, and fiber. After meeting my husband,who is an Adventist Minister's son, it was only expected that I become a true believer on the faith. We both came to America to work in 1989, got married in June 16, 1991 At Patterson. I was meant to be a Seventh-day Adventist.

Getting to know the Women in our Church

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:36:00 +0000

ROSANA MARIA SANTOS

I am happily married to my husband Altamir and I am blessed to have these three boys that God gave to me: BRUNO, GABRIEL and ANDREW.

Country of Origin: BRAZIL

Favorite things to do: Play volleyball

Favorite Color: Red (also Black)

Favorite food: PASTA

Favorite Bible Verse: Psalms 23 New International Version
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness.
For His name's sake.
Even tough I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for You are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You annoint my head with oil, my cup oveflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Favorite Woman of the Bible: Hannah

Hannah was a good woman who loved God. But she was sad, for she had no children. Each year, her husband took her to a place called Shiloh, where they worshiped God. And each year, Hannah prayed a special prayer that God would give her a child. One year, she prayed, "Dear God, if You will only give me a son, I will give him back to You, to serve You all his days."
Hannah desperately wanted a son. She even promised that if God gave her a baby boy, she would dedicate him to doing the LORD's work. And God heard her prayer. It must have been difficult for Hannah to keep her promise, but she did by giving her son Samuel to Eli the priest.Because of a mother's great love and trust in God, her son became a great priest, prophet and leader in Israel.

As a woman of God,what do you need from your fellow women in the Church? I need your prayers, support, smiles and hugs.

Is there anything you want to do with the other women or for other women? I would really love to go out at least once a month, just to talk and have fun together to share our experiences and prayers for one another.

Life's journey as a Woman of God:

My parents were not Adventists. But my grandmother was a devout Adventist and she took me to Sabbath School as often as possible. And that is how I knew my Jesus through my grandmother. I am very happy and fortunate to find a good and wonderful husband who also love God. We both want our children to grow up in the Lord. I pray every day for God to bless my family. And for God to give me patience in dealing with Andrew's health needs. God is so good and He is with me, every step of the way. I feel helpless sometimes and I just pray to God because oftentimes I do not know what to do. But He always has a ready anser to my prayers.

Leap of Faith

noreply@blogger.com (FWESDA Women) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:15:00 +0000

There is nothing quite as rewarding in life as doing something you never thought possible. I recently had the opportunity to take a leap of faith out of a plane, something I never really thought I could do. Sure, I had put it on my bucket list, and I certainly thought it was something I wanted to do before I died. But as I drove to Delaware to the skydiving site, my stomach just got more and more twisted.

More than once I thought of calling my friends and telling them I would not be able to join them. Yet, I kept driving. Something inside me kept pushing me to take this leap.

Once I arrived at the site, they had us fill out all this paperwork "in the event of an accident"...yikes, nerves came back big time!

Then it was time to meet our dive instructors. My instructor's name was Joe. He pointed me in the direction of the suits and then got started on placing the harness on me. As he tightened all the various cords to me, I began to feel my body relax.

They called our names to board the plane, my body relaxed even more. By the time we were up in the air I felt such a thrill that my nerves were completely gone. "I'm doing this", I kept thinking.

There was a "ding" in the cabin and Joe announced "three minutes till we jump". Before I realized what was happening, the door of the plane opened and out went the more experienced divers. Joe started shouting orders at me over the noise of the plane: "stand up", "walk to the door", "on your mark, set, go"...and off we went. It had all happened so fast I had no time to get nervous again before we plunged into the open air.

I always imagined that skydiving was a bit like a roller coaster. That my stomach would surge as I fell, and that the earth would be approaching me at an alarming speed. Yet, the reality was quite different. It felt like I was floating, the ground looked the same as if I were looking out of an airplane window. The view was magnificent. The Chesapeake on one side and Ocean City on the other.

Before long Joe flashed me the signal to open my parachute. It was a smooth ride down to the bottom.

A incredible sense of accomplishment flooded me as I finally hit the ground. I had done something crazy. I had taken a leap of faith.

This experience will continually remind me that taking a little risk can be incredibly rewarding if you have the right instructor on your side. "With God, all things are possible".

Getting to know the Women in our church

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Meet Idaflor Gozo Cabaluna

Short Bio: I graduated from Mountain View College in 1979. Just like many Filipinos, I wanted to be a nurse so I could help lift up my family from poverty and help other family members financially so they too can have a brighter future. After taking some qualifying exams I went to work to Saudi Arabia and spent four years in Jeddah and Riyadh from 1984. After passing the CGFNS examination, I arrived in Connecticut in 1988 and then moved to New York to start a family. My goal in life has not changed. I have helped a lot of other Filipinos come to America and helped them start their new lives here. I am still supporting a lot of relatives in the Philippines, helping them reach their goals of finishing their college degrees so they too can achieve their dreams.

Now, I am so blessed to have married Tom, an Adventist whose goals are just like mine: making sure that our two children Jabriel and Krezhia love Jesus and make Him first in their lives. Jabriel is enjoying his studies in VCU while Krezhia is now in the Philippines to finish her High School and eventually follow my footsteps in pursuing a career in Nursing. It is a lot of sacrifice to send my baby, my Krezhia away at her young age, but this is what she always wanted and I can only support her with every step of the way. I am comforted with the thought that she is in an Adventist Institution, following her dreams. Tom is with her right now during her adjustment period, and both of us will do everything we can to show her that we love her and wish her only the best. It is never easy to be separated from the people that you love, but when it is for their best interest and happiness, I know my sacrifices will not be in vain. I have learned through the years that putting your complete trust in God is the blessed assurance that all will be well.

Hobbies: Sewing and crafts

Favorite color: BLUE

Favorite Bible Verse: John 14:1-3 "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in Me. There are many rooms in my Father's house; I would not tell you this if this was not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me, so that you may be where I am."

Favorite Woman in the Bible: RUTH. Ruth was a young foreigner who became a widow at a very young age. She could have chosen to leave her mother-in-law and got married again on her own. But instead, she was loyal and faithful to the aging Naomi and stayed with her, taking care of her and listening to her for her wisdom and advice. She had shared loneliness, anxiety and grief with Naomi, and now that the older woman was completely alone, Ruth would not abandon her. ‘But Ruth said,
“Do not press me to leave you
or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
Where you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die
There I will be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me
And more as well
If even death parts me from you!”’

So the two women returned to Bethlehem in time for the autumn harvest of barley.Because of her faithfulness God provided for her a better life.She became the wife of Boaz, a rich and good man, and she had a son, Obed. Eventually, Ruth would be the great-grandmother of King David.

As a woman of God, what do you need from other women in the church: I just want us to be closer to each other, just like sisters, sharing our experiences as wives, moms and women.

I grew up as an Adventist and I will never depart from the doctrines and beliefs that I grew up with. I have dedicated my life and the lives of my family to God. He knows what is best for us.

Getting to know the Women in our church

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 01:30:00 +0000

Carla Azenet Gutierrez

Short Bio: I'm originally from a city called Barquisimeto, Venezuela which is the state capital of the Sate of Lara. It's a city with around 1,500,000 people. I have been here in the Unted States for about 12 years.
I work in a Sprinkler Company, in the National Accounts Department, which means I take care of the big accounts from receiving a call to dispatching and follow up and invoicing and collecting. I'm blessed to be a Mother of 2 beautiful kids who means the whole world to me. They are my life. My mom Myriam Gutierrez is very important in my life and my brother is the most quiet person you will ever meet, but the one that worries about me the most, and it feels great to be loved like that!

Favorite Color: Earth tones

Favorite food: Chicken.

Hobbies: Love movies and taking pictures.

Favorite Memory Verse (s): Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

Favorite Woman in the Bible and Why: (explain) Miriam, Moses' sister. As the older sister of Moses, she was given the special task of taking care of him when he was put in the basket in the river to escape from death. She took her job seriously and creatively made it possible for Moses to be saved from the clutches of death and be adopted instead to royalty, becoming one of the best leaders in history. My mom who is named Myriam is doing exactly the same thing to me and my family. She has always taken care of me and my brother and a lot more other people who came to her life........ She's an angel.

What do you want to happen with our Women's Group or what you expect from other women in the group. - be a part of their activities.

Your spiritual journey: Born and raised in the church, I never knew any other way of life. Coming from a predominantly Catholic country our friends and other family members are not Adventists, so I always felt I was the outcast, the odd and abnormal one. I still feel the same way. I'm different and I wish I wasn't but now I'm finally comfortable with my beliefs, enough to talk about it and not be scared of being different........ and if I am, I'm okay with that.

Getting to know the Women in our church

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 22:58:00 +0000

Shari Pottinger Osborn

Short Bio:
I was born in Honduras on October 15, 1981. My father was a pastor there, but he registered both my brother and I as Costa Ricans since that is where he is from. When I was about 4 years old we moved to Costa Rica. For the next 12 years Costa Rica was my home. It was such a blessing to live in such a beautiful place. In 1998 my father was once again called to be a missionary, but now to the United States. We moved to New Jersey that year. My father still works as a conference official in New Jersey.

I graduated from Columbia Union College and married my college sweetheart! We then moved to Michigan where we both got graduate degrees, his in Divinity and mine in business. Now we live in Richmond and love being a part of this church community.

Favorite things to do:
I love shopping, watching TV, making cards and playing games. Lately, I have been spending a lot of my time taking long walks while pushing Luke in the stroller!

Favorite Color: Red/Burgundy and Turquoise

Favorite Food: I love Central American foods, such as tostones, rice and beans, tamales, pupusas and pickled cabbage salad…(made myself hungry just thinking about it).

Favorite Verse in the Bible: Job 19:23-27
“Oh, that my words were recorded,
that they were written on a scroll,
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead,
or engraved in rock forever!
25 I know that my redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand on the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!

Favorite Woman in the Bible and Why:
I really like the story of Tamar. She was a victim of horrible circumstances with her first husband being such a bad person that God struck him down, and then her second husband also being struck down. Then her father-in-law, Judah, tries to cheat her of her right to marry his third son, but she would have none of it. She takes matters into her own hands to level the score and ensure a safe life for herself. She pretends to be a prostitute and gets Judah to spend the night with her. She is smart enough to get proof that he is the one who has fathered her child, and therefore, he cannot deny her a place in his house.

I think her braveness is one of the reasons she is one of the 5 women mentioned in the lineage of Jesus. She could have just meekly went back to her father’s house and lived out her days as a widow with no one to protect her, but she took her place in history by choosing to demand a place in society and not just take what seem to be given to her.

What do you need from your fellow women from church:
The last couple months have been very interesting because I have been pregnant, and then in February I had my baby boy, Luke. Many of the women at church would come up to me and tell me stories about their children and their pregnancies and it was nice to learn new things about them through their stories. I love learning more about people because I think we all have great stories to tell and wonderful adventures to share.

Story of faith:
As a pastor’s child I have been in the church all my life. Church is just something I did, but God was not really that important to me. I felt like He was there, and that eventually it would all “click”, but in the mean time I just lived my life. I never did anything bad, but I had no purpose or spirituality in my life.

My Junior year in college I went on a mission trip and met this great guy. His name was Brian Han. He was the chaperone for a high-school group that joined us on the trip. I found out that he had left a promising career in medicine to become a Youth Pastor. He was so passionate about God, and had the kids sing “Make me a Servant” every evening at vespers. He wanted them to remember that they were on earth to serve others.

The final day of our trip we went to the beach. A tidal wave came to shore and caught a bunch of people from our group in it. Pastor Han went in to the ocean to try to save some of the students, but he was not a strong swimmer. By the time they pulled him out of the water it was too late. They tried everything to bring him back, but he was gone. As the paramedics pulled a towel over his body, I crumbled to the ground. I felt like his death was my fault. That God was trying to get my attention and now an innocent man was dead. After much prayer I realized that God did not “make” Pastor Han die to get my attention, but that his death left a vacuum that in God’s work that needed to be filled. I realized that the best way to honor Pastor Han’s life was to become a better friend of God the way he had been. In this way I would be able to carry on the good work he was doing in my own way.

This experience was the beginning of my new life with Christ. I started to seek His guidance and will for my life in a new and earnest way.

Getting to know the Women in our church

noreply@blogger.com (RayleneB) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Author & Writer Ruth Senter once said, "When you are truly joined in spirit, another woman's good is your good too. Your work for the good of each other."
As sisters in Christ, it is good to get to know the women in our church in a more personal and intimate way. So we will be featuring a woman/girl each week so we will truly get to know each other.

For this week, meet:

Raylene Ann Rodrigo-Baumgart

Short Bio: Born in the Philippines in 1956. Arrived in New York, USA in 1982 as a Registered Nurse and then got married to Helmut Andreas Baumgart, a physicist from Germany who is now a professor at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. Together we have three daughters: Katharina (Katie), Kristina (Kristi) and Alexa.

Katie will finish her studies this summer from VCU majoring in Film and Cinema; Kristi just finished her first year at UVA-Charlottesville while Alexa is in her 10th year in Grafton High School at Yorktown.

Favorite things to do: Gardening, Traveling, playing tennis, exploring Botanical gardens and collecting orchids

Favorite color: Red

Favorite food: Salads(fried fish and rice as a Filipino)

Favorite Verses in the Bible: Proverbs 25:11 “The right word spoken at the right time is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl” (New Century Version).

"He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps." Psalms 40:2

Favorite Woman in the Bible and why: Queen Esther

She was just an orphan during the Persian Empire at the time when the Jews were spread throughout the vast empire and beyond. There was no central Jewish identity nor was there a central homeland, Adopted by her older cousin Mordecai, she had a very humble beginning. Beautiful and regal, she was chosen among other women through a very unusual circumstance and became the Queen of Persia, the largest empire of the world at that time. Now, she was in a position of direct influence over the king. Yet, she was also subjected to the whims and impulses of the king as everyone else was. Mordecai asked her to hide their Jewish ancestry for good reason and she obeyed as a child would to a parent.

But when she was faced with a challenge, she put aside her fears and faced the King even if it could have meant her life. Although afraid, she learned to rely not on her new found status of queen, but on the everlasting promise of God to faithfully guide those who seek Him. With prayers, she demonstrated her humility and reverence to her God. She could have claimed more honors and favor in the king’s eyes by forgetting her past and her heritage but she did not forget her humble beginning and her people and her God.
Queen Esther was an example to all who has to face injustice, bigotry and prejudice. Her story is an example of how God delivers His people in mysteriously unique ways. Her story demonstrated God’s plan of deliverance through the trembling faith of a young queen’s petition.

As a woman of God what do you need from your fellow women from the church? Personally, I would really like to get to know the women better. And I would suggest a regular "get-to-know-each-other" meeting where we can just be ourselves doing things together whether it be a wreath-making event, or just a simple devotional, or session about our kids, husbands and what we love to do.

Tell us a short story of your life’s journey as a woman of God: Born to Adventist parents, I was brought up in the Adventist doctrines and beliefs and schooled in our own Adventist schools. But as a young adult, I became an unwed mother. Frowned upon and unacceptable by the Filipino culture and our Adventist standards, I left home and the church and sought refuge with the nuns of the Good Shepherd convent way up in a secluded monastery. The nuns were the ones who accepted my plight and loved me unconditionally. My mother adopted my child and encouraged me to live a new life away from home to escape prejudice. I left for New York City, tried to enjoy my first taste of independence, living a life of worldly pleasures and even married a non-believer. But when Katie was born, I realized, I could not be a mother without God in my life. I knew that I need Him back in my life. Although I did wander away from the fold during my young adult life, I was re-baptized and have re-dedicated my life to Him. Due to my husband's job and a very unstable economy, we had the privilege of being relocated several times, but I have always considered it as a blessing in disguise because the experience have made me grow emotionally and spirituality and I have found so may beautiful friendships along the way. Now, as an adult woman, I realized that God loves me, no matter what my past was. He loves me unconditionally and it is my ultimate goal to have Him as a partner in all the decisions that I make every day of my life.It is my responsibility to make my life a vessel of hope for others.
Somebody once said, "You can't do much about the length of your life, but you can do a lot about its depth and width."

Kicking the Approval Habit

noreply@blogger.com (FWESDA Women) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 05:47:00 +0000

One of the most insidious addictions we women struggle with is our craving for approval from others. When our need for validation gets in the way of our being who we truly are, we’re in trouble. Fueled by belief that we need their approval in order to be okay, we scurry around looking for “self”-esteem fixes from suppliers that are outside of ourselves. It doesn’t work.

Of course we all need people to appreciate us, but our primary source of approval needs to come from ourselves. The very best way to kick the approval habit is to support and approve of ourselves. This does not mean that we overlook our shortcomings or pat ourselves on the back for being nasty, but, in my many years of being a psychotherapist, I have seen very few people who err on the side of being too easy on themselves.

Authentic self-approval naturally leads to increased approval of others.

Malia attract friends like flowers attract bees. She is a heart-lifter; around her everyone feels better about themselves. She always seems to have a sincere word of praise for those4 around her.

But others are not the only recepients of her approval. She is also very self-confident and comfortable about bestowing accolades on herself. It’s not unusual for her, in an unaffected and honest way, to say something like, “ I am so proud of the way I handled that!” Asked if she had always been so kind to herself, she giggled, “Oh no! I used to be my own worst enemy, but I learned to be my own best friend instead!”

When we learn to accept who we are right now and celebrate who we are becoming, we can kick the approval habit and rely on ourselves for our best approval fixes.

I hope we can all say,
"I, WHOLEHEARTEDLY APPROVE OF MYSELF RIGHT NOW!
WHAT OTHERS THINK OF ME IS THEIR CHOICE!
WHAT I THINK OF ME IS MY CHOICE!
I EASILY APPROVE OF OTHERS!"

From Words of Courage & Confidence by Sue Patton Thoele

Meet Angelica

noreply@blogger.com (FWESDA Women) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:05:00 +0000

Hello, my name is Angelica Tsvetkov. I am 11 years old and my birthday is on the date of June 16th. I have 5 members in my family Valeriy, Anna, Igor, Oleg, and me Angelica. We also have 3 pets they are all cats. My favorite color is Fluorescent blue. Some of my hobbies are reading, figure skating, rollerblading, drawing, painting, scrapbooking, marching, doing my pathfinder honors, writing, bells, piano, hanging out with friends and plenty more. I was raised in an SDA family and I love God so much! I had many experiences with him and hope to get baptized soon. I will keep working hard to reach my goals and help the people around me.

Angelica is pictured with her brothers Oleg and Igor and her parents Valeriy and Anna.

The Candle in the Window - Is there room in your inn?

noreply@blogger.com (FWESDA Women) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000

In Ireland a lovely Christmas tradition, handed down and still very much alive today is: ‘The candle in the window’. The ancient Irish custom of placing a lighted candle in a front window of a house on Christmas eve. The large lighted candle is placed there after dark, and not extinguished until after midnight. Now we use electric or battery powered lights just for decorations, but it was originally a symbol of welcome to Joseph and Mary, who, despite their need, were refused shelter in the inn. By this symbol, we offer shelter and room in our hearts for Jesus. As you see the candles in the windows, remind your children to open their hearts to Jesus.

Lattice Blueberry Pie

noreply@blogger.com (FWESDA Women) — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup ice water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Cooking spray

Filling:
1 cup sugar, divided
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation
To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1/4 cup flour and ice water, stirring with a whisk until well-blended. Combine 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add slurry; mix with a fork until flour mixture is moist. Gently press two-thirds of dough into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Press remaining dough into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Roll dough into a 9-inch circle. Freeze both portions of dough 10 minutes. Working with larger portion of dough, remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap; fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap.

To prepare the filling, combine 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl, and sprinkle over blueberries. Toss gently. Stir in butter and vanilla. Spoon blueberry mixture into crust.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Remove top sheet of plastic wrap from remaining dough. Cut dough into 6 (1 1/2-inch) strips. Gently remove dough strips from bottom sheet of plastic wrap; arrange in a lattice design over blueberry mixture. Seal dough strips to edge of crust. Place pie on a baking sheet covered with foil. Sprinkle lattice with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake at 375° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until crust is browned and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

The Christmas Tree - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (FWESDA Women) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Despite many historians' attempts to link the Christmas tree to an ancient pagan practice, it is actually Christian in origin. The Christmas tree goes back to the medieval German mystery plays. One of the most popular "mysteries" was the Paradise play, representing the creation of man, the sin of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from Paradise. It usually closed with the consoling promise of the coming of the Savior with reference to His Incarnation. These plays were performed in the open, on the large squares in front of churches, or inside the house of God. The Garden of Eden was indicated by a fir tree hung with apples. It represented both the Tree of Life and the Tree of Discernment of Good and Evil, which stood in the center of Paradise. (Gen 2:9)

The Tree in the Home
When the pageant was performed in church, the Paradeisbaum (tree of Paradise) was surrounded by lighted candles and inside the ring of lights, the play was acted. After the suppression of the mystery plays in the churches, the only symbolic object of the play found its way into the homes of the faithful and the Christmas tree became a symbol of the Savior. Following this symbolism, in the 15th century the custom developed into the decorating of the Paradise Tree, already bearing apples, with small white wafers representing the Holy Eucharist. These wafers were later replaced by little pieces of pastry cut in the shapes of stars, angels, hearts, flowers, and bells. And finally, other cookies were introduced bearing the shapes of men, birds, roosters and other animals. The first known use of the fir tree as a Christmas tree is found in a description written by a German traveler visiting Strasbourg in 1605. He tells of trees being planted in rooms, and he notes that they were ornamented with roses of colored paper, apples, tinsel, sugar and cookies. (LaVern Rippley, Of German Ways, Barnes and Noble Books, 1970)

Until the 17th century the Christbaum (as the tree is called in German) had no lights. The Christmas candles, generally used in medieval times, were placed on the Christmas pyramid made of graduated wooden shelves. As time went on, the tree replaced the pyramid in its function of representing Christ as the Light of the world. The candles and glittering decorations were transferred from the pyramid to the tree. A reminder of the origin of the Christmas tree may still be found in sections of Bavaria where fir branches and little trees, decorated with lights, apples and tinsel, are still called Paradeis. (Francis X. Weisner, 1952, The Christmas Book. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1952)

Although the Christmas tree is now the principal symbol of Christmas in America, it was by no means in general use in American families until late in the 19th century. German immigrants most likely set up the first Christmas trees in America as early as 1710, however. Later, during the Revolutionary War, Hessian soldiers were responsible for disseminating the practice throughout the Eastern seaboard.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, pioneer families who settled in areas where evergreen trees were scarce made Christmas trees out of bare branches painted green or wrapped with green paper or cloth. Sometimes a "tree" would be made by drilling holes in a broomstick and inserting branches of cedar or juniper into it. Often the only Christmas tree in the community would be in the Church or in the school. In the absence of a Christmas tree, presents were often hung by ribbons from a decorated clothesline strung across the corner of a room.

Compiled by Marie Macri

Snowflake Cookies - Great for Decorations!

noreply@blogger.com (FWESDA Women) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Prep: 2 hours (including decorating); Cook: 12 minutes; Chill: 2 hours.

Yield: Makes 20-24 (3- to 4-inch) cookies (serving size: 1 cookie)

Ingredients
COOKIES
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Meringue Icing

Preparation
In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking powder, and salt.

In large bowl, combine sugar, oil, and butter; beat with a stand or hand mixer at low speed until blended (about 3 minutes). Increase speed to high; beat until light and creamy (about 3 minutes), occasionally scraping side of bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low; add egg whites and vanilla, beating until smooth. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat just until blended.

Divide dough in half; flatten each half into a disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 hours or until dough is firm enough to roll.

Preheat oven to 375°. Using a floured rolling pin, roll 1 dough disc to 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Use cookie cutters to cut out as many cookies as possible. With a lightly floured spatula, place cookies 1 inch apart on an ungreased large baking sheet.

Bake cookies until lightly browned (about 10-12 minutes). Transfer cookies to wire rack; cool. Top with meringue icing. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and trimmings.

The Christmas Tree

noreply@blogger.com (FWESDA Women) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000

On Christmas, so soon to come, let not the parents take the position that an evergreen placed in the church for the amusement of the Sabbath school scholars is a sin; for it may be made a great blessing. Keep before their minds benevolent objects. In no case should mere amusement be the object of these gatherings. While there may be some who will turn these occasions into seasons of careless levity, and whose minds will not receive the divine impress, to other minds and characters these seasons will be highly beneficial. I am fully satisfied that innocent substitutes can be devised for many gatherings that demoralize.

Christmas is coming. May you all have wisdom to make it a precious season. Let the older church members unite, heart and soul, with their children in their innocent amusement and recreation, in devising ways and means to show true respect to Jesus by bringing to Him gifts and offerings. Let everyone remember the claims of God. His cause cannot go forward without your aid. Let the gifts you have usually bestowed upon one another be placed in the Lord's treasury. . . . In every church let your smaller offerings be placed upon your Christmas tree. Let the precious emblem "evergreen" suggest the holy work of God and His beneficence to us; and the loving heart-work will be to save other souls who are in darkness. Let your works be in accordance with your faith. . . .

Every tree in Satan's garden hangs laden with the fruits of vanity, pride, self-importance, evil desire, extravagance - all poisoned fruit, but very gratifying to the carnal heart. Let the several churches present to God Christmas trees in every church, and then let them hang thereon the fruits of beneficence and gratitude - offerings coming from willing hearts and hands, fruits that God will accept as an expression of our faith and our great love to Him for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Let the evergreen be laden with fruit, rich and pure and holy, acceptable to God. Shall we not have such a Christmas as Heaven can approve?

By Ellen White - Review and Herald, January 29, 1884