Merry Christmas to all!

Alex and I have had a fantastic Christmas so far.

We did indeed share a paella last night at Red Room. It was deeelicious. When we came home we baked cupcakes, watched "It's a Wonderful Life," and opened presents. Later we Skyped with his family in Miami. It was great to see them.

Today we prepared a Christmas brunch. Kat and Lenny came over and we feasted. Alex made the cutest Rudolph waffles. We also went to see Avatar in the theater. Fantastic movie! We all really enjoyed it.

Now we're relaxing at home because tomorrow we're headed to the mountains! My family is driving up from Miami and we'll be staying in a log cabin until after the new year. CanNOT wait.

I hope everyone has had a great holiday so far. Don't stop being thankful for the all the blessings the Lord has given...especially this one.

Merry Christmas Eve!

It's Christmas! I am so excited for today and tomorrow and our trip to the mountains the day after.

Alex is at work today (boo...) so I am spending the day cleaning up the apartment and pampering myself. :-)

After work we're headed to a lovely Christmas dinner at the Red Room Tapas Lounge. I think we may share a paella. Mmm...we'll see. Then we plan on driving around to look at pretty Christmas lights and then home to open presents!! (Yes, we open presents on Christmas Eve)

I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas with loved ones.

Here are some pretty things to look at, courtesy of weheartit.

crafting

I have been having so much fun crafting lately. I really enjoy making stuff. I don't think I'm terribly good at any one craft, but I enjoy them all and it's fun to see what you can make with your own two hands.

For example, I had no idea that I could sew! A couple weeks ago I made a plush owl with the guidance of some ladies from the Connecting Point team. It was so much fun and my owl turned out halfway decent. I tend to rush with my stitching, so I need to work on that. Mine is the green one:

Making an owl was so fun that I decided to try making a cyclops bunny with Alex. Didn't turn out as great as I would have hoped, but I'm still learning. Practice makes perfect.

When Alex's mom was in town we made a wreath.

She did most of the work, but I did make these cute flowers that we attached to the side:

And last night Kat and I made these adorable yarn wreaths. We're pretty much obsessed now. We want to make more! There are so many great ideas for yarn wreaths out there.

So if you're looking for something to do over winter break (there are only so many Law & Order: SVU episodes you can watch!), why not try your hand at some crafting?

If you need inspiration check out these blogs by some really crafty ladies:

A Beautiful Mess

Bleubird Vintage

Fawn

Creature Comforts

The Constant Gatherer

In a Walnut Shell

Happy crafting!

Denver2011.org

Our new site has officially launched!

I am so proud of Alex for designing such a cool website. He's worked so hard.

Check out Denver2011.org to see exactly what's going on with our team, why we chose Denver, and how you can help us.

So go check out our site, let us know what you think, and continue to pray for us. Only 24 more days until our Vision Trip to the city in January.

Whimsy

My lovely friend, Tammie, is one talented lady. She has a good eye for all things cute and has recently started her own business, Whimsy, selling handmade goodies. I've been a customer of hers twice already.

These lovely paintings hang on the wall in my home:

And I adore this headband:

She recently hosted a giveaway and I won! Yay! I love winning giveaways, especially when the prizes are so cute. So if you're in the need for some quality handmade goodies for yourself or a special someone in your life then check out her shop here. She also blogs over here. Show Whimsy some love and become her next customer. You won't be disappointed.

Making Memories

I have to say, that I am so thankful for my husband. I am thankful that he is constantly striving to be better. He is not content with mediocrity.

He read this blog post by Mark Driscoll and has really taken it to heart.

(family men, I suggest reading it, even if you're not a daddy yet)

Alex really wants to make this Christmas season special and he's been doing a great job. It's even inspired me to do a few special things as well, though I won't reveal yet.

A couple nights ago we got our Christmas tree (50% off at Target!) and got to decorating it. Alex made this cute vintage-inspired video so we could remember that night forever. :-) Here it is, enjoy!

Christmas Decorating from Kristel Acevedo on Vimeo.

an update for you

We worked hard all weekend and have finally fully unpacked everything! Hoorah!

We love our new apartment. It's so peaceful and lovely. I promise to take pictures soon. We're getting our Christmas tree tonight and getting all the decorations out. Can't wait.

Here's a sneak peak to hold you over until I get around to taking more photos:

I'm also in the middle of finals over here. Took one today. My next one is on Wednesday and the last one on Thursday (or Friday...it's online...haven't decided when I'll take it yet). I am so thankful that the semester is almost over. It's been great. I have really loved all my classes and everything I've learned, but it's also been tiring! This has definitely been my busiest semester so far. I'm ready for a break so I can unwind and do some real blogging.

In the mean time, meet the Barley's new puppy. She is the cutest! (Props to Alex for making the video)

And don't forget to pray for our trip to Denver next month. We need 100 of you to step up to the plate! Contact me if you have any questions or comments.

Project 100

I have spoken to several people personally about this project, but I also wanted to do a blog post about it.

You all should know by now that Alex and I are part of a church planting team on our way to Denver, CO. We will be taking a trip out there in January as a team to scope out the city (Alex and I have never been there!) and learn more about Denver.

I am beyond excited about this trip and am thankful for the opportunity. So here comes our first goal for this trip: We need prayer! Specifically we would like to have at least 100 people praying for this trip. We need God's grace and guidance as we travel out there. Here are three specific areas you can be praying for:

• Location: Denver is a pretty big city. We would like to find a specific location to focus our efforts on and plant our lives in. We need God's guidance to lead us.
• Link: We would like to connect with other gospel-centered churches in the Denver area for the purpose of doing ministry together.
• Love: We want to grow in love for this city. This is especially true for Alex and me. While we are excited to go to Denver and can't wait to move there, we don't really have a deep love for the city, we've never even been there. We all want to love Denver and the people of Denver and the culture of Denver.

I still plan on speaking with many of you personally about this goal and how you can pray for us. As I've mentioned in previous posts, school is crazy right now, but I am excited to speak with all of you about our January trip and obtain your commitment to praying for us. And if you get impatient, go ahead and give me a call or shoot me an email. ;-)

In the mean time, sign up for our newsletter here and follow us on Twitter here.

We're here!

Moving this past weekend was a great success!

We are so thankful for all our wonderful friends who helped us out.

I am in LOVE with our new place. It's still a little messy, hah...but we're making it our goal to have everything all set up and put away by this weekend.

Pictures soon.

In other news...winter temperatures have arrived here in NC! I have been consistently cold for days now. Right now I'm sitting inside our apartment wearing my winter coat. Yeah, it's that cold. I think we need one of these. I like this cute orange one.

Hope everyone is doing great out there in the blogosphere. (that's for you, Megan)

Keep warm!

We're moving!

This Saturday Alex and I are moving to a new apartment! Yayy!

It's in North Raleigh, not too far off from where we currently live. We're really excited about our new place and can't wait to get settled in. We'll be sure to post pictures when we have everything set up (it could be a while, it's crazy with the end of the semester looming over my head!).

If you would like to help us move come on out to our current apartment at 9am. We hope to be done with everything by 2pm. There could be some free pizza in it for you.

If you would like to know our new address to send us cute Christmas cards or house warming gifts [;-)] just e-mail me and I'll let you know where we're staying now.

Flaherty Farms was a great first home. We're thankful for Flaherty Farms, but we're ready to say goodbye to it.

And helloooo to The Columns.

(images from: weheartit)

Happy Thanksgiving

Seriously, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

Usually for this very special and delicious holiday we go from house to house enjoying all the wonderful food. The last house is always my parents' and there are always well over two dozen people in attendance. It really is grand.

Since moving to NC, though, we can't afford to be flying home for all the holidays.

So last year Alex's mom flew up to spend Thanksgiving with us. It really was special.

This year we are continuing the tradition. In just a couple hours Patty will be landing in RDU and tomorrow we are cooking up a feast! I have all my recipes ready and we were able to purchase my dream dining set from Target. It's beautiful.

Here's the table. Here's one set of chairs. And here is the other set of chairs.

I love the colors and the simple design...and most of all, I love the price!

I hope everyone's holiday is extra special. Remember to show God your gratitude for all His blessings.

Hispanic in the South

Have you ever seen the movie 'Selena'?

It's about the Mexican-American singer who was shot and killed in 1995 at the age of 23.

(This movie also made J.Lo famous)

Anyway, there's this scene when Selena's dad, Abraham, is going on a rant on how difficult it is to be Mexican-American.

"We've got to know about John Wayne and Pedro Infante...Oprah and Cristina... American food is too bland and yet when we go to Mexico we get the runs!... We have to be more Mexican than the Mexicans and more American than the Americans, both at the same time! It's exhausting!"

It's a humorous part of the film and maybe he's exaggerating it a bit, but I can somewhat relate.

(Check the scene here, jump to 6:50 in the video)

Since I grew up in Miami it really wasn't that big of a deal being Hispanic-American. My friends and I were all weird hybrids. We love frijoles and cheeseburgers, Salsa and classic rock, Que Pasa USA and Friends. We all identify with the countries of our origins ("I'm Puerto Rican," "I'm Cuban," "I'm Nicaraguan") without having to add the silly 'American' part. We speak in a blend of Spanish and English, Spanglish. And it's fine, nobody minds, we all understand each other.

Whenever I've gone to Nicaragua (or other Latin American countries), though, I am straight up American. I trip over my words and can't relate to their way of life.

Here in the South, though, I am decidedly not American. I don't like college football, seersucker anything, or Paula Deen...nor can I relate to any of that. And WHAT is the deal with people around here having parties with no dancing? No dancing?? Sad.

I'm not American enough and I'm not Nicaraguan enough.

Again, in Miami this wasn't a big deal...we're all hybrids, remember? Now that we're living outside of Miami, however, the differences are more evident. I wonder how it'll be for future generations in our family, my kids and grandkids. Every generation will be less Hispanic and more American. I would hate to lose our culture to a fully American culture...not that I don't love America, I do! Honestly! But I'm proud of our roots. I love the Spanish language, I love my Abuelita's Nicaraguan cooking, I love getting together with my loud crazy family over the holidays, I love salsa dancing at every get together. I don't want to lose that.

Anyway... I'm not sure where this blog post is going, haha. These are just thoughts that have been swimming around in my head today.

Any thoughts of your own to add???

Thanksgiving Break!

Hallelujah! I am officially on Thanksgiving break. No school for ten days.

I still have to write two papers and complete a couple other assignments though... so school work will not be completely absent from my break.

The best part of this break though is that my lovely parents will be coming into town on Saturday! I have many plans to show them around the city and let them spoil me with a few dinners. ;-) They leave on Tuesday and on Wednesday Alex's mom is flying in to enjoy Thanksgiving with us.

I am already thankful for the fun times Alex and I will have with our parents. It is such a blessing that they will be here with us during a time when many people get to go home for the holidays.

P.S. Can I tell you how much I love Real Simple Magazine?

I looove it. And here's just one reason why... Ten Ideas for Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey. (I guess that could technically be ten reasons...)

Don't let your leftovers go to waste!

The Itis

I've got the Itis.

We only have about three weeks of actual school left in the semester and I am just not feeling very motivated. My mind is on Thanksgiving (I'm cooking everything this year, ahh!), Christmas (we're headed to the mountains in Asheville!), and our trip to Denver in January.

How can I be expected to focus on writing papers and studying for exams when I have all these exciting things to look forward to???

I have to keep focused and finish out the semester the best way I can.

But really all I want to do is this... :-)

sources: here and here.

Blog Slacking

I know I've been slacking on the blogging. Things have just been busy busy busy.

Since we got back from Orlando both Alex and I have been busy with school work. I'm proud to say Alex wrote his first exegesis paper on the book of Ruth. Hoorah! I'm proud of him. Writing an exegesis paper for the first time is hard for anybody, Alex stuck with it and did a great job.

Also, last weekend Lucci and his girlfriend, Megan, came into town from Orlando. It was so great to have them visiting with us!

In that same weekend we had the Craft & Bake Sale hosted by Connecting Point at the seminary (I was the coordinator). I'm happy to say that it went great. We had so many more visitors than I expected. All of the vendors had interesting displays, though I can't lie, my favorite table was the one with the three Miamians selling Tres Leches and Cuban coffee. ;-)

As soon as the sale was over Alex, Lucci, Megan, and I hopped into the car and drove straight to Charlotte to see my all-time favorite band in concert, MuteMath. They just never get old, honestly! I went back and counted and I think this was my 8th time seeing them, it's hard to keep track. They did a phenomenal job. I only wish I could have been with all my crazy MuteMath fans back in South Florida (the shows are definitely crazier down there, must be because we hispanics are wild).

The next day we went to church at the Summit (I love that place) and had a Denver church plant meeting (I love those people). We also explored Falls Lake Dam...nature fascinates me to no end. It's apparent to anyone around me that I'm a city girl when you get me out in nature. I saw a crawfish for the first time! (I think it was a crawfish...)

Anyway, this week we've been back to the daily grind. Work, school, the usual. I'll try to update more frequently. :-) Anything exciting going on in your life lately?

New URL

We're back in NC!

It was long drive back and I was ready to be home. We had a great visit in Orlando with Alex's family. Some highlights from the trip:

• Watching Lucci cross that stage in his shiny gray cap and gown. ;-)
• Eating delicious sushi at the greatest Japanese restaurant...even though it took forever to get there...it was worth it!
• Standing outside of Halloween Horror Nights and getting scared by the zombies. We almost bought tickets to go in...but our wallets prevented us. ;-)
• Seeing Saw VI. (it really wasn't that scary or gross)
• Walking around downtown Orlando with Alex, his mom, and his aunt on Halloween night. Wow. Very interesting.

I have a lot to do now that we're back in town...only I can't really remember everything. I know I have some homework...grocery shopping...I'l figure out the rest.

Anywhoo...Alex made a URL for me. http://kristelfatima.blogspot.com can be confusing I suppose. My new URL is www.glowinglightblog.com. Hoorah!

Happy November to all.

Off to O-Town...

Did I just type 'O-Town'??? (Nerrrd)

I am just so excited to be heading to Orlando for the weekend! Alex's cousin is graduating from Full Sail and we couldn't be more proud.

It'll be nice to get away from it all and enjoy the Sunshine State with Alex's family. I also hope to see Saw VI. It's tradition! I have watched the latest Saw movie on Halloween night every year since the beginning of the series.

(Hmm...maybe that should be considered my 'autumn tradition.')

Anyway, here's a picture of Lucci (and his weird cousin) when he graduated high school.

We're proud of you and we love you! Can't wait to see you.

autumn tradition?

As most of you know, I grew up in Miami.

In Miami we have one season: Summer!

There is no Winter...no Spring...and no Fall. This is really a shame because Fall is a beautiful time of year. I wrote about our first Fall last year. Now that I'm experiencing it all again for the second time I'm wondering if we should start some sort of Autumn Tradition. I'm at a bit of a loss because as I just mentioned, I'm from Miami!

What are some Autumn traditions that you practice or have heard of others practicing?

the view from our front door

Here's one autumn tradition that I know of...pumpkin carving! Alex and I had never carved a pumpkin before this year. But thanks to our wonderful friends, the Barleys, we were able to partake of this neat activity.

I don't know if I want to make this our tradition though... After a few days that pumpkin got all moldy inside [blegh], but we'll see. Alex loved it.

So share your favorite Autumn traditions in the comments section. OR write a blog about it. Caroline Joy Photography is having a contest and the prize is a $50 Anthropologie gift card. Read all about it here.

learning to trust God

I wish I knew how to trust God more.

I have a lot of "head knowledge" when it comes to trusting God. I know the Bible says to not be anxious about anything, and usually I'm not. I've never been one to worry.

Lately, though, I am more anxious than ever. School, finances, moving, Denver, etc etc etc. My thoughts are consumed with worry. I wonder how we'll make ends meet. I wonder how I'll pass all my classes. I wonder how we'll make the move to Denver. I wonder, I wonder, I wonder.

Maybe I just need to be still.

As I was worrying last night I realized I spend far too much time thinking about ME ME ME. I've taken my focus off of God. I've taken my eyes off of Jesus and focused them on the scary rushing wind that surrounds me. And now I'm sinking...and I'm sure God is just shaking his head saying, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

I need to seek God first. I need to glorify Him and honor Him whether I am in need or not. God has a plan for us. I do not need to worry or doubt or make myself sick with anxiety. The Lord is sovereign. The Lord provides. Remember His promises.

A helpful passage that I read this week is Psalm 143:5-8.

5I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
6I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.
Selah
7Answer me quickly, O LORD!
My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

So even though I still experience doubt at times, I'm learning to trust God. What do you do when you're struggling with doubt? How are you reminded of God's provision and sovereignty?How are you reminded of God's goodness despite your circumstances?

The Story

One of the professors at school posted this neat evangelism tool on his Twitter.

[Oh Twitter, you are truly wonderful]

I like it because it tells the whole Story of the Bible and how we fit into it.

So read it and share it with others.

Your Part in the Story.

Jess Ray & The Rag Tag Army

(photo credit)

I've been meaning to post about this incredible band. They're a local band around here and they're amazing.

One of our friends from church and school is in this band, which is how we first heard of them. I've seen them live three times now and it honestly gets better every time.

The band writes all their own songs, but most of the lyrics come from Jess Ray herself...and let me tell you, this girl has a gift. Her lyrics are so raw and real...and it's evident from her lyrics that she loves Jesus. I really connect with her songs and can't help but worship Jesus in the midst of it all.

Check out Jess Ray & The Rag Tag Army. They're a talented bunch.

Here's an excerpt from "Come As You Are." It's one of my favorite songs on their new album.

And with my head in Your hands

You looked in my face and lifted my chin

You stared in my eyes and said, "I'd rather die than be without you."

And like a wind and like a fire

Your love rushed in and lit up my heart

A place to belong

I join in the song

I can't be without You...

Denver Email List

If you're keeping up with our life, you know we'll be making a move to Denver within the next couple of years. If you're totally lost, read this.

Well, our team is trying to get organized (website/newsletter/blog/etc), if you are interested in receiving an email newsletter from us with updates/prayer requests/etc, let me know. We promise not to bombard your inbox with junk.

So if you would like to keep up with us leave a comment or send me an e-mail so I can add you to the list.

Thank you all for your support. We love you all.

Oh, and check out Alex's latest post about Denver. It's pretty great.

Presence

I've really enjoyed this new series at our church so far. It's called Presence.

Here's a blog post Pastor J.D. wrote that I thought I should share with you.

Read it. :-)

Presence is the Point of Christianity.

Flickr Friday

Did you know that I have a flickr account?

For a long time I didn't want to get one (just one other thing to have to keep up with), but I guess I just can't say no to my wonderful husband. He's always trying to encourage me to take more photos, and I love him for it.

Photography really is something I enjoy doing. I may not have it all figured out and I may not be as talented as some people out there, but I love it.

Recently I figured out Aperture and I love it so much more than iPhoto. It's gotten me much more excited about what kind of editing I can do. (I'm still not touching Photoshop, sorry)

So if you have some time click on over to my photostream and take a look.

And while you're at it, check out these talented folks:

Creative*Alex

Jennifer12287

sweetgoodness

Oh Chanti

montero.steph

merari.teruel

angel.a.acevedo

stephan.maloman

elsie*cake

Do you have a flickr account?? Leave the link in the comments.

20 Questions

Taking a break from writing my essay to play 20 questions. :-)

1. Show us the inside of something cute:

*I love the inside of this shop.

Red Velvet Art in Springfield, MO.

2. What's the last homecooking you had?

*Well, Megan made some yummy chicken roll ups on Sunday night. I wish I had a picture to show you all. It was delish!

3. What do you miss?

*Well, I definitely miss all these people...and then some:

4. What makes you laugh often?

*This handsome man right here:

5. What's your favorite word?

*VACATION! [ohhh yeah]

6. What are you trying to quit?

*Procrastinating. [whoops...fail]

7. What's your favorite commercial right now?

*It's kind of old, but I love this PUMA commericial:

PUMA from jimmysandoval on Vimeo.

8. Whose style do you dig?

*These lovely ladies:

*And of course, Jenny:

*And of course, Zooey:

9. Link to a great blog you've discovered lately:

*NancyRayPhoto

*CheapChicas

10. What's the last craft you made?

11. A photo of the last happy mail you got:

*I don't have a picture of it, but it's definitely the Delia's catalog I got today. Glory!

12. Something you've got lately:

*These lovely booties from Target.

13. What are you looking forward to?

*Sooo much... Our trip to Orlando at the end of October to see Lucci graduate... My parents coming to visit in November... Alex's mom visiting for Thanksgiving... Christmas vacation in Asheville... A trip out to Denver in January... And, someday, graduating from seminary! ;-)

14. Most recent snapshot of you:

15. Recent Favorite Movie:

*I guess it would have to be (500) Days of Summer.

It was a cute one.

16. Something you're working on right now:

*My ecclesiastical identity essay.

17. If a movie were made about you, who would play you?

*Hmm...I would say Zooey Deschanel...but let's face it, she's way too cool. ;-)

Any suggestions?? I'd want someone hispanic. :-P

18. What gives you goosebumps?

*the cold.

19. Share a new obsession:

*It's not new, but you all know I'm obsessed with owls...

20. What's the meaning of your life?

*To glorify Christ in all that I do.

I Corinthians 10:31