Sophia

Sophia- that is the beautiful name we had picked out for our beloved little sister we were never given the chance to meet. Why God chose to take her before we were given the chance to spend any time with her, I don't think I will ever understand. All I know is if it wasn't for this little sister of mine, I don't think I would be at the place where I am in my relationship with God. It took having things I cared so much about taken away to make me realize my life is nothing without God. He needs to be my everything and I need to rely on him in every area of my life. Everything, including the life of my unborn siblings belong to him, not me. It took the loss of a sister for me to really comprehend how great God's love for me is, in that, He loves my sisters and family more then I ever could, and yet he was willing make her life so incredibly short to bring me back to him. If I think the death of those I love is hard for me, God loves them even more than I do, he made them and planned their lives, and yet he used their life and death to show me his love and faithfulness.

I looked up the meaning of Sophia's name and this was something I came across today-

Sophia means Wisdom-

Job 28:12-13
But where can wisdom be found?
Where does understanding dwell?
No mortal comprehends its worth;
it cannot be found in the land of the living.

How appropriate that the name we had picked out for our sister meant wisdom. And wisdom is from God. All wisdom is of God not man, It belongs with God. God understands it's true worth, Man can not even begin to understand. God understands the worth of my sister's life more than I ever could.

Our sister belongs to God and belongs with him. He chose to keep her with him. While she is not here in broken land of the living with her family, I have every reason to believe she is with her Heavenly Father, where wisdom dwells, with the creator and sustainer of all life and wisdom.

I Surrender All?...

Why why why??? Why do I always get writers block as soon as I have a great idea for my blog? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm a little preoccupied at the moment. I have a very important spanish exam tomorrow and I should probably be studying for, but thats the problem. I have studied sooo much the past week for this exam my mind needs a break! also there have been so many things on my heart I can't just sit back and not voice at least one of them. and as anyone reading this who really knows me, you understand that I am not the quiet type, I do the things you are told not to do in polite company, I have no problem addressing religion, or bringing up politics and arguing about what i believe to be right. It just doesn't bother me, so when so many things that need/ I want to be addressed are on my mind, the last thing I want to do is tell you in spanish what color my backpack is.

One thing that has been on my mind the pass few days is a hymn, it's called "I Surrender All".
here are some of the lyrics...

I surrender all, I surrender all,
all to thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
humbly at his feet I bow,
worldly pleasures all forsaken;
take me, Jesus, take me now.

Ok so I realize whoever wrote this song probably either was at a very good point in their relationship with God that they truly were surrendering their all or they wrote it hopes of getting there, but for me, I have such a hard time singing this.
Because I can assure you, I do NOT surrender all. Everyday I sit there giving God this and that, but those things that I really value, those friendships or grades, nope God those are mine, cause I'm just not sure I trust you to give me what I want when I want it. Which in some ways is a realistic view ( I didn't say correct), God probably won't give me what I want, when I want it, but is that reason to not surrender all? absolutely not, God is giving me those things in his timing because that is what's best for me and because he loves me enough to be patient with me in my stubbornness until I finally turn to him.
So maybe God is challenging me now to be in such a compete surrender to him that I can sing that song and not feel like a fake and a liar.
A song I do like in replacement of that one for now is this...

Take me past the outer courts
Into the secret place,
Past the brazen altar,
Lord, I want to see Your face.
Pass me by the crowds of people,
The priests who sing Your praise;
I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness
And it’s only found in one place.

Take me in to the Holy of Holies,
Take me in by the blood of the Lamb;
Take me in to the Holy of Holies,
Take the coal, cleanse my lips,
Here I am.
Take the coal, cleanse my lips,
Here I am.

I love this song because unlike I surrender all, I don't feel like I have to already be there. This song to me is a begging to God to help us surrender, to not care for the things of this world, or what the crowds think, but to surrender our everything in the hope of becoming more like God, longing for HIS righteousness, not our own. It's the surrender of everything we are to be made clean by Christ's blood.

Just something to think about, are we fooling ourselves, thinking, we've made it! We have completely surrendered to God? Or are we allowing God to change us through a daily surrender to him?

Also one totally irrelevant thought I thought I would share was this, when I was re reading to make sure this made at least a little sense I thought of this. I had a friend tell me once, think about this.

Every other religion is based off what you do to earn your salvation, next life, karma etc... your good works, your kindness, you humble living circumstances and trying to reach the gods or your next life, but Christianity is the only religion where God reaches down to us while we are turning away from him, it's the only religion where "admitting you have a problem" -and confessing it and acknowledging your need and that you believe that your need is met through Jesus blood-is what saves you, not anything you do, but what God has already done for you.
Just something to think about.

Well now I really really really need to get back to studying. But maybe a different attitude, with one of trying to use the abilities that God has given me to the best I can, not trying to get a good grade so it reflects well back to me.

I hope this encourages you to not feel like we have to have it all together, but rather to remember that His power is made perfect in our weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9- But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Girls don't like boys, girls like Cars and Money.

Alright, first post for things I like.

SUPER CARS!!! which as you can guess from the name of the post cost a wholeeeeee lot of $$$$$$.

Money is whatever, but... unfortunately my favorite super car cost about $1.5 Million. Soooo no money, no super car.
But I'm not actually here to talk about money, so let's pretend for the duration of this post that money is no object and we could all get any super car we want for the price of a cardboard box.


Super cars or cars in general tend to get put into the list of "guy" things. Which I think is bunch of crap to be honest, because chances are good I know more about cars that half of the guys I know. So we're just gonna break that little stereo type right now.
Cars are amazing, I love them. Everything from the engine to the rims, Paint color to weight. But more than anything, I like how fast you can get them to go.
I mean seriously, 200 some Miles per hour is pretty amazing! But don't get me wrong, just because you can get a car to go super fast does not make it a super car.
Examples-

For starters, Rice Burners- if you don't know what these are, well it's ok. Rice burner is kind of the derogatory term given to them by people who like REAL cars, like BMW, McLaren, Mercedes AMG, Basically anything German :)
A rice burner would be something a Honda Civic that someone has modified to high heaven just to get it to be a decent car.
Sure they go fast, you may get it to be considered a racing car), but... when you step out, or open the hood, you're still driving another little Asian high MPG car (which after being modified, get pretty much no MPGs anyway). You might as well show up to race day in a Prius.

notice the engine didn't make it in the picture ;)

The next type of "fast car" that I don't like is anything driven in NASCAR.
GROSSSSS!!!!! All you have done is take an ugly, unreliable, Cheap piece of American engineering ( if you can even call it engineering, taking other companies designs and making it cheaper, I think engineers deserve more credit than to be lumped in with these cars) and super charged it and changed the exterior and chassis to plastic and the windows to net and then called it a super car.
Now sure, I know more goes into it than what i mentioned above, but really, it still is not a super car.

see plastic cars don't work.


A Super car is something so amazing that it earns the Super part in not only speed, but engineering, how smart they can make the car, the technology in it. All the thought that goes into every single inch of it. How they can shed more weight, how they can make the strongest car while still keeping it light and safe.
The engine is obviously one of the most important parts, but so is every other thing in the car from the air conditioning, to the Navigation system. From the headrest to the 3 point racing seat belts. It takes so much time and care to build a true super car. Hence why, when you open the hood to your Pagani Zonda, this is what you see...


Thats right, German engineering. Only the best for the best cars. Something very common is for Super car companies and any car really is to be owned by one parent company and get there engine from another (most commonly a German engine).
For example-
Volkswagen owns-
Audi
Bentley
Bugatti
Lamborghini


So for the most part, the super cars are owned by Germans and have German engines and an Italian (for the most part) exterior. Of course, some of the most insanely awesome Super cars (that no one can actually afford, or would never in a million years drive on a public road are 100% DEUTSCH!!!



The Gumpert Apollo - a beautiful car, 100% German
Price- $600,000
650 HP, V8 engine
0-62 3.0 seconds
0-124 8.9 Sec.
Top speed-224 mph
Total weight- 3,000 lbs

These are some of my favorites/ the most well known.

The Pagani Zonda F Roadster
Price- $1,448,000
602 HP, AMG V12
0-60 3.5 Seconds
0-100 6.0 Seconds
Top speed- 214 mph

Lamborghini Reventon-
Price- $1,454,400
605 HP, V12
0-60 3.3 Sec
0-124 11 Sec
Top speed- 211 mph

Bugatti Veyron 16.4-
Price- $1,738,080
1,001 HP, , W16 with 4 turbo chargers.
0-60 2.5 Sec
0-124 7.3 Seconds
Top speed-253 mph

Ferrari 430 Scuderia
Price- $235,000
510 HP, V8
0-60 3.4 Seconds
0-124 11.5 Seconds
Top speed- 198 mph

Koenigsegg CCXR
Price- $2,173,950
1,018 HP, V8
0-60 2.9 seconds
0-124 8.9 Seconds
Top speed-250 mph

Just a few of my favorites, But as you can see. There is no modified Honda or Toyota in the midst. Or any car with an Asian engine in it, now don't get my wrong, I have nothing against Asia or the people. But I'm not going to sit here and tell you they make the best cars, because the bottom line is, they don't. And until they and the American's stop using cheap materials and finally buy a German engine. They have no chance of making it in the world of super cars.

So you see, there is so much more to a super car then speed. Plus they are beautiful. And that my readers, is why super cars are one of my favorite things in the world.
Even though I will be lucky if I ever even get to sit in one. They're exclusivity doesn't hurt their appeal either. Who wants to blend in when you could stand out on the streets by driving this...

Things I Like.

Today my sister Em told me that I needed to write on my blog more. So here I am, writing on my blog. I wasn't quite sure what to post, but then I decided, why not give my readers something that will help them get to know me better.
so for the month of January I am going to try to write 7 post of things that I like.

These are some of the things I have first thought of-

Cars- particularly Super cars. Yes the gas guzzling, seemingly pointless ( to some people) super cars.




Football, Fussball, Futbol- How ever you want to say it ( as long as you don't call it soccer). It's a sport that quite literally unites the world, and what's so great about it you ask? well wait for my second post and I will give you a few reasons why I am excited just thinking about it!



Family- my family, who we are, what's so awesome about us (besides the obvious stuff :P). also what it's been like to grow up with 5 sisters, cause to tell you the truth, to a lot of people, we're kinda considered freaks, and I like it like that :)



New York City- Mainly the Bronx, but also the rest of the city, and the people from there. Possibly the greatest city ever. sorry DC, you'll always be my hometown.

Social work/ Justice work- It's what I want to be doing for the rest of my life, so I probably will have a good bit to say about it.

My faith- Why I don't just call myself a Christian on Facebook. What faith really is to me. It isn't just a lable I put on myself when asked what religion I believe in. It's a relationship, not just a religion.

My Puppy Eve- Yes you can call me a crazy dog lady for dedicating a whole post to my Pup, but seriously if you ever met her, you would understand why, she is the CUTEST THING EVER!!!

and Last but definitely not least...

RAP- what it is, what it can be, and what to me it most definitely is NOT. Everything from good hooks to the hip-hop culture and era itself.

Tomorrow I will post my first real blog of the year- SUPER CARS!

And yes I realize that there are 8 things on that list.