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Etsy Find: Vintage Inspired Jewelry

While browsing through the C.A.S.T. (Christian Artist Street Team) Etsy member sites, I came across Vintage Inspired Jewelry! She has amazing pieces!! Her work is gorgeous! Here are some pictures:

Thanksgiving Pictures!

I know, I know.. I'm a bit late.. But better late then never.. :o)
Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving @ my parent's house in Queens, NY,

Here is one of the few nativity sets my mom owns. This one is wood carved! I was lucky enough to convince my mom to loan it to me! :o)


My mom's 2008 Christmas Ornament!


2007 Christmas Ornament


Grandpa, Aaron, Lyla & I were pre-gaming.. waiting for the Turkey


Lyla is the best to cuddle with! well.. the 2nd best. AG being the best!


Yummy TURKEY!


Sweet Potatoes with extra marshmallows!


Green Bean Casserole


The family!



What did we have?
Turkey (duh)
Sweet Potatoes
Green Been Casserole
Stuffing
Rice & Beans (duh)
Mofongitos (It's a Spanish plantain dish)
Coquito (Puerto Rican Egg Nog)
Bread Pudding
and some other assortments!

It was a great night! Our first Thanksgiving has husband & wife! and Lyla's First Thanksgiving!

The Bible Gone Green

It was only a matter of time that The Bible would go green! And it did! Introducing The Green Bible!

Green Bible info: from Beatitudes Society Blog

The Green Bible is published by HarperOne, ($29.95). Their eco-friendly production process is a good step for the industry. They use soy-based inks, recycled paper, and a 100% cloth/linen cover.

There are resources in here collected from some of the most prophetic and influential voices from all assorted religious flavors, both ancient and contemporary. It is filled with essays from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, author and activist Brian McLaren, well-known preacher Barbara Brown Taylor, Pope John Paul II, Jewish environmentalist Ellen Bernstein, and Anglican Bishop of Durham and renowned New Testament scholar N.T. Wright, to name a few. It includes a poem from celebrated poet and conservationist Wendell Berry and a canticle from St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. (No joke. There really is an official patron saint of ecology.)

The Green Bible also includes:

• information on how to read the Bible through a green lens,
• a historical overview of Christian teachings on creation, from St. Augustine to C.S. Lewis,
• a Green Bible Trail study guide, pointing out six green themes throughout the scriptures,
• green text highlighting passages that speak to green issues,
• a green subject index,
• and even a resource guide with suggestions to help your congregation get more involved in the green movement and practical ways to make a difference in your daily life.

OK... I was not sure how I would feel about the Green Bible. Last week Aaron & I went into Barnes & Noble. I had actually wanted to check out The Bible Illuminated (which I was able to.. ummm no... not for me.. I'm actually not sure who it's for.. but more on that on a later post), but took the oppurtunity to see if they had the Green Bible. They did. To make a long story short, I liked it (I'm surprised I did) & Aaron did not. Perhaps part of me likes it because I actually do need a new Bible and if I were to get a new one, why not get one that is Earth friendly??

Megan's Gingerbread Tree Disaster

Here's my little cousin Megan decorating a gingerbread Christmas tree @ my mom's house!

Megan & my mom's rug background story:

My mom, a few years ago (about 2yrs), decided to put down rug in her whole apartment, so that her niece & nephew (Megan & Gabby), could feel free to be kids without disturbing the downstairs neighbors. Well, the first day Megan & Gabby came over, after the rug had been installed, my mom sat them both down and explained that they had to be careful when eating & drinking, because she had paid quite a bit of money to have the majority of the house rugged.. That's when my stepdad came in with McDonalds breakfast.. they sat down and chomped away.... all was well, until little Megan decided to walk away from the table and take her chocolate milk with her.. What followed next was a high pitched yelp. Megan spilled her milk on my mom's brand new rug... not good... looking back, it was quite funny! Megan blamed my stepdad for the whole thing. After all, he was the one who gave her the milk to begin with.. lol.. Kids these days! anyhoo.. Fast forward two years later and here is Megan @ my mom’s house. They were having a girls day.. Mom got her a gingerbread tree to assemble and decorate.. Priceless!

Here is the short, edited version..

Bible Illuminated: The New Testament

So, I was surfing the web and came across an article about the Bible Illuminated.

What is Bible Illuminated?
It's a glossy magazine/ coffee table version of the new testament with lots of high end photography (including pictures of celebrities). I kid not

I'm actually at a lost for words.. I'm not sure if thats a good thing or bad.. ;o/

Here is more info from Amazon.com

Who created The Book?

The company that created The Book is called Illuminated World. The co-founder and creative visionary for the Bible Illuminated is Dag Söderberg, former CEO of one of the largest advertising firms in Scandinavia. Dag's passion for photography and innovative design helped with the creative direction of such a huge undertaking. He loves art and finding unique ways to present traditional things in a non-traditional way, a part of his advertising background that definitely shaped The Book and ultimately its look and feel. His vision from the beginning was to re-brand the Bible for a consumer audience but remain true to the text (which is why The Book uses the standard Good News Translation).

What is the goal of publishing The Book?

There is no religious mission behind The Book. We believe that its success will be driven by the fact that this is not coming from any specific faith, religion or church. We are from many faiths, backgrounds, and beliefs; ultimately we are trying to create something for the many and not just for the few. The goal is to drive an emotional reaction and get people to think, discuss and share. It's meant to trigger bigger moral questions that will in turn help people to understand the common heritage between all religions through the Bible's text. We hope people will find the images, design and layout intriguing—intriguing enough to talk about the actual stories in the Bible and what the morals and lessons mean to them. The more you know, the more you can participate in discussions about the world and understand the bigger picture.

What does The Book look like?

Bible Illuminated:The Book looks like a high-end magazine. It presents the New Testament as it's never been seen before in full-color, glossy format, illustrated throughout with striking, sometimes provocative, contemporary photographs. It is meant to be comfortable and easy to flip through and used as you would use any Bible. There are no verses and the text runs with columns and paragraphs just like in a magazine.

Who is Illuminated World trying to reach with The Book?

The Book is meant for anyone and everyone. It is for people who currently own a Bible but never read it, people who don't own a Bible or would never even consider picking it up, as well as people who currently read or use the Bible, but want to experience this new, innovative design.

What do the highlighted passages and sentences mean?

The meaning of these passages is open to readers. We highlighted and underlined passages throughout The Book as a way to draw the reader's attention and provide an opportunity for reflection.

What should people do with The Book?

We want people to be able to flip through the pages and find something that they relate to, whether it's an image of a war-torn soldier or homeless person, a celebrity or an endangered animal—or a certain passage paired with a powerful image that resonates with them.

ummmm... can we please talk about the cover!? what in the world!

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Video: Steve Harvey introduces Jesus Christ