I've never been on a roller-coaster. Never been a fan, never been curious, never will be. Actually every time someone approached me regarding the subject I would always had one answer,  unless our sweet Savior is gonna ask me to go for it...won't happen ! And then we all laughed, because in life it's easier to laugh and be a little ironic, especially when you know that situation won't touch you.
I kind of smile now but not really...who taught that earlier this year not just me or so and so but globally we will literally find ourselves in the most intense roller-coaster ride...to put it in words is hard. WHO knew that in 2020 we will face such a tragic situation, yet not new - caught us off guard ?
So it wasn't enough that nobody approved the ride but some of us also had no seat belt on.
It was and still is tragic to see the numbers, to see the lonely funerals...it's absolutely heartbreaking and like I've said hard for me to put it in words.
Some  lost people they loved, cherish and were not ready to let go...Many lost themselves in the ocean of fear, anxiety, depression and despair.
We often hear ,,this are uncertain times,, or
 ,,nobody really knows,,.
We lost ourselves and fear for many become a daily companion. In one season we forgot we are human and that as long our hearts make music...there is HOPE. We forgot to look up !
They are uncertain times...they say...
I remember one morning when I literally broke in tears while attempting to prepare the breakfast. There it was my kids school program ! In my face telling me how life used to be smooth even in those early mornings when my spirit was not so keen...I had to take it down.
Next moment happened  in the same spot this time  in my attempt to have a cup of coffee I grabbed one of the mugs. It was my Monday mug and with nice chic letters the message was clear and golden ,, Coffee makes Monday mornings go away''.
Right  then the Holy Spirit started revealing inside of my heart many past situation that had me complain or made me nag about...Many moments where instead of being grateful I wasn't.
And right then and there decided that the mug has to go and I have to listen what the Holy Spirit wants to unveil.
I've been thinking about many aspects of life, especially this past months.
In the beginning I've experienced something new. All though the pandemic situation installed quite quickly and dramatic, like always, I knew my life is still in Gods hand's.  That Jesus is still the King of the world and if He means something to be in my life, it will be!
I found myself praying and declaring His truth over my life and my family...yet my physical body was literally shaking. I remember clearly how one sunday night after everyone was tucked in I didn't rush and took time to stay in the presence of the Lord. There were few critical moments like this in my life when my prayers were more intense I would say. When someone's heart is like an open book where a scanner is going on and on. I asked the Lord to take that fear away and fill my heart with His precious peace. There were tears and many confessions. The Lord in His mercy touched my heart. He was ready to reveal and I was eagerly to listen !
Next day I woke up and it was like this invisible shield over my mind/heart.  It was such a peace inside and around me that I missed so much !
Since that day the title above came alive in my mind.
Its almost like a theme was set, and a scenario was about to take place.
In my personal experience and relationship with the Lord, among the years I've learned few things yet most of the time I feel like I know nothing and that is also nothing that haven't been said or I could say it better. It takes a lot to come here and put my heart on ,,paper'' .
I believe the most accurate validation of our being is where is the Lord in all.
This indeed for all the world are uncertain times at a level or another but for those who call themselves children of God, His presence and authority in our life should be/become the ultimate compass.
If we know who we are in the Lord and who He is or where in our life...we can receive peace in the midst of any storm !
The Lord is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and yet many could be devastating for the human eye, is nothing there new for His sight !
He already knows how we will come out of any situation before we even enter it ! 

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​He knows our weaknesses he knows where we are thriving, He knows it all. He knows us at all.
I believe that this certain truth is the only one that is going to bring us relief and strength. The certitude that He is God, that he is not unaware of anything,  that we are His children we are  His plan. Not forgotten, but redeemed by our savior Jesus. With our names written in the Book of Life.
This is our certain in uncertain times like this !
And the best way to receive this relief is by allowing the compass, the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to show us the map inside our hearts. If we will seek Him, the Lord will vanish any dusk of confusion.  But we need to allow Him and the only way we can do this is by not rushing our prayers anymore. By living with an open Bible, not out of context, not for women only, not interpreted by many, not skinny translations. A Bible that will have our eyes and hearts more than any phones or gadgets. Eyes that will push aside ungodly accounts...ears that will be eager to listen even when the truth will hurt. Hands and feet that will be completely rededicated and most of all a heart of repentence... a forgotten way for the modern Christianity...But the only way that makes any walls fall down.
We need to bow our knees like never before and resist the rush...Then the Holy Spirit will unveil many and we will be certain. Is not the popular way but is the only way, at the feet of Jesus.
Will be certain of His presence and we will have peace even in the mist of the storm, after all Jesus is the only one who can tell any storm to BE STILL !

​THIS IS CERTAIN.

I always enjoyed writing. Even now I remember clearly the first composition while in school. I think I read it for a whole week to every member of the family and some neighbors - out loud !
I liberate many feelings, battles or even stories of my heart, this way.
Many years ago I felt the Holy Spirit was prompting my heart to open a blog. Everything came to me like a river, especially while I was praying. The name, the theme, the subjects.
Few years ago ,,While Waiting Blog,, was on.
After a while I put it aside, till will be no more diapers or I'll sleep some more....I decided to wait.
All this time paying for this platform (bless my dear husband). :))
Last weekend I made a call in order to purchase a shampoo and that call ended up being the ,,prompting,, that moved the previous ones and moved my heart as well !
I'm just being sincere. I still don't see much in me but if is something that God could use for His glory...it does not matter how I ,,fear,, anymore. It matters that He will be glorified and I will be faithful.
All this is still new for me and if something will be amazing in any way or shape it will be because of Jesus, my King and my Redeemer !
My name is Lilian, I've been married for a decade now, to an amazing man who fears and loves the Lord more than anything. We have three arrows. And I think motherhood shapes me more that I shape my children.
As  believers , we are waiting for Jesus and His return, this times more than ever.
So while waiting let's make the most of our life for His glory ! Let's make the waiting count.
​And may point to our Savior for His glory alone, redeeming the time !

​​          Behold, the planets have been aligned and I'm back ! Recently our church hosted a conference for married couples and of course my beloved husband and I attended the event without hesitation. I mean how could we say no to the opportunity of learning and improving our marriage !
AND having a great time with the greatest ,,comedian,, on the topic, Mark Gungor !!!!!!
YES he is a pastor, with a very humble heart ( besides those sparkly outfits ). But I believe anyone who listened to him knows that he could easily switch the career. Cuz he's the one who'll make you cheer !!!!!
        We had such a good fellowship and time, just be aware that after the conference you might need some ICE packs for your jaws. Cuz you are really gonna laugh your way to a better marriage !!! That being said I also found out a big truth about myself !!! Shocking, ha ! I guess we are never to old for those. I found out that my roots do not come from my home land only. You guys I came from Perfect Country as well !!! And if you ask yourself what's the connection with my Chicken Pate  recipe I will gladly explain it to you.  You see I kinda had this blog post ready to go a year ago, like many others. But people from Perfect Country, often prepare more in advance...much more than they should ! Everything has to be perfect, the photos, every written detail and on and on ! And most of all it's the planets, yes, they have to be aligned, period.
So with the historic and epic moment of 2017 Total Solar Eclipse, I pounded everything , and decided that the time is now and my Chicken Pate recipe shall be revealed !!! 
          

         The chicken pate brings so many memories. Back in the days this used to be a whole year round snack. My favorite time was in the summer, when the pate was accompanied by the fresh home grown tomatoes and peppers. My family used to buy it from the local store but we also had a a home made version with pork liver. 
One day I craved this creamy chicken pate but had no idea of the international food stores, at that time and this is how I got creative in the kitchen.  I believe that simple means beautiful, and also apply this concept often while in the kitchen.
          My first chicken pate had exactly the same ingredients as the recipe below. The recipe is simple and flexible after everyone's taste ! Basically you can add more or less of any of the ingredients. You can also add different spices or fresh herbs for a more robust aroma ! You can enjoy it on  bread, toast even as a dip with chips. As far as time consumption, this a perishable food and is nothing I can add because in our house it never lasts more than one day !
My toddlers absolutely love the pate, and we all know how picky they can be !!!

 INGREDIENTS     
2 cups boiled chicken breast (1 medium chicken breast raw)

3 Tbsp salted butter room temperature

1/2 cup chicken stock      
                                                             

All the ingredients are very simple and easy to be found in every kitchen ! For the preparation of the chicken breast  there are two options:
  Option 1  : Boil the chicken breast in a medium pot filled with cold water and a pinch of salt.
  Option 2 : ​Boil the chicken breast in a medium pot adding 2 carrots, 1 small onion, 1 parsnip root and   a pinch of salt. Which will give you a light chicken stock ;) perfect for a noddle soup later on or        needed ingredient for the recipe !   
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Once all the ingredients are at room temperature, add them to a kitchen blender/ chopper. Also if the pate is to dry feel free to add more chicken stock/ warm water.
And voila , the chicken pate is ready  to enjoy !!! I hope y'all give it a try and enjoy it as much as our family does !

       Most of my childhood memories were made in the kitchen with my grandma, especially in the winter months when beside crafts and cooking was not much to do. My grandma is the best cook and then my mom (I had to add this for safety reasons :D ). Early in the morning my grandpa would make the fire in the wood burning oven while my grandma made the coffee…and couple hours after, full of laughter with them and half of our street neighbors, the day started off with preparing meals and delicious recipes.
​So  many good memories  !
       Once a week with lots of love and lots of flour my grandma baked lots of breads. I remember how she used to give me a piece of dough and show me how to knead it and then carefully she helped me to place the dough in a little blue pan and then to the oven. Let me tell you I was thrilled and never bored !!!
       Bread was something I’ve craved ever since I’ve moved to U.S . I tried many recipes, asked around but not even once bread was close to the one my grandma made. Couple years ago I went back  for Christmas. I spent mornings with my lovely grandma, ate all her prune compote (back then I was pregnant and spoiled) and asked for the bread recipe. The recipe I'm about to share with you is very simple. Not fancy at all and easy to make. But before we get started I wanna share with you one more thing.
       One day I asked myself what makes a recipe good ??? I mean gooood !!!  Are the ingredients ? The recipe itself ? The process? The taste only?... I meditate on this and soon enough after making my grandma’s bread recipe the answer was clear and loud in my heart and mind. I made the bread and after taking a crunchy bite…I was back, back in time in my grandma’s kitchen ! The taste was delightful, just like home, just like grandma’s!
       Moms let’s keep our daughters close to us while we cook! The good part in my recipe is the strong bond that was created between me and my lovely grandma. While cooking let’s build strong bridges, healthy relationships and amazing little ones ! ! !
​Let’s take every cooking experience to another level that will keep the recipe, the mom, the grandma,the children in our hearts forever !
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​Les femmes sont belles ! Las mujeres son hermosas! Le donne sono belle! Femeile sunt frumoase! Women are beautiful!
​They just are !   From the little chubby baby girl who just arrived to wrinkly Granny, different color, different sizes, different shapes, different ages, culture, nationality,  different anything-
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W O M E N S    A R E    B E A U T I F U L !
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​ See what you can see.
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​​​​     Go straight to the mirror, just make sure is not the one in the living room, some talking will be involved ! Take a look and please try to ignore that pimple, crazy hair  or whatever bothers you at the moment. Look in your eyes,  they are unique- and you can see it ! Look at your body if you have what it takes to walk and grab stuff, you are in business and overly blessed. Then say it out loud : I am beautiful ! My eyes are beautiful, I can hear, I can walk, I can talk. I can smell, I can see well ! You are beautiful !

 Understand what you are.

     We are women and beside the whole hormotional part we are unpredictable, better then forecast. Sometimes for real, depends on the day we can go yeey or nay ! We have emotions, we express and live them to the max. We are a beautiful bouquet of everything, colorful and glittery.
We laugh and cry over every single thing. Till this day my dear husband can't understand how one (aka me) can burst into tears over a wrong come out of my kitchen back splash's grout color ! ! ! 
     Often we are driven by our emotions and this may not be good 99.9 % of the time. Sometimes we just have to loosen up, let go and let God !

 Know who you are (In Christ).
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     And this is my secret. Ladies right here is the most important of all ! To know our identity, who we are, where are we coming from and where are we going . Many years i struggled trying to figure out my identity. I had all the love i needed but my father's. And that impacted my life in many ways,  and make the most of my battles.
     But once I discovered my Heavenly father's  love my life changed for the good and forever ! Indeed took me years to really accept God's love...such a love that I find it impossible to describe in words. Once you know who you are, haw valuable you are, how precious, how unique...you are still gonna feel the wind but you are never gonna be moved by it ! 

Check your diet.
         
    When we wanna eat healthier one step we do is what I like to call, decluttering our pantry.  And usually first to go are the unhealthy items. Declutter your thoughts  and beliefs ! Many times we get ill because the water we are drinking from is not clean.    Ask yourself who said  you are not beautiful. Who told you? Maybe was a commercial, a TV show, or even a ,,friendzie,,. Whatever it was is time to declutter!
     Negative thoughts, attitudes, and sometimes as harsh it sounds, even bad friends ! Time to go ! On the other hand when was the last time you've read the Bible and you felt less pretty? It's time for us to connect, re-connect with the TRUTH ! And then - P.A.S Pray and Stay to see what God has to say ! After all He is our Creator, our Father ! He knows the best, we are His!
 
 Be beautiful !

     Beautify the journey. Spread the love. See the bouquet in my hands above, few flowers yet all different and so beautiful just like us women ! Be different appreciate the value inside out,  the true beauty in every soul. Make the difference do good and trust God.  
​You are beautiful and wonderfully  made !
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​     We all love LOVE, right? And what is the best day of the year to celebrate love if not ‘’The Valentine’s Day.’’ Now an explosion of mini hearts, big hearts, reddish, pinkish, sparklish occurs!!! That’s if you have a special someone to celebrate with ;) if not … here comes Netflix and a big bowl of ice cream!
     I remember the first time I celebrated Valentine’s day before being married. And it so happened to be with the one I now call my husband. It was special, beautiful, and most of all unforgettable. It feels like it was yesterday, we were both in school and poor, so my dear boyfriend found himself facing quite a challenge. But somehow he managed to organize a romantic dinner in the school’s library. The table décor was enchanting, satin table cover, flowers, candles, more candles with romantic music playing in the background, and a skylight above our heads. We had 3 courses … cake, chocolate, and then of course candies. It was unforgettable especially the moment I realized that those beautiful candles were the ones you would place on someone tomb at the cemetery ! And that’s the ‘’unforgettable” part but please don’t tell my husband (wink wink).
     But that was then and now is now. 5 Years later, a toddler and a baby, full time jobs, some gray hair, lots of sleepless nights, more diapers, somehow Valentine’s Day got lost somewhere in the unforgettable memories. We have our hands full, we are busy and if we are not, all we want to do is catch up on sleep! If that is ever going to happen!...
Yet my husband and I are still married, love each other very much, love our kids, Marriage, Lizzy and Junior. We find it difficult to have quality time, Valentine’s Day or not.
So here are 5 ways to make it on February 14th:
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1.       Stick with the reality.

   In La-La land, everything is possible, beautiful and perfect. In reality, things are a little different Runny nose, constipation, or a molar can occur just like that! My baby boy got his first two teeth on Christmas!!! As a result, I ended up with a delightful vertigo. Sometimes Valentine’s day is not going to happen. Period!!! But stay tuned, love is taking over daily. Enjoy the journey and don’t take it hard on the other half. Next year is going to be different ! Don’t compare, remember then was then and now is now. Make the most of it, with what you have and how you can!
 
2.       Go after them.

   If you are blessed to be surrounded with family, take all the advantage you can! If you have to search the address book to find the available aunt Jemima, uncle George. Find that cousin and have SOMEONE, whom you can trust to babysit your children. We do have family here, but see they have children as well. So if I want to meet Jesus sooner it’s a matter of asking them to babysit our kids.  
 
3.       Go after Nanny.

   PLAN AHEAD and hire a baby sitter. We never hired a baby sitter but that’s only because we surprisingly realized that we needed one like yesterday. So then big trust issue happened with this mamma. Mmmm-mmm no bueno. And if that’s the case hire two, or three, or four …. Hire as many as you need in order to get 3 decent hours for you and your love at the restaurant!
 
4.       Make peace.

   Make peace with yourself and the stage you are in now. First years with babies, toddlers, and small kids are very challenging. Understand the stage and be creative. If February 14th is not going to work, make it a 15th, 16th, or 20th they are 364 days out there waiting for the celebration of L.O.V.E. Do whatever work best for you. After all is not about the date itself but two people who take time to remember how much they love each other! And don’t worry about the kids, time is flying before you know they are going to start college! 
 
5.       Take over.

   I am the CEO of my house. That being said it is not easy but let’s not forget about our dear husbands that work and carry a lot of responsibility. Sometimes they forget too. Helloou they are humans !!!  We forget that Valentine’s Day is not a celebration of us or our husbands but rather the love that we create and share together. So while waiting for disaster to happen why not take charge and surprise our husbands. Last year we were still in the teething stage. We were tired and exhausted. Then I decided to be creative. I ask my husband to put our daughter to sleep, no Benadryl involved ;) Mean while I put together a beautiful surprise Valentine’s day dinner. This time we had real good food ;) also the right candles, but most of all we look in each other’s eyes, and expressed gratitude for all God did for and in us. Oh all that good stuff…And you know what my beloved one loved it! So go ahead be creative, surprise yourself and your husband!
 
   I would love to hear from you, does anybody had a shugar crush after a Valentine dinner??? :):):)
​   I would love to hear new ways, new tips. Leave a comment below and make the best of Valentine’s Day!

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​      For some reason, my whole life I thought cupcakes are only very good looking little creatures. Well I was wrong! Deeply  wrong.
​        Actually first cupcake I ever tasted was on US ground. One of my girlfriend's husband bought  some cupcakes for us and of course its not nice to say NO, right?! Well I can say one thing, thank God I was on the back seat of the car! It was a mini carrot cake cupcake and I almost ate the liner paper as well. Then with my mouth full (like a chipmunk) I declared : OMG Cupcakes are soooo good!!!
​       Back then I had a full time job, no kids and truth but hilarious not that much time for baking!
 Later on I incorporate them in my recipe index, because I believe it's a great way to bond with the little ones around the kitchen . :) So while I was searching for some delicious recipes, I came across Laura Vitale's Red Velvet Cupcakes.  As far as now I haven't tried anything better, or even close to this simple and delicious cupcake. The only difference is that I skipped the food coloring part (just personal preference) and this is how my cupcake became a vanilla bean one. But if you want to try the original recipe, l will add the link  below.
       Honestly this  is my to go recipe. I received so many compliments even from people who did not liked cupcakes before ! (BIG smile). So lets get started and convert some more !:)

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          Ingredientes

•  1 cup of all purpose flour
•  2 tbsp of cocoa powder​
• 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• 1/2tsp of baking soda
• 1/4tsp of salt
• 1/4cup of Unsalted butter (room temperature)​
• 3/4cup of Granulated sugar​
• 3/4cup of Buttermilk
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract​ ​