I've never been a fan of mixes—pancake mix, cake mix, etc. I don't do them. I prefer to make things on my own. Yes, they take a little longer, but they always taste better.

One thing I'm infamous for doing the hard way is pumpkin. Canned pumpkin is quite pricey (roughly £2 per can here in the UK) and it doesn't even keep as long as frozen pumpkin keeps! Every year, I buy a couple pumpkins, cut them, bake them, purée them, bag them, and freeze them.

I bought 4 pumpkins this year [so far!] and have done this process to 3 of them as of yesterday! And you'd be very impressed with how much pumpkin purée I have now! 30 cups! Usually, a can of pumpkin contains 15 ounces which is the equivalent of roughly 1.8 cups. From 3 pumpkins, I have the equivalent of about 16 cans of pumpkin....that would have cost me £32....but it only cost me £4.50! Woohoo!

Moral of the story: Homemade is always better and always cheaper! :)

I've always been on the fence of the Calvinism/Arminianism debate. At times, I felt as though I were a staunch Calvinist. Other times, I felt like Arminianists made valid points. I literally told people that I was in the middle. I struggled with a few things on each side of the spectrum but felt flakey being in the middle. Today, I have come to a decision that I am happy with.

I have been studying the book of Acts lately. And I've learned something. In the speeches by Stephen, Peter, and Paul that Luke (the writer of Acts) documented, "without contradiction, [Luke] maintains a dual emphasis on divine election and on human response" (ESV Study Bible, Note on Acts 13:48).

Acts 13:48 says, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed."

Appointed - divine election
Believed - human response

There you have it, folks! Both are of equal importance. I am no longer on the fence of Calvinism or Arminianism. I am in Luke's camp! Who's with me?

I am trying to read the Bible from start to finish again. Contrary to what might seem typical of an obsessive compulsive person, it's actually quite difficult to go in order. I'm in Leviticus and Acts. It's crazy with all the technology we have this day and age though. Alongside my Bible, I have my kindle (with my ESV Study Bible) and Apple TV with a plethora of podcasts. It's been so cool to have church from the comfort of my own living room. I get to find countless messages on the chapters I'm reading and it's as if I have church on demand! I'm so blessed.

Yesterday was a bittersweet day for Christians all around the world. Papa Chuck (Charles Ward Smith) went home to be with the Lord. While he is now in perfect health and in communion with our Lord and Savior, many of us can't help but have a hint of sorrow.

Growing up at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, I literally cannot remember a week when I didn't see his smiling face at least once. This man exemplified what it means to have the joy of the Lord. Beyond just a superficial happiness, you could always tell that he was truly joyful. My favorite memory of Pastor Chuck was at Calvary Camp in Green Valley Lake. He always went to all the youth camps. He was a shepherd to all his flock! After singing to us before we ate our lunch and reciting the story of Sam McGee (Papa Chuck classics—haha!) he went around from table to table making conversations with all the kids. I don't think he even ate lunch himself! He was so loving and caring!

Pastor Chuck was a wonderful example of what it means to be a Christian. He dedicated his life to serving the Lord and sharing the gospel. It boggles my mind to think that people like Gospel for Asia's K. P. Yohannan came to the Lord because of Pastor Chuck. And through Gospel for Asia's ministry, look how many more came to know the Lord! What an amazing ripple effect! I long to be as contagious with my faith as Pastor Chuck was. Lord, please increase my faith!

If you are reading this post, please keep the Smith and Brodersen families in prayer. And please pray for the extended Calvary Chapel family throughout the world.

I keep saying I want to blog more. I don't know why it is so much of a challenge for me...especially since I am a housewife for the time being. Let me just say, it's getting on my nerves how many people back home keep pestering my parents with questions like, "When is she going to get a job?" or "How come she doesn't have a job yet?" I'm a people pleaser. I know that isn't good. I should be striving to please the Lord only and not worry about what other people think, but it just leaves me wondering what I am doing wrong when people don't seem to be impressed. God, please break down my pride and help me not to worry about what others think!

Anyways, I wanted to give my blog a new look, a more modern look. Guess it just isn't working with the lack of photos. K, I am gonna do something about that. I wanna make a collage every month. I made one for the summer but I think I need to start taking more pictures as well. Here's my summer one!