Last year (October 12, 2017), I embarked on a journey toward the Land of the Rising Sun. This trip was not planned at all. But it was a demonstration of God's amazing grace. A week after my thesis defense, my parents told me that I would be joining them. They helped me book my flight in Jetstar through Traveloka. A month after, I was sitting on one of the most comfortable plane seats I've ever had: A1. Talk about convenience! I had lots of leg room, close proximity to the toilet, and primary access to enter and leave the plane. My carry on luggage and check-in luggage were also overweight. But the lady at the counter permitted me. I didn't deserve this at all. God worked in every detail.

Every year, God gave me a theme to live by. For 2017, He gave me Overflow and Peacekeeper. He promised an overflow of love, joy, and peace. It was a year that started with tears and ended with laughter and thanksgiving. He gifted me with 12 fruitful lessons, one for each month, which I summarized in four parts. I hope God speaks to you through these.

God First Above Everything

The beginning of the year was a ground-shaking moment. God impressed me He is first above everything. There were losses and gains---amazing Prayer and Fasting, financial provision, a new venue for learning (EdPsych!), death in the family, a new door of opportunity to study abroad, and loss of a laptop that contained all my thesis files. The latter was the most devastating of all because I expected to graduate in June. But if you read my blog about this, Losing My Life for God's Glory, the Lord turned everything into good (Genesis 50:20).

Through this rollercoaster of events, God reminded me of who He is and His position in my life. When things were becoming chaotic, I mended things my way or with the help of others first. But God wanted me not to rely on human power but on Him alone (Zechariah 4:6). I need to let go of my selfish desires and started focusing on God and His will. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. His ways are higher than our ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9). No person or thing can fill the top position in our lives which is His from the beginning. He must increase, but we must decrease (John 3:29-30). I learned how to die to self (still learning). As a result, I felt more awe at Him than ever before.

Honor God's Process

I resonated with one quote of Pastor Steve Furtick, "If we honor God's process, He will honor His promise." The process is the most nerve-wracking time of all. I had so many reasons to quit my dreams. I felt confused and discouraged with the way things were heading. In the middle of the year, the results of my applications abroad almost led me to the finish line. But it suddenly turned into a different direction. A close call! Our 11-year-old Akita, Yuki died. I gained severe asthma after attending a friend's wedding. I got so frustrated with myself for not meeting deadlines and making mistakes. While recovering from sickness, I was writing my revisions and finishing everything in a rush. By God's grace, I survived it all. But He reminded me of two things regarding the season before the victory.

First, the process involves trials of many kinds (James 1:2). There is a room for failure. There is a room for hibernation. Nothing is wasted. It is part of the process of becoming who I am called to be. After weeks of contemplation, I saw delays as God's divine strategies. I realized, "Progress no matter how little is still progress. Maybe slow progress is what I need to enjoy life. I am thankful for what I've done everyday." God was working while I was eating three or more meals a day, finishing an MA, living in my parent's house, having enough time to build relationships with people, receiving financial provision, sleeping in a comfy bed, and being surrounded by pet animals (yes, that's heaven). There were so many little things to find joy in! My perspective changed. I marched forward. Even though the present and the future were blurry, God wasn't. I pressed on and clung to Him more. He allowed me to reach certain sublevels as preparation for the higher levels He set for me. To win this game of life, don't quit. Pass the testsss! He is doing a good work and He is faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6).

Second, the process is determined by God. No matter how great we are in planning, His plans prevail (Proverbs 16:9). It's like having a travel itinerary with every plan scraped off. But the outcome is sweet! Since June, I felt God's presence as I prepared for my final defense. It was a lengthy and tiring process, not to mention it was rescheduled three times. When I defended my research study and passed it last September 11, God and I bombed two towers of the enemy that day, The Tower of Fear and the Tower of Stagnation. I was in perfect peace. I felt the battle has been won even before my panel said, "Passed!" That was all God moving for me. It was the right time. It couldn't be too early or too late. Just like what Pastor Erwin said in a preaching at church, "God never forgets. He is never late." God used the sufferings to stretch my character (patience to the nth level!!!). He tested my faith: "(Karen) FAITH is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. -Hebrews 11:1." He crafted every detail of His plan so well, considering the innermost desires of our hearts.

Shifting Focus to the Right Door

God allowed different doors to open this year. However, he had to close some of them so I could shift my focus. Instead of standing by closed doors, I followed Him into the right door. He assured me that the rest will follow as long as I adhere to his leading. I prioritized my thesis. While working on it, He reminded me I need people. Being an independent person and a multi-tasker, I am used to doing things on my own and juggling things at the same time as long as I could bear them. He provided me strength. But He also emphasized that I am not meant to do this alone. That struck me so hard. I humbled myself and sought help. He strategically placed people to help me at the right time. It also turned into an opportunity to advocate and raise awareness for Children with Autism.

When God placed people in, He took out some. During this season, I focused more on loving myself and valuing people present in my life. I spent my time building those relationships and letting go of people and things I could not change. I also learned to be less sacrificial with my time (my love language) and to say "no" to people. It was a maturing stage for me. I threw away the "push-over Kaye" and stood up for myself and for what I believe in even though people disagreed. I listened to God alone. Aside from God uplifting me, He also humbled me down. I refocused on what matters---asking for forgiveness for my mistakes, forgiving others for hurting me, and loving despite the pain. As a disciple, He warned me about the difficult people I meet. When I attended a Biblical Counseling Training in Tokyo Baptist Church, He spoke clearly, "You will not change people. I am the only one who does that. It's not about you. It's about me. Surrender the people you counsel to me. That burden is not yours to take." That lifted the heavy load off and freed me.

God also had me undergo a self-check every now and then to refocus my goals. He reminded me this: Strive to be your most beautiful self with honed character rather than fame, merits, riches, and titles. Empty yourself and keep learning. There is nothing wrong with gaining these. But these temporary things must not consciously and unconsciously distract us from Him.

Reiterating John Ortberg's quote in "All the Places to Go," every time God closes a door, he's up to something. Thank God for closed doors!

Strong and Courageous But Brave Enough to Surrender

My decrees about graduating in June and studying and working abroad crumbled down in July. I could have given it all up. But His peace caused me to become the opposite: strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9). Instead of questioning Him, I rested in His Word: "In the day of trouble, He will keep me safe in His dwelling, He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock." (Psalm 27:5) I decreed His life promise to me in Isaiah 54 again. I surrendered to Him, "Lord, I've done my part. Now, take control from here." His plans started to make sense since then.

A business opportunity and a new passion flourished. Hello, Eye for Brands! Hello, Weaving!

An opportunity to travel in Japan and live like a local for 30 days came as a surprise (after a long travel hiatus). Okiniiri!!!

My research journey has reached its peak. Kaunting-kaunti na lang!!! Hello, Graduation!!!

New job opportunities abroad came (still praying for the outcome).

It was the perfect illustration of this verse:

Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. - Romans 8:18

2017 was indeed a year of acceleration. This year, my life underwent a reshuffle for God's glory. God removed things to give space to greater ones. I met new people of different nationalities. I braved out of my comfort zone. I learned and relearned things. Some dreams were wrecked and some took slower than I expected while some happened in a flash. But I have never felt safer. There were many reasons to mourn but there were more reasons to get up and dance with God through it all.


The Lord's love, joy, and peace overflowed despite the sufferings in 2017. I hope and pray that you also experienced an overflow in your life. It occurred to me when I put God first above everything, honored the process before His promises, shifted my focus and heeded to His direction, and stood strong and courageous yet brave enough to surrender to His will. His presence is sufficient for us to live a full and an abundant life.

In 2018, let's keep declaring Him as our Peacekeeper. Let's continue claiming His faithfulness in our lives. I will start with one of these verses that my best friend and I have decreed throughout last year. It was so timely because the theme of our church's Prayer and Fasting 2018 is "Ephesians for Christ." 

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us..." -Ephesians 3:20
It's time to face the unexpected in 2018! Cheers to a year of crossing over (attraversiamo) and braving out!

Always Love,
K

My weaving practice started last July. In my previous blog How to Make A DIY Loom, I was able to create my own customized loom with my Dad. Before I had the loom, I used an old picture frame to practice on. I only weave occasionally. There were times when I could weave continuously for three days then I need to stop. Hello, other priorities! Hello, life! My weaving started to become more frequent when I spent #30DaysinJapan.


In Tokyu Hands and Can Do in Shibuya and Sekaido in Shinjuku, I found great materials and tools I needed for weaving. These are one-stop shops for almost anything---homemaking, beautifying, writing, drawing, painting, woodwork, and various DIY projects.  This shop inspired me to pursue this new hobby. Here are just some of my great finds.

1) Different Types of Yarns e.g. wool, cotton, acrylic, mohair, etc. --- ¥100 (Mura 'to!!) in Can Do 

2) Good Quality Tapestry Needles --- ¥300 in Tokyu Hands

three needles in different sizes

Everything on the label is Japanese so I just assumed that it was made in Japan. ((:

3) Clover Thread Cutting Scissors 10.5 cm --- ¥950 in Tokyu Hands

light and durable

black blade

4) Vanco Cutting Mat A4 size --- ¥1296 in Sekaido

Made in Japan

5. "Naka Pri" (Nakamura Printing) Graphing Notebook A5, 5mm, 80 sheets --- ¥230 (A bit expensive for a notebook though you get the quality you paid for) in Tokyu Hands

large enough boxes

smooth paper

...even Jiji loves it

My weaving progressed while I was in Japan because of these tools and materials. When I am not being touristy, I spent my free time in the afternoon or at night weaving my first project using this loom. It was not easy. I had to undo and re-do some of my weaves. Based on my experience, three factors contributed to my struggles that became breakthroughs as I weaved along.


The first factor was the DESIGN. I had a template in a paper that I could follow. The "good problem" was I deviated from it. I changed the colors that I initially planned. When something did not look right, I switched to a different pattern. The template was a guideline but it also changed and evolved into something else. It's actually an exciting process. I made room for spontaneity. As soon as I felt the hang of it, changing things became normal to me.

Design #1 - ABORTED!

Mix and Match!

Second, I still need to learn the TECHNIQUES. So I had to go through the how-to process one at a time. I had difficulty with tying knots neatly. So, I read and watched step-by-step tutorials made by Kate from the The Weaving Loom and other tutorial videos on YouTube. Since I am a visual learner and I love movement, I found videos easier to follow than pictures. I enjoyed learning the tips and techniques. The most difficult part was ending the weave! There were so many different ways on how to do it and I kept forgetting. According to Kate, weaving takes practice and patience. My most favorite process was changing from one colored thread to another without making a gap. Weaving looks so complicated but it is doable!

The third and last factor that I encountered was TIME. Weaving is time-consuming!!! Doing a single project can take hours especially for a beginner. Since it eats time, it is also extremely tiring. I encountered back and neck aches. When this happened, I took breaks and returned to it at a later time or day. This explains why I weave occasionally too.

When I brought the weave home to Manila, it was still hanging from the loom. I didn't want to mess it up so I had to pack it well. Before I placed it in a plastic wrap, I put bubble wraps around the ends. I am grateful that it stayed intact in my hand-carry bag.

before removing the weave from the loom

Before taking the weave off the loom, I cleaned up the back part first. I weaved in the extra yarns and cut them. I also added fringes at the end of the weave. Then I tied all of them together, creating an uneven tail at the bottom. Tutorials on how to do a hem-stitch and rya knots helped.


So ta-dah! Here goes my first weave: A wall decor. Crafted during my favorite season and portraying  autumn colors, I named it "Fallen."

back part

I still need to weave the white weft threads in.

Despite the struggles in weaving, I consider all of them as breakthroughs because I learned a lot of styles and techniques. As a young weaver, there is still more to learn about finding my style and developing it. I am still weaving through the do's and don'ts.

The output of my first weave is far from fancy. But I am learning not to overdo it and just leave it be. There were tons of ideas that I wish I could do. There is a right time for those. I am just beyond grateful that I got to start and finally finish one.

Hello, Fallen

Weaving has been so therapeutic for me. It calms my nerves and takes me into a different world or era. Wenk! Haha! Actually, it teaches me to focus, makes it capable for me to multi-task despite my inattention (hehehe), and exercises my fine motor skills. Plus, it gives me the thrill of learning something new. Because of these, I feel joy. I am so excited to start a new weave soon and see where this hobby will lead me.

Dear reader, if you are weaving too, let me know. So we can share some ideas and learn from each other.

Always loving learning,
K

August 24, 2017

I do not normally make how-to articles. I remembered that the last time I made some for my Grade 2 students a year and a half ago. During that school year, I was also inspired by a story of the Navajo weaver who made a blanket out of a sheep's wool using an enormous native loom. I also recalled visiting Binatuan Creations in Puerto Princesa Palawan. Last summer, I started researching about how to make my own loom. I made two DIY looms, one made out of cardboard, and the other one made of an old picture frame. However, I was looking for something to use for a long term.

I have been eyeing some shops online that sells looms. However, they were all from abroad. Lazada also sells some for children but it is over-priced. I am also worried that it might break while being shipped to me. So, last weekend, I consulted my Dad on how to make a wooden loom. he showed me that he already bought the materials and asked me for the measurements that I wanted. We started making my loom right after dinner. Whew! Dad was determined to help me.

Materials Needed:

• long plies of wood (measurements depend on how big your loom is; mine is 13" x 8")
• small, round barbecue sticks (you can also use nails or wooden pegs)
• small saw/cutter
• ruler/measuring tape
• cutting mat
• transparent glue
• pencil and eraser
• hammer
• drill

The goal was to make my loom look natural. Simple but functional.

First, we measured the plywood that fit my desired size, a 13" x 8" lap loom. I didn't want it to be too small or too big. I aim to make various lengths and sizes. I wouldn't be making blankets soon, anyway. Hehehe.


Second, Dad cut the two vertical plies and two horizontal plies of wood.


Third, I cut the barbecue sticks into tiny pegs. Each peg measured 2 cm. Dad demonstrated how to do this with a cutter. It was a little bit hard because some sides of the sticks broke. When that occurred, I didn't include it because it would not stick properly to the wood.



Fourth, Dad measured the distance between the tiny pegs on the two horizontal plies of wood.He marked 0.6 mm in between each peg hole. I opted for this measurement because I can always use every other nail if I want a larger woven space. It still gives me an option whether to make finer or bigger weavings.

My Dad also marked a line across the peg holes to keep them aligned. Then, he drilled the small peg holes one by one. By this time, I was still cutting pegs. I made 40 pegs on each horizontal plywood. 80 pegs in total.


Fifth, Dad put transparent glue in every hole and then inserted a peg in it. Then he pounded on the peg until it fits perfectly in each hole. The problem was the alignment of one part of the peg holes in both sides. Hahaha! Dad discovered that he made a mistake when he turned the loom over. He drilled on the wrong line. But it was alright because the only thing that would be affected while weaving was the consistency of the thread's length. I could easily adjust to this problem because I do not always need to weave up to the end of the threads.






Putting the plywood pairs to make a frame was the last step. Dad glued them together and let them air dry. He also attached a paper clipper to keep the plies of wood together. After 30 minutes, it dried up!


The loom was done after three hours which was a little longer than we thought. The truth was we didn't work continuously. Lol! Dad watched his favorite drama, Ang Probinsiyano, for an hour while I worked on the pegs. I also wrote my research paper and ate a Japanese version of Barquiron while he was in front of the television. So, it could have been two hours or less if we worked non-stop. My cat Rui who was overly curious as usual even accompanied us.



This was my Dad and I's first project together after several years. *big grin* I remember creating my Science project with him back in high school and grade school (I even won first place award for this! Sorry for bragging but I'm just too proud of him!). Making this with him became more meaningful. I had been dying to use it ever since we finished it. But there are no excuses now that my MA journey is ending. Finally, I have more time to weave!!!

Here are some references that helped me decide the design and size of my loom. I found the appropriate size that suited my needs. Check them out!

References:

1) The Weaving Loom - This is my favorite site that I subscribed to a few months ago. They are very helpful because there are plenty of references for beginners. Love it!

2) Dream A Little Bigger - I stumbled upon this site when I was looking for the perfect size of my loom. I didn't use nails like the blogger here. But her step-by-step was useful too. Aside from that, her cats caught my eye. :3

3) A Pretty Fix - The pictures are so nice! I couldn't document mine well enough because I was pretty messed up that night. But this blog helped me decide regarding the distance of one peg to another. This also inspired me to create a cleaner / minimalist version of a loom.

If you already made a loom, let me know how you did it. If you made some mistakes, tell me how you fixed it. Or if you're about to make one, let me know how you plan to make yours.

Aside from writing about my relationship with God, travels, and special life events, it feels really good to write about things that I create or the things I make with people around me.

Weaving things together,

K