Prof Jen's Office Hours

my sister is officially a hasegawa!
i still can't believe she's already married.

anyway, i've been wanting to share this post with you guys for a while, but i guess it's better now then never. the rest of my sister's bridesmaids and i hosted a bridal shower a month ago. now, if you know me well, you'd know how much i LOVE wedding planning. so having the opportunity to plan a bridal shower made me squeal with zeal and joy.

the BMs and i wanted a theme that would have some sort of relation to my sister. my sister is a high school english teacher. she also loves pretty, girly, simple things. having these things in mind, we came up with Office Hours with Professor Jen. we incorporated literature and tea to create a British atmosphere.













we handmade a fake chalkboard, had a personal teacher desk for my sister, and a gift station. centerpieces were old books, candle-filled apples, mini chalkboards, lace tablecloths, handmade book pages ornaments, wooden pencils, and photographs of mike&jen.



















close-up of the centerpieces. ooh, i forgot to mention the bookmarks with my sister's prayer requests hidden inside. the food station was decorated with mismatched teapots and teacups. it definitely added color and a sweet/quaint look to the table.













isn't the sky crazy beautiful? the weather forecast said all week that it was going to rain on the day of the bridal shower. we were prayerful throughout to week for God to provide good weather, and He really did. there was not a speck of a gray cloud in the sky. truly, He answers =)
on the right are heart-shaped tea infusers as party favors. i think the girls enjoyed taking them home. heehee



















the food! we tried to stick to foods that are appropriate for afternoon-tea. everything was finger foods, so we made handmade mini-sandwiches, scones, and other sweet treats. assorted teas & herbed/flavored water were also served.













we played a few games that related to the theme of our party. the BMs and i passed out a Pop Quiz for the guests to see how well they know Mike&Jen. winners of each game received sweet prizes: gift cards to Coffee Bean! =)

the day turned out to be great time of fun & encouragement. praise God for good company & girly things =)




























































the fabulous bridal team =)

It's no longer the Three Shin Sisters

(note: i didn't actually write this post until Feb 14th)

SIX MORE DAYS
until
my
sister
gets
married.

It's not even my wedding, and I'm going through several different emotions.
I know I want to save a lot of things to say about my sister on her wedding day, but there are just too many great things about my sister that I know I won't be able to fit into one speech. My sister was the one who shared the entirety of the gospel with me. For that, I am forever grateful. I understood on that day that she loved me so much to want to share the good news with me. But most importantly, I saw how much she truly loved God and the gospel. Her heart for evangelism and her compassion towards lost souls, especially those that she knows, is truly inspiring & humbling. I only wish I had as much zeal and fervor as she does.

My sister is the only person who can make me cry the most yet be the most reliable person to protect and watch out for me. Our relationship since youth has never been easy. I feared my older sister because of dictator-like attitude she gave off. I would get in trouble for borrowing her clothes/shoes & made fun of with the way that I ate & how much I ate (I was quite the chubby kid growing up). We used to outwardly say "I hate you" to each other and probably got into more fights than have times of peace. She was the most detached from our family and didn't even bother to have dinner at the table with the rest of us. I would have never thought our relationship would turn out to be the way that is now.

Praise God for His saving grace. During winter break of my freshmen year of high school, I noticed how different my sister was towards me & my family. My initial thought was, "What in the world did college do to my sister? This is so weird and strange...I kind of like it" Later, I realized just from overhearing conversations between her and my parents, and seeing her commitment to the church she went to in San Diego, that God had saved her. Ever since that break, I could see her life transforming more and more into a person I no longer had to fear, but someone who is more approachable and loving. She would randomly give calls throughout the week to check up on how each of us were doing. She'd ask my little sis and I what we've been learning from the Sunday sermon. I'm not really sure if I was ever saved in high school, but when my sister had that opportunity to share the gospel with me my last year of high school, I could trust that there is a God who saves. Her life was evidence of how real God is and how His Spirit can completely transform people's hearts.

God blessed me with an older sister. It was He who restored both mine and my sister's relationship with Him. It was He who helped build mine and my sister's relationship with each other. Ever since my sister became saved, I could see His Spirit progressively break down my sister's pride and give her a heart that dies to her preferences to consider other people. Her newborn life was what made the gospel more believable to me.

God sovereignly placing me in San Diego with my sister was probably the best thing to happen for me. The fact that we'd be united again helped deepen our relationship as sisters. She took care of me...bought me snacks for finals/midterm week...gave me biblical counsel. A part of me is really excited for her to get married, but another part of me is almost dreading this day. I absolutely love Mike and can't wait for him to be my future brother, but it's sad to see that once my sister gets married, there may not be as many opportunities to spend time with her. Her ministry and priority will definitely be at home w/Mike, not myself. Someone reminded me that I need to let go of my selfishness and remember that it's not like my sister is being taken away from the family, but a new member is being added to the family. What a great way to look at it. =)

Anyway, please pray for my sister & Mike! The day is quickly approaching. WOOOOOOOO