Making cupcakes.

It will be a sad day when we have to move out and part ways with the Engelhardts. They’ve become family to Thomas and I this past year. We’ve learned a lot, and grown much. I’m beginning to think more and more often of the things that I will miss when we move to a new home. Tonight was a good example.

I will miss them eating all of the crazy kitchen creations, my spur of the moment sugar rushes, and the time devouring them with a nice glass of milk (always thanks to Jamie). 


Cupcakes are an easy thing to make. They really don’t take a whole lot of effort. It seems, for me anyway, that the big hurdle is committing to getting it done. The Mr. loves sweets, so it’s never (nor will it probably ever be) hard to convince him to go along with my whimsical wishes. Though, when you think of cupcakes, you think of the time, the energy, all the ingredients that you may or may not have (I keep our kitchen well stocked with the essentials ), and the mess afterwards. But tonight, in about 30 minutes, I had cupcakes in the oven.

We were sitting at the kitchen table after a wonderful meal, and I had a hankering. “So…would anyone like cupcakes?”
“Like…stat?!?”, said Jamie.

And it was at that moment that we had a choice. It’s the point in the conversation where no one has spoken, and you are all still deciding whether it’s pure ridiculousness, or crazy enough that it might just be amazing.

I will miss them agreeing to ridiculous mini-house adventures at the drop of a pin.

It was a collaborative decision. We had to trust that we were doing it together. I’m sure not eating 30 cupcakes by myself! There is something to be said about taking a leap, jumping off the ledge, and diving in. Today at the Judson University chapel, we had a speaker who spoke about the differences between being a ‘peace-maker’ and ‘keeping the peace’. And it all boiled down to making the step—committing to the task. Are you willing to commit to people? Even in the moments when something that needs to be said will hurt, either you or them, or your friendship? Will you, effectively, fight for peace? Or would you rather smooth things over and just keep the peace?

Now, I think we all still have a long way to go on this, but…

I will miss the trust and commitment to Christ that beckons us to fight for peace, even when the outcome is murky.

And as we all sat around eating cupcakes (with milk), I think all of these things that I will miss, made that moment just that much sweeter.


(Pictures by the o, so talented, Jamie Engelhardt)

Everyday

It's in the everyday moments that you get to know someone.

Thank you, Erin, for your inspiring quote today:
"I lika...a do...the cha-cha."

Against our hearts

Exclusions

Her excuse was an exclusion.
Her enemy, her heart.
She burdened not her mercy,
But tore apart the art.
Natural reactions of emotion
Were treated as a sin
And compassion never ruled her heart,
only logic was let in.

To identify the target,
there lay a careful set of rules
Some guidelines here,
some pinpoints there,
eyes snaring certain fools.

But with an eye for certain doom,
All she saw was grim and bare,
And when suddenly her heart lurched out,
There were no more gridlines there.
She fought, she denied.
Her mind nullified,
but her heart could not compare.

Compassion, mercy,
woes to feed,
no solace was found there.
What hopes,
what fears were in the world!
What heart, and needs to feel!
Living through her guidelines discounts such grace
in desperate need for repeal.

Rose colored glasses
have a glance of hope.
They revel in wonders
that the majesty provokes.
We can seek compassion, justice,
and mercy from above
but only in deciding
that lines are moveable by love.
If we think we have it right,
but our heart still becons wrong,
what have we done? Where are we now,
that those who have not lines,
can be the change our rules so bear?


-----------------

Have you ever let what you believe get in the way of what you know is right?
Have you ever seen beauty, but argued against it with logic?

St. Patrick's Day

It's quite a unique holiday if you think about it.
Our librarian at the University dresses, literally, from head (wig) to toe, sporting his Irish pride. My in-laws take the day off to march in a parade, eat only Irish dishes, and play cds of fiddles, whistles, and boudrans. And then there are those who forget it even exists. These are the people that forget to wear green. These are the people that are pinched. No other holiday like it that I can think of.

In celebration of St. Patrick and his home culture (despite the fact that they kicked him out of his own country), enjoy this video.



(*Interesting fact: In American Tap dancing, the goal is to look fluid, to have your whole body express the sounds of your feet. In clogging, the better you are, the less your shoulders will move. Shoulders are the indicators that policeman use to see if you're moving in your car-- they tell all. So, it's a strong and practiced art to control them. Watch how their shoulders in this video are immovable! It's wonderful.)

Social Media- fad or fiction?

What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree?
What does this mean for relationships?

Snow

Snow, ya know?
What’s the deal?
comes and goes and
goes and comes.
No need for announcement,
hard as we try.
No need for excuses,
“it just shouldn’t be dry”
says a snow flake to a
hearty soul.

“Then, how
do you suppose I am
to act
just like a snow flake
around, out back?
Are we to fall wherever we land?
Or does our authority stand?
What hospitality fails or drives
whether friend or foe,
steadfast or contrived?
If we were all snow flakes,
wouldn’t it be true,
that the places and postings,
the cares and regrets,
would nonexistent be
through a storm of torrent.”

News, news, news

I must exclaim to the world (or in reality, the two who will read this...) my wonderful news! There's a lot that has been happening in my life, and, well, you deserve an update:

#1- I was offered a position in the MA in Pastoral Theology at the University of London.
#2- I was accepted into Northern Baptist Theological Seminary!

...now I must choose...

#3- (And what I will spend the rest of the post talking about) I was SUPER successful on my Jewel mission today!
Exhibit A:


This is my receipt. Essentially, it says that I paid $14.88 for $40.98 worth of stuff. I have been following some coupon blogs and trying deals here and there, but my first non-fool-proof mission is complete and successful!

I did a Fav4 deal, where I got 4 packages of meat for $3.55. I took advantage of Jewel's Quaker sale, paying $3.95 for the Quaker cereals & granola bars. And finally, The four post cereals, saving a mere $4.96. (I wouldn't have bought these, except that its a better deal than Aldi has for the knock-off brand of the cereals that we really like. And we go through a ton of cereal.)

Here's my loot! (A true picture, like a true coupon blogger!)






What's even more fun, is that I met a woman in the meat section who was doing the exact same thing I was. (I could tell by the way she was looking at the prices.) It looked like she knew what she was doing. And upon introductions, I was right-- seasoned Super Couponer. And she was there using the hints from the same blog I subscribe to!! Funny how the internet/blogging world is bringing people (that would never have met before) together in the physical. A thought to ponder-- perhaps this cyber-world won't completely destroy face-to-face relationships after all...