A New Skirt

After Thanksgiving, it was time to recuperate from the past day of laughter, fun, and over-eating. However, I decided I might as well try to do something productive in the process of recovery. Therefore, I pulled out a piece of satin cloth I had tucked away a few months ago, under the belief I would one day be able to turn the rectangle into a cute skirt.

It started with an idea and a 80% chance of failure, seeing that I had no plan, no pattern, and no experience. After a few attempts at beginning the skirt's gathers, my mom and I realized it wasn't going to work. Therefore, I unpicked, and unpicked, and unpicked, and tried over and over again, until I got so frustrated with the whole thing I thought of giving it up. Then, I received a call from my wonderful friend in Maine, who showered me with God's love through prayer and the joy she radiated.

After our talk, I felt ready to tackle my project and finish well. After apologizing to my mom for my stinky attitude, I finished it quickly, and am now left with a success!

Against all the odds...I'm amazed how much an optimistic attitude and God's love spread from one person to another can impact our lives.

It just reminds me to be that kind of person to someone in their time of need.

Since didn't get to write here on Thanksgiving, I will now :) I just want to say "Thank you" to all the wonderful people I have in my life who share God's love with me and show me how precious friendship is in our lives.

My Thanksgiving was beautiful, shared with people I love. I have so many things to be thankful for it is ridiculous. God is just too good.

Clone of a Cinnabon

My day started with school. For some reason, at about one 'o clock, I realized that I would be done with school before my usual "do-homework-until-nine-o-clock-at-night" day. Therefore, the day called for something a little extra-special. There had been a huge list of recipes saved on my favorites toolbar which were begging to be baked and eaten. I decided the "Clone of a Cinnabon" had the most savory picture and began my baking adventure at around three 'o clock. After an hour of the dough being kneaded in the bread machine I plopped it out and rolled it into a large rectangle which I decorated with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. I then rolled it up into a huge burrito, cut it up, and plumped the mini-rolls into the pan. After baking, they looked like naked cinnamon rolls begging to be smothered in frosting. We answered their call. After dinner my family covered a cinnamon with frosting, and then we each took a big bit out of the first piece and cried "YUMMY!"

Don't you love it when a recipe turns out well? I do. I've made so many failure or mediocre recipes, that baking is not one of my favorite things to do. However, this one's definitely a keeper. Though not exactly a "Clone of a Cinnabon" the cinnamon rolls are definitely delicious.

They aren't too gewy or chewy, yet are not dry. Once you spread  little frosting over them, you're goner.



The Sin on My Hands





Thank you, Jesus, for making me a new creation. You forgave those imperfections. Thank you...

Plastic Dragonflies

Days, months, years, they are in front of you one moment and vanish behind you the next. This year has been such a haze of events I can't quite get the order of them correct most of the time. I remember at the beginning of they year I was in my sophomore year, doing school with two brothers I love dearly and having the time of my life. Then time came and snatched one of them away, and now those days don't even seem like a tangible reality. I can hardly remember what life was like when it was not just Michael and I.

Memory has never been one of my strong points. Forgetfulness is one of my weaknesses. Which is why writing those moments down while I am still in them is one of the wisest things I can do in life. Only yesterday I opened up one of my journals and started to read the contents from six months past.

Six months. That doesn't sound like a long time. It never did to me, anyway.

However, as I read those words it felt like an age ago. That was how life was? Those were my thoughts? I flipped through more and more. Memories which had been shelved away in the dark recesses of my mind came to life again. I felt like I could go back to the old "me" and ponder how I had changed. But analyzing myself was not as exciting as viewing the miracles of God in every area of my life. His fingerprints were everywhere.

Journaling is not only a place to record events and to vent emotions to God, but it is also a way to chronicle your life with all it's valleys and mountain peaks. I rejoice over the mountain peaks, but I am even more grateful for the valleys. The time when I grow most in life is when I am torn to pieces and receiving all my strength from my All-Powerful God.

James 1: 2-4 "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

2 Cor. 12:9 "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness'....."

Memories are like dragonflies. They flutter away in an instant. Still we can record them, and though they might not be as brilliant as the real dragonfly was, we can content ourselves with our plastic ones. They are a pitiful imitation of what our feelings really were at the moment, but when we read back on them, those plastic dragonflies just might come back to life.

Square One Again

First of all, I would like to announce that I am going to attempting blogging again. Yay! Now, I think the best way to start with with a new, fresh look (as you have noticed) and a weird new title! So, if you haven't figured out the pun in my new title, I'm here to explain.

It can either be read "a musing" (i.e. a "random thought") or "amusing" (such as "highly entertaining"). Ask me, and I will tell you I have no idea how I came up with that title about twenty minutes ago. But I like it. It isn't as cheesy as some of the other titles I was thinking of. Haha.

There you have it. My first blog post in over two months.

If you are wondering, yes, a lot has happened in the past few months. Yes, I think I'm a different person. And yes, I miss my big brother.