A good cup of joe, plus a little extra

I like to come here when I'm headed home. A little place off I-35 that has some of the most delicious drinks; a cozy, eclectic atmosphere; a great backyard venue; and some sweet unfamiliar but comforting tunes playing over the front-room speakers. The temperature inside is perfect and the aroma of coffee beans is never overbearing. The baristas are always friendly, and if I might add, fun to look at. There's always someone working behind the counter rocking an off-beat indie style, or someone who is just so stinkin' cute! So of course this ads to the allure of the shop. From the mismatching furniture and fabrics to the scrolling iron on the doors and walls, Common Grounds in Waco, Texas is a very inviting place and will always remain a favorite of mine. On this morning's trip, I ordered "The Irish Stew." Espresso, soy milk, Irish cream, and their "secret sauce" all mixed and poured over ice makes for a savory treat that's sure to cure your sweet tooth. Yum-E!

I headed home today to celebrate my dad's 62nd birthday/retirement. After my quick stop in Waco my day went as follows:
drove 65 mph on I-35 northbound
listened to 102.1 the edge
met Dad at subway
split a 5 dollar foot-long (chicken bacon ranch on honey oat)
talked about death (wow... happy birthday to you)
talked about life
went to my hair appointment
got my hair dyed by Amanda
talked about haunted places
talked about writing
talked about a lady who brought a ruler to the salon to show Amanda what she meant by 2"
sat for almost an hour while a fairly new girl did my blow-dry
got very internally frustrated
prayed for God to give me patience
chatted with Fairly New Girl about boyfriends
learned that Fairly New Girl has had a kinda rough life
decided I was glad Fairly New Girl did my blow-dry
rushed home, frenzied (but didn't speed...)
put my hair in a pony, frenzied
decided Amanda did a great job on my color
took a deep breath
took Dad to meet up with Mom and sister at Posado's
tried to not let it slip that a few other family members would be there as a surprise
shared in the surprise
caught up with cousin
ate soft chicken tacos
caught up with aunt
ate chocolate cake
videoed Dad singing "Happy Birthday" to himself
took pictures of Dad cutting his own cake
decided that when your 62 you just gotta do the celebratory part yourself
rode home with Dad
talked about commercials with puppies
talked about beer
talked about how I mispronounce words such as "tour," (which I pronounce as tore); "confiscate," (which I pronounce as con-fin-skate); and "espresso" (which I pronounce as ex-presso)
decided Dad's little surprise was a great success and was glad we got to visit with family

I'm looking forward to being here this weekend so I can spend time with the parentals, ride my bike along the Trinity, shop for a pair or sweet high heels, hopefully see a few missed friends, sit in a new spot to do my deep thinking, and who knows what else. Much is on my agenda... all things fun and grand! I hope you enjoy your weekend as well, and may the Lord send blessings your way!

For Fun Fridays,
Kate

Satisfaction in Christ

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17

Gazing at herself in the full-length mirror, Audry let out a sigh of satisfaction followed by a smile that lit up her eyes. This is the one, she thought as she closely examined how her body looked in the eighth swim suit she picked out to try on. The lights in the fitting room created a soft glow. She did a turn to the left and looked over her shoulder. She turned to the right and looked down her legs. Straightening up, she placed her hands o her hips and rolled her shoulders back- chin held high. Alright! I look good! And in knowing she looked good, she felt good. A week at the beach. Many days at the pool. A trip to the river. Sand volleyball at night. Hot tubs. Boys. Boating on the lake. More boys. Audry definitely got use out of that perfect swim suit. But the summer came and went...

As Charlie's boss stood up and reached out his hand over the cold glass desk, he said with pleasure, "You've got the promotion." Charlie shook his boss's hand firmly, and with that solid grip came such a fluid relief. He knew what this promotion would mean for him- a chance to prove to his family that he's worth something... good at something. A chance to finally buy the car he'd always wanted. A chance to feel better accomplished at his 10 year reunion. Charlie's promotion gave him a sense of value that he's never had before. Maybe NOW I can snag a girlfriend...

Tabitha was breathing harder than she ever had before. Sweat was pouring down her forehead and into her eyes. Her legs were strong, but the fight in her heart was stronger. Win. Win. Push. Push. Don't give up. Keep going, Tabi. You cannot lose. You cannot lose. Her bike was a part of her body. Its wheels were circular extensions of her legs. She could see the finish line like a mirage in the distance on the hot paved road. Closer and closer, her heart was pounding. Suddenly, cheers filled the air and the pressure was off. Tabitha finished first place- an accomplishment she'd dreamed of the past 5 years she'd been training. Years of work for a day of victory...

In the passage, John is speaking to us about satisfaction and how to conform your life to the will of God instead of the expectations of the world. As human beings with deep emotions, a longing for both peace and excitement, and a desire for worth, we often base our decisions off whether or not our choices and actions will leave us or those around us satisfied. We "love" (care for, nurture, protect, spend time with, meditate on, desire) the things that we think will ultimately fill us. We conform our lives to others around us and even those we don't even know. We are influenced by the media, controlled by the economy, and find pleasure in any single moment of self-aggrandizing glory. But John repetitively makes one thing clear... do not love what is worldly. By "worldly" he means desires of the flesh; that which keeps us from the will and truth of God and leads to a path of moral or spiritual destruction. I don't believe there is a set list of "things to avoid" in order to follow the command before us. Every person has different struggles and certain things will temp or harm one person that might not tempt or harm another. It's a matter of allowing the Lord to show you where you fall. Letting him open your eyes so you can see the sin in your life. It's a matter of knowing the difference between that which is holy and that which is vile. I've heard for years now, "You are IN this world but not OF it." Set apart by Jesus Christ. I am supposedly different. I am not called to be a chameleon who blends in. I am called out of the darkness and into the light- to live according to the will of God. Unfortunately, this is easy to say, harder to do. I am tempted each day. I fail each day. My eyes see only what is before me because that is what's easy. I am the girl in the mirror. I am the man with the raise. I am the one crossing the finish line. But will I choose to find my worth in this? Will this be where I gain my satisfaction? At the end of this life, my body will rot and only my soul will remain. How beautiful will me heart look? At the end of this life, the money I earned will not define the person I became or the accomplishments I made. Who will I have helped along the way besides myself? At the end of this life, it wont matter if I was first, second, twenty first, or last. Will I not have always been first to God? If He is first to me.

"the cravings of sinful man- the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does..." This is worldliness. Will you chose to let it control you? Satisfy you? Define you? Defeat you?

"This passage, then, is a manifestation of the Johannine dualism. One loves either God or the world. This theme echoes throughout Scripture. The first commandment is "You shall have no other gods before me." Joshua commanded the children of Israel to "choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD" (24:15). Jesus warned, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money" (Mt 6:24). And now the author of 1 John, like his master Jesus, reminds people that there can be only one allegiance, one loyalty, which shapes all that we are and do. There is no way to play both ends against the middle. The commands of this passage are to be heard both as an invitation to serve God and, for those who have heard and responded to such an invitation, as an exhortation to continue to make that response daily." (Biblegateway.com)

For Theological Thursdays,
Kate

Like I've always said... It's whatev.

Random thoughts from today:

RT #1: What if I had to choose between being blind or being deaf?
This thought came across my mind while driving home from work today with the radio turned off. I was trying to imagine what life would be like without the sweet mosaic of voices and instruments that provides such a vast majority of my entertainment. So... deaf or blind? I weighed the pros and cons of each according only to the knowledge I posses about these two conditions- which honestly is very little compared to those who are in either of these situations, or those who are close to people who are.
As a blind person, I know I would miss out on many things... the beautiful sights of this world, the sunset I love so much, certain sports, driving, looking in the eyes of the one I love, photographing all the random things I do... so many things. But maybe I would I "see" the world from a different sort of perspective. I remember the line in the movie Ray... "I hear like you see. Like that hummingbird outside the window, for instance." It's as if Ray's senses are finely tuned to work against his disadvantages. And maybe life is beautiful in this way.
When I think about being deaf, the first thing to enter my mind, obviously, is all the music I wouldn't get to hear. Music has largely influenced who I am on a personal level, as well as my ability to praise and worship. I contemplated the idea of creating music in my head and "listening" to it that way, but I feel my creative abilities (and lack thereof) would only last me so long. Basically what this random thought boils down to is that I can't decide which I would choose. Therefore this random thought is somewhat pointless... Hm.

RT #2: I'm really not looking forward to Ring Dunk despite the fact that it's a huge Aggie tradition. Why? I hate throwing up... and it's simply inevitable; if you chug a whole pitcher of beer as fast as you can, you WILL puke it all up! Unless you're Chuck Norris. In Chuck's case, he would chug the beer then pee it all back out in drinkable form and serve it to the guests who would gladly drink it. Or he would use it to christen a baby. Either way.
But anyways, I AM looking forward to getting my Aggie Ring. My calendar is marked: November 13th- Ring Day.

RT #3: Why is the ice cream in my freezer named "French Silk"? It's basically a swirl of sweet cream and chocolate with chocolate chunks. What about that is French? Who's to say that's not German? Or Indonesian? Why don't they call it "Australian Silk"? By using the word French, the name implies sophistication and elegance for an otherwise ordinary ice cream flavor combination.

RT #4: I wonder how long it's going to take me to complete the Obannon's beer tour. 74 beers and I have 2 years left in this town...

RT #5: Miley Cyrus's show really isn't all that bad. Especially when David Koechner plays Hannah's "Uncle Earl."

RT #6: Today is my Dad's 62nd Birthday. Is he going to live to see his grand-kids? I should probably call and wish him happy Hanukkah...

For Whatever Wednesdays,
Kate

A Sharp Knife: a must-have

I've given a lot of thought to what I would like to be doing with my life if college was not in the picture. For those who know me well- or for any random person I've met and held at least a 20 minute conversation with- you have probably heard me mention how cosmetology school is something I've always desired to do. I'm all about doing what you love, because you love it. I'm not the kind of person who could stick with a job I don't even enjoy simply because of the paycheck or benefits. What a lot of people don't know, however, is that culinary school might have been my next option. I greatly enjoy cooking, trying new recipes, and coming up with my own, though my busy college life has forced me (at least 80% of the time) to stick to making simple, fast, and healthy meals. This usually includes the following daily line-up:

Breakfast:
a grain...cereal, oatmeal, or toast
a dairy product or a protein... yogurt or eggs
a fruit... usually berries, a banana, mango, or an apple

Snack:
a nut... usually almonds
or whatever I find in the snack drawer at work

Lunch:
sandwich... whole wheat bread (Nature's Own), turkey (deli meat... not the prepackaged crap), some sort of cheese (i prefer Munster over anything), dressing (either mustard, Greek salad dressing made from olive oil, or my personal favorite- Veganaise) and any sort of fresh veggies to top it all off (cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles, lettuce)
something crunchy... Flat Earth tangy tomato ranch veggie chips, or nuts if they weren't my snack
something green... usually Bird's Eye Steamfresh brussel sprouts
something sweet... Jell-O sugar free pudding

Dinner:
protein... usually grilled or baked chicken with my choice of seasoning (lemon pepper, Italian herb, or creole)
veggie... sauteed squash, zucchini, and mushrooms
grain... brown rice or maybe some whole wheat pasta

Point being, my daily plate has bored my pallet. I need to mix it up a bit.
I'm looking forward to tonight. I'm getting together to cook with my friend Kristen and watching Big Brother- a show I've maybe caught one episode of ever since its debut in July of 2000. We plan on baking seasoned pork chops and I'm in charge of veggies. So I got on the Bird's Eye website and found an idea for "faux mashed potatoes," if you will:
1 package Birds Eye Steamfresh Cauliflower , (12 oz) (cooked according to package directions)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Asiago cheese, shredded
1 tsp chives, dried
Mash together... and voilà! A healthier version of mashed taters.

Dessert, perhaps? I've been dying to make a fruit pizza. Perfect for summer, super sweet, an old Pampered Chef recipe I used to make with my mom:
the crust...1 roll of sugar cookie dough, rolled out into a pizza shape (one giant cookie), baked at 350 degrees, and cooled
the sauce... a mixture of cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a tiny splash of orange juice
the topping... any kind of fruit you like, sliced and diced.
After it's all neatly arranged, brush some apricot preserves over the top for a pretty glazed look and to keep the fruit fresh!

Looks like I have a grocery store run to make! Keep me posted about any delicious, healthy, and quick recipes you have. In the mean time, I'll be sure to let my creative juices flow and hopefully concoct some award-winning masterpiece of a meal...
Dream big, right?

For Tasty Tuesdays,
Kate

Concert Craving

I was sad to discover yesterday that I have lost my precious iPod. Somewhere between unplugging it from my car adapter, plugging my friends iPhone in, and switching out who's in the driver's seat, it ran away from me. Now I'm in a pickle. What am I going to go on my bike rides with? What am I going to listen to on my long drives across Texas? What about those walks across campus? My music was the only thing that kept me from thinking about the hundred degree heat baking my shoulders and causing me to break out in a very much unwanted sweat on my way to work. What to do.... Eventually I will have to break down and purchase a new one... With the money I really don't have.

On the flip side, I'm really wanting to go to a concert and fulfill this massive craving I'm having to stand in the middle of a crowd and sing at the top of my lungs. Oh, the bliss of this thought. Unfortunately, Sherwood, one of my favorite bands, wont be making their way to Texas until the fall, though they're currently touring with Copeland in many surrounding states. I'd love to head to Little Rock on the 23rd to hear them play, and become better introduced to the lulling sound of Copeland, but I'm not quite sure if it can work. My cousin's wedding rehearsal is the following day and the parentals are worried about my returning to Fort Worth safely (and timely). I personally don't see anything to worry about, but I think I give them enough stress with my spur-of-the-moment hit-the-road-and-go decisions that maybe just this once I'll be patient and wait for Sherwood's arrival to Texas at a better date. But let me just say that I will NOT be happy if whatever day they make it here is a day I MUST be in class, at work, or fulfilling some other responsibility I have. Let's hope it all works out. In the mean time, if anyone knows of any sweet concerts coming up that are a more feasible option (distance-wise from College Station, that is) I would really appreciate suggestions or invitations. I'm game for hearing new artists, or old, and prefer something non-country.

My friend from back home, Jena-Claire, just told me about two great songs: Trouble by Nevershoutnever! and La Mar by The Beautiful Girls. I'm thoroughly enjoying them on my iTunes but saddened that I have no iPod to take them in the car with me. My roommate and great friend Jacy just got me hooked on Electric Feel by MGMT for anytime I want to pretend I'm in a drugged, disco daze and Pandora Radio gave me a friendly reminder that Dark Blue by Jack's Mannequin puts me in a really good mood and makes me want to go running. Hopefully the great suggestions and discoveries keep on coming, and when they do I'll be sure to share them with you!

For Music Mondays,
Kate