J-E-L-L-O

So there's something I've been wondering since 4th grade when we first learned about the differences between liquids, solids and gases in Science class.

Is Jello a liquid or a solid?

My dad maintains that from an science/engineering perspective, it is a type of liquid (I forget the big word he used). However, many websites have suggested that at different temperatures, it is a different type of matter. What do you think?

Birthday cake and more!

This weekend has been pretty fun. On Friday night, I went to the Village Singles Christmas Shindig. It was ok. Kinda awkward, but still fun. When you walked in, you got assigned to a group (ie - being separated from your buddies) and that was your scavenger hunt group. The people in my group were nice, but I probably will never see them again as they go to different services or different churches, so yeah. Oh well. The only way you meet people and develop relationships is to get out there. One exciting gain from the evening is that I saw people I worked at Sky Ranch/went to Baylor with and they invited me to come every Sunday to a gathering they have of all these Sky Ranch people in the area. I thought it would be far away because a lot of them work in Dallas, but its only in Lewisville, which is only about 15-20 min. away from me. So that was exciting.

Semester 2 of grad school is about to wrap up (I have one take home final to finish today) and then I'll be done. Only a year left until graduation! One of those semesters will be spent doing field experience, but who knows where that will be??

Also, my dad found a dog for me this past week and I will be taking a look at her when I get home for the holidays. She's a 40 pound Siberian husky with the bluest eyes ever. She seems perfect. Here's what her foster mom said about her:

"My foster Mommy named me after some lady named Ella
Fitzgerald? She said something about my singing all the time. I do like to sing
to my big rottie friend, Goliath. Sometimes I can get him to sing back to me
although his is more like a grumble. Mommy says something like an Ella
Fitzgerald and Joe Cocker duo!

I hear my foster Mommy telling everyone what a sweet girl I am
and that she would love to keep me. She said if she keeps all her fosters, she
can not help the next one that comes along and needs her.
I love to snuggle. When my foster Mommy is laying down trying
to go to sleep, I like to jump up on the bed and lay down and cover her to make
sure she is warm. It seems natural to me, maybe because all my ancestors did
this to keep their owners and children warm in the snow. "

And here's a picture of the beautiful girl:

Anyways, now I'm gonna clean my room (I'm a neat freak that can't keep her room clean. Go figure.) and work on some homework and then Christmas shopping!

Hope all is well with you! Much love and God bless!

PS - a quote from a song that I found quite quoteworthy: "Fear not, I will pilot thee." Simple yet profound.

Cake #2

Here are the pictures of my latest creation! Some of the flowers are cute but some you can't really tell that they are flowers, but thats what practice is for! I took it to work today and got offered money to make a cake for one of my coworker's daughter's birthday party. How exciting!

Anyways, here's a thought to chew on that Matt Chandler said at church this past week:

"Be where you are or you will miss ALL that is currently beautiful."

Christmas is coming! :0)

Christmas Music on the Radio

So, I have thoroughly enjoyed the radio stations that play Christmas music 24/7. However, I have noticed one peculiar thing. Many of these stations are secular (Sunny 99.1 in Houston and 103.7 in DFW) but play a lot of Christmas songs that mention the birth of Jesus and his coming to save the world. Not that I am opposed to this in any way - quite the contrary - I love them! However, these stations would normally be very adamant about not playing anything with a Christian influence in their regular broadcasts. So why is it perfectly acceptable to play songs about Baby Jesus and his saving of the world now, but not at any other time? Its a double standard - one that befuddles me.

Anyways, Thanksgiving break has been good. I definitely do not want to return to work on Monday. However, the break has also been full of writing two huge papers and it will feel good to get rid of those this week. After they are turned in, I am pretty much done with school for the semester aside from finals, which should not be too bad. Only a year longer until I'm (hopefully) done with school forever and can be a real human being. Studying and writing papers is getting old real fast. I am not sure what I want to do or where I want to work, but God is faithful and will reveal that to me in His own timing. Hopefully the limbo phase will not get the best of me.

Anyways, back to writing papers. Hope all is well and Turkey Day was great!

My First Cake!

So, I went to my second cake decorating class yesterday and actually got to decorate a cake! So fun. I was a little frustrated at first because I couldn't get the icing out of the icing bag and my hands were killing me, but then my instructor came over and solved the problem by thinning out my icing - apparently, despite following the recipe, my icing was much much too thick. After that, we were good to go! Anyways, here are pictures of my very first cake!

Anyways, enough about cakes. I'm very excited about Thanksgiving break! I have the whole week off of work, but still have class. Thats ok. Despite having to work on papers, I get to sleep in and do whatever I want, so I'm ok with that.

Anyways, hope your Thanksgiving break goes well!

Surrendered

I just love my church. No I'm not really involved yet (that could be changing in the next few weeks with the beginning of the special needs ministry) but when I go there, I just feel peaceful and know that God is truly in this place. Anyways, Matt Chandler wasn't speaking last night, but another pastor, Paul Matthies (sp?) was and I really like him too. Anyways, he said a quote last night that I could not pass up posting:

"The best life is a surrendered life."

Anyways. Thats all. There's really not much to say after that. Chew on it for a while.

Excited about Cake!

While I was out doing a little shopping today at Michael's, i made a very exciting discovery! They were offering Wilton Cake Decorating Courses every Sunday this month! And not just that...for 50% off! So starting tomorrow, I will begin my adventrues in cake decorating...maybe I'll achieve my dream of being on Food Network someday! Haha...j/k. Anyways, I'm extremely excited and if you are nice to me, I might even make you a cake!

Light from a candle

"A candle loses nothing by sharing its light with another."

~Author Unknown~

Proved wrong again

I don't know what my deal is. I complain to God about everything (working on not having a whiny spirit) and just when I'm ready to throw in the towel, He does something amazing, showing me that I really need to have more faith and not be admitting defeat.

All week, I've been thinking about my church situation. I'm frustrated for not really being involved in one and not gaining a community. Well, last night, Lauren and I decided to go to the Village Church (we love it there, but its very hard to get involved in). I opened the bulletin and BAM! God had answered prayers. The first announcement was the beginning of a ministry for special needs children, something I had been looking for in a church so I could get involved. Then further down the page, there was an announcement about making reforms to the singles ministry at the Village and they needed 75 volunteers...must be a big change if you need that many people! Right now, the singles ministry consists of home groups (which are almost impossible to be involved in as a grad student b/c of night classes) and a once a month "gathering". So we'll see. I just need to learn to wait on God and not get all fussy and whiny about everything. In Psalm 37:7 it reminds us to "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently on Him..." I really need to adjust my focus and last night was a good reminder of that.

Diet Coke

So, no big secret - I'm addicted to Diet Coke. If DC was an alcoholic drink or a drug, I would be in big trouble.

My question is, what are the addictive properties in Diet Coke? There has to be some. Everyone I know who drinks Diet Coke on a regular basis doesn't just like it - they are addicted. Seriously. I've met people who hate it and people who love it, but no one in the middle. Weird. Anyone know the answer to yet another perplexing question of life?

New

I decided that since I'm in a new phase/place in life, a new blog was appropriate.