Strange Cup of Tea

First Annual No Excuse for Abuse 5K Fun Run

2011-04-23T13:33:00.011-05:00

The First Annual No Excuse for Abuse 5K Fun Run started at approximately 8:15 AM on Main Street (in front of the Chamber of Commerce) in Borger, Texas. There were approximately 150 participants. Many of the participants were high schoolers...the girls all had make-up slathered thickly on their faces, cell phones in hand. I ran the "race" (it wasn't timed) a lot harder than I had intended to because I couldn't stand the thought of getting beat by a high school girl who was more interested in looking good for guys than actually running the race.

I suppose that I'm somewhat more competitive than I admit to being. I've been having IT Band problems and didn't want to agitate it during the 5K this weekend because the Oklahoma City Half Marathon is next weekend. That thought went out the door the moment the race started because, as I mentioned, my 26 year old ego couldn't stand the thought of getting beat by a teeny-bopper with a face covered in layers of smoky eye shadow. I ended up being the first lady to finish the race (my time was 24:34...pace of 8:00 min/mile)...which likely means that the Borger High School girls' cross country team is terrible because that's really not a good time (decent, but not good). I think another lady also ended up beating all of those high school girls, too.

Lots of Ground to Cover

2011-03-06T17:38:00.012-06:00

I have several travel-related goals that I'd like to accomplish in my life-time. In addition to having traveled to every one of the United States, I'd like to visit each National Park at least one time. Looks like I have a long way to go!

Eating Through the Night

2011-02-15T07:33:00.003-06:00

One of the things that I dislike the most about having to work the night shift is that I always feel hungry. Here's a complete list of what I ate last night.

Nectarine
Emerald Nuts Breakfast To Go
Kashi Pumpkin Spice Granola Bar
Banana and peanut butter
Shortbread cookie with chocolate drizzled on it
Almond Snickers
Ham sandwich
Cheetos
Kiwi
Nature's Valley Granola Bar

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T14:11:00.004-06:00

To many, Valentine's Day is a "made up" holiday invented by greeting card companies to generate profit and single out singles. I believe that those are lame excuses for grumpy, bitter people who don't want to celebrate Valentine's Day. That said, here are a few Valentine's Day facts (care of Wikipedia.org) that I didn't know until today.

The day is named after early Christian martyrs, Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni,and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD.
The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Obviously, Hallmark wasn't around during the times of Pope Gelasius I. Call me whimsical, but I like the idea of Valentine's Day. God tells us that love, above all, is the most important thing. It seems to make sense to have a holiday that celebrates love.

Regardless of if you're married, dating, or single, I hope that you have a happy Valentine's Day. You have a Savior who cherishes and loves you.

"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19

Why I Run

2011-02-12T22:11:00.004-06:00

After a long, long hiatus from running, I've started up again.

The Early Years

I ran quite frequently throughout elementary school, middle school and the first half of high school. I suffered a severe ankle injury during my sophomore year in high school. It was fixed via reconstructive ligament surgery during my junior year in high school, and my rehabilitation period wasn't complete until my junior year in high school was nearly over. The injury had a bigger effect on me than I think I ever realized. Part of the effect was that my physical activity level pretty much hit rock bottom for the rest of high school with the exception of marching band.

College

As a chemical engineering major, classes and studying took up a ton of my time during college. Naturally, they were my number one priority. I didn't see the need to make time for physical activity. My healthy diet combined with my speedy metabolism have always been enough to help me manage my weight -- I'm still able to wear jeans that are 10 years old.

Post-College

Recently I've started reading quite a bit about the need for physical activity to promote health and longevity. I began to run again (starting May 2010) mostly because of that. It helps that I'm friends with a large group of people here in Borger that all run. We participated in the Palo Duro Trail Run together. Quite a few of us will be running either the half or full marathon in Oklahoma City this May, and we're planning on doing the Palo Duro Trail run again in October.

Why I Run...

Heart disease and other health problems run rampant on both sides of my family. This is my way to make a life-style change early on in life in an attempt to prevent myself from inheriting those health problems. It's a battle against genes.
My dog is hyper! It seems like the only way to get her to settle down in the evening is for me to run with her. Plus -- she really seems to enjoy it!
My boyfriend runs, too, so it's something that we can do together. We trained for the Palo Duro Trail Run together last year, and I think it really brought us closer to one another.
I'd like to complete a sprint-triathlon, and running is one of the events.
It helps me think by enabling me to clear my head.
It's a good way to spend time outside.
It helps me to relieve stress.
It makes me feel free.

Taking Joy in the Little Things

2011-02-08T18:45:00.003-06:00

Work has been tough lately. My assigned unit is a new unit that was put together from existing pieces of equipment. It crashed today. As the unit was crashing down around me and the board operator, I couldn't help but notice that I was singing along in my head (and sometimes whistling out loud) to every song that came on over the radio. I was super excited when the operator told me that the station was 98.7 JACK FM! I had listened to JACK FM in Corpus and BOB FM in College Station. It looks like I've finally found a station to listen to in Amarillo (I'm not a fan of many of them...I mostly listen to K-LOVE, but sometimes that gets old).

While at the board today, I heard Dire Straits, Nickelback, ELO, Nelly Furtado, Gin Blossoms, Steve Miller Band, and The Eagles -- all good bands. I'm really excited about this radio station!

When did life get so BUSY?

2011-02-06T16:22:00.004-06:00

I feel like sometimes I don't even have time to breathe. Psalm 46:10 - Be still and know that I am God. Sometimes I think that verse is easier said than done. My Bible (NASB) says to "Cease striving." On some level, it seems a lot easier to "cease striving" than it does to "be still." I'll have to consult my Greek/Hebrew Bible and see if there's a root word listed for that verse.

I signed up for a marathon last October, but I recently decided that I didn't want to have to devote that much time to running. Upon that realization, I changed to the half-marathon. Running still takes up more of my time than I'd like for it to, but I know that I need to take care of my health. I have a family history of heart disease on both sides of my family.

I've been neglecting God for the past couple of months, so I've re-grouped and created a plan for devoting more time to Him. I'm in a Bible study right now called "The Power of a Praying Woman," and I think it's going to be instrumental in my current effort. I tend to have a hard time figuring out what to read/study when I'm not in a Bible study. I do better when I have a study-type book to guide me. I think that I'd like to study a chronological Bible independently someday. I'm attempting to spend more time in prayer, too. I've never been good at praying...my mind tends to wander when I try to pray. I've considered writing God letters because my mind focuses better when I'm typing or writing than it does when I'm just sitting. If I just sit and pray, my mind, without fail, ends up in "thinking mode" instead of "praying mode."

Work is a challenge right now. It's hard for me to get motivated to do a good job after my "below expectations" performance review. Colossians 3:23 has been helpful and encouraging on that front ("Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.")

Mom and Dad gave me a HUGE desserts/sweets cookbook for my birthday, so I'm looking forward to diving into that and getting back into my "weekend baking" habit. I thoroughly enjoy baking, and I've missed it. The cookbook also came with a free subscription to Bon Apetit magazine, so I'm pretty excited about getting that, too. This month's Southern Living issue has recipes for homemade Valentine's Day type candy, so I've been thinking about making those, too.

I'm really tired of cold weather. I woke up to snow on Sunday, and it's supposed to snow again tomorrow and possibly Wednesday. The cold also causes a ton of problems at work. This tends to make my already stressful job even more stressful. I wish I could go back to A&M and give a "What They Don't Teach you About Chemical Engineering in your Chemical Engineering Classes" lecture. *sigh*

I'm planning on "blogging" more this year in an attempt to direct my life...in an attempt to help me get a better plan together. I feel as if, right now, I'm floating aimlessly through life. I do not like that at all, and I do not know when I became that person. I suppose most of my posts will, like this one, be random/unorganized ramblings, but I hope that they'll help my mind settle down.

Until next time...here's a photograph of Capitol Peak that I took on my last excursion to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Who can see this and say there's not a God?

Tibby!

2010-11-01T16:06:00.002-05:00

Tibby!, originally uploaded by sarowen.

I've wanted a puppy quite badly for about 2.5 years. I finally got one, and now I'm wondering what I got myself into. She's adorable, but she is also a ton of work. I can't go anywhere for more than about 4 hours or so without making arrangements for her to be let out to potty or without making sure I'll be home in time to do so myself. I have to get up for work an hour early to ensure that she has time to eat and go potty before I have to leave in the mornings. I've given up my lunch time at work in order to be able to come home twice during the day to let her out to potty. About two hours every evening are devoted to ensuring that she gets fed, potties, and has plenty of attention/play/training time. I never imagined that having a puppy would be this time consuming. Trying to raise her and train for a marathon at the same time is going to be really tough. Hopefully she leaves the puppy-stage soon. I can't wait until she's old enough to be my running buddy -- those will be good times!

Flickr

2010-11-01T16:00:00.001-05:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

2010 Palo Duro Trail Run 20K

2010-10-18T10:25:00.004-05:00

I ran my first long distance race – really it was my first race ever (or since my middle school cross country and track days). I was incredibly nervous before the race began, though I don’t know why. I knew I wouldn’t be competitive; however, I suppose I was nervous about whether or not I’d be able to keep under my target average pace of 11 min / mile – 11 min 30 sec / mile. My heart-rate was already at 104 bpm before the race even began. We started running at 7:30 AM, and the sun had just begun to rise over the canyons – it was a gorgeous sunrise. There were just enough clouds to give it that burst of color that makes the difference between a mediocre sunrise and a fantastic sunrise. I felt fantastic during the first six miles of the race – it was cool outside, and the sunrise kept my mind off of running. The sleeves on my shirt started bugging me around mile five. I managed to put up with them until halfway through the sixth mile at which point I decided to take my shirt off altogether. All I could think about were those darn sleeves – it was much better without the shirt, though it was kind of annoying to carry it in my hand for the rest of the race. The “trail” aspect of the race was more difficult than I had anticipated. Miles seven through nine were incredibly hilly – I feel like there wasn’t a single foot of trail during that span that was level. I was hoping to be able to kick it into gear for the last three miles, but I just didn’t have it in me – those were three tough miles. My stomach started cramping pretty badly around mile nine. I fought it for half a mile and then gave up and walked for about a tenth of a mile. That was enough to help the cramp go away, so I started running again and was able to keep running (albeit at a very slow pace) through the end of the race. My fuel belt was annoying, but it prevented me from having to stop at most of the aid stations. I did, however, stop at the last one to get a cup of Gatorade – that was the best tasting cup of Gatorade I’ve ever had.

I ended up finishing in 52nd place out of about 200 runners with a time of 2 hr 15 min and an average pace of 10 min 47 sec per mile -- just under my goal!

From the pre-race spaghetti dinner and the bag pipe music at the starting line through the end of the 12.4 miles, it was definitely an experience I’ll never forget. Great friends (and fellow Borgans) made it that much better. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to run this race with.

When can I start training for next year?

Borger Ain't So Bad

2010-09-04T16:12:00.004-05:00

Borger. Where is it you say? Well...it's here: http://tinyurl.com/25xhtna. It's probably not the most exciting place in the world to live, but it's been getting a lot better since May.

I had been in a long distance relationship for a year, but God closed that door and opened another one. It's amazing how having someone to spend time with has made Borger an infinitely better place to live. I have someone to cook for and eat with, a running/tennis/cycling buddy, someone to watch movies/TV with, someone to talk/listen to, someone to laugh with, a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on...someone to be with. I'm still not crazy my job, but life is much better in Borger with Bryan.

Here are some highlights from the trip that Bryan and I took to Santa Fe when I get a weekend off from work. It was an excellent trip!

Below: Bandelier National Monument
Frijole Creek Falls
Los Alamos, New Mexico

Below: Wildflowers at Bandelier National Monument
Los Alamos, New Mexico

Below: Cave dwellings
Bandelier National Monument
Los Alamos, New Mexico

Below: Loretto Chapel
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Below: Santa Fe National Cemetery

Closing

2010-04-28T19:59:00.002-05:00

The time has finally arrived to close on my house -- only 2 more days and I'll be a home owner!

I drove past the house today and was pleasantly surprise to see that the tree in the front yard (still yet to be identified) has lovely purple flowers on it. I'm going to drive by it again tomorrow to take a closer look at the flowers.

I went to Wal-Mart this evening to look at paint colors. The trim on the outside of the house needs to be re-painted because it's kind of peeling off right now. I guess that means that I need to buy a ladder... I'll also be removing the wallpaper from the walls and ceiling in the bathroom and texturing the walls, then painting them. The bathroom has blue tiles on 2/3 of the wall, so I'll only have to paint about the top 1/3 of the wall and the ceiling. I'm still not sure if I'm going to paint the walls a neutral tan color or a creamy, golden-rod yellow color.

While at Wal-Mart I looked at the water sprinklers, mulch, garden soil, and flower bed border materials. I'm going to Home Depot this weekend, so I wanted to get a good idea of how expensive stuff at the Wal-Mart is here. That way I'll be able to decide what to get at Home Depot and what to get at Wal-Mart. My main priority (besides moving in) is going to be making the flower beds and possibly a garden. Hopefully it's not too late to be getting them in!

There's so much to be done!

House Hunting

2010-04-10T19:42:00.002-05:00

One of the things that I dislike about Borger is living in an apartment. I miss having flower beds, and I'd like to be able to have a dog (in addition to Eli the cat and Balki the bird). I also dislike not having a place to spend time outside when the weather is nice.

I saw a commercial a couple of weeks ago that indicated that the first time home buyer tax credit would end on April 30, 2010. That commercial sparked an idea in my head: I should buy a house! I fully believe that I'll enjoy living in Borger more now that I'll have a place to call "home."

I began the hunt by looking at houses that were <$85,000 on www.realtor.com and www.trulia.com. I also began scouring the real estate company listings for our local realtors (Century21, Town and Country, and French C0.)...I even checked the local paper, the Borger News Herald. From those sources, I created a short list of houses that I was interested in looking at. Upon calling Century21 I was set up with a realtor, but it turned out that most of the houses that I wanted to look at already had contracts on them. I think that a lot of people were doing the same thing I was doing...trying to get a house before the first time home buyer tax credit ran out. Houses that had been on the market for at least half a year all of a sudden had contracts on them.

My realtor suggested that I get pre-approved for a home mortgage. I decided to go with a local bank, Amarillo National Bank, because I thought it would be easier to deal with a local bank than a national chain. After I filled out the form to get pre-approved I decided that I had initially set my maximum dollar limit too high, so I decreased it to <$70,000. I did that so that I'd have enough money left in my savings account to feel comfortable...and to buy things that I'll need once I'm a home owner (like a lawnmower, refrigerator, bird feeder, dog, etc.).

Decreasing my maximum price helped to narrow down my list of 10 houses to 7 houses. I drove past each of these houses after work (4/8/2010) and was able to get my list down to 3 houses.

The first house that I looked at was a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home with a 1 car attached garage (1312 sq ft). Somebody has already done quite a bit of work to this house; however, they did a sloppy job of painting and they picked a terrible color (who picks gray paint?!). They had redone one bathroom, but the other bathroom was in poor condition. This house also still had galvanized water piping. The yard was awful. It needed to be sprayed with roundup and then seeded for grass. One of the garage windows was broken and there was a dead tree stump in the backyard as well as some trees that needed to be either trimmed or cut down (they were touching the roof). I decided that mark this house off of my list because it would have been too much work for me to do by myself.

The second house that I looked at was a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom with 2 garages (an attached 1 car garage and a detached 1 car garage in the backyard that is accessible from the alley). It's 1098 sq ft. I liked this house a lot better than the first one. It definitely has a better location (it has sidewalks) in a much more peaceful location. This house has a lot more curb appeal than the first house that I looked at. It has a nice front porch and a tree in the front yard (the other house didn't have trees in the front yard). There was a coat closet in the living room (yay!), and the living room is a decent size. The kitchen was nice and roomy and has room for a table and chairs. It has a new cooktop and a dishwasher that isn't super-old, but the oven is definitely original (I don't mind that as long as it works). The washer and dryer hookups are in the opposite end of the kitchen, and there are some shelves in that space for canned food. There's a storage closet in the attached garage -- I liked that feature. The bathroom sink was stained with toothpaste (but I'm hoping that means that it just needed to be cleaned...that's one of my pet peeves...there is no excuse for toothpaste in the sink). I LOVED the bright, sky blue tile that was on the bathroom countertop and also went halfway up the walls. I'm not thrilled with their choice of flooring for the bathroom, but it's small enough that it should be fairly inexpensive to replace. I'm also not thrilled that there is wallpaper on the bathroom ceiling...THE CEILING?! Who does that? It's not really a big deal, though, because I can take care of that easily enough. The bedrooms were good sizes, and the closets have double rods installed, so I'll have plenty of space for my clothes. There's a linen closet in the hallway (yay!). The backyard is nice, though I wish that the second garage wasn't there -- I'd rather have the yard space). Maybe I can rent out the detached garage to someone who needs extra storage space because I certainly won't use that one...at least I don't think I will.

The third house really isn't worth talking about. It was nice on the outside, and it wasn't bad on the inside, and it was in a quiet neighborhood, BUT it's floor plan was so weird.

All that said, I decided to put an offer down on the second house. It was listed at $64,900 (which I thought was a bit too much), so my first offer was $58,000. I was hoping to get the house for $60,000 once all was said and done. The seller did something that I didn't expect at all and countered my offer with one for $60,000 (I figured he'd go for $62,000 or $63,000). I decided that he must really want to sell the house and countered his newest offer with an offer of $60,000 plus $1,500 towards my closing costs. He said no dice because the house had been showing quite a bit, but he agreed to help with closing costs if I would pay more for the house. Sooooooo...the final deal was $61,500 with the seller putting $1,500 towards my closing costs.

I'll sign the contract on Monday and then start the inspection process. I hope and pray that everything goes well.

Cranberry Salad

2009-11-22T13:48:00.004-06:00

Curly Maple's Applesauce Muffins

2009-10-24T19:50:00.004-05:00

Mom got this recipe out of an issue of Southern Living Magazine way back in the day. They're pretty much my favorite muffins.

Ingredients

1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c margarine, softened
2 eggs
2 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t ground cloves
1/4 t salt
1 c applesauce

Yield
1 1/2 dozen muffins

Directions
Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to creamed mixture, alternating with applesauce. Mix just until combined; do not over-mix. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes. Cool.

Tips

Greasing the muffin pans with Baker's Joy works better than anything else. I used to use Pam, but Baker's Joy works way better than Pam.
I use slightly less than 1/2 t ground cloves. In my opinion, 1/2 t is too much.
I prefer to use chunky applesauce because it gives the muffins a little texture. I cannot find chunky applesauce in Borger (though I've not yet looked at Lowe's), so I've been using regular unsweetened applesauce.
Refrigerate them to make them last longer.

Praline-Pumpkin Torte

2009-10-05T12:10:00.002-05:00

This recipe is from the December 2001 issue of Southern Living Magazine. Mom made this a few times, and I recently made it for a gathering of coworkers. It's an excellent alternative to more typical fall desserts.

Yield
Makes 1 (9-inch) layer cake

Ingredients
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons whipping cream
3/4 cup chopped pecans
4 large eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Whipped Cream Topping (recipe has been included below)
Chopped pecans

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Cook first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour into 2 greased 9-inch round cakepans; sprinkle evenly with 3/4 cup pecans. Cool.
Beat eggs, sugar, and oil at medium speed with an electric mixer. Add pumpkin and vanilla; beat well.

Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; add to pumpkin mixture, beating until blended. Spoon batter evenly into prepared cakepans.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks 5 minutes; remove from pans, and cool on wire racks.

Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate, praline side up; spread evenly with Whipped Cream Topping. Top with remaining layer, praline side up, and spread remaining Whipped Cream Topping over top of cake. Sprinkle cake with chopped pecans. Store in refrigerator.

Yield
Makes 3 1/2 cups

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation
Beat cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla, beating until blended.

Tips
I put my mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer the night before I planned on making the whipped cream topping. This helped the topping set-up more quickly than it would have otherwise. Mom and I also sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon on the top of the whipped cream topping to give the cake a little extra pizazz.

Relationships - Week 4 - Forgiveness

2009-10-04T21:39:00.005-05:00

Brother Steve continued his sermon series on relationships today with a sermon entitled, "Building Relationships on the Foundation of Forgiveness. " The main verses for this sermon were Matthew 18:21-35. Here's a link to the verses, should you need it: http://nasb.scripturetext.com/matthew/18.htm.

1. Why should we forgive?

Because we've been forgiven. Compared to how we've hurt God with our sinful nature, the offenses of our brothers and sisters are fairly minor, so we should be able and willing to forgive them.

2. How should we forgive?

Most of us want to forgive people on our own conditions, but we must train our minds to forgive unconditionally.
Repentance is essential for reconciliation but not for forgiveness.
We can choose to forgive people whether or not they repent.
Guess what that means! You're even supposed to forgive people when they don't apologize. Your forgiveness should depend on nothing that they do or don't do.

3. What is the result of refusing to forgive?

In the example verses the slave who refused to forgive was handed over to the "torturers" by his master until he could repay all that was owed by him. The last verse of the main scripture indicates that God will do the same to us. (v35. “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”)
Our modern day "torturers" are bitterness and anger.
Those who refuse to forgive sentence themselves to a life in their own private torture chamber.
If you don't learn to forgive, anger and bitterness will tear you up and devour your sweet spirit.

Here are some other verses of note:

James 2:13 "For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment."

Matthew 6:12 "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." (sound familiar?)

Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." (one of the beatitudes)

And, finally...my favorite one...Proverbs 19:11 "A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression."

Forgiveness is the key to meaningful relationships. If you're unable to forgive, then you're destined to go through life without deep relationships. Man is at his best when he is practicing forgiveness because it is the heart of God to forgive. Is not the crucifixion of Christ the most sincere and astounding story of forgiveness that there ever was?

Longest Shot Ever Made

2009-09-23T09:54:00.001-05:00

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Video-World-s-longest-basketball-shot?urn=nba,191193&cp=3#comments

I say it's good.

Have I Finally Found the Boots?

2009-09-22T12:09:00.003-05:00

I've been on a quest to find the perfect, knee length, brown boots. After well over a year of searching, I still don't feel like I've found the ones yet. I think these are the closest I've come to finding some that are everything that I want. Now I just need to decide if I'm willing to fork over the cash for them. Zappos has free shipping both ways, so I could always return them if I decide that I don't like them. Looks like I have some thinking to do.

http://zapp.me/7588702

Textures in Photoshop

2009-09-20T22:28:00.004-05:00

Normally I'm drawn to photographs that are cheery and brightly colored, so when I take a photograph that is more drab looking in appearance. I generally like to put a overlay these photos with a textured layer to give another point for visual interest (since color isn't one). Here's one I took during my first trip to Maine (when Lee and I drove from Tulsa to Portland).

Relationships

2009-09-20T21:56:00.004-05:00

Brother Steve just started a sermon series on relationships. Today's sermon marked week 2 of the series. It was based on the following verses.

¹Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, ²to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home:
³Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
-Philemon 1:1-3

The first point of the message was that there are three types of relationships: outward, inward, and upward. The "outward relationships" category encompasses our relationships with others; the "inward relationship" category encompasses our relationship with ourselves (how we see ourselves); the "upward relationship" encompasses our relationship with God.

The second point of the message was that we cannot have "right relationships" with others until we have a "right relationship" with ourselves. We cannot have a "right relationship" with our own self until we have a "right relationship" with God. We must be able to see our value in Christ. This is not meant in a self-centered, arrogant way, but in a way that reflects our knowledge of who we belong to. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ish) tells us, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price." As Christians we need to remember who we belong to; Jesus Christ paid the price for us when He died on the cross. That's where our value comes from...not from ourselves, but from whom we belong to.

The above verses were chosen because of how well they relate to the points. Paul saw himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus instead of as a prisoner of Rome and Emperor Nero. His relationship with God was right where it should have been. Even though he was imprisoned by Rome, he still knew who he was in Christ Jesus. His inward and upward relationships were right where they needed to be to enable him to have good, meaningful, and valuable outward relationships (brother, sister, friend, fellow worker, and soldier).

Brother Steve included this quote when he was talking about outward relationships.

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! You too? I thought I was the only one." - C.S. Lewis

This illustration was also used to prove the point about value not necessarily coming from an object or from a person but from who owns it instead.

An American tourist in Paris, who purchased an inexpensive amber necklace in a trinket ship, was shocked when he had to pay quite a high duty on it to clear customs in New York. This aroused his curiosity, so he had it appraised. After looking at the object under a magnifying glass, the jeweler said, "I'll give you $25,000 for it." Greatly surprised, the man decided to have another expert examine it. When he did, he was offered $10,000 more. "What do you see that's so valuable about this old necklace?" asked the astonished man. "Look through this glass," replied the jeweler. There before his eyes was an inscription: "From Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine." The value of the necklace came from its identification with a famous person. (source unknown)

Currently reading: Just finished "Jane Austen Ruined my Life" and working on the book of Jeremiah

Currently listening to: Paul Colman Trio (New Map of the World)

Currently editing: Finishing up on photos from the Maine roadtrip, and then I'll move on to my mini-Route 66 trip photographs

Currently cooking/eating: Made honey-glazed chicken stir fry and brownies today

Currently looking forward to: the start of a new Bible study on Tuesday; getting to see Lee in October; going home for Thanksgiving in November

Mother's Taffy Cookies

2009-09-17T17:39:00.003-05:00

I've always been a sentimental person, so it's amusing to see the emotions that certain foods can awaken within me.

On Monday Mom gave me a heads-up that a package (just something small, in her words) would be arriving for me sometime this week. It arrived on Wednesday. There they were...in a Sperry Top Sider shoe box...buried beneath newspaper...Mother's Taffy Cookies!

I had hunted everywhere for Mother's Taffy Cookies...I finally did the logical thing and googled the company, only to find out that they had filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2008. In early December Kellogg's announced that it was going to save Mother's Cookies. Kellogg's acquired trademarks and recipes to Mother's Cookies. Unbeknownst to me, they were back on the shelves in May 2009. Mom just happened to see them in Wal-Mart last week -- I'm so thankful she did. I was unaware that Kellogg's had purchased Mother's, so I had given up all hope of ever eating a Taffy cookie ever again.

You see, Mother's Taffy Cookies were a summertime staple in my family. They were our pool cookie and our beach cookie. They bring back tons of good memories of fun times under the Corpus Christi summer sun. I'm thrilled that they're back. And I'm thrilled that a company that I've owned stock in since sixth grade was able to save them. Yay, Kellogg's!

My Review of REI Halo +40 Sleeping Bag - Women's Long

2009-04-25T20:51:00.002-05:00

REI

Our premium warm-weather goose down bag for women offers the perfect balance of low weight, high-quality materials and top performance—great for backpackers and ultralight adventurers alike.

Good Purchase

sarowen Borger, TX 4/25/2009

Gift: No

Pros: Great Zipper System, Adjustable Hood, Stows Easily, Lightweight

Best Uses: Backpacking, Car Camping, 3 Season Camping

Describe Yourself: Casual Adventurer

What Is Your Gear Style: Minimalist

I used this sleeping bag in April. It didn't get below 40 deg outside, but it was fairly windy, and I got a little cold in it. I warmed up quickly once I tightened the hood up around my face, though. I really like the soft feel of the fabric. It also has this nifty, small, zipper pocket near the top of the sleeping bag (I didn't notice it right off the bat).

()

Peanut Butter Pizza

2009-03-01T18:52:00.007-06:00

Recipe - Peanut Butter Pizza (from la cocina de Madre)
I made this for my Sunday school class's game night last night, and it was well-received (as it always is), so I decided it needed to be shared on here, plus...it photographs well. Mom made this for class parties when I was in elementary school...and for the band pool party that we always had before the beginning of the school year. It's always loved by people of all ages. Just be careful what kind of peanut butter you buy. :-)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup butter-flavored Crisco

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1.5 cup flour

2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup chocolate chips (can use Reese's chocolate and peanut butter chips instead if desired)

Heat oven to 375 F; lightly spray pizza pan with cooking spray. Combine first 6 ingredients and blend well. Stir in flour. Press dough evenly over bottom of pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with marshmallows first, then sprinkle the chocolate chips. Continue baking for 5-8 minutes or until marshmallows are puffy and lightly browned. Cool for a very long time (the chocolate chips stay soft for a long time), then cut into desired shapes and store in an airtight container.

WHOOOOOOOOP!!!

2009-02-24T20:59:00.003-06:00

I am pleased to announce that Aggie baseball games can be watched online for free!!!

The video isn't very high quality, but the audio is great, and there are enough players returning from last year that I'll be able to follow the games via audio alone. It won't be nearly as great as getting to sit in the student section at the games because I'll be completely unable to heckle the opposing team; however, it is infinitely better than spring without Aggie baseball at all.

They're 4-0 so far this season, but they haven't really played anyone that could put them to the test just yet. They're playing Rice on Saturday night, so I'll have to wait and see what they're record is after that game. BTHO Rice, Aggies!!!

Commando in Church

2009-02-22T19:29:00.012-06:00

On a certain level, "blogging" about this doesn't seem appropriate, but, at the same time, it's too hilarious to keep to myself (or to forget, for that matter). Plus, it's not like anyone besides Mom reads this.

I was baptized today. The preacher went out in the water and announced that he was going to be baptizing me. He spoke a little bit about baptism (there's nothing magical about the water, baptism is a symbolic act, etc.). I then walked out into the water. It was warm at first but got a little cold towards the bottom once I was in the middle of the basin (there must be a more technical term to describe the baptismal pool). I described my salvation (Camp Zephyr, 1996) and claimed why I wanted to be baptized (as a public profession of the faith I have in Jesus Christ). I then covered my nose and was dunked (without any slipping, falling down, water-up-the-nose, etc.). As I was walking back toward the changing room, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn't bring an extra pair of panties! There really weren't any options...that's right...I sat through the entire church service and lunch with my Sunday school family without undies.

Looking back on my life, I'm certain that this is the only time I've EVER gone ANYWHERE without panties. I know that people could probably tell from the slightly odd look on my face that I didn't have on underwear (not really, but it felt that way).

So...to any of you folks getting baptized anytime soon, remember to bring a change of undies, or be prepared to go commando in church.

Note: this is the t-shirt that I wore when I was baptized; it was completely soaked.

Baptism

2009-02-21T22:13:00.003-06:00

I’ve sat through countless Sunday schools classes and sermons throughout the course of my life, but baptism has never been the topic of a single lesson. I think that Baptism is something that church-people assume everybody knows about, but…you don’t know what you don’t know, and I think it’s something that should be talked about on a more frequent basis because it is important.

Baptism comes from the Greek word baptizo, meaning to to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe.

This is what the American Heritage Dictionary has to say about baptism:
“The ceremony of initiation into Christianity; in most Christian churches, it is considered a sacrament. Persons baptized either have water poured on them or are immersed in water; some groups of Christians insist on immersion. The effect of baptism, in Christian belief, is to cleanse persons of their sins, so that they are born into a new life with Jesus. Most churches baptize members when they are infants, but some groups, like the Baptists, insist on adult baptism. Jesus himself was baptized.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third EditionCopyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

I tend to disagree with this definition. I don’t know what other religions believe, but Baptists do not believe that baptism cleanses people of their sins. If people can attain salvation through baptism, then that would make the crucifixion of Christ unnecessary. Certainly God would have spared His beloved Son had His death not been absolutely necessary. The blood of Christ is what cleanses people of their sins. Baptism is a symbolic act of obedience -- we are buried with Him in baptism and raised to new life in Christ.

If people don’t attain salvation through baptism, then why do it?

Jesus was baptized. That’s right, we do it because He did it.
Jesus said to. That’s a pretty good reason to do something. If He jumped off a bridge, I’d jump in right after Him. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
It’s a public testimony of faith.
It’s a way to become part of a church family. I am under the impression, though not certain, that baptism is a requirement for church membership (at least in Baptist churches).

Here’s what The Bible has to say about baptism. I think you will find that the verses confirm the bullet points listed above.

1. Mark 1:4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

2. Mark 10:39 The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.

3. Romans 6:1-4 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so that we too might walk in newness of life.

4. Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

5. Colossians 2:12 Having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

6. Matthew 3:11 John the Baptist is speaking…As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

7. Luke 3:21-22 Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while he was praying heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended up on Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heave, “You are my beloved son, in you I am well-pleased.”

8. John 1:32-33 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the son of God.”

9. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

10. 1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

2009 Aggie Baseball Season Preview

2009-02-19T21:11:00.006-06:00

Tomorrow marks the first time since Spring 2004 that I have not attended at least 2 games in the Aggie baseball home opener series. While I'm ECSTATIC that they're ranked #1, I'm also incredibly disappointed that I will not get to participate in baseball season this year as I have in the past 4 seasons. I will undoubtedly be attending the A&M vs. OU games in Norman, as that's about as close to Aggie baseball as I'll get this year (excluding Texas Tech, but I have no desire to EVER be an away-team fan at ANY sporting event held in Lubbock...I've had good Aggie friends get treated incredibly ugly at sporting events hosted by TTU).

Why are the Aggies ranked #1, you ask? Take a look at our returning pitchers -- those are 5 SOLID pitchers.

Brooks Raley (7-2, 4.76 ERA, 68 K)
Barret Loux (6-2, 4.18 ERA, 81 K)
Clayton Ehlert (6-2, 3.41 ERA, 48 K)
Kyle Thebeau (6-5, 2.12 ERA, 3 saves)
Travis Starling (8-2, 3.70 ERA, 9 saves)

We'll also be welcoming back two solid hitters.

Luke Anders (.349, 16 HR, 58 RBI) - first base
Kyle Colligan (.317, 14 HR, 39 RBI) centerfield

The most notable loss that sticks out in my mind is that of Brian Ruggiano. He was a huge part of our offense last season and an outstanding catcher. We'll also be missing the bats of Jose Duran, Dane Carter, and Blake Stouffer. Hopefully the depth of our pitching staff can compensate for the losses our offense has suffered. The only other significant loss that I can think of is that of pitcher Kirkland Rivers.

We also lost volunteer assistant coach, Andy Sawyers, to Kansas State (he's on their staff as a batting coach) -- gig 'em, Saw-Dawg! The new volunteer assistant coach, Justin Sealy, has some big shoes to fill (at least as far as the student section is concerned).

Let's play ball!!!

2009 NBA All-Star Stuff

2009-02-18T20:16:00.003-06:00

1. Dwight Howard was robbed. His final-round-dunk was WAY more awesome than Nate Robinson's. I can't believe he was able to hit his off-the-side-of-the-backboard-pass on the first try. The only reason Robinson's dunk was decent was because of Dwight Howard. Yes, it's cool that someone who is 5'9" can dunk, but...seriously, Dwight Howard should have won.

2. Rudy Fernandez's dunks were scored low. There wasn't anything special about his first dunk, but his second dunk (with Pau Gasol passing to him) was AMAZING...even though it took him all of the allotted time then some.

3. Danny Granger's performance in the 3-point shoot-out was dismally disappointing. He is probably the second best player on my fantasy team, and he ALWAYS does well for me. I was hoping to see one of my Pacers succeed (yes, Pacers fans exist outside of Indiana).

4. Go West!

Yay, Unprocessed Wheat Bran

2009-02-12T22:52:00.009-06:00

I have the New Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I love biscuits, and there's a recipe in it for cinnamon biscuits. I actually only love buttermilk biscuits (especially when Mom makes them because it doesn't get much better than biscuits and gravy), but the cinnamon biscuits sound pretty good.

I haven't written a blog yet complaining about all the groceries that aren't sold at the sub-par grocery store in Borger, but I will someday. In preparing to make the cinnamon biscuits, I found out that one thing to add to my list of groceries-not-sold-in-Borger is unprocessed wheat bran. Praise the Lord for Al Gore and his wonderful invention (a.k.a. The Internet) because I found some cheap unprocessed wheat bran with fairly inexpensive shipping charges on http://www.iherb.com/. It arrived today via UPS (Brown brought me my much wanted unprocessed wheat bran).

Never Seen Star Wars

2009-02-11T20:14:00.005-06:00

My fellow Area C process engineer and officemate was explaining something to me today by using a Star Wars analogy (something about "The Emperor" and Darth Vader). I was kind of quiet for a little while, and then had to admit that I didn't understand what he was getting at because I've never seen Star Wars.

I don't completely live under a rock, so I know who Darth Vader is, but I can honestly say I'm not familiar with "The Emperor." I wish we were allowed to have cameras at work because the look on his face when I told him I've never seen the Star Wars movies was priceless. Priceless. It was a mixture of utter shock and devestation and disbelief. He said that he had to find someone to tell, and I thought that he was kidding, but he wasn't. He found some other people to tell, and they, too, were shocked.

It's not that I don't think I'll like the movies. In fact, I probably would like them...I've just never made seeing them a priority.

So...yes. It is true. I have not seen a single Star Wars movie. *gasp*

Say it Ain't So, Mr. Mulva

2009-02-10T21:28:00.009-06:00

My obsession with school supplies has been lifelong (I've had the same stapler since I was 5). It spans from mechanical pencils (0.9mm, please), engineering paper (I got an 11x17 pad of engineering paper today, and it is awe-some), and Staedtler erasers to highlighters and Post-it Notes.

I went to the supply closet (a.k.a. what part of my heaven will be) in search of the aforementioned 11x17 engineering paper. Out of the corner of my eye (seriously) I saw “post-its” in a Sparco wrapper. Say it ain’t so, Mr. Mulva (CEO of ConocoPhillips), say it ain’t so. Are times so hard that we need to buy generic “post-its?” The company is cutting costs nearly everywhere, so I suppose maybe times are that hard, or they’re preparing should times become more difficult. Regardless, generic “post-its” aren’t worth the meager price you pay for them.

It only took one time for me to learn not to buy generic “post-its.” I purchased a lovely, multicolored 1” x 1” “post-it” cube (pictured below) from H-E-B (a.k.a. the most wonderful grocery store on the face of the planet). This “post-it” cube ended up getting eaten by Boomer the Boxer over spring break 2008. I was a bit miffed at first, but I got over it. This “post-it” cube didn’t deserve such a name and would have been more appropriately referred to as a “walk-on-it-because-it-just-fell-to-the-floor-thanks-to-its-inferior-adhesive” cube.

I currently have 6 different sized Post-it Note pads stockpiled at work (some ruled, some unruled). I’m seriously considering drafting a Post-it Note conservation procedure (maybe it’ll include a decision tree for deciding if something is Post-it Note worthy). This procedure would protect myself from having to go through the stress of having “post-its” that won’t post ever again. I’ll let Boomer the Boxer be the official enforcer of my policy…he can also eat the “post-its” while he’s here!

"post-its"

Post-it Notes

Love your friends.

2009-02-09T21:02:00.012-06:00

One of my best friends was recently robbed at gun-point. She was about to get into her car after leaving a Bible study. A vehicle pulled up next to her car, and a man with a handgun got out. She immediately handed him her purse (praise the Lord her keys weren't in her purse), but the guy she was visiting with was taking a little too long to get his wallet out of his pocket, and the thug began threatening to shoot her. Needless to say, the thug got a purse and a wallet, and nobody was hurt. Just thinking about someone threatening to shoot my dear friend makes me sick to my stomach and makes me want to cry.

After hearing about her ordeal, I started thinking about the great friend I would have lost had that Wednesday night turned out differently. I met her my freshman year in college in ENGR 111...and we had ENGR 112 and CHEM 102 with each other as well. We were both chemical engineering majors, so we eventually ended up in all of the same classes until I started my co-op. Anyhow, she's my best ChemE friend...she's the one person who I can vent to about the Solomon Study...about having to draw a map of my area's boiler feed water system...about any oil-refinery related things...and know that, not only can she sympathize with me, but she can relate to what I'm going through because she's in the same place in her career.

I have so many great friends, and this event has prompted me to make a sincere effort not to take any of them for granted because we are not promised tomorrow. I love them all and can't imagine life without any of them.

We're never guaranteed tomorrow...James 4:13-15 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."

Rain

2009-02-08T22:05:00.005-06:00

I've never been a huge fan of rain. In fact, I have a rain story for nearly every year of college.

Freshman Year: I thought I'd outsmart this huge flooded area between Lechner and the Chemistry Annex by walking on a concrete barrier instead of the sidewalk. The problem arose when I had to get off of the barrier...I couldn't sit on it and step down to the ground because my butt would have gotten wet. My only option was to jump; however, I wasn't able to jump far enough to avoid the ginormous puddle, and I ended up jumping right into the very puddle that I was attempting to avoid.

Junior Year: There were several times that it would begin raining just as I walked out of my dorm and stop raining just as I got to the Jack Brown Building. At this point in time, I still had a smaller umbrella, so I'd show up to class with jeans that were wet at least to my knees. One of my friends drew a picture of me with my own little rain cloud above my head. I bet if I looked really hard I could find it somewhere -- it just seems like something I'd keep.

Second Senior Year: Carolyn and I went to a mens' basketball game at Reed Arena. I distinctly remember checking the weather prior to going to the game, and there was no rain in the forecast. It started pouring with just a few minutes left in the fourth quarter. We tried waiting around a little while for the rain to let up...it never did. This was one of those weird sideways-blowing-rainstorms that College Station is prone to, so we were completely soaked by the time we got to my car, despite Carolyn's umbrella.

I now own a ginormous golf umbrella that I wish I had had all through college.

I view rain a little differently now that I'm living in the panhandle. Everything is so...dead and dry. We haven't had rain since sometime in October, but it's raining right now, and I'm actually a little excited about it. If it were warmer, I'd be sitting outside my apartment watching it fall -- it even smells like rain! That would be a great air freshener...I know there are tons that are named funny things like "Tahitian Rain," but it would be awesome to have one that smells earthy like real rain.

Anyhow, rain always makes me think of "April Showers" by Caedmon's Call. This has been one of my favorite songs for quite a long time. I'm not sure which of them wrote it, but I wish I could find the true meaning behind the song...I have my ideas about it, but...chances are...I'm probably wrong.

If I ever learn how to play another song on the guitar, "April Showers" would be first on the list. Right now I'm content with only knowing how to play Hootie's "Let Her Cry."

It's still raining...

ESPN Fantasy Basketball 2008

2009-02-08T16:22:00.012-06:00

I've been a huge basketball fan for most of my life. I was a Pacers fan when everyone else loved the Bulls. How could you not like Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Chris Mullins, Antonio Davis, Dale Davis, and Travis Best? Anyhow, college classes kind of got in the way of my status as a basketball-fanatic. A couple of my friends asked me to be in their fantasy basketball league this year, and it's been a great way to regain my basketball fanatic status.

My transition hasn't been without some bumps along the way. First, I couldn't log in to draft my team because my router's firewall blocked the drafting tool. I didn't figure this out right of the bat, though, because my laptop runs on Vista, so my first thought was that it was Vista being...Vista, so I started up my desktop (it uses XP)...by the time I figured out what the problem was it was about the fourth or fifth round of the draft and all the super stars were gone.

What makes it worse is that I had made a list of players I would like to draft (only a few high ranked players were on this list because it was mainly people I wanted to draft once all the super stars were gone). So, instead of drafting the player who was the highest ranked available player, it went to my list and started drafting those guys instead. While my list did get me Duncan and Manu, it also caused me to start drafting lower from the rankings when better people (who weren't on my list) were still available.

Needless to say, beacuse of my draft fiaso, I've had to scrounge up a team from the free agents. It hasn't been too bad of a season, though. The guys are in 4th place with a 7-6 record. Here's a snapshot of how the team has changed over the past 15 weeks. We changed from NBA.com to ESPN after the first week or so. ESPN's system is far superior and easier to navigate than NBA.com's system.

Week 1 Roster

Week 15 Roster

Good Buys

2009-02-08T14:39:00.015-06:00

I've kind of been branching out a little more and trying new things -- this is going to be a great big window into how boring I really am, but I maintain that I'm a product of my surroundings. Borger = boring. Can I use being an engineer as an excuse, too?

1. Dill Pickle Pringles

I have grown up shopping at H-E-B and am a firm believer that H-E-B is a gift from God to south Texans. Note to self: photograph an H-E-B sign the next time you're in the promised land. Anyhow, H-E-B sells Lays' Dill Pickle chips, and they are wonderful. I am living in an H-E-B-less town. We have to grocery stores: United and Lowe's. Neither of them sell Lays' Dill Pickle chips. HOWEVER, Pringles has a new flavor - Screamin' Dill Pickle, and United sells them. While they're not quite as good as Lays' Dill Pickle chips...they are probably healthier and are an acceptable subsitute.

2. Shorthair Domestic Feline

I won't lie -- Borger is a lonely place be alone. Soooo, I bought a kitten. He's 6 months old, and his name is Eli. He meows when I get home, plays with my hair, jumps on my shoulders to rub is face on mine, and loves to play. He's not much work and doesn't need to be walked and is more or less self-sufficient, except for wanting attention. I've really enjoyed having him.

Now, I know there are tons of people who don't like cats, but I think that you have to find the right cat. I am 100% certain that God sent Eli to me. You see, I didn't want a boy cat or a tabby cat, so I was trying to get the pretty girl kitties to pay attention to me. Meanwhile, Eli was meowing his head off for attention, so I gave in and asked the folks if I could play with him for a little bit. He sat in my lap all the way from Amarillo to Borger.

Eli is more like a dog than any cat I've ever been around. He chases his tail and loves to play with tennis balls.

3. Pace Mexican Four Cheese Salsa con Queso

This is the best store-bought queso I've ever had. Normally we'd eat the Tostito's brand queso, but I never really liked it -- I just ate it because it was there. You should try it -- tons of flavor. !Todos granizan el queso mejor! (pretend that the exclamation mark at the beginning of the sentence is upside down)

4. Squeaky Mouse

Sometimes Eli wants more attention than I have time for, and other times he devotes more attention to Balki the Parakeet than I would like for him to. To solve this conundrum, I bought him a mouse, and he has played with it for hours this weekend. Every cat owner should have one.

God is love.

2009-01-06T21:52:00.005-06:00

I've been thinking a lot lately...actually, if you know me, you know that I'm always thinking...always twirling my hair around my finger and thinking. Living in the middle of nowhere, however, has given me more time for thinking than I've been accustomed to throughout my life to this point.

Someone made a comment the other day about Christians being judgmental, and it really got to me...not because I think I'm judgmental, but because, as a Christian, I am called to be so many things, but judgmental is certainly not one of them. On the same note, I feel that it is necessary to point out that, while I don't drink to the point of drunkenness, sleep around, etc. (and speak freely about not doing those things), I don't judge people who do. Just because I live my life differently than you do doesn't mean that I judge you for how you live your life.

Anyhow, the point of this is, that God is love. The Bible has an incredible amount of scripture speaking solely about love...God's love for us, love between Christians, love between husband and wife, love between Christians and lost people...so many different kinds of love. I remember things better when I write them down, so here are some of the verses that hit home with me. I'll insert commentary where I feel like it.

1. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions. Proverbs 10:12 In this manner, Christ's love for us has covered our transgressions. When we die, God will see us as pure and sinless as His Son because Christ's blood (love) has covered our sins (transgressions).

2. He delights in unchanging love. Micah 7:18 His love for us is unchanging.

3. If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love. John 15:10

4. Greater love has no man than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 This verse is a reflection upon the love that Christ has for us. He knew no sin, and died for our sins. If you look at the next verse (Romans 5:8), it is evident that Christ died for us while we were sinners...while we were His enemies.

5. But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

6. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 1 Corinthians 8:1 Matthew Henry does a better job at interpreting this verse than I do, so here's what he has to say: "Knowledge, or at least a high conceit of it, is very apt to swell the mind, to fill it with wind and so puff it up. This tends to no good to ourselves but in many instances is much to the hurt of others. But true love and tender regard to our brethren will put us upon consulting their interest and acting as may be for their edification....Much may be known when nothing is known to any good purpose, when neither ourselves nor others are the better for our knowledge..."

7. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died. 2 Corinthians 5:14 Christ's love should take control of our every move...it should serve to unite Christians to the purpose that we've been called to carry out -- to spread the love of God that we know to all people.

8. Through love, serve one another. Galatians 5:13 A servants heart is a sign of sincerity in religion.

9. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 Again, Matthew Henry interprets this more beautifully than I ever could. "The Spirit of truth is known by love and is of God. He is the fountain, author, parent, and commander of love. Loves comes down from heaven."

10. We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 God's love for us is what causes us to love others. His love permeates our souls...overflowing...causing us to spread the love He has for us to others.

11. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1 John 4:8 God's divine nature is one of love...if you do not love, then you do not know God.

12. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this, all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35 Matthew Henry again..."Our love for one another must be free and ready....We must love one another because Christ loved us....We must have love when there is not any present occasion to show it; have it ready. It is the true honor of Christ's disciples to excel in brotherly love. If the followers of Christ do not love one another, they not only cast an unjust reproach upon their profession, but give just cause to suspect their own sincerity."

13. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? Matthew 5:46 Tax collectors, generally speaking, were not known for being the most honest/loving/respected people during Biblical times. This example encourages believers to love their enemies just as they love their friends and family. There is no reward for loving those who love you, but the ability to love your enemies a sure reflection of Christ's love for you.

14. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8 Love is a debt owed to everyone.

I think the last verse sums up everything quite nicely.

This list is by no means exhaustive.

All Matthew Henry commentary was taken from The Matthew Henry Study Bible published in 1997 by World Bible Publishers; Iowa Falls.

Psalm 20:6-9

2009-01-04T18:51:00.009-06:00

Brother Andy preached over Psalm 20:6-9 this morning, and I thought that his thoughts on these verses were worth remembering. This was the first time I've ever heard someone preach over the verse that is on my Aggie overalls (Psalm 20:7...or 20:07, as in 2007, as in my graduating class).

Here are the verses (Psalm 20:6-9):

6 - Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.
7 - Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord, our God.
8 - They have bowed down and fallen, but we have risen and stood upright.
9 - Save, O Lord; may the King answer us in the day we call.

This is what God tells us in them:

1. God saves His anointed (consecrated). God will save those who have set themselves apart and chosen to dedicate their lives to living for God.

2. God answers prayers. "God gives real answers to prayers, not by letter, nor by word of mouth, but by His right hand, by the saving strength of his right hand." - Matthew Henry
It may not be the answer we want, and it may not be within the time frame that we want it to be in, but prayers do not go unanswered. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:6-7

3. God takes care of His people. People that trust in the name of the Lord triumph over those that trust in chariots and horses and other earthly things.

Selah.

Pecan Tassies

2008-12-31T09:37:00.006-06:00

I don't really have a story for these...they're just incredibly yummy. One recipe yields 24 miniature pecan tassies and 4 regular pecan tassies.

Filling:

Combine following ingredients in saucepan cook and stir over low heat till mixture melts together.

3/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. margarine
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Cream cheese pastry:

Combine softened cream cheese and margarine add flour mix well. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

1-3oz package cream cheese softened
1/2 cup margarine softened
1 cup flour

Press dough into muffin tins. Fill with filling. Bake @ 350* until pastry is golden. Back 13 minutes for miniature pecan tassies. I don't remembery how long I had to bake the regular-sized pecan tassies, but they do take longer than the miniature ones.

Tips: Don't put as much filling as you think you need to put; it expands when it is baked.

Christmas Recipe - Apple Cake

2008-12-14T14:00:00.007-06:00

Apple cake is incredibly yummy, and, though it may not be indicated by the name, apple cake is good at anytime of day, even for breakfast. Great-Grandma Helen used to make apple cake, and Mom added it to our yearly Christmas-baking ritual. Also, if you're wondering what my handwriting looked like when I was in elementary, I've included an Apple Cake recipe card that I handed out to my teachers one year along with mini-loaves of Apple Cake. Please note that this is a scan of a copy of the recipe card; Mom wouldn't let me have. :-)

Apple Cake (from the kitchen of Great-Grandma Helen)

1 ½ cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large apples, pealed and cubed small
1 cup chopped pecans
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt

Cream oil, sugar, and eggs. Add other ingredients. Bake in bunt pan or 2 loaf pans that have been sprayed with Pam or Baker’s Joy between 300 & 325 deg F (literally) for 1 ½ hours. Let cool for 20-30 minutes and remove from pan.

Christmas Recipe - Remarkable Fudge

2008-12-13T22:09:00.011-06:00

I've been blessed with a Mom who can always be counted on to bake pretty much anything that anyone in my family requested. There are several goodies that we always made during Christmas-time. I'm going to start putting these in my seldom-used blog to share with other people, because, as far as we're concerned, they're worth sharing. :-)

The first one up is Remarkable Fudge. This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (1982) that I have inherited from Mom because she inherited Grandma Helen's copy of it. This is Mom's favorite fudge recipe. It's wonderful fudge, but I can't say that I have anything to compare it to, because I'm fairly certain I've never had any other type of fudge. :-)

Remarkable Fudge (Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 1982)

4 cups sugar
2 – 5 & 1/3 oz cans evaporated milk
1 cup butter or margarine
1 – 12 ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces
1 – 7 ounce jar marshmallow crème
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla

Butter the sides of a heavy 3-quart saucepan. In it combine sugar, evaporated milk, and butter or margarine. Cook and stir over medium heat till mixture comes to boiling. Cook to 236 (soft-ball stage), about 12 minutes, stirring frequently (mixture should boil gently over entire surface). Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients; stir till combined and chocolate is melted. Turn into a buttered 9x9x2-inch or 13x9x2-inch pan. Score into squares while warm; cut when firm. If fudge is soft, chill. Makes about 3 ½ pounds.

Tips (from Mom and myself):

It's best to make this recipe when there is low humidity outside. If you live in the Texas Panhandle, you can count on having perfect "fudge weather" at any point during winter. If you live on the Texas Gulf Coast, be ready to take advantage of the few low-humidity days that you have!

I have only made this by myself once. I thought I used a 3-qt saucepan, but my mixture boiled-over. I quickly switched to a large pan, and the fudge still turned out tasting as it should. Therefore, I encourage you to make sure that you use a pan that is large enough, but...if it boils over, you can still salvage the fudge by acting quickly.

Pay attention to your thermometer and be patient. It may take longer than you think it should to reach soft-ball stage.

Yucca Plant Hideout

2007-01-15T12:23:00.001-06:00

This is a frog that I saw on a yucca plant at Patrick's Dad's house. He's too cute!

New Student Conferences

2006-07-12T16:10:00.001-05:00

The chemical engineering department accepts volunteers to help freshmen register for classes during their New Student Conference. Some of the questions that people ask are completely ridiculous! No, I cannot open more seats in your english class; take it later on. Why is everyone so hung up on taking english their first semester in college? They have 4 years in which to take it; I'm sure it will fit in at some point. Also, why would you settle for taking strenght training as a P.E. class. Just wait until you're a junior or senior and then you can take something cool like golf, fencing, archery, scuba diving, racquetball, tennis, etc. My other favorite kids are the ones who want to completely skip the first three semesters of calculus and jump right into differential equations. Chances are, that is a terrible idea. Why would you want to do that? Calculus is so important in chemical engineering! If you get to thermodynamics 1, and realize you don't remember anything from calculus because the last time you took it was in high school, you're going to be up a creek without a paddle. Also, if you made Cs in your BC AP Calculus class, and yet made a 3 on the AP test, I seriously question your work ethic, and think that you should start in Calc 1 in order to develop a better work ethic. Trust me, you won't get as bored as you think you're going to. College is way harder than you are planning on.

Pantheon

2006-07-11T17:12:00.001-05:00

After watching a show on the history of engineering in Rome, I felt like writing about the Pantheon (bulding completed in the second century). The structure of the building is amazing in and of itself. The building itself is 150 ft tall and 150 ft wide, as shown in my sketch below.

In order to keep the base of the dome from pressing outward, the walls of the Pantheon are 20 ft thick. Hollow jugs and aggregate were added to the concrete mixture of the dome to take up space that would have otherwise been filled with concrete; this lightened the weight of the dome considerably. Coffers (decorative sunken panels) were also included on the ceiling to lighten it, as well as to provide an athesthetic effect.

In addition to the aforementioned weight-reducing measures, an oculus (d=30 ft) was cut in the ceiling to eliminate stress at the dome's weakest point.

It is speculated that Emperor Hadrian himself designed the dome; however, others believe that it was actually may have been the work of Apollodorus of Damascus. Regardless, it is an amazing structure.