Want a cookie?
Oh, no
Come on. They’re warm and gooey and fresh out of the oven
No, I don’t like cookies

You don’t like cookies? What’s wrong with you?
I dont know
Everybody likes cookies. I mean after a really awful no good day, didn’t your mother ever make you milk and cookies?

No. My mother didn’t bake. The only cookies I ever had were store bought
Sit down. Now. Eat a cookie.

I…I really can’t
Mr. Crick. It was a really awful day. I know. I made sure of it. So pick up the cookie. Dip it in the milk…and eat it.

I just figured if i was gonna make the world a better place, i’d do it with cookies.

* from Stranger Than Fiction

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Today was for sure interesting, from crying at work while trying to reason with my boss, to him throwing a spatula across the store and breaking it against the wall, to a guy who yelled at me for the Hunger Games CD “We’re supposed to be ELIMINATING hunger, not making games out of it!” (ummmm…). Yeah. Interesting.

So, crying at work…There was a mix up and it’s not my boss’ fault but since I’ve been with the bux so long I am capped for pay so I should get a bonus instead of a raise, but he didn’t know how to do it and entered it wrong and therefore I get no bonus. No raise, no bonus. Really frustrating. Mostly because I’ve been desperately wanting to go to the Storyline Conference next weekend and if my bonus went through today I would have had enough money to pay for it. I have been praying that God would show me if I was supposed to go and was not expecting this to be the answer, but there it was. So I was really upset for a while and told my boss I was really frustrated and tried to see if there was anything we could do to fix it, and of course I’m crying haha because that’s what I do when I’m really frustrated. To no avail. So I just prayed on my break and THANKED God for His answer even though it was NOT at all what I wanted, because I really could have used that money. My best friend reminded me that God sees what’s coming up so He knows what He’s doing. So true! My attitude was improved after that and I kept pondering why this was happening, but trusting God that it was right.

When I came home today I had one piece of mail. From the IRS. Stating that in 2008…yes 2008 I didn’t pay enough taxes so I owe them a small amount, plus a huge amount of interest since that was oh 4 years ago and they failed to tell me. Yup. Um…God really? First no bonus then a whopping bill from 2008 that I owe to the IRS? My mom just smiled and said “that’s life!” (thanks mom). But she’s right. And again, God knows what He’s doing. I am indeed frustrated that I am now a lot more poor, but still I have peace. Oh and one more thing, I have to buy a new car.

I made lemonade. No seriously, my parents are having company for dinner and my mom asked me to make lemonade. But when my dad asked what I was doing, I simply responded “God gave me lemons today, so I’m making lemonade”. Its true. God is faithful. Money is so frustrating to me. But I have been faithful in my tithing and giving and I KNOW that He will provide me with everything I need. And I am also very thankful that I have a clear answer about whether or not I should go to the conference, because I really really really wanted to go but didn’t know if it was a wise decision to travel to an unknown city by myself and spend a lot of money for a 2 day conference. I like clear answers. I don’t necessarily like the answer, but I like the fact that I am no longer undecided.

God sees what’s coming. He knows what’s up. So I’m just following Him. I’m pretty clueless!

Two days off in a row and what am I to do? Its snowing outside. A wet thick snow that has attached to everything in its path. Weighing down the branches already full of blooms and leaves. It’s hard to remember that only three days ago it was 87 and we broke the record for hottest day in April. Only in Rochester… I haven’t done anything much. My nails are painted. I’ve watched some tv. I have walked A LOT, and I’ve read three books. (Yes 3 books in two days…) I’ve forgotten how good it feels to read books. To be completely lost in another world. You would think that I would be sublimely productive having two days off in a row, but no. I haven’t done anything productive. Not really. Maybe today I’ll be more successful, but I have been completely happy to enjoy this day, walk, rest, read, and hang out with the fam. Did I mention that it was snowing?

Pinterest is my addiction. And movies. And baking. And reading cookbooks. Papa and I can read cookbooks and talk about recipes while listening to classical music for hours. He knows every song and every composer. It’s quite impressive. He also now knows how to push “I’m still listening” on Pandora so it will keep playing music. Pretty impressive for an old dude. He’s so cute. We were going to make a banana cake but then he decided we should wait until next week. Not quite sure what we are waiting for.

I lunched with Rebecca, dined with Carolyn, hung out with Dea, talked to Liz for hours…Sweet friendships. I am so thankful for them all. I am really trying to focus my time on friendships that encourage my heart. Finding ways to bless others, and writing down things I am thankful for and qualities I love in people. Focusing less on me. Some people are easy. I can find tons of good things about them. Positive, adventurous, genuine, devoted, wise, honest, beautiful, artistic, loving, tender-hearted, encouraging, musical…and that’s just one person! Others are a bit more difficult. Maybe it’s because I struggle more with loving them. I don’t know. I’ve been praying that God would reveal to me things about them that I can be thankful for. I think this will open my heart to love them more. Not complaining and not gossiping is a hard task, but I do notice it changing our conversations. I do notice that I am using my words more cautiously.

Endless ramblings with no real purpose. Just for the sake of putting something down on the paper. (screen) I jump back into my crazy work schedule. Ready to conquer a few more cappuccinos.

Jon Acuff posted this quote a few days ago and it really stuck with me. I tend to be more cautious, but my creative side is screaming to get out!

You can be Cautious or you can be Creative (but there’s no such thing as a Cautious Creative).

A creative thinker must be fearless.
If you’re more tentative than decisive, if you’re more cautious than creative, you’ll never be an innovative business leader, and certainly not a great visual communicator.

A Cautious Creative is an oxymoron.  

From Jon Acuff taken from George Lois
http://www.jonacuff.com/blog/ 

Today I experimented with Tiramisu Cupcakes. 

The base for the cupcakes was a white cake mix with sour cream and buttermilk added.

The cupcakes themselves didn’t come out so great. The recipe said to make marble cupcakes so they were half white and half coffee flavored. They looked perfect in the oven but then shrank down a little after cooling.

I tasted one just to make sure it was ok. Good flavor, just small and not great looking. Good thing I got to cover them with frosting. The filling for the cupcakes was made out of mascarpone cheese, sugar and strong coffee. Delicious. The frosting is the true amazement.

It is SO good. It is a cream cheese, whipped cream frosting. I have never made anything like it before and I never thought of putting cream cheese and whipped cream together for frosting but it came out awesome. So smooth and not too sweet. Great flavor and thick enough to be able to pipe it out onto the cupcakes.

I topped them with sifted dark cocoa powder and cinnamon and added a chocolate covered espresso bean. They came out so pretty. Hopefully they will be a big hit for Liz’s going away party tonight.

Here’s the recipe. I will change the cake part and try a new recipe so stay tuned for that!

Tiramisu Cupcakes
Yield: 24 Cupcakes

Directions

“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

True friends are hard to find, and a kindred spirit is one in a million. Well maybe that’s an exaggeration but I’ve had about seven kindred spirits in my life so I don’t feel like I’m exaggerating. Those people in your life who know what your thinking. Who suggest garbage plates before you even know you want one. Who stay over all night watching How I Met Your Mother, or Downton Abbey, or really stupid movies that make you laugh so hard your stomach hurts for hours. You can communicate with them just by looking at them. They’ve seen you at your worst and still love you. And you can tell them your dreams and they don’t think you’re crazy they just want to help you achieve them. They get you. Liz is one of those friends.

Today, Liz did something brave. She got baptized. She stood before her friends and family and told us about her relationship with God and publicly declared that she wants to follow Christ with her life. I’m so proud of her. I’ve known her for her whole life and it has been so amazing to see her grow into the beautiful, loving, Godly, kindred spirit that she is.

Baptism is a beautiful symbol of dying to ourselves and our new life in Christ.

It was a great time with family and friends. I’m so happy that I got to share this moment with them. 

True friends are always together in spirit.
~ Anne of Green Gables

Tomorrow, Liz is going to do something just as brave. She’s leaving. She’s packing all her stuff up in her car and moving to Kansas. God opened the door and she’s taking a huge step of faith, walking away from all that is familiar and comfortable, and leaving. And although this is making me the most sad I have been in a long time, I couldn’t be more proud. I know that God has huge things in store for her and I am so excited to see what amazing things come from Kansas. It seems unlikely. It’s so far away. I miss her already and my heart hurts because there aren’t too many people left here who get me. But she’s doing something exciting. She’s not wasting her life. She’s pursuing God AND her dreams with all that she has. She’s chasing a lion. That’s the way I want to live my life. I’m so thankful for her friendship and for her courageous heart. I love you Liz!

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art…. It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.” 
~ C.S. Lewis