Gentle Leading

My life has changed tremendously this year. In the past 12 months I have accomplished and achieved so much more than I ever really dreamed possible. I sang a senior voice recital, graduated early with my Bachelor's degree, cared for a tiny human, planned a wedding, wrote endless thank you cards, married my sweetheart, moved to a new place, got a "grown up" job, and finally got a dog! None of these without tremendous help, of course, but God has certainly done much with me.

(That last one may seem trivial to some, but hey, I waited 22 years for that puppy!)

I've grown and been challenged. I've worked and learned.

But here I am, in my little Seminary duplex, selfish as ever.

I plan our monthly budget and pay our bills and enjoy contributing to our little family in that way. Kris is working so hard on his Master's degree and I enjoy being able to help lighten his load in any way I can so the bills and housework are my big tasks. I feared having the responsibility of the ever-looming budget in my hands but it has really opened my eyes to so much and made me more thankful than I knew I could be.

We are provided for.

Every single month.

We tithe, pay our bills, fill our pantry, and somehow are still able to make extra payments on our school loans. (Yay for the Dave Ramsey plan!)

But still, I feel so selfish.

I know that I can't save every orphan, give to every charity, adopt every sad-faced animal, and feed all the hungry. I really do know that. But my heart won't stop hurting for them. Our tiny 2-bedroom duplex is like a mansion compared to what the people in the Masese slum in Uganda live in. This beautiful young lady writes about it here...

http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

And the clothing that I wear? The places that I shop? I can't even begin to write on my opinions on Fair Trade because it's so overwhelming.

The point is that where do I even start to weed out the selfishness that we live in every day. When I get to talking to K about this he agrees...I have so many ropes pulling me in so many different directions and I just don't know which way to go, which thing to be passionate about. Is it really ok for me to be an animal rights driven vegetarian without also committing to remove from my closet anything that comes from a company proven to use children/slave labor?? And what about the children in Eastern Europe with Down Syndrome? What can I do for them?

The problem is that this world that God has blessed us with is so full of sin that it's completely impossible to not be swimming in it.

So, in an attempt to begin with babysteps, here is the plan that we have come up with together. This Christmas, instead of buying a single thing for each other, we are each choosing an organization to support. God has blessed us beyond what we deserve and we believe that gives us a responsibility to give to others. I'll be making a donation to a charity or organization of Kris's choosing and he'll do the same for me. We don't need a single thing this Christmas...God gave us His son and still provides us with plenty. My hope and prayer is that this little step will be used by God in pointing us to His big plan for all our many thoughts and dreams.

The reason for this post is to (hopefully) get some feedback/encouragement from others in my quest to live a Jesus-loving world-changing life and to help collect my thoughts. Also, so that I can share a charity that has become very special to me....take a look at my Christmas present and see if you can fight the tears...and the love :-)

Here's the main page...

http://reecesrainbow.org/

And a more specific one...

http://reecesrainbow.org/category/waitingchildren/ds-3-5

LOVE.

-Becca

My Encounter with "The Grim"

Disclaimer: If you don't know what a grim is, then you need to read through the first 3 Harry Potter books and then come back to this post. Wait. You don't have the time for that? Well, darn. In the world of Harry Potter The Grim is a vision of a giant black dog. If you see one it means that you'll die in the next 24 hours.
Anyways.

I consider myself to be a fairly cautious person. That is to say, I don't just go walking around by myself after dark just waiting for trouble to tap me on the shoulder. But sometimes your husband has to study, your dog needs a walk, the weater is lovely, and suddenly you find yourself out and about at 9:30pm without a care in the world!

I mean, you do, don't you?

Well, last night I found myself in such a predicament. The weather just called me to go on a walk! Autumn has (briefly) hit Cowtown and Gershwin and I were rarin' and ready to go. I put on a sweatshirt, leashed up Gershwin and we were off!!

It was truly a beautiful night but I'm not stupid. Really. I promise. When I take G for walks after dark I'm very aware of my surroundings and constantly looking over my shoulder.
Come to think of it, I probably look insane. But that's beside the point.

So last night I'm walking along and I come to the point where I need to turn right at the end of the block and begin making our way back home via the next street. This part is particularly scary when alone because to my right is bright and shiny school housing...and to my left is...well, it's not. Let's just leave it at that. So I'm checking behind me and all around me for crack dealers and I make it safely around to the next street where school housing is on either side of me. Sigh. What a relief.

A moment later I heard several dogs barking and I briefly glanced over my shoulder to check that all was clear.

And.
I.
Saw.
A.
GRIM.

A huge black dog quite a ways behind us was causing the commotion. I realized that getting scared would only get me in trouble so I stayed calm and kept walking with the thought that the dog had no interest in me or Gershwin and he would go along his merry way. I turned around again several seconds later only to find that the dog was closer and was now jogging toward us. My heart rate was soaring but I'm not stupid...the last thing I would do is run from it and give it reasong to think that I was afraid. So I just picked up Gershwin, steadied my breathing, and looked ahead. I noticed a man and woman walking toward us that I see frequently on walks so that calmed me a bit. Ya know, if the dog tries to eat me and G then at least someone will see us and try to come to our rescue.

As these thoughts are crossing my mind I can hear The Grim dog getting ever closer. When I was still a decent distance away from the couple coming toward us the dog was on my heels.
Literally.
The dog was sniffing me and tripping over my flipflops.
Yes. Go ahead. Freak out.

I very calmly said to the married couple, "UMMMM...Could you puh-lease tell me what kind of dog is following me?"
Smooth one, Becca. Not "Could you make it go away?" or "SAVE ME!"
I'm just a little curious as to the identity of my future-murderer is all. Please, just indulge my curiosity. Pit Bull? Viscious T-Rex? Monty Python's Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog?

I stopped walking after asking my stupid question and then there he was. A MASSIVE greatdane/lab looking mix walks around in front of me with the most curious, innocent expression and begins to sniff Gershwin.
I would like to add that at this point I was holding Gershwin up around my chest with his feet hanging around my waist. Beast-dog Grim was tall enough that all he had to do to sniff Gershwin was lift his head. And I'm not exactly the shortest girl around, either.

The walking couple was fantastic! It just so happens that he works for security and knew that they have a dog pen where they keep stray dogs that are found in school housing areas. They take care of them there until they can find the owner. They slowly approached The Grim while I stood there trying to control my freak out. Gershwin just looked at him reverently. I think he dreams of being that ginormous. Dream on, baby.

It turns out that The Grim was ridiculously gentle and probably saw us from a distance, got curious, and decided that Gershwin was too cute to resist checking out. Don't worry, Grim, you're not alone. Curiously enough, he looked very well cared for, hada nice collar, and was probably a very well cared for guy that just jumped a fence. I stood there while the walking lady held The Grim's collar and petted him while her husband called security to have him picked up. They told me to keep on walking, they had the situation under control. By the time I was at the end of the block security was there. Talk about quick service!

I managed to make it home before I broke out in cold sweats.
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE big dogs. But when one runs at you, after dark, on a cold windy night and trips over your flipflops while sniffing where no one wants to be sniffed...well, that's pretty blasted scary.
So today I am thankful for lovely neighbors, a husband who listens to the whole story and says "awww" and "yikes" in all the right places, and a God who protects me from myself and Giant-Beast-Grim-Dogs.

Praise the Lord. Absolutely anything could have gone wrong but all The Grim wanted was to bust out of his backyard and be curious. The only concern I have now is how I'll spend my last evening on earth...ya know, since I saw The Grim I only have 24 hours to live.
Any suggestions???

Seasons

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven"
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Yes, Solomon, there sure is!

I enjoy taking part in many different activities and hobbies. I like to sew, read, knit, explore, go on walks, scrapbook, travel, learn about history, sing....etc.
However, the two hobbies* that are most consistent in my life are reading and knitting. I started reading...well...when every American public school kid did. In Kindergarten! But, unlike a lot of kids, just couldn't get enough of books. I liked playing outside with my siblings and friends, watching tv, playing with dolls and the like but a new book is what really tickled my fancy.
*(I'm not including the hobby of "singing" in this count because it is a more serious endeavor for me these days)

So the point is that I like to read, right? And I would rather read than do anything else?

Well, my senior year of high school I defied the 17 year-old girl norm and started knitting. I still read, of course, but this was an entirely new fascination for me. I just couldn't get enough! I knitted like crazy my whole senior year and enjoyed having handmade things to give to family and friends. When I started college, however, knitting sort of fell to the back burner. I just didn't have the time. I picked up reading again instead of knitting because it was easier to keep up with a book over long periods of time. I took an entire semester to read Pride and Prejudice. That's how serious this business thing was. After a short while I adjusted to the college life and started knitting again.

So ever since I picked up knitting I've had two fun hobbies that I bounce back and forth between. I'll knit like a fool for several months and then out of the blue (and often in the middle of a project) just can't stand the sight of it any more.
Enter reading!
Suddenly I'm entranced by some book or other and when it's finished I pick up another, and another, and another! Then, after several months or so (is this starting to sound like a pattern yet?) of reading voraciously I don't want to touch another book.
Enter knitting!

See the pattern?

This is my life. A series of systems and patterns. Seasons if you will. I'm aware that it's a little boring, yes, but I love it.

I've been in a reading season for a while now. While I was planning the wedding knitting was too much for my brain. (Just ask me about the dress I started despite the fact that my brain wanted to read. Ugh) So I am on the second of a 7 book series right now( No, Malissa, not Harry Potter) and I just lose it. I'm sick of reading! I need some sort of textile centered hobby!
Oh yeah! I can knit! How convenient!

So, now that 2 people in the universe have read my ramblings, let me introduce you to the new loves in my life. Are ya ready?

http://www.knitpicks.com/cfpatterns/pattern_display.cfm?ID=10563220

http://www.etsy.com/transaction/34630744

Could these two delightful patterns be more wonderful?? I certainly don't think so.
Christmas is just a few months away so please excuse me while I go and knit.

Not quite sure...

Well, I'm not quite sure how this happened.

Ya see, on July 6th, for our one month anniversary, K and I expanded our family.

Here he is on that fated day...

He was certainly the cutest ball of fluff that our amazing local shelter had. And believe me, I know. I had been stalking them for weeks. Seriously.

But I'm not quite sure what happened. Ya see, he started changing a little. Here's some proof.

See! The little bugger grew. And started making friends. (That particular friend is named "Sheep". Go figure.)

There he goes again! Growing! I just am not quite sure how it happens....

Here he is, eating carrots out of his Cone of Shame. Pitiful kid. That'll teach ya not to lick the glue off your hiney!

And final, definite proof that this baby is changing.

Look at that precious puppydog! He's getting bigger everyday. No kidding.He's 3 and a half months old. Eats like he's a starved Ethiopian dog. Loves carrots and apples. Lives for walks and belly rubs. Thinks it's funny to steal and eat our shoes. Is currently in an obedience class. Chews his paws and knees. Attempts to herd us like sheep in our little home...

And he keeps us smiling. :-)

I'm just not quite sure how he grew so fast!

Paula Deen Raspberry Limeade Cake

So I've decided to try blogging again.

Not because anyone reads it, but because I think it will be therapeutic.

So, Cake.

There is whole buttermilk in my refrigerator right now, which of course means that it must be a good cake! Well here's the story.

On Thursday I went to the hometown and a fantastic friend came by to drop off a wedding gift. She had gotten the world's most fantastic deal on the PD teakettle we registered for! However, she felt bad for spending so little money so she threw in 2 PD cookbooks too! Such a great gift! The first recipe in the book was a Raspberry Limeade Cake. It looked heavenly, but

what's even better is that K LOVES raspberries and I LOVE limes. So that pretty much makes this our perfect cake. I gathered the necessaries from the local Super Target, told the boy to go away and practice so I could surprise him (no objections on his part), and got to baking.

Here's the stink of it though. I am a terrible baker. I will cook 'til the sun goes down, but baking? It's not my forte. However, I am very willing to learn if presented with a fabulous cookbook. I can't look at the pictures without salivating so I'm just gonna have to learn to bake.

So after calling my brother-in-law for advice on which KitchenAid attachment to use, I was off!

Until. I realized. This is a 3 layer cake. I have only 2 pans. So I call K, who is at the Apple Store, next to the Williams Sonoma!

"Hey! Could you stop at the Williams Sonoma and get me a 9" circle cake pan?" (because that's what the recipe calls for)

"Sure thing!"

He's great, I know. So he gets home with the cake pan. And I realize. My pans are 8". Not 9".

"How much do you love me and cake?"

"Ummm......"

"Could you take this back and exchange it for an 8" pan? Ya see, I messed up..."

And he did it!

See, I told you that he's great!

So, after those set backs I was off again. I baked and I baked. I made filling, I made icing! I called my sis-in-law because I've never made a layer cake! I slaved and sweated! I watched my dog play with his new sheep and I laughed! It was truly a fun experience.

So, before I show the pictures, here's what I learned.

1. If the cake looks too soft, that means it will fall apart.

2. Levelling the top is harder than it sounds.

3. Don't take the filling all the way to the edge. Red filling + white icing = a big mess.

4. Baking can be fun and rewarding!

5. Husbands don't care if the cake is leaning, or if the top layer is in 3 pieces as long as it tastes good.

So here are the pictures of the Paula Deen Raspberry Limeade Cake!

Thoughts.

I have lots of thoughts.

If you came to my senior recital, you would know that. :-)

These are some thoughts for today.

Am I graduating on Saturday? No. Surely not. Already? Nah. The Cap and Gown sitting next to me must have been meant for someone else.

I only had one final. One. And it doesn't really count because it wasn't written. I had to act out a scene for Fundamentals of Acting. That's it.

I had my last SAI meeting yesterday. That was sad but I know that good things are coming for my lovely SAI girls.

Cap and Gowns are UGLY.

I'm old. Really really old. 22. Eesh.

Where should the wedding reception be, anyways? In the yucky gym or on the HPU campus. From one undesirable option to the next.

Now I have to go teach.

Excuse Me?

Today I went to Wal-Mart to pick up some things for the Delta Pi and Sigma Alpha Iota Winter Bonfire. I didn't make a list of things that I needed before I left so I stopped by the produce section to write everything down while Kris made a quick trip to the bathroom. The following occured while I stood there in between the seasonal cookies on my right and the apples on my left. (All things in italics and not quoted are my thoughts throughout this conversation)

"Excuse me, are you Kristen."

Who? Kristen? Uhhhh...

"No sir, I'm not"

Ok, back to my groceries now.

"Are you sure you're not Kristen? I think you're the person I'm looking for!"

Seriously? Did you find someone named Kristen on eHarmony and agree to meet her here? At Walmart? Classy.

"No sir. I am definitely not Kristen. I think I would know if I was."

Do I look like the kinda girl that would meet for a blind date at the Wal-Mart? In these ridiculously cute tights and boots? No. Kristen is probably in something trashy. Yeah.

"Well do you know the name Jesus."

Ah, so since Kristen isn't here you're going to hit on me instead.

"Yes, actually I do very well."

"But you're not Kristen?"

O. M. G.

"No! I am NOT Kristen."

"So you know the name of Jesus but you're not a Christian?"

Christian? Wait.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! Are you asking if I'm a Christian?"

"Yes, exactly. I have this book here if you're interested in learning more."

Now, it's all coming together!

"I'm sorry, sir. I thought you were asking if my name was Kristen. I totally misunderstood what you were saying. I am a Christian and I have my own Bible."

"I see. That was the devil. He's always trying to distract us from the goal."

"Ah. Yes."

Ok, I'm SO glad that we're on the same page now. Back to my grocery list. That's right, walk back to your buddy over there. Now where was I? Oh yeah, marshmallows...graham crackers...

"Excuse me ma'am but I would love for you to have a copy of this book."

He came back. Again?

"Oh, no thank you. Like I said, I have my own Bible."

"But this isn't a Bible. It's a book that can't be bought in stores and I won't charge you anything for it. It's free to all people."

"Really, I'm ok. I'm sure you can find someone else who could use it."

Pushy much?

"No, I would love for you to have it. Do you know what happens to people when they die?"

Haven't we established that I'm a Christian already?

"I think it depends on what they believe."

"So you believe in a heaven with God and an eternal hell?"

"Yes, that is what I believe."

Sigh.

"Well, you're wrong."

What the mess?!

"Excuse me?"

I have never. Ever. Met someone so pushy.

"Please. Just take my book. It explains everything. The Bible never mentions heaven or hell. Christians have been deceived by society and I want you to know how to be a real Christian."

Flaring frustration. Are you even allowed to do this to people in Wal-Mart?

"I'm sure it's a lovely book but I know and understand what I believe."

"Please just take it."

"No thank you."

Forced smile.

"Take it!"

"No! I need to start my grocery shopping now." (Best clever come back ever.)

Because I came to Wal-Mart to shop not to have a book shoved under my nose by a pushy dude.

So I walk toward the frozen foods just to get away from homeboy. Then Kris walks up. Praise Jesus! (Whom I believe is my Lord and Savior. Just in case you've forgotten!)

"Do I need to go beat somebody up."

"No, he's just looking for Kristen."

"Who?"

"Yeah. That's exactly what I thought."