I'm Courtney and I'm directionally challenged...and I'm no longer afraid to admit it.
I can't get anywhere without getting completely and utterly disoriented and plain lost.
But...let me tell you...there is hope!
Today, I got an early birthday present...yes, a 2 week early birthday present...
It was a GPS!!! Now I can no longer possibly get lost again right?...well, we'll see I guess! It's a pretty good sign though that I am even more directionally challenged than I originally thought seeing as my parents thought I needed the GPS 2 weeks early...
Oh well...gone are the days of questioning each and every turn I make...gone are the days of being afraid to seek out new destinations...gone are the days of calling my dad blubbering and sobbing in need of directions because I managed to get myself lost again...gone are all of those days!
Today starts a new chapter in my life! A chapter without fear! A chapter in which I am not afraid to take on any adventure! Bring on the open road!
Godsend moment you ask?...always!
"'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and will bring you back from captivity...'" -Jeremiah 29:13-14a
Many times we are afraid to seek God, just like we can be afraid when we get lost driving somewhere new. But, we don't have to be lost when we have God. He is our GPS if we allow Him to be--always leading us in the right direction. If we put all of our trust in Him and seek with all of our heart, we can never get lost...He will find us always, rescuing us from being lost. Put your faith in God--let Him be your GPS--He will never disappoint you or lead you astray. We may have once been lost, but in Him, we are found!
:)
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Adventures in...Cooking?!
Adventures in cooking you say?
Yes, that's right. Today I had quite a cooking adventure.
And, no, I know that you are wondering, but I did NOT make muffins...I in fact, made grilled cheese!
Now, let's just say that I am by no means a Martha Stewart, a Paula Deen, or a Rachael Ray...my idea of cooking is macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, and on a really good day, sometimes I'll make homemade pizza (with a pre-made crust of course!)
But, today I was feeling like a grilled cheese...but...I was also feeling like adding my own flair to this grilled cheese of mine...this is what happened:
The only bread available at my disposal happened to be the most severely freezer-burnt loaf of bread that I have ever witnessed viewing in my life...let alone eating. So...I picked two pieces of bread from the middle of the loaf that seemed to be a little more pliable than the rest... I then sprayed them lightly with cooking spray (much better than using butter...let me tell you...) and placed them on the griddle. I then placed my cheese on the bread and began to wait. I should probably add that I was trying to be the next Rachael Ray and get creative with my food so I decided that I would use a slice of Gouda rather than the pre-packaged processed yellow American cheese that we call cheese. So about two minutes into cooking my grilled cheese (and after flipping it several times)...I realized that the bread was looking quite tan, but my "slice" of Gouda was sliced a little to thick to ever melt before my bread would burn...thus trying to be like Rachael Ray was an epic failure.
I then quickly removed my chunk of cheese from the bread and disposed of it and then I placed one of those pre-packaged processed yellow American cheese slices (which are just the right thickness I might add) on my bread...trying desperately to save the bread. Success! I made a grilled cheese...
What did I learn from this experience you ask?
First, freezer-burnt bread makes the best grilled cheese ever...seriously.
Second, there really is nothing wrong with that pre-packaged processed yellow American cheese...use it...it will make your life easy.
Third, if you are anything like me, I've decided it might be best to just avoid trying to be the world's next "cake boss" or anything like that and just stick to the norm and prepare food according to it's age old recipe...the norm is somewhat safe for me...
My godsend moment from this experience you ask...well I have one...I do. And here it is:
"I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." -Psalm 139:14
This verse really stood out to me today and it tied directly to my cooking disaster...although I can make fun of myself for having no talent in cooking whatsoever, God still loves me because I am who He created me to be. In His eyes I am fearfully and wonderfully made. He loves me no matter if I can cook or not. This is who He created me to be...and the only thing that I can do is laugh at this creation that He has created me to be, and know that He will love this creation no matter what...THAT is something to praise!
:)
Yes, that's right. Today I had quite a cooking adventure.
And, no, I know that you are wondering, but I did NOT make muffins...I in fact, made grilled cheese!
Now, let's just say that I am by no means a Martha Stewart, a Paula Deen, or a Rachael Ray...my idea of cooking is macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, and on a really good day, sometimes I'll make homemade pizza (with a pre-made crust of course!)
But, today I was feeling like a grilled cheese...but...I was also feeling like adding my own flair to this grilled cheese of mine...this is what happened:
The only bread available at my disposal happened to be the most severely freezer-burnt loaf of bread that I have ever witnessed viewing in my life...let alone eating. So...I picked two pieces of bread from the middle of the loaf that seemed to be a little more pliable than the rest... I then sprayed them lightly with cooking spray (much better than using butter...let me tell you...) and placed them on the griddle. I then placed my cheese on the bread and began to wait. I should probably add that I was trying to be the next Rachael Ray and get creative with my food so I decided that I would use a slice of Gouda rather than the pre-packaged processed yellow American cheese that we call cheese. So about two minutes into cooking my grilled cheese (and after flipping it several times)...I realized that the bread was looking quite tan, but my "slice" of Gouda was sliced a little to thick to ever melt before my bread would burn...thus trying to be like Rachael Ray was an epic failure.
I then quickly removed my chunk of cheese from the bread and disposed of it and then I placed one of those pre-packaged processed yellow American cheese slices (which are just the right thickness I might add) on my bread...trying desperately to save the bread. Success! I made a grilled cheese...
What did I learn from this experience you ask?
First, freezer-burnt bread makes the best grilled cheese ever...seriously.
Second, there really is nothing wrong with that pre-packaged processed yellow American cheese...use it...it will make your life easy.
Third, if you are anything like me, I've decided it might be best to just avoid trying to be the world's next "cake boss" or anything like that and just stick to the norm and prepare food according to it's age old recipe...the norm is somewhat safe for me...
My godsend moment from this experience you ask...well I have one...I do. And here it is:
"I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." -Psalm 139:14
This verse really stood out to me today and it tied directly to my cooking disaster...although I can make fun of myself for having no talent in cooking whatsoever, God still loves me because I am who He created me to be. In His eyes I am fearfully and wonderfully made. He loves me no matter if I can cook or not. This is who He created me to be...and the only thing that I can do is laugh at this creation that He has created me to be, and know that He will love this creation no matter what...THAT is something to praise!
:)
Sunday, March 14, 2010
An Average Day in the Life of a Cotton-Headed-Ninny-Muggins...
The worst thing?
A muffin...
Let's rewind a little through the events of my day...
Today, I was headed off to one of my art classes. Sounds exciting right?! It was not...and here is why:
I was driving...all of the three blocks off campus to the art building.
That was my first mistake...it was a beautiful day and I was lazy and drove my car.
On my way there, I was trying to be a race car driver or something and rounded the corner too fast and spilled the valued contents of my beloved art "tackle box." (haha...right?!...wrong...that is not all...)
I think this was karma for hurting the environment on such a lovely day.
I pulled into the parking lot where I spent some time grumping as I tried to put my things back together. I then lost four of those nifty pencils that are made especially for drawing...because apparently regular pencils suck too much to draw with? I lost them in the magical crevice--the "no man's land"--where things don't ever come back...you lose your cell phone there when you're driving in a lot of traffic...or sometimes you find 3-year old french fries down there when you clean your car once in a while...yeah, that crevice.
I got out of the car...(this is the funniest part I swear...not for me though...)
When I stepped out of the car so I could try to rescue my pencils from the seat that had eaten them...I stepped in...
Poop?
A puddle?
Mud?
No...it was a muffin.
A muffin you say?
Yes, a muffin...as in, "Do you know the Muffin Man?"
Yes...he must not have done his job well today because he lost one in the parking lot...right next to my car.
And yes, shoe in a brand new muffin...in the middle of a deserted parking lot...
I guess you could call me a "Cotton-Headed-Ninny-Muffins!"...
That's not even all of the events of my day...oh no...it doesn't stop there...
I then (as I was pouting...) walked into the art building while also attempting to scrape the entire muffin that had gotten itself stuck on the sole of my shoe off onto the grass. Once I got to the art building I gathered my bearings from the events of the previous few minutes and started trying to mentally prepare myself for the fact that I would be drawing cardboard boxes for the next 2 hours...
Then...I realized that I needed gum.
As I went to get my gum (which is located in my purse...) I realized that I had either forgotten my purse back in my dorm room or I had somehow forgotten it in my car...
I went to check my car...and there it was.
On the seat.
Where I had forgotten it due to the fact that all of my attention had been focused on the fact that I had just stepped in a muffin...
Surprisingly, that's still not all...there's more...
Not only had I suffered enough earlier in the afternoon, but then I went to dinner...
Dinner should be a simple and easy endeavor right?!...not for me...
I started off dinner not too ecstatic at all about the food options...
I decided I would try the interesting Asian pasta being served. I took one bite and realized that the sauce had peanut butter in it...a lot of peanut butter...not a good option for someone with an allergy to peanuts...thus, my first dinner attempt fail.
Second try...I got a Reuben sandwich...seems safe right? Not.
The sandwich had been prepared beforehand (at least 1 hour before it ended up on my plate for consumption). Let's just say that sauerkraut = wet...bread = porous... + at least 1 hour of time = 1 very soggy sandwich. Can I hear a "yuck!?"
Third attempt at eating...
I then decided that I would try eating curly fries...who messes up curly fries? They are an American standard you know? How could you possibly mess them up?!
Well, anyways, they were very fresh (a.k.a. too hot for consumption) and quite soggy (a.k.a. not crispy)...Ewwww.
Fourth attempt to eat food...
I had a Calzone...should have been tasty, but...nothing in my life can possibly run smoothly...
The Calzone had been cooked too quickly, thus it was still doughy and the cheese was not even melted.
Gross.
Fifth (and final) attempt to put some kind of edible contents in my growling stomach...
I finally gave up and toasted myself some raisin bread and put cinnamon sugar on top...I then finished off with not one, but 2 servings of vanilla ice cream topped with copious amounts of rainbow sprinkles!
Let's just say the ice cream crunched when I ate it...I like sprinkles...
Some healthy dinner I had...
So...4 plates, 2 forks, 1 spoon, 3 cups, and 1 hour later...I had finally put food in my tummy.
I don't want to at all put down our cafeteria staff in any way...they are great...I just didn't have a whole lot of luck with dinner tonight...and I have a feeling that I think I'll end up in the snack bar later eating a grilled cheese...Mmmmm....
So, that definitely isn't all of the "Ninny-Muggin" moments of my day...but it certainly is the "better" ones...(depending on whose side of the story you are looking at...)
You're probably thinking that I had a bad day on account of these events...
I want to inform you that your assumptions are incorrect.
Despite these slight...setbacks...I actually had a decent day. Is it sad that despite such sucky events I still had a really good day?!
I think not.
That's something to praise.
Courtney's life-lesson/epiphany of the day: "There is in fact positive in every negative situation...even if it is only a giggle after the fact.
Don't let life get you down.
Embrace the sucky events of each and every day because you never get another day like today. This is the only March 9, 2010 ever and I had the opportunity to live it!...I'll never get another today.
S**T happens...so we better start getting used to it."
But thankfully, we have the Lord there with us in every battle...no matter how big or how small.
Even when we get frustrated or stressed because we just stepped in a muffin...God is there.
He is comforting us always.
And I will praise His name always...in every battle...in every hardship...in every moment of every day.
"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." -Psalm 68:19
He does bear our burdens each and every day. No matter how small.
Cast your anxiety on Him:
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour..." -1 Peter 5:6-8
Praise God. Cast all of your anxiety on Him no matter how miniscule it may seem...give Him your burdens. If you don't...over time the devil will begin to eat away at you. Don't allow that to happen. Don't allow the devil that foothold in your life.
Most of all, just focus on praising God in each and every storm...no matter if it is as silly as a muffin or as big as depression. Praise God. He is amazing and He allows everything to happen for a reason...even if it is to just give us a little chuckle at the end of our day...
:)
A muffin...
Let's rewind a little through the events of my day...
Today, I was headed off to one of my art classes. Sounds exciting right?! It was not...and here is why:
I was driving...all of the three blocks off campus to the art building.
That was my first mistake...it was a beautiful day and I was lazy and drove my car.
On my way there, I was trying to be a race car driver or something and rounded the corner too fast and spilled the valued contents of my beloved art "tackle box." (haha...right?!...wrong...that is not all...)
I think this was karma for hurting the environment on such a lovely day.
I pulled into the parking lot where I spent some time grumping as I tried to put my things back together. I then lost four of those nifty pencils that are made especially for drawing...because apparently regular pencils suck too much to draw with? I lost them in the magical crevice--the "no man's land"--where things don't ever come back...you lose your cell phone there when you're driving in a lot of traffic...or sometimes you find 3-year old french fries down there when you clean your car once in a while...yeah, that crevice.
I got out of the car...(this is the funniest part I swear...not for me though...)
When I stepped out of the car so I could try to rescue my pencils from the seat that had eaten them...I stepped in...
Poop?
A puddle?
Mud?
No...it was a muffin.
A muffin you say?
Yes, a muffin...as in, "Do you know the Muffin Man?"
Yes...he must not have done his job well today because he lost one in the parking lot...right next to my car.
And yes, shoe in a brand new muffin...in the middle of a deserted parking lot...
I guess you could call me a "Cotton-Headed-Ninny-Muffins!"...
That's not even all of the events of my day...oh no...it doesn't stop there...
I then (as I was pouting...) walked into the art building while also attempting to scrape the entire muffin that had gotten itself stuck on the sole of my shoe off onto the grass. Once I got to the art building I gathered my bearings from the events of the previous few minutes and started trying to mentally prepare myself for the fact that I would be drawing cardboard boxes for the next 2 hours...
Then...I realized that I needed gum.
As I went to get my gum (which is located in my purse...) I realized that I had either forgotten my purse back in my dorm room or I had somehow forgotten it in my car...
I went to check my car...and there it was.
On the seat.
Where I had forgotten it due to the fact that all of my attention had been focused on the fact that I had just stepped in a muffin...
Surprisingly, that's still not all...there's more...
Not only had I suffered enough earlier in the afternoon, but then I went to dinner...
Dinner should be a simple and easy endeavor right?!...not for me...
I started off dinner not too ecstatic at all about the food options...
I decided I would try the interesting Asian pasta being served. I took one bite and realized that the sauce had peanut butter in it...a lot of peanut butter...not a good option for someone with an allergy to peanuts...thus, my first dinner attempt fail.
Second try...I got a Reuben sandwich...seems safe right? Not.
The sandwich had been prepared beforehand (at least 1 hour before it ended up on my plate for consumption). Let's just say that sauerkraut = wet...bread = porous... + at least 1 hour of time = 1 very soggy sandwich. Can I hear a "yuck!?"
Third attempt at eating...
I then decided that I would try eating curly fries...who messes up curly fries? They are an American standard you know? How could you possibly mess them up?!
Well, anyways, they were very fresh (a.k.a. too hot for consumption) and quite soggy (a.k.a. not crispy)...Ewwww.
Fourth attempt to eat food...
I had a Calzone...should have been tasty, but...nothing in my life can possibly run smoothly...
The Calzone had been cooked too quickly, thus it was still doughy and the cheese was not even melted.
Gross.
Fifth (and final) attempt to put some kind of edible contents in my growling stomach...
I finally gave up and toasted myself some raisin bread and put cinnamon sugar on top...I then finished off with not one, but 2 servings of vanilla ice cream topped with copious amounts of rainbow sprinkles!
Let's just say the ice cream crunched when I ate it...I like sprinkles...
Some healthy dinner I had...
So...4 plates, 2 forks, 1 spoon, 3 cups, and 1 hour later...I had finally put food in my tummy.
I don't want to at all put down our cafeteria staff in any way...they are great...I just didn't have a whole lot of luck with dinner tonight...and I have a feeling that I think I'll end up in the snack bar later eating a grilled cheese...Mmmmm....
So, that definitely isn't all of the "Ninny-Muggin" moments of my day...but it certainly is the "better" ones...(depending on whose side of the story you are looking at...)
You're probably thinking that I had a bad day on account of these events...
I want to inform you that your assumptions are incorrect.
Despite these slight...setbacks...I actually had a decent day. Is it sad that despite such sucky events I still had a really good day?!
I think not.
That's something to praise.
Courtney's life-lesson/epiphany of the day: "There is in fact positive in every negative situation...even if it is only a giggle after the fact.
Don't let life get you down.
Embrace the sucky events of each and every day because you never get another day like today. This is the only March 9, 2010 ever and I had the opportunity to live it!...I'll never get another today.
S**T happens...so we better start getting used to it."
But thankfully, we have the Lord there with us in every battle...no matter how big or how small.
Even when we get frustrated or stressed because we just stepped in a muffin...God is there.
He is comforting us always.
And I will praise His name always...in every battle...in every hardship...in every moment of every day.
"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." -Psalm 68:19
He does bear our burdens each and every day. No matter how small.
Cast your anxiety on Him:
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour..." -1 Peter 5:6-8
Praise God. Cast all of your anxiety on Him no matter how miniscule it may seem...give Him your burdens. If you don't...over time the devil will begin to eat away at you. Don't allow that to happen. Don't allow the devil that foothold in your life.
Most of all, just focus on praising God in each and every storm...no matter if it is as silly as a muffin or as big as depression. Praise God. He is amazing and He allows everything to happen for a reason...even if it is to just give us a little chuckle at the end of our day...
:)
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