Recipe of the Week

Taste's like chicken!

But not really, because, everyone cooks with chicken, so I decided to be different. But this recipe would actually taste good with chicken. Actually, it would probably taste better with chicken. Then it would taste like chicken! But what I did make tastes like an Arby's roast beef sandwich. Probably because I made it with roast beef.

Arby's classic sauce is like barbeque sauce, so why not cook roast beef in barbeque sauce? But again, to be different, throw in some honey mustard dressing. Because the recipe of the week is not about being boring, but coming up with different things to eat every week!

So why not try some roast beef cooked up in barbeque sauce and honey mustard?

It did taste really good while it was still warm. I added some cheese on top so it would start to melt a little, and then some lettuce and tomatoes to be healthy.

Voila! I give you the homemade Arby's wrap. I guess since this isn't Arby's, we can call it the Baldwin wrap. Mmm...let's just say it's roast beef and sauce in a wrap. Try it with your own sauce blend and your own meat of choice! Just don't forget the melted cheese!

Panic at the Disco

Because I panicked.
And because the title is an allusion, which probably violates some copyright law.
And because a picture grabs attention better than a long paragraph of words.

But in all actuality, this is not going to be a show of pictures, but a paragraph (or two) of words. Please do not give up yet, I have faith in your attention span. Your life is busy, frustrating, scary and exciting, just like mine. So take a break, just for a couple of minutes, to glean from what I have learned. And if you make it all the way to the end, maybe there will be another picture...

A week ago, I panicked.

I looked at my bank account, which I probably shouldn't have done, but I did, and I realized that I would not have enough money to do all that I would like to do this semester. And by like to do I mean pay my parents back for the tuition, purchase the chemicals and rather expensive supplies to print my senior show, and travel somewhere for spring break to take pictures for my show. And afford little things in between like books and going out on my birthday. Because there are more people working in the photo lab this semester, and because I am voluntarily teaching film photography at the high school once a week, I am down to five hours a week working in the photo lab. That just won't do.

I made a quick schedule to see how I could fit in working at Baldwin again, with my six classes and responsibilities. I mean, the time works, but then I would not have much time to work on my show and my homework. I also wouldn't have time to continue building relationships before I graduate, which is one of the main reasons I quit Baldwin in the first place. I cannot go back if that means I am going to continue to hide from people.

What to do, what to do? I felt like my whole world was crashing in around me. I literally did not have the money to pay for what I needed, and I could not get that in my current situation. I talked to so many people in the few hours between realizing this, running to class, running to the registrar's office, the prayer chapel, and Baldwin. One of my friends convinced me to drop the poetry class, whether I went back to Baldwin or not, because that was just a ridiculous amount of work that I did not need.

But the big thing is, going back to work in Baldwin. I quit. Ok, so I went in to work extra hours a lot last semester. People make fun of me for being the worst at quitting, because I did still go to work sometimes. Now they make fun of me for quitting quitting. But to quote Murney in The Pacifier, "everybody knows that quitters...quit."

Are you still with me? Or did you give up after you realized how pathetic my panic attack was?

See here is the point that is worth sharing:
Most of us go through life praying a little, planning a little, jockeying for position, hoping but never being quite certain of anything, and always secretly afraid that we will miss the way (Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy).

When I went back to Baldwin, this is how I felt. God got me out of this place, and now I've gone and dragged myself back in. Am I missing "the way?" How can I live this life God has for me, if I'm just constantly trying to figure out what it is he wants from me? I feel worthless, and I call myself an idiot. But then I remember something I read in a book by Pete Ward, Learning My Name. While I am busy telling myself what an idiot I am, God quietly responds, "I do not call you idiot."

And to remember what I learned and blogged about after I quit Baldwin last semester, I need to get over feeling sorry for myself. I can worship God wherever I am. Whether I am broke or working in Baldwin, God has called me to worship him. And yes, I believe that it was the best thing for me last semester to leave Baldwin. But I also believe that it is ok for me to be back there now. And most importantly, I believe that despite the circumstances, I can worship God. And as I have embraced that attitude, an overwhelming joy is flooding my soul that nothing, not homework, nor bills, nor the dish room can inhibit.

When we focus on God rather than on circumstances, there is peace and joy that can fill our lives. And I think realizing that is worth taking some time out of your day to do.

So here is the extra picture I promised:

It's a brownie cheesecake crepe from the new restaurant in town, Crepe Crazy!

And don't worry, there are more recipes of the week coming soon!

Just For Fun

 I took pictures at Rebash, IWU's annual New Year's dance on Friday night. The pictures are for The Sojourn, but as it is unlikely that they will be used, and because the colored lights and smoke make for some fun photos, here they are on display for your viewing enjoyment.

Welcome to the Show

For the past semester I've been researching and brainstorming ideas for a concept for my senior exhibit this coming April. I was trying to conceptualize a brilliant idea that would leave my audience thinking, "Whoah! Now she's brilliant!" Mmm...yeah, that's not exactly giving God the glory, which as his creation, is my goal.

I wasn't too worried, I have the next three months to work on it. But just for fun, I decided to take a mini road trip up to Niagara Falls so I could print pictures of it in Palladium. And then I thought maybe I could visit my friend in Colorado and print some mountain pictures in Palladium. They would be gorgeous! So gorgeous that people should see them. And it hit me, why not do my senior show in Palladium?

I don't know exactly how it will turn out at the end of the semester, but I do know that this is what God wants me to do. And I am quite sure of that because of how he has taken care of us on our adventures to get these pictures.

Niagara Falls

First, to go to Niagara, I didn't want to go by myself and it worked out that my friend and her fiance` who drove us, both had the same day off of work, which was also a day I was free to go and the roads were perfectly clear!

Blackwater Falls

Secondly, on the way home from visiting my sister for Christmas, I convinced my parents to drive an hour and a half off the highway to get to Blackwater Falls in WV. Unfortunately, the road that we took wasn't even the main road we were supposed to take. For an hour we drove around and around a mountain, climbing the entire time. When we finally reached the falls, we found that the boardwalk was closed! But I was not about to drive around a mountain for an hour to not get a picture, so I tuned into my inner rebellious nature and climbed under the "Do Not Cross" sign. I didn't go all the way down, though, because my mom was a little worried about me.

Letchworth State Park

My most successful venture was to Letchworth State Park, the Grand Canyon of the East, which is only a couple of hours away from me, yet I have never been there! It was gorgeous, and even though the roads were supposed to be covered in snow and the temperature was supposed to be like 7 degrees, the weather was beautiful, the sun came out for a while, and I was hot in my penguin hat and boots! God has truly got his hand on me and my adventuring after scenes of his glorious creation. I can't wait to see how these turn out when I print them as Palladiums!