YUM!

My friend Chelita first introduced me to this heavenly food. I have always loved fried plantains, but fried plantains where I don't have to do any work? Three cheers for Goya! I've added this ingenius deliciousness to my cooking along with sazon and adobo seasoning. Thanks to Goya (and Chelita) I can now cook with a little flava ;)

Productivity City!

Things I have accomplished before 12pm on Saturday...

1. Planted my garden. I'm a little late with planting, but it feels so productive to put in a garden! If anything grows, it will be a miracle.

2. Paid my bills.

3. Put money into savings, a rare but incredible feeling!

4. Organized receipts to balance my "checkbook" which is just a notebook.

5. Washed the dishes, ok ok I put them in the dishwasher, but that's close enough!

6. Actually got out some cleaning product and cleaned the kitchen. It now smells clean and like coconut!

7. Baked some chocolate chip bread, Betty Crocker does the hard part, I just take the credit.

8. Chatted with my sister, productive feeling?? YOU BET! :)

9. Uploaded some cds into itunes, love itunes!!

10. Did a load of laundry. Yes, it really washed itself while I did everything else, but still!

You got a little soul...Sista'!

I have to say...sometimes I wonder about my heritage. Specially, I'm talking music tastes. I think it all started very innocently with a little Aretha Franklin and Gloria Gaynor belting out their tunes of female solidarity, what the suffrage movement would have sounded like had it taken place in the 60s and 70s.
My music likes and dislikes have changed over the years, as any one's does when they are growing up. Thankfully I grew out of that awkward country phrase with adolescence and moved on up into adulthood with a new found love of all that is great: Jazz, Soul, Motown, R&B and (the one that gets me smiling no matter what) 70s Funk. I'm talking anything from Etta James to James Brown. Please notice with me here the commonality between all of these artists and singers. That's right, they are of the darker persuasion. I will never deny that I do love me some brown skin, so maybe it's only natural that I would be delighted by the music, which is as vast and varying as the people who sing it. All I can say is that nothing is as soul-satisfying. Solid!

43 days and counting....

I have been receiving the blessing of cable television without paying for it. I have informed my local cable provider already. I am waiting for the day when I turn on my tv only to get channel after channel of static. Until that frightful day, I am am clicking through them and feasting my eyes upon the entertainment of the masses!

Ahhhh Men....

A sincere tribute to the other half of the population:
In truth, your well-dressed, great-smelling, witty selves practically make me go weak in the knees. I delight in your humor and ability to keep things simple. I thrive on how you communicate and letting a topic drop when it needs to be forgotten. Your confidence and adventurous spirit always make me smile. And when your defenses are down, you are a sight to behold. Please know that while at times you can make me frustrated, annoyed, irate, confused, sad, anxious, irritated and even depressed, your positive qualities far exceed your negative. I get giddy at the thought of the varying types, humors, futures and ambitions you all possess. And for the one that holds all the qualities I am specifically searching for, all I can do is steal the words of my friend Karin and say, "bring it to me, my Jesus"!!

The sting of correction...

Recently I was a little disappointed about the music selection chosen during worship at my church. I wrote the person in charge regarding my thoughts. While well written, the gist of my email was something of "throw me a bone, me wants some more hymns". The response I got was, well, corrective to say the least. I wanted to write back, "ohhhhhhh BURN! You took the high road of spiritual sarcasm, well played."

Cynthia,
Thanks for your kind words and thoughts. I am sorry our Easter
services did not meet all your Spiritual need for that day. I
honestly try not to ask myself questions about style or mood or those
kind of stylistic divisive thorny issues. When I plan worship, I
need to have a sense that I am pleasing only to my Savior. To be
sure there are plenty of people influencing me, some with authority
to do so, some without--yet when it is finished planning--I must know
that worship is about pleasing the One worshipped not those offering
the gifts of praise. Cain was sure his offering was acceptable, but
his mistake was he used reasoning to arrive at what should please God.
It may be of little consolation, but we did play traditional Easter
songs at the opening of the service, and then there were two hymns in
the music I led. I felt good about using My Redeemer Lives combined
with the hymn Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It. By the way we
would love to have you help us lead worship every week. We meet
Wednesdays at 7 PM in the Worship Center and need every voice we can
get to honor Him. I would be glad to talk to you about your dilemma.
Blessings,
Da Song Leader Extrodinaire

I steelz pic from Jenny ;)

The lure of coffee

As is typical upon waking up each week day morning, the first thing I did was strategically plan my escape from this dreaded thought of work. My plan for this morning was to call and say that my car didn't start. Granted, I wouldn't have exactly attempted to have it start, so in the art of a technicality, it wouldn't have been false. Yet, as I was pondering this very plan, a thought crossed my mind. I REALLY like the coffee at work. It's something about the mug I use and the vanilla flavored eight o'clock coffee with cream and sugar that happens to create the right combination of goodness. And so my plan of escape was thwarted, perhaps tomorrow!

Not guilty!

I was recently reading the story in John 8 about the adulteress woman. The Pharisees brought her before Jesus who was teaching in front of a great crowd of people. They accuse her of being caught in the act of adultery. What shame and embarrassment she must have felt! The Pharisees, in what they thought a brilliant trap, asked Jesus what must be done for under the Law she was to be stoned. Here Jesus had to either go against the Law or go against the message of love and grace that He had been preaching. 

This is when Jesus said, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8:7. After all of the Pharisees had left, Jesus says to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" Once she answers Him no, He adds to it, "Neither do I condemn you". Jesus was the only perfect one who could have cast a stone, and He chose to give her the verdict of not guilty. Incredible! 

To accuse means to charge with a fault or offense. Satan is called the accuser! If people, or even own thoughts,  are reminding us of our past sins, it is not coming from Jesus! (Thank you Lord!) For the Lord has promised us in Romans, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  With Easter approaching tomorrow, I am overwhelmed with God's grace that He has willingly offered me. I have never and will never do anything to deserve it, and yet because I serve a risen Savior who died on the cross for my sins, I have the ability to stand with my list of sins and deeds stretched out around me and still be given the verdict of  "Not Guilty!" 

Things I have recently learned....

1. Atonement is not that great of a movie. Which makes everyone who loves it, wrong. In fact, I think the ending is unjust and frustrating.
2. The program feature on my coffee pot is a gift from above to make this fallen world more tolerable.
3. It's going to be a good day when I see a Dunkin' Donuts bag next to the office coffee pot.
4. For buying books http://www.abunga.com/ is the absolute best, and shipping is free.
5. Police officers never use turn signals (which would be like a surgeon not using gloves).
6. I am a product whore. I counted 8 bottles of shampoo and conditioner in my shower this morning.
7. You should not tell your boss that using a punch time card is "kickin' it old school". She might just have used one during her working years.
8. You should not follow up with saying you thought it was "kickin' it old school" because that's what they use on Laverne and Shirley. I have since learned that Laverne and Shirley was primetime television in her early adult years.
9. My co-worker is nosy ;) She enjoys throwing in at random times, "he's cute, and I see that he does not have a wedding ring."
10. And lastly, I enjoy throwing out the threat, "That's it, you're getting blogged." Beware what you say!

Rare, life-threatening condition, I has it!

So a girl at the end of the hall from where I work started talking to me about someone she knows who is about to die of a blood clot. Suddenly, and without warning, my shoulder started to hurt in one particular location. While everything in my rational, logical-thinking brain tells me, "Cindy, you are not dying", everything else tells me "this is it, make peace with the world, a blood clot is how you're going to leave this earth."
You see, it's not as if I fear death. I know exactly where I'm going when I die, and so death itself has no hold on me. What does apparently have a hold on me is HOW I'm going to die. If there is an ailment discussed around me, I suddenly begin to feel those symptoms. Of course, I will quickly have a discussion with myself that reminds me of all the logical reasoning behind why I am not dying of that particular ailment, but that's usually after my heart has started to beat a little faster and I start making mental notes regarding my will and what I should do with my kitties. I know what you're thinking; and, yes, I fully embrace the fact that I have a touch of the crazies in me. I am hoping it's an endearing quality ;)

Good Reads

In keeping with the theme of giving my friend Karin accolades on my blog, let me add another one to the mix. She invited me to join this forum/discussion board called Good Reads. It's addicting! Many of my closest friends know I would practically risk mortifying embarrassment to find out what book someone (typically a good looking fella) is reading. This happens if I'm drinking coffee at Starbucks or even on vacation lounging by a pool. It overwhelms me and becomes an obsession. I MUST know what they are reading! This is mostly because I believe what people read defines them in a way that nothing else does. It means this person has taken precious time out of their life to read through a book on a topic that intrigues their mind. Sometimes that very topic goes against everything else their life represents, which is what makes it so intriguing.
Good Reads, actually http://www.goodreads.com/, allows me to view people's profiles and see all the books they have read and are currently reading. Forget my actually trying to improve myself by reading, that's just boring. I've been spending all of my time finding out what other people are reading and trying to connect their reading lists into a definitive correlation with who they are as a person. AND, as many infomercials say, I can do this in the safety and privacy of my own home. No more sly, sneaky movements around a room trying to catch a glimpse of a title, I can now search and book stalk all I want.....without them knowing I'm doing it!

The good place

“In between one place and another, we’re vulnerable to the discomfort of our transitory state. If the trip is long or taxing, at odd mile markers our restlessness overrides our expectation, or even drifts into despair. When trouble comes we may wonder why we ever embarked at all- or simply stop short of our intended destination, insisting (like the Israelites east of Jordan) that the spot we’ve settled for is adequate enough, thank you. The best of all journeys may be a hard road to a good place; perhaps fully experiencing the hard, unpredictable road helps to recognize the good place when we arrive.”
Leigh McLeroy The Beautiful Ache

A great friend of mine recommended this book, and her opinion is never lightly given when it comes to a worthy read. She did not disappoint as this book has proven to be all kinds of worthwhile. Clearly McLeroy is not talking about a long road trip although the metaphor is taken from that suggestion. Many times we find ourselves stuck between reality and a God-given dream that has planted itself inside our hearts. It seems the road is a long one when seeking to find out what that God-given dream actually is or, once realized, putting it into action. Often I struggle with settling for the adequate life, when I know the Lord would never create us simply for an adequate or mediocre existence. We were made for more than this. We were made for eternity. The life we are enjoying here is merely the unpredictable road that leads us to the “good place”, the place we are designed to seek after and longingly await.

C.S. Lewis said, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world”.

If you ain't got the money, honey, I ain't got the time!

Every single girl out there has at some point in her "eligible years" contemplated the pros and cons to dating sites. There are so many out there these days that I'm beginning to wonder what went wrong with the bar... err coffee scene? Apparently, no one is meeting each other randomly anymore. Men have succumbed to the passivity of this world by not actually stepping up to the plate and asking for a phone number or, heaven forbid, dinner. And, likewise, I do believe women have become a bit hardened by the daily workings of life and failed relationships in their past that at the hint of some stranger coming up to them and asking for a phone number, the initial response is one of "I've got the 9 and 1 already dialed, do NOT make me dial the second 1".
This is why I have decided, in all wisdom, to set up a profile on the latest and greatest dating website. It's called "sugardaddie.com". It promises to marry me off to the sugar daddy of my dreams. What actually is comforting about this new dating site is that apparently money doesn't buy you love any more either. Since when do the wealthy have to go to dating sites? Aren't they able to purchase their girls like the good ole days or has that been outlawed? It seems true love is difficult for all to find nowadays, yet we discerning girls hold out hope for all that truly matters: wealth, attractiveness, affluence.

Mighty Fine Indeed

I woke up this morning feeling fine.
I woke up with Heaven on my mind.
I woke up with joy in my soul,
Cause I knew my Lord had control.
I knew I was walkin' in the light,
Cause I'd been on my knees in the night.
I prayed to the Lord to give me sight,
And now I'm feeling mighty fine.

I absolutely love this song! It has been sung in my house throughout the years thanks to my parents both attending FBC (back in the day!). It's a simple song with simple words, yet what peace and joy I experience when I have spent time in prayer and wake up thinking about the blessed assurance of salvation and the promise of heaven! The worries and cares of this world can often overwhelm me, but I must remember that this world is fleeting and our time here is short. I am a stranger here, for my home is in glory land.

The oil that doesn't run dry....

Much like the miracle in the Bible about the oil that didn't run dry, another mystery that takes place when the parentals are visiting is that my gas tank never seems to get low. I was walking to my car this morning about to leave for work and the thought hit that I was close to empty, but I figured I should have enough to get to work. I then get in my car, turn on the ignition and ZING my gas tank indicator goes all the way over to the right, a full tank. It's a beautiful thing indeed :)

Mi hermano

I've been having a day of thinking about my brother Billy. He has been living in Alaska for the past 4 years, working and taming the last frontier. So in honor of you, dear brother, here are some of my favorite sayings that you have said. I think of you when I hear them or find myself saying them :)

1. Shoot man

2. It's all good

3. Keep it simple

4. Embrace the elements

5. Yup

6. Alive and well

7. Livin' the dream

8. No worries

9. It is what it is

10. Enjoy today

Responsibility? No Thank You!

There's still a part of me that welcomes in the visit of my parents for more reasons than just conversation and company. There is a part of me that likes not being the one in charge. Granted, I am an adult that embraces responsibility and, for the most part, handles it well. This doesn't take away from the fact that I like going to bed knowing other people are checking the doors to see if they're locked or making sure there are working flashlights in case we lose our lights in the storm. I like waking up knowing someone else has started the coffee or taken out the trash before it starts to permeate a ripe smell throughout the house. I like knowing that in the middle of the night if I hear some kind of strange noise that I can fall back asleep knowing someone else will be up defending the land. There's nothing quite like the sleep of no responsibility!

speechless

Yes, so I'm placing an order for work with a fella that knows me enough to ask about my family. He very sweetly asks how my sister is doing in Wales. I reply with a hint of jealousy that she crochets by day and no doubt enjoys leisurely strolling through the Welsh countryside. He chuckles and responds with that sounding like it could be straight out of a Jane Austen novel!

Score one for a fella who can surprise me with a Jane Austen reference in conversation :)

I'll do it, don't think I won't!

If I hear one more second of the radio station that's playing in my coworker's office, I going to seriously consider slitting my wrists. If just one more song about being stronger or knowing love or wind or wings or flying drifts from her office to my ears, I'm done. AND it's being played at a quiet, unnerving volume that makes you strain to hear the song and see if it's good enough to listen to, yet just loud enough to infiltrate my brain when I'm trying to tune it out after learning that NO it's not good enough to listen to!

Spring days

Spring break is soon upon us and consequently I must write some musings on my all-time favorite week of the year. It is spring that ushers in the blooming of azaleas and warm summer afternoons. The orange blossoms on my tree are in full force fragrancing my backyard with a hint of days gone by. The slower days of sitting in comfortable chairs on the front porch sipping homemade lemonade and leisurely talking with neighbors about the goings on of the community. These were the days of air-blown metallic pinwheels decorating gardens and sprinklers being the only joy needed for children who didn't have the luxury of swimming pools near by. The days that breathe of the newness of spring and welcome in the comforting afternoons of lazily reading a jane austen novel on a sunny porch while listening to the whirring of an oscillating fan. These simple days are better than any other, days that can be spent watching the condensation drip down the outside of your glass of sweet ice tea as you drift off to sleep.....

lights, who needs 'em!

The light bulbs in my house have been systematically burning out for the past 3 weeks. Instead of driving to the store to purchase new light bulbs, I am merely trying to be creative in handling this dilemma. I have strategically moved them from the abundantly lit rooms to the rooms quickly becoming enveloped in darkness. I have no lights in the kitchen, back bedroom or hallway and reduced lighting in the living room and computer room. Because of this situation, I have begun to welcome in natural lighting with a renewed sense of gratefulness to the Creator! Although I do believe it is time to purchase new light bulbs when just this morning I was nearly blinded by the glaring light of a 40 watt bulb when opening the refrigerator door.

Things I learned this morning

1. Gardening is more fun in theory.

2. Hoes should be left on the street where they belong.

3. Communing with nature is misunderstood and over-rated.

4. Re-arranging furniture should never be done half-hearted.

5. Everything is better when there's soup cooking in a crockpot.

6. Taking Advil preemptively is wisdom in action.

7. Sisters are a joy to talk with, even at 3am!

8. Muscles can ache so bad that lifting a coffee cup seems trying.

9. The early morning hours feel sacred.

10. Sometimes it's the fewest words said to someone that are the sweetest.