Always not enough time...

Motivation. It comes and goes as rapidly and randomly as a Colorado snow storm.

I love watching those inspiring television shows- You know, the ones with people doing things to impact the world. It leaves you feeling helpless and lazy as you sink further into your comfy couch and keep lifting that spoonful of chocolate ice cream to your mouth. Sure, I have legit reasons as to why I cannot impact the world in such amazing ways as those people do. I’m busy. I work 40 hours, do freelance on the side, cook, clean… clean… Ah, even if I did have time, I’m not fortunate enough. Those people have focused their entire lives on these causes and have enough money in the bank to do whatever they want. I have to look out for myself- Invest, add to my retirement fund, pay the bills… Those people can keep impacting the world. I’m just going to focus on my own life and make it as comfortable as I can…

Then I think a little about life and how very short it is. I know, you’ve heard this how many times before? The awe-infamous reappearing “If you died tomorrow-“ clause. The one that’s supposed to make you examine your life and live like “there’s no tomorrow!” Let’s get real- This outlook on life may last you a day… maybe two… for me? Half a day at best.

My pastor talked about change a while ago, and how you won’t change unless there’s a reason for change. For example, you say- I’m going on a diet! And your reason for going on a diet? I want to lose weight! (duh?) Well what about this: I’m going on a diet… because next year, I want to be able to climb Mount Everest. Hmmm, that’s kind of a cool goal. Or what about- I’m going to start reading the Bible everyday because next summer I want to be able to go on a mission trip and share the gospel right from my heart with someone who’s lost.

There’s reasons out there that inspire, that motivate, that push someone in life to do a little more than they’re doing now. I always think about things I can do here on earth that I won’t get a chance to do in heaven. There won’t be any poverty in heaven, no suffering, no pain, no lost… So with my life, let me impact those things now so that someday, I can enjoy all those little heavenly pleasures God has in store for me without looking back on life as a waste of some-odd years.

I suppose I've been contemplating this lately because of my notecards for orphans idea. I wanted to launch this idea back in March of this year- but it didn't happen. So I found an organization I'd like the proceeds to go to- Friends of Russian Orphans. I've contacted them and let them know when my products will be available. Now I've got some accountability, and motivation, and that pretty awesome goal I was talking about earlier. God is still going to have to grant me a good amount of time for this- but it'll happen. John and I have a heart for Russia, and the orphans, and if this helps in just a little way, it's all worth any time I can find.

My etsy shop, On Their Hearts, will be open sometime in March 2012 with a variety of Spring notecard stationary. 60% of what is made will go to the Friends of Russian Orphans organization.

Oh, and if you haven't already, meet Lenhle:

She's a vibrant four year old from Swaziland. Her mother has passed away, but thankfully her father is a believer, so he has stuck around to raise her. Hmm, one child. Do you know how many children in poverty there are in the world? How many don't have a single toy, clean water, a predictable meal? What does me and my husband sponsoring one child do?! 

Well... it is one child. That one child matters to God- so she matters to us. (I didn't mean for this to be a Mission of Mercy advertisement, but you can sponsor a child just like Lenhle- Sponsor a Child)


Go find your motivation... and make a difference. 

20 Things Kids are better at than Adults

1.     Whining (theirs’ is more effective)

2.     Dreaming BIG

3.     Making random friends

4.     Talking to strangers about Jesus

5.     Jumping off of things twice their size

6.     Learning a new language

7.     Giving hugs

8.     Forgetting about all troubles while playing

9.     Finger painting

10.  Not caring what other people think about them

11.  Getting milk/koolaid mustaches

12.  Seeing someone’s true character

13.  Making up songs

14.  Pretending

15.  Loving on their parents

16.  Hula hooping

17.  Speaking their minds

18.  Begging

19.  Learning new tricks

20.  Believing God will answer their prayers

Well- that’s according to me.

Why new jobs stink

Honestly, I’m a bit of an introvert. So the idea of being put into a completely new environment and not knowing a single person… not even through an acquaintance or a “we both go to the same church!” scenario… is not the most exciting for me. I tried hyping myself up- you know, going out and buying a whole new work clothes wardrobe, updating all my design stuff, printing new family photos to hang up in my cubicle… the works. But seriously, it doesn’t help me much. What doesn’t make anything better is the light workload I have when first starting work at a new job. They don’t want to burden you your first day there, so they give you one project to work on and some time to get acquainted with the same programs you’ve been working with for over four years. I did my best to stretch that one project out over the course of a week, but still ended up finishing up the first draft two days early. And what do you do when you turn in your only project two days early? Write a blog I guess…

In all truth- I love this place. They ask my design opinion from step one (yes, they respect my professional design opinion)- I even got to choose the packaging type! I get to choose direction of the piece as well as color scheme and photos. I have all brand new equipment to work on, share an office with a creative copywriter (that has a sense of humor), get free sodas, work four ten hour days, so I officially have three day weekends- and when we’re not working, we get to read cute letters from sponsored poverty-stricken children all over the world, and sort through their adorable pictures to use in our pieces. (I’m already convinced I would like to sponsor a child myself, and in three years, I get to go on a mission trip and visit him/her for free!) -I love working here… I just HATE new jobs.

Now what was that server password again…

Baking catch-up

I would like to share two recipes... One for monkey bread, and one for a failure of a double layer chocolate cake (don't worry, recipe is fine, it's me that was the problem):

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/monkey-bread-i/Detail.aspx  

(minus the walnuts, and use homemade dough)

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-cake-iv-10000001110246/

(minus the coffee, per John's request)

Monkey Bread:

Start with a delicious mix of sugars and cinnamon.

It's true, I was lazy. WAY better homemade.

Roll the dough in the sugar mixture.

Add butter to remaining sugar mixture.

Crazy bad- crazy delicious.

Pour.

Bake. Flip. Serve.

Chocolate Cake:

Fail #1: Only one cake pan. Never settle for only one cake pan.

This part was perfect.

Lots of creams and different types of chocolates and sugars and... ah!

My favorite part.

Did this instead of chocolate flakes- that way my extra baking squares didn't go to waste.

Fail #2: Collapsed cakes. Not sure what the heck happened.

Spread delicious whipped mouse on first layer.

Thought I could get away without trimming it. HA...

Trimmed. Homemade frosting applied.

A bit of a mess.

Fail #3: Added strawberries. Fine if eaten all that evening. But even though I took the strawberries OFF the center before putting it away for the night, the juices from the strawberries made the middle mold in only one day. FAIL.

Ended up looking okay.

And that once piece we did get to eat- pretty delicious.

Tomorrow for Easter I'm going to dip some marshmallow peeps into chocolate and decorate them a bit with some frosting. Should be easy, and kind of cute. =) Then I'm going to make homemade wheat rolls for Easter dinner. 

I hope you don't fail as miserably in the area of baking as I have. Night!

Melody

Notecards for Orphans?

While in college... I did this little project that entailed me drawing a design, transferring it to a rubber block, carving out the design, rolling it with ink, then stamping it to paper.... for some reason, I kind of want to do it again.

But then I thought... what good would taking up my rubber stamp ways be to myself? I guess I'll get to have a whole bunch of pieces of paper with stamped designs on them around. -_- Yay....

So then I thought... why not do it right? Why not buy really nice paper and envelopes, and make notecards, then open up a shop on etsy, make a little side money, and donate 25% of my earnings to an orphanage that my church supports in Bangladesh? Now THAT sounded like a good idea.

So while still mostly an idea, and a process that can't even begin to start until I get my freelance projects under control, it's something I'm really excited about. I'll start creating different designs over the next month and try coming up with something modern, yet different... then master the technique of carving all of it out of rubber. I WON'T have to be on a computer, and yet I'll still be being creative. I like the sound of that...

So I guess right now my goal is making the initial investment and get the creative juices flowing. Let's say... Etsy shop opening will be March 1, 2011. I'll shoot for that goal. And we'll see what becomes of it. =)

On another note... It snowed. ^_^

And while it was snowing... I made a big steak dinner for John and I on our one month anniversary.

Then we took a walk in the snow and got our mail. =) It was fun... cold... but fun.

I <3 you, sweets.

Well... John loves my cooking.

As difficult as it is to adjust to coming home from work and NOT being able to just plop down on the couch as dinner is being catered to me... I've enjoyed cooking. =) And oddly enough, John has enjoyed my cooking. Every single meal so far. I haven't decided yet if he's just not picky... or if I actually have a knack for cooking. Either way... Here are a few of my meals so far. Oh, and I would like to add that John does like to cook and has let me relax several nights while he's served up dinner. Thanks, hunny. ^_^

My kitchen. =) Or anyways a corner of it.

I made sugar cinnamon doughnut muffins. Healthier than doughnuts, but still super sweet and tasty. Had a problem with them rising though. It's hard to make things plump up in Colorado... stupid altitude. >.<

We love our veggies. I made these vegetarian quesadillas. Low in fat, rich in nutrients. ;)

Pumpkin chocolate chip bread. Turned out pretty good. To quote John- "Why do the people at your office get to eat more of your good baking than I do?!" Come now, John... two loaves would have lasted us over a month. (he wouldn't complain)

I've also made a pot roast, pizza pasta skillet dish, belgium blueberry waffles, garlic cheese bread, beer battered bruats (okay, John made those...), and... a few other things. I LOVE pumpkin... so I'm making some pumpkin baked goods this next week. Trying to see if I can make myself sick of it before it disappears for the year. Anyone have any good recipes to share? Right now I'm pretty much just browsing my mom's magazines and an amazing huge cookbook I received from my Grandma as a bridal shower gift.

That's it for now! Time for some late night pumpkin bread with cream cheese as I wait for John to get home...

Finally Married...

Finally married... and accessible to internet. =)

After planning a wedding for a little over one year... would I say that all the effort was really worth it? All the effort of planning every day after work, calling vendors, designing every graphic there was, creating by hand and imagination every little object that took part in the big production, the planning of flying people out from all around the country, the spending of many dollars, the figuring out of many little battles from tablecloth colors to types of flowers... Was it REALLY all worth it?!


Yup.


ALL worth it.


John and I had the best day of our lives. Minus the fifteen minutes before the ceremony when I had yet to finish my hair and put on my dress and was thus freaking out... everything was perfect. Everything was stress free. There could not have been more happiness between my wonderful husband and myself. He cried like a baby when he saw me at the end of that aisle. That's when I knew it was all worth it. And that's when I knew I was about to make the best decision of my life.


Ever wonder if the day AFTER the wedding, you'll wake up and wonder what you had done? Wonder if the person sleeping next to you is REALLY who you wanted to spend the rest of your life with? Because now... you're stuck. In it forever. No way out...


Well if you just married the person you know God planned for you... you wake up with a smile. And although you've been dating that person for years and experienced so much love, so much happiness, you can't imagine it getting any better. Yet when you wake up that next morning, and look over into your new husband's eyes... You feel more love, more happiness, than you ever knew was possible.


People tell me it won't last... they say that after you've been with the same person day in and day out for ten years, that feeling will go away. Well.. it might be true... for some. But love is a choice, and with that choice comes some of the most amazing feelings God has created. With that said... I chose on October 9th to love John... the rest of my life. And him and I will continue to fall in love... even ten years from now.


Thus the adventures of married life begins. I've already cooked several meals, baked several delicious items, and cleaned. I believe I'm well on my way to being a real wife.


Thanks, Lord, for marriage. For love. For John.


-Mrs. Christian (cheesy, I know...)