I am tired today.  Yesterday was a great day but it didn’t end.  I arrived at CSP at 7:45 am and left at 10:00 pm.  It was all good and fun but so tiring.  I am also getting annoyed by people who say one thing and promise things and then don’t follow through with what they say.  They call and say we can’t do this anymore or this way.  I am seeing more sides and faces to people than I knew were there.  I really think about how this relates to faith…we all have two faces, the sinful face and the saved face.  The sinful face is washed away in baptism to that the saved ace can shine but sometimes we forget about that.  It is hard to wash away the sinful face and expose the saved face but then I realize that the washing isn’t something that I do, it is something that God does.  God, though Jesus, scrubs away the sin and all that is left is the shining saved face.  Our task then is to show that face to everyone that we encounter.  We are called to be Christ to others and one way of doing that is always looking at people with the face that has been saved and show that to others.

Spring is reluctantly here. The sun is shining and the green of spring is beginning to show up. This brings many new thoughts and feelings to the surface. Again the idea that the years are going faster comes up again. The feeling of growth and newness is always in the forefront of my mind. I look at the yard and the gardens and dream about what they will be.

I feel that my spiritual life is the same. I have dusted off the snow and it is beginning to blossom into something that I have been waiting for for years. The seasons in my life seem to be changing.

This recipe is from the first church that I worked at after college and was amazing.

1 Package (18-1/4oz) Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
1 Package (1oz) instant sugar-free pistachio pudding mix
1 Carton (8oz) nonfat plain yogurt
3 Egg whites
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup diet lemon-lime soda

In a mixing bowl, combine dry cake and pudding mixes, yogurt, egg whites, and vanilla; beat on low speed for 1 minute. Gradually beat in soda.  Pour into a greased 9X13 inch pan (2 inches deep).  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool.

Frosting:
1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 package (1oz) instant sugar-free pistachio pudding mix
2 cups light whipped topping

Combine milk and pudding mix in mixing bowl; beat for 2 minutes on low speed.  Fold in whipped topping.
Spread over cake and refrigerate.  Serve well chilled.

one serving equals: 148 calories, 300 mg sodium, 1 mg cholesterol, 28 gm carbohydrates, 3 gm protein, 2 gm fat, 0 fiber. Diabetic exchange: 2 starch

Ever feel like you are on the constant Merry-go-round that never stops for you to actually see the rest of the playground?

When I was young, the last time I was on a Merry-Go-Round, I always got sick.  I am not a big fan of the whirlly-twirlly rides because they tend to leave my stomach somewhere else but I was always amazed by the blur that the world took on as we started to spin.  I feel like my life is somewhat on this blur right now.  I am not catching up to the ride (life) enough to get ahead of it.  I love what I am doing and the people that I am doing it with.  I have a desire to learn more and understand more but I want it in so many areas.  I feel like my calling is figured out but it is too big to handle.

Then, after all of this, I sit and listen to the preacher in chapel today speak of encountering Jesus.  Seeing him face to face everyday and the ride stops.  I have a minute to refresh and see the world as it is, broken and sinful but REDEEMED.