Fun in the Kitchen

Mexican Vanilla Bean Cake via Pinterest

I made this for Summer's Birthday this year....it didn't look exactly like this but it was delicious.

Last Christmas a sweet friend gave me a recipe book to write down all of my families recipes in. This was, in my opinion, one of the sweetest and most thought out gifts I have ever gotten. At some point this summer I decided to honor that gift and cook as much as I possibly could. Here is what I have cooked so far and it has been quite fun....

Peach Tree's Strawberry crepes

Mama Bee's Lemon Squares

Chelsea's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hedlund's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Grandmother's Baked Salmon

Grandmother's Banana Bran Muffins

Hedlund's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Lindsay McDonald's Green Bean Bundles

Paw Paw's Jumbalaya

Chelsea's Fish Tacos

Grandmother's Tortilla Crusted Tilapia

Grandmother's White Wine Chicken

Aunt Karen's Sauteed Veggies

Mom's Homemade Mashed Potatoes

Mom's Ranch Chicken Casserole

Grandmother's Meat Loaf

Aunt Karen's Enchiladas

Grandmother's Key Lime Pie

Mexican vanilla cake via Pinterest

More to come soon because I just got a crock pot...

Summer

Hello friends,

How does an ENTIRE SUMMER fly by before you can even catch your breathe...This has been a memorable summer of growth for me and I do not want to ever forget it. I don't know about you but I am constantly surprised when the Lords plans differ from mine even though it happens on a day to day basis. The way this summer played out was a true testament to that and I am so glad that His way is better.

Lubbock and Palo Duro Canyon...

My best friend Rachel Cline dropped back into my life for a few weeks and we got to have a few adventures together before we both embarked on our own... This picture is from the Holi celebration on campus. We ate Indian food and celebrated color..Happy Holi. You can follow Rachel's adventures on her blog:

http://somethingstill.tumblr.com/

She just made the permanent move to San Francisco to work at the YWAM base there. I am so proud to be her friend.

Celebrating one of my best friends 22nd at Palo Duro Canyon riding horses and laughing a lot! Lindsay is now in the Dallas area exploring fun options and starting a grand new adventure. I keep reminding myself that as your best friends move you just get to take more road trips!

Also, if you are a girl and you live in Lubbock you know of Lullaby Lubbock! Well Lullaby Lubbock got wind of Lindsay's b-day and gave her a shout out on the blog..Check it out! http://lullabylubbock.blogspot.com/2011/05/its-someones-special-day-today.html

Colorado...

Team MHS

No better way to finish up the school year than in Buena Vista, Colorado... I got to spend a week in the Rocky Mountains getting Frontier Ranch ready for hundreds of our high school friends. Work Weeks purpose is to get the Young Life camps prepared, manicured, and perfect so that campers can get up there and have the best week of their lives. God has definitely ordained Frontier Ranch to be a Holy place and working there for a week was nothing short of a blessing.

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Before and After

Never take a place to call home for granted.

I got to celebrate my 22nd birthday here...I mean WOW!

Valeria and I had a great time singing and playing together! It was so refreshing and exciting to get to speak a lot of Spanish!

Skate Night at Concrete Jungle

I do not have adequate words for what this mission trip meant to me because it was unlike any experience I've ever had. Simply put, the Lord showed off for a few weeks and I learned that I have a lot more to learn. It's a valuable lesson that I need to be reminded of and I am thankful that the Lord gives me grace in this area every day. We built this house together as a team for a great family that will use it as a safe place to grow and bless others. It was so much fun to spend time with each other, with our new friends in Puerto, and to see old friends like the staff at Concrete Jungle. Check out their blog here:

http://10degreesabove.blogspot.com/

The ministry that we partnered with, Concrete Jungle, does a great job at serving others for His names sake. I cannot wait to go back.

Lubbock, TX

Sunday Lunch at Home Cafe with the girls.

Alicia's Bachelorette party

Josh and Elise Hurst's Wedding

Alicia's Wedding (I cannot believe my freshman roommate is married!)

Yes, this is real. This just goes to show how crazy ridiculous small town Texas football really is.

My little brother Clynt after a scrimmage against Fredricksburg.

In case you were wondering...Marble Falls killed them! So proud of my little bro.

Photo booth night with my YL girls at the Broken Post!

No telling what you will find in the skit closet...

Lubbock, TX

The vast majority of my summer was spent in Lubbock, TX taking a brutal summer math class that I put off for seven years. Aside from school my summer was spent at weddings, saying goodbye to friends, making very hard decisions, and continuing to live life along side the people I love here in West Texas. I am twenty two now and the decisions I made this summer concerning my future reflected that I really am getting older. I will say that although I am excited for what this year holds; I have never been more content and excited for the here and now. Along with school and a part time job at a florist, which is a blast, I get to work part time for Young Life, which in my opinion makes me the luckiest girl in the whole wide world. It is going to take some juggling but there is no doubt in my mind that for now I am exactly where I need to be. Please pray for balance and time management, a growing desire for the Lord, and my time spent building relationships with my friends at MHS.

Choosing joy and really enjoying it,

Kate

Go ride a bike today.

I signed the pledge and you should too. Riding bikes makes you happy.... I guarantee it.

Choose Joy, KP

In the Present

If you wait for the perfect conditions that is all you will ever do; wait.

He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. Ecclesiastes 11:4

Go South

I recently attended a subsitute orientation where God had a word for me....Yes I know God works in strange ways but it sure made that orientation a hell of a lot more interesting! I was sitting in this room filled with dissapointed student teachers waiting for real jobs and settling on substitute teaching aka (babysitting) when my friend Austin walked in. We hadn't talked all semester so like any two friends would do we gave each other a very brief overview of each others lives. (And by this I mean we talked about our student teaching experience because that was our LIFE for the semester). After the orientation we were walking out and Austin stopped me and says, "I just feel like I really need to tell you this story for some reason, its been on my heart since we both got here." I'm thinking YES!!!! because recently I have had more than a few people just randomly share their hearts with me so I just KNEW something awesome was about to happen. He told me about a story about the disciple Philip. I encourage all of you to read this story straight from the Word, it is in Acts 8:26-40 (but for right now just read this little gem)

An angel of the Lord came to Philip and told him to go South. Philip rose immediatly and without question started heading South until the Holy Spirit stopped him and gave him another direction. The Holy Spirit told him to go to the chariot in front of him and talk to the man in it. Philip RAN to the chariot and began to have a conversation with the Ethiopian man in the chariot. The man was reading this passage out of Isaiah:





"Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth."

Philip asked the man if he understood what he was reading and the man humbly replied "How can I unless someone guides me?" So Philip and the man went through the scripture and the mans eyes were opened. Slowly they came up to some water and the man asked if he could be baptized. Philip baptized him in the name of the Father the Son and The Holy Spirit and as soon as he did the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away. God did not give Philip all the directions before the journey. He simply told Philip to go south, and Philip obeyed. I am thankful that Austin shared this story with me because sometimes we need to be encouraged to just Go South. Philip didn't ask a million questions about the way there or what was coming next he simply CHOSE to trust the Holy Spirit's guidance in his life. Take a leap of faith and rejoice.

Colorado trip '07

There are 37 chapters in Job that tell of his suffering. Of course Job has a lot to say in his mourning and pain. Then there are his friends who have all sorts of advice and answers for Job as to why this happened and what Job should do about it. Then finally, in chapter 38 the Lord speaks...

"Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

Dress for action like a man;

I will question you, and you make it known to me."

Job 38:1-3

God has some questions for Job and in chapter 40 Job promises silence...

"Then Job answered the LORD and said:Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?

I lay my hand on my mouth.I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further."

Job 40:3-5

Sometimes, a lot of the time, choosing joy is about shutting up and letting the Lord speak. He might have some questions for you.

The book of Job has come to life for me. Spoken to my Spirit and I concur with Job, "I know that You can do all things and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted Lord." Job 42:2

My hope is that you will open it up someday soon and read it. It's a beautiful story of a man who lived a life full of days for the Lord.

Choose joy sweet friends, KP

Well-Water

Isaiah 12:3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.


How can i keep you from swallowing sandpaper
Like dry throats were in style?
I've folded too many fullhouses
To think it's all bad luck
Maybe we're just playing it wrong
Maybe the river's arms just
want to be held back
take a seat in that buckeled wooden bucket
it's time to for us to find out if all's well
In this well
that end's well.
and you'll hold the rope
and i'll let you go, real slow
tug once if you miss me
tug twice if it get's to deep
and you still haven't struck water.
We're gonna find something that's worth it.

So what’s your worth, holy one?
Where's all that life you've been livin' for?
Where's all that gold you been digging for?
Because underneath those empty bones and crooked toes is
just dry dirt and cotton rows
Squint past those big clouds
Look behind those sun rays
That split the sky like telephone lines

I found your treasure
But it ain’t buried underneath your back yard no more
It’s runnin past your chapped lips
It’s drippin off your finger tips
like Beethoven
come back to me
It’s getting too dark outside
And those halogen lamps won’t last forever
Let’s go for a swim in some pond
Passed the city limits signs
No, I don’t want too see your boobies
I just want to be understood
I think we all need to walk naked
and take a peek at how beautiful we are
I think a skinny dip
is sometimes
exactly
what the doctor ordered
because sad songs
and smoky bars
don't birth nothing but bad poetry

so strap on your spring time shoes
Let's turn our broken homes to snow cones, baby
I lost my calender last christmas
woke up choking on daisies
But i ain't dead yet
I'm just enjoying the view.
Lay next to me
Let the only blades that dance on your wrist
Be from the ground up this time
let the bees dance on our tongues
Let them do all the talking
I got more than the lions share
Of stories to bare like stillborns
But we’re still alive
We’re still kickin
This life ain’t no picnic
But don’t give it a chance to bury you
The treasure ain’t down there baby
The treasure ain’t down there baby
The treasure ain’t down there baby
Keep your chin up
And your dancing hat on
And your rusty water pale
Waiting for the first sign of rain.
Cause it’s coming like a slow train
It’s blowing like an ocean breeze
And I got an empty shotgun seat
We can roll the windows down
Play hide and seek with the highway
So sit down
Shut up
And hold on tight.

------

My name is Ryan Hildebrand. I like this blog, and this blog's author. She asked me to write something about joy. I don't write about joy that often so I got pretty excited.