This is such a strange time...

I have been home now for 2 weeks.  I'm already finding that while my home in Dallas is still home I don't feel quite as comfortable living in it the same way I've always done.  It's a strange time...

I've graduated but all I have to show for it is a diploma.  I do not have a job to go to during the day, I don't have a source of income, I am still relatively helpless and dependent on my parents.  An adult that much more similarly resembles a child.  This awkward stage in my life affects every interaction I have with my family.  "Hey Sarah do you want to go to the Rangers game?", "One sec, let me ask my mom."  or "Hey mom and dad do you mind if I go on a run with Katie this morning instead of going to church, I went last night."--"Sure Sarah, you don't have to ask us that, you can make your own decisions now."

but...Can I?  I am the oldest child, and from what I can figure in the bible, though I am graduated and in some ways independent, I am still under the authority of my parents.  I feel strange.  I little bit underdeveloped or something.  I am not confident in my own decision-making abilities and constantly need the advise of someone wiser.  

I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing, but maybe it's time to start going to the ultimate wisdom-giver.  Maybe it's time to start consulting my Heavenly Father and His Word about every decision.  Maybe the way I mature is to come to the Lord like a little child.  Not only is it OK, but it's the only way we're supposed to do according to Luke 18: "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  So instead of constantly going to my parents and saying, "Help me make this decision.", I need to start consulting the Lord to ask the same thing.  That pleases Him.

I'm on my way to Becky's graduation baccalaureate, but will continue struggling through my thougts later.  If you just read this, thanks for reading my piddly thoughts.  I think majority of us reading this are all in a similar position, and I hope it's encouraging for you to read that I'm struggling through this awkward phase as well.

Love you all.

SYTYCD

So You Think You Can Dance starts tomorrow night at 8/7c.  This is a sweet blessing in my life.  Thank you God for Dance and for this show.  I love it very much.

P.S.  Hi Twitch, Bethany and I will miss you this season.

Here is the recipe for Neopolitan Ice Cream Pie that I got from SELF magazine.  Doesn't it look yummy?  Shouldn't we make it??

INGREDIENTS

• 9 graham crackers
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat strawberry frozen yogurt, softened
• 1/2 Heath bar, broken into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups mint ice cream, softened
• 1 1/2 cups crushed Oreo cookies
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt, softened
• 2 fresh strawberries, halved

PREPARATION

Combine crackers and butter in a food processor. Press mixture into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan to form crust. Chill in freezer for 20 minutes. Remove; spread strawberry frozen yogurt over crust. Sprinkle Heath bar on top. Freeze until firm. Remove. Spread a layer of mint ice cream over frozen yogurt; sprinkle 1 cup Oreos on top. Freeze until firm. Spread a layer of chocolate frozen yogurt on ice cream; freeze until firm. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup Oreos on top. Garnish each slice with strawberries.

Yumm...and summer begins!

Everything's easier in Dallas...

I am officially in Dallas.  

I am officially home.  This last couple of days has been very fun and exciting.  

I think I'm going to like it here....

Wanna see what I've been doing??

This is a chow chow.  If you didn't know it, Katie Tucker is living in Dallas this summer (her first Texas summer!  woo woo I hope she doesn't melt...)  Katie is living with a very sweet woman who I have yet to meet whom we lovingly refer to as "the widow", and a GIGANTIC chow chow named Tonka :)  Tonka is actually black, but I liked this picture.  

I spent the night at Katie's new house after we went to church on Sunday night, and I like Tonka but he kinda scares me.  These dogs are known to be very sweet, but also very aggressive and sometimes mean.  Not Tonka though.  Sweet as they come.

I'm going to turn into a couch potato this summer because of all the shows that are starting.  Last night we watched Jillian pick her batch of men that she will pick a husband from.  We love the pilot (jake), and Kiptyn.  Is anyone else as excited about So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) as I am???  That show premieres Thursday, and you better bet it will be entertaining.  

Other topics:  I am looking into taking Bickram Yoga this summer, anyone else??  

also...I have a good recipe for healthy ice cream pie that I will post soon. :) 

love ya.

Martha's Bloomers

We went to Martha's Bloomers today with bible study.  As you know I do love a good restaurant.  Have you ever been there?

It's a fun place to go with girls.  It's a gardening haven with a little tea room in the back that serves delicious chicken salad and iced tea.  We also had sample "shots" of tea in tiny tea cups with butterflies for handles.  Cute :)

I absolutely love the girls in my bible study and I will miss them so much!  Kelsey and I have been leading these girls since they were freshmen, and it has been such a blessing to learn about Philippians and then Daniel with them.  This all started because 2 girls decided to invest their time and wisdom into me and Kelsey and some other fun girls when we were freshmen and sophomores in hopes that we would learn and someday lead our own study and help more girls know Jesus more deeply in college.  Since then Kelsey and I have started our own study with three girls--Amanda, Lauren, and Kate.

We recently (almost finished!--we're going to finish over the summer) the Beth Moore study on Daniel.  I loved it.  If you want to read a book about a true man of God, and also learn a ton of crazy/awesome prophesy read Daniel!  And we loved doing it with the Beth Moore study.  I don't think I'd touched Daniel since I was in preschool learning about Daniel in the Lion's den.  Which is a really cool story, but there is so much more to his life!  He is a great example of a man who lived counter-culturally, and faced much persecution in his life because he feared the Lord.  Amazing! 

Tomorrow I will clean my room.  Deep clean.  I mean it this time.  I'm also going to find a place for my sister to live next year.  If anyone has any good College Station dorm/apartment suggestions please let me know!

love ya'll

Today I sat in bed all day long...

Today I woke up around 8 and literally did not get off of my bed until I went to the allergy doctor at 1.  :)  I don't know what's wrong with me, but lately I can't breathe very well, so I saw the doctor and he gave me some samples.  I hope that helps.  I think I just need an inhaler.

Tonight I went to dinner with my dear friend Holly.  Holly has been my very good friend for such a long time, I guess you could say our friendship blossomed when we were officers of the 9th grade drill team, had a common interest of shopping at Agasi, and thought we looked cool in braces.  We actually thought we looked cool all the time.

We didn't...

Anyways, now my dear Texas girl is planning to up and move to Boston to start married life with her new fiance, David.  I love talking with Holly about her plans.  Everything is so exciting right now.  Holly is literally about to be a wife, a teacher, and a northerner (eww).  Everything in her life is changing!  Everything in our lives is changing I guess.  I don't know how we got here.  Every time I talk with Holly I learn something from her.  As I was sitting across from her tonight at dinner I just kind of realized how important it is to maintain friendships.  There is really nothing more comforting nor healing than being with a person who knows you inside and out, and has for a long time.  My friends and I are all about to graduate and scatter all over the world, and I'm not very good at keeping in touch, but it's so important!  So i'm gonna try real hard.  Even more than that I guess I've just been learning to value people a whole lot more lately.

God puts all kinds of people in our lives for a reason.  We are made to live in community with people.  Heather Hendricks says that as believers, our unity points others to God (John 17:20).  So if this is the way we point others to God we better know each other deeply, and let people know us deeply.  I am so thankful to have friends who love me enough to know me.  Know what's going on inside of me.  I will strive to do that for people around me so that we may point to Jesus because of our unity.

By the way, I'm learning this stuff because I'm reading this blog: http://www.herhands.blogspot.com/.

If you are a girl you should read it.

I'll be floating the river tomorrow. :)  That sounds delightful!

Goodnight