I have been craving my sister's wedding cake for the past 48 hours... Random craving I know, but, it was delisch and I love cake. Especially wedding cake. Anyway, my craving for cake has gotten me thinking about the old saying of "you can't have your cake and eat it too."
I think this is a dumb saying. It doesn't really even make all that much sense. I discussed this with my mama over breakfast this morning and she said it means that you can't have things two ways - as in you can't have the cake and eat it, because once you eat it, it's gone and you no longer have it. I think she also agrees this saying could use a little fine tuning.
Why would I want to have a cake and then not eat it? If it just sits there, it will dry out and not be delicious. Wasted. Cake is baked to be eaten. And as one who is NOT known for my baking skills, I think it is a serious waste to not capitalize on the opportunity to eat some cake. So I have revamped the old saying, I say go forth and enjoy life. Live well, be joyful, and when you have cake, eat it.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
take nothing for granted...
"take nothing for granted..." these were the closing words o' wisdom from Ryan Seacrest in the final seconds of tonight's (Tuesday, 3/1/11) American Idol, which featured the Top 12 guys in the competition.
Such profound words for Idol, and to think, its only the beginning. Ah, the fun that lies ahead... If only we could do for reality tv what Glee has done for Rhianna's "Umbrella-Ella-Ella-eh-eh-eh" and "Singin' in the Rain" by the peeps who sung in the rain - a mash up of epic proportion.
What's my reality tv mash-up dream? I'm so glad you asked... Chris Harrison, the cast of The Bachelor & Bachelor Pad must compete in America's Next Top Model, while ANTM contestants must compete in The Apprentice, while Apprentice contestants must move in with the cast of the "Real" Housewives from each city in which the alleged "housewives" live. They all must co-habitate in a house together, a la Big Brother, while competing to win the heart of Donald Trump via the world's most grueling singing competition and a 1 year contract to be the next Cover Girl. The winner receives a rose from Gillian of The Biggest Loser and is also invited to family dinner at the home of the Kardashian/Jenner family. All of this would of course be filmed at the same time and shown without commercials.
Let's face it, this would be quality reality television peeps... clearly this is not evoking even remotely substantial thought, but, for the sake of entertainment, what's your ideal reality mash up look like?
Such profound words for Idol, and to think, its only the beginning. Ah, the fun that lies ahead... If only we could do for reality tv what Glee has done for Rhianna's "Umbrella-Ella-Ella-eh-eh-eh" and "Singin' in the Rain" by the peeps who sung in the rain - a mash up of epic proportion.
What's my reality tv mash-up dream? I'm so glad you asked... Chris Harrison, the cast of The Bachelor & Bachelor Pad must compete in America's Next Top Model, while ANTM contestants must compete in The Apprentice, while Apprentice contestants must move in with the cast of the "Real" Housewives from each city in which the alleged "housewives" live. They all must co-habitate in a house together, a la Big Brother, while competing to win the heart of Donald Trump via the world's most grueling singing competition and a 1 year contract to be the next Cover Girl. The winner receives a rose from Gillian of The Biggest Loser and is also invited to family dinner at the home of the Kardashian/Jenner family. All of this would of course be filmed at the same time and shown without commercials.
Let's face it, this would be quality reality television peeps... clearly this is not evoking even remotely substantial thought, but, for the sake of entertainment, what's your ideal reality mash up look like?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Transparency
I have been thinking a lot about transparency lately.
About being totally true to who I am at all times in all situations.
It's harder than I expected it to be. Much harder.
Especially when who I am is so incredibly insufficient.
And it's easier than I expected it to be. Much easier. Because who I am IS so incredibly insufficient.
For a long time, I led a fragmented life. I wasn't intentionally deceitful, but it's fair to say that there were behaviors and aspects of my life that I choose not to advertise / fully disclose - especially to certain people. I wanted people to see how "good" I was, so I tried to highlight the "good" and in my mind, I kept things separate as a way to justify the rest of it. So I claimed the concept of leading a "balanced life" and I hung my hat on that lame justification for years.
Why did I ever want to balance eternal freedom in Christ with anything? It's a great question - and candidly, it's one I've asked myself a million times. It just seems so stupid to me now. So shortsighted. The truth is that I checked the "I'm a Christian" box for years. I believed in Jesus, I understood the magnitude of the sacrifice He made - His life for mine. I got how huge that was, and I claimed Him as my Savior. I claimed to trust in Him fully, and in most ways I did. But I opted out of surrender. I chose to commit my life to Christ on my terms, in my way, and I failed to surrender all aspects of me to all aspects of Him. I opted out because of fear. I opted out, and I suffered. I feared how surrender might materialize in my daily life. I feared that it might separate me from my friends, alienate me from them - what if I became irrelevant? I didn't want to become some goody goody bible beating dork. Satan knew that, and he used it against me. Satan tapped into my fear and mixed it with fun. A whole lot of fun. And he mixed that fun in with friends, close friends, friends that I love, which intensified the fear of becoming irrelevant to them. But as much fun as I had - and I had a lot - (for the record, I STILL have a lot of fun) - it wasn't enough. And as great as my friends are - and they are great - they weren't enough. Not even close. And I suffered as a result of my own unwillingness to let go of myself and live for the Lord I claimed to worship. I was blind. Blinded by my own selfishness to make my life all about me, to live it my way, on my terms, in my timing. I was an idiot.
And one day I woke up. One day my eyes were opened. Opened in a way they had never been open before.
And everything changed.
And it changed in a fabulous way. I found release. I found FREEDOM.
I surrendered.
I desired to live for more than myself - I desired to live for the Lord. I realized that if I truly believed what I claimed to believe as a "Christian," then my life couldn't be about me - it had to be all about Christ. It had to be for Christ - ALL of it. And why, seriously, why in the world, would I want to balance anything with the God of the Universe, my Savior, my maker, my redeemer, my heart? What on this earth could possibly be better than anything He has to offer me? Parties, status, friends, football, my social life, my family, my career, money, clothes, cars, houses - what of these things or which of these people could give me more than He can?
His least is so far above and beyond the world's best. It seems so clear to me now. So obvious, but it took me years to grasp this truth and attempt to live by it.
I no longer strive for balance. I strive to glorify Christ in all that I am and in all that I do - no more fragmentation. From my professional life to my personal life, its all out there on the table. I am completely defined - in all ways - by the Savior who has given me life. No matter where I am, no matter who I am with, no matter what I am doing - my desire is to seek His will over my own and to glorify Him.
Mind you, I fail at this. I fail daily, I fail hourly. I fail multiple times per minute. I fail because I am so insufficient. And I struggle. I struggle all the time.
I fail because as much as I desire to seek His will over my own and to glorify Him in all situations, I am still human. And I forget. My selfishness takes over, and I make my life all about me rather than about Him - and I fail.
And then, as He always does, He gently reminds me that I have strayed. He helps me see that I have pulled away from Him, and have once again attempted to make it about me. He forgives, He redeems, He fills the emptiness in my soul that can only be filled by the one who created it. And I am consumed with joy. Joy that can not be swayed. Joy that can not be taken away from me. In the midst of confusion, lack of understanding, anger, frustration, even deep, deep sadness, I am consumed with a peaceful, freeing joy that can only come from Him. A joy that is the result of surrender, daily, minute by minute surrender. Surrender that allows me to know that I am completely His and not at all mine. It's funny, that fear I had of becoming irrelevant to my friends - I didn't - at least not the ones that were really my friends. And my fear of becoming a bible beating goody goody - well, that hasn't exactly materialized either - but the truth is, thump thump. Bring it on. How blessed I would be to spend so much time with the Lord that He brings me to a place where He is all I desire and the only words I speak are His words. Seriously, what an incredible blessing.
Which brings me back to transparency. To my desire to live a real life, a life that is glorifying to God in all ways, all places, and all times. To be held accountable for my failures, for my inadequacies, for the areas in my life where I struggle - because now I know what it means to have a full abundant life - I know what it's like because it's my reality. It's my life. It's my life because my life is not my own, and in giving myself away, I have been given so much more.
"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:2
About being totally true to who I am at all times in all situations.
It's harder than I expected it to be. Much harder.
Especially when who I am is so incredibly insufficient.
And it's easier than I expected it to be. Much easier. Because who I am IS so incredibly insufficient.
For a long time, I led a fragmented life. I wasn't intentionally deceitful, but it's fair to say that there were behaviors and aspects of my life that I choose not to advertise / fully disclose - especially to certain people. I wanted people to see how "good" I was, so I tried to highlight the "good" and in my mind, I kept things separate as a way to justify the rest of it. So I claimed the concept of leading a "balanced life" and I hung my hat on that lame justification for years.
Why did I ever want to balance eternal freedom in Christ with anything? It's a great question - and candidly, it's one I've asked myself a million times. It just seems so stupid to me now. So shortsighted. The truth is that I checked the "I'm a Christian" box for years. I believed in Jesus, I understood the magnitude of the sacrifice He made - His life for mine. I got how huge that was, and I claimed Him as my Savior. I claimed to trust in Him fully, and in most ways I did. But I opted out of surrender. I chose to commit my life to Christ on my terms, in my way, and I failed to surrender all aspects of me to all aspects of Him. I opted out because of fear. I opted out, and I suffered. I feared how surrender might materialize in my daily life. I feared that it might separate me from my friends, alienate me from them - what if I became irrelevant? I didn't want to become some goody goody bible beating dork. Satan knew that, and he used it against me. Satan tapped into my fear and mixed it with fun. A whole lot of fun. And he mixed that fun in with friends, close friends, friends that I love, which intensified the fear of becoming irrelevant to them. But as much fun as I had - and I had a lot - (for the record, I STILL have a lot of fun) - it wasn't enough. And as great as my friends are - and they are great - they weren't enough. Not even close. And I suffered as a result of my own unwillingness to let go of myself and live for the Lord I claimed to worship. I was blind. Blinded by my own selfishness to make my life all about me, to live it my way, on my terms, in my timing. I was an idiot.
And one day I woke up. One day my eyes were opened. Opened in a way they had never been open before.
And everything changed.
And it changed in a fabulous way. I found release. I found FREEDOM.
I surrendered.
I desired to live for more than myself - I desired to live for the Lord. I realized that if I truly believed what I claimed to believe as a "Christian," then my life couldn't be about me - it had to be all about Christ. It had to be for Christ - ALL of it. And why, seriously, why in the world, would I want to balance anything with the God of the Universe, my Savior, my maker, my redeemer, my heart? What on this earth could possibly be better than anything He has to offer me? Parties, status, friends, football, my social life, my family, my career, money, clothes, cars, houses - what of these things or which of these people could give me more than He can?
His least is so far above and beyond the world's best. It seems so clear to me now. So obvious, but it took me years to grasp this truth and attempt to live by it.
I no longer strive for balance. I strive to glorify Christ in all that I am and in all that I do - no more fragmentation. From my professional life to my personal life, its all out there on the table. I am completely defined - in all ways - by the Savior who has given me life. No matter where I am, no matter who I am with, no matter what I am doing - my desire is to seek His will over my own and to glorify Him.
Mind you, I fail at this. I fail daily, I fail hourly. I fail multiple times per minute. I fail because I am so insufficient. And I struggle. I struggle all the time.
I fail because as much as I desire to seek His will over my own and to glorify Him in all situations, I am still human. And I forget. My selfishness takes over, and I make my life all about me rather than about Him - and I fail.
And then, as He always does, He gently reminds me that I have strayed. He helps me see that I have pulled away from Him, and have once again attempted to make it about me. He forgives, He redeems, He fills the emptiness in my soul that can only be filled by the one who created it. And I am consumed with joy. Joy that can not be swayed. Joy that can not be taken away from me. In the midst of confusion, lack of understanding, anger, frustration, even deep, deep sadness, I am consumed with a peaceful, freeing joy that can only come from Him. A joy that is the result of surrender, daily, minute by minute surrender. Surrender that allows me to know that I am completely His and not at all mine. It's funny, that fear I had of becoming irrelevant to my friends - I didn't - at least not the ones that were really my friends. And my fear of becoming a bible beating goody goody - well, that hasn't exactly materialized either - but the truth is, thump thump. Bring it on. How blessed I would be to spend so much time with the Lord that He brings me to a place where He is all I desire and the only words I speak are His words. Seriously, what an incredible blessing.
Which brings me back to transparency. To my desire to live a real life, a life that is glorifying to God in all ways, all places, and all times. To be held accountable for my failures, for my inadequacies, for the areas in my life where I struggle - because now I know what it means to have a full abundant life - I know what it's like because it's my reality. It's my life. It's my life because my life is not my own, and in giving myself away, I have been given so much more.
"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:2
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