The adventures of Thanksgiving preparation

I dropped a jar of sweet pickles in the kitchen last night. Allow me to tell the FULL story.
In preparation for the Thanksgiving grocery shopping that will happen later today we cleaned out the fridge last night. We have quite a system down: I pull things out of the fridge and attempt to identify them. If it is easily identified and dated and shows no signs of aging, back in the fridge it goes. If an item does not pass this inspection it goes on the counter to be disposed of properly. My dad proceeds to dump these sometimes unidentifiable items down the disposal as he wrinkles his nose and holds his breath. My mom, due to a serious case of a weak stomach, stays on the other side of the kitchen and sometimes out of the room and helps me properly identify and date these items as best she can; from a safe distance of course.

In the process of cleaning out the fridge, we discoved an odd liquid in the bottom of the fruit and vegetable drawer. Not fully knowing where this came from (although my money is on the bag of salad that had completely turned to green mush) we felt it necessary for the drawer to be removed and washed out. Because the side of the fridge is up against a wall the door doesn't open as far as it could. So, the only way to get the drawer out of the fridge is to remove one of the shelves in the door. My dad, without thinking, picks up the shelve with the items still on it and quickly realizes that the shelve has a front and 2 sides, but no back. I rush to the rescue and start pulling things off the shelve before they start falling. We manage to sucessfully get the shelf to the closest counter without dropping anything. Correction, my dad manages to get the shelf to the counter without dropping anything. He then proceeds to wrestle with the drawer. I realize that the place where the shelf is now sitting is the very place where the drawer will need to be when it is removed. So in a stroke of brilliance I pick up the shelf, full of it's contents, and begin to move it to another counter space.

Let's pause this story here.... this is the part where any normal human being would say "Hey, take the stuff off the shelf first! Don't pick up the full shelf, you'll drop it all." But I guess I'm not that normal. I didn't think about this option until the jar of sweet pickels was on the way to its doom. That's right, I picked up the shelf, contents and all, and attempted to carry them all at once to the other side of the kitchen. Next thing I know, the jar of pickles is broken in a million pieces, the hershys syrup bottle lay broken and managed to fling chocolate syrup across the cabinet doors on the way down, a can of bread lay dented and soaking in pickle juice, and the dog was wide awake and insisted on exploring the mess. And I was left holding a shelf with the lone survivor, the blessed coffee creamer. (God must have remembered my addiction to coffee when He spared the coffee creamer from doom and destruction. I'm thanking Him today for the creamer as I sit here sipping my coffee.)

I stood there for a second staring at the chaos thinking "I haven't made a mess like this since the espresso cheese cake masacare of '08... and I'm standing here in socks." So I dashed off to get shoes, and begin tackling the mess. My dad and I picked up the pickles and glass while my mom retained the dog. Neither of which were an easy task. Once we cleaned up most of the juice and the large pieces of glass we came to two conclusions. One, that the floor needed a good cleaning with the swiffer wet jet and two, that the bread must be cooked immediately or thrown out. We opted for cooking.

Now, I'm not sure if you've ever smelled sweet pickles before, but if you haven't you're really not missing much. They have a very distinct sweet smell, but mixed with the pickle smell it doesn't smell appetizing at all. Now imagine your house smelling like pickles. Now imagine your house smelling like sour pickles. (I don't even know if that's possible but just go with me here.) Now add the smell of swiffer wet jet (or insert other cleaning supply smells here). Interesting smell for sure. But it gets better, the story doesn't end here my friends! Oh no, it goes on!!

So I decided to bake the bread while my dad was "swiffering" the floor. I opened the can of bread (similar to a can of biscuits or cinnamon rolls) and the thing practically exploded in my hands. I jumped and let out a little yelp. As I opened the container I realized the bread didn't have the same consistancy of normal bread. It was like it didn't have enough flour in it. It was a little gooey. I checked the date only to realize that it was past it's prime by 7 months! Ew!! I went to show my mom the mess and by the time I made it across the house the bread goo had begun oozing out of the container. So, no canned bread with our leftover dinner. Fortunately I was able to contain the goo long enough to get it in the trash can. One more disaster safely avoided.

Among the things left in the fridge was a loaf of french bread that also needed to be baked. This was our original plan before the pickle disaster and now we're back to it. So, in the bread goes, which adds another odd smell to the kitchen. Not to mention the leftovers that were heated up soon afterward.

The evening became much less eventful through dinner and watching tv afterward. That is until my dad took the dog out. She's been sick lately and pooped all over the porch. And my dad stepped in it. This normally wouldn't be a problem except that he did know he stepped in. We just had the carpets professionally cleaned a couple of weeks ago and we've been working to keep them clean. So we were all a little frustrated when he tracked it across the house before he even knew it was there.

I also found out that after I went to bed the dog threw up all over the carpet. What a night!!! I'm glad it's over and we're on to a new day. Hopefully today will be calmer. Although we are planning on going to the grocery store today at 5 for all our Thanksgiving shopping. Are we insane for going at 5 when the whole world is there? Oh well... maybe I'll have another adventure to blog about tomorrow!


In other news I wrote a Thanksgiving carol for my sister today. It's to the tune of "Oh Christmas Tree"

O turkey leg! O turkey leg!
How juicy art thou turkey leg.
O turkey leg! O turkey leg!
How juicy art thou turkey leg.

You give me warmth in my belly.
Your tryptophan makes me sleepy.
I dream of you through out the year.
I can't believe the time is near.

O turkey leg! O turkey leg!
How juicy art thou turkey leg.
O turkey leg! O turkey leg!
How juicy art thou turkey leg.

Letter Press at iDiY

So I've been thinking about setting up my own blog for design purposes. So I've spent a good portion of the afternoon looking at different blogs. So dangerous! I'm looking at all of these ideas and thinking, "oh good Christmas idea!" but then I have no clue who to give it to. Anyway, that's not the point of this blog. The point is that I came across this one site: iDiY and they have a letter press giveaway. I'm totally pumped about the idea of having my own letter press. My mind is just going 90 to nothing with ideas of what to do first. Anyway, one of the ways you can win this letter press is by blogging about it. So here is the blog about the letter press and what a great Christmas present this would be. Woohoo!!!

Brutal honesty

I'm sitting here at the computer feeling completely heart broken. Indiana was not what I expected. The job was great, the weather was perfect, and the kids are adorable. But being here is not working. After many exchanges of e-mails with my brother and his gf this week, I decided I had worn out my welcome and it was time I moved on. It breaks my heart to leave. It breaks my heart to know that the kids have to sort through another disappointment. And it breaks my heart that I have become a point of tension within the house. Yet, the fact remains that it is. My hands are tied from helping in the ways I long to help, and I can do nothing about it.
After 4 hours of sleep last night I went in to work and promptly went to talk with my boss. He was gracious to understand the situation. He could see in my eyes that I was done, that I was ready to leave today if possible and that I was miserable. So I finished out the day, announced that I was heading back to Texas and cleaned out my desk. I have never cried so much in a 24 hour period as I have since yesterday evening.
I feel that I have given up. I feel that I have failed. I feel that I have been beating against the air. I am tired. I am confused. And I ache for home. I feel that I am caught in the middle of a bad dream and no matter how hard I try I can't wake up. I can't leave it. And what breaks my heart more is that even though I can walk away from it, I can go home and "move on," the kids can't. They didn't ask for this. They didn't choose it. And yet they know nothing else. This is their life. And I can't help but feeling selfish for leaving them here.
It makes me mad. It makes me want to cry. (Okay, I already am crying) It makes me want to throw things. It makes me want to scream. But I resolve to cry to God. To take my pain to the cross and let the blood of the Lamb cover it all. One day it will all be washed anew. One day we will see God's glory here. But in the mean time it's confusing. And I don't understand it.

A few days ago Grace drew me some pictures for me to decorate my office with. Yesterday I was pulling them out of my bag to hang up and came across an old poem/prayer that I wrote last semester. It was in reflection of Exodus 17 where God made water flow from a rock.


Lord, we cry out to You:
"Are You in our midst?"
We look and we do not find.
We search and we come up empty.
We are thirsty;
There is no water.
We are weary;
There is no rest.

Yet, you remain.
You always remain.
Faithful, true, just.
And let us not forget Your grace.
Your grace –
That turns rock into water.
Your grace –
That gives rest to weary souls.
Remind us again
That You always remain in our midst.


I am amazed at how many times I find God right where I don't expect Him. Right where I need Him most. And right where my heart is longing the most. I've learned recently to find God in the little things. The hugs from a 4 year old arms at the end of a long day. The laughter of a 6 year old enthralled with the beauty of a flower. The compassionate hearts of coworkers. A boyfriend and family who have listened to me cry over the phone at all hours of the night.
And yet, I'm at a loss of words when I realize that God's provision did not start in me seeing those things. God's provision for now began long before I could even conceive the need. I am suddenly reminded that this is not about me. It is not about what I can do or currently do for the kingdom, God, or even myself. But it is how God is forming all things – things long ago and things present for His glory. He is not finished here. (He keeps reminding me of this.) He is making ALL things new. And it is not my job to make them new, it is simply my job to sit at the feet of the King and gaze into His magnificent eyes. He will do the rest.

So, be encouraged all you who are weary. Be encouraged all you who are lonely. God is a God of redemption. A God of salvation. And a God of joy. Let us rest and enjoy those today.

Until He comes or calls.

TOMORROW

Alright, so things are changing quickly around here. The past couple days have been a whirlwind of activity! I finally heard back about the job - I start on Monday! Woohoo!!!! It's full time for 2 weeks... sortof a trial run. Assuming that things are running well by the end of those two weeks, I'll move into a part time position with the intention of moving back into a permanent full time position soon.

On top of all of that, we're also moving tomorrow. It seems like the days have just flown by. I can't believe it's already here, and yet it couldn't have gotten here any faster. Tonight is my last night sleeping on the futon and sharing a bathroom with everyone! Hopefully moving will go without a hitch and I will be well rested and ready to go for Monday. 

Alright, I guess that's all for now. Back to the packing for me. I've been packing non stop for 2 days now and it just keeps going. Oh well. tomorrow is it. :) 

Until Jesus comes or calls.

Waiting

So I haven't updated this in a while now. Sorry for the delay. 

Things here are crazy. I am actually up in Indiana now. Living with my brother.... still in the old house. (We move on Saturday and it can't get here soon enough.)

Things here are MUCH different than I expected. Much harder. At first I was wondering if I was cut out to do this. I'm realizing more and more that I am not, but He is. He is the one who enables me with the strength for today and the perseverance for tomorrow. I am continually being refined as He asks me to serve and love in ways that stretch even the core of who I am. I am realizing that it is no longer about me. God has something so much more in mind and I can't wait to see the full glory of it one day. 

I still haven't heard back about the job. I've had 2 phone interviews and an in person interview. All of them led to me thinking that I would be hired quickly. Only to find out the only answer I have is to wait. And continue waiting. I was told I would hear something early tomorrow. Hopefully they will follow through with their word. I think in the midst of it thought, I've seen that God is working. I've been questioning if this is where I need to be and where He wants me to be. I've considered moving back home and just saying that it was not what I was expecting and we were all better of with me elsewhere. But I don't think I could do that to the kids. They've had enough people move out on them that they don't need someone else to say that they are not enough to make one stay. Indeed, they are not, but He in them is. How do you explain to a 4 year old that your agenda is more important than theirs? How can you not love a child that has never had a mother?

Some part of me wonders if the job thing can't come through until I know for certain that this is where I need to be and should be. I'm growing more certain of it every day. Every day I meet new challenges. Where is the line between being a servant and being taken advantage of? And how do you humbly and gracefully stand up for yourself and your beliefs? I'm not sure what the answer is to these things but I know the One who does.  I am finding that around every corner is another reason to cling to Him more. To forget myself, to forget my past, to forget my regrets, and cling wholly and stedfast to the arms of Christ. 

Until Jesus comes or calls.

Possible job! :)

Alright, it's almost 2 and I'm exhausted. BUT I couldn't wait to share the news. I got a phone call this afternoon from a design company in Indiana that is looking to hire a graphic designer and wants to interview me. AHHH!!!! :) A mutual friend sent them my portfolio back in April and they weren't hiring at the time, but now they're looking to replace someone and he thought of me, went the the trouble of contacting him, and then my brother before he got my phone number. Why he didn't have it in the first place, I don't know.
Anyway, the company is great. It's a small Christian company. And, get this, their mission statement is "Love God. Love people. Love design." The first time I went to their website I cried because I wanted to work at a place like that. It is my heart for design and for ministry: that the two should be so interconnected that there is no way to separate one from the other.
So I have a casual phone interview on Thursday at 9:30 and then a real interview once I move up there. I can't wait!! If you get the chance you should check out their website: www.gotobig.com
Okay, it really is bed time now. I can hardly see straight between being tired and having contacts that need to come out. I'll post more when I know more.

Until Jesus comes or calls.

Oh the adventures of cooking in the Barnett house!!

So my mom had to try out a Baked Alaska recipe for sunday school this week. We figured, "hey, baked alaska.... can't be too hard. Pound cake, ice cream, and meringue." We even decided to just buy the pound cake and the ice cream, so all we had to make was the meringue. But the catch was that the recipe for the meringue was totally different. The first time we made it the meringue was too watery and slid right off the top of the ice cream. So, it looked horrible, but tasted fine. The second attempt we used a different recipe, and it looked great and baked wonderfully. It looked so amazing when we took it out of the oven. But something went wrong with the meringue and it tasted so bitter. My sister's fiance thought it tasted like lemon meringue. But oh no, there was no lemon anywhere to be found.
So we tried a third time. This time a completely different recipe. No cream of tarter, more sugar, and less vanilla. Surely this one would work. Again, it looked great, and it didn't taste AS bad. But still something about it wasn't right. Turns out it was the vanilla. Who knew vanilla could go bad, but apparently it does. The first recipe tasted good because it had no vanilla. So now we've got the recipe down and the Baked Alaska is ready to go for next Sunday. Hopefully nothing like our experience will happen for the kids in Sunday School.

I get a verse of the day in my inbox every morning. It's usually something encouraging and beneficial to start my day with. The other day I opened the e-mail to find Isaiah 52:7 "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news." Every time I read this verse I am reminded of a song I was introduced to at Beltway based on the verse.
Here are the lyrics:

How lovely on
the mountains are the feet of Him
Who brings good news, good news;
Anouncing peace,
proclaiming news of happiness,
Our God reigns, our God reigns

Our God reigns, our God reigns!
Our God reigns, our God reigns!

He had no stately form, He had no majesty
That we should be drawn to Him.
He was despised and we took no account of Him.
Our God reigns, our God reigns!

Our God reigns, our God reigns!
Our God reigns, our God reigns!

Out of the tomb
He came with grace and majesty;
He is alive, He’s alive.
God loves us so,
see here His hands, His feet, His side
Yes, we know He’s alive.

Our God reigns, our God reigns!
Our God reigns, our God reigns!

My memories of this song are sweet. It is such a great reminder that through all and in all our God reigns! It no longer matters what trial, obstacle, or hurdle I face - I know that my God reigns. He reigns over all the earth. He reigns over all situations. He reigns over all decisions. And he reigns over my heart. It is here that I find the ability to surrender. It is here that I can finally let go of all the things I so closely cling to. All that I have convinced myself that I NEED to hold onto. I find comfort in knowing that it is no longer I who has control but Him. All I have to do is walk in it. It's quite an oxymoron that in order to find control and order in our lives we first have to surrender all of our control. But the wisdom of the cross is foolishness.
There is nothing more intimate about our walk with Jesus than saying "Jesus I trust you to be the Maker of my day, the Maker of my joy, and the Maker of my peace" and to actually wholeheartedly mean what you say. It is His glory for us to walk this out daily. And His glory to cover us with grace when we don't.
Here I am challenged to lay down my agenda. My desires to find a specific kind of job, to work at this kind of place or be involved with that kind of church....... Jesus wants more for me that to find a good job. Even the right job or church or town or whatever. Jesus is calling, beckoning me to know Him better. to walk closer with Him today, right now. To find my joy, my satisfaction, all my comfort in Him.
May we all chose this. May we all come running, walking, crawling, or even falling before Him because we want more of Him. We have to know Him deeper. We need Him, dare, we even want and LONG for Him. He is our life-sustainer.

Graduation weekend

So it's official! I'm done with school and graduation is over. My family came in on Friday to help me pack and move and of course, go to graduation. When they came they brought a wonderful surprise - my brother! I was told that he wouldn't be able to make it to graduation because it would be too much to fly in for that as well as my sister's wedding this summer. Practically everyone I knew was in on the surprise. It was so good to have the whole family there, as well as my mentor since middle school. Packing and such was crazy. I still am not really sure how we managed to get everything packed into our cars. But somehow it all worked.

Sunday my dad, brother, and I drove to Dallas to see Rent. I've never been to see anything on Broadway, so I was pumped and my brother LOVES Rent so he was excited too. During intermission we were invited down to the Executive office downstairs and got to meet the president of the Dallas Summer Musicals. During conversation I mentioned that I was a graphic design major... or rather now I should say I'm a Graphic Designer since I'm no longer in school. Anyway, he wants me to send him my resume so he can pass it on to people in Dallas that are hiring. Very flattering indeed. The whole time I was just hoping I wouldn't do something stupid like spill my drink all over the place. :) Luckily that didn't happen.

So now I'm back home. It hasn't really hit yet that I'm done with school and I won't be going back soon. Or that I won't have tons of homework waiting for me after the break. None of that seems real yet. All I know is that I have a room full of stuff that needs to be sorted through and repacked so it can be put into a storage unit and a job that still has yet to be found. I'm not sure things will ever slow down. But they will change, that's for sure.

Alright, I don't have all of the graduation pictures up yet. They weren't all taken with my camera. So there are still many more that haven't been added to my computer. But of the ones I do have.... here's a few.














Graduation Dinner on Friday and Graduation Ceremony

Me and Sam and All Three of the Siblings




















Me and Michelle being silly... what a shocker.... :)
And my brother..... well.... let's just say that he told all his friends back in Indiana that he was going to Texas to get an honorary degree in Theoretical Physics. So he stole my robe and cap. Good times, good times! :)

Well, I'm about to take my last final.... crazy thought. All of Michelle's family is here and helping pack. It's a little intense to have that many people in your apartment sorting through your things and none of those people being your family. My family should be here soon... by the time I'm done with my last final hopefully. Between Michelle's family and my family we have 17 people that will be helping us move. And then tomorrow we'll have somewhere around 30 people going to graduation. It's a little insane. But also very exciting.
A couple of weeks ago I found a perfect excuse to do some senior portraits. We were making a self-promo piece for our portfolio class. So I got all dressed up and we took close to 300 pictures. I'll spare you all the ones where my eyes are closed or my face is blurry. But here are a couple of the really cute ones. :) Enjoy!!
























Alright, I'm off to take my last final... more like turn in the last project, clean out my locker and all my stuff from the art building... and then go eat lunch. Graduation pictures will be uploaded once I have some to upload. :)

It's been too long...

So the last time I posted I was still talking about going to France after the summer. Now.... not so much. God seems to have something slightly closer to home (and much closer to my heart) in mind.
Graduation is just around the corner and while I'm excited and ready for the next chapter, I'm finding each day that I'm not exactly ready to move on either. I am currently still looking for a job up in Ft. Wayne. So far every company is saying the same thing: "you have a great portfolio, but unfortunately we're not hiring right now." So we'll see what happens. I'm looking forward to being home for a bit before I head up there. A little time to be with family, to rest and intently seek God in preparation for moving up there.
Alright, I've got class in 10 min. and I'm still eating lunch. :) I can't wrap my mind around the fact that it's the last day of classes.... weird.