Thoughts

One thing I really like about blogging is that it allows me to see how I've changed/not changed over time. I think I've mastered the art of stagnation, and even regression ;). I'm noticing a pattern in how I've been thinking lately, and it's a fairly negative one that I'd like to break. That's my late New Year's resolution, or I should say Life Resolution! It's something I'll have to work on every single day.

I read some verses this morning that opened my eyes a bit. I've read them before, but they spoke to me differently today...

When I was in high school my mom strongly suggested (ha!) that I read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. It was a little cheesy, and I think maybe parts of that book stuck with me subconsciously and (strangely, now many years later) somehow influenced the tone of these notes I just took...so bear with me, laugh even! I did :P.

This is just a basic and simplified (half-asleep) interpretation of these very wise verses. Basically, what I wrote to help me understand the meat of the real text.

If you've got something to add (or your own version of the 7 Habits, with more or less than 7 actual habits ;), please feel free to share. I'd love to hear it!

From 1 Corinthians 9...

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Running requires-

Pacing yourself: Realizing that Christ is your strength in the "race" but that you cannot exercise with what you do not have--and it takes time to develop strength and endurance to run long distances.

Training yourself: So that you are able to run long distances without tiring as easily as someone without training. This means, pushing yourself spiritually so that you are closer to God today than you were yesterday.

Staying hydrated: When you thirst, don't ignore it--seek God when you find yourself thirsting for other things to find satisfaction and fulfillment.

Health: Focus on being spiritually healthy. Choosing to be "healthy" is a daily thing. Exercise by memorizing scripture and understanding God's word. "Eat" the right things--take notice of your thoughts and how those thoughts are influenced by the things you take-in daily and what (or who) you surround yourself with (music, tv, movies, books, etc.) 2 Corinthians 10:5 and Philipians 4:8.

Don't take your eyes off the goal: Comparing yourself to other runners and/or seeking their approval will only slow you down. Focus on who you're running for and why you're running; don't run "aimlessly". Your goal is also to do better than you did yesterday. "Strike a blow to [your] body"--overcoming your own personal weaknesses with God's strength so that you can be an example to others, or "preach" by running a good race by the way you live.

Home

(A tree down our block, you see many things like this in Austin!)

There's a colorful city in the state of Texas where the streets are a little funkier. Funky because this city's mantra revolves around keeping it "weird". Let's put it this way, if Pee Wee Herman decided to pass up the Alamo and hop on his red bike for a quick trip a few miles north, he'd come here. I'm talking about good ol' Austin, TX, my home.

I also call California home, but this is my new home (though not so new anymore, really). Not a replacement, but another version of the real thing. Austin's where I went to college, asked all those complicated life questions during my awkward phase, and found out that life and happiness go hand in hand, after all. It's where I met myself...and my husband :)!

The nights still smell like maple syrup here, and why wouldn't they? I remember late night visits to the quirky cafe by my school, where I'd load up on tasty humongous gingerbread pancakes. My mom nicknamed it "The Tattoo Parlor" because she believed everyone there had one :). We'll be going with Mirabel one of these days (she won't have any tats, of course ;).

In this city, the hills really are alive with the sound of music. It is the Live Music Capitol of the World, and we're also smack-dab in the middle of the hill country. I've come to accept that I'm getting old because my playlist still includes the same tracks from my college days. They're songs from CDs I picked up from another place I'd visit more often than I should've: Cheapo. Don't let the name deceive you; I spent more money at this place than a teenager with 20 piercings shopping at Claire's... When I settle down here, more concerts are on the itinerary :).

Every time I move, I feel like I leave a little piece of myself behind. I didn't completely realize Austin was home until I moved to Boston and felt like I'd left more behind than starry nights. I wasn't the only one, which is why Jose and I could be seen clicking the heels of our boots together, chanting "there's no place like home" when we'd had our fill of Beantown's relentless winter storms.

Truthfully? We don't own boots :)...but this is our home. And now it's Mirabel's, too. See, she's enjoying a stroll around the block, one of the many we'll be taking the next 6 weeks we're home...

The future/Rambling

Downtown Houston from our apartment

I can't believe it's already June and tomorrow is my hubby's birthday! This summer is flying by, it's crazy. I think every day goes by faster than the last. A month into his internship and things couldn't be better for Jose, thanks to God, we've been blessed. We're staying in a cozy apartment, thanks to Jose's sister, and at the moment I really can't complain. But because time is flying by, I realize that I really need to figure out what I'm going to do with myself after Jose graduates from law school.

What do I mean by that? Well, I've been going back and forth, I've always been pretty indecisive, but I'm determined to go to art school of some kind (as if that narrows it down!). For awhile, I was so determined to go to culinary school, but then when I think about all of the other things I enjoy doing, I almost get a little sad that I won't be able to develop the other interests, at least academically/professionally. But whatever I decide to do, I know that at one point or another I would like to serve others too. This life isn't my own to live and I wouldn't feel right just pursuing my own interests without acknowledging the suffering that exists in the world.

I don't care much for the corporate world, and I always felt that if I was going to be some kind of professional other than an artist, I would like to be a teacher. So if I go to culinary school, I would like to offer culinary classes for financially struggling single moms who want to cook good meals for their kids but don't have the time. I'd also love to open up a restaurant (whether or not I attend culinary school) and I think it would be very cool if I could somehow dedicate one day a week, or every two weeks, to serving food to those who don't have much in the community (maybe have a free meal night or discount menu?). I still need to work out the details and I'm saying all of this pretty much ignorant of whether or not it'd be affordable, but I know I'd like to do something to this effect.

Oh Oh! And about the restaurant I want to open (if I go to culinary school), I'd like it to also be a music venue... and last night I told Jose that if I decided to just go to art school (to become an illustrator or graphic artist) I would still like to open up a gluten-free bakery/pancake house; maybe I could sell art there? There's already a gluten-free bakery in Austin that I like to visit called Wild Wood and they sell local art there, very fun place. I was able to swing by the place this past week when I went to Austin for a business meeting. The night before, we (the company) went out to eat at another restaurant on South Congress, where they serve a drink called a New Old Fashioned -- when I heard about it, I just knew I had to use it for a restaurant/bakery name!

KIDS! Yes, we'll find a way to squeeze those in too. Eventually we'd also like to adopt, kids and animals, we both feel that if you can afford it and you've got the love to give, then it's the right thing to do. I think I'd like to have 4 or 5 kids total, not sure how many of them will be adopted, we shall see...

I'm very scatterbrained. It's a good thing I like being busy because it sounds like that's what life's gonna be like these next few years :).