The Power of Chocolate

I like food a lot. No, let me rephrase that. I LOVE food!
As I've been on the search to define myself, one of the things that's stood out is my love for food. Really, I should be a chef. In fact, if I'm ever forced to make something besides mac-and-cheese and instant oatmeal I probably will learn to love cooking. I will also weigh seven hundred pounds by the time I'm thirty-five. But I will be the happiest seven hundred pound woman in the world.
Food is probably one of strongest, if not the strongest, motivator in my life. A close second to that is sleep. Hardly anything can make me leave the comfort of my covers in the morning if I'm determined to stay there, but if someone utters the words, "chocolate chip pancakes," there is a battle inside me fiercer than two ladies fighting for the last pair of pumps on Black friday. Food usually wins. I will endure practically anything to get good food. I could have no interest in a meeting whatsoever but if I hear the word "refreshments" suddenly that meeting sounds oh-so-appealing! In fact, I don't know why I'm posting this on the internet because now people will know how to manipulate me into doing whatever they want! It's probably a really good thing no strangers ever offered me candy when I was a kid.
I've thought long and hard about this aspect of my personality and have come to the conclusion that I love food simply because it makes me happy. Food is associated with practically every good memory I have. Birthdays, weddings, graduations, recitals, family dinners, Sunday dinners, get togethers with friends, lunch in school, breakfasts with Dad, floor outings in college, Movie theaters, Baseball games, baby Showers, church events, family picnics, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, carnivals, Halloween, etc, etc, etc! Really! Is there anything good that DOESN't involve food? Clearly food = happiness.
So while I know that staying healthy is important, and I've learned some tips to make sure I don't always eat too much (like don't keep candy in you dorm room), I've decided that eating food is great and I'm going to enjoy it!
As Truett Cathy says, "Food is essential to life. Therefore, make it good."

(I saw that quote on the wall of a Chick-Fil-A.I don't know where or when.)

Who are you?

Identity - the state or fact of remaining the same one or ones, as under varying aspects or conditions.

If someone asked you who you are what would you say? Probably your name, but say they ask what defines you. What would you say? How do people describe you?

"She's artistic," "He's really nice," "She's beautiful," "He smells bad."

For most of my life the answer to that question has been "she's an athlete." Since before I can remember I have played sports. From mini-league soccer to in-house basketball to high school teams. I've always played sports and I've never questioned that. It's just what I do. However, in recent years I've started to question this aspect of my identity. Why am I an athlete? Do I want to be an athlete?

The questioning came to a climax this year. For the first time in my life I chose not to play a sport, specifically basketball. Frankly, I'm scared to death. Since middle school I have been a basketball player, that's how people know me. It gives people something to talk about when they meet me. Guys will come up to me and ask how basketball's going, even if we barely know each other. It's a point of connection. It's a place where I know I will be accepted.

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But recently it's as though God has been pointing out this weakness in my life. I am so dependent on sports, on being an athlete, that I don't know who I am without them. God is drawing me towards Him, asking me to find my identity in Him. I'm excited, but nervous at the same time. What if I don't like who I am apart from basketball? What if other people don't like me? Who am I?

For the next nine months I will be on a journey to discover who I am. Hopefully I will be able to write about it as I learn, and hopefully I will discover that I am someone I can live with. For better or for worse, here I go!

So, what have I learned so far? It's been about two weeks since I decided not to play basketball. So far I've learned:

1. I am a girl. I know that seems obvious, but I've discovered that I like being a girl. I love the color pink and wearing dresses and decorating my room with flowers and buying new clothes. I'm not a tom-boy and I'm not a valley girl, I'm just a girl. And I enjoy that fact.

2. I like creating things. I love writing stories, making decorations for my room and announcement posters for the girls on my floor, making up songs on the piano, and making things out of cardboard.

3. I am a Christian. I read the Bible, I go to church, I volunteer for Awana, I pray.

4. I am a wishy-washy Jesus follower. I want to follow Jesus and have an intimate relationship with him, but more times than not I do what I want instead of obeying him. I tend to put him last instead of first on my priority list, finishing all my other tasks before spending time with him.

Total Tally: 3 good, 1 bad

Music: The universal language...well, that and sports.

I believe that music is one of God's greatest gifts to His creation. I mean, really, where would we be without music? There would be no musicals, no concerts, no bands, no worship songs, no radios, no mp3s, no singing in the rain or gettin' jiggy wit it. No lullabies, no pianos or guitars, no Phantom of the Opera, no Jackson 5, no prom, no awkward middle school dances, no blasting the music with your windows down, no disco, and certainly no shawty fire burnin' on the dance floor.

Ok, so maybe the world wouldn't be too bad without some of those things...

But there would definitely be a huge hole missing from the world without music. No matter how picky you are about which style/band/artist/genre of music you like, there is something out there for everyone. I mean, even if you can't find anything you like you can write your own!

Although I understand that certain types of music aren't for everyone, I don't think I will ever understand people who limit themselves to one type of music, or one artist or band. I know that there are limitless possibilities as far as music goes, but I generally believe that I have a pretty diverse taste for music. I can listen to practically anything and enjoy it! I mean anything! I wouldn't have it any other way.

Limiting yourself to one kind of music is like choosing to eat only cheesecake. Although cheesecake is a delicious dessert, a person would miss out on the fabulousness of ice cream sundaes, cookies, cake, pie, candy, and everything else sweet! Eating cheesecake would make you happy alright, but not when compared to a life filled with eating brownies and ice cream with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and a big, red juicy cherry on top IN ADDITION to the cheesecake!! Granted, you might be a little fatter... but I'm taking this analogy too far. And I'm getting hungry.

Anyway, I would just like to challenge any people out there who have become set in their ways in the realm of music to branch out and try something new. You never know what might surprise you. But in the meantime, if you can't bring yourself to break out of your well-worn rut, just take time to thank God for the opportunity to put your hands together, slide to the left, mash potatoes, shake it all about, doci-doe, get down tonight, shake your groove thing, play that funky music, and walk it by yourself. After all, where would the world be without them?