step one: preheat oven 350° - 400°F

everytime i feel the urge to bake something, i get all excited, get everything ready and and all set to have my tasty treats in a comparitively short amount of time, and then bam, i forgot to preheat the oven. so my muffin batter or cookie dough or whatever it may be, has to wait another good twenty minutes until the oven gets up to a piping hot 350 - 400 degrees. but then again, although i have to wait longer, the results are still very yummy, and very worth the extra wait.

I wish the whole world, or at least the greater triad area was an oven and then I could set the temperature. But of course it would have to work in reverse, because I'd set it to about 15 degrees farenheit. That way, it would be so cold we wouldn't have to worry about this freezing rain nonsense, or even sleeting nonsense. We could have a beautiful pristine blanket of snow carpeting the landscape, and I could drive to Jamestown and see my love. He came home this weekend, and we had high hopes of a wonderful saturday together, but alas, after about an hour of driving around in the snow and taking pictures at some pretty, snow-blanketed churches in High Point, the dreaded call came. "Lauren, the roads are getting bad, you need to come home now. click." So Davey and I turned around and headed for Greensboro, then he drove my car back to his house after being summoned home. But now of course, he gets to drive around after dark... ah well, I just wish he would come and see me. But its alright : ) He is busy having fun in J'town and I'm going to get busy building a fire, watching movies with my parents and then cooking my biscuits, as soon as the oven preheats of course. : )

i got canned heat in my heels tonight

ok so i got like three complaints about not updating lately, but i've just been so busy being amazed by life and God, its hard to squeeze in time for an update. but things have definitely taken a huge upward turn since my last entry, and i'm definitely on a slow but sure upward climb. so its not an easy climb, but its definitely getting better. God has revealed a whole new part of Himself to me lately, and i just feel like i've reached a whole new level, its so exciting and i just can't wait to find out more. i've grown a lot in the last month. i'm reading mere christianity and its quite good, c.s. lewis makes me smile for sure. i'm really beginning to see God in so much more of life and He just feels so much closer to me, all the time, my constant companion. its such a comfort to know we aren't alone in this life. and needless to say, haha, i can't wait for college. i love you guys, all of you. : )

the threads were just left hanging

hmm... i know i feel like updating, but the topic of this update has yet to be discovered. i had planned to make it to bed at a reasonable hour this evening, but, once again my mind just won't let me, crazy thing. i guess any hour can be considered reasonable, it just depends on what you are doing. but, whatever, tomorrow is my last day to sleep in for a very long time and i plan to make the most of it. the thought of school bearing down on me is almost enough to make me cry. what about school is so miserable? i guess the fact that i know exactly what is coming, and its nothing too grand. one semester left. just one. maybe then i can get some freedom. ever feel like you're trapped inside one of those invisible fences? and you just never are sure when you are about to cross the line, but suddenly you do and zap, it hurts and no one is happy, most of all, not you. i find out whether i'm into college in 28 days. but i know i'm in, the question lies in the money, which is essentially what will dictate my final decision. the tough thing is that i think i know how the money situation will turn out, and i'm none to happy about it. its in God's hands though. and He of anyone knows what He's doing, so i'd rather leave it up to Him anyway. i think one of the worst feelings in the world is dread, and for whatever reason, i'm totally overwhelmed by it. i've so often tried to lived day by day, moment by moment, but is that really very practical? i guess i'm just too down to earth. actually no, i feel more like a dreamer who has been chained to the earth. i always look ahead to whats coming, base decisions on numerous other factors, weigh consequences, but why can't i just live? for some reason i feel like that impossible for me. at least right now it seems to be. i dont know, i have no idea. all i keep thinking is that everything will be better once i'm 18, once i graduate, once something big happens. but will it? Dear God, I hope it does. what am i doing wrong to make myself so miserable? i just dont understand. i dont understand much right now. i do understand some things and thats a big consolation. i think i'd go crazy if i knew nothing, but its impossible for humans to know absolutely nothing, that makes me glad. i'm just so anxious and i absolutely abhor that feeling. hopefully it'll get better, i'm praying it does. in the mean time i guess life isn't so terrible, i just feel like crap a lot of the time, i dont get it. i probably shouldnt post any of this, but who cares? not many people read this anyways. life is ok, the sun will rise tomorrow, and life will go on... yeah yeah, i've heard it a million times, but it doesnt make me feel any better. i dont know whats wrong with me tonight, but i will feel much better after a good night's sleep. i love you all and sorry for the dreary post. love. : )