When life seems a little cracked

It's only Thursday and I feel like the days keep being longer and longer with more things pilling up. To say the least, this week has been so incredibly challenging. Actually, this entire month and a half has been probably the most difficult time of my life thus far. I didn't really think that it would be so difficult staying home from college with my family where everything seemed so comfortable. Comfort is by far what I got. It's been a challenge, a struggle, a low period. Days where I cannot wait until I am able to put on sweatpants and crawl up under my Frozen blanket and just fall asleep. Days when I just want to forget the world and days where I just want to buy a plane ticket and leave the country. 

But more than anything, this transition period has taught me more than I could have ever imagined.

It's all perspective. 

I can look at the fact that I have to sacrifice my weekends at camp for teaching Sunday school as an awful decision or I can be grateful for the 25 kids in my class each week that are able to hear the gospel and grow more in their faith. 

I can look at the fact I have to give up my Thursday morning bible study with women that I can learn from and look up to for the precious nine month old I get to nanny as a dissatisfaction or I can be thankful for the four weeks that I got to spend with these women. 

I can look at my entire front screen of my iPhone cracking while walking out of Pet Supplies Plus after a long night of Awana as an awful situation or I can see how God has been taking my love for material things and shaping it into a virtue of not being materialistic. 

No matter what is it (and oh yes there's more) I know that I have the choice to look at my situation as a way for God's glory to be revealed and to trust that He will use it for me good. 

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Philippians 4:11

In Christ,

Carrie

A camp classic

This past summer I worked at the bible camp that I have been going to since I was seven years old. One of my absolutely favorite things about camp is the food. My favorite dessert at camp is called Revel Bars. 

I  remember one time my friends and I decided to go the whole week without eating dessert. Of course that was the week that we were having revel bars as one of the desserts. I was dying on the inside because I knew that I couldn't have my favorite dessert. It ended up being so bad that one of my friends had saved one and I took it from her and ate it, therefore disqualifying myself from the competition. Needless to say, my love for them has not changed. 

So today, I decided to make them at home for the very first time. 

Here's the recipe: 

Base and Crumbs: 

1 cup butter (I soften the butter before)

2 cups brown sugar (I always add a tad more, just for sweetness)

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

3 cups of quick oats 

Mix the butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Spread 2/3 of the mixture in a greased pan (11 x 17) with edges. Pat flat. *I made mine in a 9 x 11 pan to have thicker bars 

Filling: 

1 (12-oz) package of chocolate chips (for this batch I didn't have a full 12 oz bag so I added in some mini semi sweet chocolate chips also)

2 tablespoons butter

1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons of vanilla 

Melt the butter, chocolate chips, milk and vanilla into a pan. Melt all the ingredients together. Spread over the crust. Sprinkle small chunks of the remaining 1/3 crust over the top of the filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (I did 22 minutes) or until golden brown. Cut when cooled and enjoy! 

In Christ, 

Carrie