confessions

i am a people pleaser. i have a hard time saying "no" or anything resembling the definition of the word. i want everyone to like me, to never be mad or frustrated with me, to think i'm good at something, and to want me around. i strive for compliments or affirmations and will even depend on them. i try to impress others, and work hard to do it. i take criticism personally (even though i don't act like it, because showing that side of me would be counteractive toward my people pleasing tendencies). i let others schedule my activities or (even worse) my priorities. i tend to think that if enough people like me, i'd feel better about being me.

people pleasing (in regards to everything said above) is physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining. it is virtually an impossible task. what makes some people happy makes others annoyed or angry. what some condone, others are offended by. well, i'm tired of doing it, and my soul needs restoration, so i hereby quit being a people pleaser.

of course i will need help. it will be a process, and a long one, at that.

proverbs 29:25 - fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the lord means safety.
1 thessalonians 2:4 - for we speak as messengers approved by god to be entrusted with the good news. our purpose is to please god, not people. he alone examines the motives of our hearts.
galatians 1:10 - obviously, i'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of god. if pleasing people were my goal, i would not be christ's servant.
(woah. that one got me there. sheesh.)

through prayer, reading scripture, and just sitting in the presence of my lord, i've learned that people pleasing essentially means letting other people's imagined expectations control my own answers, actions, and thoughts. bleh! how horrible! who wants that?? i've also learned that my physical, emotional, and spiritual health is much more important than temporarily pleasing someone else.

people pleasing can lead me astray. pleasing god never will.

blessings,

i'm a list-maker.

i like to make lists. i've written about this before. carley (the lil sis) once gave me a list book for my birthday, which includes pre-titled lists for you to fill out. its a silly, fun book. but here's one:

list your favorite places to eat:

• blue goat cafe (san marcos, tx) -- their pizza is awesome. can't eat it anymore, but that's ok.
• river pub & grill (san marcos, tx) -- burgerssss. river.
• zax (austin, tx) -- all natural restaurant that gets its produce locally. the steak salad is my fave.
• the oasis (austin, tx) -- the view. and the menu is extensive.
• kerbey lane (austin, tx) -- gluten-free friendly. awesome queso.
• liberty bistro (new braunfels, tx) -- an awesome brunch menu.
• fork & spoon (new braunfels, tx) -- brunch again...but dessert is the best!
• little aussie bakery (san antonio, tx) -- gluten-free all the way, babay!
• the leaning pear (wimberly, tx) -- soups, salads, sandwiches, and watermelon gazpacho!
• aloha salads (oahu, hi) -- a huge salad bar with all the fixins you can imagine. they need to bring these to the mainland, it would be a hit.
• south shore grill (honolulu, hi) -- best mahi-mahi tacos i've ever had.
• tiki's bar & grill (waikiki, hi) -- i know, i know...its touristy. but its still good!
• blue mesa grill (dallas, tx) -- its like new age southwestern food. and very gluten-free friendly.
• hunan river bistro (cypress, tx) -- best chinese evaa.
• del pueblo (cypress, tx) -- seriously the best tex-mex you'll ever eat. everyone thinks so :) this is why we catered it for our rehearsal dinner. 
• my place, of course. i like my cooking.

fun! yeah, i've realized lately that i'm a foodie. but i'm okay with that. anyway, add yours to the list! i might just have to go there.


in recent news, mark and i will be gone until friday. we're off to a recreation therapy conference at camp for all in burton, tx. its so much fun! we get CEUs for it, which help us stay certified in our profession, plus its like camp for (almost) grown-ups!! yay!

see you when we get back!

what to do with a boring bag of frozen green beans!

i was looking for something in the kitchen to cook the other day. i didn't have much, but i didn't want to go to the store (because one mile to drive is just so far away). i found some frozen green beans, but didn't want boring old green beans, so i searched the creative portion of my brain to think of a recipe to doctor these boring GBs up. and i thought of an asian peanut sauce! i had made a peanut sauce for something else before, so i just kinda guessed with what i could remember of the recipe and made sure i didn't overdo it. this is what i came up with and it was SO good that i wanted to share!

green beans with peanut sauce

 

ingredients:

1 tbs soy sauce (i used la choy brand, which is gluten free)

1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 2 medium garlic cloves, minced)

1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tbs peanut butter

1 bag frozen green beans (usually 1 lb)

directions:

1. toast the sesame seeds in a frying pan (no oil) until lightly browned, then set aside.

2. cook the green beans as directed.

3. while the beans are cooking, mix together soy sauce, garlic powder, brown sugar, peanut butter, and sesame seeds.

4. fold in the mix with the green beans while beans are still hot. enjoy!

tips:

- make sure you mix ingredients before you add the mix to the green beans. you want it covered evenly in order for it to taste optimal!

- if you don't have sesame seeds, don't worry about it. they're fun and good, but not necessary.

bucket list

i found my bucket list the other day, and there were many things i was able to check off! i wrote it during the first semester of my freshman year in college, then titled "things to do before i die". But since that movie came out, i think the title "bucket list" suffices (and sounds way better).

bailey's bucket list:

1. skydive (with mark, possibly our "first date"?)
2. attend a division 1 football game (got to see texas tech get beat by alabama in the cotton bowl...boo...and would still love to see a UT home game)
3. attend an english premiere soccer game
4. make a 4.0 in at least one semester (i did it for more than one...yay!)
5. visit every national park in the u.s. (8 down, 52 to go...hehe)
6. own a great dane
7. sing backup in a band (at camp and with the klentzmans)
8. visit the louvre
9. hike the pacific crest trail (or part of it)
10. host a foreign exchange student
11. see the 7 wonders of the natural world - mount everest, the great barrier reef, the grand canyon, victoria falls, the harbor of rio de janeiro, paricutin volcano, aurora borealis
12. see the 7 forgotten wonders of the natural world - angel falls, the bay of fundy, ignacu falls, krakatau island, mount fuji, mount kilimanjaro, niagra falls (canadian side)
13. cook a whole dinner from scratch
14. bungee jump
15. go on a hot-air balloon ride
16. learn sign language
17. learn conversational spanish
18. live in another state (missouri and hawaii)
19. go on a canopy tour (in jamaica on our honeymoon)
20. open up my own camp (well, it wasn't my own camp, but i helped start camp blessing, and i'm very proud of that, so it counts...)
21. mission work in another country
22. visit the great pyramid of giza
23. visit stonehenge
24. walk the great wall of china
25. see coldplay in concert
26. learn how to swing dance
27. adopt a kid from a third world country
28. kayak in the ocean (now one of my fave things to do!)
29. learn how to play the drums
30. decorate a whole room with my own artwork
31. go to las vegas to ride those three roller coasters on top of that building
32. get my master's degree
33. live on a farm
34. hike/climb a fourteener
35. go white water rafting

that's it for now. i want to make it to 100 on the list, though. what are some of the things on your bucket list? give me some ideas!