Before I get started, I have to wish my bro bro a happy birthday. Happy birthday, Riley! Today’s his golden birthday, which means he’s 24! I have no idea if he’ll see this (but his girlfriend will, hi Amanda!), but he did stop by the other day to leave some interesting questions. Perhaps I should have not left the invitation wide open…

Now the moment we’ve all been waiting for…the answers to your questions! I really thought you came up with some good ones and several um, interesting ones. Thanks guys. I’ll be posting this in three parts, with the light questions today, the lightest questions on Friday, and the harder questions on Saturday. Oh, and one of the questions I felt warranted a post by itself, so I’ll put it up on Sunday.

Alyssa asked, “Do you miss Kansas? Will you go back someday?”
Yes, I definitely miss Kansas. Anyone who has been subject to my Kansas-is-so-pretty speech knows this. Seriously though, wheat ready for harvest as far as the eye can see at sundown is the prettiest thing I know. The longer I’ve been in North Carolina, the more I miss my family, too.

That said, I don’t plan on moving back. Unless God totally changes my mind on this, Kansas is about the last place I want to live. Maybe it’s a pride issue or a wanting-to-see-the-world issue, I don’t know. I had the choice of going to seminary in Kansas City, and I never even really considered it. I knew when I was graduating high school and leaving for Oklahoma that I was never coming back. Does that make my blog title misleading? I don’t think so, because I’m totally a Kansan through and through.

Alyssa also asked, “Oh, and what’s on your list for the used bookstore?”
Hmmm, I suppose I shouldn’t have asked you all this question without answering it myself. I didn’t have my list with me the day that I was at the bookstore, so I didn’t get anything. I almost bought Nicholas Nickleby, but I decided to hold myself back. I have a ton of books at home that I still need to read, so I don’t need to start adding more to the stack when I don’t really have the money to spend, anyway. A few of the books on my to-buy (and to-read) list:
The 9 Tailors – Sayers
Anges Grey – Bronte
A Chance to Die – Eliot
Humility – Mahaney
The Mortification of Sin – Owen

Liz asked, “What are your plans after you finish your Masters?”
I’m always embarrassed when someone asks me this, because I don’t feel like my answer is good enough. I know that that’s not true, but I’ve always had grand plans for my life. Right now, the idea is that after I graduate in December I’ll be going full-time where I work now (as I’m in the process for getting the certification I need to do more of the financial counseling) and continue the children’s ministry that I do in my church, teaching kindergarten Sunday school and leading Awana for the older kiddos. I love this, and wouldn’t change it, but I have the impression that people think I should use my degree(s) in some official way. In the future I’d love to be overseas somewhere, but I don’t know if I’ll ever go full-time or just as an encourager.

Iva asked, “What’s a single gal from Kansas eat at night when she’s not hanging out with friends?”
Well, I don’t eat a 5-course meal every night (or any night), but I do enjoy what I eat (probably too much…). Thankfully, I was able to kick the habit of eating fast food when my stress level increased (like right now), because the fast food doesn’t help my health or my wallet.

If I’m eating by myself, I will pick from one of several options:
burrito (my mom taught me how to make a batch and freeze them individually as a kid)
cheese quesadillas and black beans (this is probably my favorite option!)
salad
pizza (nothing beats a $1 meal!)
spaghettios (sometimes I’m a kid again)
pasta in butter sauce
breakfast burrito
canned soup
tuna salad sandwich

I also try to cook a full meal once a week for a friend or my roommate as well as to make leftovers for lunch (though I pretty much refuse to eat leftovers for dinner or for lunch on Sundays). My roommate feeds me a lot as well (thanks girl!), and I often grab something when I’m babysitting from their pantry, not mine.