My Baking & Cooking Music Playlist

Besides writing, baking and cooking are my favorite ways to pass the time. I love putting some good music on in the kitchen and baking brownies or cooking a delish pasta dish or Mexican food. I just find it to be very relaxing and creative. I would often bake a pan of fudge brownies and then sit down to write lyrics. I would later let my sister (who is my go to gal when I need opinions on my writing) read my lyrics and she would laugh because there always seemed to be frosting smudges on the paper. She would say that my papers always had ink and frosting on them...thus the name for my blog lol. Recently I made me a cd of songs to listen to in the kitchen and I thought I would share it with you guys, along with a little list of dishes I've been wanting to make. I would love to hear what your favorite things to bake and cook are. Do you listen to music in the kitchen? If so, what songs? Hope you enjoy! :)


Baking & Cooking Music Playlist:

1. Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson
2. The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson
3. Blessed by Brett Dennen
4. Hot Cookin' by G. Love
5. The Story by Tristan Prettyman
6. Tom's Diner by Suzzane Vega
7. Musicbox by Regina Spektor
8. Nolita Fairytale by Vanessa Carlton
9. 1,2,3,4 by Fiest
10. Sugartown by Nancy Sinatra
11. The Joint by Mindi Abair
12. Platanitos by Switchfoot (Mexico)
13. Know Your Onion by The Shins
14. Death By Chocolate by Sia
15. It's Alright by Komeda
16. The Devil Is Bad by The W's
17. Underwater by Switchfoot
18. Tea And Sympathy by Jars Of Clay
19. Shoefly Pie And Apple Pan Dowdy by Stan Kenton & June Christy
20. Just For Now by Imogen Heap
21. So We Never Got To Paris by Out Of The Grey
22. Let's Dance by Hawk Nelson
23. Country Gentlemen by Family Force 5


To Cook ~
1.Chicken Piccata
2.Chicken Marsala

To Bake ~
1.Creme Brulee
2.Chocolate Souffle
3.Biscotti
4.Homemade Bread

To Perfect ~
1.Tiramisu
2.Flourless Chocolate Cake
3.Cupcakes

Become Clearer To Me

The longer I live the more
confusing this life becomes
to me. I dig for truth,
searching for you, but
find very little water
to quench my thirst.  

Can't except that this is my fate,
to drown in the murky waters
of this worlds chaos and hate.
Take me to another place, to
breathe in mercy, to dive in grace.

(Chorus)
I wanna go somewhere.
Take me somewhere.
I want to know
all the mysteries that have
perplexed my soul.
Run farther than the oceans go.
I hope that after I swim
the seven seas you'll
become clearer to me.
Become clearer to me.

The longer I live the more I
question what I thought I
knew. Holding on to you with
all my heart, though I struggle
to find you in a world that
is so dark. Truth is hazy when
no one believes in absolutes.

Can't except that this is my fate,
to drown in the murky waters
of this worlds chaos and hate.
Take me to another place, to
breathe in mercy, to dive in grace.

(Repeat Chorus)

I miss you when I run away,
and I'm amazed of the way
you call me back to you.
Oh how I have only seen
what is just a mere glimpse
of this mystery. But I will
wait till the veil between
me and you is torn in two,
and as clear as glass I finally
see you.

(Repeat Chorus 2x)

© Krystal Celeste

Marks Of Beauty

I believe in a God that makes everything beautiful in its own time. I believe in a God that can take the scars in your life and heal them and give you beauty in place of them. I believe in a God that loves to surprise us with His beauty and redemption. I believe in God who can renew and resurrect what feels dead inside you.

It may not seem like it right now but there is a purpose for your pain. Hold on. Hold on to a God who makes beauty from pain.

Marks Of Beauty

I haven't always known your plan but I've always felt your hand holding tight to mine. I've often wondered what you were thinking putting me in a land that I could never understand. But I've always had faith that you could see a bigger picture than me. That you heal scars beautifully.

{Chorus}

I've often asked you to spare me from pain, but I'm somehow becoming thankful for my scars. Through the darkness I've found the light, or maybe it's found me. Your grace has made my scars marks of beauty. Marks of beauty.

You said I should rejoice when these troubles come my way, but that seems impossible to a scared heart like mine. Oh will you make me brave? Brave enough to believe you. Believe that you make all things beautiful in their own time.

{Repeat Chorus}

I believe you work all things out for the good of those who love you and are called according to your purpose. I believe you are healing my scars beautifully. I believe your making me beautiful in my own time. I believe these scars add depth to my life.

{Repeat Chorus 2x}

(C) Krystal Celeste

Simple Things.

(Photo found at http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com)

 

“I dream of simple things I can believe in, like the feeling this day brings. True love and the miracle of forgiving. I believe in simple things.”

 

Life has felt way too serious and intense lately. I feel like I’m in desperate need of a breather, a vacation, in desperate need of simple things. Do you ever feel that way?

 

Certain things have been weighing really heavy on my heart these past few months. I’ve been missing people who were once a part of my life everyday. Been scared of having to be away from my sister/best friend who might be moving away soon. Been angry and hurt by someone, and I know I have to forgive but I’m really struggling with it.

 

Though I am thankful that I feel and see God bringing healing into a certain situation that has been long over due.

 

So many changes are happening in my life right now. Some good and some not so good. I’m having to let go of old familiar things, and having to try and find a way to make room for the new. New stages of life scare me a bit. There’s a lot of losing, and readjusting, and hoping. And somehow I feel myself sinking beneath the emotions of the day and I start to wonder where the simple happiness has gone. Suddenly where the joy of my day is found starts to become a little unclear as the smoke of anger, hurt, pain, and fear cloud the air I breath. I’m craving the simple.

 

One thing I’ve been trying to remember is that I have to let the joy of the Lord be my strength. No one is responsible for my joy, I have to find it in Christ. I know that having Jesus in my life doesn’t mean I won’t experience pain but with Him I truly believe that even in the midst of pain, I can still have joy when I awake and peace when I go to sleep.

 

The lyric I posted at the top is from a song by Amy Grant called “Simple Things”. I feel like I need to be more aware of the simple joys of simple things in life. We can miss so much everyday if we aren’t paying attention. So in honor of hoping for simple things, I wrote a list of some simple things that make me very happy. :)

 

“I Dream Of Simple Things List”

~ Road trips with my family. I love traveling with my family, there’s just so much comfort in that. In just a couple weeks we are actually going on a road trip to Dallas for “The Rock And Worship Road Show”, a big concert with a bunch of awesome Christian bands. I’m so excited for our little mini vacation!

~Fresh & clean linens

~Fresh baked Chocolate Chip Cookies

~Cooking dinner with my mom

~Baking brownies and listening to music, for some reason those two things go hand and hand for me.

~Late night convos with my sister. I always feel like I learn so much from our talks.

~Watching my Gilmore Girls dvds. Makes me feel happy and comforted. Odd but true.

~Amazing books you just can’t stand to put down.

~Music that makes you feel and think.

~Evening walks at the bay and car rides with my mom & sister, talking and laughing together.

~My precious little cat Daisy.

~Being creative. Writing, whether it be lyrics, poems, or blogs, it’s such a gift from God. To be creative is to be free for me.

~Afternoons spent playing the piano

~Getting magazines, catalogs (I can tend to be catalog obsessed), and packages in the mail.

~Old photos of my cousins and I. Looking at them makes me smile.

~Jazz music. I love listening to Mindi Abair & Diana Krall.

~Photos of my grandpa playing the saxophone in church

~Sunny, breezy spring days.

~Cute coffee shops.

~Spending hours browsing in bookstores

~Picnics. I have so been wanting to go on a picnic lately. It’s the perfect time of year for one.

~Early morning sunlight peaking through my blinds. 

~Reading blogs. This has become such a online past time of mine. There really are so many creative and inspiring blogs to read and learn from. If I let myself I can read blogs for hours at a time.

~Dr. Pepper. Especially with Vanilla. Yum!

~Cupcakes! Fun to make and fun to eat.

~Inspiring quotes. I love to read and collect quotes that inspire me.

~Journals. Big spiral notebooks and journals with pretty paper on the inside make me smile.

Seasons of Change & Growth ~ Selfishness, Unforgiveness, & Surrender

I think I'm in a season of change & growth. A season of clearly seeing the changes that need to be made inside my heart. And to be perfectly honest I'm not particularly thrilled about it. I feel like I've been re-learning some very important lessons recently. Lessons that I thought I had learned pretty well the first time. But it seems just when you start to think you have that area of your life taken care of .... well is when you realize .... you don't. And when there are issues in your heart that need to be taken care of God will do whatever He can to make sure you're reminded of it....over and over again, until you finally decide to do the work, and take the time it takes to dig up all the over grown weeds and start over again. Below is a list of three things that I feel God is wanting me to take a long, hard look at all over again....


~ Selfishness. Lately I have been able to see with pretty clear eyes just how selfish I can sometimes be. How much I tend to think about my needs, my wants, my comfort and my happiness....and how often I use the words "my" or "I". I have been feeling really convicted of this in my relationships. Sometimes I find myself thinking "Yeah I know you may need this, but what about what I need, what about what I deserve?" Especially when I have been hurt by this person and haven't quite forgiven them (I'll get into that in a min.). If this is how I am now it scares me to think it might be how I am someday in marriage as well. So I definitely want to take care of this issue now. I've heard it said that friendship is preparation for marriage, and thinking about that can sometimes be a scary thought. A good marriage can only happen when both people are thinking more about the others needs more than their own. Most marriages end because of selfishness. Not being able to see anyone else's needs but your own is what will ruin any relationship. Am I learning from the friendships in my life? I hope so. I feel so challenged to try and think more about what others need more than what I need.


~ Unforgiveness. Ah yes forgiveness ... or my lack there of. I would like to think I do not have a problem forgiving and letting go anymore but unfortunately, I think I still do. I have had problems with my anger and the temptation to hold grudges in the past. It ate at me till I took care of it. Till I went to God with all of my anger and bitterness and gave it over to Him. It was a process but I really felt God release me from the prison that is unforgiveness. But sometimes I still find myself holding onto things I should be letting go of. At times I find myself telling God things like "But you don't understand, they hurt me! Aren't I justified in how I feel?" and I always feel God whispering in my spirit "You have to forgive, you have to let it go." It just seems unfair, ya know? But I know it's truth. I know it's where true freedom lies - in the letting go. If you don't it will end up consuming your life, your heart, and all of who you are. I am truly only hurting myself when I choose to not forgive. The scariest part of harboring unforgiveness in your heart is that it puts a wall between you and God. The Bible says if you don't forgive, God cannot forgive you. I don't know about you but the thought of that is really scary to me. I make too many mistakes in this life to not have the forgiveness and mercy of my Jesus. Consider these two scriptures on forgiveness - "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you of your sins." - Mark 11:25, "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." - Luke 6:35 - 38. Yikes! That last part makes me squirm. I've heard it said that when you do not forgive you break the bridge that you too have to cross. Forgiveness is a choice. Love is a choice - not a feeling. In Jesus' name I choose to forgive and love.


~ Surrender. The last lesson I've been learning is a seemingly obvious one or so you would think. The lesson is that - I am NOT God. I know this was obvious to you but I had to state it for me. The thing is I find that I have a hard time giving an issue or person over to God and just let Him be God. Let Him do the work that I know I cannot. I can't seem to surrender. I have to realize that I can't control life. Things happen and no matter what God is on the throne and I have to trust that He sees the bigger picture that I don't see. I also need to realize that I cannot save anyone. That is not my job, it's His. I cannot make them see that the choices they're making are detrimental to them. I cannot make them see that they are choosing a wasteland over a castle. I cannot make them see that they are on a wrong path, especially when they know better and have gone down that road a hundred times, and it's caused them nothing but heartache everytime. I cannot do this. I can love someone, I can give them good advice, I can pray for them but I cannot make them choose what is right. And I cannot out of love take on the burdens of their mistakes. I must surrender it to God and let Him be God. There is lyric by The Devil Wears Prada that says "I'm gonna hope for you, I'm gonna pray for you amongst the reckless and the black. My time is yours my friend." Everyone needs and deserves to be prayed for and hoped for but you can't save them. It's not your burden to bear. You can only give godly advice, pray, and hope. And let God be God.


I think so often we as Christians can get a bit comfortable letting these and other behaviors slide. I'm not judging anyone here, but being a pk who has seen first hand how the church can let petty and immature behavior get in the way of their relationships and their testimony, I've come to realize we need to face issues head on and let God change us. When we don't we not only hurt ourselves but others as well. We will not be able to have a strong, life changing walk with God if we hold on to our old destructive habits and behaviors. Jesus wants more for His children, He wants us to grow, learn, and thrive in Him.


I know that it will be a process to getting there and that at times I'm sure I will fail, but I believe that God wants me to submit to His loving transformation. I need and want to grow in these areas. Though I'm under no illusions that it will be easy. The growing and learning process rarely ever is. I know God will call me to do things that will go against what my flesh feels like doing, but if I choose to obey Him I know beautiful change will be on its way.


Below is a lyric I wrote a few years ago on the subject of forgiveness.

The Three Hardest Words To Say

When you've been burned it's hard to pick yourself up off the ground. Anger is a sickness that can take you down. Blame is a disease and we pass it around. They say that time heals all wounds, but is that really true? Is it possible to put it all behind you or will we stop the water under the bridge from passing through?

(Chorus)
"I forgive you" are the three hardest words to say. Mere words simply can't take the anger away. I could say it till I was blue in the face but without love I'm just a loud cymbal clanging away.

I know it's all in the past but I still remember. Oh how long will this memory last? You hurt me but I admit, I hurt you too. It's so easy to cover up the mirror and just choose to see through you. Why do we hurt each other this way? Maybe we have grown up enough to say that being right isn't worth the pain of the fight.

(Repeat Chorus)

Oh if I choose not to forgive I break the bridge that I too have to cross. Without one man's forgiveness we would all be lost. Crucified on a tree, humiliated and degraded for all to see. But before He died He prayed for me and you, Jesus said "Forgive them for they know not what they do."

(Repeat Chorus 2x)

(C) Krystal Celeste

Travel Lightly and Deeply

This week has been such an emotionally draining week for me. It's been a week of dealing with secrets, truth, anger, forgiveness, and the hardest thing of all...letting go.

I was so angry yesterday. I hate being angry, it really takes so much energy and completely drains the life out me. Without going into too much detail, my sister and I were asked (if that's what you would call it) to give up something that is very important to us. Something that is rightfully ours, by a person who should understand what that thing means to us. I was so hurt that this person would ask what they asked, and go about it the way they did, I have to admit that I was so seething angry that I couldn't see or think straight. But as I was feeling this unbelievable anger something really incredible and unexpected happened.... I heard a still small voice whisper in my heart saying "Let it go."

I just thought "Let it go? What do you mean let it go?" Because let me tell you, I was ready to go to the mat for it. I was stubbornly prepared to hold on to it with a death grip. But I just felt God saying for my sister and I to let it go, and in the place of that thing He will be faithful to give us genuine peace and freedom. At that moment I was speechless by the amazing way I could feel God just working in my heart and softening my heart. I just felt Him saying "Yes, that thing is rightfully yours and your sister's, but you don't have to be bound by those material things. Instead you can just be free." I have to tell you when the realization came over me that I don't have to be bound by that thing, by material things, I felt an overwhelming, almost giddy joy come over me. It was seriously the strangest thing! I kept thinking "Wow just a second ago I was feeling seething anger now I feel complete peace. That's crazy!" All of the sudden I found myself praising God for that.

I just started thinking about how fighting for this thing would only get me stuck in the mud with this person-who has been stuck in that mud so long that there's barely any peace in their life. God lovingly let me know that fighting for it would be opening the door to their craziness and down that road I would find nothing but turmoil. I can either have that material thing or I can have internal peace and freedom, but I can't have both. Getting into the mud with this person would in essence mean I would become like them, and I do not want that. My peace and freedom is way more valuable to me. Plus these material things are temporary, I can't take them with me when I die.

It reminded me of how Jon Foreman (Switchfoot) once talked about how there's a plaque in the guest room of his home that says "Travel lightly and deeply". I love that! That's how I want to travel through this journey of living my life for Christ, lightly and deeply. Nothing weighing me down, living for way more than this world has to offer me. I can't follow Christ and be lugging a suit case full of earthly, material things behind me. It will only serve to weigh me down and trip me up. I have to let it all go and be free of it.

I told my sister what I felt God was telling me and even though she was just as angry as I was, she agreed that we need to obey God in this. So that is our choice in that matter, we are letting it go so we can be free. We're letting it go to have peace.

I told my mom what our choice was and she teared up and said she was proud of us. And as good as it felt to have her say that I know that it really isn't anything we did at all. This my friends was all the work of Jesus. Him and Him alone. And if the spirit of God is truly authentic and alive inside of me it has to still remain authentic and alive in these tough situations. I just know without Him our decision would have been different. Trust me, my flesh does not want to do this at all - but in my spirit I know it's right. I know my heart well enough to know that I would and could stubbornly fight for it. But only Jesus could soften my heart so much that I now feel like I can give this thing away with a willing and even joyful heart. Only Jesus. He's so amazing folks, He just never ceases to totally floor me with what He does. It's so incredible I feel like gushing.

So this thing is going to be a gift to this person from my sister and I. We're not giving it in a spiteful way, or in a self righteous way either. We want to give it with a joyful heart. Knowing we are not bound by such things but we are letting it all go to be free. There are too many things in this world that are worth fighting for, so much injustice exists in this world we wake up in every morning. Those things are worth fighting for, this however is not. I wanna be the type of person that fights for things that matter, not for things that don't. I want to fight for and live for what is eternal. I want to travel through this life lightly and deeply.

Toward The Spring

Is there anything left? Any ground that's still green? Cause after the fire burned up this scene, through the smoke, no signs of life can be seen. And all that was beautiful has turned to ash and soot. I walk on the barren ground yet can't feel it under my foot. Everything that was green is now brown, oh Spring rain come turn it all around.

(Chorus)

Summer and Winter have swallowed me whole and now I walk toward the Spring to a story untold. Summer and Winter have swallowed me whole now I walk toward the Spring to a new hope.

I don't want to live in the shadow lands anymore. Though ironically it's the place we grow. It's an amazing yet uncomfortable experience for him to chip away at this statue of stone. And when you finally break through will this cold piece of clay be renewed?

(Repeat Chorus)

On the break of this Spring day my story unfolds in a new way. Life in the midst of death is hard to find. Hard to journey forward and not rewind. As seasons change and the swirling Spring air carries me to a new place, I see change happens in it's own time. Only you can make something beautiful out of this coal mine. And when you finally chip through will this cold piece of clay resemble you?

(Repeat Chorus 2x)

(C) Krystal Celeste (Written in Spring '06)