Bears or humans?

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Dick Lane Velodrome in Atlanta to watch Jesse race track. This kind of track racing consist of riding a fixed gear bike around a short 300 meter track. Some of the races can be as short as one lap, while others may be sixty laps. Race weekends are long and consist of 15 or so races. The variety in length is refreshing for the riders and viewers.

This particular race lasted for the entire weekend and hosted elite and pro riders. One of the riders was a Russian Olympian. Track racing is not easy. Each athlete has to fight for a good position, put out an enormous amount of power, and try not to crash- all while going 35 mph on a banked track. Yes, my knuckles went white a few times as I gripped the side rails and cheered the riders on. It was exhilarating.


That was not the only new experience I had during this particular trip.

During a race intermission, I took Jesse’s truck and drove to get a snack from a nearby store. Very quickly I realized that we were not on the edge, but smack dab in the middle of the ghetto of South Atlanta. After about thirty minutes of driving, I could not tell if I had gone further into the ghetto… or if I was about to come out of it. Regardless, I was about to miss Jesse’s next race and I was getting impatient.

Against my better judgment, I decided to stop at a gas station and grab a granola bar. No big deal, right? Wrong. I walked in, selected a granola bar, and walked up to the cash register. On the way, I saw piles of nasty videos titled “white, African American, and Latino”- among other items. It didn’t help that there were sketchy looking dudes meandering around the store. The environment creeped me out so much that I clumsily dropped the Jesse’s keys in between some bags of chips, located behind the cash register.

I paid and then proceeded to bolt to the truck, eager to flee to safety. As I reached the truck, my stomach sunk and my heart got caught in my throat. Where were the keys? My mind raced as I recalled everything that I had done. I ran back to the store and frantically examined every isle of the store. Next, I enlisted the cashier’s help. He looked pretty reluctant to leave his little cashier's cage that probably protected him from all the shootouts that go on there.

Long story short, I found my keys. The whole experience terrified me, and yes, I cried. I am a big baby when it comes to things like this. Maybe it is the small-town girl coming out of me. I would rather face 5 bears than 1 human. As a friend put it, “animals are rational, people are not”.

Fortunately I have a God that is bigger than bears, bigger than humans, and more powerful that anything I can imagine. After all, what could possible limit a God who created the universe?

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord".

Romans 8:38-39

Relief washed over me when I finally arrived back at the track.

God is good.

Colorado

Right now, I am sitting outside at the Clemson Starbucks sipping a hot cup of coffee while everyone rushes to work and school. One of the main advantages of sitting outside is that I get to see the occasional driver not just hit, but run over the curb. I know what your thinking, “Molly! That’s not very nice!”. Yes, yes, I know. It is unfortunate that they should accidently hit the curb. Let me tell you though, it can be hilarious. Especially if they are bouncing and bumping to the music like the last girl was. Her first reaction upon hitting the curb was to immediately scope the area to see if anyone saw. Second, music went off. Third, sheepish grin appeared.

Happens every time.

The past couple weeks of school have gone by quickly as I have been adjusting to a new schedule. I have not just been adjusting to school, but also exercising. Three weeks ago, I discovered while racing that I was very burnt out. Solution? Time off. No matter what type of athlete you are, breaks are absolutely necessary for mental and physical rejuvenation. Of course, I haven’t just been sitting on my rear this whole time. I’ve been going to fike, running hills, doing ab work, and running at Issaqueena forest with none other than Abby Gentry. Although all of these activities are good sources of exercise, I have genuinely missed cycling. Cycling is more than exercise. Cycling is a way to explore God’s creation using the gifts that he has given me. Thank goodness, my three-week sabbatical ended the yesterday. I am now ready to tackle training head-on and get ready for next season with weights (agh!), long-distance rides, and more cross training (ehem… running at Issaqueena with Abby).

School. Whoah boy. I’m just gonna go ahead and put it out there. I don’t know what I’m doing! I took my first accounting test a little bit ago and lets just say that I am NOT happy with my grade. I absolutely hate the sinking feeling that I get when I see a test grade that is not an A. Perhaps I should be studying rather than writing right now.

Life. During fall break, Jesse and I are heading out to COLORADO! Can you tell I’m excited? I talked with my friend Amy, who we will be visiting out there, yesterday.

The plan is to go camping, hiking, cycling, and possibly white water kayaking. The active and healthy lifestyle that she described out there seems ideal. Jesse and I are rather certain that we are going to want to stay out there… for good. Endless trails, challenging mountains, roaring rivers, terrifying gorges, vibrant blue skies, and fascinating wildlife.



God made this. He made all this. Let me ask you a question, is it possible for the creator of all this to be even more beautiful? Honestly, I cannot imagine anything more beautiful than the creation he breathed into being. I hold fast to the truth that he is. There will never be anything more satisfying than the day I am united with my Savior.

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple”
Psalm 27:4

Muscadine Jelly

Have you ever had Muscadine jelly? Let me tell you, it is quite an experience! The unique taste of the muscadines is brought to life by the sugar and smooth texture of the jelly. Yum!

This stuff could make a piece of bark taste delicious, (although not recommended).

Why muscadine jelly? Well, last weekend I went down to Bamburg, South Carolina to visit my boyfriend Jesse’s family for the first time. This was no typical weekend. Of course, I had a hunch that it wouldn’t be. Jesse’s dad is a watermelon researcher for Clemson and his mom is a botany expert. Both graduated from Clemson.

When I arrived, I was welcomed by a beautiful house, garden, greenhouse, pond house, treehouse, pets, and open arms. The sandy pathways, cotton fields, Cyprus trees, and green flora all created an inviting atmosphere that is not forgotten easily.

On the other side of the house, there was a small vineyard with ripe muscadines.

The muscadines were delicious and were quite addicting. Even the dog "Athena" thought so!

That was not the only surprise I was in for. It wasn't long until I found out that we were going to be making muscadine jelly.

The first step in the process was to mash the muscadines and "pop" them in order to make sure they wouldn't burst when cooking. Eventually the juicy insides were separated from the muscadine skins.

After mixing and cooking 7 cups cups of sugar and pectin with the strained muscadine juice, we carefully ladled the jelly into mason jars.

You see, this is where I have to add a disclaimer. You see, Jesse's mom is a wonderful cook. It just so happens that her son is a great cook as well. His girlfriend? Not so much. I watched and learned and jumped in to help *coughforpicturescough* every once in a while. It is not often that I am trusted in the kitchen.

The next step was to carefully lower the jars into a pot of hot water.

This picture speaks for itself of the end result!

YUM