That's Gretchen, her dad invented toaster streudel.

One of my most favorite things to do ever is tie-dye.

I mean, it's messy, it's colorful, and everything you make is completely different from everything else ever tie-dyed.

It's kind of like snowflakes, but bright colors and rocked by hippies.

I always have a plan for my tie-dye and I follow instructions and I try really hard to get my colors in the right place, and it never turns out how I planned it.

But, it always amazes me how it turns out.

I wonder if God is like that, you know? He prepares us and He puts everything in its place, but we unfurl ourselves into something a little different than He had planned, but good nonetheless. Something He delights in watching and admiring.

I don't know, I guess it depends on how much control you think God has...and I don't want to get into all that because it goes down the path into pre-destination. And, as much as I love to ponder things...no.

I do think that God blesses us with different talents and traits, but He gives us free reign on how we express them. I mean, there are so many artistic people, but the way they express themselves is different. There are so many painting styles, someone had to come up with each one. They didn't magically appear. God gave both Monet and Picasso artistic abilities, but look how different their painting styles are! Michaelangelo and Renior; every famous painter I can think of is different than another. But, they all paint.

Or dancers. I can't dance worth anything (although I like to think I can), but I don't have to be a good dancer to see how many different styles of dance there are. I watch So You Think You Can Dance. Two people can be amazing dancers, but one prefers ballet and the other crunk. (I just wanted to use the word crunk, let's be honest.) There's ballroom, jazz, alternative...the list goes on and on.

Does that make sense? I think I'm getting across what I'm thinking.

It's kind of amazing to think that I'm my own person within the talents God has blessed me with. It gives me room to grow and breath and serve God through my talents in a way that I am passionate about. Instead of giving someone a water color (I despise water color), I could spread God's love to someone with a charcoal.

It's a nice feeling, you know?