{WITH A} grain.of.salt

sweet treat!

2012-02-14T12:03:00.002-06:00

you guys!

k, so i'm not a huge fan of today {for obvious reasons!} but it doesn't bother me too much.
BUT! i was walking to my car some day last week and thinking,"man, i'd sure love some godiva dark chocolate truffles with a raspberry puree filling!" and yesterday i spotted the below recipe. i literally wanted to pack up my belongings, go home and start baking!

but i didn't.

because then i would've gotten fired.

sure, they aren't truffles but they're pretty doggone close!!! maybe i'll make them this weekend. and substitute the brandy for sugar. and substitute the goat cheese {bleh!} for all cream cheese.

recipe below! enjoy! and love ya!

Dark Chocolate Brownies with Raspberry Goat Cheese Swirl

Makes about 30 small brownie squares

Raspberries
2 cups raspberries, lightly mashed
2 tablespoons brandy or Kirsch
Brownies
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Raspberry Goat Cheese Swirl
8 ounces goat cheese, softened at room temperature for an hour
4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature for an hour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for an hour
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Heat the oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan (or any 3-quart dish, like the gratin dish I use here) with butter or baking spray. Place the raspberries in a bowl and stir in the brandy or Kirsch. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate and butter until liquid in a 3-quart (or larger) saucepan over low heat. When the chocolate is completely melted, remove from the heat, whisk in the milk, and cool for about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Stir in the eggs one by one. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and fold in until just combined. Fold in about half of the raspberries and spread this brownie batter in the prepared pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with hand beaters, or by hand with a heavy whisk) beat the goat cheese with the cream cheese, butter, egg, sugar, and almond extract until light and fluffy. Gently fold in the other half of the raspberries and their juices. Drop the goat cheese mixture on top of the brownie batter in spoonfuls, then swirl it through the batter with a knife. Bake for 30 minutes or until just barely set. The top will be just turning light brown. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Store at room temperature, well-covered. The flavor and texture of these brownies really bloom when you let them rest overnight.

through it all.

2012-02-12T15:38:00.001-06:00

I thank God for the mountains,

and I thank Him for the valleys,

I thank Him for the storms He's brought me through.

for if I'd never had a problem,

I wouldn't know God could solve them,

I'd never know what faith in God could do.

Sophie Heads Down to TX!

2012-02-11T00:08:00.000-06:00

Read HERE on Sis. McElhaney's blog for the back story!

1. What country/state/city am I visiting with you? - The great state of Texas! Specifically, Dallas!

2. What is this state famous for? - Ummm.... many things! Let me see: cattle, the oil industry, football, the Kennedy assassination (sadly!), western wear (also sadly!) and many other better examples that I cannot recall.

3. What is the capital of the state that I'm in? - Austin, TX

4. What is at least one landmark I could see in this state? - The Alamo is pretty cool!

And I personally think that the capitol building is worth driving down to Austin for a look-see because it's pink!! Made out of pink granite! How cool is that?! Pretty cool, for sure.

5. What could I do for fun in this state? -I tell people that if you're visiting Dallas, our main attractions are our copious restaurants and shopping! There's also amusement parks and lakes and concerts and lotsa other things.

6. What was my favorite thing that I did while I was visiting you? - Went (window) shopping and ate yummy cupcakes!

and the poof grows on.

2012-02-02T23:39:00.003-06:00

t'was a frizzy day in jenniferland. *shrug*

this was a non-frizzy day

Some of my hair observations as my 2nd year relaxer-free hair anniversary loometh near.

* I don't care. Well not completely true. I don't care as much. Maybe I should should care more... but I don't. See it's like this: there was a time that I would freak out if my hair was frizzing out. These were in the Days of Relaxers and today would've been a freak out day- quite unseasonably warm at 75 degrees and foggy.

And now - I mean, I don't love frizz. Frankly, I strongly DESPISE humidity. Like, with a passion. But it's different now. There's an acceptance that no, I do not have naturally straight hair and yes, moisture in the air is undoubtedly going to cause my hair's cuticles to swell soooo.... Big Whoop. Deal With It!

HA! About two weeks ago on a Sunday morn, I was kinda in a rush so I quickly twisted two flat twists at the front. Oh, and it was a rainy day. Minor detail. ;)

Came home for my blessed Sunday Afternoon Nap and what do ya know? My twists had bloomed into two puffy butterfly wings thanks to the weather . All I could do was snicker at my reflection and wonder if the ladies at church pondered "why would she come to church like that?". Ah well. What are ya gonna do?

* Hair is a conversation starter. I might have mentioned that I've never been one to "talk hair". Never was all that interesting to me. And now, I don't really enjoy it when the other party's "hair talk" is basically them trashing their hair or someone else's since it's not stick straight enough. *yawn*

But yeah, it's odd because my hair starts conversations. Very weird and humorous.

For example- oh and quick disclaimer: this person is rather dramatic. I guess that's why this sticks out in my mind so distinctly.

We hadn't seen each other in about a year. So basically, we're sitting and chatting about something that I can't recall and then she blurts/borderline-screams out of the blue - "I CAN'T GO NATURAL!" I'm like, "Huh? Wha?" And she repeats - "I CAN'T GO NATURAL!"

Um, seriously? No one asked if she could or couldn't. Then she went on a long explanation why she couldn't, blah blah blah. Like I said, an extreme example but I'm usually caught off guard every time the conversation comes up.

* Never ceases to amaze me how many textures are coming out of my head. Fact: the hair above my ears is totally different to the hair at the crown of my head which is quite different to the hair at the nape of my neck. Super tight hair to springy curls to practically wavy hair. The things you learn....

* I'm slowly but surely trying more styles but I'm not that creative and still desire more length to do more! I made giant leaps and bounds when I tried twists for a few days, first time ever. Time consuming to do- yes. But it was cool since I could leave it up and not have to mess with them very much at all. Plus, my hair stayed super moisturized. And when I loosened the twists, I liked the waviness! Definitely need to redo this soon!

* So often, women say how they'd want little girls but don't want to have to do THAT HAIR (-OR- don't want any girls at all because of this). I was in the former group but you guys, I've changed my tune.

Now I want little girls (or one girl, singular) so I can teach her to love the hair that God gave her and that she has no reason to be ashamed. I don't want her to have to wallow through all of the years of negativity and frustration like I did. I want her to grasp this scripture and truly believe it-

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139: 14 KJV

and in a different translation....

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--how well I know it. Psalm 139: 14 NLT

washington recap

2012-02-01T22:59:00.002-06:00

so i have this thing about trees.

i realized recently that i did when one of my friends announced that she didn't like them. "how could you not like trees?!? they're awesome!".... and then i realized i might have a love for trees. i don't know why.

in florida, i admired the huge, swaying palm trees. looooove them! and then when i landed back home, i realized that palm trees were splendid but boy oh boy do i adore the fall foliage all around me. reds and golds and browns and all that jazz. such prettiness.

so the point of this confession is to explain that one of the reasons that i was excited about visiting the pacific northwest was to see the evergreen trees.

it was like Christmas everywhere!! we landed in portland, oregon and it was every bit as cloudy and gorgeous as i expected.

evergreens and rivers and mountains, oh my!
oh and moss was Everywhere. the cool, moist climate is a friend to moss.

so besides sleeping in and making tea with my siblings every morning (miss that!!) and attending niece/nephew basketball games (4 total!), we went to Portland's Japenese Gardens one day....

and went to Wahkeena and Multnomah Falls....

the smudges are actually water droplets! cold and intense water!

then towards the end of the week, we all drove north to Seattle (yayyyyy!)

skyline view from Kerry Park

space needle again! that blob is a museum and the weird blobby shape + colors totally fascinated me

itttt's Pike's Place!

irresponsibly taking pics as i cross the street

this is one of the places where they expertly fling fish at each other and tourists (like moi) grin dumbly and snap pics. i felt sorry for those guys after a few minutes.

veggies galore

my sister was obsessed with buying a washington apple. me: "they sell them in florida grocery stores too!" but she bought some pacific rose apples and i must confess, it was delish!

any starbucks aficionados? this here's the 1st one ever. i decided to wait for my group outside as the line was a tad outrageous. the girl on the guitar was pretty awesome though!

outside of the Pike's Place starbucks

view from the top... of the Seattle space needle

lovely.....

cold and windy but awesome view!

group pic with a fake backdrop!

I want to be like her!

2012-01-20T08:34:00.004-06:00


source: The Ballestero Blog

soooo last night, my goal was to finish up my washington post but i got caught up in listening to a funeral! really, the homegoing service of Sis. Content Ballestero. Holy Ghost Radio broadcasted the event.... 7pm PST which translates to 9pm CST for me! it ended around 12am CST but my oh my, i don't regret staying up to listen to all of the wonderful stories about this amazing woman of God.

i cannot recall the year but it was back when the Pixler's used to host their annual New Years Conference. someone called on Sister Ballestero to stand and testify. this my first time to see her! she spoke and all i remember is how joyful and vibrant this lady was. i remember my BFF and i nudging each other in church and saying, "i want to be like her!"

some years later..... in September of 2009 during Youth Alive, i was blessed to be blessed by her presence again through Bekki! by this time, dementia had set in but even in this, she still had such a joy for the Lord. i remember her asking Sister Nila a few times that day if there was church tonight! church wasn't till sunday but she was always anxious to go! i remember her sweet smile. i remember sitting at the kitchen table and her having a repetitive conversation with me :). it mostly consisted of "God is sooo good hon-ey!" and "are you single, honey?" among just a few other things!

i remember thinking, "Lord, if i am ever in a state of dementia, i want to be like her!" she still had the joy of the Lord emanating through her.

the homegoing service was much like one of Elder Ballestero's messages: had me laughing one minute and crying the next! and it challenged me. i was given a peek into the life of this amazing lady and it made me want to live for more. i'm still kinda overwhelmed now so i can't really express all that i feel. i'm so thankful for the Godly women that influence my life today. i want to be like them.... and Sis. Connie too. :)

**UPDATE!!**

visit the below link to hear the service!

Homegoing Service Audio

travelin' and such

2012-01-04T14:53:00.001-06:00

greetings 2012!

so yes, 2 weeks ago, i spent a few days in sunny south florida with my sis and today, i'm sitting in my brother's house in southern washington state. it's exciting but.... i wish they were closer to me! it is very nice to get to visit new places.

however, i find it enviable that many people can see a lot of their family within a 1-5 hour drive. so be thankful for your nearby relatives! i tell myself that my "consolation prize" is that being with family gives me a good excuse to visit parts of the country that i've been dying to see!

i looked at my florida pics and surprise, surprise: they're mostly beach pics with a few family pics thrown in. i didn't do any real sightseeing. we visited ft. lauderdale beach and south beach in miami. both lovely! then most of the time, i was out driving around with my sis, going to lunch with her friends and laughing with cousins that i barely know! it was fun!

versace mansion

me + salt water + sand = happy place

on my way back to dallas, there was no room for my carry-on in the overhead bin. this always makes me happy because then my bag gets checked in for free!!! however, gate agent Maggie was super rude and somehow tagged my bag to go somewhere else. arrived in dallas at 8am and no bag. found out about 6pm that my bag was sent to salt lake city, utah but should be arriving at the airport in a few minutes. called baggage help people on the next morning and hmmmm.... "we're not sure where your bag is now!".

i dug a bit online {thank the Lord for google} and found the baggage claim department number for SLC's american airlines. i spoke to the lady who put my bag on the flight and she assured me that it should be in dallas. so my mother and i drove on mission to DFW airport and lo and behold! they had my bag and didn't even know. ughhhhh. but i'm thankful.

MONDAY -
the flight to portland, oregon was so super crowded that i wasn't given a seat assignment. not long before boarding, i was assigned to 7F. sweeeeet. that's the first row in coach so there's extra legroom!

so i boarded and then the gate agent lady comes to ask if the people in my row are traveling with anyone. the two next to me were a couple and i was traveling with my sister but she was further back. since they needed an extra coach seat for a latecomer, i was whisked off to FIRST CLASS. Ohhhh my word. can you say "dream come true"??? i've never sat up front with the cool kids before!

haha! i felt like a country mouse! when they came by with the hot washcloth, i watched what the other first classers did from the corner of my eye because i had no clue. i assumed it was just for your fingertips, not for your face also!

then in true jen fashion, i surreptitiously documented my meals. this was after all, a once in a lifetime occasion that may never happen again!

warm assorted nuts with my usual ginger ale

ok, i have to write a paragraph about my lunch. i recall the days when even coach class got a meal. that was a looooong time ago, seemingly. but back then i didn't appreciate it and called most of it "gross" {well, because most of it was gross}. but this was great! it was a warm chicken sandwich on flat, mediteranean style bread. the salad was boring and just how i like it {i'm not a fan of frou-frou salads}. then there were the pita chips with a dip of red bell pepper hummus!!! YUM!

and to top it off, one of my favorite types of cookies! oatmeal with walnuts and cranberries and maybe other stuff too. *sigh* i should've requested a glass of milk!

it was a really neat experience! after lunch, i wanted to stay awake to see what the flight attendants would do next! like what, jen? like, maybe perform a musical number or something? i dunno. anyway i drifted off into my usual fitful airplane sleep. i missed not being able to slip off my boots, though. i figured they might toss me to the back of the plane if i showcased my crazy socks.

but yeah! it was great and i believe, totally made up for my luggage incident! more blogging soon!

time FLIES when you're... getting old.

2011-12-31T20:58:00.000-06:00

also when you're having fun while getting old!

2011

usually, i would be in church on new year's eve but since it fell on a saturday, we're having our traditional service tomorrow night instead. i thought it would be kinda cool to spend it here at home but.... laaaame. it's so lame. and though i'm one of those who commonly makes it to bed around 11:30/12am every night, i honestly wouldn't mind being fast asleep by time midnight rolls in tonight. guess i'm ready for church already!

oh 2011, you seemed so brief! i love that 365 days doesn't feel like an eternity for me anymore.

2011 was nice! that's all i can think of to say about it, haha! i had some ups and some downs but for the most part, everything was.... nice!

i treasure another year given to me where i could live for the Lord. what an awesome gift that is!

i treasure my church and the direction given to me there. my road map, if you will.

i treasure all of my beautiful, awesome friends.

oh my, i treasure the kids at my church! i stayed for a little while (till 2am!) at the kids' lock-in last night and let me tell ya, the next generation is promising! these kids prayed their hearts out, played their hearts, are talented like CRAZY (singing, performing songs they wrote, preaching!). we're in a sick, psycho world but it's a joy to see kids enjoy living for God and have a ton of fun in the process!

i could go on and on but i'm so thankful. my goal for 2011 was to make it a great year and i do believe, by the grace of God, i succeeded! i am super stoked about 2012! i can't wait to see what's in store!

au revoir, 2011!

love, jen

{12.15.2011 - south beach, miami, FL}

being farsighted

2011-11-29T13:12:00.002-06:00

farsightedness -

"greater difficulty seeing near objects than distant objects"

i'll admit it - i can be accused of having my head in the clouds a bit more than i should. now, we've already covered in the previous entry that i don't mean in the heavenly clouds { i'm working on this! }.

but yes, i enjoy planning and scheming fun future trips and events. i need to buy my 2012 calendar very soon. i get a kick out of figuring out what things will be happening in the coming months and how i can plan my schedule accordingly.

so this is all well and good but even in this, i need a better sense of perspective.

ever heard of the phrase "live for today"?

when our face is constantly looking ahead for whatever will come next instead of looking down and realizing all that we have right now, we tend to forget how blessed we currently are.

this time of year is too short but it's a wake up call for an attitude of thanksgiving. i think of all of the people i have around me that impact my life, all of the blessings that God has bestowed upon unworthy me and the list goes on and on. savor all that you have right now.

"i can't live my whole life wasting
all the grace that i know You've given
cause you made me for so much more than
sitting on the sidelines....

so why am i waiting for tomorrow?"

where are your eyes focused?

being nearsighted

2011-11-28T22:53:00.002-06:00

nearsightedness -
"when light entering the eye is focused incorrectly,
making distant objects appear blurred"

a few weeks ago, i heard an absolutely beautiful message about Heaven.

you know Heaven, right? that really pretty, sparkly place above the clouds with angels and Jesus and exquisite mansions?

i don't hear a lot about it in depth very often. and honestly, i don't think about it as much as i ought to.

that message reminded me of what my focus needs to be on. not on my frustrations and irritations. not on my dreams and goals.

i mean sure, i know that my purpose here is to live for God but it's so easy to lose perspective. my ultimate goal needs to be towards the city of unfathomable beauty. streets made of pure gold, colorful gems, a crystal sea and so much more than i could ever imagine. the Bible only gives us an itsy-bitsy peephole to this wonderful place.

where are your eyes focused?

11.07.2011

2011-11-07T16:35:00.002-06:00

WOW. talk about a case of the Monday Blahs! today has been a doozy.

`constant yawning that is not decreased by coffee or coke.
`guilt from my indulgence and plans to drink more coke soon {i'm supposedly not drinking sodas}.
`headache. oh, those are no fun at all.
`oily skin! even the pores on my face are acting up!
`i went to 3 eateries during lunch in search of a peaceful spot to use their wi-fi. frustrating.
`and a blah attitude. no, i'm not snapping at people or anything but i feel kinda like the color of the sky today : grey.

ahhh well. this too shall pass, right?

anywho, we've been having some awesome services, but i wouldn't expect anything less when Bro. Carlson is having revival services with us. there's nothing like special services to cause one to really step back and evaluate their walk with God!

STUFF

- walmart does not play music. well, my "friendly neighborhood" walmart doesn't anyway. ok, why did i hear music on saturday afternoon? specifically, why did i hear "the christmas waltz" {one of my favs!}? and then they played "this christmas"! you know retailers play christmas music loudly because it is proven that people buy more when they hear it. so, i may have impulsive picked up a bag of cough drops and a can of cranberry sauce... yeah buddy! tis the season!

- we went to six flags and i had a stiff back for almost a week. i can hardly believe it. apparently i can't stand up for hours in line anymore since i'm pretty sure it wasn't a ride that messed me up. i'll be needing to splurge on that Fast Pass thingamajig whenever i go again.

- guess what, ya'll! when you aren't shopping, you can save more money! oh, and when you aren't driving to far off places during lunchtime, you don't have to fill up your gas tank as often! incredible revelations, i tell ya!

- hm. eyeing this saturday as a "pie practice" day. will definitely try THIS recipe for the crust if i can locate a place to purchase "leaf lard" in dallas {seriously, what makes it "leaf" lard?}.

it's almost the end of the year! can you believe it? yeah, i can, haha. looking forward to fun & busy weeks ahead.

blessed reassurance

2011-11-01T08:43:00.000-06:00

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

self-worth = selfish?

2011-10-17T22:59:00.000-05:00

happy monday {evening}!

slightly open book moment - last week a stranger gave me a really nice compliment that simultaneously flattered me and caused me to wish that i could {pardon the expression} "get the heck outta dodge". however, i was stuck. i treated myself to ordering take-out for lunch at a new restaurant and he was my server. awkward!!

i've been thinking about this episode a lot. i'm sorta ashamed to admit it but not really, haha! i mean, HELLO! i'm not really accustomed to that sort of thing. if i were, would that be a bad thing? maybe so?

why is it, especially as girls, so hard for us to accept compliments and affirmations to the point that we are floored when we hear them?
perhaps it is a bit presumptuous for me to speak for the whole female population but i find this to be true for a lot of women.

and here's another thought - i am twenty six years young.... at least, i think i am. i often have to put some thought into recalling my own age {disbelief or senility setting in?}. imagine being sixteen and some dumb jerk of a guy telling a girl flattering words. is it any wonder that so many sixteen year old end up giving up their emotions {and then some} to said jerk of a guy? all she wants is to feel pretty and behold, someone is telling her that she is. my point is, if something like this could weigh on my mind at this "old" age, sixteen year old me might have like, gone into convulsions or something.

*sigh* maybe i'm just seriously guy-deprived. LOL.
yes jen, you seriously did just write that and you are not deleting it.

recently, i've been trying to.... hmm, appreciate{?} the mirror more. not sure how to word that. i don't hate my reflection but it's never healthy to frequently criticize it.

i believe there needs to be a recognition of internal and external self-worth without the fear of vanity. can we love ourselves for who we are and how we look? or are we afraid that this will cause us to become self-absorbed and conceited? really, any self-worth is useless without the realization that God is the source of it all.

this was a bunch of jumbled up thoughts but i hope it was somewhat coherent!

what say you?

how do you feel about self-worth?

ALL things means ALL things.

2011-10-07T10:20:00.009-05:00

isn't it nice to know...

that even when life doesn't always pan out how you would have preferred...

you're in His Hands

and He's working ALL things out

together for your good?

i love it when God allows things to happen that build my faith in Him!

i'm part of a chorale at my school this semester and our only requirement (besides coming to class once a week) is to participate in two concerts at the end of the semester. well, that's easy, right? haha, except when the concerts fall on the same days as my church's anniversary services. now, the saturday concert is in the evening so there wouldn't be any conflict of time with our afternoon service but the friday night concert definitely would occur during church.

so i went to God about it. :) He knows my heart. i would absolutely hate to have to miss that service! so i prayed. and guess what? i checked my campus email yesterday and my professor sent out an email this week saying:

“I have just learned of a conflict with our previously scheduled concert date in December (the 9th). We are seriously exploring

Saturday evening Dec. 3 for our Chorale final concert, which is required attendance. Please confirm that, with notice this far in advance, you will be able to attend. ”

ummm, YEAH i can attend! i don't know what the scheduling conflict is but i never approached her about my situation. God is so good. and just think, if He can move mountains/hills like this, what's the point in limiting Him? dream big, my friends. :)

LOOK LYDA D.R.W.! I WROTE A POST!

2011-10-03T18:41:00.000-05:00

greetings, fair bloggers/readers!

i was asked by someone who i will not name *AHEM* when i would blog again. so here i is!

i think about blogging often {ummm probably everyday honestly!}but it's a matter of making time to do it ESPECIALLY if you want to post pics and ESPECIALLY if you're slightly picture snobby and want to edit them before pressing that magical upload button. i'm just gonna stick em on here. they aren't that great anyway and besides, i don't have much time before class begins.

so anywho.
our camping trip was da bomb dot com. LOL!

it was! it was grand and fun and awesome. friday night, many many cookies were baked at mich's house. some of which were BURNT! and she made me take them anyway! so embarrassing. ughhh!

while at her house i discovered that i had forgotten my camera's charger {with barely any battery life on the camera}. noooooooooo! and a sheet. and a pillow.
THIS is why i always make a list of everything that i'm going to pack. obviously, i failed to make a list this time. :(

so we went to walmart at like, 3am which is always a good time, no matter what the circumstances. my hatred for walmart turns into insane love during the early morning hours. i can't explain it.

then we got breakfast tacos at taco cabana! :)

then i tried to sleep for like 30 minutes till sis. menzies told me to wake up.

the next few hours were filled with the longing for a nice bed and the annoyance of having to sleep in a van. or at least, attempting to sleep.

but, we made it there! there were squatters at our campsite *GASP* but they would be gone in a couple hours or so. it wasn't too bad and they were really nice after the initial stand-off.

so we ate and set up tents and took beautiful naps. ooohhhh, that was some good sleep under a canopy of trees.

my front view from my nap! the lake!

hello, odd grin.

the dinner team made dinner and we ate! then we went off for showers and such. some hung out at the table to keep talking. jennifer went to her tent. still rather tired!
ok, so i was talking to someone and then this BUG fell on me. ew. ew. it was a somewhat paralyzed roach. yes. i am still amazed at how calm i was at the time. the peace of God passed alllll understanding, ok?

rhonda bravely disposed of that nasty thing and the group chatting at the table were now sitting on top of the table because mr. pepe le pew {the skunk} and swiper the fox decided the make their first appearance. they wanted into the eating area bad and the humans were in the way. so yeah. needless to say, paranoia began setting in strongly during the first night. :)

star and i made breakfast the next morn and our group had devotions. then some of us hung out by the lake and had a picnic during lunch time. yay!

afterwards, we went to watch people jump off a really high rock, which was really cool! most of our guys who tried to get there almost died. so {potentially} tragic. so they didn't get to jump.

we girls left the guys and went swimming. we had a blast!

then there were long lines for the shower and dinner and discussions/debate. funny how our lightheartedness can make such a serious turn! oh and pepe le pew showed up with an armadillo and they were staring at us! that skunk had a lot of friends.

it was around 3am or so when i finally got in my tent. i was so sleepy and wanted to go in earlier but i remember thinking that i love being with my bestest friends in the world and i wanted to stay up forever!

that night, cool and amazing breeze flooded the area. it was awesome. i woke with slight chills. and when i opened my eyes, a little herd of deer were near our tent!

monday was boat day. we ate breakfast and went out in two groups to ride. very nice!

annnddd yeah, that's pretty much it! what a great group and a fun time!
mich has a way better summary on her blog ---> http://shelleydianne.blogspot.com/2011/09/me-and-my-gang.html

this week in review

2011-09-02T14:19:00.003-05:00

i am jump-up-and-down excited about going on our annual camping trip this weekend!!!!!!11!!!!11

really, i'm mostly crazy happy about the weather forecast. Jesus decided to start turning down the thermostat!! praise Him, saints. jen loves central a/c and cute bags and lovely shoes and pedicures and skyscrapers and such. but she also loves roughin' it in the woods every once in a while.... just not sweating buckets in the process though.

ok, yeah it's a tad bit warm still but does thou see any triple digit temps??? nope, sure don't!
when i saw this earlier today, i literally wanted to jump up and down.

but that would've been a bad idea because i might have been escorted out of the building.
and that's no fun, lemme tell ya!

so this week was my first full week of school for fall, blah blah blah, just ready to be done. :)

and what else? hmm... i got a 2nd degree burn overnight on monday. kids - i don't recommend falling asleep underneath the bonnet hair dryer, no matter how soothing that warm air may feel. i would post a pic buuuut that's kinda gross. it looks like a raisin now. and fun fact, it's on my arm right near a burn scar i had gotten from the oven a few years ago. TMI, i know, i know....

i've been thinking alot about fall this week.... trying on my boots, getting a hoodie with my school's name on it.... and pie. i've been thinking about pie A Lot. i will perfect my pie this year which would be really Good! .....and really BAD all at the same time. i'm sure it can't be too hard to figure out the BAD in this.

not much to say! anxious to go home and gather my belongings and clear my memory card!

i'll leave you with some words of wisdom from a throwback Newsong song:

when you believe He's all you need
that will be your defining moment
as you live your life walking in His light

trusting Him completely
that will be, that will be your defining moment

me = good enough

2011-08-23T18:15:00.002-05:00

hmmm, where to begin??

i've been churning on this post in my mind for a while... like, for a few months really but i've never figured how i would start it. or even what to title it. craziness! it's part informative/part venting/part self-disclosure. funny how being a blogger still doesn't make self-disclosure any more comfortable for me!

ok so, around may of last year i made a rather big decision in my life: i decided that i would no longer chemically straighten / relax my hair. if your hair is nowhere near the excessively curly state that mine's is, you may be thinking, "and the big deal is....?" but to other people, this statement can elicit an audible gasp, an "Are you for real?", a "But why?", etc. see, it's a straight haired girl's world, for the most part. our society is heavily influenced by the european standards of beauty.

the problem is when a large group of people who have tightly curled hair {sorry, i've never been a fan of the word "nappy/knappy"} decide that they need to have straight hair because their hair isn't "good enough" or they do not possess the coveted "good hair" {loosely curled hair}. isn't it odd that my hair is called "natural hair" since i don't chemically straighten it but hair that has been chemically altered is just called "hair"? isn't that backwards?!

so i've pretty much always hated my hair. i've wanted to have hair like the little girl on the box of the Just For Me or PCJ hair relaxer kit, LOL! SOOO many black little girls wanted her hair! but alas, i wasn't born with "good hair" {i CRINGE every time i hear someone use that phrase}.

i've scoffed internally at preachers when they declare that hair is my glory. Glory?! umm... more like Shame! it's not growing so who cares if it's uncut? in actuality my hair was growing BUT it was breaking also so i could never retain length. thus, it never seemed to get any much longer.

so what spurred me?
- i was in a funk last year and i needed change. like, big time major change.
- i was kinda tired of going to the salon. seriously, i am hightailing it across town to go to your salon and i still have to sit and Wait for you even though i have an appointment? oh, and pay that much? um, no.
- a book i had picked up at west coast conference 2009 by Juli Jasinski called "Her Ebony Glory". i remember scoffing at the book when she began to talk about not relaxing our hair.
- my convictions. yep, i've had this nagging thought for a few years now but never did anything about it: if i shouldn't dye my hair because i'm changing it from my natural color, why should i relax it and change it from its natural texture?

so i took the plunge and let me tell you, it was one of the best decisions i have ever made. God is bringing me closer each and everyday to more self-acceptance. do i love my hair now? i'm getting there.... i'm not in love with my hair but i don't hate it anymore.... in fact, i like it now and THAT, my friends, is one giant leap for mankind. my hair is not bad hair, it is Good Hair because God made it and it was Good Enough for Him.

and besides, why would anyone argue against having heathly, strong hair with less breakage and more growth??? all to conform to society's beauty standards.

hair is a hot button issue among some for sure. what prompted me to write this today was a conversation i had last night. "so, you mean you're never relaxing your hair again?" nope. "well, what if you meet a guy and he won't marry you unless you relax your hair?"

um.... if i met a guy and he said, "you know, i really like you but you need to do something about that nose"
should jen run to her laptop and check out if her job's health insurance covers plastic surgery?? noooooo...

see, it's really sad but you'd be shocked to know how many people feel like the person in the above convo.

so, i try to brush off the ignorance. it's all i can do.
after all, i am good enough in His eyes, right?

{ i suppose it would seem fitting that i stick a picture in this post but i don't really have hair pics! and i'm sporting french braids today. so yeah. :) }

i love i love i love i love the way You hold me!*

2011-08-18T10:11:00.002-05:00

*one of my favorite new songs this summer :)

CANNONBALL! notice the lovely golden hue of my grass.

this picture has mostly nothing to do with this entry.
it was inspired by this post....
http://mcmomentsandmemories.blogspot.com/2011/08/wordless-wednesday-where-you-can-find.html

love ya, Sis. Kathy! soo jealous too! ;)

an attitude of gratitude.
i've really been feeling this lately and it's been awesome! how do i love Thee? let me count the way:

:: 8/4/2011 was my Holy Ghost birthday! so that makes me umm.... 14?? purty cool! smack dab in holy ghost teenage years. oh, the drama..... not really. thank God!

:: see that there kiddie pool? i kinda sorta dropped my phone in it for 3 seconds yesterday. yeahh....it was barely showing any signs of life. i took the phone apart, let it dry out on the patio table, lay the parts on my blow dryer and did the "stick the phone and battery overnight in rice" trick {rice absorbs moisture}. i pressed the power button this morning, sighed and typed "Ebay.com" into my browser window.... then my phone began booting up! Jesus resurrected my phone.

:: i read some of the horrible ordeals that people have had to face in their lives. it reminds me of how blessed i am to have been kept from so much.

:: i say over and over how it is such a privilege to be living for God with a {mostly} sane mind. people give up on God for the dumbest reasons. i honestly cannot wrap my mind around some of these reasons.

:: job. work. employment. trabajo. i despise having to be awake before 9:30am {my wakey time is around 5:30am} BUT with this country in so much economic turmoil, it's a crazy, wonderful blessing to have a job.

i could go on! God is good, friends. thank Him for every breath you're given!

monday magic!

2011-08-01T22:18:00.000-05:00

haha, not really. just more incessant chatter from yours truly! i love you too.

* i'm melllllllllll-ting!!! i'm mellllllll-ting!!!!
{just more redundant complaining about the summer heat. *sigh*}

* we did a garage sale on Saturday at my house. one of the ladies from church happened to bring a fur coat. i somehow ended up buying it {on a 100 degree day}.... she wanted to give it to me b/c it fit me but i insisted on paying the $20 that she was originally asking for it. all this time, i'm assuming that it's a faux fur, okay?!

oh my, so i tried it on again just now and randomly searched the brand on ebay... um, yeah it's really real, considering the prices that these people are asking for them. i've never had any real fur before {OH WAIT I have. looooong ago, i had earmuffs with rabbit fur. they were so soft. i lost them though.}. and deep inside, there is a little animal activist, PETA picketing, fur spraying person lurking. BUT i choose not to unleash the dragon. ignorance is bliss.

in any case, this coat will be passed down to my children (in Jesus' name) and grandchildren (in Jesus' name).
wanna see??

i did it black & white to look all vintage-y

* the dog is seriously packing on the pounds. we went to the vet on saturday. so the last time i weighed him (in november), he was 15 lbs which is okay for an already large sized yorkie {largest in his litter!}. bro man is now 20 lbs! oh wow. so, i take partial blame b/c due to the sweltering heat, i haven't been walking him very often. most of the blame, however, lies on my parental unit, ESPECIALLY the male parental unit who often insists feeding the dog various things. this makes me very unhappy but it doesn't change things!

so i'm thinking of changing Toby's full name of Toby Antonio Lord to Tubby O'Lord........like "tub of lard?!" hardy har har!

we did walk for like 20 minutes tonight and got inside of the house before we could pass out on the sidewalk. it's nasty out there. people DIE in this weather! sorry, i'm bitter. i miss my Colorado dry heat and 60 degree nights! *tear*

* Every. One. Of. These. Entries. refers to the heat. it's invaded my mind!!

heritage pics....

2011-07-27T23:01:00.000-05:00

emily, ??, and lis!

emily, lis & brittany!

me & amander waiting for the lock-in to be over! :)

jalissa, troy & madison!

cabrea & paola!

many people

emily, lis & i!

me and jac! we finally found each other!

the gurls!

a hoppy burt-day to you!

lake trinidad

wading at the lake

mich and our awesome chauffeur!

back to life, back to reality

2011-07-26T10:06:00.002-05:00

i'm back in the "big d" and rather exhausted still. it was so worth it though! just some thoughts:

*its been a while since my last conference... Winter Heritage 2009. Wow.

*i don't like it when people are under the delusion that when they leave a conference, they are like superheroes! nothing can bring them down after the experience they had! oh sure, there is a definite adrenaline rush. That's unavoidable. but guys and gals, i feel changed. it's hard to explain. i really feel more affected by this last conference than i've felt in a loooonnnggg time. this conference had an unmistakable DEPTH {a rarity for a youth conference}. the presence of God was so incredibly tangible at times, i felt unworthy to be experiencing it. all i want to do is re-listen to all of the great messages that i heard last week.... that's not normal behavior for me.

*pursuit. living for God is a constant pursuit. if i let my guard down, i will gradually become weaker. just like a natural relationship, if i do not make an effort to maintain my walk with Him, the relationship will dwindle down to nothingness. yesterday, i could already feel.... well it sounds weird but! - it almost felt as though some of my strength was seeping out. i had to remind myself of the pursuit.

*our Sunday night service consisted of only singing, testimony and offering. all of us Heritage people testified and it was so powerful. what a blessing to hear how God helped the teens at my church. it's not easy for them in this psychotic world.

*le sigh. Colorado Springs.... how i miss your 60 degree nights.

*i love seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and Finally becoming acquainted with bloggin' friends! i love going to conferences and being around people who are like me. think about it: everywhere we go, we're surrounded by a ton of people who are not saved. besides our local churches, isn't it cool to go somewhere and be around hundreds of people that you do not know but yet they have the holy ghost too? i love that our teens got to experience that also. it's easy to feel like you're the only one trying to live for God out there.

*on the last night of every conference, i usually take a few minutes to sit still and look all around me. i feel like i have to soak it all in before i leave. this is what Heaven will be like. will there be a large amount of animal print, ruffled high collars and taffeta dresses in Heaven? i'll get back to you on that..... but Heaven = worshiping God forever and ever and ever, etc.

heritage 2011!

2011-07-22T17:02:00.000-05:00

to say that we've been having "great church" at Heritage is a huge understatement.

so it's currently the resting time between services and i'm awake and jittery. yes, i did drink 2 cups of coffee this morn but also i'm sooo excited about the service tonight! i can't wait to see what God has in store for us.

i knew we'd be going to a good conference but i never anticipated that it would be this incredibly powerful. there is a strong hunger for God and it is Beautiful. last night, prayer began at 6:30pm and ended about 8:10pm! the Spirit was so strong! i can't imagine how many strongholds were crushed in that prayer meeting. after an awesome message from Bro. Frazier, there was a powerful altar call. i was amazed at how many were still praying in the church even with a lock-in looming around the corner.

i'm sooo glad that my group was able to come! in my room are three 16 year old girls. oh my word. :) it isn't that bad though, despite the occasional bickering and periodic bouts of uncontrollable giggling! i know that they are getting alot out of this conference and i just thank God sooo very much for giving us the opportunity to be here.

Rock formation thing :)

2011-07-20T12:56:00.001-05:00

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Chaperonin' andstufflikethat

2011-07-20T12:55:00.001-05:00

Howdy! I'm riding the church van, headed to Colorado Springs! Quite excited. Currently we're cruising through New Mexico, which has also seemed like such a dismal state to me. I guess we never pass through the pretty part, if it exists!

I do like these big hill things/rock formations/ I don't know what they are. Dallas is exceedingly flat so anything with some elevation excites me.

Yeah sooooo we (3 young adults) are chaperoning most of the teens from my church. Never done this before! We're headed to Heritage Conference which used to be my summer highlight back in the day! Awww nostalgia!

For a few weeks, my Saturdays were spent asking for money in some form or fashion. This is also known as "fundraising". NOT one of my favorite things to do! It's funny what happens when determination kicks in though. You don't care that its crazy Hot outside.... You're gonna wash those cars because you need that money.

I was seriously ready to throw in the towel a few times: "we're never going to reach our goal!" {Said internally}

But once again, God came sailing in, going beyond the amount that we needed.
OH YE OF LITTLE FAITH!
I think He likes proving me wrong. I like that He likes doing that.

More updates to come!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

seriously, America??

2011-07-18T08:16:00.000-05:00

throughout the duration of the Casey Anthony trial, i hadn't been one of those glued to her computer screen or newspaper. i didn't even realize that the trial was going on. i remember when the mom was first arrested in 2008 only because of the candid picture that the media released of Caylee -- the little girl with big brown eyes in a pensive stare and her hand under her chin.

so really, i was made aware of the trial at the end of it.... mostly because of the public outrage.

honestly, i think that Casey did it. there were way too many odd elements in that case. party girl mom who didn't report her missing child? getting a tattoo while your daughter is missing? lying about your alleged nanny kidnapping your child? falsifying your place of employment? tooo weird.

however.... there was not enough proof to convict that crazy chick. so guess what? in the eyes of the law, she innocent! see that's how the law works. i can theorize and hypothesize all the live long day until i'm blue in the face. that doesn't change the fact that there is no physical incriminating evidence that says, "aha! she did it!".

so alot of people don't like the vedict. okay. what gets me is how Psychotically Passionate strangers are. they have no link to the case and have never met Caylee but are driven to act irrationally.

have you heard the story about Casey Anthony being harassed on her facebook account? OH WAIT! that's not Casey. that's actually the same name of a 43 year old black man who lives in philly. i don't know what picture was on his profile but that didn't stop him from getting hundreds of friend requests, threatening messages and phone calls.

what about Casey Anthony getting attacked while at the convenience store she worked at in oklahoma? OH, MY BAD! that's not Casey again! this lady just sorta kinda looks like her and a woman attacked her.

and during Casey's prison release early sunday morning, there was a mob of people outside chanting "baby killer"among other things.

all of this reminded me of a high school english class. we learned about the Salem witch trials. read on that! you'll see some modern day similarities.

teach us to count the days

2011-07-13T22:00:00.001-05:00

i've noticed that i tend to get annoyed at the excuse, "well, i was going to _________ BUT i didn't have time!"

i always think to myself, "nope, you just didn't MAKE the time!!"

but then again, who i am i to judge?
after all, one of my strengths is wasting time!

i promise that i'm not as proud of this as i sound. :)

tonight was another one of those evenings when i should have started to diligently complete some schoolwork as soon as i got home. key phrase: should have.

but then i make excuses about me being at work all day long and needing to shut my brain off. "i don't wanna think!!!!"

anywho... i was just reminded of the lyrics of this song by one of my favorite songwriters, chris rice:

Every day is a bank account
And time is our currency
So nobody's rich, nobody's poor
We get 24 hours each
So how are you gonna spend
Will you invest, or squander
Try to get ahead
Or help someone who's under

Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
That somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much
Life means so much
Life means so much

how will we use the time that we are given?
in pursuit of life's pleasures, wealth, popularity.... or in a pursuit of God?

wake up call

2011-07-12T23:15:00.000-05:00

sometimes God allows things to occur that remind us of how futile this life is without Him.

today, we were informed that someone who had backslid fairly recently had died in a car accident.

it's so sad.... especially since many clearly remember the warning that he heard at his last church service.... the last night of a revival.

we never know when our time will be up. some decide to walk away from God and do their own thing. but what about those who never leave the church? the prospect of being a backslider on the pew is chilling.

the time we have now is PRECIOUS.
it's only by the grace of God that we still have the opportunity to cry out to Him at an altar or to heartily sing His praises. we should be grateful for the time that we still have to make our hearts right in His eyes. God forbid that I should choose to take all of this lightly.

ooopsie

2011-07-08T08:31:00.000-05:00

i missed a day of blogging! i didn't forget.... i was too busy relaxing at home {yes, one can busily relax}.
around 11pm, i started to figure out what i should type before my midnight deadline but i gave up. so i'll do 2 today.

* always listen to your car. just like smartphones, i am getting used to having a smart car. and when i say "smart", i am Not talking about those cars that are reminiscent of the little tike cars that we've all played with at some point in our lives.

but anyway. :) a little light came on in my car and i didn't know what it was! it took me a while but eventually i looked it up and realized, "oh! my tire pressure is low!". so i had my dad check my tire and he freaked out a bit that it was that low. the moral of the story IS: if your car is trying to tell you something, Listen!! i very well could've been stuck out in the middle of no where with a flat tire on monday.

* words cannot express my love for this coffee. it's great! i "smuggled" it from puerto rico and i'm enjoying it right this second. and speaking of PR, i looked at my pics last night and i wanted to post them but well.... they look kind of ghastly. i need to tweak the coloring and such!

* EXCITED! i no longer have any credit card payment as of today! i cut my card into little pieces last year which is Very Good.... because all of a sudden i want to buy shoes.

* the letter "b" fell off of my phone. not cool! it's not so much the letter that bothers me.... it's the fact that the other character on that key is this: !. the exclamation point. how do i live....?
going now to google for a keypad.

sleep haiku

2011-07-06T10:16:00.000-05:00

*don't knock it till you try it. this is keeping me awake!*

my fair weather friend

i run from you whenever

i want to stay up

i wish to fall in

your arms and not be sent home

without a paycheck

i dream of pillows

whenever i'm stuck at work

or drive long road trips

the intense heat saps

my energy and makes me

wilt like the flowers

2011-07-05T23:45:00.000-05:00

sunday school funny:

*the girls were talking about numbers*

e - six-six-six.

t - ooooooo!!!

e - what?

k - that's the devil's number!

e - what? the devil got a cell phone?!

those silly billy kiddos! there's nothing like watching kids that you knew as Babies growing up into teenagers. OH MY WORD. i was astonished at them this sunday. i guess that i've been thinking about age quite a bit recently. i couldn't help but notice that they're beginning to look a bit more like adults everyday. can you say SCARY?

what's nice though is that they don't consider me as "old". long ago, when i was merely twenty-five years of age, they asked me, "Sister Jennifer, how old are you?" I braced myself to be doomed as uncool and declared as old.... oh, and i answered their question too. "Oh okay! You're young!"

whew!! what a relief!!

and although i am not yet a parent, knowing that their eyes are watching me and the ears are listening to me causes me to ask God for a bit more help on this journey. maybe a bit more wisdom also!

go FOURTH!

2011-07-04T23:50:00.000-05:00

happy 4th of july!

hahaha, so in regards to this "july challenge" to post everyday, i'll be limiting it to weekdays. weekends are optional. saturday was sooooo extremely exhausting. i'll elaborate on that later! and sunday was just sunday.... a very long day!

hope that everyone had a happy 4th! we went to the lake. well, on the drive to the lake i picked up some contraband explosives once i was safely out of the city limits of dallas. my first contraband explosives purchase were sparklers! so innocent, right?

the lake was fun. laughing with the church fam was quite enjoyable. the dog will sleep well tonight after swimming so much.

i like driving through the country! well, only if the country area has lots of trees. i heart trees. what's also fun is seeing the firework displays while cruising on the highway. fireworks are like big poofs of glitter thrown into the sky. that's absolutely lovely to me.

i tried one sparkler out in the backyard once i got home. it was neat but..... it mildly freaked me out.

did You know that sparklers spark? lots of little sparks come out! who woulda thunk?!?!

suffice it to say that while it was pretty and all, i didn't want to get in trouble for setting the backyard furniture on fire. so i hosed it down. yeah.

my sparklin' sparkler

i always feel like..... Somebody's Watching Me

2011-07-01T17:26:00.000-05:00

let me start off with this: i honestly do count it a PRIVILEGE to serve God in the psychotic world that we reside in.

some years ago, i heard a message from Bro. Steve Pixler entitled "Redefining Normal". in this mortal life, we believers are the "normal ones" in God's eyes. in the eyes of the overwhelming majority, we're actually the "peculiar people", in the modern day, literal sense.

i just looked up "peculiar" from the Greek in 1 Peter 2:9 -- what it actually means there is: a people for acquisition; a people for God's own possession.

hey, that's pretty cool!! but the world shakes their collective heads and says, "umm no... you guys really are crazies."

i am very okay with being considered strange or different. it comes with the territory.

but recently, i've gotten a bit annoyed with it all.
i don't want to look like the world. i really don't care to blend in with them. what i want is to be invisible.

i often wish that i could really get into people's heads and hear their thoughts. why are they looking at me like that?

sometimes i know that people can see a difference in me and are wondering what it is.
sometimes the looks are of disdain -- "why is she wearing so much clothes? it's hot!"
sometimes i can interpret the stares. sometimes i can't.

i hate being stared or gawked at.
sometimes i wish the whole world would mind their own business!
it's not the right attitude, i know. i need to be an example of God's love and goodness, i know.

can anyone else relate? or is it just moi?

friday... friday... gettin' down on friday....

2011-07-01T09:02:00.005-05:00

balloooooons at work, for being such a good girl

first and foremost ---

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!! 3 day weekends that consist of being away from work on a MONDAY are absolutely fantabulous, ohmygosh. i feel a shout comin' on....

HAPPY JULY!!!!

because it is my birth month.... and since i'm feeling GREAT with it being friday and all.... and because i'm feeling good because dropped one of my summer classes last night { LOL i was not going to pass it, folks. yeah, i know "quitters never win" and all that jazz. i have way too much on my plate! }.....

I'M gonna do 2 posts today!

and for the month of july, i'm going to post everyday! ha, we'll see how sundays go. i may need to be proactive and cool and attempt the whole scheduled post deal on the previous saturday night.

RANDOMNESS OF THE WEEK

* technically, i'm a college senior {been that way for a while} annnnnd.... as ashamed as i am to admit it.... i've never gotten the whole "studying" thing down. study?? what is this thing you speak of??

i blame my attention span and that may be true but in reality, i'm not all that great with diligence and perseverance and fun stuff like that. this week, i really experienced what real studying is like.... umm, not fun!

but i will have to sacrifice my personal time and sleep so i can finish school next year and land a great job one month after graduation and earn a healthy paycheck and get a month of PTO per year because EVERYBODY KNOWS that the employers of the world are dying to hire recipients of bachelors degrees.
/end sarcasm

* last week, a new in-n-out opened.
it is about 15 minutes from my house.
it's across the highway from my favoritest mall.
this is bad, folks.
must....exercise.... self-restraint.

* my birthday is sunday!
i'm excited! why???????
ha, i hate putting my age on this here blog thing but see cuz....

i'm turning 26. 26 is my favorite number! when i was a wee little girl, i used to make up personalities for the numbers zero through nine. i guess it was a game or something? i was kind of an only child growing up so i had to {still have to?} make up games to amuse myself! anyway, i spoke to a someone who did the Exact Same Thing growing so i don't feel as odd! it's called Ordinal linguistic personification

so 2 and 6 were my favs.
2 is a nice little girl and 6 is a young woman. i don't remember that many details about them but i liked their demeanor! plus i like the way they look!

anywho, i love the fact that i'm going to be my favorite number.

and my birthday is soooo cool {or temperature-wise - soooo HOT, hehe} since it's next door to a national holiday. i will definitely be rocking the rojo, blanco y azul for church.

that's all for now! i need material to write about for the rest of the month. ;)

due to "popular demand"..... :)

2011-06-15T18:37:00.000-05:00

a few more wedding pics!
ugh, please forgive the blurriness. i wasn't trying too hard for "perfection" :D

wedding party

hugging her mom

yes, i know.... they are way too cute!

crazy groomsmen

the guys singing their goodbye song for the groom

Wedding bells ring! Can you hear them??

2011-06-13T00:07:00.000-05:00

I do! I do!

{written saturday, june 11th}

I'm currently in New Orleans, waiting to depart to Mississippi for the wedding of a dear friend!

I am soooo over the moon for him and his bride-to-be. Isn't it amazing how God has a way of bringing people from two different areas, families, personalities, cultures etc and making them one? And isn't it crazy how the blending of these two very different people just makes sense? Compatibility is a crazy thing.

What I also love is knowing someone's history.... growing up in a youth group and experiencing the happiness and heartbreaks of life that have brought him to this place today. God is good and forever faithful.

So here's a toast of sparkling apple cider to the bride and groom! I'm absolutely elated to celebrate this day with them. :)

wanna help?

2011-06-03T13:26:00.000-05:00

remember those news stories soooo long ago about the tornadoes in Joplin? well, not really all that long ago but in our era of constant news being fed to us, the devastation that so many experienced has been pushed to the back burners of our brains.

so here's a refresher and a opportunity for we who were not affected to help someone else in need!
Sis. Nila Marxer wrote the below and i received the green light from her to post this:

To all of you who are praying for Grace Apostolic Church of Joplin, Sis. Deborah Spell Garrett, Bro. Gary W. Garrett, and Bro. Bill Garrett. They need not only need your prayers, but they are also in need of financial help. They have lost their source of income, as he was self-employed. Even though Bro. Bill Garrett's home is still standing, all the windows are blown out and there is water damage. They have no electricity, so they cannot live there. In fact, they cannot even go into that area to check on the contents of their home.

This is a small church. Eight families in the church have lost everything- their homes, vehicles, clothes, etc. - plus, half of them were employed by St. John's Med center, which is no longer standing, and others have lost their jobs as their businesses were in the direct path of the tornado. All these families, plus the Garretts, are all camping in the church, in need of basics: food, water, toiletries, and clothes.

Your financial support would be appreciated through Wal-Mart gift cards, checks, or PayPal. Any donation you can give, no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated. Because they are an independent church, there is no organization to help them through this devastating loss, and immediate need of food and income. This church family loves this One God Message, and has been faithful through the years. I don’t want to sit idly by and not do something.

James 2:14 - 17 (NIV)

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Sincerely,

Nila Marxer

Grace Apostolic Church

2601 Connecticut Ave

Joplin, MO 64804

Gary Garrett: 417-839-9176

Donations can be made at:

www.graceapostolicchurch1.com or www.apostolicarchives.com They have set up the website up today to accept credit card/debit card donations.

two animal stories from joplin!

meet mason, the terrier mix dog who was blown away during the storm and somehow made it back home with 2 broken legs!! awwww!! i have a terrier and so i seriously wanted to cry when i heard this!

the piccadilly circus is even helping out. the elephant is dragging a crumpled car and the circus people (and maybe other animals) are visiting hospitals in the area to entertain people. precious!

back from the dead

2011-05-25T12:54:00.004-05:00

hi!
how are you?
how's your mom doing?
good, good.

i always feel inexplicably guilty when i take forrrreevveerrrr to post a new entry. not that i'm failing anyone in particular but myself. i want to blog because i want to write and become better at it. i cannot become better if i fail to write, yes?

but ANYWAYS!

life is…. interesting. good, quite good! but baffling at times. i know that God is always good and holds a purpose in everything… even in the annoyances and confusion, amen? AMEN!
----

BIN LADEN is dead. wow. that totally threw me for a loop. yes, i really believe that he is dead and that he was killed when those handsome, strong, amazing navy SEALS went to do their duty. i’m not that much of a conspiracy theorist ;). that said, i would want to see the pictures. maybe i’m just morbid that way.

i remember being in my 2nd period 11th grade u.s. history class, mostly likely fighting sleep, and seeing my teacher try to log onto to the internet but was unable to because of the “bombing in new york”, he said.

WHAT?

i remember my eyes glued to the tv during my next class as we watched the news with the horrific videos. i remember trying to call my sister during that class (who lived in the city at the time) but being unable to reach her since i’m sure people all over the country were trying to call their loved ones. i have an aunt who worked in one of the buildings and thankfully, she got out of there unharmed.

i remember getting off of the school bus that Tuesday and thinking that the world as I know it has changed forever.

and i remember hearing ~~Obama’s~~ Osama’s* name for the first time and wondering how such evil could reside in a person.
*{I couldn’t help but snicker at all the newscasters who constantly fumbled on the name!}

so you can say that he was just a human being and you can feel sorry for him and all that. it’s your right. i have a right to feel patriotic pride that this guy is gone. are we safe from another attack now that the mastermind is dead?? FAR FROM SAFE. this freaks me out. but for all the families who lost someone on that day, for all the annoying procedures that we have go through in the name of Airport Security and for these insane GAS PRICES that we now pay, i gladly wave my American flag with pride.

PUERTO RICO was grand!! yes, i was there 2 weeks ago and i will post alllll about that quite soon.

MEMORIAL DAY is next week, doncha know. another reason to be a proud American…. and to be ecstatically happy. because, dear friends, the prospect of sleeping in on a Monday morning makes me ecstatically happy.

CALORIE COUNTING is my friend. it’s tedious but effective and i’ve started again! sparkpeople.com is pretty great for that. how ironic that i’m currently munching on salad and sipping water as i type this.

MOTHER NATURE has been scary. i love a good rainstorm but i'm not a fan when they cause death and destruction. tornadoes touched down in the area last night. i've always wanted to see one in "person" but i'll be totally content with looking at pictures online! my hearts go out to all the people in Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama and etc who have been affected in such devastating ways. i woke up this morning with lamentations 3:22 constantly echoing in my heart :

It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

WEDDING BELLS will be ringing in a couple weeks for a dear friend. this also makes me ecstatically happy! yay for him and for road trip to come!

petals are in place....

2011-04-26T18:20:00.000-05:00

does it make me weird if.....

whenever i go out to look at the blooming roses, i always hear Bro. Timothy Spell's voice in my head singing....of course...."when God unfolds the rose"??

i was all geared up to go out and take pictures of the now mostly dying flowers when i happened to hear a pitter-patter on the roof! so i resigned myself to taking a pic of the tabletop roses.

{side note: Jesus, if you're reading this... i am NOT opposed to a rainy summer! just sayin'}

the rain ended very quickly though! so i slipped on my boots!

hi, jen's boots!

roses are nice but well... they're a little boring. i LOVE orchids though!

poppies!! so cute and fun.

and lastly, the yellow rose of texas waiting to bloom. when GOD unfolds the rose, He ALWAYS gets it right. i'm definitely still learning this!

spring cloaks

2011-04-18T10:40:00.003-05:00

*** we're interrupting this post for breaking news!! ***

well, not really but since i talked about the laptop last post and i didn't care to devote an entire post to what i am about to type, i figure i can just stick it in here, okay? OK!

so on an ice day this year, i finally got around to removing my old laptop's hard drive. i assumed that i would spend my day stuck in the house pouring over all my old pics and music and camera videos. didn't happen. when i tried to open folders like "documents" using my desktop computer it showed as EMPTY!!! i was heartbroken and assumed they were all erased.

this past friday, i decided to try to reopen the folders using the laptop and guess what, friends?? it gave me some weird message saying that i couldn't access them But i could transfer the rights so that my laptop could be the new administrator. yayyyyyy! such happiness and glee! so, both friday and saturday night, i stayed up waaay too late going through my old stuff and reminiscing. good times, good times.

***now back to your regularly scheduled post***

jen.... how are you gonna bounce from computers to trench coats?
that's just how i roll, buddy. ;)

i'm sure i've said before how i wish i could live in the month of April forever. absolutely LOVE it!

if we were to play a word association game, one of the things that make April APRIL is Trench Coats!

i have a nice green trench that i bought on clearance from Target a few years ago but that doesn't stop me from looking (only looking!) at them this time of year. here are a few that i've seen and love:

this White House, Black Market coat is my absolute favorite this year. i think it might have to do with the polka dots, black piping on the edges.... oh, and that adorable bow in the back!

here's a trench from Bebe! it's not really that amazing but add that eyelet on the bottom edge and yeah... that just makes me love it.

finally, here is one from Kohl's - the store that i'm not really a fan of but if i'm in a pinch, i can usually score something from there for a great price! this one is from Lauren Conrad's collection and got my attention due to the lovely robin's egg blue color! aha, ok, and the bow too. AND the pleating underneath the bow!

bows, lace, polka dots, pleating.

girly much? guilty as charged.

do you have a favorite?

tell me which one {or none because "ewww jen, these things are so froufrou!"}.

its a boy!!

2011-04-13T20:35:00.001-05:00

uh-huh, you read correctly: there has been a new addition to my little electronic family!

{AND i'm blogging on him right this second! how fun!}

i received my new arrival in the mail sometime last month. i previously ordered a different brand from a company on Amazon BUT that one decided to act dumb with me a within a couple days after it came in. after calling and writing a very impassioned letter {since they don't like to allow people to return their laptops... i'll never make that mistake again}, i received my money back and promptly ordered from Costco! hey, they stick an extra year of warranty on it for free. not too shabby, eh?

so... i LOVE my laptop. it's definitely much more lighter yet more powerful than the one that died in 2009 {a.k.a - antonio}. i have had one "blue screen of death" incident but it was very minor.

i'm in a rut though because i don't know what to name it!

i know, i'm such a bad mother.

it's an odd habit, this naming things and renaming humans quirk. but it makes life more fun!.... or something like that.

i'm open to suggestions! i tend to be partial to latino male names, HA!

somebody oughta testify!

2011-03-31T15:08:00.002-06:00

okay, i will. :)

the year was 2007.

the month was september.

the previous week, i had just come back from what was probably the best camping trip Ever! my friends take an annual camping trip on labor day weekend. this was the year that we drove to the Ozark mountains of Arkansas.

my mom and i were in the stressful beginning process of buying our first home. not fun but rather exciting.

oh, did i mention that i work for a financial institution? specifically, my department dealt with all the things that go into hiring loan officers and such like around the country. well, when the industry is falling apart, there isn't much need for loan officers or the people that handle their new hire paperwork.

you see where this is going. :)

soooo i was laid off on friday, september 14th along with most of my team that fateful day. ugh, it was so sad. i cried and stuff. but i was kinda glad to leave because i hated driving 45 minutes to work at this building when we had recently moved from a building that is 25 min from my house. oh, and i was seriously bored there too. i just wanted the ideal job that was closer to my home and could keep my interest {a feat that is amazingly hard to accomplish. hasn't happened yet, actually}.

and suffice it to say that the PAUSE button was pressed on that whole "let's buy a house" thing.

i got home and tried to win a radio contest. yes, i did.

see, i had been trying to win tickets all of that week and the previous week to see steven curtis chapman perform at the Meyerson, the absolutely gorgeous facility where the Dallas Symphony Orchestra resides.

and wouldn't you know that i finally won on the day that i lost my job?! you had to call in when you heard one of his songs come on. this was the song --

God is God and I am not
I can only see a part

of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God

VERY APPROPRIATE, yes? i was also having some emotional stuff bothering me at the time besides the job and house stuff so i thought it was so fitting that this song come on and become My Song that day.

i was advised by the senior vp of my department to go to a job fair back at our previous building {the one that is 25 min from my home}. so i went and Guess What? i used to work with the recruiter! so she got me an interview for the position.

later on, i went to the interview and Guess What?? i used to work with my 1st interviewer, too! she actually gave me pointers for my 2nd interview that day. so i went to the next interview and i had assumed that i had bombed it but Guess What? i didn't. :)

the same day {september 26th} of the concert, the recruiter called me to tell me that i got the job! and that night is in my top 5 best concert experiences, if i ever compiled a list. i have never cried and laughed so hard at a concert {obviously, not both at the same time, hee hee!}. it was amazing.

so to summarize:

i won tickets to the concert

i got the job 25 minutes from my home

AND we signed on the house on october 31st

And the sky begins to thunder
And I’m filled with awe and wonder
‘Til the only burning question that remains
Is who am I?

Can I form a single mountain?
Take the stars in hand and count them?
Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me?
He is first and last before all that has been
Beyond all that will pass

5 really deep, intriguing thoughts for your monday.

2011-03-21T11:37:00.000-06:00

1/ there is something sooooo wrong about skinny jeans/jeggings. you know what makes such a horrible creation even WORSE? {is that even possible? oh, yes. yes it is, dear friend.}:

men wearing skinny jeans/jeggings. even the straight guys are wearing them. *shudder*

2/ i feel really weird wearing all black on a bright, sunshiny day. that was yesterday.

3/ the word "sunshiny" looks really odd correctly spelled. I think it should be spelled "sunshiney".... except that maybe I can see why that letter E is omitted..... ok, sunshiny it is then!!

4/ i passed a "raw restaurant" yesterday. my thought was "yuck. that does Not sound appetizing." so, i googled it just now -

Raw foodism (or rawism) is the practice of consuming uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet.

i still say - "yuck. that does Not sound appetizing."

5/ i like taking walks in the morning while at work. it makes me feel less guilty about being in cubicle prison all day long. signs of spring - the mallard ducks were hanging out around the courtyard this morning! the wind is blowing super hard, causing the trees with the white confetti looking flowers {horticulturalist, i am not.} to rain down their confetti petals. pretty!

6/ revival with the Kerr's has been awwwwwwwwesome! and yes, i cannot count. ;)

darling, i love you but give me park avenue...

2011-03-10T08:50:00.007-06:00

nope, "green acres" is Not the life for me.

cultural melting pots!
energetic atmosphere!
restaurants of various types of cuisine!

basically this post is just an ode to city skylines and an excuse to show their loveliness on this here blog o' mine.

ha, you know Manhattan will be 1st and foremost on here and in my heart!
proud yankee, yes i am.

i have to throw in some Dallas love. i heart the skyline.
when i drive on I-45, i try to simultaneously stare at the view on the right or left of my car and steer the car without getting squashed by the other drivers.

{fun fact - my first job was in an underground drug store [nothing illegal, i promise] directly underneath the tallest building}

San Francisco! it sort of reminds me of Manhattan {being a little island housing a huge city}. so pretty.... and Windy! oh my word, i remember that distinctly. gotta love the golden gate bridge too!

Vancouver! oh Canada, oh Canada.... someday i shall visit this metropolis.

Chee-cago! another that i have yet to visit. DID YOU KNOW... the Chicago River is dyed green every year to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Kinda icky but also, pretty neat!

do you have a favorite city?

or is green acres the life for you?

the complete idiot's guide to being a christian

2011-03-04T11:34:00.002-06:00

maybe it's just in my neck of the woods but there seems to be some sort of great falling away in the church. it greatly saddens me to watch people that you know and love decide to turn away from God.

it also seriously baffles me.

do you know what keeps me in church??

well, lotsa of things But! this one is pretty huge:

the ability to truly recognize my humanity and fallibility

it would make absolutely ZERO sense for me to walk away from God.

i mean, why?? give me one good reason why!

if i were in the desert and made the decision to toss my canteen of water in the sand, would that make any sense?

our world is crrrrr-azy. why would you want to go through this life without His hand? i know it's easy to be caught up in this world pleasures and temptations. i get that. and i realize that when one begins to become seriously "enchanted" with the ways of this world, it's hard to shake out of that.

but i look at myself and see how incapable i am of doing anything of my own, no matter how many power struggles that i have had with God. i see how utterly helpless i am without His guidance in my life. and i am struck by how bleak and dismal the world's system really is. oh sure, it may look like fun for a time but it never lasts.

only Jesus is everlasting.

could i ever leave? sure i could!
we're all susceptible, you know.

but why leave?

not playing fair

2011-03-01T18:15:00.000-06:00

What is "fairness"?

It's rather sad how the juvenile phrase "it's not fair" has bugged me recently. I used to proclaim it often in elementary school. Why should I allow myself to internally or verbally proclaim unfairness?

It's so silly.

It's a concept that we conjure up in our little minds of how things should be run or of what should be the "ideal" outcome in a situation.

It's the little lawyer inside of us (who is, by the way, nearsighted; only able to see what is within close range and incapable of seeing what is to come ahead) that screams, "OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR!"

Except Your Honor could not care less what defiant phrase comes out of our mouths because God is the almighty judge.

He runs this court.

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deuteronomy 32:4

Because of the above, no matter how hard I fight, no matter how eloquent my closing argument -

God was, is and always will be

PERFECT,

TRUE,

JUST and

RIGHT.

and yet....

here i sit in the corner,

dejectedly muttering to myself,

"it's not fair"

operation: REE DAY on v-day

2011-02-17T10:27:00.004-06:00

so on monday, february 14th, 2011, i decided that i would spend my evening.... standing in line at a bookstore for a book signing cuz i'm lame like that. :P

after all, ONLY one of my favorite bloggers would be there signing copies of her new book! ever heard of the pioneer woman, ree drummond ? i love her so.

i was struck with this thought while there: doesn't saying "oh, i'm going to a book signing" and the showing up at home around 11pm on V-Day Night sound like a sorry excuse for doing something bad? like, in actuality i was really having a secret rendezvous with some secret guy?!?

HA! but no, i really did hang out at a bookstore that long. true story.

so, let's cut to the play-by-play:

4:20 arrived at le bookstore! traffic was a dream to drive through... really, no sarcasm! got there in 20 min, bought the book and picked up my wristband that gives me access to stand in line later

5:05 arrived in car to enjoy dinner. went to a nearby hole in the wall pizza place and they took forrrrrrever to give me my takeout slice. i think the cook forgot me!

sweet girl behind the counter had him throw in an extra slice (SWEET!) And a free coke (SCORE!) all for $2.17.... oh wait. eating healthier and no carbonated drinks... oh whatever. i'm being bad today.

5:24 ohhhh my word. a black Tahoe passed by and the redhead driver looked like Ree! i popped out of my car to see if the SUV had Oklahoma license plates but it disappeared into thin air.

what?!? it really did! i promise!

i'd like to take this moment to declare my love for red hair. it's a pretty awesome hair color.... although my nitpicky-ness always thought it should be called "orange hair" or something because really, how many fire engine colored heads have YOU ever seen (besides the occasional angst-y, non-conformist teenager)???

yup, that's what i thought.

ok ok, i also love brown hair and blond hair and black hair. oh and grey too! Oooo and salt and pepper is nice on ladies and Quite becoming on men! but i digress.

the redhead at the bottom is not Ree, but yes those Are really women sitting indian-style

5:42 stepped inside Border's again to see the absolute madhouse that i knew it would be. hilarious! tons of middle aged women wearing pink & red sitting on the floor cross-legged, standing in lines, giggling and playing puzzles on their IPads.

6:25 yayyyy so Ree came out at 6pm, did a 17 minute Q&A and started signing books.my wristband color is blue and i think i'm the 4th color group soooo i have lotsa time to kill!

incredible....

i walk across to McD's to use their facilities (long line over at Border's!). i considered hanging out here b/c the place looks like a hotel and it's nice and peaceful but it's HOT and i'm thinkin' i'd prefer hanging out in the 70 degree breezes outside!

6:59 still hanging tough! the "somebody stole something" alarm keeps going off every few minutes and the clerk at the front is saying, "don't worry about it!" and shooing them through the door.

I BET some kleptomaniac is having a hey-day!

see the man in the cowboy hat? that's Ree's husband and people surrounding him to sign their books before they were corralled into forming an orderly line.

7:48 so the group in front of me and behind me in line are hysterical! Makes the "journey" bearable!

the group behind me are from a candle company {Jimmy Belasco Candles}. in a nutshell, Ree did THIS POST about how awesome their candles are while Jimmy was in New York. he had no idea that a post was just written about his candles. he was down to his last few dollars and couldn't afford to pay for his hotel room for the next day of his business trip.

all of a sudden, he starts to see all of these invoices begin to pour in on his Iphone and he was afraid some poor old lady was getting her credit card run multiple times. then he saw that they were all different people's cards!

so Jimmy and the ladies in his office came to get books signed and to gift Ree with candles!

8:35 just popped outta line to make a quick purchase! must resist anymore urges to load myself with anymore items. all calendars/planners are $1! can't beat that with a stick!

9:45 my mother isn't happy with me for being here but i figured she wouldn't be. i picked up a cute planner for her, though! ;)

near the finish line!!!

10:25 there is only one of my new friends in front of me and Ree had to take a bathroom break!

she's so perky and there's literally about 300 people behind me, give or take, waiting to get their book signed.

10:33 free at last!!! And Ree is the sweetest lady!

i told her how i used to read her story during a horrible boring class and how it kept me sane and entertained. she asked if i passed the class and i did! how horrible would it be if i hadn't?!

under construction

2011-02-07T13:48:00.001-06:00

maybe it's little artsy part of me that loves an interesting painting or sculpture

or maybe it's actually the 20-something year old girl who feels apprehensive, always thinking, "okayyyy, God. where are we headed?? a little guidance, por favor."

either way, i found that i love a good song with the message that a work is being done in my life, whether i can see it or not.

oh Lord of beauty, Lord of art,

Who gives a song for every heart,

carve out my life, reshape and mold;

and be the artist of my soul.

~ "artist of my soul" - sandi patty

how skillful the hands of the Artist,
who painted this picture of me

He saw with the eyes of a master
how beautiful my life could be

where once was a portrait of gloom and despair

this masterpiece hangs in its place

it's signed with His blood and framed with His glory

this beautiful picture of grace

~ "picture of grace" - gaither vocal band

wonderful, beautiful is what You see

when you look at me

You're turning the tattered fabric of my life into

a perfect tapestry

~ "the real me" - natalie grant

your life woven day by day

is a new design of the glory God displays

on the canvas of creation through the poem of history

in the pattern of redemption

running through the tapestry

your life in Christ can be the greatest story ever told

~ "greatest story" - avalon

when procrastination and temptation beckons

2011-02-01T17:12:00.013-06:00

....i really should be studying....

and i was! i promise!

the area was blessed with an ice storm today, my office building closed, church was canceled tonight and my school just texted and they were like, "oh hey, by the way, we won't be opening wednesday" -- convenient since i have a class that night.

so i'm all like, YES! hallelujah! ample study time!

i was reading my boring math book like a good student.... until.... mind idled and i read some blog updates on the blackberry.... hmmm, zara? i know i've seen that store. never been there before. google search....

oh my. zara. where have you been all my life?

zara... how i love your neutral colors, clean lines, subtle but unique detailing, abundance of skirts,

your prices your prices your PRICES. wow.
{well, the clearance prices, anyway}

this story has a happy or sad ending, depending on your point of view.

i hastened to check if an item was available in my size.

but ALAS

*dramatic hand on forehead pose*

they don't sell from their site! at least not the US site.

so, this is good news, for someone who is closely monitoring her shopping ~~addiction~~ tendency.

i will neither confirm nor deny my plans for my lunch break when i get back to work, though.

shiver me timbers

2011-01-21T09:51:00.000-06:00

WINTER

a blanket of snow covers the Earth.

the wind blows.

then the trees naked branches rustle.

the freezing wind blows.

like an icy finger giving a command.

sooo that was a poem i wrote in maybe the 4th - 6th grade? not sure which.

this makes me smile! i think i've regressed because that poem above is at the height of my poetry writing career. i could not summon the phrase "icy finger" in relation to a cold wind if i tried.

{SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC}

i wrote it on a bee Lisa Frank notepad, like the pic below! remember those?? her stuff is still awesome to me!

but anyway.

it was COLD yesterday. ha, i guess it still is! current temp is 27°

this is what my car said yesterday. my car LIED.... or maybe it doesn't take the wind chill into account. since that was in the 20's, for sure. i knew this because my ears were hurting.

also, the weather people said that we had 20 mph wind gusts. the wind was pushing me when i left my office building yesterday afternoon. weirdest sensation ever.

why am i saying all this?

because these crazy Texas people have the nerve to complain!!!

no, i'm not particularly enthralled with cold temps, besides wearing coats & boots & the occasional snow.

it's the knowledge that the heat {and humidity} will soon come with a vengeance!

so i choose to savor the cold!

carpe diem.

seize the day.

how much more bearable would life be if we learned to appreciate all that we have Right Now?

open letter tuesday.

2011-01-18T13:46:00.000-06:00

rich guy #1

rich guy #2

dear steve jobs and mark zuckerberg,

just wondering.... what's with wearing the same thing all the time {sneakers, jeans, black mock turtlenecks and grey t-shirts}? are you trying to give the impression that "i'm too rich to care how i look everyday, even while giving press conferences and presentations and interviews"?

or do you two truly not care? because you're both filthy rich enough to have a stylist pick all your clothing out for you! hmmmmmm.....

dear Google Reader blog list,

does it make sense that i subscribe to food blogs though i hardly cook? or the photography blogs when i'm not the avid "picture-taker" that i used to be? maybe i just have good intentions?

dear coworker {whom i refer to as "handlebars"},

HOW rude is it for you to ask me {or anyone else, for that matter} "how are you doing?"or some other generic, inane question Only for you to totally ignore my response and then launch into a Tirade about some aspect of your life??

how rude it that?! quite rude.

dear church,

so great how during sunday night we had a combination of great church and a bunch of little things that occurred throughout that kept me giggling.... or at least had me attempting to control my giggle-ness. shucks, i'm still giggling!

i love it. :)

dear life,

is it a new trend for people to make life-changing choices while consciously realizing that said choices could potentially be the wrong decision??

if so - Lord, please keep me from drinking the bad decision kool-aid. i'm seeing this happen way too often.

love and kisses and hugs,

*jen*

merry.... new year??

2011-01-07T12:25:00.000-06:00

i know, i know.

we're in JAN. not DEC!

but.....

i spotted this on Bakerella's site.

my jaw dropped....

and words came to minds, such as

ostentatious

extravagant

excessive

and....

"ooooo.... PRETTY!!!"

yes, i am still 6 years old.

*sigh* isn't it beautiful though?

so in review.....

2011-01-04T14:24:00.003-06:00

it's a roller coaster ride of life

lifts you up and lets you down

it's a roller coaster ride life

spins you round and round and round

2011 - you finally made it here!

here's a tidbit of totally trivial information that is shameful but important to note - i honestly think that superstitions are dumb but i will admit to only one: i greatly dislike even numbered years. i can track this for about the past 10-ish years which may not sound like a very long time but hey, i haven't been alive for very long either ;). and what a shame too, because i like counting nice, even, round numbers since math isn't my forté. 2,010 is a wonderfully round number!

i will concede that my theory has holes. for example, i was laid off from a job in 2007 but i bounced back from this relatively quickly. anyway, suffice it to say that the historical trend has been for me to get slammed in a strongly impressionable way every other year.

basically, i.... strongly disliked 2010 in some ways. :) it was tough. and in all of this, i know and knew that logically i shouldn't be so bothered since in the long run it was all working for my good. sadly, logic doesn't always cause me to override emotion. i also wasn't the saint that i should have been. sometimes i had a bad attitude over silly things. sometimes people said things that angered me when i should have been quicker to pray about their words. sometimes i didn't adequately show enough love to others.

but then i look back and remember the incredible ride that this year has been....

my backyard inundated with snow! 2.15.2010

toby outside, confused

ROAD TRIP! pit stop in New Orleans - March 2010

more N'awlins

South Beach / Miami! - March 2010

lyda in Key West! - March 2010

michelle in Key West! - March 2010


Daytona Beach, FL - March 2010

the lovely weeping willows of Savannah, GA - March 2010

Charleston, SC - March 2010

Santa Monica, CA - June 2010

Ventura, CA - June 2010

Durham, NC / Bro. Godair's church - had great church & made new friends! - September 2010

Times Square in NY! - November 2010

lyda and i on the Brooklyn Bridge - NY - November 2010

Boston, Mass! - November 2010

my family in Utah - November 2010

whoa, that was a ton of pictures.

but wait, don't leave!

i'm not done talking yet!

i traveled like MAD last year! it was amazing! i'm so thankful that God allowed me the opportunities to get away that often! i also recall us setting off on our first voyage last year - the road trip! all three of us received bonuses from our jobs right before the trip... and none of us are at jobs that typically give out bonus checks.

also, thankful to be able to be with my out of state family more than usual this past year. thankful for old friends and new friends. thankful for the words of wisdom imparted to me.

my first entry last year was called "catalyst", referring to the word that i felt was dropped into my spirit one morning.

"an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action" .... i am definitely a changed gal, compared to a year ago. still farrrrrr from where i ought to be but a bit closer to where i need to be.

all glory to God! looking forward to how WONDERFUL 2011 will be!

snowy thanksgiving of 2010

2010-12-27T22:31:00.000-06:00

buenos noches!

hey. how was your day? oh really? mine was kinda lame. i mean, thank God for letting Christmas fall on a weekend so that i could have a choice of what day i would like to use as my floating holiday. naturally, i chose the blessed day after a long sunday so that i could wake up when the sun was already up in the sky.

plus! today is my mommy's birthday! so i figured we'd go shopping or something.....but she wasn't up to it. and i just had to get outta the house on my day off but aimlessly driving on the roads got kinda boring. so here i am now typing and listening my dog occasionally talk in his sleep.

what? your dog doesn't talk?

okay, but one portion of my day that was far from lame and would've caused me to jump up and down for joy {were i standing upright at the time}was finding my memory card! the 4 gig card with my pictures from NY and Salt Lake! whew!! i thought it was swallowed up by the earth but nope, it was in the car, playing hide-and-go-seek with me.

let us briefly relive my thanksgiving!


my brother's home. ok, not really. one of our "things" is to drive around in the mountains and gawk at rich peoples' homes. my nephew actually goes to school with the kid who lives here.

soooooooo we arrived in Utah on the same flight as my sister, coming in from florida on tuesday afternoon which was GREAT because the blizzard decided to come that evening and cause it to snow all night long. that fateful night, i fell in love with Wii. namely, Wii Fit. good times.

more pics....

view from the front yard one day. i find it breathtaking!

grandma and the kids kneading dough for bread

the dogs got acquainted... sorta.

posing before the snowball fight

sees-ters! :)

way too cute and growing up way too fast!!

we went to the tearoom that my sister-in-law's sister owns. the place is amazing! i would be there constantly if i lived in the area. if you're ever wandering around downtown Salt Lake, you Need to visit The Beehive Tearoom

the kiddos + their cousin


tangerine ginger tea was yum!

group pic!!

turkey day 2010

2010-11-25T22:51:00.000-06:00

gobble gobble!!

thanksgiving thoughts

foremost - thank you, Lord, for everything. though i may not be as appreciative all the time as i should and have the tendency to focus on the negative, i'm grateful for the gift of life that gives me the honor of following You.

thankful for my great family. since we all live far away from each other, there are few things on my list of enjoyments that top "being with family".

that said, i must say again that it is a privilage to serve God in this life. being with family has a way of reminding me of all the extra stuff that i could be caught up into.

funny how Americans spend the Thursday as a day of recognition of the things that they have.... then spend Friday in pursuit of more stuff that they don't need.

i'm not one to lecture, as i will be out and about shopping also, though i doubt that i'll find anything much. the deals just aren't that great, ya know?

brrrrrrr!!

2010-11-22T10:47:00.000-06:00

jen is going from this forecast:

QUITE unseasonably warm!

to THIS forecast this week!!

let it snow, let it snow, let it snoooooooooow!

just seeing this now makes me deliriously excited right now, in a i-only-had-about-a-total-of-3-hours-sleep-after-laughing-my-head-off-at-applebee's-with-my-bestest-buds-early-this-morning kind of way.

love like T H I S

2010-11-19T13:23:00.000-06:00

funny how love can have a way of being convicting too!

throughout the years {umm, 13 years, i believe? wow.}, i've watched my Pastor and his Wife love people. love love love. and you know how they say that love is an Action word? they've exhibited this to me countless times.

loved people who didn't even like them.

loved people who spread rumors about them.

loved people who turned their backs on them, after being helped by them so many times.

loved people who only showed up to the church to get a handout when service was finished.

and in hindsight, it seems that those who i would consider the most needy {not only monetarily, but also in attention, frequent phone calls, counseling sessions} are the ones who are most likely to turn on them.

part of me... well, a large part of me, wonders how in the world can they constantly give love over and over again to these people even though they've been burned so many times.

at a recent prayer meeting, i reflected that if i loved others HALF as much as they do, i would be set for life.

7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Mirror, mirror....

2010-11-17T23:34:00.001-06:00

(( Beauty )) the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit : loveliness

why must women have such a strong fixation on being beautiful?

Is the desire a by-product of a society that suggests that in order to be happy, i should possess a svelte figure, blemish-free complexion, and frizz-less hair?

Does it stem from wanting to be found beautiful in a man's eyes?

or is it deeper than that? Is the desire given in order for me to learn that my true beauty is found solely in Him abiding in me?

And what about that acceptance thing? is my goal to glorify God with my looks? Or am i aiming to gain acceptance from others?

I go through life without thinking about any of this...consciously anyway. Then recently the thought "i want to be beautiful" hit me square between the eyes.

Whooa. Where did that come from?!

But it was always there, manifesting itself in different ways, i suppose.

Hmm.

Reminds me of the first chorus of an old bethany dillon song:
"I want to be beautiful
Make you stand in awe
Look inside my heart
And be amazed

I long to hear you
Who I am is good enough
Just want to be worthy of love
And beautiful"

The last chorus is the realization that God is making her beautiful...
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

random musings.....

2010-11-12T14:07:00.001-06:00

.... my desk is really messy. wanna see????

yeah, it's shameful.

.... in other news, my weather is quite schizo. the walk from my car to the building showered me with drizzling rain. then it started to pour down torrential-like once i made it inside. it died down and now this is the window behind me:

yes, it's grey and gloomy over there.

and this is the window to the left of me:

tra-la la la-la! so happy and sunny!

sorry, i'm having too much fun taking pictures.

.... mark this date. well..... only if you Really want to. during lunch break, i was listening to melissa greene's (former soprano of avalon) solo cd and the last track {"at your feet"} is pretty much just her and background vocals and guitar. and i thought, "aww, i really like this song. i would want to learn guitar just to play this song" i guess since i enjoy singing it. the guitar playing is nothing special. and then it hit me! i should learn guitar! {maybe i subconsciously want to prepare for my central park gig?}

i never wanted to learn because i didn't want to have calloused fingers {yeah yeah yeah, i'm sad like that}. but we'll see.... because i'm really good at avoiding things that i want/need to practice/learn.

.... i love israel houghton's music! it brightened up my day. i love artists who combine several musical styles into one cd. musical gumbo, if you will. he does this wonderfully.

quite simply, the greatest city on earth....NYC

2010-11-08T21:39:00.007-06:00

just came from spending 6 days at home :)

sure, we moved from there about 22 years ago but every time i go back, i feel so connected to the city. it's crazy.

what can i say? i'm a city girl at heart!

i must declare that this chick makes me a lazy photographer whenever i go out of town with her. i blame my dead laptop [one year dead! how have i survived!?!?!?! rest in peace. :( ] and my inability to dutifully sift through and edit my pictures each night of travel. but ya know, i was also lazy. it was cold and i got tired of having to pull my hands from warmth just to get a shot. plus, i'd see mich with her camera in hand and think, "ehhh, she's got it. i'll just look at her recaps later". hee, hee. ( however, all but one of these pictures came from my camera)

new york city.... little island of smog and calloused people and yeah, rats in the subway system *shudder*. but there's so much more to it. it's a city full of artists and dreamers. a city incredibly resilient after surviving the worst terrorist attack that our country has ever encountered. a city that never sleeps... perfect for a girl who loves adventurous exploits when the sun goes down.

a place where "if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere". and no need to drive there! i looooove driving, don't get me wrong. but i loved putting my legs to work. i also enjoyed finally hunkering down to study the efficient subway system and truly understanding how to navigate it.

i love the crazy brightness and vibrancy of the tourist trap we call Times Square. i love the serenity and incredible beauty of Central Park. Central Park in the autumn with all of the beautiful foliage!! it was almost overwhelmingly beautiful to me. i wanted to soak it all in and eat it up. who's down with becoming homeless and living in Central Park and singing songs/playing guitar for our lattes?? anyone??

i love the amazing melting pot that it is. walk past someone speaking italian on a cell phone and then 10 seconds later, you might hear a couple engaged in an animated french conversation.

i love the kind gentleman who bowed for us as we passed the red carpet of the famous Waldorf Astoria. how sweet, sir. i love the sorry michael jackson impersonator and his crew near the brooklyn bridge. i love the older hispanic gentleman who played Lovely Lovely classical guitar in the subway, while keeping beat with his foot on a homemade drum contraption. i love grey coat guy on the train that one night.... LoL.

i love my family who lives there and miss them so much, it aches my heart.

i love this crazy town.

i*luv*NY

i don't know.

2010-10-19T10:36:00.000-05:00

Here we are
Walking through the darkness of a broken world
Asking why
Here we are
Stumbling on this road so rough beneath our feet
And where it leads
We can't see

being human can be so doggone frustrating times.

what in the world is going on here?

why is all of this happening?

whatever happened to love and unity?

in the words of rodney king -- why can't we all just get along??????

and Lord, isn't unity a thing that you desire us to have? are you pleased with so much division?

it just doesn't make sense.

i don't understand.

i don't know.

All we need to know
Is that we're walking with the keeper of our souls

And all we need to know
Is that the life we live has never been our own

In the middle of the raging and storm
You are shelter from the night
In the middle of the blinding pain
You are the guiding light

broke!!

2010-10-12T13:15:00.000-05:00

nope, not talking about my bank account today..... it's my glasses. :(

i was pleased last week as i re-enrolled for my job's vision plan for next year....

since i got new frames this year, i'm only eligible for new lenses in 2011.

but i don't need new frames! i still like them! yay for replacement lenses!

in my haste while headed to the airport in June, i mistakenly allowed my glasses and my tweezers to become buddies in the same pocket of my purse.... resulting in scratched lenses. oy.

so, i was annoyed on Sunday night as i reached in my bag and the little leg popped off of my frames.

oh, and Target Optical won't fix them.

oh, horrors!

i think i'm going to try Ebay for getting new frames and having the eye folks pop in the correct lenses.

i'm also thinking of going kinda retro....

here are my current frames -

....and the current contestant for new frames: retro-style!

my passion... my unhealthy addiction... my love for...

2010-10-05T13:29:00.000-05:00

travel!

"I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine."

- Caskie Stinnett

as i sat in Raleigh/Durham International Airport a week ago { whirlwind weekend trip.... i Love Bro. Godair's church! } , i reflected on all the little things that make the travel experience what it is for me. the opportunity to go somewhere new is absolutely exhilarating to me! i'm the proverbial kid on christmas morning with the inability to sleep well the night before. some of my reflections {can you relate to any?} :

< thank you, little text message feature that tells me if my flight is on time and whether they changed my gate or not!

< arriving at DFW airport a little breathless... oh great, the security line. and OF COURSE i can't dig my license out of the plastic holder thingy in my wallet. my index finger gets a good workout.

< thankful that i have a Quart sized plastic bag.... as opposed to the Gallon sized on i used carry around till they made me throw some bottles away.... traumatizing experience, i tell ya.

< going through the security machine .... undoubtedly thinking of silly things i could say aloud (along the lines of terrorism and such) but will not say. because i have a plane to catch. and i don't care to be arrested & questioned. not today, anyway. :)

< arrival at gate. sigh of relief as i kick my feet up on my carry on bag. i love being early.

< chuckling at the people crowding around the gate when boarding begins with their serious facial expressions / arms crossed / hands on hips. seriously folks, we'll all get in the big metal tube soon. relax!

< yay, i gave my ticket to the attendant! yay, the barcode scanned! yay, i'm on the plane..... oh no. see, this is my lease favorite part. i Hate walking down that narrow aisle, trying to avoid bumping my bag(s) on the smug people in first class or my fellow coach customers. and i absolutely Hate having to lift my rolling carry-on into the overhead bin. usually some kind man will pop up and assist me... but it's still embarrassing. and everyone is WATCHING YOU. ugh.

< "hi, i think i have the window seat."and smile politely at the woman who is Supposed to have the middle seat but assumed that i wouldn't show up or then asks if i would mind sitting in her seat. no ma'am. i specifically chose that seat. but, thank you kindly. :)

< slide into seat, pull on the socks, unwrap blanket, zip up hoodie, hold pillow, turn la musica on random. i learned that the average flight will let me go through about 40 songs from on-boarding to disembarking.

< flight attendant demo - so i don't Ever want to be in a plane disaster.... but i want one of these masks so I can marvel as to why the bag never inflates.

< take off! awesome experience.

< trying to go to sleep. and failing miserably. remainder of flight is spent sporadically throwing my limbs into odd contortionist positions in an effort to sleep comfortably. i just wanna lie flat!!!

< give up and stare at the pretty clouds.

< beginning to land.... yaaaayyyy! finally!

< bust out the camera and take blurry airplane glass pictures like these:

< feel the wheels touch the ground. hallelujah.

< hear BEEP, BOOP, RIIIIINNNNGGG, and the various cell phone songs. this kinda annoys me on how dependent we are on our phones.

< annnnnd the plane stops. people jump out of their chairs and make the mad dash to be the first in the aisle and the first to grab their bag. i chuckle in my seat.

it's good! it's good! it's good!

2010-09-20T18:03:00.000-05:00

you ever have these moments.... or is it just me?

going through the day, minding your business, blah blah blah and then maybe someone says something totally innocent -or- your mind dwells on a thought for too long...

and BOOM! whatever it was provokes you to feel really bothered or annoyed or angry.

what just transpired here?!

i like to call it "getting worked up over nothing". realistically, the issue at hand may not a paltry "nothing" but i think it's easier to downplay our emotions... or even overemphasize them rather than really doing something about them.

recently, i've taken up meditation.

i kid! no, i've been nipping my "getting worked up" moments by reminding myself repeatedly of the mantra -"it's good".

HUH?

yes, it's good. no matter what comes my way and across my mind... it's good. whatever troubles me, it's good. even the annoying stuff. oy, that annoying stuff can be persistent! but it's still good because....

we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. romans 8:28

that scripture is so simple but still so easily forgotten.

i've always liked the saying, "it's ALL good!" and there's a ton of truth in that. life goes on and on and on. applying the knowledge that it won't always be ideal but it Is working out to our benefit eventually makes it all a bit more easier to swallow.

open letter tuesday

2010-09-07T18:24:00.002-05:00

dear civilization:
i have missed you during my brief excursion into the wilderness during the camping trip this past weekend. a/c is still a beautiful invention. mosquitoes are the devil's spawn. funny how i missed you oh so much..... yet i miss seeing so many of those twinkling diamond things in the night sky. what are they called...stars? they're my favorite part about being out in the middle of nowhere.

dear fellow campers:
wasn't that a wild ride? hanging out with horses wasn't toooo bad..... but let's not do that again, ok? i love you people way too much. we need more trips together!!.... and a patent for our "sin detection" machine!!

dear school:
we're starting the 3rd week now. senioritis plagues me. let's get it together! graduation looms near.

dear thanksgiving:
you're almost here (well, sorta)!! i can't wait to try making pies again! and maybe i'll get to visit my siblings. *fingers crossed*

dear stores (retail & online):
i will be avoiding you soon. yes, i'm serious.
yikes!

-signing off, neJ droL

a lunch in the life of....

2010-08-27T14:16:00.000-05:00

ittttt's gorgeous out there! so on a gorgeous day, i get the urge to eat on a patio.

and what do ya know? i did.

join my breathtaking adventure.... since i apparently had too much fun playing with my new phone's camera.


taco cabana generously provided me their lovely patio for my dining experience


wow! palm trees! i almost feel like i'm in Mexico. arriba!!


lunch!


*water. hey, i deserve a pat on the back since i was this close* to ordering a coke! the water was refreshing and yet... kinda tasted weird. like dirt. that's Dallas for you. Or Mexico? hmm...**

so i decided to mosey on over to this place after eating. full disclosure: after i took this pic, i then proceeded in the opposite direction of the arrow. blond moment.... and no, i'm not dyeing my hair!

oh look! my favorite genre! [right....]

what probably should be my favorite genre ;)

ahaha, adios!

summah....

2010-08-20T09:54:00.000-05:00

the title was spoken in my fake Bostonian accent, which i need to perfect by actually visiting Boston, Mass.

pardon me, i'm giddy because it's friday. yaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

anyway, i am here in a state that feels like the opposite of Heaven. i'm talking about the 100+ degree days that decided to oppress us in this dear month of august (which happens to be my least favorite month).

i pine for autumn! but i'll concede... there are some nice things about summer also. perhaps if i recognize the good stuff, maybe Jesus will turn down the thermostat....? please....?

long days of sunlight

waking up to a cold, dark world and having to shuffle off to work is not my idea of a good time. the sun helps! and i do love taking walks around 8:30pm when the sun is going down and there's a slight breeze.... ahhh!

sandals

love em! the end.

um, how awesome would a double decker road trip be?!?

youth conference
ok, so this is kind of a thing of the past now. but the highlight of my summer used to be loading up in the church van and riding the 12+ hours to Colorado Springs for Heritage Youth Conference. oh, the fun! oh, the drama! oh, the terror... of being jerked awake in the wee morning hours due to the driver swerving the van from his nodding off. many prayers were lifted up to Jesus at the time by us and my worried mommy back at home.

oh and who can forget our MANY fundraisers in the hot, summer sun. garage sales, car washes galore, panhandling! ha! wow, it was tiring and frustrating at times but it was worth it!

i am now forever scarred for life when it comes to fund raising.

lightweight clothes/white/gold/bright colors

sure, the changing of the seasons doesn't stop me from wearing bright colors, but this is officially the season for it. as for wearing white, ahhhh i love it! gives me the illusion of feeling cool in really hot weather.

pools/lakes/ocean

that goes without saying.... :)

SUMMER! love it? hate it?

tell me about it!

needles

2010-08-13T11:00:00.000-05:00

as a young child, i HATED shots!

just the sight of the evil syringe that was chosen to penetrate my skin caused adrenaline to kick in, butterflies flood my stomach & many tears to flow from my eyes!

now, the needle didn't contain anything harmful or illegal. just a substance required by the school district so that i could advance to the next school grade...

my vaccination was absolutely essential if i desired to go to the 3rd grade... or middle school... or the all-mighty high school.

: : : : :

life has all sorts of needles that we'd like to avoid. and if we were told in advance what's to come, we might very well be reduced to a sobbing mess!

but the syringes of life are absolutely essential in getting us to the next stage, over that next hill or even the ability to scale what seems to be a mountain in our lives.

b-b-b-but will it hurt?

YEAH!

you'd better believe it will.

BUT! if you think about it.... in the grand scheme of things, the needles are a relatively brief ouchie to make us a little more stronger.

MoMoMod's Winsday: DSW $25 Giftcard Giveaway!

2010-07-31T12:21:00.006-05:00

hey!

hey you!

MoMoMod.com is giving away a $25 gift card to DSW! Oooooo! Ahhhhhh!

and what do you know! we are on the brink of what i consider to be the most wonderful time of the year... fall! this translates to BOOT WEATHER. oh, how i love boots!

so i'm going to play "magazine fashion editor" and show you some fun options for your autumn boots/booties, courtesy of the lovely selection on DSW.com.

{BOLD words are hyperlinks!}


i'm an utter fool for anything with ruffles. THESE BOOTIES are no exception!


basic boot with unique detailing in fun fall colors. THESE are very versatile!


cowboy boot look with a modern twist: slouchy all over! LOVE THESE!

what bring colder temps? RAIN! FUNKY RAIN BOOTS brighten up any gray sky


ATTENTION!! who loves these military styles? me! CHECK THESE OUT!

oooo, saucy! STRAPPY W/ PEEP TOE AND CUT OUT HEEL. would be nice with some cute tights!


just plain fun! sick of browns, burgundys, and hunter greens? TOSS THESE ON! so tell me: which is your favorite??

2010 birthday bash!

2010-07-28T22:45:00.000-05:00

this was barrels of fun :)

how i managed to function that day was a mystery, as i had to assemble the grill that was very much needed and not put together that week by someone in my household who shall remain unnamed...

3 hours of sleep on saturday morning. as i told someone today, i am surly without sufficient sleep.

the grace of GOD was definitely at work, folks!

party favors, hee hee!

up close and personal


blurry and dark and horrible but here's a pic of the martha stewart hanging poms my friend Lyda and i made! Lyda made the two above

another pom! they look prettier in real life, i promise.


my LOVELY cake that i am was obsessed with


me, about to hug the cake

*sigh* i love my crazy friends!!!!

zee end!!

my {un}well balanced life

2010-07-16T11:26:00.000-05:00

I am rag doll
Made of strings and yarns
Each day a new thread
Is torn from me
And as I come apart at the seams
My hands raise up
And I fall to my knees
Please hold me
And sew me back together again

{"i will trust in you" - erin o'donnell}

i have been feeling stress. and i don't like it.

it's like everything [church, work, school, life in general] demands that i give my 100% towards it. crazy!

i know if GOD is in the center of your life, then everything will fall into place. but i honestly feel as though i will collapse before everything has aligned itself!

how do you find you balance in this topsy-turvy world?

more stuff.

2010-07-08T16:21:00.000-05:00

i love these random entries when i don't have/make time to sit down and upload pictures like a good little blogger.

oh, and when i have nothing in particular to say.

ha!

* i officially became older last saturday and some coworkers decorated my cube with lime green and hot pink streamers and balloons. and i don't want to take them down, for they are so happy.

however, it's kinda tacky to leave them up for an extended period of time even if i intend on celebrating my birthday for the rest of the month. le sighhhhhh....

* speaking of birth, have you ever thought of this - we have actually existed roughly 9 months before we had come out of our mommy's wombs. so technically, every birthday we're really our age + 9 months. soooo in a way, we're lying about our age when we are asked our age. you are older than you actually think!!!

* i am trying to abstain from using the "LOL" abbreviation unless i really do "LOL", just because it annoys me to see it all the time.

* iphone4..... ipad..... iwish the hype would just die down. seriously, it's really not "the best thing ever!!!". there will be numerous bugs found and you'll complain about them until the next overpriced improvement comes out. can you tell that i'm just in awe of apple?

* crafts are not really my thing.... nary a crafty bone in my body, but i'm trying this week! i'll post pics later (maybe!) but just for the record, i adore martha stewart and wish i were as cool as she.... well, not including the insider trading scandal and jail time, but you know what i mean.

* am i unconsciously "going green"? why am i beginning to feel guilty when i purchase one item and the cashier place it in a bag? in my head: *hmmm, i should just carry it out. no need for a bag. oh well....* it is a good thing... just a little weird for me!

2010-06-14T08:38:00.000-05:00

monday at 8:28 in the morning....

slept roughly 3 hours last night....

slight headache....

stopped for coffee, thus arrived to work a little late....

tons and tons of work in my queue that definitely WON'T be completed by the end of the day....

BUT....

this moment is Still a moment made for worshipping the God of all who for some crazy reason loves me and has a plan for me despite my habit of tripping over my own two feet.

i love Him :)

men and babies and biological clocks

2010-06-03T20:04:00.001-05:00

whoooooooooooooa!

i've reached an inevitable and yet odd stage in my life.

mid-twenties = every other week, a friend gets engaged/married/pregnant/new baby. crazy crazy crazy

you know what this means.... THE END IS NEAR! THE SKY IS FALLING!
naw, i'm just getting old.

eeekk, confession- i have said that i am a chronic planner. so in the timeline i contrived, i was supposed to be married by now. as in, before my 25th birthday... which is Exactly 1 month from today, so i have time. any takers? ha!

thankfully, i do not put very much stock in my so-called destiny anymore but it makes me wonder about the place i'm in right now. the fact that i am not where i so badly wanted to be before doesn't bother me that much. maybe i'm relieved that i have a bit more time to gain more wisdom and hopefully a bit more money! maybe i'm glad to have the time to finish my bachelor's degree by next spring without major distractions. and perhaps that d-word might be setting in- disillusionment.

oh dear sirs merriam and webster, what does this mean?
to free from illusion; also : to cause to lose naive faith and trust

now don't get me wrong. i am a person of faith and without faith in God, i am nothing. but.... why should i care so much about my previous hopes when they aren't coming to pass? why pursue those dreams? it's not in my hands anyway. and how do i even know if any of those dreams will ever come to pass? what is the purpose of hope? to long for what i cannot (yet or ever) obtain?

i know all of the "hope" scriptures. LOVE the one that talks about "hope deferred". one of those "well meaning but annoying adults" in my life recently asked me, "but sister, don't you have a dream?". well, yeahhhh but i throw things at my biological clock. i didn't tell her that though :)

hmm, not sure how to end this entry... so....

am i crazy?

just a little righteous indignation

2010-06-01T14:39:00.002-05:00

i never listen to radio preachers because huge majority of them are not preaching the truth, plain and simple.

i suppose boredom with just listening to music all day prompted me to tune into the radio on my mp3 player where i heard this guy -- http://www.jamesmacdonald.com/ministryprofile.aspx

he mentioned that he was reading from Acts chapter 2 so naturally that piqued my interest!

and yeah, naturally this joker had no idea what he was talking about.... just as the virgin birth and the parting of the red sea were amazing, one-time occurances in Bible history, so is the miracle in the upper room. oh, and the holy ghost is something that given immediately upon the confession of your faith.

really? hmmmm.....

see because, i've experienced the real thing. one time occurance, my foot! and i was a little peeved that he had the nerve to undermine my holy ghost experience!!

but i'm better now. :)

love the words to this song that came to mind as that silly man was spewing his blasphemous statements:

Now, I don't care who tells me, salvation is not real,

Though the world may argue, that we cannot feel;

The heavy burdens lifted and the vile sins go,

But I was there when it happened and I guess I ought to know.

Yes, I know when Jesus saved me (yes, He saved my soul),

The very moment He forgave me (yes, He made me whole);

He took away my heavy burden (yes, He took my sin and),

And He gave me peace within (gave me peace within).

satan can't make me doubt it (he can't make me doubt it),

It's real and I'm gonna shout it (I'm gonna shout it);

'Cause I was there when it happened (oh, my Lord),

and I guess I ought to know (yes, I ought to know).

public service announcement

2010-04-26T09:59:00.000-05:00

ha!! i love this:

source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/15/AR2009121502928.html