I heard this song today *Your Hands* by JJ Heller. It's simple and beautiful. Plus, JJ Heller plays the harmonica...wish I could play the harmonica. Maybe I should pick up a Hohner Harmonica in the Key of C. :)
The words remind me to run to the One who will always care for me...even when I don't understand the difficult circumstances that we call life.
Enjoy...and check out JJ Heller
9.22.2010
9.10.2010
Hang Time
It's been a few months since I've posted. I don't have an excuse that my life is too busy or that I forgot. Taking time away from this blog was important to focus on "me time" and it seems to be a reflection of what is going on with me in my "real life".
So many times in my life I kept pushing through things that I absolutely hated because, well, it seemed like the right thing do; the responsible thing to do; the mature thing to do. Life seemed to be sour each year with the realization that I seemed to be going down a path that wasn't really making me happy. I filled it with work and when I wasn't working, I wasn't doing anything that had caught my interest years before. So I did the unthinkable; I quit.
Sooo, on the flip side of quitting:
I was unsure if it was the right thing to do; the responsible thing to do; or the mature thing to do. But, as you can imagine, my life has seemed to brighten each month with the realization that I am going down a path that is not a dead-end, or as the french say, a cul-de-sac :)
I have spent a lot of time reading books, listening to podcasts, going to church, getting connected within the community, and picking up my camera once more. I haven't had severe anxiety like I have had in the past because I have used this time to rest.
I know what you are probably thinking, "rest?! How can you rest? Aren't you wondering what you are going to do with your life now that you aren't working?"
The answer: Heck yes! I wonder, but wondering doesn't solve anything. I have used this time to rest in the Word, to rest in Him who gives me strength. He has reminded me over and over that if I abide in Him then He will abide in me.
I was an unhappy person. I wasn't a thankful person. I put on a good face (sometimes), but in reality I had a really ugly soul. I can't imagine quitting six months ago to hop right into another job. A job that may have looked great and been great, but I would have been the same, unhappy person. I don't need "another" job, but I do need a change of heart. I truly believe that people don't take enough time to heal themselves of their hurts so they become these "wounded healers" themselves. So I've taken the past six months off to just "hang" on to God because I have nothing to give until I get healthy and whole inside first.
My grandma, Dee Dee, sent me a few meditations that she had read and made her think of me. I read from one today and I think it fits perfectly to what God is teaching me and revealing to me in my life:
(In reference to Luke 10:41 - Jesus and Martha)
"...No, he wanted her to see that she had allowed anxiety and stress to control her more than simplicity and love. He wanted her to see that she lost her temper because she had lost her perspective. Jesus wants to speak to us just as he spoke to Martha. He wants to invite us to sit with him and receive his abundant love. At the same time, he wants to give us energy for the work he's called us to. May we all eat the Bread of life and then go out and give away what God has given us!"
Do you need to slow down and rest in Him?
So many times in my life I kept pushing through things that I absolutely hated because, well, it seemed like the right thing do; the responsible thing to do; the mature thing to do. Life seemed to be sour each year with the realization that I seemed to be going down a path that wasn't really making me happy. I filled it with work and when I wasn't working, I wasn't doing anything that had caught my interest years before. So I did the unthinkable; I quit.
Sooo, on the flip side of quitting:
I was unsure if it was the right thing to do; the responsible thing to do; or the mature thing to do. But, as you can imagine, my life has seemed to brighten each month with the realization that I am going down a path that is not a dead-end, or as the french say, a cul-de-sac :)
I have spent a lot of time reading books, listening to podcasts, going to church, getting connected within the community, and picking up my camera once more. I haven't had severe anxiety like I have had in the past because I have used this time to rest.
I know what you are probably thinking, "rest?! How can you rest? Aren't you wondering what you are going to do with your life now that you aren't working?"
The answer: Heck yes! I wonder, but wondering doesn't solve anything. I have used this time to rest in the Word, to rest in Him who gives me strength. He has reminded me over and over that if I abide in Him then He will abide in me.
I was an unhappy person. I wasn't a thankful person. I put on a good face (sometimes), but in reality I had a really ugly soul. I can't imagine quitting six months ago to hop right into another job. A job that may have looked great and been great, but I would have been the same, unhappy person. I don't need "another" job, but I do need a change of heart. I truly believe that people don't take enough time to heal themselves of their hurts so they become these "wounded healers" themselves. So I've taken the past six months off to just "hang" on to God because I have nothing to give until I get healthy and whole inside first.
My grandma, Dee Dee, sent me a few meditations that she had read and made her think of me. I read from one today and I think it fits perfectly to what God is teaching me and revealing to me in my life:
(In reference to Luke 10:41 - Jesus and Martha)
"...No, he wanted her to see that she had allowed anxiety and stress to control her more than simplicity and love. He wanted her to see that she lost her temper because she had lost her perspective. Jesus wants to speak to us just as he spoke to Martha. He wants to invite us to sit with him and receive his abundant love. At the same time, he wants to give us energy for the work he's called us to. May we all eat the Bread of life and then go out and give away what God has given us!"
Do you need to slow down and rest in Him?
6.03.2010
The Lazy Days of (almost) Summer
Sometimes I like blogs of nonsense...this is one of them. I started off my day in Isaiah 40 and my cup of coffee decided to tag along.
Later I realized that my poor pup was going to starve if I didn't get him some more food today.
I emptied the dryer full of Matty's clothes and I came across his secret to washing clothes (since he does his own laundry and I was just emptying the dryer to make way for my soggy and wet clothes). He leaves his socks already folded!! I suppose this is fast and efficient, not to mention you'll always have a "pair" to your socks, however, I'm unsure of the cleanliness factor. Good thing this was the only pair of socks I found like this, so I'm guessing it was a mistake.
It's getting H-O-T in the dirty south. Hot and H-U-M-I-D. Today was the day to try out a recipe for Cinnamon Grapefruitade! It's a recipe that consists of a simple syrup made with cinnamon sticks that is then combined with 2 cups of fresh grapefruit juice and equal parts cold water. Mix it in a pitcher and add fresh raspberries and you have a refreshing and tasty treat! Yum!
The highlight of my day (pathetic) is when I went to the mailbox and spotted this gem! Oh, Anthropologie...you are pretty!
Life is simple today...just as it should be.
Later I realized that my poor pup was going to starve if I didn't get him some more food today.
I emptied the dryer full of Matty's clothes and I came across his secret to washing clothes (since he does his own laundry and I was just emptying the dryer to make way for my soggy and wet clothes). He leaves his socks already folded!! I suppose this is fast and efficient, not to mention you'll always have a "pair" to your socks, however, I'm unsure of the cleanliness factor. Good thing this was the only pair of socks I found like this, so I'm guessing it was a mistake.
It's getting H-O-T in the dirty south. Hot and H-U-M-I-D. Today was the day to try out a recipe for Cinnamon Grapefruitade! It's a recipe that consists of a simple syrup made with cinnamon sticks that is then combined with 2 cups of fresh grapefruit juice and equal parts cold water. Mix it in a pitcher and add fresh raspberries and you have a refreshing and tasty treat! Yum!
The highlight of my day (pathetic) is when I went to the mailbox and spotted this gem! Oh, Anthropologie...you are pretty!
Life is simple today...just as it should be.
5.27.2010
A Story of Change
I love Luis' story.
We are called to love others.
We are called to serve others.
We are called to help others.
We are called to bless others.
I don't think anyone can argue that.
Luis' Story from Patrick Coker on Vimeo.
I love Luis' story because it serves as a reminder of who are called to be as "Christians". Luis actually attends my church here in Columbia. I love my church because they remind us to serve as missionaries every day in our own communities (and abroad). This video was a good reminder for me to never forget to serve here in Columbia first. Like Luis said, "I am happy to be a part of this family." Perhaps I could put my 8 years of Spanish courses to work, "Estoy feliz ser parte de este familia."
We are called to love others.
We are called to serve others.
We are called to help others.
We are called to bless others.
I don't think anyone can argue that.
Luis' Story from Patrick Coker on Vimeo.
I love Luis' story because it serves as a reminder of who are called to be as "Christians". Luis actually attends my church here in Columbia. I love my church because they remind us to serve as missionaries every day in our own communities (and abroad). This video was a good reminder for me to never forget to serve here in Columbia first. Like Luis said, "I am happy to be a part of this family." Perhaps I could put my 8 years of Spanish courses to work, "Estoy feliz ser parte de este familia."
5.03.2010
Count to 15
I was driving back from Charlotte to Columbia yesterday morning. As I drove I turned my radio to NPR and listened to the news; a 10 minute update on the BP oil spill (which is horrible, by the way), a 3 minute blip on the Nashville flooding that has claimed 11 lives, a 1 minute update on the Goldman Sachs "fraud", and in the middle of these updates, I heard this 15 second statement, "U.N. Reports Massacre of 100 villagers in Congo. U.N. officials announced a previously unreported massacre that occcurred two months ago: up to 100 people were killed when the rebel Lord's Resistance Army attacked a village."
15 seconds later this statement was already old news. A forgotten "story". I don't recall what came on the radio after hearing this. My mind was frozen on what just came over the speakers in my car:
100 people dead.
Located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A massacre by the LRA.
That was it.
I was deeply troubled and saddened by the fact that it received a mere 15 seconds. 100 lives worthy of 15 seconds. The more I thought, the more I realized that this short update seems to represent the news that we receive about all of Africa; short updates on attrocities too large to comprehend. Too vast to believe. Too difficult to take in. Therefore, it gets sliced again and again and is slotted to 15 seconds.
Why has this happened? Why is Africa a continent that appears to have been forgotten by the majority? Perhaps it's because the news isn't resonating with people. The details of this horrible massacre have been left out. Perhaps it's because God is needed in many countries in Africa and yet there is a lack of missionaries to stand next to these people and suffer with them in unreached places; share their burdens. Perhaps (to some) it seems like a hopeless cause.
The awful acts that are taking place in Central and Northern Africa overshadow the positive things that are going on in these countries and in Africa in general. But the truth hurts sometimes and this is where I am disturbed.
In my opinion, it was a pathetic 15-second-blip. We deserve to know the truth. We deserve to hear the whole story. We deserve to hear the facts.
And vice versa.
The people of D.R. Congo deserve to have the truth be told. They deserve to have their voices heard. They deserve a chance...
There are ways to get the news to stay up-to-date on what is going on with the LRA, (You can click here and here to view a couple websites I go to for news) however, why on NPR, Fox News, CNN, etc. are these stories being forgotten and not told. Is it too much?
"The young woman with the hacked-off lips and stitches where one ear used to be shakes her head when asked why rebels did this to her, then whispers that the attackers who came from across the river were angry because she kept crying for mercy and calling on God for help." - Associated Press
Photo: 2010 Human Rights Watch
15 seconds later this statement was already old news. A forgotten "story". I don't recall what came on the radio after hearing this. My mind was frozen on what just came over the speakers in my car:
100 people dead.
Located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A massacre by the LRA.
That was it.
I was deeply troubled and saddened by the fact that it received a mere 15 seconds. 100 lives worthy of 15 seconds. The more I thought, the more I realized that this short update seems to represent the news that we receive about all of Africa; short updates on attrocities too large to comprehend. Too vast to believe. Too difficult to take in. Therefore, it gets sliced again and again and is slotted to 15 seconds.
Why has this happened? Why is Africa a continent that appears to have been forgotten by the majority? Perhaps it's because the news isn't resonating with people. The details of this horrible massacre have been left out. Perhaps it's because God is needed in many countries in Africa and yet there is a lack of missionaries to stand next to these people and suffer with them in unreached places; share their burdens. Perhaps (to some) it seems like a hopeless cause.
The awful acts that are taking place in Central and Northern Africa overshadow the positive things that are going on in these countries and in Africa in general. But the truth hurts sometimes and this is where I am disturbed.
In my opinion, it was a pathetic 15-second-blip. We deserve to know the truth. We deserve to hear the whole story. We deserve to hear the facts.
And vice versa.
The people of D.R. Congo deserve to have the truth be told. They deserve to have their voices heard. They deserve a chance...
There are ways to get the news to stay up-to-date on what is going on with the LRA, (You can click here and here to view a couple websites I go to for news) however, why on NPR, Fox News, CNN, etc. are these stories being forgotten and not told. Is it too much?
Photo: 2010 Beatrice Petit
Is this too much? I don't think so. It takes my breath away.
There are many people that are doing great things to be the voices of the people that are being raped, killed, kidnapped, mutilated, however, they need our help. We need to stop the LRA and you can do something. You can pray. You can have your church pray. You can tell their story to your friends. You can sign the a Citizen's Arrest Warrant for Josephy Kony (click here). 231 members of Congress have co-sponsored the LRA Disarmament Bill and on April 29, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the LRA Disarmement and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. For a little goverment lesson: From here, the bill will go to the floor of the House for a full vote in the next few weeks. After this, this bill goes straight to the President's desk to be signed into law and put into action.
This is exciting news. Exciting to know that some people still heard their cries for help. There are others that caught the 15-second-blip and didn't throw it away as old news. People are hearing the truth and seeing the photographs and can't look away. If you have more than 15 seconds, please take a moment and look...and pray.
"This 37-year-old man from Bangadi was attacked by the LRA on January 24, 2010 when he risked going to this banana and sugarcane farm 2km outside of town. A group of LRA found him there and shot him twice - both bullets grazed his back and neck. An LRA then grabbed him by the ankles and shook him to see if he was really dead, and cut him by machete just below the neck and lower down on on his back, leaving him unconscious. When he came to, he eventually found his brother who had also been shot by the LRA. Covered in blood, they made it to a Congolese army position and found soldiers who took them by bicycle to a health center.
A man with machete wounds to his head after being attacked by LRA rebels near Ngilima, northern Congo.
Photo: 2009 Reuters
"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget." - Arundhati Roy
4.23.2010
One Must Choose...
"Sometimes when we are called to obey, the fear does not subside and we are expected to move against the fear. One must choose to do it afraid." - Elizabeth Elliot
I watched this video today and it spoke to me. It hit me harder than anything I've read, watched, listened to....If you have 10 minutes, then please watch this video.
Move Against the Fear from AIM On-Field Media on Vimeo.
"Are my feet willing to move against the fear? I don't know what to do with this, but there's one thing I do know: I can no longer just walk away..."
These words are not my own, but they speak of exactly how I feel at this moment.
If you are reading this then you should know a few things:
* I went to Ethiopia almost 2 years ago. I don't know why I felt the need to go, but I listened to God and I went...that was the begninning of a huge change in my life.
* I quit my job 2 months ago not just because I was unhappy, but because I was unhappy I wasn't serving God.
* I feel a pull to missions. Not once in a while, but permanently. Not just living overseas, but there are so many ways to serve missions even here in the States.
* I have researched countless organizations and I am asking for prayer, your prayer, for God to continue to lead the way and open doors.
* I am inviting you to follow me on my journey. This blog is labeled "little side note" because this blog can only capture moments of my life. What I share with you are just a few notations of the "going-ons" in my life.
Blessings,
Jen
I watched this video today and it spoke to me. It hit me harder than anything I've read, watched, listened to....If you have 10 minutes, then please watch this video.
Move Against the Fear from AIM On-Field Media on Vimeo.
"Are my feet willing to move against the fear? I don't know what to do with this, but there's one thing I do know: I can no longer just walk away..."
These words are not my own, but they speak of exactly how I feel at this moment.
If you are reading this then you should know a few things:
* I went to Ethiopia almost 2 years ago. I don't know why I felt the need to go, but I listened to God and I went...that was the begninning of a huge change in my life.
* I quit my job 2 months ago not just because I was unhappy, but because I was unhappy I wasn't serving God.
* I feel a pull to missions. Not once in a while, but permanently. Not just living overseas, but there are so many ways to serve missions even here in the States.
* I have researched countless organizations and I am asking for prayer, your prayer, for God to continue to lead the way and open doors.
* I am inviting you to follow me on my journey. This blog is labeled "little side note" because this blog can only capture moments of my life. What I share with you are just a few notations of the "going-ons" in my life.
Blessings,
Jen
2.16.2010
Up, Up, and Away!
Leaving on a jet plane tomorrow afternoon to sunny Arizona to visit friends. I didn't think I would miss the "perfect" winter weather of Arizona as much as I do and after spying cute clothes every where, I really can't wait to step on that plane. Perhaps I could dress in this:
I love this shirt
I love the "knickers" look
A jacket with perfect ruffles and pockets!
Chunky and funky!
Peek-a-boo...I see you, toes!
And no time in Arizona is complete without these:
Hello, lovely!
A perfect one piece
I am ready! Hello, warm weather. I have missed you.
2.15.2010
Restoration Hardware
I was flipping through the Restoration Hardware magazine today and I saw this:
I scrambled to the computer and looked it up online and read more about the artisan who designed this perfect piece. His name is Luay Al-Rawi from the Netherlands and he began importing goods at the age of 17. Wow! His story is truly inspiring and you can read more about him here. I'm unsure if I am more inspired by this artisan or his beautiful table. I am still in the process of "making use of old doors" and this was an image that definitely brought inspiration. Actually, I think I squealed with glee when I saw the steel frame on caster wheels. It's perfect!
I also enjoyed this drafting table.
Besides the table itself, I adore the chair and the print on the wall. I am going to go get lost in the online world of Restoration Hardware and I think you should as well. I promise you will find something that will make your home warm and inviting. And stay tuned, perhaps I will have a drafting table or a new desk with caster wheels.
Happy President's Day! I hope you find inspiration in your day today in whatever/whoever is around you.
1.26.2010
Visit From the Sun
I adore the way the sun streams into my little home. My days off are usually spent lounging around the house watching the light stream through the windows. Today I ventured outdoors and basked in all its glory!
So did my kitchen and my little tomatoes...
Spring will be upon us before we know it! On sunny days I find myself dreaming my dreams (anyone else know the song, by the same title, by The Cranberries? ha!) My dreams:
* are full of ideas for my doors that I am currently turning into coffee tables, desks, dining room tables
* to go for a 5 mile run today and be motivated to keep a 7:30 pace
* find a cute skirt like this from JCrew:
What are your dreams today...no matter how "simple" they may be, they are yours! Bask in the sun and your dreams today!
1.23.2010
Etsy Saturday!!
I get lost in the "virtual" aisles upon aisles of all the handmade goodness of Etsy!! I stumbled upon "Upup" today while trying to find a cute Valentine for Mr. Matty. I stumbled upon this little gem and I purchased it immediately. If you know me, you understand that I use the "opposite day" line all the time...For example:
Friend: "Jen, how are you today?!"
Me: "Just peachy...if it were opposite day!"
Anyway, check out all the other cutie-pa-tootie stationary she sells:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/upup
I urge you; go get lost in Etsy...go...now!! (I mean this, it is not opposite day!)
*Little Side Note:
The cards are eco-friendly.
e c o - f r i e n d l y f e a t u r e s
:: paper is FSC-certified & carbon-neutral, made with 100% renewable energy
:: paper is 100% and envelopes are 30% post-consumer waste
:: paper is acid-free, elemental chlorine free, and archival
Anyway, check out all the other cutie-pa-tootie stationary she sells:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/upup
I urge you; go get lost in Etsy...go...now!! (I mean this, it is not opposite day!)
*Little Side Note:
The cards are eco-friendly.
e c o - f r i e n d l y f e a t u r e s
:: paper is FSC-certified & carbon-neutral, made with 100% renewable energy
:: paper is 100% and envelopes are 30% post-consumer waste
:: paper is acid-free, elemental chlorine free, and archival
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