The Summer I Fell in Love

2007-04-09T19:05:00.000-04:00

Hello to anyone who happens upon this very old blog!

Obviously, I have fallen far from the blogging tree this past...um...2 years, but I have decided to start up again.

You can find my current ramblings here.

Much Love,
Jenna

2006-01-23T16:34:00.000-05:00

hello friends. well i guess it is safe to say blogging has gotten away from me for the past few months! that is not to say that i have not been checking in on the blogs of cherished ones, but as for my personal blogging--things have gone down hill.

nutshell update:

last semester...
went very well. i enjoyed many things such as fun times with great roommates, a light workload school-wise, and lots of fun times working up at the church with stewart and the 2 other interns who i think just don't know what to do with me. they are either laughing at me or looking at me like, "what did you just say?" i give them the benefit of the doubt though because let's face it, besides the fact that sometimes i just do not make good sense, sentences saturated with a southern accent need to be repeated for clarity at times. it happens. luckily we southern gals (on the whole) are patient, y'all. anyway, i didn't know them very intimately prior to working together, but we all have such great conversations and it's really like we are one cute little family. with stewart as..our..dad? no...more like crazy uncle who gives us candy and tells semi-funny jokes, and whose humor comes out from just being randomly and unintentionally hilarious.

I am in the process of making some big decisions for next year...at the top of the list is graduate school. I am looking into a Social Work program that feels promising. Oh to see how God will work this. In the words of the The Eagles, "I've got a peaceful, easy feeling."

2005-10-31T00:23:00.000-05:00

i can't type much, i am needed in surgery.

mr. whiddon gets me again...

2005-09-13T01:48:00.000-04:00

d-now was wonderful, as i expected. it did not disappoint. there's just something about 350 6-12th graders worshipping our Christ. we ended up with a group of 10 8th graders and they were just precious. our host family was great as well. it was young couple (late 20's) and the wife is pregnant with twins. she was just so genuine and fun. the girls were so amazing to talk to and lin, kara, and i enjoyed sharing our faith and experiences with them. great, great times, and so encouraging and inspiring (as always) to see God move.

so, i have started picking up some little girls after school and babysitting them until their mamas, who work at the high school, get done with classes. both little girlies come from families that we have been friends with basically forever. like dads playing together in the playpen kinda thing. i am very excited, they are extremely cute with their little country accents telling me about their friends at school and why they like to color. anyway, today i took them up to the high school and while i was trying to figure out where to park to take them in, i saw my 11th grade chemistry teacher. in high school this guy had a stare-down like you wouldn't believe. i mean, you better not even think about answering a question wrong or acting confused. he would lock eyes with you, and at the beginning of the year we all thought we were the dumbest people ever (i personally still kind of felt that way at the end, but that's just me). he was serious business, and to be honest her was kind of scary.

but, as time went on he grew on me as i realized he was extremely intelligent and knew an obscene amount about chemistry. hats off to all people who understand chemistry. if you have some feelings you need to sort through or want to be encouraged, call me. if you need to know how many electrons are in the outter ring of mercury or the definition of a kelvin, call mr. whiddon, i cannot assist you at this time, my friend. he was hard, but one of those teachers who you are really glad you have later and after having him feel much more intelligent--like you accomplished an unattainable dream of actually making good on the tests. yet, with that being said, when i saw mr. whiddon today as he stood on the breeze way ushering loud and rowdy teens onto buses, the old feeling of "i am the dumbest person in the world" just flooded back over me. i mean, yes, ok, i accidently went in through and exit and went head to head with several angry bus drivers, but these things happen. and there he was just staring me down as i drove past him. and all of a sudden i was just a little 17 year-old girl working in the lab, gloves and goggles securely in place, staring blankly at chemicals trying to figure out how not to blow up the classroom. in the end, we escaped the yelling faculty members and got to where we needed to be (thanks to a 5 year old in the back directing me where to go). but everyone lived, and as i pulled off of memory lane, i was just thankful that i will never have to have another chemistry class as long as i live.

"every little thing...is gonna be alright..."

2005-09-12T15:07:00.000-04:00

in case you're having a bad-tiring-frustrating-melancholy-discouraging-asking questions that don't have answers-or just wanting to throw in the towel moment or day. just look at the pure joy on that face. i mean, you can't look at him and not smile...oh, my heart (it's happy, let me tell ya)

d-now

2005-09-09T02:20:00.000-04:00

this week is coming to a close :) it has been a good one, it just was kinda dragging a bit and friday is defintely welcomed. tomorrow after i get out of class at 2, lin and i are going to blackshear, ga, to lead a group of highschool girls at a 'discipleship now' conference. we are really excited. i had known about the d-now for some time because my roommate kara and her boyfriend, matt, are leading worship there. they have been practicing for it since we got back to school in early August and have been really pumped. tuesday we heard from a friend that they were really in need of leaders. i talked to lin about it and we decided it would be great fun and called and said we would help. supposedly there are a TON of kids signed up and i think it's going to be quite the throw-down. lin and i will be partners and will lead a group of 7 or so 13 year-old gals. we will stay at 'host homes' and lead Bible studies and participate in recreation. at night we will have worship with kk and matt, which is always wonderful. so please pray for the girls we will be leading as well as all the other girls and guys that will be there. and for us that we will be lights and examples and will help make their weekends fun and memorable. i know God will be speaking to the hearts of these young people. so exciting! wow, those girls that will be in our group don't know what they are getting into have us as leaders. i hope they can handle the random/silliness.

hope everyone has great weekends!

picture happy

2005-09-07T21:50:00.000-04:00

here are some pics of the family in our recent adventure to the big city. fun times were had by all...

a neat picture i took of daddy at the mets game. he was like a kid in a candy store. good seats, huh?

awww, aren't they the cutest. my cute little parents who just celebrated the big 27 year mark. i just love 'em.

me and my beautiful mama partying hard.

i have no words for this one. pulled up beside the boys in a cab. this is my daddy in a nut shell, folks.

my gram and all her grand-babies--my bro, matthew, myself, and cousins amanda and tara

the end :)

wasting a little time, drinking a little diet coke

2005-09-07T19:30:00.000-04:00

it is gorgeous in GA today. the hot-weather-extravaganza may very well be coming to a long-awaited end. i have experienced 21 GA summers, and i am pretty sure this has been the hottest one. maybe it was because i was just outside a lot more. running around chasing kids can get a little heated, i suppose. but nevertheless, i am enjoying the fallish turn.

i am up at the church right now working (i use that term very loosely), calling some people to give money to a young couple who used to be really big in the college ministry here. very involved and great warriors for Christ in our small college town. they were attending seminary in New Orleans and have lost pretty much everything. they are moving back here and the church is putting them up in one of our "missions" houses. stewart shared their situation with us last night at our meeting and brought up the idea of stocking up their house with some essentials--toiletries, snacks, towels, etc. i talked to daddy and we are going to get them some bbq, etc. as well so they can have a good meal when they get here. my awesome friend ET just brought a bunch of stuff up here, including a homeade cake and some cookies. yum. luckily, this couple evacuated and have been staying with family in GA. thankfully for them, they had family and the means to get out and away from katrina. knowing them, i am sure they are optimistic, thankful, and giving the situations completely to God--which we all must do as it is our only answer in this time of sadness and uncertainty. it feels good to be contributing in some small way. there are a bunch of other ways to help on campus as well, clothes drive, blood drives, etc. so that is good.

in other, less serious news--new york was great fun. my family and i enjoyed it incredibly much. it was nice to get away and spend time with my brother, cousins, etc. the party for my uncle was out of control a little bit. his name is harville hendrix and is a famous christian psychologist. he is pretty big time as he has been on oprah several times and has written several books. he is actually my dad's uncle, so we are not very close with him (besides seeing him at family reunions), but my grandmother raised him after their parents died, making them very tight. so he of course wanted ole' iris there and invited the whole fam to join the fun. he and his wife have established an organization for marriage and family therapy called Imago. it was cool to hear stories as people roasted the bday boy about how he and his wife have helped save their marriages and families, etc. since i feel led to christian counseling it was a neat to get a little taste of what a difference it can make. bottom line: the par-tay was fun times for all.

well, i should get back to being productive. what's next on my agenda as FBC college intern? well, it's going to pick up stewart, my college minister, from class. what is wrong with this picture? i didn't read the part in my contract about chauffering. luckily, stew makes for great laughs. randomness at it's finest right there, let me tell you.

have great days! love to all

painting the town

2005-09-01T00:29:00.000-04:00

well in about 6 hours i'll be on a plane headed to the big city. I am going with the Tysons to New York to celebrate our uncle's birthday. it should be quite an event, and i am very much looking forward to the trip. i love ny, but i am especially excited because i get to see my big brother, whom i have not seen since may, as well as just get some fun times in with the fam (parents, gram, cousins, and uncle). with the busyness of life we really don't see eachother much (for living in the same town that is). my daddy has never been to new york so i can't wait to see his reaction. i can picture him now...looking up to the middle of time square and saying in awe, "now this is really unbelievable." but he says it all slow and enunciated...un-be-lievable! it's cute. anyway, i hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable labor day weekend!

here is where i will be if you need me. just have them ring me...(this really is our hotel, but don't be alarmed, our uncle is extemely financially stable and is sponsoring our travel and stay. we get to see how the other side lives, haha :)

here are some of the people i will be with...yay, i'm excited.

hope everyone has a great weekend. bye, friends :)

confession time

2005-08-28T03:05:00.000-04:00

it is late and i need to go to bed (seeing as i overslept last Sunday and missed our college Sunday school that is held at this cool little statesborian coffee shop called the Daily Grind), but i am compelled to write at least a few short words.

confession: i watch lifetime movies. and i love 'em. sure, the acting is usually not academy award winning and a 3 year old could probably predict what was going to happen about 5 minutes into the movie--but, it is what it is, i love them. i didn't watch any during the summer and have no idea the last one i saw. with that being said...i watched one tonite that almost did me in. i cannot remember the name of it at the moment, but it was about this woman who went into an inner-city high school and established a class called "no more victims" that was a voluntary class for kids who had been victims of abuse, neglect, rape, emotional trauma, and so on. the whole thing was just about how these kids were transformed by the love from this teacher. they started believing in themselves and realizing that what had happened to them in the past did not mean they were not worthy of a bright and wonderful future full of people who would care about them, support them, and love them for who they were, despite their scars. it portrayed the battle these kids faced within themselves of self-worth because of what had been done to them.

before this summer, i would probably have watched this movie and still have been moved. i probably still would have cried some just because there were many moving scenes. but, as i watched this lifetime movie post-Hephzibah, i just hurt so deeply. i had all these pictures of all of our kids' faces popping up in my brain and it brought back memories of their stories, their hurt, pain, bad attitudes, misbehavior, harsh words, and the phasad that they all put up of being so tough when all the while you could just see the pain deep in their eyes. just makes me want to get in good ole ravioli right now and drive back there. just be there and remind them that they are great.

the movie was based on a true-story and real-life teacher that did this. she loved them unconditionally and was determined to provide them with a chance for a future far beyond what they ever imagined for themselves. i am so glad we all have a Teacher like this in our lives. like this lady in the movie, God loves us a million times more unconditionally and in a way that we could never hope to grasp or understand. it is comforting to know that even though it really does break my heart to know what our kids and so many other kids are going through, that God is right there and has His hand gently placed on each of their little hearts. and the same goes for anyone. not everyone has experienced trauma of the magnitude of some of the kids on this movie or as their best friend or some guy in the grocery line, but we all have hurts and God's love is just as strong and true and permanent no matter what we carry.

well i could go on these thoughts forever, but i need to hit the hay. i hope everyone is doing wonderfully, enjoying their weekend, enjoying eachother, and enjoying God's love. sleep well...

a rainy, humid, lovely day

2005-08-25T19:53:00.000-04:00

here are some fun pics of what i like to call "operation: move rooms." i had to move all my junk from one room in our house to our big back room that lin (see pic of my wonderful 'ole bff below) and i now share. this is what it looked like for about a week as i waded through the masses of randomness, throwing stuff away like it was nobody's business. this task was not very fun for me because i was not in the mindset of having to organize and decide what to throw out, what to keep, and so on. i am one of those people that has a little bit of an issue throwing away. but as my roommate advised (rather sarcastically, i might add) i had to "let go of the movie ticket from 9th grade." after i beat her up, i got down to business.

what did i learn from this? well the obvious but enlightening analogy is just that our lives are filled with a bunch of junk--just like my room. we have all this junk we hold onto in our lives--hurt, pain, old relationships, memories of the past, shame, and so on. and a lot of times we depise the idea of dealing with everything. it is easier to put it in boxes and store them up high in the closet where no one can see instead of sorting through it and putting it where it belongs (the junk in my room needed to go to the trash, and the junk in our lives needs to go the foot of the cross). we just carry it all with us and move it from one place to another, in the back of our minds knowing that it has no rightful place in our lives anymore. and even though the thought of having to sort through all those boxes in my room was not my idea of a great way spend my last week of an already challenging and tiring summer, i feel a lot better now having accomplished it. and it has freed me up for the gifts this year holds. hmmm, yay for simple, everyday life lessons.

here is the finished product. we are enjoying it. please come over.
(note: as you can see, there is still work to be done. it takes time to sort through it all and sometimes we aren't ready for it all at once. thankfully, when we ask God to help us, He gives us just enough strength to get through what we can at that present moment.)

current tasks: enjoying my house FULL of crazy and amazingly funny girls, and planning my life after college. these tasks have been fun/hilarious and a little overwhelming, repectively.

i miss all my big H peeps. but i do love how God puts funny things in my path to remind me of them and the wonderful/terrible moments we shared :) love ya'll.

2005-08-13T22:55:00.000-04:00

my roommate, bri, and i are sitting in our dining room on our computers and have been for the past like 2 hours. this is sad to us. we have been being so lazy lately, it is starting to get to me. not that i haven't enjoyed the calm before storm of classes...and i have been somewhat productive as i have been cleaning and organizing my room along and along for the past week, it's just that i am realizing i like to have more of a purpose than that. plus, i just uttered the words "i wish wendy's delivered."

visited my little ones yesterday! adorable. same 'ole big H. drama city over there, but on the up and up. God's working (as always) and that's way more than enough assurance that all will be well.

well, since wendy's does not in fact deliver, i think i am going to try and talk bri and earle into going to grab some food. internet surfing and random conversations make a girl hungry.

picture time, my friends...

2005-08-04T22:22:00.000-04:00

here are some fun pics of the events of the past week or so. a lot has happened in a short period, that is for sure. saying goodbye to the big H and summer buddies (holler at your girl). hello to the boro and lots of house preparations, babysitting, etc. hectic and busy right now with lots going on, but my face-piece is smiling, don't worry :)

what a pair...here is jake and the adorable mr. george. he was seeing us off as we packed it up and headed out to lexington. i heart mr. george like it's nobody's business. i can't help smiling at just the utterance of his name. like right now, i'm smiling as i type.

massive cross we spotted (couldn't really miss it) while road trippin it. a big thanks to jake-stud who was our chauffer from ga to ky. good talks and fun times were had by all:)

jake's bff's, erin and dave...there are no words to decribe how awesome these two are. we were spoiled rotten in lexington.

final goodbyes to a great summer of truly amazing people...

my view as i headed home.
"Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies."
Psalm 36:5

me and lish, one of my new roommies. homegirl has already gotten 'new roommate of year award' at merrywood drive due to her hooking me up with a rug doctor treatment before i got home from lex and helping me paint the very large back room that belongs to me and lin.

mama came to help participate in the painting. little did she know we had other things in store for her (i.e. vaccuuming and cleaning sinks)

here i am showing my painting skills (do not listen to any rumors that i got paint all over the carpet or that i accidently painted over a couple of sockets)

back in the 'boro

2005-08-02T14:43:00.000-04:00

i am a statesborian once again...and i like it.

"act sad in case the girls are watching from their windows..."

2005-07-31T14:40:00.000-04:00

so long hephzibah, it's been real. really hard, really challenging, really funny, really wonderful, really tiring, really really an experience to be pondered. we pulled away yesterday from the place we called home for the past couple months. we called it a couple other names too (haha), but at the end of the day with the promise of God never giving us more than we could handle, it was our home. right now i am in lexington, ky. didn't see that one coming when i set out to macon. but God had a greater (and a lot more fun) plan for us. this is how this scenario went down...my cherished roommate of the summer, whom i have shared many a laugh and many a deep conversation with, is starting seminary tomorrow (she is such a big girl!) here in lexington. it just so happened that one of our other wonderful friends that we were blessed with this summer has best friends that live in lexington as well. so yes, you are probably thinking what we were thinking, and thus the idea of our road trip was born:) we loaded it all in yesterday afternoon and the 3 of us drove to kentucky where we were met with a huge welcome and flawless hospitality (jake's friends, dave and erin...the epitamy of "dec"). we are having a wonderfully relaxing time here (much needed). i fly out tomorrow night to jacksonville where mama and daddy will be waiting to pick me up, yes they are the best ever, this is a true statement. this weekend was just what we needed and i praise God for the opportunity to have that time of fun and fellowship to strengthen the wonderful bonds He formed this summer. i am so thankful to the kujaks. they helped bring us back to the world of real food(a-mazing), real beds (the kind that when you get up your body is imprinted in the mattress--it was s-t-raight), circular doorknobs, and much much more. my heart has not been broken in days :)

my loves

2005-07-16T00:30:00.000-04:00

here's one way God gets me out of bed in the mornings here to go at it for another day...i mean, look at that face...
good ole no'torious...lives up to his name, let me tell you.
here are my girls...i know, i know, they just make your heart melt at the sight of 'em.

in your ____ years of living....

2005-07-07T15:05:00.000-04:00

i have written in my journal since arriving at and experiencing Hephzibah that there are no good or bad days here...only days with wonderful and terrible moments. God reminds me of this thought a lot during the day as i am processing what is going on around me...the chaos, the tears, the funny random comments, the unexpected hugs from a child running up behind you...grabbing on so tight is like they fear letting go because their moment with you might end or you might be taken away like so many other things in their lives...people, experiences, rights of innocence. today was one of those days that reinforced that thought.

terrible moments: little cheyenne throwing a small tantrum at the case manager office and refusing to go to her TAG session. cheyenne also having a crying jag at the lunch table because of some unknown reason to begin with and then continuing on because i would not pour her lemonade into her "water bottle"--it is in reality a small 'wet ones' bottle, maybe from a baby doll set--who knows, the point is i told her i would pour it in there when she stopped crying or if she could articulate to me why exactly she was letting the tears roll. then of course the inevitable loss of control...this time in the drama room. nothing big, just screaming, not listening, no respect, tears, and so on. and lastly, releasing them into the gym to play only to have cheyenne and aaliyah of all people throwing things at eachother, being sent to the corner, and quite a lot of pouting...oh, and fighting relentlessly over the scooters. sometimes i want to just jump on one of those little jokers and ride off into the sunset. i don't think i'd get very far though, they are kind of small and you have to kind of hoist yourself along. not much of a hoister here.

wonderful moments: getting all the babes to their appointments on time and making the case managers happy. watching the little ones out on the lawn playing water balloon volleyball and getting so excited...seeing the girls laugh at the boys when they busted a balloon and seeing how mad the boys got--they are so competitive...yeah, boys don't love being dominated by the ladies no matter how old or young. watching jermaine throw max and notorious like 20 feet in the air in the pool and watching their little faces when they come up, they just paddle as hard as they can just to get back to him, their anchor in the deep end, and go at it again. (that is so how we should be with God...craving and yearning for those moments of pure fear and joy mixed together. and then once we have allowed Him to throw us up higher than we ever imagined, going back for more just as fast as we can get there). having kids say a thousand times..."miss jenna, watch this!"...and they do a flip in the water or dive to get one of those diving rings...they are so proud, as they should be. witnessing cheyenne happily devour her peanut butter, jelly, AND ham sandwich--she wanted to put ketchup and musturd on it too, but i had to draw the line. watching sara and diamond have a conversation at the lunch table, eyes locked and so into it...best friends bonded in such a strong way. a way they won't even realize until years from now. oh and drama time...the high of the day. watching them interact and role play and me just laughing and laughing at the whole chaotic thing. laughing at nathan's testimony in his murder trial...i still say he was guilty, but whatever. watching little alex dance on the table...that kid has moves. listening to ashley, ajahnee, and caroline sing (the ultimate highlight). walking up to the dining hall at the end of the day, cheyenne's hand in mine, knowing good things happened and that the bad things are workable with time and faith.....

and it goes without saying that the post-camp activity with my wonderful fellow counselors/friends was the greatest pleasure of this day. sure, we drove all the way to atlanta to eat at mcdonald's, but i am glad it worked out the way it did. the fellowship was unmatchable, and i could play the question game all day long--so enlightening, challenging, and relationship enriching. my heart is happy.

huh, looks like the wonderful out-weighed the terrible today. that's a nice thought to end on, i must say. tomorrow we will try it again. that is if camp doesn't get rained out--i'll have to ask nathan if he thinks it will :) haha. ok i am out of here. miss jo and i have got to get to bed and out of this computer lab. it just sucks you in.

love to all <><

oh me oh my...

2005-07-06T00:47:00.000-04:00

today was...out of control a lil bit. i'm not sure what is in the water here at Hephzibah, but it ain't workin for us. the kids were crazy today. even my good kids at some point or another stormed off crying, ended up in the corner, were mean to their friends, didn't listen (goes without saying, that's a given)...and don't get me started on the ones that are usually somewhat troublesome--it was basically useless to even try to round them up. to my team--nate, danielle, jermaine...a valiant effort, i'm sorry we were not victorious. i thought the day might never end. and as i was nearing the dining hall door at 4 o'clock--so close to ending it i could almost feel the door handle in my hands--you guessed it, a little last minute drama. artwork was dropped, trampled on (accidently, but like it matters), and the tears started rolling. but anyway, it did end and after comparing notes with the other counselors we realized that they were all possessed by something today. so we prayed it out and let it go, and now we are ready for tomorrow.

after work the boys played a little ball so i went to watch that for a bit, sonic in hand. went and put some gas in ravioli, and ran by the post office. now just playing on the computer a little bit. i also have made a very lengthy to-do list. mostly stuff at home that needs to be taken care of. as the list got longer and longer i started feeling the pressure, so i started writing down some stuff i have already done just so i could cross it off and make the list look a little more productive and a little less demanding. it worked..somewhat :)

well, i hope everyone has a good day tomorrow. hang in there!

america, america...God shed His grace on thee...

2005-07-05T02:32:00.000-04:00

yes yes, call off the search parties, i am still alive even though you could never tell from my blog. i figured out the problem though, so that is good news. each time i try to blog i feel like i must go back and recap on all the fun times that happened that were not entered in to blogdom up to this point. but the feat is impossible, so i am just going to start with today. but just know, some fun and interesting stuff happened between june 14th and the present. it will just have to stay in my heart though because my fingers won't let me type it all out. just holler at your girl if you want a recap.

so today...wonderful. today we celebrated our independence and in honor of this joyous holiday, my amazing comrades and i enjoyed a cook out, a hilarious and entertaining movie, several volleyball games under perfect weather conditions, another great mini cookout, a beautiful fireworks show, and a nice long wait in a van during which we added a fun new game to our growing list of ways to learn about each other. we had a wonderful time of fellowship the whole day. i so love to laugh--which is good because we seem to do so a lot around here despite the fact that hardship and frustration lurk behind most corners. but it did not today, and for that i am thankful. this was a perfect day.

2005-06-14T21:48:00.000-04:00

"Look at the night skies: Who do you think made all this? Who marches this army of stars out each night, counts them off, calls each by name-so magnificent! so powerful!-and never overlooks a single one? Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, "GOD has lost track of me. He doesn't care what happens to me"? Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? GOD doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon GOD get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind."
Isaiah 40:26-31 (the message)
____________________________________________________________________

ever been trying to figure out a verse and for the life of you can't remember the reference? this was me last night. i love this verse, have it on my bulletin board at home, used to have it stuck in my Bible, on and on...yet could not bring it into the brain-piece. i called one of my bestest friends (who is getting married very very soon! my little baby is growing up so fast...) because i knew she would know which i was talking about. unfortunately she was in the movie store and couldn't pull it to mind at that moment either. but i felt better because at least someone was on the case. in the meantime, God led me to it and to check i called one of my wonderful roommates who is still in the sweet town of Statesboro to go into my room at home and check it out for me. sure enough, i was right and was so happy because it is such a cool verse. anyways, read it in and bask in the wonder!
ok, bringing it down...today was good. took the babes to the aviation museum. they were good and i think they had fun--mostly running around and climbing stairs, riding elevators, you know, normal aviation museum stuff. now just hanging out and playing on the computers. tonight we will have Bible study so that is fun. going to st. augustine this weekend with the fam. fun in the sun i tell ya. ok i am outta here, two blogs in two days--i'm pushing my limit. peace out friends :)

just another manic monday

2005-06-13T21:28:00.000-04:00

did you know that in georgia the roads are like a big bowl of spaghetti? no grids, no organization...am i going east? am i going south? i was going north and then i turned, yet i'm still going north...blah blah blah...yeah, i know what you're thinking and i'm with you. why does this matter? well i think it has only made us stronger. we have learned to love eachother and be nice because of it. yeah, you might get lost, but chances are when you go into a store or roll down your window to ask directions people are at least sweet about it. we're about the lovin' here, and we know we've all been there before and we genuinely want to help eachother...so, there. the current score at HCH is GA-1, any other state that is not GA-1,298,849,230,492,000. but, i have hope for the peach state. (did i mention that we are also born optimists and naturally persevere?)

in other news, everything on the whole is going well. started the 2nd week of camp today. we have a couple groups here helping us so that is nice. they are very sweet and the kids are enjoying it so that is good. they are from indiana and nebraska, i believe. and i just want to put this out there for the general public to be aware of...i know it's hard to get used to, but people here do tend let the word "y'all" slip out basically in any sentence in which they are talking to or about two or more people. in our vocabulary it is right up there on the list with words like "the" or "and." it's hard for us to speak without it. i am amazed at the marveling of the use of this word, and just wanted to help lessen the fascination. also frequently used down here..."dagumit" and "do what now?" and "hey, listen to me! i asked you to do something and you need to do it!"--oh wait thats not exclusive to the south, just a daily Hephzibah phrase....

anyways, i am just being silly, because of the running joke about the georgia-bashing (eventhoughcoughcoughwe'reINgeorgiacoughcough) :) but no harm done...just remember you're in the south and even if you don't love us, we still love you.....and we have guns.

breakdown of the last few days:
-stayed in macon and hung out with the wonderful people here
-nate's honey came and stayed with us for the weekend. we love looy! she is very sweet.
-watched 2 good movies ('ladder 49' and 'the life of david gale')
-went to macon wesleyan, practiced making crafts, and hung out on sunday
-had a nice dinner at the Maguire's sunday evening
-went deep into John 1 with jo, keith, jake, and myself (as well as one of my new favorite people, the adorable Mr. George)--i love these people, they are so awesome and challenging (such a blessing!)
-had a nice long talk with a very wonderful friend who is very wise and always makes me feel good about myself and my capabilities.
-up and going this morning, and had a fun, challenging day.
-went to sonic with jo (have i mentioned what a cool gal she is? she's not scared of a route 44)
-now, just computer labbing it :)

in closing, i will say that even though the days here can make one a tad weary at times, God is very present and working. He is showing Himself and i am loving it! more on that later of course, but as for now, i will end this epic that i have written (that is if anyone is still reading it).

have a great week, talk to y'all later :)

hiiii there

2005-06-10T01:38:00.000-04:00

i was right. that whole thing i said on my last blog about feeling lost or feeling stuck--yeah, that came true fairly quickly, if not immediately. i failed to mention but must also add being tired, being frustrated, feeling close to hopeless, yelling at non-so-innocent yet still heartbreakingly adorable children, and on and on--those things have been happening as well. and luckily the second part about God making a way still remains true even though at times its hard to see in the midst of the chaos we find ourselves in. but not to worry! each day will inevitably bring it's challenges, but we have the Ultimate Competitor on our side, so onward we press trying ever so hard to be a light for these kiddies. and i would be remise if i did not mention that each day is equally filled with moments of joy and laughter, cuteness beyond words, opportunities to guide and direct as well as solve problems, and of course frog pledges (very important). anyways, as this week comes to a close, i am just thankful to be here and be experiencing these things with all these great people.
tomorrow is a trip day--no idea what to expect on that one. i am just so thankful we are able to combine our group with nate's--i'm just not sure if jermaine and i could have made it through alone. and that will just make it a lot more fun. i hope the weather holds out and the kids enjoy it. i have heard where we are going is really neat, so it will be nice to get off campus.
ok, well time to call it a night. i really think i could have gone to sleep at like 3 this afternoon and slept through the night :)
goodnight and love to all...

say won't you say

2005-06-05T22:13:00.000-04:00

well today has been nice. i went to church this morning at macon wesleyan with jo and nate. good ole PMA spoke about how God will make a way. such a true statement, and encouraging as well. i am sure that truth will come in handy here at hephzibah as i anticipate days where we may feel lost or stuck. these kids are precious, but realities here are hard, and knowing that God will provide us a way to deal and show these kids the unimaginable love of Jesus is a calming thought.
after church i went back to thomaston to spend time with my wonderful (21 year-old!) friend, linnie. what a blessing. i ate a birthday lunch with her and her family--who by the way, are hilarious. her granddaddy's are about the cutest things going. makes me miss pop and all his cuteness. i drove back around 5. i LOVE that drive. it is so peaceful and there is so much pretty stuff to look at. i have driven it there and back twice in the last 2 days, and i have listened to my new jen knapp cd (hence the title of this blog) the whole way both times. i have enjoyed sinGing :) at the top of my lungs and being so thankful no one can hear me. oh, but one sad thing did happen. let's just say i'm not sure that a bird can survive a hit by a car doing 80 on a back road in georgia.
now i am back at hephzibah and just playing on the computer. sent some love to some people through emails and just kind of relaxing. tomorrow will be a big day, but i think a fun one as well. i am looking forward to camp actually starting, meeting the people in the groups that will be helping, and just continuing to build relationships with the kiddies, as well as my wonderful new buddies.
it's fun knowing that you are exactly where you're supposed to be.
much love...

ok let's see here...

2005-06-04T10:04:00.000-04:00

well i have taken the blogger plunge. thank goodness because i have really been strapped for stuff to do (haha) and definitely need one more thing to waste time with;) yet, i will say that i am excited, and since i love my wonderful friends that introduced me to the amazing world of blogging, i will press on and attempt to relay my world to those who may read :)

this post is supposed to be in the "Georgia" font---i have to represent...