Thanksgiving!

Me and Jonathan made our first trip home since being married. I know, it's been too long. We've been married for almost six months now. It was a much needed trip. Though it went by WAY too quickly.

Some of the main events:

1. Molly got us all to play "Minute to Win it". It was pretty intense. Not to mention, hilarious. That kid cracks me up.

2. I ate more than I ever have in the span of just three days and completely reversed all the hard work I had accomplished on my diet. My own fault. But it's hard when you NEVER get your momma's cooking! Perhaps it was worth it!

3. We got out on Black Friday and I saved hundreds (I'm not exaggerating) on gifts. NICE! We weren't crazy enough to get out at the crack of dawn though. We were more sane and waited till nine. haha.

4. Me and Jonathan decorated three Christmas trees within a weeks time. We did one for us and with both of our families. I love Christmas so much though that this is GREAT to me!

5. My family does crafts every year and I made some ornaments for people for christmas as well as a gingerbread house. It was fun.

6. We made our annual black friday steak n shake dinner outing. LOVE that place!

7. It was my first thanksgiving with Jonathan's family and I spent a lot of time with my little nephew Jonah. He's such a cutie!

8. I played "name that show" with the Melin family. And of course, I lost miserably. They watched more tv than I did growing up, what can I say?

9. Added an hour and a half onto our trip time home. We left at seven and thought we would miss the big crowd. But we got stuck in traffic a lot. Every time we made it to see what the problem was it was just a car all the way on the shoulder with their emergency lights blinking. This same scenario happened three times. I was SO MAD! Ha.


It was easy to find things to be thankful for this year. Not that it is ever hard. I have a wonderful life. But, some years you just feel more thankful than others. I have been guilty in the past of not focusing on what I was thankful for. As I am sure anyone has been.

This year I am especially thankful for God's provision. When you first start out (as many of you probably know) in a marriage you don't have much income. We started out with very little since I was working at Chick Fil A and Jonathan was working at a golf course and Pizza Hut. Then I got a better job and it was taken away within six weeks. Then I spent 9 weeks looking for a new place of employment. So we have already had our share of scary times financially where we weren't sure what was going to happen next. And you know what? God never left us hungry or unable to pay our bills. We always had what we needed. Sometimes not much more than that. But, it was a big lesson in how God takes care of all of our needs. Even when we are freaking out thinking there is no way he can take care of them. He always does. And so I am incredibly thankful for God as my provider.

Secondly, I am incredibly thankful for my family. I am thankful for a husband who challenges me to be a better person most every day. I am thankful for the family I grew up in. I realize more every year how rare of a home I came from. And I couldn't be more thankful for amazing parents and siblings. I am truly blessed.

Thirdly, I am thankful for a God that brings peace and joy every day. Regardless of what is happening in my life God is steady and sure. Qualities I would love to possess and I know I can have since He is the one I am leaning on and He has those qualities. I realized a verse last night in a new way: "Be anxious about nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition present your requests to God. And the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus". This could be a paraphrase because it's coming straight from my brain. But, it just hit me: God promises to guard the very things that make us anxious and unsure: our hearts and minds. He simply asks that present our needs to him. That means He WANTS us to voice our needs. And secondly, that means when we voice them he won't just leave us out in the dark. He will help us. What a loving God we serve! So thankful for that kind of God. So personal. So different from the gods that other religions serve.

I have a lot to be thankful for. In the midst of hard times and good times.

It was wonderful being with my family and Jonathan's family this past week! SO glad this time I get to see them again in just three weeks time. Here are some pictures of this past week:

Christmas, Christmas, it is here! It only happens once a year!!!

Christmas time is ALMOST here. And because of my new hours at work (training is over and my hours are 1:30-10 PM) and our trip home for the holidays, we figured it was better to decorate for Christmas now rather than later. Or else it would be MUCH later. And we want to enjoy our Christmas decorations as long as possible. So, I convinced Jonathan to break his rule of "no christmas before thanksgiving" and we decided today would be our Christmas decorating day.

Over the last year I have accumulated things for Christmas. THanks to my mom's craftiness I had several ornaments and cute decorations to start with. Not to mention I love Christmas so much I started buying ornaments on sale last year so me and Jonathan would have some now. I got a couple of things at a dollar store here and town. So we were ready to go!

If anyone knows Jonathan, you know that he is a pretty laid back person. He just kind of does whatever. Since I am a girl, I am always having some type of craving, opinion, or idea of what I want to do. Jonathan rarely ever makes a request. In fact, I can't think of one request he has made in the last five months of our marriage. EXCEPT for today. He requested that we get a fraser fir Christmas tree. That is the kind his family always had and he said it smelled like Christmas to him. This narrowed down our options GREATLY as to where we could get our tree (most places aren't even open yet). However, I decided since he NEVER makes a request, I should give him this one :) ha.

We SEARCHED forever for a place to get a tree. We wanted to go to a farm. But the only ones that were open didn't have Fraser Firs yet. So we decided to settle for a lot. We looked one up and found one that was open. So we headed 40 minutes down the road. But when we got there the lot was empty. We were annoyed but nothing could break our christmas spirit. So we hopped back in the car. On our way down to the lot, we had seen a cute little Boy Scout sign for Christmas trees. I told Jonathan since he used to be a boy scout (and since I also turn down the boy scouts trying to sell me popcorn kernels every time we go to wal mart) that we should buy it from them. We pulled up to the church and there were no cute little boy scouts in their nerdy uniforms. haha. So we got BACK in the car and headed to Lowe's. Turns out, it was probably a good thing everything else was closed. Because my car isn't ideal for Christmas tree transport. We drove at a snails pace all the way home! But, we got our Christmas tree home finally. And, what is life without a good story to tell? Our first christmas celebration had it's rough patches when looking for the tree. Thank goodness nothing can bring me down when it's Christmas.

One thing today did: remind me, YET AGAIN, how different me and Jonathan are. It's a good thing though. We got our tree home and Jonathan spent an hour making sure it was dead center of the tree stand. haha. I couldn't have cared less. PUt it in crooked for all I care! Lol. Anyways, it was really funny watching him haul it up the stairs. WE broke some of our blinds by accident. But it gave me a good laugh. It took a while to decorate but everything looks great now that we are done! Jonathan also tweaked everything in the room until it was perfectly straight. ha. SO not only do we have Christmas decorations, but our Christmas decorations are symmetrical and straight.

I LOVE the smell of Christmas in the house. I can't feel like it's Christmas without being around a decorated tree every day. And it was fun to start our own traditions with our own ornaments and things. Here's to making things our own! I know turning the lights on will make waking up early a little easier in the morning since I can now sit in the living room and eat breakfast and enjoy the lights.

It was all in all a very good start to a VERY good week. In just two days time I will be headed to Chattanooga to see my family! I am READY to be home again! Couldn't be more excited!!!

Here are some pictures of our decorations:

To Shine Like the Stars in the Universe!

Our relationship started just like anyone else's does. With a conversation. It was a pretty normal conversation. Nothing elaborate happened. I commented on all of the pictures lining her cubicle of her two little dogs. One sat in a chair with his paw on the table with a freakishly human grin spreading across his face. Laying in front of him was a birthday cake with the number five on top. Another picture was of her dog in a cast. He was lying on his back and he didn't look happy. Clearly she loved her dogs. I watched everything she did. But I was told to. I was in training, afterall. I watched her share her snack drawer with practically everyone in the office. I watched as she dropped everything she was doing when someone asked her a question or asked for her help. Her words were sprinkled with profanity here and there as she got angry about something. But she was one of the nicest people I have ever met. She cared.

Then there was another girl that just sat a couple chairs away from her. Her bright shirt and spirit brightened up the drab office. She smiled. And she helped explain things to me. As we sat there she began discussing how she was anxious. I asked why. Her reply was that she wasn't sure. And that it happened often. She felt as if she were on the verge of a panic attack. She stopped to catch her breath for a minute and then continued on with her work. All through our time together though, she was very kind and helpful.

Still again there was a man sitting a bit away from her. He was very passionate about gay rights. He also began to talk about how he wasn't sure what it was, but there was just something rewarding about doing "right". He said it just makes life better. Hmm....and so it does, because that is exactly how we were created. This man was also very generous and caring.

Everyday I get in the car and drive to a normal american job. I sit in a cubicle next to all of these people. And, I am one of five christians in the entire building. I get the chance to have conversations with these people. They need Jesus. They are beautiful unique individuals. Some of them seem to already be voicing thoughts that could lead to a spiritual conversation. They seem to have questions and thoughts I have the answer to.

These co-workers amaze me with how much they care. It's actually embarassing to me. Because I have been in the Christian bubble my entire life. And they love me better than most christians I know love others. I am constantly being talked to. "Hi, Jessica. How are you doing? Do you think you're adjusting ok? Can I help you?" "Jessica, let me know if you need something. I will be here whenever you call on me."
This is the same office that is letting me off for thanksgiving and christmas when I have only been working there a week.
It's sad. The contrast. THe office I just came from and this one. The last office was a "christian office" and I felt so judged and mistreated. And here I am among people who don't know what love is truly all about, and I feel more loved and accepted. I see them giving more and loving better than christians are.

I am saddened by this fact. As christians we are to be recognized by our love. That's how God says we are recognized. We are to out shine in the love department.

So, I ask that you guys will join me in two things:

1. Praying that I will be COURAGEOUS and speak to these co-workers about Jesus. Because they really need Him. But not just that, pray that I will know when to talk about Jesus and when to just listen. I want these people to know I am there not just to bang them over their heads with a bible and tell them Jesus is the only way. I want them to feel Christ living through me. I want to be light in a place of darkness. And it's a struggle to know exactly how to do that.

Because:

FIrst of all, the VP of the company just bought a booth for a hefty price at a gay rights rally. And I know that I have to be careful what I say and how I say it. While all the time being bold and not giving the impression I am ok with all these things they do.

2. That as Christians we will be determined to love better. That we will step out and shine so bright in a dark world. We should be the generous ones. We should be the ones willing to help others. We should be selfless and put others before ourselves. The world needs to see that we are different. And if we are no better than anyone else...then what?

I ask that you join me in reaching others wherever you are: home, work, or on the mission field.

Let Him Catch You.

I watched his little legs as he climbed up the incline. To him, the incline looked more like a mountain. To me, being four feet taller than him, it seemed really small. But as he stepped onto the grass to climb up the steep hill he looked back at me with a mischievous grin on his face. The sparkle in his little blue eyes told it all. He was on an adventure. And he wasn't at all scared. When he made it to the top he turned to look at me. And with the same daring smile on his face and twinkle in his eye he ran down the hill as fast as his legs would carry him. He made it almost to the bottom and then tripped, but I reached out my arms to catch him and twirled him around. When I set him back down, he giggled once and then repeated the whole scene. Every time he repeated the scene he almost tripped and fell. ANd he would've been hurt had I not been there to catch him. We did this about twenty times before he got bored and moved onto throwing his toy car as far as his little arms would let him.

I have spent my last five weeks with an adorable two-year-old boy. Looking into these beautiful blue eyes the past five weeks has been wonderful. And they have reminded me of so many important things. I used to be that daring too when I was a child. I used to look at the world that way too. It was one big adventure and I wasn't scared. And that's EXACTLY what God calls us to do in following Him.

So where does that spirit disappear to? I understand so much when I spend time with children why God tells us we must come as a child. How many times has God asked me to climb a hill and I have been terrified. I was scared that if I tripped he wouldn't reach out and catch me. But he always, ALWAYS does. He is always there for me.

We are going through a series at church right now called " In Search of a King". It is all about the life of David. But it isn't your typical study. We opened with how God never intended for Israel to have a king to rule over them. But they looked at the neighboring countries and wanted to be like the rest of the world. So they pushed and pushed until God gave them what they wanted. Out of this they were taught the lesson that no one is perfect and only God can be the kind of King they were demanding.

This week we discussed how David was an ordinary person. It was God working through him that made him look extraordinary. The sermon was about how God called David to be king but then left him in the pasture. It was there God taught him humility, patience, trust, etc... See, God had to prepare David for something better. He had to prepare David to realize that this whole kingship was about God's glory and not about his own.

And this series has convicted me so much. God has orchestrated my life so beautifully (and painfully in some ways) lately to teach me so many lessons. And it's incredible how two things that are virtually unrelated (the sermon series and my babysitting) can be weaved together so well to teach me all the lessons God wants me to learn. At first it seemed so odd to me, but now it makes perfect sense.

Being with this child has taught me how life is an adventure. When we become a Christian we die to ourself and THANK GOD that He calls us to something unpredictable and BIG. It's beyond our human understanding. Sometimes what God does in our lives makes no sense. And it drives me mad sometimes. But then I realize that God wouldn't be God if I could explain everything about Him. If He were just like me, then why would I want to follow Him? Just look around you. I mean, the things I see God calling people to are really crazy sometimes. But, that's the point. God demands faith on our part. And when we step out and do something adventurous for His glory and not our own, something amazing always comes out of it!

Not only that, but God has completely shown me my lack of trust in him. He asked me to trust Him to catch me. And I didn't. I wanted to take care of myself. And I realize God has had me in this time in my life to remind me of some important things. I needed to prioritize differently. I needed to be reminded of the important things in life. I needed to trust Him. I needed to realize that He could see far more than I could. I am just like Israel demanding God give me a King when it is HIM he wants to give me.

And, so now as God has provided me this new job, I still want to remember the lessons he has burned into my heart. I want to climb up the hill and run back down as fast as I can, because I know He will catch me. But this time, I want to do things differently. I want to rely on God. This is God's adventure that He wants to work out through me. I just simply must step out in obedience.

ANd it really is silly now that I have gotten to the end that I never trusted Him in the first place. He has blown my mind with providing this amazing job. It's better than the last one. My God is so good.

May we live our Christian life like a child, with adventure twinkling in our eyes and a great smile on our face. Because we KNOW God is about to do something amazing. Whatever it is. Even if it doesn't make sense. He is always waiting to blow our minds. Because that is just who He is!