A Work in Progress

My Uninvited & Unwanted Guest

2012-01-27T23:11:00.000-05:00

     I have an uninvited and unwanted guest who has chosen to visit me 3 times in the past 7 months. The first time it chose to visit a week and a half (end of June) before we flew to FL for our destination wedding. The next time was 4 months after that (end of October), and then it came back to visit me 3 months later (now - end of January). This guest just really must like me, and more specifically loves my legs! In June it favored my right leg and the past 2 times it has preferred my left leg. One would think it would get the hint that the feeling is definitely NOT mutual! :)

     This guest is called Cellulitis. It is an infection, which left untreated, can turn septic in your system and turn very serious very quickly. My husband's father was hospitalized for a week with it years ago. Thankfully, each time I have had it I've gotten to the Dr. right away and was put on antibiotics and didn't need to be hospitalized. However, I have used more vacation days for this infection than I would care to.

     I have had circulation problems in my legs/ankles for as long as I can remember and about 3 years ago I was finally diagnosed with Venous Insufficiency, you can click on the previous link to read a blog I wrote about it in 2009. Here is an article that explains Venous Insufficiency and below is a diagram that compares normal veins in the lower legs to abnormal veins in the lower legs:

My ankles and lower legs swell frequently, so that is nothing new. It can be annoying and inconvenient and makes it hard to fit my feet into my shoes at times. However, I don't lose time from work because of it. When I first got Cellulitis before the wedding, it was very scary because I didn't know what it was. The 2nd and 3rd time it came, I knew what it was and knew I needed to get myself to the Dr. right away to get started on the antibiotics. The Dr.'s have told me I am much more prone to cellulitis because of my venous insufficiency. Cellulitis can be caused by being extremely obese, but my Dr. said I am not in that category.

I am thankful my Dr. is taking this seriously. She said the first two times someone has cellulitis, they chalk it up to being a "fluke thing", but because I have had it 3 times in 7 months, there is something else going on. First she is going to have me fast for 12 hours and get my blood drawn. If everything is normal, she is then going to refer me to a Vascular Surgeon.

It has been very hard for me to sit still, harder as I'm starting to feel a bit better, because I am the "Team Captain" for a Walking Challenge. I was consistently getting a high number of steps a day, and now this is really setting me back. However, it's better than the alternative of ending up in the hospital!

I am very blessed to have an amazing husband who called off work yesterday to take care of me and make sure I was following the Dr.'s orders! :) Things like being sick were so much harder without someone around to help. I also have awesome friends and family who have texted, called, stopped over to visit, shown me FB love and offered to help. God is good and I am so thankful that the antibiotics have worked pretty quickly each time, and saved me a stay or three in the hospital! The Dr. said I can go back to work on Monday, so at least I will only have to use 2 vacation days this time around. She also said I can resume my walking on Monday! Yay! :) I hope I'm feeling up to it.

Thank you very much for your thoughts and prayers as we continue to get to the bottom of this!

We've Been Happily Married For 200 Days Today!

2012-01-24T01:13:00.000-05:00

Two hundred days ago today I married the love of my life! As many of you know, I love numbers and statistics! :) Well, I've been alive (outside of the womb) for 13,901 days, and my first date with Jonathan was 838 days ago! That means I lived 13,063 days without Jonathan in my life. We got engaged 411 days ago and promised to love each other and be faithful to each other for the rest of our earthly lives 200 days ago today.

For many years, I felt God was depriving me of something that many others around me had, a companion to share their life with. I seriously thought it would never happen to me! He wasn't depriving me though, he was only preparing me for the man he had in mind for me. He had my best interest at heart all along, no matter what my emotions happened to be at any given moment. I was 35, almost 36 years old when I met Jonathan. I was 36, almost 37 when we got engaged, and I was 37 and a half and 5 days when we got married! I lived a very large portion of my life as a single person. I know the hurt and pain of feeling alone and feeling like I didn't belong. This is why I believe I am sensitive to the feelings of single people now.

It might sound cliche, but I wouldn't trade all of those single days for anything. Why? Because I wouldn't be the person I am today and I wouldn't be with Jonathan today. God used those years to mold me and to mold Jonathan so that at just the right time we would be an almost perfect (nothing in life is perfect!) match for each other! He continues to mold us into the couple he wants us to be, but had I not experienced all of those lonely days/years, I wouldn't be as appreciative of what I have now. I don't buy the "you complete me" crap. However, when you find your true love, there is a sense of contentment and peace that is hard to explain. I just finally feel like I'm "home". Here is a picture of us at our wedding ceremony.

This is the face of a very happily very newly (like 30 minutes tops) married bride! :)

We continue to laugh together on a daily basis. I'm so thankful God sent me someone who makes me laugh more than anyone else I know! :)

The pic below is one of my new favorite pics from our special day! We look so happy, so in love, so content! See the bird, or shadow of the bird in the pic? I feel like that is a sign of God's presence in this beautiful moment that was so beautifully captured by my wonderful SIL Sandy of Sandra Ellen Photography. Thank you Sandy for capturing these special moments for us!

So, if any of my readers are currently single, there is hope! Jesus loves you and He only has His best in mind for you! You are a complete person! Please don't settle, just to have a companion! Waiting for His best, is worlds better than anything you could imagine for yourself.

Our wedding verse was Psalm 68:6a: "God sets the lonely in families." We were lonely and now we are a family! God is faithful! :)

Happy 200th day of being married to me Jonathan!

I love you and I'm so thankful for you!

The J-La-Sta 10,000 Steps Walking Challenge!

2012-01-03T23:59:00.000-05:00

On December 29th, 2011 I mentioned on Facebook that I would be starting The J-La-Sta 10,000 Steps Walking Challenge. I also mentioned that I would be posting a blog shortly regarding the details. This is that blog! :) I am SO excited to start this Challenge and to have you join me in this Challenge! I believe that if we have others to be accountable to and hold each other accountable, we are more likely to succeed. Even if you only take 10 steps more tomorrow than you did today, that is a Success! I know how overwhelming the number "10,000" sounds! I've been thinking about when this challenge would start and I've finally come up with a date. That date is Sunday, January 8th, 2012. Why January 8th? Well, you see, I wanted to give you all enough time to get a pedometer if you didn't already have one, and a chance to start walking for a few days to see how many steps you walk in a typical day. January 8th is 10 days from when I first mentioned this challenge and it is 5 days from the posting of this blog. So, you have 5 days to get your Pedometer and to start walking before the challenge starts. The 2nd reason I chose January 8th as the start date is that I have gained weight since I got married 6 months ago (July 8th, 2011). I want to lose weight for the 2nd 6 months of my Marriage! :)

Here are some important things to remember if you are considering taking part in this challenge:

The challenge will go for 12 weeks to get us thru the winter months. The challenge will end on Saturday, March 31st, 2012.

You do not need to start at 10,000 steps a day! If you haven't been physically active, this would be a very bad idea! You need to work up to 10,000 steps a day. For example, when I started approximately 3 weeks ago, I started at 6,000ish steps. I am now up to 7,000-8,000ish steps per day. I am gradually working toward 10,000 steps a day. Before I started walking I bet I was doing 3,000 steps or less per day. Once I get to 10,000 steps per day on a regular basis, I'm sure I will have some bad days. We are all human. That's OK! Just start again the next day!

The Pedometer I currently own has proven to be my best one yet! I have owned it for 4 weeks now and it is still working. It doesn't give extra steps while using the restroom, and it doesn't make the annoying clicking noises. If this Pedometer is not in your Budget, that's ok too, any Pedometer is better than no Pedometer! I promise you my steps have increased just from wearing a Pedometer! I'm such a numbers gal, and anal too! Here is the link for the Pedometer I have: J-La-Sta's Pedometer. Here is a picture of it. I even get to wear it around my neck! Have I mentioned that I LOVE my new Pedometer?! :) It even keeps the past 7 days steps in it's memory.
You may say, "This weather is horrible (if you live anywhere near the Midwest!), it is too cold and there is too much snow!". In that case, can you find somewhere indoors to walk, ie, a mall? I have been walking on a 100 step walking path in the basement at work on all of my breaks. As my Dad frequently quoted my Grandma, "Where there is a will, there is a way!".

You can track your steps on the following website: http://www.10000steps.org.au/. It takes 2 minutes to set up an account and the website is super user friendly. If you FB message me with your personal email address after you have created an account with thatemail address, I can add you to the team. We can see each others daily steps and therefore can cheer each other on and encourage each other! :) Please remember they are in Australia, so they are already on the next day when you may be tracking your steps in the evening. They also list the day before the month when listing the dates, whereas we list the month first and then the day.

I promise to encourage you to succeed! Any step toward taking better care of ourselves is a step in the right direction. Look at it this way, even if you only end up doing an average of 7,500 steps a day, I would bet that is more steps than you are taking on a daily basis today.
If you are anything like me and are currently experiencing the post holiday/winter blues, getting moving can help with depression!

I will be thinking of a small prize for the the person who walks the most steps between January 8th and March 31st. There will also be a 1st runner up for The J-La-Sta 10,000 Steps Challenge. If that winner or 1st runner up is me, I will still get myself a prize! :)

Please let me know if you would like to be a part of this challenge! I will be happy to answer any questions you may have!

Looking forward to "walking with you" as we accomplish our health and/or weight loss goals! :)

Here's to a Happy and Healthy 2012!

5 Reasons Why This Was My Best Christmas Ever!

2011-12-25T21:48:00.000-05:00

It was my 1st Christmas married to Jonathan. Thanks to Mom and Don for our "1st Christmas" ornament! We have been married for 170 days today! We love being married, but most importantly we love being married to each other! We each had many lonely Christmases in the past. We weren't lonely this year and for that we are both very thankful! Jonathan's Dad told us yesterday that we are a "Match Made in Heaven". He's right! This kind of match could be nothing other than something orchestrated by the Creator of Love, God Himself.
We have started our own Family Christmas traditions. We love our families of origin and our extended family and we love to celebrate with them, but what was extra special about this year is that we started our own family traditions. It's hard to start your own Christmas traditions as a single person, because your family of origin is your only family. We may not have children, but we do have our little family. We both agreed it was important to starts those traditions for our 1st married Christmas, because they get harder to change as the years pass. It is important to us to see family, so this year we saw family on Christmas Eve and then Christmas Day was just us. Our tradition is that we will spend 1 day with family and 1 day with just us. I will touch on why this is important for me this time of year when I get to reason # 5.
We both put a lot of thought and effort into purchasing gifts for each other. Last year we both asked each other what we wanted for Christmas, but we didn't really know, and neither of us ended up purchasing gifts for the other. I didn't realize that "Gifts" was one of my top love languages until I didn't get anything from Jonathan. This year, we both put a lof of effort into it, and the effort paid off. It's not about the money spent, but rather about the effort put into making the other person feel special. We were both successful at that this year! It's fun to be someone's top priority when it comes to gift giving!
We have been blessed and therefore were able to bless others this Christmas. Last year we started a tradition of helping those in need. and sponsored a family at the local homeless shelter. This year my Small Group sponsored a family where a set of Grandparents are raising their 8 Grandchildren. I got tired just reading their ages. Jonathan and I contributed to making this family's Christmas more special. That's a good feeling! We were also able to bless our nieces/nephews, parents, etc with gifts. For many years as a single person money was tight and on top of that I wasn't managing my money as well as we are now. I was often unable to give presents to family. It feels good to be a blessing to others and we are thankful for how blessed we are! We have no wedding to pay for and we have 1 rent instead of 2. We are also down to 1 student loan and 1 car payment! All of these things sure make a huge difference!
My SAD is much more controlled this year. December has been a hard month for me for as long as I can remember but especially since 12/8/1999 when my Dad passed away. SAD is Seasonal Affective Disorder which is also known as Winter Depression. The symptoms start in early Fall and end when Spring begins. Some of the symptoms include a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating on or completing tasks, and withdrawal from friends, family, social activities, and lack of interest in activities you typically enjoy during the spring/summer months. For these reasons, Christmas isn't one of my favorite Holidays. I am thankful to God for sending us our most important Gift of His Son Jesus! However, Easter is my favorite Holiday because of the comfort of the Resurrection. This Christmas has been my best Christmas Ever, and here are the reasons why: This year I have the stability/security of being married, I have been walking, I am on medicine that is controlling the depression/anxiety quite well. Typically I cry a lot this time of year and withdraw from social activities because I just want to hibernate and be alone. I'm happy to say I haven't really cried at all this year. I wish Christmas was in July, because then I would spend more time with my family of origin/extended family. I still get stressed easily and this is another reason why Jonathan and I decided to start our tradition of spending either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day alone. Many love all of the hustle and bustle of seeing so many family members in a 2 day time frame. In the Summer, I wouldn't give it a 2nd thought. I love spending time with friend's and family! However, in the winter, I often lack the energy to do so and it's hard to be around groups of people when I'm not feeling very well.

I want to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Love,

Jen (& Jonathan)

The Gift

2011-12-16T00:36:00.000-05:00

In 9 days I will celebrate my first married Christmas with my husband Jonathan! Today at work I heard the most AMAZING song on the radio! It is by Collin Raye and Susan Ashton and it's called "The Gift"! I've coined this as our Christmas love song! You can watch the video and lyrics belowif you'd like, or you can go here to view the lyrics. Thankfully Jonathan approves and agrees that it is a beautiful song! We are blessed beyond belief! Obviously our most important Christmas gift is the birth of our Savior. He is the Reason for the Season!

I'm very much looking forward to our 1st married Christmas together! In my many single years, I felt the loneliness of being single much more around the Holidays. We both spent many lonely Christmases in the past, and this makes us appreciate each other all the more! I'm keenly aware of the fact that we live in a "couple's world". It's unfortunate, because we are all unique individuals who should be accepted and acknowledged for who we are, not for what our marital status is! Can I get an AMEN?! :) I was a complete person before I met Jonathan, and I'm a complete person now, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm married! Am I less lonely, yes! Do I feel a greater sense of peace and contentment, yes! Are there some things I miss about being single, there are a few things I suppose, but remember I had many years of the single life (which I enjoyed for the most part) and now I'm enjoying my married life with the man God sent to me in His perfect timing! :) Did I doubt God would ever send me my "Mr. Right"? Yep, sure did! I didn't know if that was His plan for me or not. Deep down I knew God had my best interest at heart, but I sure was lonely around the Holidays.

This year I'm thankful for the "The Gift" of my husband Jonathan and the love and bond that we share. Some may think this song is corny, but it touches my heart and I'm so thankful that regardless of if God blesses us with 5 married Christmases together on this earth or 50 married Christmase before He decides to call one or both of us home to heaven, what matters is that we get to spend THIS Christmas together. We will never again have a "1st Married Christmas Together". Jonathan is my 2nd most important Christmas gift. He would say the same about me and I'm more than OK with that! :)

Jonathan, "I'm thankful EVERY day for The Gift"! :)

Merry Christmas Baby! :)

Home For Christmas

2011-12-08T20:30:00.000-05:00

December 8th, 1999 was a life changing day for me and my family. That is the day the Lord called my 59 year old Dad (Herbert William Latzke) home to heaven, leaving my Mom a 47 year old widow and my 2 sisters and I ages 25, 24, and 21 without an earthly Father. Our world hasn't been the same since then. Yes, life went on, but it has never been the same. Two months after Dad died, Mom was diagnosed with cancer. Twelve years later, my Mom has been married to Don for 10 years, my Sister Pam has been married to Eddie for 16 & a half years, my Sister Debbie has been married to Scott for 10 & a half years, and I have been married to Jonathan for 5 months! :) Now we have our new normal. December 8th is never an easy day for me. I think Dad dying so close to Christmas has made Christmas a not so fun time for me. However, this year I get to spend Christmas with my husband. My family is strong and I believe God has used our experiences to mold us into stronger people who can be there to comfort others as they grieve losses in their own lives. Everything happens for a reason. I found this description about grieving the loss of a parent and I see it as being very accurate to the feelings I have experienced, so I wanted to share it with you.

"Remember, you have every reason to grieve. A parent’s death often leaves adult children with a sense of abandonment and even panic that catches us by surprise. But why are we caught off guard when the death of the "ma-ma" or "da-da" whose name we struggled to utter as tiny tots leaves us reeling or depressed or sleepless? We may have lived enough years to be an adult but we will always be a child in relation to our parents. Even if we find ourselves "parenting our parents" before their deaths, it is the parent of our youth and childhood that we bury. And, as author R. Scott Sullender says in Losses in Later Life, "The world is a different place after our parents die." Seldom are we, as adults, ready for a parent’s death. We may be busy building our careers or raising our families; we may be spending our free time traveling or seeking to settle down; we may be living close by or a continent away from our parents. Whatever the circumstances, it is virtually impossible to prepare ourselves emotionally for the loss.Well-meaning friends and others may seek to console us by saying, "Your mother lived a long, full life" or "Your dad was suffering so much- surely it’s a blessing." But those phrases ring hollow when it is our beloved mother or our dear dad who lies in the casket. Even if we experience a strong sense of relief mixed with our grief, the sorrow is very deep and very real." Judy Ball

Here is a picture of my Dad's grave which was taken sometime after his funeral on December 11th, 1999. He truly was "Home For Christmas". This will be his 13th Christmas in heaven. I have also included the poem the Pastor read to the family in the basement of the Church before my Dad's funeral began.

My First Christmas in Heaven
by Unknown

I've had my first Christmas in Heaven,
A glorious, wonderful day!
I stood with the saints of the ages,
Who found Christ, the truth and the Way.
I sang with the Heavenly choir:
Just think! I who loved to sing!
And, Oh! What celestial music
We brought to our Savior and King!
We sang the glad songs of redemption,
How Jesus to Bethlehem came,
And how they had called His name Jesus,
That all might be saved through His name.
We sang once with the angels,
The song that they spoke that blest morn
When shepherds first heard the glad story
That Jesus, the Savior, was born
O dear ones, I wish you had been here.
No Christmas on earth could compare
With all the rapture and glory
We witnessed in Heaven so fair.
You know how I always loved Christmas;
It seemed such a wonderful day,
With all of my loved ones around me,
The children so happy and gay.
Yes, now I can see why I loved it.
And Oh, what a joy it will be
When you and my loved ones are with me,
To share in the glories I see.
So, dear ones on earth, here’s my greeting,
Look up till the day dawn appears,
And Oh, what a Christmas awaits us
Beyond our parting tears.

I love you and miss you Dad! You are never forgotten and always loved! Looking forward to seeing you again someday! In fact, I'm really kind of envious of how you get to spend your Christmases! :)

God's Gift To Me!

2011-12-07T00:51:00.000-05:00

Most of you know that my Husband's name is Jonathan. Well, I found out tonight while browsing the internet that the meaning of Jonathan's name is "God has given" or "Gift of God". Wow! I'm convinced Jonathan is the 2nd most special/important gift God has ever given me, second only to God's gift of His only Son so that I will have eternal life in heaven! Here is a list of just a few of the many ways Jonathan has blessed my life. He has brought more of each of these things into my life:

J - Joy - God has brought such Joy to my life thru Jonathan.
O - Opportunity - God has given me the opportunity to grow as a person and in my faith thru my relationship with Jonathan.
N - Knowledge- Anyone who knows Jonathan knows that he holds a plethora of knowledge in that head! He shares it with me everyday.
A - Acceptance - God has shown me more of what His acceptance and Grace are like, as Jonathan accepts me just as I am, flaws and all.
T - Thankfulness - I am SO thankful God sent me the right person to share my life with in His perfect timing.
H - Humor - Jonathan makes me laugh every single day! Laughter truly is medicine for the soul.
A - Appreciation - I appreciate my Husband so much more because of the fact that I was single for so long. I never want to take him for granted, although I am human, so I'm sure I will at some point.
N - Nourishment - God continues to nourish my heart and soul thru Jonathan. Jonathan has a much better understanding of His unconditional love and teaches me about what unconditional love is on a daily basis.

Here is a picture which so perfectly captures the joy and laughter we share. It was taken by my awesome Sister-In-Law Sandy of Sandra Ellen Photography at our Wedding Dinner in Clearwater Beach, FL on 7/8/2011.

I love you Jonathan and I couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else! I look forward to growing with you and in our relationship with God, individually and as a couple.

You truly are God's gift to me! :)

How Great Is Our God!!

2011-10-16T03:20:00.007-04:00

I am a HUGE fan of Christian Musician Chris Tomlin's music and follow him on Facebook. A few days ago the following post from Chris Tomlin came across my news feed:

With the upcoming release of How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection on Nov. 15th, some media are looking to highlight a few stories showing what these songs have meant to people.

If God has used any of these songs in your lives and they've meant something special to you, we'd love to hear it.

Send your story to info@sixstepsrecords.com by October 21st. Thanks.

It didn't take long at all before I KNEW I had to email them my story of how and why "How Great Is Our God" is such a special song to me! I thought I would share that same email with my blog readers. I didn't include the picture that I included below, although now I wish I would have! We have been married for 100 days today! :)

Here is the email I sent:

This is an extra special song for me! It brings me back to my wedding day, which was just this past July 8th, 2011! :-) My Fiance and I wanted our Wedding to be a Worship Service. You see, we were both single for a very long time. I (Jennfer) was 37 and Jonathan turned 36 two days after the wedding. We were both single, never married, with no children. We both knew what it was like to be alone in a "couple's society". Our hearts yearned for someone to share our life with, but that just didn't seem to be happening for either one of us. My Dad was called home to heaven when I was 25 years old. Two months later my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Life alone, with out the support of a significant other was difficult. But our God knew exactly what he was doing and brought us together at just the right time! March of 2007 I was living in Milwaukee, WI where I had lived for 15 years (I went to college there and stayed). I was praying about moving back to South Bend, IN because of how Mom's cancer had progressed. I lost my job the very next day! I had NEVER lost a job before. If that wasn't an answer to prayer, I don't know what is! I moved back to South Bend, IN where I was born and raised 5/1/2007. South Bend is near Elkhart, IN which is the RV Capital of the world. Needless to say, jobs were extremely hard to come by. I was on unemployment for 6 months and then finally got a waitressing job to pay the bills. March 17 of 2008 I finally got a better job at a large insurance company. October of 2009 an acquaintance in my department at work said she had a friend who worked in our building who was interested in me. She set it up a double date for me, Jonathan, and her and her fiance. That date was 10/09/2009. The rest is history! We got engaged 12/10/10. Now December holds a happy memory for me. You see. Dad passed away 12/8/99. Ever since then December has been a very hard month for me. Now it is a month that holds good memories too! :) We planned a beach wedding on Sand Key Beach in Clearwater Beach. FL. His Best Man was also our Pastor. He did an amazing job! There were 18 of us total who traveled down to FL. The wedding was scheduled for 7:15pm. It rained SO hard ALL day the day before the wedding and all day the day of the wedding. We had to get married under a pavilion. But thankfully the weather cleared and afterwards we were blessed to get amazing pictures at sunset on the beach.

Anyways, the reason "How Great Is Our God" is so special to me, is that we sang this song, with the track, at the beginning of the ceremony. The wind was blowing, the spirit was moving, and I was holding back tears. God knew what He was doing all along and I knew my Dad was there in spirit. There aren't words to describe the joy that filled my heart that day and that continues to fill my heart as I watch the wedding video and think back to that day. God doesn't always answer prayer in our timing, but His ways are best. It just took a long time for me to get my "Happily Ever After". I'm blessed Mom could be at the wedding. Her cancer has since spread and is in her bones in addition to her stomach and bladder. She has fought this ugly disease for almost 12 years and is the strongest woman I know. I finally feel like I belong with Jonathan, who is in many ways, God in flesh to me, showing me daily what it's like to be loved unconditionally.

I invite you to visit my blog to learn more about me and see pictures of us! :) I will also post a link to the wedding video below so you can see us sing "How Great is Our God". Thank you Chris Tomlin for making our day even more special. There's nothing sweeter then singing that song in worship to our King, on the beach, with powerful winds, as you are about to marry the one God had planned for you all along! :)

My Blog: http://www.Jennifruit.blogspot.com

Our Wedding Website: http://www.mywedding.com/jenniferandjonathan2011/

Our Wedding Video: http://vimeo.com/27437017

God Bless You and Your Ministry! :)

Jennifer Stanley

South Bend, IN

What I've Learned In My 1st 95 Days of Marriage

2011-10-11T23:59:00.009-04:00

As you probably have already guessed after reading the Title of this post, we have been married for 95 days today! :) Wow! Time flies! In some ways I feel so comfortable with Jonathan that it feels like we have been together forever. In other ways, I can't believe we've been married for over 3 months already! I would be lying if I said this transition has been 100% smooth sailing. After all, we are 2 human beings who only had to think about ourselves for years. This isn't to say we were selfish people, it's just that we didn't have anyone else to consider in day to day living. If I wanted to watch "The Notebook" on a Friday evening, I would watch "The Notebook". If Jonathan wanted to watch "Lord of The Rings", he would watch "Lord of The Rings. We can still watch those movies, but now there is someone else's opinions/preferences to consider as well. Jonathan turned 36 two days after the wedding. I turned 37 in January. (I'm such a "cougar"!) We both had a long time to get "set in our ways". All in all we are both very happy! We are beginning our marriage on the foundation of the one who created marriage. I think I appreciate Jonathan and my marriage to him so much more, simply because I had to wait for him for a very long time. I know what it's like to be alone, to not be part of a family, to not have someone know if you live or die on your drive home. Sad, but true. Now I see clearly that God was preparing me for my "Mr. Right". I'm learning that His ways are ALWAYS best. He knows what is best for me.

Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate. ~Barnett R. Brickner

Here are the Top 5 Things I've learned in My 1st 95 Days of Marriage (in no particular order):

I'm thankful for commitment. The first 2 weeks after we moved into "our" new place were a bit rough. We were both used to living alone. We both, especially me, don't like change. There were many times that we butted heads. It was in those times that I understood why the commitment of a marriage (till death do us part) is so important. God knows that too! :) I'm happy to say things are much better now that we've had more time to adjust!

If I'm focusing on something I think Jonathan needs to work on, I more than likely need to turn the focus back to what I can do to work on improving myself. I can't control him, nor should I try to, but I should be focusing on how I can become a better person/wife, not focusing on what I "think" he needs to work on.

I'm learning balancing marriage with my social life is easier said than done. All of you singles out there know what I mean when I say singles can feel forgotten because their friends are so busy with their husbands and children. I still don't fully understand how hectic life with children can be, but I do have more of an understanding of the fact that even in a marriage, there is less time to devote to friends. Maintaining and growing our friendships with others is very important to both of us. I'm very thankful for that! Jonathan has his times with his guy friends, and I have my times with my girlfriends. We also do things with other couples. When I lived alone, I was texting/calling friends a lot more than I am now. I finally feel like I belong. I belong with Jonathan. I'm still working at finding balance in time with Jonathan and time with friends. It may be a little more challenging because we work such different work hours and only have 1 weekend off together a month.

Sex is not as big of a part of a marriage as we both had made it out to be in our heads before we got married. Don't get me wrong, sex is wonderful and God's plan for marriage is best! We are far from perfect, but with God's help, we both waited to have sex until after we were married. Yes, I know this is practically unheard of now a days, but we are both glad we waited. When you feel you "can't have something (due to Christian beliefs"..ie...sex before marriage)"...it makes it that much more appealing. All thru my 20's and 30's, I hoped I would get married soon so I could have sex before Jesus came to take me home to heaven, whether at the end of the world, or thru death. We both have said that we built it up so much in our heads, and gave it far too much importance prior to marriage. It's an awesome part of marriage, but it's not everything. We are learning together and I'm thankful we don't have baggage to deal with in this area of our life together.

The financial aspect of our lives is SO much easier with 2 incomes and 1 rent. This is NOT a reason to get married, but once you find the right one, this is a HUGE perk! :) I had NO idea how much easier it would be before I got married. I had always supported myself and lived alone. After we got married, I changed my marital status for my taxes. I did not change the deductions, yet I am getting over $93.00 extra in my checks each month! We are paying less on auto insurance due to the multi-car discount, we only have 1 rent to pay and we no longer have to save/pay for the wedding! We just paid off the rings (no interest!) last weekend! In less than a year we will be debt Free! :) However, it is also important to note, that we both learned how to handle our finances and get a grip on them before we got married. We are now tithing faithfully and can't wait to be debt free.

My 4th Annual Fall Appreciation Day!!

2011-10-07T00:05:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, October 2nd, I celebrated my 4th Annual Fall Appreciation Day! This time I got to celebrate it with my husband! :) I usually celebrate it on the 1st Saturday of October, but since I had to work that day, we celebrated on Sunday this year. Due to the fact that I love Summer and dread the dark cold dreary winter days, I'm not a fan of Fall. I started Fall Appreciation Day as a way to put a positive spin on the Season, as well as experience the finer aspects of Fall. We were blessed with an absolutely gorgeous day filled with lots of sunshine! :) Here are some of the fun things we were fortunate to experience on Sunday:

Went to the Niles Apple Festival - We had some awesome apple treats and purchased Apple Butter among other things!
Took a drive to South Haven, MI - We got to see some pretty fall colors on the drive up.
While in South Haven, we took a leisurely walk thru Stanley Johnston Memorial Park.
We visited many of the local shops in the downtown area.
We visited a winery where we did some wine tasting and purchased a bottle to take home.
We loved visting The Blueberry Store, where we purchased blueberry coffee and blueberry scones to make at home!
We took a walk out on the Pier (South Haven is on Lake Michigan for those of you who don't know).
We had dinner at Clementine's before driving back home to South Bend.

My husband was a good sport, and we had a wonderful day! I hope you enjoyed the pictures! :) If you have any suggestions for the new name of my Fall Appreciation Day, feel free to leave a comment! I thought of J-La-Sta's 4th Annual Fall Appreciation Day! Or should I add Jonathan's name to it, so it is OUR Fall Appreciation Day? I would love to hear your thoughts/suggestions. Happy Fall everyone! :)

J-La is Now J-La-Sta! :)

2011-10-01T23:30:00.002-04:00

You may be asking, "Where has she been the past 2 years?"! :) You may have also noticed that all of the "I'm Single" type of banners are gone from my blog. You see, at just the right time, God sent me my Mr. Right! :) His name is Jonathan and he is the love of my life. Our first date was 10/9/09. We got engaged on 12/10/10 and were married on 7/8/11 in a small intimate ceremony in FL. It's been a busy but awesome past few years. Our destination wedding was amazing and I wouldn't have had it any other way! We had an Open House for friends and family 6 weeks after the wedding. It was so much fun to see everyone and celebrate with them! We are very happy and I feel very blessed to be Jonathan's wife. Here is one of my favorite wedding pics of us. It was taken by my amazingly talented SIL Sandy of Sandra Ellen Photography! You can view our wedding website here, if you would like. Stay tuned for more blogs about my transition from YEARS of singleness to marriage at the age of 37! If you want to be married someday, I am proof, that wonderful things happen for those who wait! :) Don't lose hope! God has a wonderful plan for your life! Marriage is great, but had I not grown as an individual first, I would be having a huge wake-up call right now! It is true, that if you aren't happy with who you are as an individual, you won't be happy in a marriage either!

Bring It All Together

2009-09-27T15:03:00.001-04:00

I hear you say
That you can't go on
Cause you had it all and watched it fall away
You feel betrayed
Cause everything's gone wrong
Can't find the strength to hope for a better day
We may not understand the reasons
But I know His promise will never change

(Chorus)
He's gonna take your pain
He's gonna take your doubt
He's gonna bring it all together, bring it all together
Gonna make you happy
He's gonna make you laugh out loud
He's gonna bring it all together
Bring it all together for good

You say you're livin your life
Doing the best you can
Wondering if the struggle means anything
If you realized that it's in His hands
You'll find the peace that sweet surrender brings
Well, we may not understand the reasons
But His promise will never change

He's gonna take your pain
He's gonna take your doubt
He's gonna bring it all together,
Bring it all together
Gonna make you happy
He's gonna make you laugh out loud
He's gonna bring it all together
Bring it all together for good

I know there will come a day of healing
Then We will see the master plan
We will celebrate His faithfulness
And we'll sing (sing) and we'll shout (shout)
Praise His name

Verse of The Day!

2009-09-24T00:07:00.000-04:00

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Romans 5:3-4

God isn't finished with me yet! :)

A "Singleness Sucks" Weekend

2009-09-07T17:17:00.003-04:00

Any of you who are single know what I mean by the title. This weekend was one of those "Singleness Sucks" weekends. I'm just being real! People have families, people have husbands/boyfriends, people have lives. For those of us who are single, long weekends are often hard. There is just too much time to feel lonely and dwell on the fact that we are alone. People are busy living their lives and those plans often don't include us. Sure, if I had the money, I would travel on long weekends, but I don't. I'm thankful that I volunteered in the Nursery on Saturday and my friends prayed for me. I'm thankful for my Women's Group that met last night, and I'm thankful I have a friend who invited me to go to a movie with her today. It was a funny movie and nice to have Company! Then I came home and found this devotion on the internet. God knows my longings and understands my loneliness, but most of all He wants to be the one to fulfill my longings.

I'm hoping this devotion can help you, whether you are married or single.

Our Longings, God's Fulfillment

Compiled by Fern Horst
Devotion Found on singleness.org

We have many God-given longings that we'd like to have fulfilled. We often think that they can be fulfilled only by another human being. While God does use other humans to demonstrate love to us, He also wants to fulfill these longings with Himself. Consider these Words from Scripture as you identify your personal longings and God's promise of fulfillment.
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I want to be loved.
The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. (Jeremiah 31:3)

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I want to belong to someone.
But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself. (Psalms 4:3)
But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. (Isaiah 43:1)

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. (Isaiah 49:15-16)

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I want to be cherished.
Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. (Isaiah 43:4)
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

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I want someone to fulfill my heart's desires.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. (Psalms 37:4)

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I want someone who will always love me, no matter what.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-89)

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I want someone to be with me through the hard times of life, and to protect me. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. (Isaiah 43:2)
Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. (Psalms 32:7)

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I want someone I can draw strength from.
The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace. (Psalms 29:11)
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. (Psalms 31:24)

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:13)

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I want someone to be with me when I am afraid.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10)

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I want someone to comfort me.
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalms 34:18)
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. (Psalms 147:3)

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (John 14:18)

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

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I want someone to help me with life's burdens.
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. (Psalms 55:22)
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

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I want someone to hold me.
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deuteronomy 33:27)
Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. (Psalms 119:117)

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I want someone to be with me.
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:9)

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I want someone to live with me who loves me.
The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders. (Deuteronomy 33:12)

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I want someone to make me happy.
For the joy of the LORD is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)

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I want someone to protect me from those who would harm me.
Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength. (Psalms 31:4)
Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. (Psalms 31:20)

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I want someone to shower me with nice gifts.
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

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I want someone who inspires me.
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. (Jeremiah 33:3)

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I want someone who is always consistent.
That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil. (Hebrews 6:19)
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8)

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I want someone who will pray for me.
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)

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I want to be able to call someone when I'm in trouble.
The LORD will hear when I call unto him. (Psalms 4:3)
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. (Psalms 34:15)

The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. (Psalms 34:17)

© 1999 Fern Horst

Let It Go by Tenth Avenue North

2009-09-06T12:59:00.001-04:00

He Is My Sunshine!

2009-09-06T12:50:00.000-04:00

Courage by Max Lucado

2009-09-06T00:08:00.003-04:00

Courage
by Max Lucado

The disciples were alone in the storm for nine tempestuous hours. Long enough for more than one disciple to ask, “Where is Jesus? He knows we are in the boat. For heaven’s sake, it was his idea. Is God anywhere near?”

And from within the storm comes an unmistakable voice: “Courage! I am! Don’t be afraid!” (Matthew 14:27, literal translation).

From the center of the storm, the unwavering Jesus shouts, “I am.” Tall in the Trade Tower wreckage. Bold against the Galilean waves. ICU, battlefield, boardroom, prison cell, or maternity ward—whatever your storm, “I am.”

Christ comes astride the waves and declares the words engraved on every wise heart: “Courage! I am! Don’t be afraid!”

From Fear Not Promise Book
Originally printed in Next Door Savior

A Sound Mind

2009-09-04T00:59:00.003-04:00

2 Timothy 1:7: For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. NKJV

This is what I want, a sound mind. I've mentioned before that worry is my pet sin. All it does is make me anxious and unproductive Why do I still do it? Habit I guess. I'm human and God understands this, but that doesn't give me a right to worry. Worry is clearly a sin because it isn't trusting God. Tonight I watched a video message by Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.TV. I found the link b/c it was a contribution associated with this verse on youversion.com. It was an amazing message and another God moment for me. It's amazing that He knows just what I need to hear at just the right time in my life! There were 3 parts to the message. 1. I will do what God asks me to do. 2. I will give God what I cannot do. 3. No matter what happens I will trust God. This message was well worth 35 minutes of my time. It was probably the best message I have heard regarding the sin of worry. Worry happens when we are too big and our God is too small. Our God is not small, but we (I) often make Him small. I trust that God will help me overcome this sin. Lord help me do do what I can do and leave the rest to you. Please help me to overcome the sin of worry so that I can better serve you and lead others to you. How are others supposed to be drawn to you when they know that I worry so much about things I can't control?

Here's the link if you'd like to watch the message:

http://www.youversion.com/contributions/22353/hostage--worry

Me & My Sisters With My Cousins!

2009-08-31T23:34:00.003-04:00

Can you guess which one is me in each picture?

These Are The Words I Would Say

2009-08-30T12:42:00.001-04:00

This is a powerful song I heard on the radio yesterday. It has a great message and I wanted my friends/readers to hear it to0! "Don't live life in fear...God's got his hands on you"! :) Praying these words touch your heart today, as they did mine!

The Ups and Downs of Life

2009-08-25T22:40:00.002-04:00

I'm baaaack! I know I haven't blogged in a while. Just call it a hiatus! :) I know I'm a good writer and it's therapeutic for me, so I'm going to work at blogging more regularly.

I've been in a funk lately. It's just been a time in my life where I'm completely overwhelmed and wonder how much more I can handle! We've all been there at one time or another, often many times! Here are some of the reasons why I've been feeling overwhelmed and down:

The production requirements at work are going up. I already work non-stop to hit the production numbers I'm required to hit, while having to maintain quality numbers as well. Knowing this is coming, has raised my level of stress. How can I do any more claims in one day? I need this job! There is no one to fall back on!
It greatly concerns me that Mom's cancer spread even with chemo. She is currently undergoing more chemo and radiation, while working full time. She has a very positive attitude! I believe this fact plays a HUGE part in how she has been a cancer survivor and fighter for almost 10 years! Go Mom! Yeah God! :)
My friend Mary got married to FM (my nickname for him) on August 1st! :) She moved to the Indianapolis area which is 3 hours from here. I'm so happy for them, but it's been an adjustment for me to not have her close by. Mary was my very first friend when I moved here 2 years (and almost 4 months ago). We have a lot in common and think a lot alike. I know God put us in each others lives at a time when we both desperately needed a friend. Thank you God! :) I know we will still be there for each other for years to come, but things change when someone moves. From my years of experience of having friends get married, I know that it also changes the dynamics of a friendship, as well it should. I look forward to visiting Mary and FM hopefully in October and I know God will provide more friends for me!
I'm tired of doing life all alone! Granted I have friends and family that I "do life" with, but it's not the same! At the end of the day, it's just me. There is no one else to help w/ responsibilities such as oil changes, calls to insurance and medical providers, bills, household responsibilities, etc. Usually I'm fine being single. I have learned that the grass is not always greener and that I have God to rely on, but sometimes I get like this, where I just want a significant other to share life with. God spoke to me last night when someone on Twitter posted this quote from a book: "A romantic relationship,no matter how passionate, spontaneous,or exciting,can never complete you. Only God can do that." WOW! It was just the reminder I needed to hear at the exact time I needed to hear it.

It's times like these that I feel God is trying to get it to sink into my very stubborn head, that He is in Control and I am NOT! He wants me to know that He loves me and that me not having a significant other is not a punishment! That's just what Satan wants me to believe. He has protected me from getting into/staying in unhealthy relationships. So right now, I'm going to focus on taking care of me and nurturing my relationship with my bestest friend Jesus! If you get a chance, check out youversion.com. It's a great way to read the Bible online.

I look forward to the time when things start to look up for me, but for now, I have lots to be thankful for and want to focus on becoming the person God wants me to be.

I'll end this post with what was my Dad's favorite portion of Scripture:

Proverbs 3:5-6:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

There's No Such Thing As Perfect People!

2009-06-15T22:58:00.001-04:00

Never let 'em see you when you're breaking
Never let 'em see you when you fall
That's how we live and that's how we try
Tell the world you've got it all together
Never let them see what's underneath
Cover it up with a crooked smile
But it only lasts for a little while

[CHORUS:]
There's no such thing as perfect people
There's no such thing as a perfect life
So come as you are, broken and scarred
Lift up your heart and be amazed
And be changed by a perfect God

Suddenly it's like a weight is lifted
When you hear the words that you are loved
He knows where you are and where you've been
And you never have to go there again

[CHORUS]

Who lived and died to give new life
To heal our imperfections
So look up and see out let grace be enough

[CHORUS]

By a perfect God [5x]

Be changed by a perfect God
Be changed

This song spoke to me and I hope you enjoyed it to!

Meet Angel!

2009-06-11T23:08:00.003-04:00

Angel is my new roommate Jamie's dog. Isn't she the most adorable dog you have ever seen? Ok, so I'm a bit prejudiced! :) We've quickly become buddies! She so reminds me of Charlie who we had growing up! She's so loving and such a good dog. In the bottom pic, she's just chillin on the couch with me. She's such a great companion! I moved in here on Saturday and am slowly getting settled. Hence, the reason I haven't blogged lately. I think I've finally broken my internet/facebook/twitter addiction. That's a good thing for me! Thanks again to all of my faithful followers! Please continue to check back for new blog posts. Have a great weekend! :)

Murphy's M.V.P.

2009-05-31T00:19:00.003-04:00

Who is Murphy's M.V.P. you ask? She is my friend! Her name is Mary, and Mary will soon be Mrs. Murphy!! She and her fiance will be getting married this August 1st! I'm so happy for them! This picture was taken last night (Friday) at a bachelorette get together. The other women went to Hacienda and a Silverhawks baseball game 1st, but I worked till 7:15pm, so I met up with them at Mary's friend's apartment afterwards. Mary doesn't usually wear a baseball cap, but isn't she adorable in her Murphy's M.V.P. get-up?! :) The past 2 years I've heard a lot about Helen and Katie (Mary's friends who live out East). It was great to finally meet them in person and to meet many more friends of Mary's as well. This afternoon (Saturday) was her bridal shower and it was fun, and was held at a very classy place (Villa Macri's)! But you see, Mary's a classy girl and deserves the best. Mary, I wish you God's blessings on your upcoming M.V.P. role! :-)

Yesterday Was My 1 Year Twitterversary!

2009-05-30T23:51:00.003-04:00

Friday, May 29th was my 1 year Twitterversary! :) Many of you are probably thinking, "what in the heck is a Twitterversary?". Well, I joined the Twitterverse (i.e. world of twitter) on May 29th, 2008. Twitter is a status update tool where you update your followers regarding what you are doing, in 140 characters or less. It's been a lot of fun!

Here are some of my previous tweets to give you some examples of what we do in the Twitterverse:

Good News! Kidneys are ok! Dr. thinks it may be Venous Incompetence. Who has heard of this? I had to look it up online.
8:07 PM May 19th from web

Looking forward to watching the Bachelorette in 10 minutes! Glad it's on ABC cuz that's one of the only channels I get! No NBC or CBS.
8:49 PM May 18th from web

Yikes! I just read on Yahoo that a 66 year old woman is pregnant. I have never been pregnant..but pregnant at 66 years old? NO THANK YOU!
8:47 PM May 18th from web

Just realized my last tweet was my 1000th tweet! Woo Hoo! :) It's been almost a year I'm been tweeting...a year end of this month!
11:23 PM May 17th from web

is moving into the condo in 20 days! I can't wait! :)
10:50 PM May 17th from web

had a great time visiting with family and friends at Trey's Confirmation party today!
10:50 PM May 17th from web

President Obama will be speaking at the Notre Dame Commencement tomorrow, just a few miles from me. I really hope people behave themselves!
11:25 PM May 16th from web

Heading to St. Joseph, MI in the AM for Nephew Trey's Confirmation. Will be fun to see a bunch of relatives I haven't seen in a while!
11:08 PM May 16th from web

If you are on Twitter, please follow me! My Twitter name is Jennifruit!

Excellent Devotion by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

2009-05-26T21:26:00.001-04:00

Jealousy and Singleness

Although I have often found myself thinking, "When will it be me"? I can't say that I often get jealous of my friends who get married. I'm genuinely happy for them! For the most part, I love my life and my freedom and I know that God knows what's best for me. Even so, I found this devotion to be a great reminder for me and other singles out there.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: The apostle Paul says, “Love does not envy.” Elisabeth Elliot has helped us think through what that means. She writes, “If I imagine that I love my neighbor, let me test my love by asking how glad I am that he has managed to acquire what I have long wished to acquire. That he is loved by someone in some way that has never been granted to me.”

This can be especially challenging for singles. Do you ever find yourself jealous of your friends who are getting married? Maybe you’re married, but you’ve never been able to have children. Are you jealous of those who are able to have children?

These are some of the most painful situations a woman can go through. Avoiding envy might seem impossible, but love is from God. The way to avoid jealousy is to be filled up with godly love.

Ask Him to give you His love. The kind that doesn’t envy.

With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Singleness

2009-05-25T19:56:00.002-04:00

I was just thinking that I haven't blogged about singleness in quite a while. Although I want a diverse audience I would also like to use this blog as a ministry to other singles. Like all stages/phases of life, singleness has it's advantages and disadvantages. On Facebook and Twitter I hear a lot about the joys and trials of parenting. Singleness also has it's joys and trials. While I was cleaning yesterday, I found a little booklet on "Singleness; The Misunderstood World of Single Adults". There are many good things in this booklet. One part I found interesting is the part where they talk about 1,300 Christian single adults being asked about the advantages and disadvantages of singles. They indicated that the following advantages of singleness, in order, were:

Women

1. Mobility and freedom
2. Time for interests
3. Social life in general
4. Privacy

Men

1. Mobility and freedom
2. Time for interests
3. Privacy
4. Social life in general

The disadvantages of being single were:

Women

1. Loneliness
2. Financial Insecurity
3. Self-centeredness
4. Restrictions on sex life

Men

1. Loneliness
2. Restrictions on sex life
3. Self-centeredness
4. The dating grind

I would tend to agree with these (at least from the female perspective of singleness). I love my mobility and freedom, and especially love my social life! I am blessed with many friends from many ages and stages of life! The four disadvantages to singleness are things I definitely struggle with. Even with all of the friends I have, there are many times when I get lonely, especially over long weekends such as this one where I didn't plan anything ahead of time. I also find that the financial insecurity aspect of being single frustrates me sometimes (I have gotten much better at handling my God given money). If I lose my job there is no one to fall back on. I am it, no financial security for me. At the same time that can be an advantage...if I lose my job, there are no little mouths to have to feed either! My heart goes out to all of you single mom's. I seriously don't know how you do it!

Here are some awesome key quotes from the booklet:

The only true guarantee of happiness has little to do with marriage or singleness and everything to do with being obedient to the will of God.

A lot of singles yearn to be married; a lot of marrieds wish they were single again.

Godliness with contentment is great gain.
I Timothy 6:6

Whatever your age or stage in life, I pray that you find contentment in Christ Alone and I also pray that He will grant you the desires of your heart!

Taken from RBC Ministries Booklet written by Dave Egner

Rules of Life and Recovery

2009-05-24T20:15:00.001-04:00

I found this while I was cleaning today. There is no Author's name on it, but I thought it was cool, so wanted to share it with you.

Rule 1
Life isn't fair

Rule 2
You can't change rule 1

Rule 3
If you don't accept rule 1 and rule 2 you are in deep trouble

Rule 4
We are what we feel and we feel what we do, when you don't deal with your feelings they deal with you.

Rule 5
What other people do is their fault, what you do is yours

Rule 6
Feelings are only forever if you don't deal with them

Rule 7
Don't try to deal with forever you can't, just deal with today

Answers To "About Me" Quiz!

2009-05-24T19:42:00.000-04:00

The Answers are in bold print:

1) What cell phone network do I use?
a) Sprint
b) Verizon
c) T-Mobile
d) AT&T

2) My favorite flavor of ice cream is ________.
a) Chocolate
b) Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
c) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
d) Mint Chip

3) How many times have I traveled out of the country?
a) 0
b) 1
c) 2
d) 3
e) 5

4) What is my favorite holiday?
a) Christmas
b) Thanksgiving
c) Easter
d) 4th of July

5) What city was I born in?
a) St. Joseph, MI
b) Mishawaka, IN
c) Milwaukee, WI
d) South Bend, IN
e) Denver, CO

6) How many Nieces/Nephews do I have?
a) 2
b) 3
c) 4
d) 5
e) 6

7) When did my Dad pass away?
a) 1995
b) 1997
c) 1999
d) 2002
e) 2005

8) What are the names of my Godchildren?
a) Trey, Gregory, Hannah
b) Trey, Lexi, Tyler
c) Gregory, Lexi, Ryan
d) Lexi, Joey, Hannah

9) What is my favorite movie?
a) Bennie & Joon
b) The Notebook
c) A Walk to Remember
d) 13 Going on 30

10) How many 1st Cousins do I have(include both sides fam minus my 2 sisters)
a) 6
b) 9
c) 10
d) 15
e) 17

Happy Blogiversary To Me!

2009-05-23T00:52:00.002-04:00

Can you believe it? I've been blogging for a full year now! In fact my very first blog post was posted exactly 1 year ago today at exactly this time of the night/morning! :) It's been a great year! So much has happened! I love blogging because I love to write, I find it extremely therapeutic, and I love to keep my followers up to date on the happenings in my life! As time goes on, I am gaining more followers. My friend Michelle told me it would just take time! :) She was right! I just wanted to thank all of my readers who have been following me on this journey we call life! Whether you are a faithful follower, or just stop by once in a while, I appreciate you! :) Without you, this blog wouldn't be nearly as important or worthwhile to me. Thanks for your comments and for your support this past year. I hope you continue to follow my blog and leave comments when you feel the urge to do so! :) God Bless you! :)

About Me

2009-05-22T01:01:00.000-04:00

Here's a quiz I created for my friends on Facebook to see how well they know me. How well do you know me? Feel free to answer by leaving a comment 1.C, 2.D, etc. I'll post the answers shortly!

1) What cell phone network do I use?
a) Sprint
b) Verizon
c) T-Mobile
d) AT&T

2) My favorite flavor of ice cream is ________.
a) Chocolate
b) Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
c) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
d) Mint Chip

3) How many times have I traveled out of the country?
a) 0
b) 1
c) 2
d) 3
e) 5

4) What is my favorite holiday?
a) Christmas
b) Thanksgiving
c) Easter
d) 4th of July

5) What city was I born in?
a) St. Joseph, MI
b) Mishawaka, IN
c) Milwaukee, WI
d) South Bend, IN
e) Denver, CO

6) How many Nieces/Nephews do I have?
a) 2
b) 3
c) 4
d) 5
e) 6

7) When did my Dad pass away?
a) 1995
b) 1997
c) 1999
d) 2002
e) 2005

8) What are the names of my Godchildren?
a) Trey, Gregory, Hannah
b) Trey, Lexi, Tyler
c) Gregory, Lexi, Ryan
d) Lexi, Joey, Hannah

9) What is my favorite movie?
a) Bennie & Joon
b) The Notebook
c) A Walk to Remember
d) 13 Going on 30

10) How many 1st Cousins do I have(include both sides fam minus my 2 sisters)
a) 6
b) 9
c) 10
d) 15
e) 17

Venous Insufficiency

2009-05-20T01:18:00.000-04:00

Good News! The Dr. left me a VM Message this AM telling me my kidneys are fine. He thinks I have Venous Incompetence AKA Venous Insufficiency. I'm glad my kidneys are fine! I guess I can rest assured that I am in good health b/c practically everything was checked totalling up to at least $2,300.00 in medical bills. Thank God for health insurance! :) I am blessed. Anyways, I had no clue what venous insufficiency was, so I found the excerpt below on Medicine.Net. I will just wait to talk to the Dr. until my next Appointment, which is June 5th. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!

How does venous insufficiency cause edema?
The veins in the legs are responsible for transporting blood up to the veins of the torso, where it is then returned to the heart. The veins of the legs have valves that prevent the backward flow of blood within them. Venous insufficiency is incompetence of the veins that occurs because of dilation, or enlargement, of the veins and dysfunction of their valves. This happens, for example, in patients with varicose veins.

Venous insufficiency leads to a backup of blood and increased pressure in the veins, thereby resulting in edema of the legs and feet. Edema of the legs also can occur with an episode of deep vein thrombophlebitis, which is a blood clot within an inflamed vein. In this situation, the clot in the deep vein blocks the return of blood, and consequently causes increased back-pressure in the leg veins.

Venous insufficiency is a problem that is localized to the legs, ankles, and feet. One leg may be more affected than the other (asymmetrical edema). In contrast, systemic diseases that are associated with fluid retention generally cause the same amount of edema in both legs, and can also cause edema and swelling elsewhere in the body. The response to therapy with diuretic drugs in patients with venous insufficiency tends to be unsatisfactory. This is because the continued pooling of fluid in the lower extremities makes it difficult for the diuretics to mobilize the edema fluid.

Elevation of the legs periodically during the day and the use of compression stockings may alleviate the edema. Some patients require surgical treatment to relieve chronic edema that is caused by venous insufficiency.

Voice Mail Message From Lexi!

2009-05-12T23:11:00.002-04:00

When I got out of work last Thursday I had a VM message from my 6 year old niece Lexi who lives in Milwaukee, WI. The message said:

"Aunt Jenny, I was just gonna call you and say that my tooth fell out at school on May um 6th, 2009, bye."

This message from Lexi totally made my day! I was laughing and smiling for quite a while after I heard this message! It was so darn cute for one thing! Plus, I was honored that she wanted to tell ME about her tooth. It was the first tooth she lost, so this is a BIG deal to her! I was tickled that she mentioned the date. This reminded me that she takes after me when it comes to dates and details.

Anyways, it was just so cute that I had to share it with you all! I hope this blog post added at least a smile to your day! :)

Lexi will be here in Indiana with her family for a visit this weekend, and I can't wait to see her! :)

Finally Starting To Get Some Answers!

2009-05-08T23:58:00.003-04:00

Most of you know that I've been dealing with health issues for the past 3 months. It's been frustrating because up until now I've felt like a "Medical Mystery". The Dr.'s didn't seem to have any explanation for why my feet/ankles have been swelling so much. All of the tests have come back fine! Well, today I had a Dr.'s Appt with my Internal Medicine Dr. and he talked to me about the results of my 2nd round of tests. He said my creatinine levels are elevated and that can signal problems with kidney functioning. Don't get me wrong! I don't want to have kidney failure, but at least we are starting to get to the bottom of this!

Here are my next steps: I need to go get more blood work done to see if the creatinine levels are still elevated. Then, on Tuesday morning the Dr. is having me go get an ultrasound of my kidneys. I then go back to see him in 4 weeks to discuss the results. I know he'll call if something needs to be done ASAP. He also said my cholesterol is very high. I guess it's at 286 (I think) which is horrible! However, he noted that both my good and bad cholesterol are both high, so he isn't AS concerned. I told him when I was 16 I also had high cholesterol, so I think in addition to my diet, it is hereditary as well. He prescribed a pill to help control my cholesterol levels and I will have that checked again in 8 weeks.

I tell ya, I sure am blessed to have good health insurance! Even without my upcoming tests, my tests thus far have cost over $1,600.00! Continued prayers are appreciated! I found the diagram below online and the symptoms seem to match the problems I am having. I have fluid overload (swollen ankles) and elevated creatinine levels. Here's hoping that if there are kidney issues, they can be treated with meds. I'm just thankful to FINALLY be getting some answers!

Two Years Ago Today

2009-05-01T23:57:00.001-04:00

I moved back to "The Bend" from Milwaukee, WI on May 1st, 2007! I can't believe it's been 2 years already!! I always said I would NEVER move back here, but God had other plans for me! I've had some rough times over the past few years, but overall I am so much happier. It's taken a while, but I'm finally back on my feet! I'm close to family! I have wonderful friends! I have a great job! I've grown so much as a person and in my faith, and I'm moving into a condo on the River on June 6th, where I will have my own bathroom, a large closet, a garage and a pool! Hopefully one day I will own my own condo! :) God is good, and He certainly has provided for me. To my family, I'm glad I'm Home! To my Milwaukee friends, I miss you and treasure the times I do get to spend with you! Distance does not separate true friends! To my South Bend friends, I'm so glad I've gotten to know you. Thank you for helping me to grow and be "real"! To all of my friends throughout the US, you all hold a special place in my heart! I'm Home and I'm Happy! =-)

I Will Rise!

2009-04-29T00:18:00.001-04:00

The graduation was on Saturday, which is when I started missing Dad. Then on the way to my small group on Sunday, this song came on the radio. Another God thing! I broke down in tears! Beautiful song and worth listening to the whole thing! :)

A Monumental Day

2009-04-26T01:15:00.001-04:00

Today was a Monumental Day because my Sister Pam graduated from Western Michigan University with her Bachelor's Degree. I am SO proud of her! She has worked incredibly hard for this day! She works full time, is a wife and a mom and was going to school 3 nights a week. It makes me tired just thinking about it! She drove from St. Joe MI to Kalamazoo MI for many of her classes too! A year and a half ago, even with all that was already on her plate, her son Trey had open heart surgery. She's been through a lot to get where she is today!

I shed quite a few tears at Commencement today. Tears of joy, tears of pride, and bittersweet tears that someone was missing from this monumental celebration. When they asked for the parents of the graduates to stand up, my Mom stood up. Something was wrong with this picture. Dad should have been standing up with her, but he wasn't. Anyone who has lost a loved one knows that these waves of emotion, feelings of loss and heart ache, come and go. As time goes on (it's been 9 1/2 years already!) those times get fewer and farther between, but they never go away. Loved ones are never forgotten, especially on monumental days such as today. I know it's natural and human for me to have these feelings. It's ok! Dad would have been so proud of Pam and all that she has accomplished. I know how proud he was to see me graduate!

The truth is, death is not natural. God never intended for things to be this way. I'm so glad He chose to send His only son so that one day we will all be reunited in heaven and will never again have these "waves" of heart ache and grief for someone who is missing from the picture.

Congratulations Pam! :) I'm proud of you and I know Dad would have been so proud of you too!

Randomness by J-La

2009-04-24T23:55:00.006-04:00

I've been blogging for 11 months now!
My Sister Pam is graduating from Western Michigan University tomorrow! I'm so proud of her! She went back and finished College while working Full Time and being a Wife and a Mom!
I haven't felt good all week. It all started on Sunday evening. I even took Wednesday off to rest up. This is mostly why I haven't blogged this week. Hopefully I'm on the upswing!
I had more lab work done this week. I haven't heard anything yet in regards to the results. I'm still a medical mystery! :)
I'm looking forward to rescheduling with Jen. We were going to go to "Red Robin" on it's opening day on Monday, but I had to cancel because I was sick.
Work was more tiring than usual this week due to learning a new way of doing things. Change is good, but it is change and it does take time to learn new things! I get nervous about production, but I'll get there, it just takes time.
My allergies are acting up.
I want to lose weight and have been walking more as the weather gets nicer.
I LOVE my new MERRELLS! So Comfy! :)
Sister Debbie is 12 weeks along with my littlest nephew/niece! She is due November 4th! :) It would be cool if the baby were born on November 3rd, which was Dad's B-day.
Mom is still doing chemo. She had another round on Thursday. She'll have another one in 2 weeks and then there will be an MRI to see if the cancer is has shrunk/is gone...basically to see if the chemo worked. For her sake, I pray it did!
A friend of mine was laid off from her job today. She is a single Mom. This saddens me, but I know God has great things in store for her. I'm thankful to have a job.
I get motion sickness. I picked up Dramamine tonight for the ride to Kalamazoo w/ the fam tomorrow for Pam's graduation. The older I get the worse it gets. I'm so used to driving that when I don't drive, I experience motion sickness. YEAH Dramamine!
My Godson and Nephew will be confirmed in May. I can't believe he's 14 1/2! I still remember the day he was born!
I'm tired and signing off now. Tomorrow will be a long but happy day! :)
More later...

My New Walking Shoes...One Step Closer

2009-04-18T23:10:00.000-04:00

I had my appointment with my new Internal Medicine Dr. on Friday morning. I was there for an hour & a half and had an EKG done. It's a standard procedure for all of their new patients. I hate to see how much the bill will be for that appointment! I still don't have answers regarding the fatigue and feet/ankle swelling, but hopefully I am one step closer to getting answers! The next round of tests are to find out if my liver and kidneys are functioning properly. When the Dr. was examining me I felt pain near the bottom of my ribs. The Dr. said that was my gallbladder. He said gallbladder issues wouldn't cause ankle swelling though. I wonder if the meds I have been on long term are ultimately hurting my liver/kidneys? We shall see. One of the diagnoses by the Dr. is that I'm overweight. I guess I've been in denial. He wants me to exercise more, which is really hard to do when I can't fit into tennis shoes. The tops of my feet are so swollen I can't fit into normal shoes. So, I bought a new pair of shoes (pic above) at The Walking Company today. These should work both now and when/if my feel/ankle swelling goes down, and they were on sale! :) I just want to feel "normal" again..whatever that is. The good news is that I'm not dying! :) I'm alive and kicking and am determined to one day not be diagnosed as being "overweight"! :) One thing at a time Jen, one thing at a time!

Mishawaka Has A New Barnes & Noble!

2009-04-16T23:34:00.003-04:00

Mishawaka has had a Barnes & Noble for a long time, but about a week ago the old one closed and the new one opened up. The new one is attached to the Mall. This is the largest and coolest Barnes & Noble I have ever seen and I've been in many B&N's in the big cities! I never thought South Bend would have a B&N this big! It has a large fireplace and even has an extra big study area, which I believe is geared toward Notre Dame students. I just had to take pics of the pictures on the walls in that study area to show you all. All of you local peeps should check it out soon! Come on you out of towners, I know you want to come visit me just so you can experience the new Barnes & Noble Mishawaka has to offer! :) Enjoy the pics!

Birthday Celebration!

2009-04-15T21:54:00.003-04:00

Today isn't just tax day, more importantly, it's Mary's Birthday! :) We had a great time hanging out at Hacienda tonight. Their margarita's were on special for $1.00. Can't beat that!

I've known Mary for almost 2 years now and we both agree that we are SO much alike! I'm so blessed that God sent her into my life!

I love you Mary!

My Redeemer Lives! :)

2009-04-12T12:59:00.000-04:00

He lives and grants me daily breath.

He lives and I shall conquer death.

He lives my mansion to prepare.

He lives to bring me safely there!

Oh the sweet joy this sentence gives,

I know that my Redeemer lives!

I just want to wish all of my readers a very Blessed Easter!

Words Have Power

2009-04-12T12:53:00.001-04:00

This past Wednesday I had my second Mammogram. I had my first one at age 30 because of my Mom's history with breast cancer. They really aren't that bad. It's just uncomfortable. But, it's quick and it saves lives! My Mom has battled cancer off and on for over 9 years. She was first diagnosed with breast Cancer in February of 2000. She is a fighter! :) Anyways, Thursday I received a Voice Mail message from my Dr.'s office informing me my Mammogram results were back and that I should call them as soon as possible. Now what would the normal person deduct from hearing those "as soon as possible" words? I was anxious for over an hour and a half. I called them back and the office was closed for lunch. I called my Mom and even she said, they might see something and want you to have another Mammogram. Maybe they did it wrong the first time. I finally was able to get a hold of them. I did not speak with the person who left the VM Message. I was told everything was fine and that I should come back next year. Phew!

I told the lady that had I received a message that said my results were in and I could call them back at my convenience, I wouldn't have reacted the way that I did. Was it really necessary to leave that VM Message for me to say "call as soon as possible". That would be a negative! Did it put things in to perspective for me in regards to my swollen ankles? Absolutely! My Mom's strength in dealing with these phone calls on a regular basis, absolutely amazes me.

Ladies, if you are 30-35 and your Mom or sister has a history of breast cancer, please get a Mammogram ASAP if you haven't. If you are 40 or older and have no history of breast cancer, please get a Mammogram ASAP, it could save your life! :)

Good Friday - Amazing Grace

2009-04-11T01:49:00.000-04:00

Please Help to Bring Anya Home!

2009-04-04T23:21:00.003-04:00

My friend Kathy and her husband Marty are the pre-adoptive parents to an adorable 6 year old little girl named Anya. They have been trying to bring her home from Irkutsk for going on 5 years! Their love and determination for this little girl is amazing! It's heart wrenching for me to know they are going through this, so I honestly can't imagine all of the emotions they have been dealing with. Kathy is a Wardrobe Coach, Personal Shopper, and Fashion Expert for WSBT news. Kathy's friend designed and made the necklace pictured above. I purchased this to help bring Anya home, and now I feel even more connected to this family and this wonderful cause. It's a beautiful necklace, and here is a beautiful description of what the pieces of the necklace represent:

The Pearl in this piece represents Truth, a pearl is the stone of Truth. Throughout this ordeal, Marty and Kathy have continued to believe in the TRUTH - which is that Anya was not put on this earth to be left an orphan. The TRUTH is that God loves her too much to leave her without a family.

The little silver bead represents the Strength of platinum. Marty and Kathy's strong resolve, and strong faith to bring Anya home.

The teardrop in the center represents the many tears shed over making Anya wait to come home...it also represents tears of Joy for the end of this story.Finally, the links in the chain represent all the prayers and love that have been protecting Anya since 2004.

Even just reading this description makes me all sappy.

To read more about Kathy and Marty's fight to bring Anya home and to purchase a necklace, you can go here. Whether you decide to purchase a necklace or not, the Friend's would appreciate your prayers as they near the end of this long journey. They are currently awaiting a court date in Irkutsk.

Thank you! :)

Blog Labels

2009-04-04T13:35:00.003-04:00

FYI - I just recently started labeling my blog posts by topic. I went back today and labeled some of my older posts. You can view the topics at the bottom right hand side of my blog. Keep in mind that I have not labeled all of my blog posts yet, but hope to do so soon.

Lower Extremity Edema

2009-04-03T23:33:00.013-04:00

Ok, so I know my feet are not attractive to begin with, in fact, they are the least favorite part of my body. However, I am blessed to have them. They get me where I need to go! :) These pics give you an idea of the symptoms I have been experiencing. The proper medical term for this is "Lower Extremity Edema". What is causing the lower extremity edema? This is the Million Dollar Question! :) I've been dealing with these swollen feet/ankles for well over 6 weeks. Five weeks ago when I first went to the Dr. he (as a good Dr. should) had me get a chest x-ray and tons of blood work done. $995.00 worth of tests to be exact! Thank God for health insurance..and I seriously mean that! The good news is that

everything came back normal. So, the Dr. gave me a water pill and I was good to go..or so I thought! The water pill did work for 2 weeks, if that, and then the extreme swelling came back. So, this past Wednesday I went back to the Dr. I also showed him the pictures I had taken. He said my pictures serve as good documentation! He was completely baffled as to what's causing this. I'm thankful he admitted that he didn't know what else to do. He said if I were 80, he would think it was a symptom of congestive heart failure, but he said I'm a healthy 35 year old woman. He also said it's strange that this is happening in both of my feet/ankles. My Dr. referred me to an Internal Medicine Dr. My first appointment with the IM Dr. will be on April 17th. So I have 2 more weeks to wait. I told my Dr. the first time that I am a Medical Mystery! :) I think he believes me now! LOL Please don't ask me if I have too much salt in my diet! That will make me want to scream! Trust me, I've heard it all! I know people mean well, but seriously..do these feet/ankles look "normal" to you??? My Dr. assured me that this is more than just too much salt intake! So, I'll just have to be patient and hope and pray that I will get some answers in the next month or so. All I know is that I can only wear the same 2 pairs of shoes, and that I am extremely fatigued. I would appreciate your prayers over the next few weeks that the IM Dr. can get to the root cause of the problem, and that hopefully someday soon, I will be able to see that I do in fact have ankles! :) Thank you! :)

Who's Out There?

2009-03-31T23:53:00.002-04:00

I've been blogging for 10 months now & I know I have a few faithful followers. I'm just curious to know how many people follow this blog, and who you are. Please leave a comment with your name, location and what you like about this blog (optional). I would love to hear from you even if this is your first time here. If you don't have a google/blogger account, you can use Anonymous and just type in your info in the comment section. Thanks for following my blog! :)

Another Dunkin Donuts "Date"!

2009-03-29T23:03:00.000-04:00

It must be a Saturday thing! :) A week ago Saturday I was at Dunkin Donuts with my niece Lexi in Milwaukee, and this past Saturday I was at Dunkin Donuts in Goshen with Jennifer. I must say I had so much fun on Saturday! Jen is a very fun person, but I think this is one of the most fun times that we have shared together! While at Dunkin Donuts, we had a great discussion, including meditating on various scripture verses, while sipping blueberry coffee (which tasted even better at the Goshen location!). Then we went to see Jen's boyfriend's choir perform. They got a "gold"! :) After that we went to Concord Mall where we ate at Enzo's Pizza and walked around the Mall. Jen had the pleasure of seeing a tattoo of dough on one of the worker's arms. You'd have to be there to understand, or keep an eye out on Jen's blog and maybe she'll tell you about it. She can tell it the best because I was already sitting down when she was having this very peculiar conversation. We had lots of laughs about it! :) Thanks Jen! I look forward to more fun times with you in the future!

Who I am in Christ

2009-03-28T00:24:00.000-04:00

Understanding your identity in Christ is absolutely essential for your success at living a victorious Christian life!

Dr. Neil T. Anderson

God is doing AMAZING things in my life this week! My friend and roommate Alaina has been suggesting for a few months now that I meet with her Pastor to talk about filling my mind with the truth. You see, I knew I was telling myself (allowing Satan to tell me) lies and believing them, but I didn't know how to stop that. You see, I wasn't filling my mind with the truth of God's Word enough to combat those lies. In many ways I am a baby Christian. For those of you who have known me for a very long time, I can hear you saying, "What? You have been a Christian your whole life, why are you saying you're a baby Christian?" Well, I say that because it's only been in the past few years that I have started to understand what a "relationship" with Christ is and how important it is in life. Life is not meant to just get through until we get to heaven. In Christ, we can live a victorious and joy-filled life. Because it has only been over the past few years that I have realized this, I am a baby Christian in that I never really "had a relationship" with God. Sure, I went to Church, I prayed, and I know more Bible Verses and more information about doctrine/theology than a lot of people do. For this, I am extremely thankful. I was raised in a God-fearing home and I have all of the tools I need to fight this battlefield of the mind. However, I didn't know who I was in Christ. I didn't let it sink in that God loves me unconditionally, regardless of if I go to Church or not, regardless of if I mess up, regardless of the good things I try (but often fail) to do. The King of heaven and earth wants a relationship with me. He wants me to talk to him throughout my day about anything and everything. He wants me to see him as being approachable. He doesn't want me to look at him like a mean father who has ruler to slap my hand whenever I mess up. He wants me to be free in Him. I think meeting with Pastor A. on Tuesday really instilled these truths into me even more. I don't have to hold on to my past of being afraid of God, but I can move forward and take all of the energy I spend looking back at my past, and use that energy to move into a deep relationship with the one who thought I was worth the death of His Son. I am thankful for Alaina and Pastor A. who introduced me to "Freedom In Christ Ministries" by Dr. Neil T. Anderson. This Ministry shows you Satan's Lies and God's truths. Here are some of them:

Satan's Lie - You are a sinner because you sin.

God's Truth - You are a saint (one declared righteous by God) who sins.

Satan's Lie - Your identity comes from what you have done.

God's Truth - Your identity comes from what God has done for you.

Satan's Lie - Your identity comes from what people say about you.

God's Truth - Your identity comes from what God says about you.

Satan's Lie - Your behavior tells you what to believe about yourself.

God's truth - Your belief about yourself determines your behavior.

Here are some bible verses and truths about who I (we) am (are) in Christ. These are the ones that really hit home and have started to sink into my heart.

Col 2:10 - I am complete in Christ!

Ehp 1:1 - I am a saint!

Jn 1:12 - I am God's Child!

Jn 15:15 - I am Christ's Friend!

Rom 8:1-2 - I am free forever from condemnation!

2 Cor 6:1 - I am God's co-worker!

Eph 3:12 - I may approach God with freedom and confidence!

I Jn 5:18 - I am born of God, the evil one cannot touch me!

I challenge you to look up these Bible Verses. I looked them all up, because when I read some of them, I was like "really?". Seriously check it out! They are in the Bible!

My "Date" at Dunkin Donuts!

2009-03-23T23:29:00.001-04:00

This one's for you JJ! Saturday night my Niece Lexi and I went on a date in Downtown Milwaukee. First we went thru a car wash, then we drove down to the Milwaukee Lake Front where she took a lot of pictures (hmm she must take after her Aunt Jenny)! Then we went to Dunkin Donuts because I wanted to try DD's Blueberry coffee which my friend JJ loves! It was delicious! Lexi didn't want anything because she wanted to get ice cream later. We then walked around downtown and the went to McDonalds to end the evening with ice cream! We got home an hour before the rest of the family and just hung out and watched TV. All I remember is some show called "Phineus and Ferb"! It was so great bonding with Lexi! I think she's coming out of her shell! Friday I was going to stay with the rest of the kids while her Mom walked her to School. Lexi was upset that I wasn't walking her to School. Lexi doesn't show a whole lot of emotion so I didn't think it mattered to her. Once I knew it mattered, we decided Debbie would stay with the kids and I would walk Lexi to School. Have I mentioned I love being "Aunt Jenny"!? :)

My 6 Year Old Niece is So Creative!

2009-03-23T23:10:00.000-04:00

Lexi gave this to me on Sunday after we went on a "date" on Saturday evening. It was great spending one on one time with her. My first niece is growing up fast! She is such a sweetheart and a creative one at that! :)

One Year Ago Today.....

2009-03-17T23:58:00.000-04:00

I started my career at Liberty Mutual. I love how this Company acknowledges Anniversaries with a balloon bouquet! It made me feel special. I mean I already know I am special because God said so, but it's nice to feel appreciated! The weather was PERFECT today, so I took a pic of the building on one of my breaks. I'm loving the clear blue skies! :) You can go here to see my recent accomplishments at work. I look forward to achieving more of my goals in the upcoming year!

Red Flags in Dating

2009-03-16T23:57:00.002-04:00

On your first date he takes you to a pet store at the mall and tells you he wants to get a German Sheppard and train it to attack people.

On your first date he uses a coupon to get your dinner for free and still divides up the bill and expects you to pay over half of that amount.

The day after he tells you he loves you, he tells you he would take his ex-wife back in a heartbeat if she wanted him back.

After dating for approximately 3 months, he takes you out to dinner, holds your hand, then takes you home only to break up with you at the end of the evening...mixed messages.

He only wants to see you once every 5 weeks even though you are willing to take turns with driving (long distance) to see each other.

He refuses to spend any money, even just for his own cup of coffee , so that you can actually go on a date once a week, during the 2nd/3rd months of dating.

If you are always the one driving to see him and he never drives to see you.

He tells you to get the f*** out of his house and never apologizes on the phone or in person.

He later tells you he feels liberated having kicked Satan out of his house. (If he calls you Satan, this is the biggest red flag of all!)

These are all real experiences that I have had in the dating world. There are probably many more, but these are the major Red Flag ones that stick out in my mind. I hope you get a few laughs from these. I've lived and learned! :)

Sun Filled Day! :)

2009-03-15T22:42:00.003-04:00

Today was a gorgeous SUNNY day! :) I went for an hour and 20 minute walk down by the River. I couldn't get through the walkway on both sides of the River due to flooding, but I found an alternate route to get where I wanted to go. The fourth pic shows the most flooding. That was taken at Beutter Park and you used to be able to walk through those walk-ways and see small waterfalls...as you can see it's totally flooded now. I love the new bridge with the arch! Now there are two different parts of my walk that I can cross over the River on a Bridge! See the condos in the 3rd pic (front of condos) and the last pic (back of condos)? I would love to own one of those someday. This gives me even more incentive to get my financial plan together. I want to control my money and not let it control me. I just soaked up all the sun I could get today. I couldn't have asked for better weather. God is good! :) Enjoy the pics below and I hope everyone gets to catch some rays this week! It sounds like we are in for an awesome few more days of warm/sunny weather! :)

I Did It!!!

2009-03-13T00:48:00.000-04:00

There have been so many positive things in my professional life lately that I just had to share with my readers! Many of you know that it has been quite challenging for me to meet the production requirements at work. I've let it stress me out on more than a few occasions, and that is an understatement! Well, here are a list of the positive things I have achieved at work lately:

I received a raise! It was small, but hey, many people don't even have jobs..I am so blessed!

I received a bonus check today! You had to be given a certain rating or above at your annual review and I did and therefore earned my bonus check!

Last month I scored 100% on ALL 12 of my Audits for Quality!

Last month I had an overall production of 4.45 claims per hour. The required production is 4.5. January I averaged 4.17 claims per hour, so I made a lot of progress from Jan to Feb! God answered my prayers!

I have been consistently hitting/exceeding the 4.5 claims per hour this month!

Even with all of the demands and my anxiety because of those demands, I will have successfully completed a full year of employment at LM (without getting written up for anything---this is an achievement in and of itself at LM because there are so many things they keep track of) in just a few days! March 17th is my 1 Year Anniversary!

I have 13.6 days of time off in the bank right now and I just took a week off at the end of January! :) If you are sick you use these too, but I don't like to call in because they deduct 10 pts from your 50 pts every time you call off. If I don't take any days off between now and July 1, I'll have 19.6 days to take by then, but I'm sure I'll need a day or two off before then.

I <3 Daylight Savings Time!!!!!!!

2009-03-09T23:19:00.001-04:00

I absolutely LOVE Daylight Savings Time! Today was the 1st day since last Fall that I walked out of work at 7:15pm and saw daylight! :) Spring is in the air and I feel it! :) This is seriously a National Holiday for me! Gone are the SAD, dark, dreary days of of Fall/Winter, and here are the happy, bright times of Spring & Summer! I have so much more energy during the Spring & Summer. Last evening Jennifer and I decided to meet up at Five Guys for dinner tonight. As I walked out of work this evening and saw that it was still light out, I thought to myself "Jen & I can celebrate daylight savings time tonight!" I got so excited! So we did meet at Five Guys and ended up catching up on things for 2 hours! It was funny because Jen was not happy about daylight savings time, and many people aren't, but she was happy that I put a positive spin on it with my enthusiasm for this "National Holiday" of mine! :) So for all of you out there who are feeling the effects of losing that hour of sleep, I hope you catch up on that hour soon! I for one LOVE this time of year and plan to do the best I can do enjoy the daylight while I have it! :) Bring on the sunshine! Happy Daylight Savings Time everyone! :)

I Have A Fear of Growing Old Alone

2009-03-06T00:21:00.001-05:00

Wow! I so found this article at the perfect time! It's another God thing! I found it on the purposefulsingleness.org website. I can totally relate to the story below. It so describes many of my thoughts and feelings both past and present! Like Jeannie in the story below, I recently turned 35. Unlike, I don't lose sleep over this particular issue, but facing life alone is hard! I have a fear of growing old alone. I'll be the first to admit I have TONS of friends and MANY close friends but it's not the same as having someone to consistently rely on and make decisions with. God knows my fears and He wants me to cling to him. I have a lot to chew on after reading the article below! I hope this article can be a source of encouragement to other singles who may be reading this blog! God Bless! :)

Delivered From All My Fears
By Fern Horst

Jeannie found herself staring at the digital numbers on her alarm clock once again. The luminous red lines forming the numbers which indicated it was three in the morning looked all too familiar. It seemed that her fears had no respect for her need for sleep, or the fact that in a few short hours she would be needing to face another stressful day at work.

"Why can't I shake this feeling?" Jeannie sighed, as she tried settling herself into a different position for the seemingly hundredth time that night. But try as she might to stop them, the same thoughts paraded themselves repeatedly through her still wide-awake mind.

Jeannie had recently turned 35. Her life wasn't what she'd anticipated it would be at this point in her life. She'd recently experienced the shattered dreams of a relationship she'd thought was finally "the one". She felt close to her family, but they all lived several hours away. In spite of having many friends and finding herself busily involved in one social event after another throughout her twenties, all but one of those friends had married and were now busy raising families. Her job kept her busy but wasn't all that interesting or challenging. Last, but certainly not least, the church she was attending just didn't seem to have a clue about what her life was like as a single person.

But far worse than all these factors in her life was the fear that seemed to be gripping her lately. She just couldn't seem to shake it. It was a fear that this alone feeling would only get worse; after all, she'd never expected it to last this long.

Jeannie is a fictional character, but she certainly isn't unusual, even though she feels like no one else in all the world is experiencing life like she is. In all reality, many are gripped with similar circumstances and with a similar fear. Their circumstances may be a bit different: perhaps they are divorced or widowed; they may be raising children alone, or feeling burdened with paying child support as a result of a divorce they'd never chosen. They may be older, or younger. They may be male instead of female. Their fears may be a little different, but they revolve around the fact that they are alone. Many different fears can grip those who face life without a partner:

fear of physical harm and danger
fear of commitment in any kind of relationship, or to a church, because of an underlying fear of being hurt, misunderstood, and rejected
fear of lack of finances or job stability
fear of handling the responsibilities for a home, job, children, aging parents, and so on without someone to help bear the burden
fear of making decisions without input and support from someone else
Many, many singles learn to face these fears with the Lord's help, and to successfully handle life alone. On the other side of these fears they become strong, confident and vivacious people, having much to contribute to the lives of those around them. I know numerous such individuals who are a constant blessing and inspiration to everyone who knows them. But the process of getting there can be terrifying for many, and may cause many sleepless nights as Jeannie experienced.

Most of these fears stem from the fact that most people don't expect to face life alone. Sometimes it is a gradual realization (friends marry one by one), or a sudden one (a spouse dies or leaves, or a friendship changes or ends). As it becomes more and more evident that, for at least a period of unknown time, life will not be as had been anticipated, one needs to adjust his or her approach for living it. Each person will work this out a bit differently based on their personality, preferences and circumstances. Some will learn to live alone and enjoy it, others will find a housemate or two. Some will settle into a group of friends who become like family, others will get more involved in their churches, or in their extended families.

But, you may be asking, at the moment when I find myself gripped with fear, what do I do? Moving beyond fear is not easy, but it is possible; furthermore, it is necessary in order to live the purposeful, productive, and abundant lives God has intended for us. There are several steps to take:

First, define the actual fear. Is what you are fearing something which is still many years down the road, such as growing old alone? Is it something which is highly unlikely, such as being homeless or jobless or deathly ill and no one caring at all? Is it something seemingly insignificant but at the same time terrifying, like not having someone to be with on a weekend night, or finding a mouse in your house, or being alone in a thunderstorm in the middle of the night?

Some fears are over events that may not happen for many years. Realize that many things could change in the meantime, including your perspective of them, the people who may be in your life that aren't now, and so on. Many people mistakenly think that having children will guarantee they'll never be alone in their old age, but that is not necessarily the case. The only guarantee and security anyone has for the future is the Lord, and when we have a relationship with Him, we can rest in His assurance that He will never leave us nor forsake us. The Bible reminds us to not covet the "security" someone else may have, but to rely solely on Him and His promises: "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Heb. 13:5).

The fears of events which will occur today or in the near future also need to be put into perspective. Not having someone to be with on a Saturday night may not be your first preference, but it gives the opportunity to learn to enjoy certain activities you wouldn't otherwise: a cozy evening with a good book and a hot cup of tea; a drive in the country with the windows rolled down, talking with the Lord all the while; or tackling a new project or hobby.

Secondly, look the fear straight in the face. What is the worst thing that could happen if your fear came true? If it does happen, what is a course of action you could take? Who could you turn to if you were truly desperate? Is your relationship with the Lord strong enough that you can turn to Him in times of need?

Having a plan in case the worst of your fears comes true helps to dissipate the fear itself, as does defining those people in your life who truly do care about you, even though you may be currently out of touch with them. Sometimes these kinds of fears can motivate people to reconnect with family members or with an old friend. They may also be motivators to establish new friendships and to become involved in other people's lives. Fears often help people to realize that their relationship with the Lord is lacking, and that they don't know how to turn to Him in a crisis. If you find that this is the case for yourself, start right now by picking up your Bible and learning how to talk with your Heavenly Father about anything and everything. This, too, is a process, but a much-needed one.

Another way to look fear in the face is to tell someone else about it — preferably someone who will also continue to pray for you and with you until that fear is conquered.

Third, recognize other factors which may be contributing to your fears. If you find that fear grips you most strongly at night, remember this: Don't listen to your fears in the middle of the night! This is the time of day when life's problems seem bigger and scarier than they actually are. Realizing that you are most likely perceiving them out of proportion to reality may help you to lay them aside for the night while you get some sleep. Be in tune with other things which may be causing fears to run rampant. For ladies this may very well be caused by their monthly cycles. Other contributing factors can be the weather, the season of the year, and simply being hungry, tired, stressed, etc. A good night's sleep, regular exercise, and eating nutritiously can contribute much to our general sense of well-being.

Finally, know what God's Word says about fear. Knowing the Lord and His Word is the number one ammunition against fear. If we have a relationship with the God of the universe through His Son, Jesus Christ, we are truly never alone nor without aid. Reading, memorizing, and meditating on Scripture passages will give you an anchor to turn to when you find yourself in fear's grip. Start with such passages as Psalm 23, 34, 91, and Romans 8. Eventually you will be able to say with the Psalmist, "I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears" (Psa. 34:4).

© 2001 Fern Horst

What Cancer Cannot Do!

2009-03-04T22:41:00.006-05:00

What Cancer Cannot Do
Cancer Cannot Shatter Hope

It Cannot Corrode Faith

It Cannot Eat Away Peace

It Cannot Destroy Confidence

It Cannot Kill Friendships

It Cannot Shut Out Memories

It Cannot Silence Courage

It Cannot Invade the Soul

It Cannot Reduce Eternal Life

It Cannot Quench the Spirit

It Cannot Lessen the Power of Resurrection

I just found out my Mom's cancer has returned. She has battled it off and on for the past 9 years since my Dad passed away. By the Grace of God, she was in remission this whole past year. Her blood counts were low and the full body MRI showed a cancerous lump between her hip joint & muscle. It is considered to be stage 3 cancer primarily because of how many times she has had cancer return in the past.

Please keep my Mom, Sue in your prayers. She has been through a lot! She also has lupus, which makes treatment options more difficult. But she is a very very strong woman and will fight this with all she has. God has worked miracles in the past, and I trust that He can work miracles again in this situation! :)

Thanks for your prayers! :)

I love you Mom!

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though it's waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Psalm 46:1-3

Song of the Day - Lose My Soul by Toby Mac

2009-03-02T00:36:00.000-05:00

Father God, I am clay in your hands
Help me to stay that way through all life's demands
'Cause they chip and they nag and they pull at me
And every little thing I make up my mind to be
Like I'm gonna be a daddy whose in the mix
And I'm gonna be a husband who stays legit
And I pray that I'm an artist who rises above the road that is wide and filled with self love
Everything that I see draws me
Though its only in You that I can truly see that its a feast for the eyes - a low blow to purpose
And I'm a little kid at a three ring circus

I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul
Don't wanna walk away let me hear the people say
I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul
Don't wanna walk away let me hear the people say

The paparazzi flashes and that they think that it's you
But they don't know that who you are is not what you do
True, we get it twisted when we peak at the charts
Yo before we part from the start where's your heart?
You're a pimp, hustler?
Tell me what's your title
America has no more stars now we call them idols
You sit idle
While we teach prosperity
The first thing to prosper should be inside of me
We're free �
Not because of 22's the a range
But Christ came in range we said yes now we changed
Not the same even though I made a fall
Since I got that call no more Saul now I'm Paul

How do I sense the tide that's rising?
De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity
How do I sense the tide that's rising?
It's hypnotizing me from living in light of eternity

Jen's 30th Birthday Party!

2009-02-28T23:38:00.003-05:00

I had a great time tonight at my friend Jen's 30th Birthday party! It was held at a coffee shop downtown and the whole place was rented out for us! I had a lot of fun! I love the flowers they decorated with! Jen came up with an awesome idea! They brought props and we each had to dress up with as many of the props as we wanted to, and have our picture taken. They then printed out the pic and we each created our own page with a message for Jennifer. As you can see, I had fun doing it! It was a great escape from my week. I assured Jen her 30's may very well be her best years yet! I'm half way through mine, and so far that has proven to be the case for me. It was fun to catch up with so many of her friends who I had met last year when we went out to dinner for her birthday. A year sure flies by fast! Happy Birthday Jen! Thanks for including me in your celebration! :)

Good News & Unanswered Questions

2009-02-28T11:44:00.004-05:00

Well, I met with my Dr. on Friday AM and all of the tests he ran came back fine. No problems! He tested for everything from Lupus & Rheumatoid Arthritis to Diabetes, etc. My sodium levels were even fine. This is great news! So why am I still frustrated? I'm still frustrated because there are still no answers as to why my feet/ankles have been swelling so much that I can't even wear my regular shoes. There's also no explanation for my fatigue or shortness of breath. The Dr. did prescribe a pill that is used for high blood pressure (which I don't have) and is also used to reduce water retention. I started taking that yesterday, so we shall see. As far as the joint pain in my knees, the Dr. said it isn't normal for a 35 yr old, but it is normal for a 35 yr old who has a desk job and isn't very active. I'll admit I have not been physically active this winter. Summer, Spring & Fall I'm a walking queen, but winter...not so much. So he wants me to exercise 3 times a week and take the water pill and see if I feel better. If my breathing isn't better in a few weeks, I'm going to ask him for some type of an inhaler as I do have mild asthma. Hopefully the water pills will kick into gear soon! So, that's the deal. Like I said this is at the least the 3rd time this has happened. I'm happy I'm healthy! I just wish there was an explanation for my symptoms. But, God never promised we would get all of the answers in this life, so I entrust my health to his care! Thanks for all of your support, concern, thoughts & prayers! I have the best family & friends ever! I am very blessed! :)

This is Comical!

2009-02-27T02:01:00.000-05:00

I'm A Medical Mystery!

2009-02-26T23:56:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers! It's been a very long week! Most of my blog readers know that I have had some health issues this past week. Last week my feet/ankles started to swell severely. Then on Saturday I was having shortness of breath. These symptoms have continued and still continue to be an issue, along with extreme fatigue. This is at LEAST the 3rd time I have had these "mysterious" episodes. Approx 3-4 years ago I was even sent to a Rheumatologist. My Dad passed away 9 years ago due to Lupus complications and my Mom has Lupus. The Rheumatologist ran numerous tests for Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc, and didn't find anything. There was no explanation for my symptoms. So Monday (3 days ago) AM I went to the Dr. because of the swollen feet/ankles & shortness of breath. The Dr. told me to go have a chest x-ray & blood work done. I went and got these items taken care of on Tuesday AM. Tuesday evening I started having pain/tenderness on the right side of my chest. I called the Dr. on Wednesday morning and he said he didn't have any suggestions because he needed to see what the test results were first.

The Dr.'s office called me shortly after 8:00AM today to let me know the chest x-ray came back. The good news is that my heart & lungs are fine! :) The frustrating news is that there again seems to be no cause for my symptoms. The Dr.'s office called me back about an hour later to let me know the test results for the blood work came back and the Dr. wanted to meet with me to discuss the results. I asked the nurse if there was anything I should be concerned about. She said as far as she could tell there wasn't, but sometimes the Dr. keeps some of the results in his office. So, I will see what the Dr. says tomorrow at my 9:15am Appt. Please say a prayer that he can get to the root of my problems. I seriously think the Dr. would begin to think it's all in my head had he not seen my swollen feet/ankles. Anyone who has seen them can tell it's definitely not normal! I have insomnia. I even took a prescribed sleep aid and still can't sleep! I'm blessed to have the 11:00am-7:15pm shift because if I worked 8-5 it would be nearly impossible to have Appts 4 out of 5 days in a week! This way I do what I need to do in the AM and then go to work. I'm exhausted though...physically and emotionally. I didn't meet production at work 2 out of the past 4 days. Mostly because I'm seriously exhausted and just feel like sleeping, and I'm wondering what's wrong with me. I just want to get to the bottom of this. I'm blessed to have found this Dr. and thank my roommate for suggesting him when I was looking for a Dr. in the area. He seems to want to get to the bottom of this too. In the past the Dr.'s would just call me and tell me the tests came back fine and then they would stop trying to find the root of the problem.

I was reading in my One Year Bible yesterday and read these words from Psalm 41: "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in time of trouble. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness." Isn't it amazing how God leads us to the portions of scripture at just the right time we need to read them?! :) Thanks again for your prayers! I'll keep you posted. God Bless! :)

Powerful Quotes!

2009-02-23T23:43:00.004-05:00

The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That's the day we truly grow up.
John Maxwell

A friend is able to see you as the wonderful person God created you to be.
Ann D. Parrish

The dearest friend on earth is a mere shadow compared to Jesus Christ.
Oswald Chambers

Our attitude can turn our problems into blessings.
John Maxwell

Sometimes the only way God can protect us from the romantic equivalent of driving off a cliff is by bringing about the breakup of a relationship that we cherish. Only with time and hindsight do we appreciate the wisdom of his action.
M. Blaine Smith

Are You Living Your Life On Hold?

2009-02-22T12:43:00.002-05:00

Here is part of an Article I read today. The Author's name is at the end of the Article. I think many of us, married or single tend to live our lives on hold; "I'll be happy when (fill in the blank)". Although I do live my life and don't sit around and wait for a mate in order to live my life and do the things I want to do, I have to admit that in many ways, I do/have put my life on hold. Like all of us, I tend to go in phases. I'll be happy & fine being single and then after a break-up I go through a period of wanting to be married so bad that it consumes my thoughts. I'm on my way back up from being in that valley, and I look forward to the blessings God has for my future, whether single or married. He knows what's best for me!

This Article is very thought provoking and I hope you enjoy it! :)

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Embrace The Season!!

If you keep doing what you’re doing today, where will you be ten years from now? As singles, there is a tendency to put life on hold, waiting for that day you finally walk the aisle, when that ring goes on your finger, when you say, “I do.” Then, you think, life will truly begin.

Your desire to marry is very natural and normal. In many ways I believe God made us this way. But what are you doing today? Embrace every moment you have—now.

Life is full of wonderful and terrific opportunities beyond your wildest dreams. Don’t stop dreaming. Don’t stop seeking God for His divine appointments. Live life with moments that take your breath away. Don’t live your life “on hold.”

Stop and enjoy a beautiful sunset, the ocean, the mountains, the moon, the stars, a rainbow. Embrace the Creator of the universe. Embrace the beauty of His creation, His magnitude, His greatness, His love. Embrace life, knowing God has a plan even when you don’t always understand it or see it. Embrace His Word when life doesn’t make sense.

God says He has a plan, a plan to prosper you and not to harm you, a plan to give you a hope and a future. Call upon Him and pray. Seek Him with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13). Don’t lose heart! Keep believing God no matter what disappointments come. Have you had another relationship fall apart? I understand. Press on!

When life is frustrating, He remains faithful. When you’re tired of waiting, He remains constant. When you’re sick and tired of being single, embrace your freedom.

Exercise when you like.
Go on a vacation when you like.
Change the thermostat how you like.
Invite friends over when you like.
Watch the programs you like.
Change the channels when you like.
Spend your money how you like (according to God’s principles).
Go to the movies you like (according to God’s standards).
Eat the food you like. (Keep it healthy.)
Dress the way you like. (Keep it wholesome.)
Go to bed when you like. (Keeping it healthy.)
Go to the church you like (by God’s direction).
Work in the ministry you like (by God’s direction).

If you marry, the above list may dramatically change. Your freedom changes to a commitment to another. Your desire is to please your mate. Marriage would add a wonderful new set of things you may be able to do, but don’t forget the things you would lose.

Today can you embrace your singleness? Consider all the wonderful opportunities you’ve been given. Live it, love it, enjoy it, and embrace it!

May God fill you with His great joy! Embrace the moment!

“You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

—Psalm 16:11
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Kathleen Hardaway is an author and speaker with a passion to encourage and equip women to be all that God calls them to be. She exhorts women to never give up, dream big, and live the life God created them to live.

God Above All My Hopes & Fears!

2009-02-21T23:25:00.002-05:00

This song is AMAZING! :)

Here are the lyrics for the beginning of the song:

God above all the world in motion
God above all my hopes and fears
I don't care what the world throws at me now
It's gonna be alright

No matter what happens in our lives, it WILL be alright! God is greater than our hopes and fears! :)

: Read
Salvation Is Here Lyrics
here.

'Cause I know my God saved the day
And I know His word never fails
And I know my God made a way for me
Salvation is here

I Love This Family!

2009-02-19T22:40:00.001-05:00

This is the most recent pic of my sister Debbie, her husband Scott and their 3 children (Lexi-6, Hannah-4, & Tyler-2). I miss them so much! I can't believe how much Hannah's face has matured in the past month since I've seen them!

Hugs

2009-02-18T10:07:00.003-05:00

People need physical touch. It is one of the 5 primary love languages. As a single person, one of the parts I miss about being in a relationship is the physical touch aspect of it. Most singles crave physical touch, even if they don't realize it. I believe it is a human need and helps us to feel better! It releases endorphins to lift up our moods. I won't seriously wear a "hug me" shirt, but be prepared for me to be giving lots of hugs! :) I can't wait to love on those little ones in the Nursery at Church a week from Saturday! :)

I'm So Excited About This Volunteer Opportunity!

2009-02-15T23:39:00.000-05:00

Last evening I went to an orientation at my Church for volunteering with the Children's Ministry (the pic is not from last evening, but rather just a pic I found of babies online). I am choosing to help in the Nursery! The Nursery is broken down into three rooms. One is for the newborns, one is for the sitters & crawlers, and another is for toddlers up to age 2! When we went to talk to the team leader, I saw 3 baby girls in the sitters/crawlers room and I fell in love! I will work where I'm needed, but most likely I'll be with the sitters/crawlers. Something lit up in me when I saw these adorable children of God! Those of you who know me, know how much I love children, and they love me too! :) In 2 weeks I will observe to see what it's like and learn the ropes. It's a 2 hour commitment every other week. I will be volunteering for one of the services on Saturday evening. I am so excited and can't wait to love on these little ones! I think I may have found my niche in serving the Lord that really suites my spiritual gifts & personality, and another perk is that I can get my "baby fix"! I may never be blessed with children of my own, but there are plenty of children in the world who do need love and attention! Most importantly I can show them the love of Christ!! :)

Father's Love Letter

2009-02-14T07:57:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Here's an intimate message from God to YOU!

My Child,

You may not know me,
but I know everything about you.
Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways.
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image.
Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring.
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived.
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation.
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake,
for all your days are written in my book.
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth
and where you would live.
Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb.
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born.
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented
by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry,
but am the complete expression of love.
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child
and I am your Father.
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father.
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.
James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless
as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you.
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession.
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you
with all my heart and all my soul.
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me.
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you
the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires.
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you
than you could possibly imagine.
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you
in all your troubles.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you.
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb,
I have carried you close to my heart.
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away
every tear from your eyes.
Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain
you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you
even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.
John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being.
Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you,
not against you.
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression
of my love for you.
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love.
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,
you receive me.
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you
from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party
heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father,
and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…
Will you be my child?
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you.
Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad
Almighty God

The Search For A Godly Spouse

2009-02-12T23:38:00.002-05:00

Tuesday evening I was driving home from hanging out with my dear friend Mary. I have heard Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family Broadcasts before, but never paid attention to what time they were on. Well, it was 9:00pm and on this particular evening, his broadcast was about "The Search for a Godly Spouse"! Wow! This was a total "God thing" as I had just broken up with my boyfriend 6 days before that. His program is usually always about Family and hardly ever about Singleness. Pastor Alistair Begg was the guest speaker and I knew God was speaking to me through him!Much of the following information was taken from the Monday & Tuesday evening broadcasts which I listened to on focusonthefamily.com. So, to "All my single ladies"...here is what I took from those broadcasts:

In every relationship, a relationship with God must come first. Unless we have a meaningful viable increasing relationship with the Lord Jesus ourselves,… being in the word daily, sharing it regularly, then we really should go no further than that in terms of developing relationships.. It is in direct relationship to our walk with Christ that everything else falls into line.
There is no good thing that the Lord will withhold from those whose walk is blameless. If we aren’t in a dating relationship There is no need for panic, God makes everything beautiful in His time. To be unattached to someone of the opposite sex may be God’s very best for you tonight and it may actually be God’s very best for you for always.
In developing relationships with the opposite sex, come to the issue slowly, with realistic expectations and without anticipating marriage in any of it’s aspects in the development of friendship. (OK, I must admit that this one seems nearly impossible for women, especially for those of us in our 30's & 40's!!!)
Most people in dating are on their best behavior, so you have to be very very careful. You need to see this potential spouse in a variety of situations: Late for an appt in congested traffic while you are in the car with him, visiting hospitalized loved one, watch how he speaks to & treats his mom and he if looks into her eyes in a conversation.
Image doesn’t matter more than character. Vitally important to ask yourself, Is the attraction that I feel for this person motivated primarily by physical instincts. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Do I enjoy having a conversation with him? Can he carry on an intelligent conversation? Does he or she have a growing interest in spiritual things or do I get the impression that they are simply saying that because they know that it is important to me? Physical beauty is passing. Your beauty shouldn't come from time spent in front of a mirror but rather time spent in the mirror of the Word of God.
The absence of a relationship with someone of the opposite sex does not determine our significance or our meaning in life. A single person should never never think that their marital status determines his or her significance in life. The Lord has a good plan for their lives.

Here are two lists of qualities that singles should seek in a potential mate — a list for women and a list for men. Each is a summary of the main points made by the Rev. Alistair Begg on the radio program "The Search for a Godly Spouse."

Women: The man you someday marry should…

Be committed to growing in His relationship with Jesus Christ
Demonstrate obvious integrity. You need a husband that is honest to the core to a fault.
A man that is able to lead boldly, who can think for himself and make good decisions. A girl should never settle for leadership that is selfish and domineering. Should be marked by an attitude of servant hood.
Who displays the ability to Love sacrificially.
He should be able to Laugh heartily, especially at himself . Humor is a vital element to preventing marital failure. If he takes himself too seriously, look out.
Should Model genuine humility . Shouldn’t be stuck on himself. Keeps his focus on others. Can he share in the joy of a competitor’s success?

Men: The woman you someday marry should…

Have a personal faith in Jesus Christ
Possess inner beauty, not just outer
Be an initiative taker and have an attitude of submission
Be a wife who will help build her husband's confidence
Display kindness
Have a sense of humor

I would appreciate your thoughts and comments whether married or single! Agree/Disagree with the information I took from the broadcasts?

"While I'm Waiting"

2009-02-11T23:43:00.003-05:00

Here's an awesome song from the movie "Fireproof"! I know we can all relate to waiting on God and his timing. I hope this song moves you like it moves me!

I'm waiting

I'm waiting on You, Lord

And I am hopeful

I'm waiting on You, Lord

Though it is painful

But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident

Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting

I will serve You

While I'm waiting

I will worship

While I'm waiting

I will not faint

I'll be running the race

Even while I wait

I'm waiting

I'm waiting on You, Lord

And I am peaceful

I'm waiting on You, Lord

Though it's not easy

But faithfully, I will wait

Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting

I will serve You while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting

I will serve you while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

"Sisters"

2009-02-09T23:21:00.005-05:00

I received this forward via email from my friend Barb this A.M. It came at a very appropriate time and serves as a great reminder to me. Thanks Barb! :) Also, thanks to all of my "Sisters"! :)

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

'Don't forget your Sisters,' she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them.'

'Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women... your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. 'You'll need other women. Women always do.'

What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought. Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!'

But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life.

After more than 50(+!) years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:

THIS SAYS IT ALL:

Time passes...

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Children grow up.

Jobs come and go.

Love waxes and wanes.

Men don't do what they're supposed to do.

Hearts break.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favors.

Careers end.

BUT.........

Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach.

When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out.

Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life!

The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other.

Every day, we need each other still. Pass this on to all the women who help make your life meaningful.

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth,
Think of Algebra...

True Friends Are A Gift From God!

2009-02-08T00:00:00.001-05:00

Wow! I am truly amazed at the number of true friends God has blessed me with! I have lots of people who care about me and I am very blessed! I was given many reminders of that this week. I'm choosing to focus on what I DO have, rather than on what I don't have. Here are just a few examples of the love, support and encouragement I have received from friends this week, in no particular order of importance.

My friend Jen is on vacation in Texas. Wednesday night she saw on my facebook status that Jeff & I had broken up. She called me the first thing on Thursday morning to see how I was doing. It really meant a lot to me that she would call me while on her vacation to see how I was doing! Thanks Jen! :)
My very very dear friend Carey who I have known for 16.5 years has been there for me through countless break-ups. Seriously, I couldn't even count the amount of hours she has spent listening to me vent and process these break-ups and the difficulties I had while in these relationships. She has always encouraged me to never settle for any guy! She has always assured me that I can't be too picky and she is just an awesome encourager. Just a few weeks ago she reminded me that God was protecting me through all of the past break-ups. Thursday I received such a sweet email from Carey, that I cried while I was reading it on my cell phone while on a break at work. It really meant the world to me to be uplifted and encouraged by such a dear friend. It truly was a gift from God for me to read these words when I needed them the most! I seriously don't remember receiving a greater compliment than this: "Jen, I know God has plans for you - I've seen so many things you have influenced over the years without even really realizing it. You're one of those people connectors, like glue. Relationships begin and grow because of you, and I'm not talking about just romantic ones. Friends have met because of you, making their lives richer - not only from knowing you, but from the others you introduce them to. It happened when you were in CO, it happened in Milwaukee. I'm sure it's probably already happened in IN. And in those relationships, people have grown closer to the WORD. When you date, your faith shines through and influences all those new people you meet. You've probably planted the seed of faith, or at least watered it in a hundred people by now!" Thanks Carey! Reading this helped me more than you know! :)
My friend Mary has also listened to me a countless number of times and continues to remind me that my worth comes from Jesus and not from anyone else! I can't count the number of times she has reminded me of this over the past year, and let me tell you, it has sunk in, and is a huge comfort to me right now, so I owe Mary a big thank you! :)
My friend & roomie Alaina has been so supportive of me and my struggles, especially the past few weeks. She continually has texted me, emailed me, and checked in on me while I'm in my bedroom to see how I'm doing and to see if I'm ok. Not to mention the many times she's heard the same things over and over and over again the past few weeks, yet continues to be patient and loving with me. She even invited me out to dinner with her family tonight so I wouldn't be in the house alone and be depressed. Living with her has brought me closer to God. Thanks Alaina! :)
My friend Ramona who I've also known for 16.5 years emailed on me Friday as soon as she received my email regarding the relationship ending in a bad way, and assured me that "Surely God has better things planned for me than being treated like I had been this week". She followed that up with a phone call right after work on Friday to see how I was doing. We've been through a lot together and have spent lots of time on the phone regarding similar singleness/dating struggles. Thanks lady! :)
Last but not least, my friend Holly is such an upbeat and positive person! She continually chooses to look at the bright side of things. We were talking on the phone on Thursday evening and when I told her how ugly things got, she said to me "You DO realize that he didn't REALLY love you, don't you? Otherwise he wouldn't have said all of those horribly mean & abusive things to you." Wow! It was at that moment that it completely sunk in, that what I was missing wasn't really true love, it was what I thought was love, but it wasn't love. That really made it easier to not miss being in that relationship. Holly also continues to encourage me to reach my goals at work. We work together and I don't know what I'd do without her smiling face at work! Thanks Holly! :)

I want to thank ALL of my friends and family for being so loving, encouraging, supportive and empathetic with me. You guys are the best friends and family anyone could ever have. I love you ALL! :) God Bless! :)

He's By My Side!

2009-02-07T21:49:00.004-05:00

It's been a rough week, but through it all I know God has my best interest at heart. Some of you know that my boyfriend and I broke up this week. In addition to that, I got talked to at work regarding my production and I got a bill from my Chiropractor in Milwaukee that says I owe $1,700.00. My Attorney from my car accident was completely dishonest with me. He only paid half of the bills when he told me he would pay the full amount before he took his percentage and gave me the rest. Through it all I know the Lord is with me and I truly do feel stronger than I ever have, even though I'm hurting. If it is His will, one day I will meet my Mr. Right, but until then I cling to His promises and to the lyrics of this song.

By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North

Why are you striving these days?
Why are you trying to earn grace?
Why are you crying?
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love?
Why are you still searching?
As if I'm not enough?
To where will you go child,
Tell me where will you run?
To where will you run?

I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night
whenever you call
Please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands, at my side
They swallowed the grave, on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life

I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
Please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Here at my side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
Please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

And I, I love you
And I want you to know
That I, I'll love you
I'll never let you go

I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
Please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Here at my side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
Please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Words of Encouragement

2009-02-03T23:50:00.002-05:00

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped."

"My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

Psalm 28:6-7

"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed."

"I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me."

Psalm 57: 1-2

Hannah Has A Heart For Jesus!

2009-02-01T21:54:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I was in Milwaukee at my sister's house with my boyfriend Jeff. Hannah (my 4 year old niece) and I were in the living room and I said "Hannah, Jeff is a nice boy, isn't he?" Hannah replied, "Yes, he is a nice boy." She paused and then asked "You know who the nicest boy is?" to which I asked "who". Hannah replied "Jesus".

I can't tell you how much it touched my heart to hear her say that. She sure put things into perspective for me!

Mishawaka Is Even Colder Than Milwaukee Now!

2009-01-16T02:29:00.002-05:00

According to weather.com here are the stats right now:

Current Temperature:

Mishawaka Temp: -14 (Feels Like -32)

Milwaukee Temp: -6 (Feels like -23)

Precipitation:

Mishawaka: 1.17 in (gotta love the lake effect snow)

Milwaukee: .75 in

Happiness Is A Choice

2009-01-15T21:45:00.003-05:00

I read a book once called "Happiness Is A Choice" by Minirth/Meier. I mostly believe that it is a choice. We do choose our thoughts. I'll admit my thoughts have been quite negative lately. We FINALLY got a day of sunshine here today, but we went for over a week without it. Today is January 15th and right now it is -13 degrees outside. It has pretty much been snowing non-stop the past 3 days. I very strongly dislike, OK I'll had admit that I hate Winter. My negative thoughts seem to come more frequently and quite often automatically in the Winter. My family will be the first to tell you that I am a different person in the summer time. I'm am not always the easiest to get along with in the Winter. I get more irritable, etc. It's been a rough month for me. I've cried a lot, been depressed, irritable, etc and I just have to remember all of the wonderful blessings I have in my life.

Jesus died for me and loves me unconditionally
I have a wonderful boyfriend who has been very patient with me & my SAD
I have family who love me
I have many friends who love me
I am living in a great house with 3 wonderful women
I have a good job with a steady income

My prayer is that God will teach me how to believe that I deserve Happiness. I believe I often try to sabotage my success at work and in my relationships. I don't want to do that anymore. My sister told me the other day that she thinks I feel I don't deserve happiness, that it is for everyone else, but not for me. Others have told me that too. I don't want to sabotage anymore. Most guys would have left by now, but Jeff is still around and he's not going anywhere. If he can get through winter with me, he can get through anything with me! :) Please pray that I will start to believe deep down in my heart that I deserve happiness and that I will continually Choose Happiness/Contentment in my life.

God Bless! :)

Jen

Jeffrey Lynn

2008-12-13T00:27:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I'll admit that Jeff is one of the reasons I haven't been blogging lately! :) A friend of mine introduced me to him a month ago online. She thought we would "really hit it off", and we have really hit it off! :) I'm in the process of trying to find balance between spending time with Jeff and still spending time with friends. I don't want to become a friend who disappears off the face of the earth when they find a boyfriend. At least not for long! :) We both have the middle name of Lynn, and we have tons in common, most importantly our love for Jesus and our morals and values. We have lots of fun together and we continue to ask God's guidance as we seek His will. I'll work hard to post more blogs for my faithful followers! Thanks for your patience! :)

Nine Years Ago Today

2008-12-08T23:24:00.002-05:00

Nine years ago today my Dad went home to be with Jesus. He is now happier than he has ever been! December 8th will always be a day that I remember my Dad's passing. But it is also a day that I can be thankful that I had 25 years 11 months and 5 days with my Dad in my life. Many kids don't even get that. Some kids don't even know who their Dad is. God knows I wouldn't be the person I am today had I not experienced the loss of my Father. I know I'll see my Dad again someday in heaven, and for that I'm extremely thankful!

I'm Alive!

2008-12-02T07:59:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to let all of my readers know that I am alive! Blogging more would be therapeutic for me, especially during December which is typically my most difficult month of the year. Gotta keep my thoughts in check! I guess I've just been lazy. I need to get back to the gym too. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Please pray that I would remain somewhat positive and take every thought captive! :) Thanks! I'll try to blog later this week!

Girl Time In Chicago!

2008-11-25T23:55:00.007-05:00

This past Saturday I took the South Shore Railway to Chicago to meet up with two of my friends from Milwaukee. My friend Kelly couldn't make it because she was sick! I hope you are feeling better Kel! We missed you! Brenda & Jeannine took the Metra train from Kenosha to Chicago. We met up at Shedd's Aquarium and then took the Trolley to Macy's. The store was beautifully decorated for Christmas. Probably my favorite part was when we sat down for lunch and had some female "bonding time". We can relate to different aspects of each others lives. It's always nice to have other Christian friends who can relate to what you are going through. When I'm in Milwaukee and we just meet for lunch, I don't get to spend as much time with them, but I was thankful to be able to spend a chunk of time with Jeannine & Brenda. I miss them! We'll have to meet in Chicago again sometime! Thanks for coordinating this Jeannine! I had a wonderful time! I miss you guys! Oh yeah, Brenda's Birthday was today (Nov 25th). Happy Birthday Brenda! I seriously hope you had a day that was as wonderful as you are! :)

Quality Time With Hannah

2008-11-22T23:23:00.003-05:00

My Niece & Goddaughter Hannah is such a sweetheart! I was so happy to be able to spend some quality time with her on Tuesday in Milwaukee. Hannah's big sister Lexi is in all day kindergarten and Debbie stayed home to watch Tyler and the other kids she watches during the day. Hannah is always smiling and is a very intelligent little girl! She is such a joy to be around. She turned 4 in September. I only had about 45 min to chat with my friend Joy at her house on Monday, so Joy & her daughters (Matthea (4) & Brooklyn (2)) came to meet up with me and Hannah for lunch on Tuesday. All of the kids were very well behaved, which meant Joy and I were able to catch up more on each others lives. After lunch I took Hannah to Brookfield Square and we found a new Packers store which just opened on November 1st. I was in 7th heaven! We had a fun time! We also walked to go pick up her big sister Lexi from school. I kinda felt a wee bit like a Mom that day, although I got to just be there for the fun stuff! :) Hannah and her family will be in town for Thanksgiving and I can't wait to see them again!

What Is Unseen Is Eternal!

2008-11-19T22:43:00.001-05:00

My friend Joy in Oconomowoc, WI added this verse to her Kitchen wall. I just had to take a picture of it when I was at her house on Monday. I love this verse!

Back Home Again In Indiana!

2008-11-19T00:15:00.003-05:00

Didn't that used to be a slogan for the State of IN? I made excellent time on my way home from Milwaukee, WI! It was a great 4 day weekend. I got to spend some quality one on one time with my 4 yr old niece Hannah today and I walked Lexi to school and picked her up too! I just got home to Mishawaka a little bit ago. I'm exhausted and heading to bed now, but my car turned 50,000 miles on my way home, so I thought I'd blog quick before turning in. Have a great rest of the week everyone!

I'm in Milwaukee!

2008-11-18T04:21:00.003-05:00

Hello to all of my readers! :) I just wanted to let everyone know that I've been hanging out with friends & family in Milwaukee. This is why I haven't been blogging lately. I'm having a great time, and will blog about my trip later this week! Please keep checking back. Thanks for following my adventures! :)

J-La =-)

Verse of The Day

2008-11-13T09:14:00.001-05:00

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3

The South Bend Permacloud Has Arrived

2008-11-12T23:45:00.004-05:00

I had never heard the term "permacloud" until my friend Mary mentioned it the other day, but it's an excellent description of what we actually get here in the Michiana area. What is a permacloud? Well, the South Bend Permacloud is a continuous layer of gray (and I do mean gray) cloud that seems to arrive on cue in November and sticks around until spring. The permacloud has definitely arrived this week, and I'm afraid it's here to stay for a while. It's not like you can see the blue sky through some of the clouds here like you can in Milwaukee. We get the Lake effect here. All we see is that dreary gray sky. We don't usually see the sun or any blue sky in the winter time. If we do, it's a very rare occasion. The Golden Dome at Notre Dame in the pic above actually makes the sky look better than it usually does in the winter around here. The Golden Dome is beautiful though, isn't it? :-) Due to this permacloud, it's even more important to take care of your health this time of year. I'm doing my best to use my light box, get to the gym on a regular basis, get a good night's sleep, and to make myself socialize even when I don't feel like it. I will take control of this depression instead of allowing it to control me, and I'm trying to accept the fact that no matter how hard I try, I am who I am in the winter. I need to accept myself for who I am, whether it's in the summer or the winter.

Things To Look Forward To!

2008-11-11T00:01:00.002-05:00

It helps me to have things to look forward to! Here is a list of things that I'm looking forward to in no particular order:

Having a 4 day weekend in Milwaukee where I get to see family and friends
Getting together with my dear friend Mary for coffee on Thursday evening
Meeting up in Chicago with 3 friends from Milwaukee a week from this Saturday
Getting a $10.00 gift card to Starbucks from work for OT and being flexible with my schedule last quarter
Watching a movie with my Small Group a week from this Sunday evening
Hanging out with family for Thanksgiving
Working the day after Thanksgiving for double time and a half

I'm sure there are more, but that's all I can think of right now.

Change & Growth

2008-11-09T01:09:00.002-05:00

Tonight I ran into my roommate Rachel at Church. We sat together at the service and then ran some errands before heading to Legends in Mishawaka to watch the ND game. I have been looking for a book called "Changes That Heal" by Dr. Henry Cloud for a long time, but it was never in stock anywhere. Rachel suggested we try Border's. Sure enough, they had a copy waiting for me! Thanks Rachel! This book was suggested to me in my Boundaries class at Church. I'm excited to read it, especially the 'becoming an adult' section. Yes, I know I'm an Adult, but want to learn more about how to become an emotional adult. There are many emotional children living in adult bodies today. I read this quote in the book tonight, "Becoming an adult is assuming the authority position of life, an important part of the image of God".

Change & Growth can be very hard work, but in the end, it will only serve to make me a stronger/healthier person who is more equipped to serve the Lord here on earth. "People who believe others are above them are still relating from a child's position of being under a person, not under God. This belief makes the difference in one's ability to follow God and to seek God's approval instead of what people want. People who are stuck in this "people-pleasing" stage can't take charge of their lives as God commands." Wow! I have a lot of work to do, but I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me! At least I know the truth in my head. Now if the feelings would follow, that would help! I am blessed to have wonderful friends around me who are helping me to see the areas which I need to improve in. I just have to remember that perfection isn't possible this side of heaven!

I Need To Surrender

2008-11-07T00:04:00.002-05:00

Hi! My name is Jen and I'm a control freak! There, I admitted it! Inwardly I'm a control freak and I need to Surrender to God. I found this version of the Serenity Prayer tonight. I love this prayer! I bolded the new parts that I really like and want to cling to as well. I'm always feeling like I need to DO something in order to surrender to God, and then feel guilty when I can't surrender. I think I've been looking at it the wrong way. Surrendering is allowing God to be in control, in essence, to relax/breathe and let Him work. I don't have to "DO"...I just need to "BE"....BE in His presence and rest in Him. The only things I can control are my FAB...my Feelings, Attitudes, and Behaviors. That's what I learned in my Boundaries class. Tonight I'm feeling like I need to retake that class!

Serenity Prayer - By Reinhold Niebuhr

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can,
Wisdom to know the difference,
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking as Jesus did this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it.
Trusting that you will make all things right
If I surrender to your will.
So that I might be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with you forever in the next.

Amen

Happy 6th Birthday Lexi! =-)

2008-11-04T00:06:00.005-05:00

Alexis Ann was born on 11/4/02! She was my first niece! I'm so glad I lived in Milwaukee and was able to be there when all 3 of Debbie's (my Sister) kids were born. I'm sure Lexi can't fathom that 11/4/08 will be a monumental day in History. I only hope she knows just how special she is! I can't wait to see her on November 15th! Happy Birthday Lexi! :) I love you!

November 3rd, 1940

2008-11-03T23:18:00.004-05:00

Was the date Herbert William Latzke (my Dad) was born in Eagle River, WI. I did an internet search for that date in history and found out that Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was re-elected for an unprecedented third term as President of the United States on November 5th of 1940. That was an interesting tid-bit to me, especially since the Presidential Election is tomorrow. Obviously I'm not much of a history buff, since I didn't even realize WWII was still going on then! As time passes (it's been 9 years since he went home to heaven), these "anniversary dates" get easier. In fact, I pretty much didn't even think about it at work today, but have been contemplative this evening.

I continue to pray for a leader who follows God and values life. Tomorrow's election results will go down in History, but regardless of the outcome, we don't need to fear. God already knows the future and He will work all things out for our good! The President of the United States may be powerful, but God is way more powerful! :)

I Was An Inmate For Halloween!

2008-11-01T01:34:00.003-04:00

I had so much fun at work today! Our team dressed up as Inmates and our Supervisor was the Worden! :) It was hilarious! We use our "N" numbers to sign onto the Computer systems, and we all had our "N" numbers on the back of our shirts to serve as our prison ID's! My nick-name was Smiley! Felipe's was "Beefcake"! He was like a kid in a candy store because he is from Manila and has never dressed up for Halloween before or seen people dressed up. He had his video camera and everything! When I got to work this morning some of my co-workers said I looked like a crackhead. To me, that means I looked like an inmate and therefore dressed the part well! It was fun making people laugh just by being dressed up! :) I hope our team wins the Halloween dress-up contest! We should find out on Monday.

Amazing Grace

2008-10-29T23:36:00.003-04:00

For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2: 8,9

Your Grace Is Enough!

2008-10-29T23:13:00.002-04:00

This is one of my all time favorite Christian Contemporary Songs! It is by Chris Tomlin. Enjoy! =-)

Legalism Quote

2008-10-28T00:01:00.002-04:00

"I believe that there's a tainted picture of God because of legalism. It takes away the element of His love for us, because people think that He's a set of rules. God loves us, in spite of our mistakes, and I think that we need to stop painting that picture of God, that He's this...Figure that's, you know, that cares whether our hair is cut above our ears, because it's simply not the God that I know, nor the God that I serve. There are far more important issues at hand: where are peoples' hearts, are we loving people the way that God would want us to? Those issues are far more important than the legalistic issues that, at times, certain churches seem to get caught up in."

—Toby McKeehan of dc Talk, Free at Last: The Movie

I agree wholeheartedly with this quote! The negative impact legalism has on our Churches, and more importantly an individuals relationship with God, is an issue that is near and dear to my heart. I will more than likely blog about this issue in the future, but I really liked Toby's quote and wanted to share it with you. I pray that God's unconditional love and acceptance of you will be your motivation, and not fear.

Life Inside You

2008-10-26T23:01:00.002-04:00

A Work in Progress

My Uninvited & Unwanted Guest

We've Been Happily Married For 200 Days Today!

The J-La-Sta 10,000 Steps Walking Challenge!

5 Reasons Why This Was My Best Christmas Ever!

The Gift

Home For Christmas

God's Gift To Me!

How Great Is Our God!!

What I've Learned In My 1st 95 Days of Marriage

My 4th Annual Fall Appreciation Day!!

J-La is Now J-La-Sta! :)

Bring It All Together

Verse of The Day!

A "Singleness Sucks" Weekend

Let It Go by Tenth Avenue North

He Is My Sunshine!

Courage by Max Lucado

A Sound Mind

Me & My Sisters With My Cousins!

These Are The Words I Would Say

The Ups and Downs of Life

There's No Such Thing As Perfect People!

Meet Angel!

Murphy's M.V.P.

Yesterday Was My 1 Year Twitterversary!

Excellent Devotion by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Advantages & Disadvantages of Singleness

Rules of Life and Recovery

Answers To "About Me" Quiz!

Happy Blogiversary To Me!

About Me

Venous Insufficiency

Voice Mail Message From Lexi!

Finally Starting To Get Some Answers!

Two Years Ago Today

I Will Rise!

A Monumental Day

Randomness by J-La

My New Walking Shoes...One Step Closer

Mishawaka Has A New Barnes & Noble!

Birthday Celebration!

My Redeemer Lives! :)

Words Have Power

Good Friday - Amazing Grace

Please Help to Bring Anya Home!

Blog Labels

Lower Extremity Edema

Who's Out There?

Another Dunkin Donuts "Date"!

Who I am in Christ

My "Date" at Dunkin Donuts!

My 6 Year Old Niece is So Creative!

One Year Ago Today.....

Red Flags in Dating

Sun Filled Day! :)

I Did It!!!

I <3 Daylight Savings Time!!!!!!!

I Have A Fear of Growing Old Alone

What Cancer Cannot Do!

Song of the Day - Lose My Soul by Toby Mac

Jen's 30th Birthday Party!

Good News & Unanswered Questions

This is Comical!

I'm A Medical Mystery!

Powerful Quotes!

Are You Living Your Life On Hold?

God Above All My Hopes & Fears!

Salvation Is Here Lyrics

I Love This Family!

Hugs

I'm So Excited About This Volunteer Opportunity!

Father's Love Letter

The Search For A Godly Spouse

"While I'm Waiting"

"Sisters"

True Friends Are A Gift From God!

He's By My Side!

Words of Encouragement

Hannah Has A Heart For Jesus!