Respect

In previous decades it was common for younger generations to be required to show respect to the older generations. This was mostly due, in my opinion, to the fact that the older generations were wiser and offered knowledge to the younger generations. In today's world I don't think this is always the case. Respect is something that now has to be earned. If you're not respectful why would you expect respect in return? Don't get me wrong, there are definitely elders among us that deserve respect, but then there are others that think they deserve respect just because of age even if they don't deserve it. Regardless, some people live in a past, sometimes religious, mindset that regardless of merit you should respect those older than you. This causes a clash between generations because of the startling differences of opinion. Causing people to look negatively at a person or group of people because of how they treat people or a person because of an age difference. They don't take into consideration how relationships between people work, the experiences or amount of growth one has had in their life, or the amount of respect, or lack of, that has been shown in past instances. This would be like a judge coming to a verdict without first hearing the case. This is a ridiculous way of thinking. So I urge all of you out there that want respect, or judge someone for not showing it, think before you act, try viewing the situation from other angles before making judgements, and don't expect something you're not willing to give.

Am I lost?

I often times feel lost. Do you ever feel that way? Like you’re wandering aimlessly through time? I feel like my life lacks purpose recently. I hope that I’m making Devin happy, and I work almost every day, and I try to keep the house in order, but it just doesn’t seem like I’m doing anything of importance. The only thing that really gives me joy is spending time with Devin. That’s what I look forward to everyday. I feel like that’s selfish of me though. It gives me joy and I hope it gives him happiness, but I’m not really doing anything in my life to help others or to leave an impact on the world. I’m not really sure what to do or what I would have time to do. It just seems that I’m so tired lately. I honestly just wish I had three whole days to do nothing but sleep. I used to do that all the time when I would get depressed. I’m not necessarily depressed at this moment, but I just feel drained, and lost. I think maybe it’s because I haven’t had time to do anything artsy lately. I haven’t drawn anything in forever and it’s been months since I’ve been to a concert. I’m going to see The Wizard of Oz at The Barter Theatre this Saturday so I’m hoping that helps. I started another blog called Abingdon Artists but I have yet to update it. A part of me feels that I’m not knowledgeable enough about music to have that sort of blog. I need someone that knows more about the dynamics to give me some insight. Maybe I could interview the audience and the bands or something. I haven’t really been taking as many pictures lately either. I guess because of all the stress of trying to make sure we have enough money for everything I’ve forgotten to make time for myself and to do the things I enjoy. I enjoy spending time with Dev and watching Dragon Ball Z and whatnot, but I need to set aside some time for me to be creative. I feel like it all just gets built up inside of me and if I don’t have an outlet I may explode. As I’ve said before, writing helps a lot as well. I also currently have a kidney stone so that’s not really helping with my mood either. I’ve just been a regular Negative Nancy lately and I have to find a way to turn that around. That’s not who I am. I need to find the energy to do the things I need to do, help the people I want to help, and leave a lasting impression on this world before I’m no longer in it.

Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day. I've had a lot on my mind today. The thoughts in my head bounce around from the topics of those who have impacted me in my life and helped me to become the person I am today, the loss that I faced this past year, and what the future is going to hold.

Growing up I've had several people in my life that have helped raise me. I've learned a lot from every one of them because they have experienced different things and have different views of the world to offer. I think maybe that's why I'm so open minded to what others think. I don't always, or normally don't, agree with what others think, but I am open to the idea that they could be right, or the fact that in their reality that maybe that's what they need to believe. I'm so thankful for every one of these people. I don't think that I show them that enough. That makes me feel selfish on most days. It's just really hard for me to find a balance to life. How do you find the time for everyone you feel like you need time for, still make time for yourself, and fulfill your responsibilities? Maybe it's something I still have to grow into. I always try to plan everything out and fit everything neatly into a schedule, but life just doesn't work that way. I hope that these people that have tried so hard to ensure my happiness are proud of the person I am becoming. I hate the thought of disappointing people. To an extent you have to live life to make yourself happy, but I feel like it's equally important to make sure those around you are happy too. Showing love to others and spreading smiles is what keeps this world from being a dismal place. Lately I've been a little bit more down than usual and I haven't been showing kindness as a side effect. I'm going to start showing little acts of kindness again because not only does it make me happy but it makes others happy as well. I read somewhere once that if you're sad you should do something for someone else because that is one of the most uplifting things you can do. They were right. Sometimes you don't even feel like showing kindness when you start and by the end you're happy that you did. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the people that you've helped is payment enough for any time or money that you may have spent. I'm thankful that my family instilled in me a good heart. There are people I meet daily that unfortunately weren't as lucky. Not that they couldn't still change the way they view the world, but it's just easier if you know how to look at things in a positive light from an early age. Always looking for the silver lining.

I guess today I'm trying to look for the silver lining in the fact that I lost my baby this year. Even though I never got to meet him, I named him Aiden King. Not many people know this fact but that doesn't make it any less true. It being Mother's Day, and close to the time that I would have given birth, it makes today a little bleh for me. I remember when I found out that I was pregnant I wasn't really that excited because it wasn't planned at all. I didn't even think I could get pregnant because of some other issues that I had had prior. It was a shock to say the least. As the weeks went by though I became very fond of the thought that there was a life growing inside of me and that one day I would hold it in my arms and love it forever. I became really protective of it. Then I had the dream that I lost it. Since my dreams have a bad habit of coming true I tried to brace myself for what I feared was coming. It didn't help at all. I went to the hospital one day because I had a horrible feeling that something was wrong, and I was right. My baby had stopped growing. I cried until I couldn't cry anymore. Devin was there for me and helped comfort me along with some of my friends and family. Dev tried to get me to see the silver lining by saying that it wasn't under the right circumstances, and he was right. It doesn't take away the fact that I fell in love with something that I could never see or hold. I know that my life probably wouldn't be where it is now if things hadn't happened the way they did so in a way I'm thankful for the way things turned out, but the other half of me just wishes that I hadn't had to give up something I loved. People say that there's nothing like a mother's love, they're right. It's probably the strongest emotion that I've ever felt in my life. The connection. The love I have for Devin is probably as strong but we're connected but in a different sense. Probably a more important sense. I feel like I'm connected to Devin through my mind, my heart, and my spirit. When we have a child it's going to be the best child in the entire universe, ever. If it's anything like him then it will be perfect.

Some days I want a baby now. I see other people and their children and I want that. Then other days I think about how different life would be with a child and I don't think I'm ready. I am just so afraid that I'll end up having to lose time with Devin and us not get to be silly like we are now. I don't get to see him enough as I'd like now. If we had a child, we'd have to find a bigger place so we'd have room for the baby and all it's things, we'd have to try and work as much as possible so we could give our child everything that it needed/wanted, and we'd have to make sure that we could work, spend time together, and spend time as a family to give our child the attention that it needed. Having a child is a big commitment. Even if it's not soon, I know that one day Devin and I will have a family together. We're a family of two now, but one day we'll make it grow. I know that Devin will be an amazing father. I just hope that I can be the mother that it deserves and the wife that Devin deserves.

I guess that's all for today. I'm going to try to motivate myself to get some things accomplished. Talk to ya soon! (:

The Breaths We Take

Sooooo, me updating this more often didn't really happen because, as usual, life got hectic. Since last being on here, I got married to the love of my life, Devin. The wedding was wonderful, despite Dev hating the pictures haha. We haven't gotten the pictures back yet, but as soon as we do I'll be sure to post some on here. We've moved into an apartment and are adjusting to living on our own. Budgeting everything and trying to make sure we've saved enough to pay the bills has been stressing me out but I'm hoping that as soon as it becomes routine things will be less stressful. I'm still working at D&D and thankfully I'm getting more hours. My boss has been awesome with working with me to make sure that I have enough hours to survive. Dev works at food city and they've been giving him more hours too so that's somewhat  reassuring. When I get stressed out my OCD becomes worse and I have bad thoughts and junk though so I'm trying to deal with that. I really have no reason to be down because my life is wonderful. Just, sometimes my body is like, "nope, you're gonna be down today". I'm trying to fight it though. I went outside and meditated by a tree today and that seemed to help a lot. Dev suggested the meditating. He always has good ideas. I've always felt better when in nature too. When I was younger I used to go into the woods between my Nanny and Dad's houses and hide when I was upset. I remember a specific time when my Granny passed away that I went to this spot. It was a lot of little trees that entwined together forming a kind of canopy that I could just crawl into, sort of like a cave made of branches. I was upset because everyone was eating, talking, and laughing just like everything was okay, and it wasn't. My dad found me and tried to explain that everyone deals with things differently and that they were trying to be happy that she wasn't suffering anymore and was in a better place. I still felt like they were being stupid. He coaxed me out of my tree cave, but I felt safe there. Kind of like, like being surrounded by nature was protecting me in a sense. Protecting me from the harshness of the real world. I still kind of get that feeling. Sitting by that tree today, feeling the hot sun on my body, the breeze against my skin, the grass underneath me, I felt at home. It gets old walking around on concrete everyday. I like to feel the earth beneath my feet. I like to know that even when everything else feels like it could fall apart, I know I won't, because the trees, and the grass, and the flowers, they keep growing. The sun keeps shining. I can go on. Even, in the future, when I lose those that I love with everything in me, I'll have to find a way to remember this. I've been worrying about that a lot lately. I know it's a silly thing to worry about since I can't control it. I just hate the thought that everyone I hold dear I'll eventually have to say goodbye to. I know that their energies will still be around and I know that I'll always be able to tell the stories of the memories I've made with them to keep them alive in my heart, but I'm afraid of that void that I know will exist. I don't spend enough time with my family. I don't want to give up time with Dev or my friends either though. There just isn't enough time in life. People go about life like they have all the time in the world, they don't. Realistically I could die tomorrow and not have to watch everyone go before me, but the thought of their sadness saddens me too. There's really not a winning approach when looking at death. It's hard. Saying goodbye to those you love, and them saying goodbye to you, it's just hard. Even trees eventually wither away though. Even flowers turn to dust. It's a cycle. Maybe my Granny is living her life as someone else now, maybe she's in heaven, maybe she's the energy I use everyday to get up for work, I don't know. All I know for sure is that she was real, her hugs were real, the time I got to spend with her watching Wheel of Fortune and eating candies were real, her impact on my family was real. There may be a day when my memory fades and I don't remember all the things that I wish I could, but hopefully I'll be able to look back on things like this and a glimpse will reappear. I'm trying to win this debate with myself over whether to try and not get attached to people or not. On one side, if I don't get that attached to people then death can't destroy me. On the other side, if I don't truly put my feelings into people and love them completely then what's the point of life. I've distanced myself from my family for years because of this. I've lost people in my family since my Granny, and yeah it hasn't hurt as bad since, but I also didn't put myself into these people, I didn't let them impact me. The family I am really close to, my Nanny and Paw, Vick and T, my Dad and Kim, Mom, and Tim, my siblings, my Grandma, if I lost them I'd be hurt a lot. If I lost Devin, I'd be destroyed. That scares me so much. I talked to a woman I worked with at Home Depot a few years ago about this topic. She had lost her husband a year prior and was still heavily grieving over him. I told her I had a personal question about her husband but she didn't have to answer if she didn't want to. I wasn't trying to be insensitive, but I had to know. I asked, "Is it worth it? Losing him, I mean. Would you do it all over again if you knew you would have to go through this much pain?". She said she would do it all over again in a heartbeat. She said that the times they had together were worth more to her than anything. I wouldn't trade anything for the times I have with Devin. That's why I try my best to not get hateful with him and show him how much I love him. I'm so afraid that one day I won't be able to. I want to leave him with happy memories of me and I want to have happy memories of us. He's honestly the reason I smile everyday. Us being married, and me knowing that he wants to spend the rest of his life with me is wonderful. I only wish I didn't have these morbid thoughts from time to time. I wish that when I got stressed my mind didn't wander to scenarios of impossibilities. This has turned into a depressing rant and I apologize. This just helps me clear my head I guess. Getting all my thoughts down. Maybe that's what I need to do anyway. Maybe I just need to write more instead of keeping everything bottled inside of my head. Time to go for today, hopefully since we have internet now this can become a routine thing. Much love to all.

Forgotten Love

Hey guys! I know I've been MIA for a while. Unfortunately that happens from time to time. I'll try and update ya a little bit. So, I'm currently working at Dunkin' Donuts. I just started this past Friday actually. I really like it so far. I really enjoy the atmosphere and the people. I love meeting new people. I don't necessarily like hanging around people all the time, I'm slightly introverted, but I do like getting to know people and hearing their stories. I like seeing their reactions, and just learning about who they are in general. 

Sometimes when you meet people and build relationships with them it blossoms into a wonderful thing. You have mutual respect and understanding for each other. Other times, the way you were raised, your views and opinions of the world, or just who you are in general, clashes so much that you can't stand for them to be a part of your life anymore. When the latter happens, the only things that grow are negativity, bitterness, and resentment. Sometimes people just aren't meant to be in your life. This happened to me this summer. 

This summer I met some people and made some decisions that I regret a lot. Many people got hurt, including myself. I'm a fairly strong individual though. I'm more regretful for the pain held onto by others. Myself and these individuals no longer communicate because that's what I found best for everyone involved. It was a rough situation, granted, but I think in the end that most of what happened was for the best. I learned a lot of lessons through this situation. I learned about forgiveness, that everyone has flaws, that sometimes you just can't let go of someone that's affected your life in a tremendous way, that the grass is greener where you water it, and that love conquers all. 

Things are a lot better, and happier, now than they were this summer. I have a job that I enjoy. I'm starting to set goals for myself and I plan to stick to them. I'm going to be more dedicated to this blog as well as the new one I'm starting, Abingdon Artists. I'm going to create more. I'm looking for a second, more artistic job, for my second job. I'm also looking for a place to call my own. I have a wonderful best friend that I love to death. She's a constant in my life and I'd honestly go crazy without her and Leo (her 3 year old son, he's great). She's always there for me and always tells me the truth, even if sometimes it's not what I want to hear. She understands who I am and loves me anyway, and she's an overall amazing person. Devin and I are also back together and have a thriving relationship. My life tends to fall into shambles when he's not in it. I couldn't imagine life without him. I hope I'm lucky enough to never have to again. He's so good to me. I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of a handful at times, well most the time (he says I'm "sassy"), but he has always stood by my side. He says that he's whipped but I think I'm equally as so. All I want is to make him happy and I think he wants that for me as well. He does a good job in ensuring that I am. I love him so much. On top of all of that I have a family who loves me and an awesome group of friends (who I want to kill sometimes but they're still awesome). Overall I've been very blessed in my life. 

Speaking of blessed, I've been trying to go to church more and get closer to God again. I've definitely drifted into the world and let it harden my heart to some degree. I want that feeling of closeness and wholeness back. I know that he's never left me so it's my job to restore that. He'll help me of course, but it was I who stepped away from the table. The song Can't Get Away by Rush of Fools comes to mind. It doesn't matter what distractions may enter your life to stray you off the path, God will always have a gold string wrapped around your finger to pull you back to Him. He knows those distractions are only meant for harm and He knows what's best for His children. If only all of us could see this when something shimmers in the distance. It may shimmer but that doesn't make it gold. The devil is very tricky and manipulative. When you get closer the shimmer fades and turns to darkness. If I had any advice for anyone currently chasing the shimmers, I would say, just stay on the path, it may seem difficult right now but in the end you will never want for anything else.

I remember the feeling of being close to God. It was the happiest I had ever been. Trials came and I turned bitter, not understanding that if I just stayed true He would help me through it. I thought I had been abandoned. I now know that the storm was meant to make me stronger and not for harm. We won't always know the reasons for things, but just like in any relationship, trust is key. 

In closing, I ask that if you pray, pray for my journey, my relationships, and the people in my life. There are a few people that need prayer in general. I won't add last names but God knows who they are. Please keep Devin, Lauren, Donna, Emily, Lyric, Danica and Mollie in your prayers. They're going through a lot. I'm sure there are others but those came to mind. Thank you for reading and God bless. (:

Privileged Prisoners?

Everything fits so neatly together
in their concrete world
Can we not escape it
From fear of letting go
of the comfort
We do as we please
as we abide by their rules
Keeping us contained with gadgets

With words we could use them to destroy
but we don't
Open your eyes
see the repetition
Like hamsters in cages
habitually going to their wheel
Going through life repeating
over and over
day after day
Our days are spent
they've won
Successfully keeping us at bay
Tamed
Domesticated
Everything running smoothly
somewhat
in their grand plan
Their vision of perfection
Taking away creativity
No one thinks
Technology disables
Ensuring we have no ideas
Ideas may lead to revolt
A rebellion
Ideas could lead to freedom

When the sun rises again we shall start anew.

We've all heard it said you need to give your whole life to God. Some people shudder at the thought because we only get one life here on earth, and we don't know how long we'll have here. We could die tomorrow. So if you think about it each day could be the rest of our lives. We are all called to pick up our crosses and die to ourselves daily, to be servants of God. It may seem like a lot to give your whole life for an inheritance, but what if you just gave today and worried about tomorrow when it arrived. Just living life one day at a time. Giving your life one day at a time.

Sometimes we will have days where we mess up. Where we live for ourselves. But when those days happen we can't continuously beat ourselves up over it, we have to recognize our wrongs and learn from our mistakes. When the sun rises again we shall start anew.

The greatest commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and the second, to love your neighbor as yourself. Serving God means living for Him, and living for Him means showing love through Him. We need to try and see people as He sees them, and serve as though we truly are His hands and feet. Working to heal the broken, bring hope to the hopeless, and light to the darkness.

God gave His only Son so that by accepting Him we could gain His inheritance. Not only to enter into the kingdom of heaven from the parting of this world, but to enjoy life more abundantly through Him on earth as well. It's only our reasonable service to serve Him after accepting such an amazing and free gift. There's no conditions tied to Gods love, but His Word states if we love Him we will obey His commandments.

This life is short. Like a vapor in the wind and then it's gone. What will you choose? Where is your eternity? Will you live as if you'll never die, and when tomorrow comes and you're standing before the throne will God say depart from me for I never knew you? Or will you live for God, so that He will say enter in my good and faithful servant?

At this a lyric comes to mind, "better is one day in your quarts than thousands elsewhere". One day in heaven is like a thousand here. Could you spare but a day for your Creator, your Savior, the Lover of your soul? A day to absorb yourself in his Word, to talk to Him, to get to know Him, to serve Him. Sometimes we look at a hill and see a mountain. Sometimes we look at a day and see a lifetime. How will you spend yours?

Outside Looking In

Some days it's like I have everything figured out. I know what I want out of life and where I think I'm headed. Then other days everything comes crashing down and I realize I have no clue what I want or where I'm going. No one does really. Well God knows. Seems that more and more of my friends are telling me that they have no clue where their lives are going or what they are doing with their lives. Which makes me feel a little relieved in some ways and scared in others. It's nice to know that I'm not alone in this lost confused place that I find myself in but scary to think that the majority of the people my age are wandering around as aimlessly as me, what does this mean for our futures? I try to trust in God and let Him guide my life and I know that He knows where my future is going but it's hard to stay close to God and concentrate on everything else in life too. I know the devil knows this and uses it to his advantage. He wants us all to get distracted so our shield of faith isn't strong enough to withstand his attacks and we fall. It's also hard when everyone around you seems to be doing whatever they want and not walking with God. You want to hang out with them and be apart of the I'll do whatever I want group but on the other hand you feel guilty for not living the way that you think you ought to. Then there are the people that you think have it all together. The people that from the outside look like they have no sin in their lives at all. The people that you would classify as the perfect Christians. Well newsflash there is no such thing. It's really hard when you see these people that you think are perfect and you find out that they are just as screwed up as you are. It makes you think is there no hope for the human race? Is it not possible for us to be good? And then the realization arises that of course we can't be good, not all the time at least. If we could then why would we need a savior? Why would we have needed Jesus to die for us if we could do it on our own? We can't. To be a Christian does mean to be Christ-like. Although we should strive to be like Him there's no way we can be Him. If we could be exactly like Him then we would already be blameless and wouldn't need the ultimate sacrifice to restore our relationship with the Father. All we can really do is to concentrate on our personal walks and pray for those around us. Live and let live.

The Person in the Glass

Looking at the world through clouded insecurities. Lost in the endless possibilities. Where am I going and whence have I came? What is there for me to gain? Who is this person I see in the glass? Is it truly me or a guarded mask? Walking quietly trying not to break. Holding on for my sanitys sake. Trying to figure out the next move I take and trying not to fall in the choices I make.

Moment by Moment

Sometimes I lie here and think about my future and it scares me. Mostly because I don't know for sure that I'll have one. We're not guaranteed our next breath, our next hour, our next day. So I think "I have to make the best out of right now, and be happy in this moment, and live for God in the present".

The present is really all that's sure. The past only lingers in our memories, photographs, and heirlooms. The future is a mystery that's being revealed as we live day by day. But the present is right now, it's happening around me as I write this, and you as you read.

Of course I try to plan ahead so that I'll pass my classes, get to work on time, remember important events and so forth, but it's really only God willing. If its my purpose to live until I'm 87 then I'll enjoy every day of it, moment by moment, but if it's my purpose to die at 42, I'll still do the same. It doesn't really matter what we do with our time here on earth as long as we're glorifying God, because we'll have eternity in heaven.

A lot of people who live "recklessly" use the excuse "I want to enjoy life while I'm here". I have two reasons why these people are stupid. 1. You can enjoy life without endangering yourself and others. And 2. I'm fairly certain that there is nothing this world could ever offer that God couldn't top in heaven.

Sometimes when I think about my future it aggravates me and stresses me out. Mostly because of the fact I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I've thought recently about going into journalism. Even though the outlook is declining. I'm hoping and praying that God will let me know soon what the game plan is. I just have to remember that it's in His timing, not mine.

In conclusion, the future and the thought thereof can be overwhelming. It can take a hold of you and destroy you. It can stress you out to the point that you're not even enjoying life anymore. It's not worth it. Just live your life in the moment. Have fun and be happy. Love yourself, love people, and above all else love God. <3

-JB

People Throwing Stones

A chill runs through my bones
When I remember all you've done
People are always throwing stones
Always jumping the gun
I make mistakes
But I know who I am
Looking toward the gates
For on the Rock I stand

-JB

Broken

Even as a Christian sometimes you have days when you just don't want to move. Like if you move you'll fall and break into a million pieces. Somedays you just want to lie there and wait. Wait for the time to pass, the feelings to pass, the horrible thoughts to pass. In those times we feel weak, unable to stand up for anything, not even ourselves. In times like these we should turn to God, we should fall into His endless love. We should pray, and read, and worship. That's not always what we do. We bottle up everything in us to open up everything at once at a later time. Then we hurt ourselves and those around us. We become angry and bitter, and we decide to fight against everyone, even those that are trying to rescue us from ourselves and the world. We feel alone and abandoned, when in actuality we never were. In these times we need to remember that we are being attacked, that we need to read and pray to be strong enough to prevail. We need to rely on the encouragement and guidance of our Christian friends and leaders. And most importantly we need to remember the love, grace, and mercy of God.

Lonely Bloom

Sometimes I just feel like being alone. I know at these times I may come off as being anti-social but that's really not my intention. I know most of my friends are just like “What the crap, where is Jess? Is she mad at us?” when this happens but it really has nothing to do with them and more to do with me just needing “me time”. I try to pack everything into my life, church, school, all of my friends, work, homework, and I forget to leave time for me sometimes, most of the time actually. So sometimes I just disappear for a few days, maybe a week or two, until I feel better. This weekend has felt like that, partly because I haven't felt so great and partly because I've just felt overwhelmed with life and needed some time to myself. Sometimes I like to just chill at my house, watch TV, eat junk food and lounge around in extremely baggy clothing. I love my friends, I actually think I have withdrawals from them sometimes haha. I love spending time with them and hanging out and being crazy, but when I get in this funk, or when I don't feel good, I just want to be by myself. I get paranoid and worry and analyze things a lot, so I worry that they think I'm mad at them or ditching them or something. Guys (this includes girls) if you read this, I promise I don't and I'm not. Just thought I'd rant for a few minutes, writing usually brings my stress level down and helps me see things in perspective. I'm like the bloom in the picture above. I'm delicate, easily broken, and alone, but I'm standing on the Rock, Jesus is my foundation. When I am weak, He is strong. <3

Victorious

So lately I've been angry at the world. There isn't one specific reason, just a bunch of things piling up that are causing me to stress out and want to hike ten miles on top of a mountain and live there. It has just been the little things but regardless of the situations in my life I shouldn't let them get me down or get me in the state I have been. Ten years from now who knows where God will have me. The crazy things that are going on in my life right now wont even be remembered. I hope not anyway. I hope I use my memory to store important things, happy things, people, places, and experiences that I love.

I know that I am not alone in this struggle. It says in the Bible that we have brothers and sisters facing the same situations. Though the “world” may be throwing all it has at us we all have to remember that we are children of God and He does have a plan for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 says: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” That is an amazing promise. God loves us. He knows the future that He has for us and He wants us to find hope in that. Jesus also says to be of good cheer for He has overcome the world. Jesus faced the same things that you and I face today. No He didn't have a cell phone that died just as He broke down on the side of the interstate sending Him into a fiery rage, but He did face temptation, and He overcame it. We can overcome this world too.

Learning the truth is essential in this battle against Satan and the evil forces at work in this world. Reading Gods Word, meditating on it, asking Him to show us what He wants us to learn, and storing His Word in our hearts, is like sharpening the blade of a sword before battle. The devil will be throwing fiery darts at us trying to get us to fall and trying to get us to drift away from our Lord and Savior but if we are prepared then we can defeat him. God has equipped us with three of the greatest weapons.

1) The Word of God, the Truth, our sword.

2)The Holy Spirit, our comforter, our guide.

3)The Church, our teachers, the ones that lift us up when we think we can't fight anymore.

With these three weapons we will be overwhelmingly victorious over the enemy. Be warned. He is a liar, a manipulator, and very persistent. But the Bible says: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.” (James 4:7-8) If we read everyday, pray everyday, get closer to Him, and just grow more in love with Him, then we will be able to see the devils attacks before we fall into them. We will be able to remember the Truth and not fall for his lies. We will be victorious.

I know that this started out with me telling you that I have been having a hard time lately, and this is true. But I know that it's just the devil trying to get me down so that I can't show Gods love, peace, and joy that comes with being close to Him. Even though things may get rough in our lives, we should still look to God for the answers. We should still show everyone around us the love that He first showed us. Life could always be worse. We could not know Jesus. I am happy to say even through the tough times, I am blessed. <3

Blessed

Today I've realized how truly blessed I am. I have an amazing family who would do anything for me. I have a place to live. A room and bathroom of my own. Food to eat. A car thats paid off A job that works around my crazy schedule which God provided. Being able to go back to school, which He also made possible. A loving, caring and close body of believers that I am proud to call my church family. Amazing leaders of said family. The most awesome youth group in the entire world. The best friends I could ever ask for in a million years. I don't know what I would do without them. I love them more than chocolate and coffee, yeah that much. I know if I ever needed anything or just a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to they would be there, and I would do the same for them. We keep each other up. As friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ we love and encourage each other. I love that. I love the closeness we all have. And I love that we're all connected by Christ. And most importantly I am regaining my closeness with God and the excitement of wanting to build that relationship and make it stronger. I'm not saying all this to boast. I'm only saying this because I truly am thankful for all God has given me, and as a testimony to how happy you can be with Christ. Yeah there are some things in my life that aren't going so great and there are things I stress about from time to time, but ultimately it's in Gods hands, and everything works together for the good for those who believe. You have to build a relationship with Him, you have to love Him, and you have to trust Him. Living life stressed out and unhappy is no way to live. Life is too short for that. Happiness is a choice. If you choose God He will give you happiness. And when bad things happen in your life He will be there to help you through it, He will give you strength. So to sum this all up, I love my life because of the One that gave up His for me. <3

Hike Your Own Hike

So I'm back in the real world. Away from all the nature and beauty that God created, and the freedom that it holds. I'm back to work schedules, alarm clocks, and cell phones. I can't help but wish I was back on top of looking glass mountain. The hike to get to the top was challenging. The temptation to stray off the path and take short cuts was almost unbearable. The urge the give up grew stronger with every step. But what kept me going was the strength that only God could provide, the hope of reaching the top and the promise of a beautiful view. I learned a lot from that hike. More than any hour sermon could have taught me. It was ironic because the lesson I learned was actually taught later, but if God hadn't shown it to me the hard way I would have never understood. Life is hard sometimes, a lot of the time, and you're going to have the desire to stray off of the straight and narrow, but if you stay on that path, the outcome is breathtaking, overwhelming and wonderful, greater than any mountain top view. I hope I can hold onto this lesson for the rest of my life. I hope I can break this cycle of stupidity. I want to love Him more, seek Him more, find the purpose He has for my life, I want to please Him. I learned more than one lesson this weekend at Overflow Camp 2011 but this one was the greatest. God knows how stubborn I am. He knows it takes pain before I realize the stove is hot. He knows us all, intimately, He knows how to teach us, and more importantly, how to bring us back to Him. The end result that we're looking for, the mountain top that we're trying to reach, is heaven, an eternity with our father, our maker, our best friend. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy Gods blessings here. If we follow Him and His calling for our lives, we can experience a little bit of heaven on earth, and a closer walk with Him. We just have to stay on the path, hike our own hike and be kingdom minded. The world will try to put obstacles in your way so you'll give up or stray but if you'll hold true God will give you the strength to make it to the top.

Treasure hunt?

I look back a lot. I look back at things I've wrote, life experiences, lessons learned, people I've met.... I probably ponder on the past more than I should to be perfectly honest. Some days I'm strong and happy and okay. Okay with being alone, with not having a career and not knowing what the future holds. Other days, days like today, I'm weak and insecure and lonely. I was looking back at one of my older posts today and envied the strong, independent person that wrote it. I tried to reach deep within me to resurrect that person, but sadly was unsuccessful. In the post I was content in life and just wanted to live each day to the fullest, enjoy every moment, and not stress about not having the "perfect" life. To an extent I still have that outlook but today I just didn't feel as confident in it. I'm sure in a few days I'll be out of this funk that I've found myself in, but until then, prayers are appreciated. I guess the only thing I can do for now is look for the good, try to be more confident in who I am, and not worry. I think this quote by an unknown author says a lot. "Don't miss all the beautiful colors of the rainbow looking for that pot of gold."

A few words or less

So there was this boy.... I fell in love....

I couldn't be patient... It ended in heartache...

Who's counting?

July 17, 1989... this was the day I was born. It doesn't feel like I've been on this earth for 22 years. I feel like I've done nothing with my life, with the time God has so graciously given me. I don't know how long I'll have in this small, yet overwhelmingly mass world I live in, but I hope I have long enough to make some sort of difference. Long enough to fulfill at least one of my dreams. Long enough to feel like I've lived.

I live my everyday life going through the motions mostly. Work, sleep, church, friends, being lazy... school will be added to this list in the fall. But what is it all for? I mean don't get me wrong, I'm happy for the most part, but sometimes it just feel like somethings missing. Sometimes I think the missing link is a guy. Someone to hold me and comfort me and tell me everything is going to be okay. But that's not it. Sometimes I think it's because I haven't excelled and completed school like I had hoped to do by now. But that's not it either. Other times I think it's just me being silly, looking for something, anything, to make my life less mundane. But that conclusion is wrong as well. I know one day I will find my perfect (the definition of this word is debatable) man, eventually I will finish school and have a career, and I know for a fact life is more than schedules and routines. But I think the main reason I feel like there has to be more and as if something is missing is because I've drifted away from God. I've tried filling the void with everything except the obvious solution. I want love, peace, happiness and health in my life. Thats what I strive for. The Bible plainly says He will give me those things if I live for Him. Is that the method I tried to follow to obtain that life? No, of course not. I'm Jess and I'm going to do what I want, how I want. (horrible outlook by the way for those of you that didn't already know) God knows who we are, and He knows the plans He has for us, so why I thought it was a good idea to do this crazy thing called life all on my own is beyond me. I've made some bad choices along the way, but like I said in my previous post, you can still find happiness, you just need to look for it in the right place.

So maybe I haven't accomplished anything in the 22 years I've been alive, but I have learned a few lessons that I hope to carry with me for the rest of my life, no matter how long or short that may be.

At Least I'm a Happy Mess : )

Sometimes the choices I make aren't the right ones but at least I make choices. My life is moving in some sort of direction. In making choices sometimes it brings about change but that's what makes life interesting. Without choices life would just be mundane and boring. Some of the choices I've made I admit were rather stupid but good has come from most of them anyway, and the ones that no good came from, well I've just got to try not to repeat those. Mistakes can be rather useful and beneficial if you learn from them, but if nothing is learned, the pain and aggravation is pointless. Sometimes choices are hard. You're afraid you will hurt someone or yourself, but ultimately if you don't make a choice and move on with your life you're hurting everyone involved because that's not really living your life, that's more like coasting along hoping everything will work out on it's own so you don't have to make a choice. Life doesn't usually work that way. Sometimes people get hurt, sometimes you'll get hurt, but that's a part of life that you can't escape. Some choices you'll be happy to make. Like do you want this free car? Well of course sir I will gladly take that off your hands. Or the question you've been waiting to hear since you were 8 asked by the man you don't want to live without. Those are easy choices. Life is made up of many choices like where you want to live, what you want to be, do you want to get married and have kids, do you want to drink, smoke, do drugs, do you want to settle down in one spot or travel the world? There are an unlimited amount of choices we have to make in life. We can't get them all right. At some point we're gonna screw up but in the end it'll be alright. You could make the choice to have unprotected sex and have a baby into a broken family or contract a disease but that doesn't mean your life is over. That baby could be the best thing to ever happen to you, it could put life into perspective and that disease could prevent others from making the same mistake by hearing your story. I'm not saying to have unprotected sex, because that would definitely fall under the bad choice or mistake category. I'm only saying that you can overcome bad choices and still have a happy and fulfilling life. But thats why in any decision you make you have to weigh the options and really think about it. Even the smallest decision deserves a measure of thought. In my case I have some regrets, but I try to look past them to the reasons I made those choices and then try to fix the problem. I'm currently trying to get everything back on track for where I want to go in life and trying to figure out exactly who I am and what I want along the way. I can't wait to start school back in the fall, I'm working a job I don't hate, and I have amazing friends. My life is good. Somedays I do get down because I feel like I'm never going to find that true love, but other days I don't even know if I want to get married. I'm a mess and I know it, but at least I'm a happy mess. : ) So the moral of my mini rant is choices are important, think about them for a short period of time, and then make them. Live your life, don't just exist.