Once Upon a Time

Since I am not in school this semester and my job seems to be giving me less and less hours, I have a vast amount of time to think. I recognize the dangers of this, haha, but also value a few of the things I've discovered about myself.

1.) I love stories. ALL kinds of stories. Personal stories, make-believe stories, stories about squirrels, stories about family, and my favorite are stories about Jesus and his friends. My  husband can attest to this because if a movie is playing, I'm LOCKED in on what's happening. I'm a fabulous communicator, but if I am watching/reading/listening to a story I'm virtually unreachable. This also happens to make me a great listener and friend, because if a friend of mine is sharing a story i can promise that I am completely present.

2.) I can actually be quite lazy. Surprise surprise. I thought that after surviving college I would just find things to fill my time and not just sit around....but let's face it folks, I'm getting pretty good and staring into space. I am learning to deal with my lack of things to do, and try to embrace and even enjoy this time because Lord knows it will not last forever and sooner or later I'll be looking back on this year with fond thoughts wondering why I ever complained.

3.) Like my Mother, I am discovering that Jesus finds me no matter where my mind is. For example - my senior year in high school, I was a little worried about the future (a little = understatement) and God comforted me through a television show called Stargate: Atlantis. I KNOW. I sat in my living room completely flabbergasted that God just used T.V. to rock my world. There may have been tears.

Now that you know this about me, the following discovery may make sense. :0)

I am currently watching a show called "Once Upon a Time." It's the tale of a bunch of storybook characters stuck in our world due to a curse cast by an evil queen. I may be a geek, but it really is an awesome show and lemme tell you why - in the town of Storybrook ( i know...embrace the cheese) nobody remembers who they are. The school teacher has no recollection that she's really Snow White and that the man in a coma at the hospital is her prince charming, the psychiatrist has no idea he's really Jimminey Cricket, and I'm pretty sure the town mayor has no idea that she's really the evil queen who cast the curse. Intense right? It's a story about identity!!! And of course when I think about all these poor storybook characters who've forgotten who they are, I start thinking about who I am. God created me knowing who i was going to be, and what he could entrust to me while I am living on earth. For years I didn't know that. I knew God existed cause my parents kinda told me so, but he wasn't real for me. When I finally figured out that God was there and that he loved me, and that he really did create me - my identity got so clear. I am a Child of God, a Princess to Jesus's Prince. Jesus is my brother, God my father, and the Holy Spirit the beat of my heart. I had purpose! YAY! Now to be fair, I'm still trying to figure out what that purpose is but I know that my story is apart of his Story and now I don't worry about the future so much anymore. Figuring out who I was is the most freeing experience I've ever had, no matter the duties and responsibilities that came with it.

I am seriously looking forward to watching the lights come on in Storybrook as all of these fanstastical characters figure out who they really are. :0)

Tessa

"You are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." ~Galatians 3:26-29

Matt and I are currently attending a church called "Missio Dei" on Sunday nights here in Pomona, which isn't exactly set up like a normal church. On a typical Sunday night we gather for worship, eat a meal together, sing some awesome songs, and instead of a sermon we open up the Bible and talk about it. Honestly, it's fantastic. I like being able to share my knowledge and thoughts on the Bible instead of having one man or woman talk at me every Sunday. Matt and I are coming to find a home here, we're making some pretty cool friends, and soakin' up God's word. Yippee!!! LOVE.

Last night the above verses were the topic of discussion. Somewhere in the discussion, it was mentioned that we each have our own personal prejudice against one kind of people or another. It's true, even if you are unaware of it, there is a kind of person you come into contact with that if you met them on the sidewalk you'd cross the street to avoid them. Sorry people, but let's be real. We discussed that for whatever reason it is much more difficult to love these people than any other kinds of people.

Sitting there last night, I had to ask to myself - why does it have to be so difficult? And the answer came to me. It doesn't have to be difficult to love these people at all. The other morning I was out on what has become my routine walk with my doggie Dizzy, and on our way home we ran into a young girl looking for the Fairplex. I of course explained to her where it was and she said she was supposed to meet her dad there. It eventually came out that she'd been off and on homeless since she was 15 because her mother didn't much care to have her around. A friend had dropped her off in Pomona the previous night with out telling her where she was, and her dad was on his way to get her from Vegas (a three to four hour drive). He had suggested meeting at the Fairplex. My heart started beating for this young woman. It was strange, I can be honest and say I wouldn't normally invite a homeless person into my house, cook them breakfast, and give them presents. Haha. I honestly think Jesus filled me up with love enough to love this girl, Tessa, for that Friday morning. It was SO EASY. I found myself giving her my extra toothbrush, a pair of jeans that no longer fit me but looked great on her, let her use my shower. I even gave her a ride out to Ontario so that she could wait for her dad in a place where he would know where to find  her.

I don't do stuff like that. But it was SO EASY. Loving this girl was so natural. When she asked me why I was being so nice I even surprised myself by saying, "It's what Jesus would do."

I share this experience, not to toot my own horn, or make anyone feel guilty for not doing the same. I share this story so that you can know that loving people who are socially outcasted or who make your prejudice list can be incredibly easy to love if you let Jesus be that love for you. I don't stop for every homeless person, but on that day - Jesus sent this girl to me cause he knew I'd take care of her. It was so easy.

Maybe if we stop thinking about loving people as being hard, and instead know it to be easy and fulfilling, the way we see and interact with those people on the street may change.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Jesus Christ."

Amen.

Positively Positive.

Life hardly ever goes the way you plan it. I think that's one of the quirks of being human, we plan and then plans don't happen or they happen differently. I'm learning however that it's how we deal with the future God has planned rather than the future WE planned that makes us who we are.
So this year, instead of doing as we planned, Matt and I are staying in California and I am on a hunt for a job. Huzzah! I am actually feeling ridiculously positive about this turn of events. Taking a year off of school may end up being the perfect time for Matt and I to figure out who we are as a couple, and what we want to do with our life together. It'll be a time of ministry for both of us in whatever way we see fit! I'm going to continue helping out at Glenkirk in the Jr. High dept, and Matt and I may be starting up a ministry of our own. ;0)
Also - the BIGGEST perk of not moving this summer was the addition of the cutest member of our family. Our new doggy, Dizzy. :0) She's about the cutest thing I've ever met in my life and so far I love taking care of her. She likes to curl up next to me when I read, and watch TV with me and Matt. She also likes kids, dogs, cats, and really - people in general. I'm sorta in love with her.
Also, we discovered that she is an incredibly fast runner. Like FAST. Matt even had a hard time keeping up with her. :0)

Well today I am off to my first interview with Barnes and Noble. Wish my luck!! I'll keep you posted.

Learning to Drive - again.

In preparation for our move across the country, a decision had to be made. Whose car were we going to take on this massive and awe-inspiring journey?

I have had my car, which I have fondly called "Blinky" due to it's rather loud blinker noise, for nearly 5 years. That's right my friends, five years. When I graduated high school back in '007, my amazing grandparents gave me a hefty sum of money which allowed me to buy Blinky, and make payments on the loan for a few months. This wonderful car has had it's ups and downs, including transmission failure and squeaky breaks, a stereo with a mind of it's own and a trunk that cannot be popped from the inside because the button is broken. Most importantly, Blinky has an automatic transmission. I have loved this car to pieces, and it's been on quite a few adventures with me. Journeys through LA, San Diego, and the greater Glendora/LaVerne/Pomona area.

With all this back story, you'd think that Blinky would be a shoe-in for our journey to Indiana. You'd be wrong. Apparently when it comes to cars, boys get their way. *Sigh* So it has come to pass that Blinky will remain in CA under the protection of my little sister, while Matt and I travel across the country in the 2000-something-odd, red, STICK SHIFT, Saturn which Matt named "Agent  99" because of Anne Hathaway in that one Steve Carrell movie. Boys will be boys.

AND SO. Here I am learning how to drive a manual car. I attempted this once at the age of 16- stalled 13 times at a red light on the way to school, cried my way through 1st period, and swore never to drive another one of those beasts again. God is giggling at me as I write this.

A few days ago was my first lesson in the Saturn, and I must say that I am grateful for such a wonderful teacher. Matt is very patient with me, and also rather creative. The hardest part of driving a stick shift is making the car move, which makes me nervous for green lights. So Matt and I drove around the parking lot at my Dad's church and practised making the car move. It's a rather involved process have to do with the clutch peddle and the gas peddle and a need for coordination. If you move one peddle or the other too fast or panic, the car stalls. I am very good at stalling, a pro really. However, I got the car to move forward. HUZZAH!

When Matt thought I was getting the hang of it, he'd make up these crazy scenarios to motivate me to make the car move quickly. You see, I was being very cautious and slow about it because I really didn't want to stall.
One of these scenarios was, "Ok you just cut off the lady behind you and stopped at the yellow light she wanted you to run. She's pretty angry at you right now, and the light just turned green...GO!"
I stalled.
He tried a different scenario -
"Jen, all the jeeps at jurassic park are broken this is the last mode of transportation. You are our only hope. The T-rex is right behind us! GO GO GO!"
I stalled again. I looked at him, "I don't do well in high pressure situations!"
We laughed at me.

If he didn't offer one of his crazy scenarios I started the car moving just fine, but as soon as I imagined a T-rex about to eat me.... I stalled. Word of advice, if you and I are ever inside Jurassic park and the last car available is a stick shift don't make me drive. It'll save your life.

I have a month to figure this out.... I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.....

The Tragic and Epic Tale of One Who Sought to Change Her Name

For those of you who have been wondering why it took me so long to change my name - I have a story for you.

There once a young girl who went by the name of Jennifer Scarr, such a nice name. She had nothing against that name, except perhaps how people made fun of her in elementary school for being "Scar's evil sister" - think Lion King. But then, just before her sophomore year in college she met a nice boy who also had a nice name - Matthew Bellue. She sort of fell incredibly in love with this person and before she could blink they were married! Awwwwwwwwwww. Yes, quite. And as is tradition, when a lady gets married she has the option of changing her name. Though Jennifer Scarr was quite fond of her maiden name, she decided it might be cool to have the same last name as her knight in shining armor, so after the wedding she sat in anticipation for her Marriage Certificate. Yes, for it was that one document that would pave the way to the changing of her name.

And she waited.....

and waited....

After two months her spider sense tingled. "Something is not right," she said to herself pensively. So Jennifer Scarr decided to call the County Clerks Office....and wouldn't you know it but there wasn't a number on the Internet that connected her to a live human being. Her cheeks turned pink with frustration and she pawed through the packet given to her when she and her knight bought the marriage license. (Yes this is a TWO step process gentle readers.) There amidst the packet's pages she discovered....an application. AGH. It appeared to this young girl that not only do you apply for a license, you also apply for a marriage certificate. and ALACK - the silly thing had to be notarized. So the agony ensued.

Jennifer Scarr and her knight of a different last name jumped through many hoops, got things signed, and sent that blasted thing on its way in hopes that one day these two love birds would share a last name......maybe.

they waited......

and waited.....

and waited....

FINALLY - a piece of mail from the County Clerk's office! Sweet bliss! Jennifer Scarr tore the letter open expecting to see a marriage certificate. Her stomach did flippy flops, and frustration burned up to her eye balls when she realized that they had not enclosed a check. Oh yes, gentle readers... you need to PAY for proof of marriage. Isn't life grand? With a huge sigh, Jennifer Scarr limply handed the bad news to her knight who said "No Problem!" and he left a check on the desk for Jennifer Scarr to sign, put in the envelope, and then into the mail the following day.

Disheartened but not defeated, Jennifer Scarr did so and sent the second attempt on its way. You are starting to get the picture here yes? There was MORE waiting, and constant checking of the bank account to see if the County Clerk has cashed the check to make the certificate. Nothing.

A few weeks later..... HUZZAH! Another letter from the County Clerk! Sure that this one would be THEE one, Jennifer Scarr ripped open the letter once more only to find bitter disappointment and slight embarrassment. Indeed, Jennifer Scarr had signed the check but for whatever reason she had flipped it over and signed it on the BACK! "Why? Why would I do that???" She thought to herself as she ripped that check into a billion pieces to ease her frustration. Sigh.

And now we come to the last ditch attempt of Jennifer Scarr. Double Checking every single detail of the contents of the letter she was about to send forth, she carefully put all contents into an envelope, addressed and stamped it and prayed one last tired prayer while she dropped the letter into that big blue box of doom.

Five months have passed since that beautiful, dream-like day when Jennifer Scarr married Matthew Bellue, and FINALLY, after all that mailing - remailing - and correctly signing checks, the allusive Certificate of Marriage arrived in the mail. It must be said that this piece of paper is nothing special - it's the marriage license photo copied onto pretty paper. Sigh. But at least she had the Certificate!!!

Jennifer Scarr set right to changing her name by going to appointments at the DMV, Social Security, and Bank. With that piece of paper, everything was quite easy!

And NOW it is with great pleasure that Jennifer Scarr is now Officially - Jennifer K. Bellue.

Sheesh.

Wisdom from the Trails...

When I was in Harrisburg, PA a few summers ago I met this awesome lady named Christine who walked to and from work 6 miles every day. When I got home, I thought to myself that if she could walk 12 miles a day I could bike 6! So I started riding my bike to and from school. It's been almost two years, and so I have compiled a list of wisdom for those who commute by bike -

1. Dress Appropriately - this means check the weather silly pants! Just because it's sunny outside doesn't mean it's warm, and just because it's gloomy doesn't mean it's cold! Ah the tricky state of CA weather.... *sigh*

2. Road Kill - When one is driving in one's car, one doesn't exactly notice Roadkill all that often. It passes in a second, and unless it's a skunk,  you don't really smell it. Well friends, on a bike you see it coming, you ride right past it (unfortunately close enough to see all the damage), the smell is ridiculous and then you pass it. Currently there is not only one but TWO dead possums on my route to school....every morning is like a brief form of torture.

3. Cars - These beasts have no concept of a biker's personal bubble. *sigh* They either think you don't have one - meaning they pass you super closely making you wonder if their side mirror bumped you or if you were just imagining it OR they think you have a really big personal bubble - meaning they drive slowly behind you backing up traffic until they feel it's safe enough to pass you. I have actually waved cars by me before. yeesh.

4. Matthew - yes, it pays to have a husband who formerly worked at a bike shop!!!! He puts air in my tires, fixes all my bike problems, and on top of it all I get to kiss him!!! yay!

5. The Chain - is a mysterious little thing. Make sure it's intact before taking off in the morning you may end up, as i did, trying to guide your bike to the nearest corner from the center of a busy intersection attempting not to get run over by a car. Jeepers.

6. Avoid Glass, sticks, plastic, and other large debris while riding. Apparently they cause damage to tires and tubes.

7. When you believe you have a flat tire, do NOT attempt to take a turn going 17 mph because you will crash. Unless you're me, then you will just almost crash - regain balance - and then walk your bike the rest of the way home.

These points at least have been my experience with biking to and from school/work for the past few years. I can't wait to experience all the new points when I get to Richmond! Huzzah biking!

p.s. as scary as all that stuff sounds.... it was only over the course of 2 years and most of the time I have fun. ;0)

Thoughts on Transitions...

As moving day looms ever nearer, my mind gets caught up on how in the world do we transition from one place to the next?

Questions like - when's a good time to transition out of working with my current jr. high group? What's it gonna be like not having a job for a few months? Finding a place to live.... Moving expenses.... leaving my family, dear friends, ULV theatre, and 75 degree weather. Finding a new job, adjusting to new weather, new place, new school....

I'm pretty sure that God made me for transitions. That it's like in my blood or something. I seem to end up in the youth group that's between youth pastors, or helping someone settle into a new youth group, I'm drawn to Jr. High kids (the biggest transitioners in the world, twix elementary school and high school), I end up at a theatre with transitioning technical directors. And it seems like once the transitions are over, God moves me on to something else. My life has been anything but a constant. True story.

So how do you deal with living in transition? If you know you're only going to be somewhere for a short time, how do you handle that time and how much do you invest? My Philosophy is - go all in, all the time. Love each and ever person you encounter completely, because they deserve it. Serve the people around you. Bring a light and a smile into the room that stays behind when you have to leave. Invest in friendships, mentor those who need it, and when possible - go the extra mile to make things right. I'm soooo not saying I'm perfect or that I do stick to this philosophy all the time, but I try for it. I didn't come up with this philosophy, observing Jesus's life led me to these conclusions. Depending on what you believe, Jesus either knew he was going to die or he didn't. I'm pretty sure that at some point Jesus figured it out, probably early in his ministry, that he only had 3 years and not 30 to teach his message....and then he gave it everything he had until he had to leave. He didn't pull back, or distance himself from his disciples. He didn't do less, or love less because he knew his time was short. He went all in. And humanity is better for it. I'm better for it.

Knowing that about Jesus, continues to push me to give what I can while I'm here to give it.

Karuna

I am currently taking a class at school on the eastern world religions, and I gotta say there are quite a few of them. The professor is challenging my brain to take in an overload of information, and I keep counting my lucky stars that I am at least familiar with most of the religions we're studying so I'm not completely in the dark like some of my classmates. The biggest bummer is that this class is FIVE hours long. Yep you read me right... FIVE. From 5:00 to 10:00 every Monday night. Jeepers.

Last night in class we began to look at Buddhism. Due to my parents recent trip to Japan and their keen interest in the religion, I do have a kind of understanding regarding the Buddha and his teachings. As the professor was telling us the story of Buddha's life and his goals, I skipped ahead and re-read again the 4 Noble Truths. These are the basics of Buddhist belief. Though I read them in high school and have had to memorize them for many a test, the explanation in my text book struck me differently this time. The first noble truth is "All life is suffering." Meaning that the majority of life is met with suffering, as even the greatest pleasures do not last. Kind of depressing, huh? That's where I thought this truth ended... but it doesn't end there. It continues with a purpose. Buddhists believe that though one cannot complete remove suffering from the life of another they can employ compassion (Karuna) and kindness (Maiti) to alleviate the pain for a little while. I found this to be quite a beautiful act of service.

My whole life I've wanted to change the world, fight injustice, be the super hero and help where it was needed most. A pastor once told me, "I was kind of afraid of you. You are a revolutionary." But the truth I have come to terms with is the truth that I cannot save the world. No matter how hard I try to rid the world of pain, anger, war, famine, and heartache I can't do it. And it is no longer my mission.

I want to employ karuna and maiti, to alleviate the pain for a little while. I want my home to be a place where people can come in heartbroken and leave feeling a little lighter. If I can't solve your problem, at least I can bless you with love, compassion, a hug, and a smile.

See? Jesus can even speak to us through Buddhism. Fancy that. ;0)

Moutains of Love,
Jen

Proverbs 21:3

"Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far more to God than religious performance."~ Proverbs 21:3 

I am taking a class this semester called Contemporary Themes in Christian Thought with Dr. Dan Campana. Based on the books assigned for the course as well as the first few lectures, I believe I am about to get a crash course in Liberation Theology.  
Liberation Theology, in its simplest form, is basically action over intellect. The people behind these kinds of systematic theologies love to get out of the church and help meet the needs of the poor, the orphans, widows, unemployed, the list goes on. I guess another way to simply phrase liberation theology is meeting the needs of the people before the preaching starts. To introduce us to this theory, Dr. C showed us a few clips from the movie, Sister Act. I LOVE this movie, and so to watch it in a Christian thought class was totally awesome. The clips he chose to show were that of the nuns getting out into the community and making friends with the 'hood'. This move out into the community deeply troubles the Reverend Mother, played by Dame Maggie Smith. Dr. C likened Reverend Mother to the tradition thinking of the institutional church, and Whoopie Goldberg's character to the "get out there and do something" mindset that Jesus had. It was quite a delightful class.
The verse above came up at my Jr. High group last wednesday. The Pastor was encouraging the kids to speak up for those other kids at school who are getting emotionally shattered each day by those classic teenage bullies. For me, that verse struck a new chord... 
How did religion get to be so heady? ya know? Sit in a classroom and learn the doctrines, the creeds, figure out what you believe and then think about it some more. Didn't Paul say it was as simple as believing in Jesus as our savior? And if it's THAT simple, shouldn't we be sharing that instead of hoarding it up in our studies and classrooms? And yet differing systematic theologies are fascinating to me...
Last Friday, I had the pleasure of listening to Brother Cornel West speak at my school. This man blew my mind and I gotta admit, he was quite inspiring. 
An existential Christian, West shared his wisdom about the current state of our world. He values each culture for the insights it brings to the world, indigenous, black, Spanish, European, Australian, you name it. He spoke in such a way that I left the auditorium with chills running down my spine and a new role model. Here was a political activist, unafraid to speak his mind, aware of the impoverished condition of our country (both physically and spiritually) and he proclaims Jesus Christ as the motivator for his mission. Jesus is his center, and I must say it was SO refreshing to hear someone speak who thought like me. Furthermore, the guy got out there and did something. He teaches at Princeton, teaches kids to think outside their box. And what a life this man has led...
I'm currently reading through his auto-biography, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. This book is a challenge to put down.... I'll let you know how it turns out. ;0)

Just Around the Corner

2-3-2011

I would like to start this post by proclaiming for myself and for those reading, that God is in control.
Matt and I got married less then a month ago and that day sparked the course for so much change in my life personally, and our life as a niave married couple...haha.
Soon I will be graduating from the University of LaVerne and we will be moving into the vast unknown that is Indiana so that I can go to Bethany Seminary in the fall. SO much needs to happen yet in order for that move to take place including but  not limited too, finding a place to live and finding a job for Matthew. Those are like the two biggest things...haha. It's a scary thought to move 3000 miles away from family and friends - from everything familier, it's scary to go to a school I've only visited once and live in a town who's way of life is completely foreign compared to my upbringing in Southern CA.

((By the by, I am sometimes amazed at Matt's trust in me and the calling God's placed on my life. He's willing to move to place he's never been before and trust me to a school of which he's only seen the website and few pictures. I cannot stress how blessed I am to have such a supportive and trusting husband as my best friend.)) 

How in the world did God manage to call me to Indiana??? of all places. Let me tell you friends, sometimes I wonder. I think it's safe to say that Matt and I are excited for this change, and at the same time kinda nervous. At times I am uncertain of my journey, as there are many wonderful seminaries right here in my home town that would offer me a mind-blowing education. It's tempting, but there's this still small voice that softly says, "That's not for you, daughter."
As I've pondered these things, I've come to realize that God loves to push me out of my comfort zone and expand my understanding of how other people live. If we stayed in CA, we'd be living in our comfort zone around the people and places that we love. This wouldn't be a bad thing, but I believe that sometimes in order to see what God has planned, you gotta shake things up a little.
We are going to miss California. The people, the beach, the weather, disneyland...haha - but I know in my heart God's got something big planned for our lives in Indiana and beyond.
Each of us in on a different path, we all have different journeys. Our path is leading us away into the exciting unknown. :0)

Suddenly June seems really, really near....

With love and hope,
Jen Bellue

A Changing Life

Howdy!

My summer is drawing to a close, but I feel once again that it's just another beginning. I'd like to think that my life is full of beginnings rather than endings - don't you? When you think about something ending as the beginning to something else, it seems more positive and happy. So there you go, it's getting close to the beginning!!!

Looking back on this summer, I can say that I have learned a LOT. Strangely enough, what initially was a push out of my comfort zone became my exact comfort zone. Going into the summer I was super nervous about trying to keep afloat a whole Jr. High ministry. Luckily, it came already planned with pool parties, movies, and sunday school galore. I was a little anxious about being the only person in charge, but after the first few experiences I found out that I wasn't half bad at it. haha. Being placed into a leadership position I wasn't exactly expecting, gave me loads of confidence in my own leadership skills. It's one thing to have a whole bunch of people who love you tell you you're a born leader, it's another to have a whole bunch of kids (who are normally squirrly and throwing paper airplanes) listen to you giving directions or talking about Jesus.

And this confidence expands beyond ministry to my very own regular mundane life (haha) as I enter into my (can you believe it?) SENIOR year of college. For quite awhile I've been a theatre kid. I've acted in plays since my 8th grade year at Ramona Middle School, and I have loved every bit of it. When I got to college, I'd had enough people tell me i was a "natural" that I figured I'd major in it. hahaha.
But my life is changing, my passions are changing, and who I want to be is changing. I love change. It's scary for me and exhilarating at the same time. But I think this summer has given me the confidence to own who I am becoming.

This next year, though I am remaining a theatre major, I will not be acting in the mainstage shows. Instead, I'll be focusing my time on my dear Jr. High girls, and helping Scott continue what I have come to know as an awesome ministry. I want to keep learning about this stuff and seminary is too far away! hahaha. This decision was placed before me a few months back, it was a challenge which God gave to me with a smile, I'm sure. I've wrestled with it, talked myself back and forth and into stitches....and every time I've heard that familiar fatherly voice pulling me into the lives of these kids. I can't help but love every single thing about them! Every single thing. hahaha. Where most people roll their eyes over this age group, I find myself laughing and loving the quirks. Such a strange spiritual gift - Jr. High Ministry. hahaha. But I can't deny this part of my spirit, as much as theatre has meant to me these past years - my heart is taking what the stage taught me and moving on.
So here's to a new beginning!!!!!!

Speaking of beginnings -
A wedding is coming! YIKES! I'm so excited. My bridesmaids are all fitted and dresses are on their way! I've had a meeting with a super cool decorations lady by the name of Debbie, and she's helping me decorate the sanctuary and reception hall. I've started keeping an eye out for stuff like that... Matt and I are super close to booking our honeymoon (which for some reason makes all this feel way more real than it did before) and we are possibly going to look for a wedding band for Matt tomorrow! (He's an overachiever and already has mine.)
Also looking forward to hand making the invitations! They are going to be fun!
*deep breath*
I'm so excited, I get carried away. I cannot wait to be married to this amazing man! GAH! I'm so totally excited. Did I mention he's amazing? Cause he is.

Hope this finds everyone smiling, well, and possibly giggling!
With all kinds of love,
Jen

It's More Like Falling In Love....

Hello Familia and Amigos! (thought I'd switch it up this time.)

I hope this blog finds you abounding in joy and love, cause you deserve nothing less. This last week for me has been rather calm compared to the week of VBS craziness. It's kind of awesome to have something to talk about that almost everyone in your group can relate to. To be able to say, "Remember that one time..." and have everyone laugh or squirm depending on the memory. It's events like VBS, camp, and other kinds of service projects that bring a group of kids together and I love it.

So there is this radio station I occasionally listen to out here in the west called Air1. They are kind of all over the US, but I didn't discover them until I got to La Verne...anyway - I was listening to this radio whilst getting ready for the day and this song happened to be playing -

Jason Gray - More Like Falling in Love From the album Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue

Give me rules
I will break them
Give me lines
I will cross them
I need more than a truth to believe
I need a truth that lives, moves, and breathes
To sweep me off my feet
It ought to be

(CHORUS)
More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love

Give me words
I'll misuse them
Obligations
I'll misplace them
'Cause all religion ever made of me Was just a sinner with a stone tied to my feet It never set me free
It's gotta be

More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love

It's like I'm falling in love, love, love
Deeper and deeper
It was love that made Me a believer
In more than a name, a faith, a creed
Falling in love with Jesus brought the change in me
It's gotta be

More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love

It's songs like these that catch the truth in me and make me think a little deeper about how I came to be. I grew up solidly in 'Religion' and discovered early on that people who didn't go to church got turned off by that word: "Religion." It's a word that holds a lot of negativity for a lot of people, it never did for me - but because it has for others I've sought to figure out why. I think that negativity comes from certain experiences people have had in which a church as a whole, or a church member has told them everything that was wrong with them. That they were a bad person, and there was nothing they could do to change it except set up all these rules to keep them from sinning. The New Guy never finds Jesus for all Religion. We get caught up in the rules and routine, sometimes we forget that religion is a relationship. Jesus longs for relationship, not a to-do list of i love yous. Living like Jesus has to be more like falling in love.
I was 15 when I finally figured out that Jesus loved me. I mean I suspected it before, but i finally believed it when I was 15. Thinking back to that year, I was super giddy and lovey - wanted to be friends with everybody and I even wrote God love notes. Yep, I was fallin' in love. As the initial giddy-ness faded, I needed to show God I loved him instead of telling him all the time. Kind of like, after you've been a relationship a while just saying "i love you" doesn't always cut it, the other person wants to know it and sometimes the things you do speaks louder than the things you say. My way became encouraging those around me, and after a while - Jr. High Ministry.
Though i was taught the bible my entire life, was taught religion, and for the most part lived by it - I didn't start living like I was Loved until Jesus and I clicked. Then all the service became meaningful, thought Jr. High ministry is tough sometimes - I want to do it, and being in love with Jesus keeps me wanting to be there for these kids. I guess it's how I say 'I love you.'

One more anecdote before I sign off - we were all the JH pool party last night and I got the opportunity to talk to the Mom hosting us for a while. She is amazing, i have so much respect for Moms who long to teach their kids about Jesus and who are looking for new ways to do so. She says "I love you Jesus" by getting involved in the spiritual lives of her kids. That is a gift her boys won't fully understand until they are "all growed up" but they'll appreciate it forever. She definitely made it into the collage of mothers I look up to. :0)

Well I'm off to another weekend of wonderful awesomeness. Got an email yesterday that told me my wedding dress came in. 0_0 3 months my booty! Ah well... at least that's done and I don't have to worry about it! Bridesmaids dresses are all picked out, just one more lovely girl to get fitted and the order's off. The wedding gets steadily more real every day. GAH.

Have a wonderful weekend and know that I love you,
Jen

Holding Down the Fort!

Hello Family and Friends,

I hope this blog finds you pleasant, rested, and smiling! The reason I entitled this post "Holding Down the Fort" is because Scott Boss - JH Mentor extraordinaire, is in West Virginia with a group of High Schoolers doing a missions trip! That's right! I'm in charge! Buwahahahahahahaha. *sigh* Sadly I'm too responsible to actually take advantage of this moment. ;0) I've actually been discovering that most of the work I've been doing has been out of the office types of work. I think I might try organizing Scott's desk while he's away... it might help...it might hinder. Who knows? Could be fun.

p.s. could anyone tell me where the saying "Holding Down the Fort" came from? Just a random question.

Well last week was a jam packed crazy week full of crazy craziness. and I LOVED it! VBS was held everyday from 9 to 1, and we then held VBS After Hours at various awesome places around Glendora.

Final Tally =
Taco Tuesday (Del Taco) - 93 kids, 336 tacos consumed.
Pack Out In-N-Out - 115 kids
Golden Spoon Take-Over - 83 kids
Night Game "Sponge King" - 135ish kids

Needless to say, it was pretty EPIC. The best story comes from Thursday's Golden Spoon Takeover. At 7:00pm it started thundering and we saw lightening. I was all - Dude this is California, in JULY. Then it rained. It rained in July, and it was so awesome. Kids ate frozen yogurt and played in the rain. I was reminded of our time in the Philippines a few summers ago...it rained almost every other day and it was hot! haha. It was a nice reminder, a comfort to think about the people we met there and the work of the Lord that's continuing even today.
After Last week's epic-ness, we're taking it easy this week on the ministry front. Doing a Pool Party on Wednesday and that's about it! Woot woot!

Sunday School has been an interesting beast to tackle. Leaders, as I've mentioned before, are scare over the summer. There was one sunday where it was me and 25 Jr. Highers for 25 minutes before my friend Hillary bounced heroically into the room to save my life. hahaha. I have a new respect for Jr. High Teachers, to say the least. Depending on who's in the group on Sunday it's either easy to get through the lesson...or it's easier to give up and play tag. Such is Jr. High ministry. I'm a firm believer that the curriculum should come second to relationships. So if they kids wanna talk about something, or just need some time to hang out - that's just as fun for me as teaching a pre-planned lesson. Kids learn by observation and by asking questions, if we don't give them these kinds of opportunities they aren't being challenged to grow. Hahaha, I say "Kids" like I'm not still a Kid myself silly Jen...I guess it would be better to say that: People (all kinds) learn by observation and by asking questions. Some of these Jr. Highers are asking questions Socrates wrestled with. I love it.

I suppose I'm just rambling now - but whilst I ramble, might as well mention that I've been reading the Anne of Green Gables series. How many people out there remember those? Heck yes, they are amazing. For those of you unfamiliar with these books, they are the story of an orphan girl taken on accident to a family who wanted a boy. They end up keeping her, and the stories follow Anne through school, friendship, love, and loss - her imagination prevailing the whole way. Anne and myself are twins souls across fiction. Her imagination is just as big as mine, she has a quick temper that I used to be able to call my own, and a fierce love of kids and peers. I love those books...they are addicting. What I most love about Anne is her understanding of God and Heaven, and the contrast it provides in the narrow minded town of Avonlea. At one point in her childhood - Anne looks at a picture of Jesus, and says, "I don't think this is what the Lord should look like." Her guardian is aghast at her blasphemy and says, "Of course that's how the Lord is supposed to look." Anne looks all pensive and says, "Shouldn't he be smiling?"
I also love when she is trying to explain Heaven to a little boy who thinks Heaven is in the attic because when he asked where it was his cousin pointed to the ceiling and said, "Up there." Anne corrects this by saying that heaven is a place where you can eat 10 kinds of icecream and wear whatever you want, a place to be happy all the time, and that it certainly wasn't in the attic.
Though she is a fictional character, she's a role model of mine. hahahaha. I'm pretty sure if she were real, we'd be extremely close friends. This is probably why I like reading about her life!! Hahahaha. What can I say? We all have our guilty pleasures.

On the Wedding Front -
Not much has been accomplished or changed since my last blog. But I am super excited for next monday cause we are going for Bridesmaids dresses! GAH! I'm so excited. I love dress shopping, especially for girls I love so dearly!
Oh yes, and my dear little cousin Hailey Haldeman is gonna be our flower girl! She's basically the cutest thing on the planet. And I love her. She'll be an absolute darling. :0)

Well I believe that's about all for now. It's weird to think that school starts up again in about a month... when did that happen? I have to start thinking about Books, and tests, and...and... cafeteria food. Yuckie. hahaha. Only one more first day of college!

Love you all, and I pray lots of peace and rest and love into your life!
Love,
Jen

VBS and Some interesting Life Choices...

Hello Friends and Family!

I hope this blog post finds you all well and smiling! This week is VBS week at Glenkirk...and let me tell you it's QUITE the event!! About 850 kids showed up yesterday for the first day and were led by about 300 Jr. High and High School students through all the activities. It was such a humbling experience to look across a sanctuary PACKED with kids under the age of 11 and their leaders. I loved watching Jr. Higher's take control and be leaders fer these younger kids. It was so awesome, and totally warmed my heart. I love when different ministries in a church overlap like that...it's like...perfection.

Anthony and Stacey (Children's Ministry Gurus extraordinaire) have put together an awesome program, and the worship center looks SO legit with intelligent lights, gobos, an awesome pirate ship, and solid worship band. I am so impressed with the scope of this thing....the biggest VBS I'd ever been a part of had 100 kids...and that was in Harrisburg last summer. Before that....I'd never been a part of a VBS of more than 35 to 50 kids. So 850....blows my mind. As much as that number is awe inspiring, what happens in the classrooms is like 1000000000000000 times more important. You can have 1000 kids gather and have fun, but it's totally worthless if Jesus isn't being taught and glorified. At this VBS Jesus is friggin' everywhere...hahaha. From storytelling, to prayer, to worship, even the little call and response they do every day they are teaching these kids about God in a way they can come to own. I had SO much fun yesterday talking with the leaders and with some kids...running lunches to classrooms and simply observing Jesus in loads of smiles. It makes me sad that i have to sit in a silly office filing, and making labels today instead! GAH! Darn them bills...... Money is so frustrating. hahaahaha. Yeah that's life...
I'm excited to go back to VBS on Wednesday. There is also a lot going on this week during VBS 'After Hours' From 7-8:30 every night Jr high and High School is combining to hang out at various places in Glendora - In-N-Out, Del Taco, Goldenspoon. Just to hang out and eat good foods. I'm pretty excited about that...since we get free tacos tonight. Oh yes. It's UH-MAZING!

Life Decision - Due to a few conversations and experiences I've had lately, as well as some God Moments, I've come to realize that prioritizing needs to happen in my life. haha. I've been living my life a certain way for a long time....not by any means a bad way...just a certain way. Unfortunately it's caused much juggling, turmoil, and frustration....even tears (which are the best part....cause after a good cry, don't you always feel a lot better? I know I do....). Anyway - what has become most important to me has been shoved to the back burner more than a few times so I can try and impress people. People....being the key word there. If I'm to live my life for God, shouldn't I rather be trying to impress Him instead of...people? People that sometimes fail to see the bigger picture... I need to put what is most important in my life first and foremost... that being my ministry with my Father, and my husband-to-be. I guess this is something I've always known, but honestly I can be a little selfish sometimes. It's a difficult decision to make which means it will probably require a part of me to die (the selfish, people-pleasing, somewhat arrogant part), so that I can make room for more Jesus. :0) To be beautifully broken so that I can be wholly restored in Him. So that when God looks down on me, He can see his reflection. Doesn't that sound.....I dunno..... like fulfilling? Like peace? Like the best decision ever? Maybe I'm crazy, but what kind of leader would I be if I found a fault in my life and didn't fall into Jesus to try to fix it? How could I lead others to make decisions I was unwilling to make? How could I guide others to fall deeply in love with Jesus, when I chose to stay stagnant? Ew.
I'd love some prayer in this area if you're up for it! The hardest changes to make in ones life are definitely ones like these.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

In Other News -
Wedding plans are coming along wonderfully. We did the tux thing a few days ago... it was so weird!!! At David's Bridal..everything was "Let's try this on" "Let's look at this" "Walk down this isle of mirrors" "Let's make your mom cry" but at Men's Warehouse.... she plopped a kind of binder down in front of us and said - "Pick what you like". Matt picked out what he wanted...and what we wanted for the groomsmen. And we were done. 0_0 Dude. 4 hours at David's Bridal vs. 30 minutes at Men's Warehouse. Ah culture.
I'm trying to get the majority of the planning done, or in the process before school starts...cause OH the STRESS. bahahaha. But I'm sure everything will turn out fine as it always does. I'm getting more and more excited..... like reality sets in or something. I'm gonna be married! To Matt! How did I get so lucky?
Currently we are in the market for a DJ...and a Florist-like person......and maybe catering? I don't remember.

Huge and special thanks to all the people who have offered so much to us already!!!! The only money Matt and I have spent so far has been on his tux! hahahaha. It's been such a miracle, and I couldn't be more loved than I am at this moment. Many Thank You cards shall be written... which is saying something...cause I don't normally succeed at Thank You cards. ;0)

As this post comes to a close... i wanted to end it with something I read in Thessalonians this morning..it's how Paul ended his letter, and it makes me happy.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
Love,
Jen

p.s. the "Love, Jen" part can only be found in select versions of the Bible. ;0)

Forest Home, Twilight, and The Dress

Hello Friends and Family!!

I hope this post finds you well and smiling! It's been a little while since I've written because I've been at Jr. High Summer Camp at Forest Home! Forest Home, is a summer/winter camp located in the mountains near Redlands, CA. It's a wonderful place really. We were there for 5 days, and let me tell you - Jr. Highers can really keep you on your toes!!! haha. But no worries, for even in the craziness I found time for a nap or two.

There are plenty of memories and camp stories I could share, but I want to highlight a few things from the week that really made me happy.

First Off - I had a cabin of 4 girls, 2 6th graders and 2 8th graders.... and our cabin was the problem child of the week. haha. We clogged the toilet, not once but TWICE! jeepers. I don't know how we managed that. I locked my keys in the cabin once... and our bathroom light went out on the last day. Each time I walked up to our team Deans (the two people leading our team that week....we were the Yellow Team by the way...) they would laugh at me and ask, "Ok, what now?" haha. It was amusing. As for the other girls cabin, we managed to put a blue stain on the cabin wall. It was amazing. The girls felt horrible, but it just made me smile. Jr. Highers are the best.

Second - The Jr. High boys at Glenkirk, can be real gentleman. Believe it or not! When we were hiking back to the camp site one night, they held branches back for the girls and helped us across the streams and things. So as crazy as they can be, they are kinda awesome!!! :0) It made my heart smile.

And my Favorite thing that happened that week...my absolute FAVORITE thing that will probably keep me in youth ministry for the rest of my life - was watching these kids worship our Lord. We had an awesome worship band which played some up-beat songs which allowed the kids to jump around and have a good time. And there were quieter songs played for reflection and stuffs and things. I would open my eyes and see these kids worshipping the Lord, eyes closed and hands in the air. Whatever their intentions in that act, Jesus was being praised by a group of 11-13 year olds on a mountain. We joined in the ever singing Angels, for a split second in time. Not gonna lie, I may have teared up a bit. a lot a bit. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Since we've been back, we've had a Pool Party and we went to see the newest installment to the Twillight Saga - Eclipse. We attempted to see Twilight at midnight, and that was quite the interesting experience for those who showed up. We had to ninja our way into the same theatre due to an online mix up. It was awesome. haha. The Pool Party was last night, and lemme tell you. That was EPIC. 31 kids showed up to swim, play tether ball, jump on a trampoline, and have a good time. There only one problem.... leaders. There were only 4 there, including myself and all female. Lucky for us there are some awesome Moms in our groups who helped us keep an eye on the kids and cooked the food. But MAN. We need some men. And women for that matter. Our group is growing and the only thing holding us back is that we don't have the needed leadership.
I need your prayer in that. Pray for some awesome men and women of course to hear a call to Jr. High Ministry, and come help us out. Scott and I are only two people. I can't reach every girl, and her can't reach every guy. Ministry is a team action, it cannot be done alone. Even Jesus had 12 buddies whom he empowered to help heal and cast out demons. The bible doesn't promote independence from one another, but community. We need eachother in all that we do, especially in ministry.

I could use prayer in coming up with some creative ways to draw in leaders, and also for creative ways to pull a group of Jr. Highers together - to break down cliques. We have some new kids hanging out on the sidelines, and I wanna get them involved. So please be praying for that. My goal is that every kid who walks through our doors leaves having felt loved and accepted. But to do that we need leaders, and open hearts. So huge prayer there, please!!!

In other news :

I found my wedding dress!!! Did you know it takes 3 months to order the darn things? Yeah.... 3 months. Sheesh. But I found it. It was lots of fun, my mommy cried when i put it on which pretty much sealed the deal - but I wanted my Daddy and sister to see too... so they came and approved the dress. And my parents wanted to pay for it as a wedding gift. So, my parents are basically amazing. :0)

Matt and I had a meeting the wedding people (Acia and Virginia) at Pomona Fellowship this morning. And it looks like it's gonna be a FUN wedding. Still have brainstorming to do in terms of the reception including decorations and stuffs like that... and thats the part I'm gonna LOVE!

Matt and I took engagement pictures the other day, and they're beautiful. I'll be posting some up soon. Our Photographer did them for free, and is also going to do our wedding!! I'm pretty excited, cause he's such a sweetheart. I loved him.

Let me see... I think that's the whole of it at the moment. It's absolutely crazy the amount of details and such things that go into a wedding! These are things you sure don't think about when you're in jr. high and planning your wedding in your head. In Jr. High you think it's just going to magically happen..but my goodness! It's crazy!! haha.

I love you all so much and hope that your week is completely wonderful! Happy 4th of July!
With all kinds of Love,
Jen

Baptism by Fire

Hello Dear Family and Friends!

It has been a bit since I last wrote here, so I thought I'd give it a shot again!

Last weekend was QUITE the weekend! We had our 8th Grade Mystery Hunt on Saturday Night, which was actually a way to kidnap all the 8th graders into the high school group! 30 some odd unsuspecting 8th graders awaited us in the high school parking lot. They were then silly stringed and loaded into vans for a night of cosmic bowling!! Buahahahahhaha! It was wonderful!!! Since it was my first official act as Intern, I was allowed to drive the infamous Glenkirk van. First time I'd ever driven a van, and I SURVIVED!! Woot woot! We were out until 3:30am with the knowledge we had to be back at church the next morning at 9:30 to welcome some new 6th graders into the jr. high group. Sunday morning was rough! lol. I barely made it out of bed, and took the most epic nap in the afternoon. It was glorious. As a friend put it to me, I experienced "Baptism by fire." ;0) The very best kind.

Just yesterday, we had our Kick-Off Marco Polo Summer! This is a series of Wednesday Night pool parties for JH Ministry. Last night we had a great group of leaders, fantastic parents, and 13 kids swimming in the pool! At one point all of the kids were in the jacuzzi. hahaha. I took a picture cause I was so impressed. I'll hopefully get that up on this site, so you all can share in my wonder.

Next week we head out to Summer Camp at Forrest Home or as it's lovingly called, "FoHo." I am looking forward to an exhausting week of late nights, early mornings, and excellent JH girl time. :0) I am so excited. Our current struggle is that we are down a guy leader, and we need one by Sunday! So please extend your prayers to our group for a willing male leader! If we don't get a leader, we have to pay for one from the camp. That is less than awesome. So keep us in your prayers as we travel up the mountain for a great week of learning about Jesus!

On the more personal front, wedding plans are chuggin' along! It's been awesome see just how blessed Matthew and I are by the Lord! It's like Jesus wants us to get married or something. ;0) As of this moment we are looking to get married at my Dad's church in Pomona on January 15th, 2011! EXCITEMENT. I am soooo ready to be a married woman! :0) I'm really excited to see how the whole wedding, reception and all, falls together! YIPPEE!!! And no worries I'll keep you updated!

I would love your prayers so that the wedding does not become a stressful thing for me and my family. I've heard horror stories, I would REALLY like that to NOT be our wedding. But I am confident that if we keep God at the center, all will be just fine. I would also appreciate prayers for guidance and patience while I work with these amazing kids. As much as I love them, I don't doubt my patience will be tested. Thank you so much for reading!! I love each of you so dearly, and I can't wait until we meet again, whether it be tomorrow or in a few months!!!

With all the oodles of my heart,
Jen

Best Beginning of Summer EVER

Dearest and most lovely family and friends,

EEEK. I'M ENGAGED!!!!! Yesterday morning Matthew Bellue, my boyfriend of almost 2 years, asked me to marry him and I said YES!!!! GAHHHHHHH. Excitement cannot even be communicated into typed words at the moment. :0)

Since many people have been asking how he did it, I have decided to write the story here and allow one and all to read it at your leisure.

Yesterday morning, June 6th 2010, Matt decided he wanted to go to the beach. It was the last day we both had off before my internship started so we wanted to make it a special day. Little did I know.... lol. I was clueless all morning. We picked up starbucks for breakfast and drove down to Bolsa Chica Beach, which is just north of Huntington. This is in fact the same beach where he asked me to be his girlfriend. So I just thought it was so sweet we were going to spend the morning there, cause I'm just a gooey person I guess. After getting settled in, Matt and I started talking about our lives together and I told him all that had been on my mind lately, all good and exciting things. It started warming up around 11 or so and Matt decided we should go down to the water and test our courage. lol. The water wasn't actually too cold, but it was super windy which made it very cold to me. He asked me if I wanted to go swimming, and I said "No, it's too cold." And all the following is mostly a blur----- He said something else, like 'I have a question for you' or something all nonchalant like it was any other day at the beach. and I turned to look at him.... but instead of seeing him on eye level he was in front of me down on one knee. then shock set in. HAHAHA. I thought he fell or that he was joking, but then he pulled out the ring, and my jaw dropped to the sand. He said something like, "I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?" and I was so shocked I couldn't say anything. It was like my mouth was frozen. I think i said stuff like, "are you serious?", "Really?", "What???" and he was just staying there on one knee... and then suddenly this wave comes out of nowhere and crashes into his back. LOL. I laughed a lot, and then I said YES. Oh wow, I was shaking so much as he put the ring on my finger... i was completely surprised and spent most of the day recovering. HAHAHA. It was so beautiful.

Things got really fun when it came time a few hours later, to start calling people. My sister was like, "Oh coolieo." My mother screamed in excitement. My father said, "Engaged to what?" "To be married daddy." "Engaged to be married?" "Yes Daddy." "Well that's awesome!" hahahaha.

Matt's mom, my Mom #2, was super happy and excited. It was wonderful.

We spent the afternoon at Disneyland, going on rides and walking around all goo-goo eyes. Afterwards we got back to his place and his roommate, Keith, had made cookies!!! So we ate cookies and ice-cream. Perfect end to a perfect day.

Before Matt bought the ring or even considered asking me, he had permission and support from all of our parents. Which I think is what made this decision easier that we initially thought it would be. It's so wonderful to have a good relationship with future in-laws. Carrie (that's Matt's mom) was all, "You're really gonna be my daughter now!" heehee, The thought really makes me smile. :0D

As of this moment, Matt and I want to get married in January of 2011. That's 7 months away! GAH! We aren't for sure yet, but that's a tentative estimate. Once we set a date we'll send invitations out and all that good stuff. :0) We do recognize that some people may think we're a little young, or crazy, or unprepared for this next step..especially so soon. Until I met Matthew I might have agreed with you, but we're crazy in love. haha. He is most definitely the man I wanna spend the rest of my life with, my very heartbeat. And we can't see any reason to wait any longer. So YAY LIFE!!! I'm engaged to my best friend!

I thank you all for the love you have shown us already and I can't wait to start planning this sucker!!! Buahaha.

With all the love I have in my heart (which is actually a great deal at the moment),

Jen

Brains

Dear Family and Friends,

(picture to the right is of a Pack Out In-N-Out we had with Jr. High about a month ago. These are some of the kids I'll be hanging out with this summer.)

This past weekend was lots of fun!! :0) Matt and I went down to San Diego to spend some time with my parents and sister. Went to this super cool place in San Diego called Seaport village where much fun was had and many pictures were taken. It was glorious. We even got a little spontaneous and got matching Henna Tattoos. For those of you who are wondering, Henna is a kind of skin dye that washes off after a few weeks. I also had it in my head to make some Lefse, a Norwegian sweet treat of yumminess that I loved when I was a kid. LOVED. and It was a success for the most part. ;0) This weekend was exactly the vacation I needed to re-energize for my up and coming internship! I am so excited. You've NO idea. Absolutely NO idea, I promise. :0) So pumped.

So as I mentioned in the last blog, I am reading this book called Middle School Ministry to kind of prepare for this summer and really life as a jr. high leader. Cause this stuff is SO important to ministry and understanding the minds of a Jr. High kid. So I thought I'd share a little bit of what I am learning, so that maybe you could also benefit from such readings-

I've been working with jr. high kids roughly since I was a senior in high school, and I must admit working with these kids sometimes can be frustrating. Not gonna lie, there have been times I've gotten home and wondered why I was even trying. But understanding is the solution to frustration.

Two big things that Marko and Scott bring to light in this book:

- Early adolescents have not yet mastered the art of thinking abstractly!! They are in this funny little world between concrete thinking and abstract thinking. Which means they don't quite understand metaphors. This was HUGE for me. A couple of sundays ago I was going through a Psalm with a group of 6th and 7th graders. We read through it, and I asked them if they knew what the psalmist was talking about. They looked up at me with blank stares. Real encouraging. lol. I eventually got out of them something about a lion and Shepard, but nothing was connecting. They don't understand metaphors. Not granted, this is not true of every jr. higher. Each brain develops differently, there are some very mature kid in this group as well - but this weird shift from concrete to abstract thinking is definitely a challenge in teaching kids about Jesus. After all, almost all of Jesus teachings are parables, which are basically metaphors in story form. Ah, I love a challenge. :0) It's our job at adults, parents, leaders, friends, to help these kids develop the abstract thinking part of the brain!! Isn't that exciting? I love teaching kids how to think on their own and question things. That is the best sign of growth in my opinion.

- Secondly, there are these things in the brain called Neurons, they are like tiny little roads that run all over the brain transferring information. During early adolescence these this little roads multiply way beyond the number that will finally be used by the adult brain. From there the brain does this process of elimination thing, where it get rid of every neuron that isn't used regularly. The phrase, "Use it or lose it" comes to mind for me. This biological fact alone is enough to legitimize the importance of early adolescent ministry and interaction. Most people believe that most interesting stuff happens with these kids in high school or college, when in reality how your brain is going to function was set by the time you turned 14 or 15. The years between 11-13 are some of the most important developmental years in a person's life. That's CRAZY to me. CRAZY.

These kids mean the world to me, and I'm discovering this more and more as this book continues. I am so blessed that God trusts me enough to give me these kids for a summer, to love and mentor and be silly with them. To teach them about Jesus, and help expand the ways in which they think. It's amazing. I'm so excited.

I hope this post finds each and every one of you well and smiling.

Love always,

Jen

Another Summer...Another Internship....Another Adventure

Dear Family and Friends,

That's right! The blogs are BACK! It's been almost 9 months since I last wrote here, and man has it been an interesting 9 months. I've completed my Junior year at University of Laverne and am currently looking forward to a wonderful senior year full of many lessons to be learned and the promise of new adventure. :0)
As for right now... It's finals week. And I have one final left before I am free for the summer!!! This weekend I'm heading down to San Diego with my lovely boyfriend, to spend some time with my parents and to enjoy some much needed time of rest and relaxation. Woot woot!!!

So here's the deal for this summer. Before leaving Harrisburg last summer, I emailed a friend of mine back home asking if he was in need of a jr. high leader. Well he totally was, and when I got home I started working with the Glenkirk Jr. High youth group in Glendora, California. SOOOO much fun, lemme tell you. A few months ago, I offered to be the Jr. High Intern for the church during the summer and Scott, the Jr. High Pastor, was totally into it. I even rigged it so that I get the same scholarship I got last year! WIN! WELL - ah yes, the story gets better.... a few weeks ago we learned that our Director of Student Ministries, Jenn Graffius, has decided to leave her position at Glenkirk and move on to bigger and better things in L.A. This is a very exciting time for her, and though I'm going to miss her - i am so excited for what God has for her in L.A.
This means however, that Scott needs to take over High School Ministry for the summer which landed me being in charge of the JH group. EXCITEMENT. and also - SCARED. hahaha. Aside from running a Jr. High small group my senior year of high school, I've never really been in charge of a full program before. It will be a great challenge for me, but I am completely up for it.
I've discovered that God likes to put me in places of transition. I'm like a ministry band-aide. :0) and I don't mind. This summer will be a great determinant for my future in ministry, in more ways than one I'm sure.

In addition to my internship, I am also going to be doing some awesome readings!! SO excited. I'm currently reading two books: Middle School Ministry by Mark Oestreicher and A Legacy of Love by Dr. Arun Ghandi. So It is likely that you will hear my thoughts on these readings as well.
I'm looking forward to blogging again this summer, and hopefully you enjoy reading! Don't be afraid to leave comments and start conversations. I'm totally into that.

With much love and energy,
Jen

Another Beginning

Dear family and friends,

I am almost home! Tomorrow morning I leave on a plane at 8am, land in Chicago, then land in Colorado, and then FINALLY land at Ontario Airport in California. One HECK of a flight to be sure. I am not looking forward to the flight so much as I am looking forward to landing in my baby's arms when I get there. (clarification... baby = Matthew....NOT a small child...*cough*laura*cough*)

This week went by FAST, though the days went by slow. I sat in the office literally staring at the clock as I had little to do, and all the time to do it in. And still I managed to have a good time. Was taken out to lunch a few times, dinner a few others, a dear friend bought me flowers, and another took me to the state capitol. I'm glad I managed to see it before i leave. It really was a most beautiful building second only to the Country's capitol in my opinion. The lady who took me there was called Louise Knight, a utilities lawyer and such a sweet woman. It made me wish I had gotten more time to spend with her, but that's life I suppose. Time is our worst enemy and greatest friend.

As I look back on my summer... i am astounded at how far someone like me can come in 2 1/2 months. I'm not the same person I was, that's for sure. I'd like to think I'm closer to looking like Jesus now than I was all that time ago. And it wasn't even that long ago that I stepped off the plane in Harrisburg and stared wide-eyed at the broken city of Harrisburg wondering what in the world I has signed up for. I can honestly say I've grown to love this city as a second home, and the Harrisburg First Church people as a second family. I could never forget the Hospitality shown me, the love and care given to me, and the experiences shared. I sincerely and completely hope my paths cross with more than a few of them in the future. I love them dearly, and i really do. I mean that. It was harder than I expected to say goodbye to some of them, the kids especially. But these amazing people literally showered me with cards as a going away present, I walked away with two pictures, a hand crocheted cross, and 145 dollars. LOL. I'll never forget opening card after card, reading all those lovely things, and feeling my eyes grow bigger as that little green stack got bigger and bigger. hahahahaha. Oh my word, Jesus is the absolute coolest. the for SURE.

Now I am taking a break from packing, waiting for some laundry to get down. I swear on butter flies, that my suitcase will be the 8th wonder of the world if everything ends up fitting. lol. It's already to the brim with a load still in the washer, and my bathroom still in disarray. Fingers crossed peoples. ;0)

With this I will bid you adieu. I have no idea where the time went, but I'm to try and catch it tomorrow...on a 9 hour plane/layover journey home. I can't wait to see you again. I've missed you all terribly. and to those of you I'm leaving... I'll miss you. I guess one can never be fully satisfied with who one's around. In order to no longer miss a certain person, you have to leave another you will undoubtedly miss sooner or later. THAT my friends is why I'm looking forward to heaven...won't have to miss anyone...and won't have to leave anyone behind. Those will be good days.

I hope to keep this blog up and going through-out the year, but i wouldn't get any hopes too far up into the sky. I'll be really busy and blogs may be few and far between.

I love you all dearly. :0) Here's to the beginning of another adventure!

All my Love,

~ME