twenty-nine strong.

Greetings.

          Yesterday was a really special day and I'm going to post about it… Well, let me rephrase that- yesterday represented something really special and I'm going to post about that. My parents made a commitment 29 years ago, yesterday- to marriage and have kept that commitment. 

Special, yes. Unfortunately, in the world we live in today, twenty-nine years of marriage IS a special thing. And I consider myself blessed to be the daughter of two people who have taken that vow seriously. 

          I cannot really give you a full twenty-nine year's worth recap of how special this is, but I will tell you that I certainly am thankful for their commitment, which is ultimately to Christ. I know, with no doubt, that if you asked either one of my parents, "How have you done it?"- they would respond with something along the lines of "It was nothing that we did- it was the Lord's faithfulness and mercy." 

In fact, why don't you just ask them? :)

Some things I really just love about these two…

           Because Christ is in control, their commitment is so much more than just keeping a promise. These two are ridiculously in love. After twenty-nine years, they still love- actually, probably more now than ever- love being together. They are continually learning about and growing with each other. 

           My dad takes my mom away to far-off places. Okay, i know I complain when they abandon us… but come on, I'm almost twenty-one… I can handle it. Trust me, I secretly love that they explore the world together. I hope to do more of that too, if ever I get me a husband. 

          They read the Bible together, pray together, and learn together. They're one, not only as husband and wife, but spiritually, as well. This is how it's supposed to be, people. Equally yoked. Okay, that looks weird when I write it, but it's true! I just love the humbleness, obedience, and faithfulness I see in their relationship.

Just look at them.

Saturday, Saturday, ever loving Saturday.

Day 7:
Saturday.
Today, I pretty much just did my own thing. And loved it.
Didn't redesign the blog, didn't take a bike ride (tomorrow!?), didn't write those letters… (wow, this is sounding bad…)
BUT, I did study Spanish and I am basically ready for class to start again on Monday… and it's not even Sunday yet! Miracles do happen.
I worked in my room for most of the day… exciting, right?

Since I didn't get any questions in the last post, I've decided I'll stick with my theme for the day and do what I want to do, which is me telling you some things I loved about today…

My record player. Something about listening to old records just gives me delight. I am swept back in time.

Brilliant. Favorite word of the day. I often find excessive joy in certain words at random times.

Revelation. That book has pretty much always scared me to death, but I'm really trying to go into it with a fresh, open mind. Even though I feel completely inadequate in deciphering it's content, I know the Lord can reveal his will and purpose to even a foolish girl like me. What a mighty God we serve!

Solitude. As I've grown older, more and more I've come to appreciate time alone. Time to just be, to think, to work quietly- or not so quietly :)

My sister. Our friendship is like none other I've ever had or will ever have. I'm so thankful for her. These past two weeks have been wonderful, Lana. We do girl parties right.

Bare walls. Yeah, I said it. I want to get some pieces done so I can get something fresh up on those walls.

Did you do anything extravagant today?
Tell me about it…
but only if it involves wild animals, sailing, or baking cakes.

No, really though… tell me. Also, I'm still open to questions :)

-J

Cheers.

Day 6:
It's 12:42 a.m… again. Weird? Yeah. That's weird. 
I'm so tired. I'm so happy the Jayhawks won. My foot hurts real bad and I have no idea why… 
These are the things on my mind. 
No deep thoughts tonight. 
I'll just answer Sally's fun question and bid thee a glorious Saturday…


She writes, "Here's a not-so-serious question! You mentioned zoo animals in a previous post, so----if you could be any animal, what would it be? :D"


Well now, I think some type of bird would be great, because of the flying ability of course. Or a majestic jungle animal… like, like… a panther. Or, a lioness :) Because, wow. You just gotta respect those cats. 
Honestly, I'm sure there's something far better and unique, but in my present condition of physical exhaustion and mental madness, I'm going to stick with what I've already said. Good question :) 


Feel free to ask more questions. And now I'll ask you- my dear readers, a question:


If you could choose any show/performance to attend, be it professional theatre, a famous band concert, etc, what would it be? 


I'd hate to answer that question… I hate choosing favorites. You probably know this already.


Here's to a wonderful week, and a new day tomorrow.


Cheers.
-J

Better late than never, eh?

Day 5:
It's 12:42 a.m. 
I'm writing for the day I just lived, even though it's technically the next day right now. Whatevs. 


So I thought that the question thing would be fun, then Dillon and Peter had to go all serious and deep on me… that's what I get for joking about keys having souls and what not, I suppose ;) No, just kidding. I like getting questions… it makes me feel important. ha!


Here goes…


Dillon said, "Here's a question to chew on:
What is a soul?"

Well, to clear things up, I certainly wasn't serious about lovely antiques having souls. I do think though that they may have some 'soul', so to speak. As, in character, history, etc.

What is a soul...

This was tough. I just asked my sister her opinion, and I really liked her thoughts.

A soul is who one is, apart from any physicality. The life, the persona of a being. 

I think that the soul is what makes us unique- each made special by the hand of God, with different passions, different desires, and different purposes. We live out those things in the bodies he put us in, which also make us unique from one another. 

He created us in his image, and I think that may not just be a physical recreation, but a 'soul duplication' as well. It's connecting with God and others on a deeper level than something we can see, or touch, or smell, etc. 

Who knows if any of that made sense.

Peter asked, "A question: When are you most content in Christ?"

I think that I am most content in Christ when I am most surrendered to Christ. It's amazing that when we let everything of this world go, and give it all to him, becoming a slave to righteousness… that is when true freedom and life are gained. I would be lying if I said I were there now. I often feel like I have the right words, or thoughts and can convey them nicely… all the while living the very way I'm speaking against. Life is a battle, and it does me good to remember I have an enemy, desperately trying to destroy me, and at the same time- a worthy king, passionately loving me, as I consistently fail him, and betray him. 

I am most content after I've battled- struggled, surrendered and found rest in his perfect will and faithfulness. 

Also, yes, I went back to an old playlist. Hopefully when/if I redesign my blog soon, I'll have a better playlist of more recent music findings. But this will do for now. Glad it made you happy.

Yeah, I sort of love the question thing. Any kinds of questions.

Hope you all are doing well, and had a great Thursday.

Peace.

-J 

material madness.

Day 4:

Another lovely day. What a beautiful gift this weather is!

Most of this day, I spent working in my studio. I'm trying to get rid of as much as I can, and organize what I keep. It's fun going through old stuff and seeing how I've changed. I definitely cringe when I come upon old notebooks or sketchbooks with random writings and doodles. And I love going through stuff I've accumulated recently and haven't sorted yet. I had a big box from an estate sale from a while back… ahhh, so delightful. 

As tough as it is to get rid of things that hold childhood memories, and as much as I just really love a good pile of antique treasure… I've been reminded of the value of material things. Or lack thereof. The material things in our lives will pass away one day, just like our bodies. 

Strictly physical. 

…Although I'm almost convinced that old spools of thread, and vintage keys have souls…

Let us not forget reality. Let us take care of what matters eternally. 

Let us make right our hearts with the one who created them.

No material possession can match the reward of that. 

Oh! And Sally asked a question in a comment on my last post… "Philosophizing....if you were on a desert island and no one read your posts, would you keep writing? Why or why not? Are bloggers something of islanders?"

The answer is…. 

I think that if I had the desire to write, I would. I wouldn't feel obligated because I knew no one would read it. Sort of like a journal. It'd be for personal reasons. Plus, I bet I'd be super bored, so that might help. Maybe bloggers are like islanders… or like animals in a zoo… just doing their thing with people coming by whenever they want, to watch them in their natural habitat. ha! What a thought… I suddenly feel like an idiot. 

Okay, So... thanks to Sally, I WANT MORE QUESTIONS FROM YOU GUYS :) 

-J

1:43

Day 3:
I don't know about you, but i'm pretty proud of myself for posting before the end of the day.
Also, I feel really annoying posting every day. But I said I would and keeping my word is something I feel is important in our age of intention-less words. Seriously, let's let our 'yes' be 'yes' and our 'no' be 'no.'
And, if we can't, don't say anything at all.

Glad we got that settled.

This day started early, and was so worth it. One of my best friends turns 22 today and I had the privilege of getting her first on her birthday :)

I'm so blessed by her constant friendship and encouragement in my life. When busyness keeps us from talking for weeks at a time, we know we can always come back and nothing will have changed. Well, yes, we are constantly learning, changing, living… but, our friendship is steady and doesn't waver with the storms life throws.

We had breakfast at Blue Bird Bistro, drove around down town, and braved an Asian Market.
Absolutely delightful.
Love you, dear Annah Beth!

Well, Naturally...

Day 2:
Today was a lovely day.
Nothing extraordinary. Just being.
First bike ride of the year, fresh fruit crepes, and Ella turned 5 years old.
The weather was amazing and with the the windows open and some old records playing, I was a happy girl.

Something I like about life: having the ability and opportunity to do things I've never done before, and learning from them.
Something I hate about life: repeated mistakes, glitches, things that have happened and continue to happen.

What about you?

-J

Keys, Aspiration, and a Blog Resurrection.

Spring Break means…

People.

Studio time.

Being outside.

Movies.

Creativity.

Spontaneity.

And, blogging. 

Every day.

I've decided it's time to revamp my blog and post everyday this week.

Maybe people will start reading it again. Blog resurrection, people.

My plan is to take (at least one) photo each day, and also share some bit of that day with you, readers. 

And now is your chance to give input on what direction I take the design of the blog.

Let me know what you think, if you care- in the comment section below. If you don't, I may resort to something terribly cliche like… like… clouds or something. And we don't want that.

Day 1…

If you know me much at all, you probably know that I have a horrible weakness for old things. 

So naturally, Antique stores, Flea markets, and Estate sales are places I frequent. 

Lana and I started the week off right by going to a couple of stores today.

Of course, I had to get these gorgeous keys. I didn't even know I needed them until I saw them. Then I remembered how much I needed them. Story of my life. 

But seriously, old keys get me every time. 

What does this week hold in store for you? 

-J