Jennifer's Blog

Happy New-vember!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:52:00 +0000

Hey, I'm back! I don't know about you, but I couldn't be happier that it's finally November. I feel as though I've hardly had a second to breathe since...I don't know...last spring?! I'll get to the reason for my oh-so-clever blog title in just a moment, but first, let me give you a quick update on life (well, all five of you who read my blog, that is...).

To begin, I cannot BELIEVE it's been over a year since I last wrote a blog entry...what the heck have I been doing with myself? Honestly, I have no idea. I couldn't tell you what I've been up to over the past 16 months...I guess I've been working and working and probably working some. Last year, much like the year before, I spent teaching during the day and then tutoring after school, followed by a summer of teaching summer school. This does not leave much extra time for blogging...then, throw in stuff I do at church, well, that leaves me just about enough time to eat, sleep, and maybe read a few books every now and then. I have a new internet obsession, too...Pinterest. It's pretty much unbelievably amazing, and much like facebook, I can be on it for over an hour and not realize I've wasted approximately one-fourteenth of my day...truth be told, it's a bit ridiculous. Let's see...I now have a nephew...that's new since last June. We knew he was on the way back then, but now he's here and he's almost a year old. He's pretty much the most awesome little guy in the whole wide world and I just love to squeeze him! Umm...I can't think of anything else too exciting that's been happening lately...I know that "lately" is a somewhat relative term...it typically describes what's been going on over the past few weeks...not years...but, what can I say...I'm a lame-o slacker...Oh, and speaking of being a slacker, I've done like, next-to-nothing on my list and now I have only a little over a year left to finish it. I really need to get on that. Some things are already out, like save a dollar a day...that lasted a whole 210 days...wash and vacuum my car monthly...I think that lasted about 8 months before it got old. I don't know what I was thinking when I put stuff on my list that required regular commitment...shoot, I don't even have enough consistency in my life to remember to take a vitamin everyday and I expected to keep up with certain things for 1001 days?! Yeah, right...well, I'm nothing if not ambitious...

Now, to my well-crafted, punny blog title, "Happy Newvember"...You may not know it (especially if you don't know me well or see me on a regular basis), but I've been feeling a little...low. My mood, my energy, everything's been kinda...blurgh. I've been concentrating on this a great deal lately, because I'm actually a very happy-go-lucky, joyful, smiley person and it feels weird to have this yucky-ness. So, I thought about it and prayed about it, and I think I've found the root of the problem. I have this tendency to be a "compare-er" (I'm going to use this word because I don't want to think of myself as jealous or envious...). I tend to look at other people and then compare myself to them. It's never really a monetary/material thing like, "Wow, look at that awesome house...I wish I had a house like that!" It's more like, "Man, look at how organized ______ is...I wish I had it together like her/him," or "Oh, I'd love to have a job like that," or "I wish I had time to do stuff like _______ does," etc. I find myself constantly comparing where I am in my life to where other people my age are in theirs and it is becoming quite maddening. So, here's why it's "Happy Newvember"...I've decided to try to stop comparing myself with other people. If I've learned anything over the past few years, it's that nobody's life is perfect...everyone's got their own little issues to wrestle with, even if no one else knows about them. That person that I think has an awesome job, might have to deal with a husband/wife that doesn't appreciate them. That person that seems like they have it all together might be totally anxious about things that I think are no big deal. I've got a lot of wonderful people/things going on in my life and I'm going to start concentrating on that instead of what I think other people have that I don't. Maybe you deal with the same thing. I'd be willing to bet if you're female and you're reading this, that you've felt the same way a time or two before...so, my challenge to you is to join me in my Newvember festivities and instead of simply being thankful for what you have this November, let what you have be enough. Wish me luck on my new plan and I'd love your prayers along the way! :)

"A Good Book Has No Ending"

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:22:00 +0000

I promise not all of my blogs are going to revolve around the list, but then again, I can't really guarantee that...so...I guess I shouldn't promise it. Number 22 is to "Read 50 of the Top 100 Books according to Random House." Well, upon further review of this, I found out that Random House actually has two lists of Top 100 Books, The Board's List and The Reader's List. Now, there are several books that appear on both lists, so in order to compile my list of 50, I started there. The first 25 or so on my list appear on both of the Random House's lists. The rest are then a pretty even mixture of books from both lists. In full disclosure, I did include a few books that I have already read. I did this because I "read" these books in high school or college, but I don't remember them very well...I'm not really quite sure I actually read them...So, without further ado, here's my reading list:

  1. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - James Joyce
  2. Ulysses - James Joyce
  3. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
  4. The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner
  5. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
  6. Lolita - Vladamir Nabokov
  7. Under the Volcano - Malcolm Lowry
  8. 1984 - George Orwell
  9. I, Claudius - Robert Graves
10. To the Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf
11. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers
12. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
13. Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
14. Animal Farm - George Orwell
15. As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner
16. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
17. The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
18. Light in August - William Faulkner
19. On the Road - Jack Kerouac
20. The Moviegoer - Walker Percy
21. The Catcher in the Rye - JD Sallinger
22. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
23. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
24. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
25. The Call of the Wild - Jack London
26. The Magus - John Fowles
27. One Lonely Night - Mickey Spillane
28. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
29. Darkness at Noon - Arthur Koestler
30. An American Tragedy - Theodore Drieser
31. Native Son - Richard Wright
32. All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren
33. The Bridge of San Luis Rey - Thornton Wilder
34. Howard's End - E M Forster
35. Go Tell it on the Mountain - James Baldwin
36. The Heart of the Matter - Graham Greene
37. Deliverance - James Dickey
38. The Maltese Falcon - Dasheill Hamlet
39. Scoop - Evelyn Waugh
40. Sophie's Choice - William Styron
41. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
42. Battlefield Earth - L Ron Hubbard
43. Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
44. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
45. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
46. Tropic of Cancer - Henry Miller
47. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
48. Something Wicked this Way Comes - Ray Bradbury
49. The Door Into Summer - Robert Heinlen
50. It - Stephen King

Good thing I really like to read! I've thought about making a short list of alternates just in case I start reading one of these books and it's so bad that I can't finish it...oh well, I'll cross that bridge is I get there, but rest assured, you'll get a review of each one that I read.

Have you read any of these books? What's your review?

~Blevins - out!

From Here to Eternity

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 03:15:00 +0000

Well, I watched my first movie for the list. It was From Here to Eternity (1953), starring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, and Frank Sinatra (love him!). It takes place in Hawaii just before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The entire movie is centers around these Army guys. This one guy (Prew, played by Montgomery Clift) gets transferred to Hawaii and the Captain finds out he’s a good boxer. Unfortunately, Prew doesn’t want to box anymore so the Captain decides to make his life really difficult by always getting him in trouble and stuff. Prew is able to rise above some of this by meeting and falling in love with this chick played by Donna Reed. He also becomes buddies with the guy played by Frank Sinatra (both Sinatra and Reed won Oscars for their supporting roles in this movie). There’s this other guy named Milton played by Burt Lancaster. He’s a sergeant that has a soft spot for Prew and tries to take care of him, but he’s kinda busy having an affair with the Captain’s wife, played by Deborah Kerr. There’s a scene on the beach between Lancaster and Kerr that many people say is one of the best love scenes ever. I guess it was ok. I definitely liked the fact that it was not nearly as gratuitous as “love” scenes today, but I didn’t really get all that emotional about it. Overall, it had a kinda crappy ending, but then again, war never is all that pretty (even though all of this movie happens before America entered WWII) and not all movies can end happily-ever-after. I really love movies about this time in history (WWII) and I imagine that this was quite a ground breaking movie since it was made less than ten years after the war had ended. I’m glad I watched this movie, it was worth it…plus, it had Ernest Borgnine in it too, and he will always hold a special place in my heart…(because he’s Mermaid Man in Spongebob Squarepants…)

~Blevins - out!

#23 “Watch 50 of the Top 100 movies”

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:12:00 +0000

I love to watch movies…Nick and I have an extensive movie collection and probably watch three to four movies per week (on average). Unfortunately, I have always felt that my repertoire of movies is somewhat lacking in quality, hence number 23 on my list, “Watch 50 of the Top 100 movies.” I went to the American Film Institute to find out about their Top 100. After reviewing the list, I then eliminated any movies I have seen more than once. This meant that I nixed Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, The Godfather (Part I and II), The Wizard of Oz, It’s a Wonderful Life, Star Wars, The African Queen, E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial, West Side Story, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Sound of Music, M*A*S*H, Fantasia, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Silence of the Lambs, Forrest Gump, American Graffiti, Rocky, and My Fair Lady (I must say I was pretty surprised at how many I‘ve seen more than once…). Then, I decided to eliminate any movies I’ve seen pretty recently and can remember really well, this cut out Fargo, The Deer Hunter, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. This meant that I needed to narrow down the 87movies left down to 50. Here are the 50 I chose and the year they were released:

  1. Citizen Kane (1941)
  2. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
  3. On the Waterfront (1954)
  4. Schindler’s List (1993)*
  5. Singin’ In the Rain (1952)
  6. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
  7. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
  8. Some Like it Hot (1959)
  9. All About Eve (1950)
10. Psycho (1960)*
11. Chinatown (1974)
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
13. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
14. 2001: Space Odyssey (1968)
15. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
16. Raging Bull (1980)
17. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
18. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
19. Apocalypse Now (1979)
20. Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
21. Annie Hall (1977)
22. High Noon (1952)
23. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
24. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
25. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
26. Double Indemnity (1944)
27. North by Northwest (1959)
28. Rear Window (1954)
29. King Kong (1933)
30. The Birth of a Nation (1915)
31. A Street Car Named Desire (1951)
32. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
33. Taxi Driver (1976)
34. Jaws (1975)
35. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
36. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
37. From Here to Eternity (1953)
38. Amadeus (1984)
39. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
40. The Third Man (1949)
41. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
42. Vertigo (1958)
43. Tootsie (1982)*
44. Stagecoach (1939)
45. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
46. Network (1976)
47. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
48. An American in Paris (1951)
49. Shane (1953)*
50. The French Connection (1971)
*These are movies I have seen, but don’t really remember them that well.

Now, I must admit that I’m not entirely thrilled that all of these movies are older than I am (by many years with the exception of Tootise). We’ll see how this goes. I’ll be sure to write my own review of each movie as I watch it. The really cool thing is that after this, there will only be 37 movies left for me to watch of the Top 100. Maybe that will be on my next list…:)

~Blevins - out!

Jobs of a Teacher…It’s Not Just About Teaching…

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:04:00 +0000

In case you didn’t know, this year I have had a very…unique teaching job. I work for a company that provides Title One services to non-public schools in Baltimore City. So, basically, I’m a Math and Reading resource teacher in a private school. I just don’t work for the school, I work for a private company. It’s been quite a blast and I hope I’ll be able to do it for many years to come (unfortunately, funding plays a large role in my job, so I have to wait and see…which totally stinks…) I also took on an after school tutoring-type job this year in a Baltimore City Public School…now talk about a challenge! This being said, I have realized, this year more so than ever, that being a teacher is not just about teaching. I’ve always loved the school environment. As a kid, I loved going to school everyday, and I think that’s a big reason why I chose to become a teacher (having summer’s off definitely makes it more appealing as well…). Also, I have a pretty vast array of random knowledge stored away in my way cluttered brain. I’m not saying that I’m really smart or anything, I just know more than my share of junk and I have always figured that was another reason I became a teacher, to share what I know. This year has challenged both of these ideas. I have come to the realization that being a teacher is definitely not just about relaying important factual information to today’s youth. It’s about being a sounding board for children who are struggling through life, giving that support that is needed to feel confident and self-assured, sharing advice with those who are desperate for direction…Many of today’s inner city children seem to be growing up with a chip on their shoulders, living life as if everyone and everything is against them. I have had countless “mini-counseling sessions” with middle schoolers who haven’t a clue. One of these sessions occurred with a young man who is about to turn 15. He’s finishing up the eighth grade and is heading on to high school next year (only by the grace of God and because his teachers are ready for him to move on…). Now, I don’t say this about every student, but this guy has something special. He’s an incredibly talented actor, just absolutely hilarious, and he’s a good athlete as well…but here’s the problem, I’ve never seen an angrier kid in my life. One day in class, I literally thought he was going to hurt us all. It was like a switch was flipped inside him and he turned into a completely different person. I have never seen anything like this before; it was crazy. I wasn’t quite sure what to do, I honestly thought he was going to kill this other kid (who has Aspberger’s and really has no coping mechanisms at all, but that‘s a whole different story…). So here I am, with a room full of eighth graders, one who is about to tear someone to shreds and another who is crying so hard that I’m not sure he’ll ever be able to stop…uh oh. Long story short, I was able to eventually diffuse the situation and sent all of the students on to the next class, with the exception of the kid who was fuming with rage. I sat down and talked to him for almost an hour. He poured his heart out about how he didn’t understand why he flips out like that, and explained that he was honestly scared to death that he would hurt someone one day. So there’s an eighth grade boy for you, and the middle school girls…oh my…what a mess! They are looking for attention so urgently from boys that it is sickening. Fortunately, I was able to actually share with some of the girls how I “waited for marriage” and that I was very glad I did. I doubt it will really change their minds about things, but at least I put in my two cents worth, right? The second graders I worked with in the public school after school were so desperate for attention, they would do anything to get it, including behaving like…animals…Any kind of attention, no matter positive or negative, was fine with them. All they really wanted was someone to make them feel special. Each day, no matter how hard it was to deal with inappropriate behavior, I knew it would be worth it. The hugs and “I love you’s” alone made it all worth while. So, did I truly realize that when I became a teacher, I was also taking on the role of mentor, counselor, encourager, and in some cases, proxy-parent? Nope, not at all, but I love every aspect of working with children and wouldn’t have it any other way…

~Blevins - out!

Gone Fishin'

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:00:00 +0000

A few of weekends ago, our best friend Dave invited Nick and me to go camping with him. Now, I’m not that much of a camper…I’ve only been like twice, but, as a general rule, I really enjoy it. He picked out a really fun place that wasn’t too far away. We played horseshoes, I got my first ever chance to play shuffleboard, and I got to cross another item off of my list, number 51, “Go Fishing.” You see, there was this small pond at the campgrounds where you could “catch and release.” I did not know this before we left, so I was not prepared for the possibility of fishing. Because of this, we had to shell out about ten bucks for the world’s worst fishing rod, so I could try my hand at fishing. Unfortunately, this fishing trip was a major fail… It was kinda windy, so my line kept blowing all around and getting tangled up, plus, I didn’t catch anything at all! Technically speaking though, I did go fishing, so I am going to count this list item as complete, but I’m hoping to have a chance to try it again sometime…I’ll keep you updated…:)

~Blevins - out!

Water, Water Everywhere…and Lots of Drops to Drink…

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:59:00 +0000

Well, so far, I’ve not been that great at blogging since starting my list, but I have been working hard to try and get some tasks knocked out…

The first major task I chose to tackle was number 66, “Drink only water for month.” I began this journey on Monday, April 12 and sadly, I have nothing all that monumental or exciting to report. I made it all the way until May 12, without drinking a single “non-water” beverage. You may be thinking, “Surely you saw many benefits from drinking all that water,” and I am here to say, no, I did not. The only thing it did was make me pee…a lot. I was hoping to maybe drop a few pounds…not so much…I thought that it might help with my constant dry skin and adult onset acne…nope, not a bit…The good thing is, that I realized I wasn’t quite as addicted to caffeine as I thought I was. I’m gonna be honest here and say that I was really worried about the sheer quantity of caffeine consumed by me each day. Every morning I had a diet soda on the way to work. I would typically have one for lunch and then normally at least one at night with my dinner. That’s a lot of soda. I’ve recently been reading about the negative effects of the unnatural sweeteners used in diet sodas, so I thought that perhaps this “water break” would do my body good. When I think about this experiment that way, I know it helped me. I think I really do feel better knowing that at least what I’m drinking is good for me. I’ve actually kept on drinking tons of water, even though my month is over (I average about 80-100 oz per day). Since May 12, I’ve only had maybe three or four diet sodas, three or four Chick-fil-a sweet teas, a (very, very small) glass of milk, and a Coke Slushy (my jam!). I think that’s pretty good. Before you worry about the fact that I’ve only had one small glass of milk in two months, let me assure you that I do take calcium supplements as a part of my daily vitamin regimen. I detest the taste of milk…chocolate milk is not so bad, but in general I think milk is pretty gross. I also eat lots of ice cream…so I get some calcium from that right?

So, there you have it…number 66 on my list is now a memory…

~Blevins - out!

Amendments to The List

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:56:00 +0000

So, after looking over my list, I realized that there are a few items on it that cannot exactly be measured...therefore, I have decided to make some amendments...

I, the Jennifer Blevins, in order to form a more perfect list, establish items that can be documented and verified, and secure the blessings of this list, establish the following amendments: (my attempt at a humorous preamble...lame, I know...)

31. Make my front yard presentable.
Well...this is difficult to assess, because what I say is presentable, might not necessarily be so to anyone else. So, I am going to make a new #31...here it is...
31. Weed the flower bed in the front yard and spread mulch in the spring. (0/2)

80. Give more hugs.
Hmm...how do I measure this...well, in short, I can't...so, here's my new #80
80. Give blood.

And there you have it folks...all better...:)

~Blevins - out!

101 Things in 1001 Days

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:05:00 +0000

Well, I stole this idea from a friend, and I think it is awesome. Basically, you come up with 101 things you'd like to do/accomplish and you have 1001 days to complete the list. I am totally jazzed about this idea. In order to keep me accountable, I am going to blog about each list item as I complete it...wish me luck! :)

Exercise everyday for a month. (0/31)
Read 12 nonfiction books. (0/12)
Have my carpet professionally cleaned.
Organize all of my closets. (0/6)
Go through and purge unnecessary items in the basement and organize what's left.
Paint the master bedroom and bathroom.
Read the entire Bible. (0/66)
Create three pieces of art. (0/3)
Take three career related classes. (0/3)
Take two non-career related classes. (0/2)
Go to the doctor, dentist, and optometrist. (1/3)
Volunteer my time somewhere other than CCC.
Finish my wedding scrapbook.
Explore New England.
Take a trip out West.
Leave the country
Go rock climbing (indoors or out).
Run in a 5k.
Meet 101 new people. (15/101)
Eat at home everyday for a month (or at least meals made at home--no restaurants, drive-thrus, or carry-outs). (0/31)
Organize my kitchen cabinets.
Read 50 of the top 100 books according to Random House http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/100bestnovels.html. (0/50)
Watch 50 of the top 100 movies according to the American Film Institute http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/movies100.pdf?docID=264. (0/50)
Memorize 25 Bible verses. (0/25)
Read 10 plays by William Shakespeare. (0/10)
Face a fear.
Build a sandcastle.
Pick out and put up curtains in my bedroom.
See a show on Broadway.
Finish my Chicken project.
Make my front yard presentable.
Power wash the outside of my house.
Surprise someone.
Learn to play 10 songs on the guitar. (0/10)
Grow something from a seed.
Plant a tree.
Write a poem.
Read 5 historical books. (0/5)
Read 5 biographies. (0/5)
Blog 50 times. (0/50)
Try Sushi.
Start a prayer journal.
Slenderize my Mii.
Write 7 letters to my Compassion Child, Kibaki. (0/7)
Go mountain biking.
Go on a picnic.
Make homemade ice cream.
Go canoeing.
Keep a food journal for a month. (0/31)
Do something to grow my marriage (ie. go on a retreat, do a Bible Study).
~~Go fishing.~~
Design and purchase my own Nike's.
Deal with "the iPod situation."
Make use of public transportation.
Start recycling paper.
Build something.
Send 5 people anonymous gifts. (0/5)
Send 50 encouraging messages to 50 different people.
Paint pottery.
Play on a team.
Make 3 big decisions. (0/3)
Give up a bad habit.
Solve the towel storage problem in the bathroom.
Ride an elephant.
Go to the Renaissance Festival.
~~Drink only water for a month.~~
Swim in an ocean.
Ride on a train.
Replace all of the light bulbs in the house with CFL's.
Get a programmable thermostat.
Install (well, have installed) a dimmer switch in our living room.
Paint our office.
Paint the upstairs hallway.
Go ice skating.
Ride on a motorcycle.
Stay awake for 24 hours straight.
Collect all of the star coins on Super Mario Bros. Wii.
Play Nick in a real game of raquetball.
Pray for every country in the world by name http://geography.about.com/od/countryinformation/a/capitals.htm. (0/195)
Give more hugs.
Get a summer job.
Do something nice for my neighbors.
Host a "themed" dinner party.
Host a game night.
Donate my hair to Locks of Love again.
Get a facial.
Get a pedicure.
Go see 7 movies Nick wants to see without complaining. (0/7)
Put $1 per day in a piggy bank. (56/1001)
Vacuum and wash my car once a month, weather permitting. (1/34)
Get my rings cleaned.
Try 5 brand new recipes. (0/5)
Clean out and organize our home office.
Take another spiritual gifts assessment and figure out how to use my "gifts" in a significant way.
Read a Beth Moore book.
Write a letter to my 45-year-old self.
Try some kind of "ethnic" food.
Go rollerblading.
Put knobs on my kitchen cabinets.
On November 1, 2012, start a new-list.
Donate $1 to Compassion International for everything not accomplished on this list.

~Blevins - out!

Happy Father's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:31:00 +0000

Well...how fitting that my last blog was about Mother's Day and now it's a month later...already time for Father's Day...where has time gone?

My dad is pretty much the best dad in the whole wide world. I don't know that I've ever met anyone as smart as he is, he knows everything about everything. He really could have been anything in the world he wanted to be, a doctor, a lawyer, even president...but he chose to dedicate his life to telling others about God's love...how awesome is that?! It's something that I will always admire about him. When I think about my life growing up, I think about how hard of a worker my dad is. He's always given everything he has to the church and to our family. Some of my fondest memories are the trips we've taken together as a family. I remember going out in to "the deep water" in the ocean when I was little. Dad would take me out on this round float with handles and let me ride in to shore on the waves. There were times when I would totally get churned, but no matter what, dad's strong hand would pull me up out of the water. I remember all of our fun trips to Washington, DC and Williamsburg and other fun historical places (which is where I got my love of history). I remember Dad dropping me off for my freshman year at Furman and that last hug when he was leaving me behind...walking me down the aisle on my wedding day...leading Nick and I through our vows...supporting us when Nick decided to go into ministry full time, even though I know it was hard. All in all, I think my dad is the best...and here's to him...Happy Father's Day Daddy! I love you!

Happy Mother's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:22:00 +0000

Sooo…I’m a day late, but this was a crazy weekend. I just wanted to do a quick shout-out to my mom for Mother’s Day! I like many things about Mother’s Day, but I think that my favorite part of this holiday is the fact that it really is a time to stop and reflect about our moms. My mom is pretty much awesome. I can’t just pick out one or two favorite “mom” memories, because we do so much together. I love how every time I go to visit, we make our patented trip to Target and other random places. She knows I don’t care where we go as long as we’re hanging out. I love how she cries at Gilmore Girls and Leave it to Beaver. I love the fact that she’s always thinking about me and proud of me, no matter where I am or what I do. I love that she’s on facebook and is cool with that being one of our primary means of communication (she knows I’m not good on the phone). But most of all, I love the fact that she’s my mom. She’s always loved me and taken care of me and she always will…she’s just amazing that way…thanks mom for being so great! Happy Mother’s Day! I love you!

And Happy Mother's Day to the other moms (and soon to be moms) that read my blog...you're all wonderful!

~Blevins - out!

There's a Song in My Head...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:59:00 +0000

I'm sure, just like me, you get songs stuck in your head from time to time...Sometimes, I get songs stuck in my head, that are highly inappropriate (at least, I think so anyway...) For example, sometimes I get that one song by the All American Rejects stuck in my head..."Hope it Gives You H-e-double hockey sticks." Other times I get "Baby Got Back," or a myriad of Justin Timberlake songs (whom I love), all of which have inappropriate lyrics...Not all of the songs I get stuck in my head have bad lyrics, sometimes I get songs from church stuck in my head or even television jingles...This gets me to my purpose (if you believe there is one...). I have a standby song that gets stuck in my head all the time...this song is always in my head somehow and if I'm still for more than five minutes this song starts playing in my head, and unfortunately, I only know the first part...I know you're wondering what song I'm talking about...I bet you're totally sitting on the edge of your seat...just hoping I'll divulge this wonderful song that I sing each and everyday of my life...Now, you're probably thinking that since this is me we're talking about, that this song must have some special meaning, or it must be deeply symbolic or perhaps even spriritual...Well, I hate to disappoint you, but...the song of which I'm speaking...is none other than..."Kung Fu Fighting." It's true. I have no idea why, but this song is always playing somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind. I truly don't get it, but apparently this song gets me, because it's never far away from me. I am now going to officially dedicate this post to this catchy tune that has become a staple in my life. In order to honor it properly, I shall post the lyrics here so that all can enjoy this song that I apparently love sooo much...

Everybody was kung-fu fighting

Those cats were fast as lightning

In fact it was a little bit frightning

But they fought with expert timing

They were funky China men from funky Chinatown

They were chopping them up and they were chopping them down

It's an ancient Chineese art and everybody knew their part

From a feint into a slip, and kicking from the hip

Everybody was kung-fu fighting

Those cats were fast as lightning

In fact it was a little bit frightning

But they fought with expert timing

There was funky Billy Chin and little Sammy Chung

He said here comes the big boss, lets get it on

We took a bow and made a stand, started swinging with the hand

The sudden motion made me skip now we're into a brand knew trip

Everybody was kung-fu fighting

Those cats were fast as lightning

In fact it was a little bit frightning

But they did it with expert timing(repeat)..make sure you have expert timing

Kung-fu fighting, had to be fast as lightning

And...now that I've looked up these lyrics, I realize, that I had no idea of the real words in this song...it is even more random than I originally thought, and it is officially the product of a "one hit wonder"...no shocker there...here are the lyrics that I sing for this song...over and over and over again..."Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting...those fists were fast as lightning...even though it is a little bit frightning...everybody was Kung Fu Fighting..." And there you have it folks...

~Blevins - out!

A Little Bit of Random Never Hurt Anybody...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:52:00 +0000

So...I've been somewhat of a slacker lately on blogging...especially when it comes to the personal everyday stuff that's going on in my life. In order to remedy this, I thought I'd give a few "random" things that have happened to me recently...in case you wanted to know...

Random Event #1
We got a tetherball pole at school...in a word, it is AMAZING...wow, I had no idea how much I would love tetherball. Despite the fact that I have a jammed middle finger on my right hand (it's almost fully healed now...), I have really enjoyed playing and the exercise that goes along with it. It's also kinda funny to see kids get busted in the face...obviously it's not funny if they actually get hurt, but the head snapping back action never really gets old...

Random Event #2
Occurred on Sunday, April 26, 2009
So...it's been really really hot the past few days and I decided to wear capris on Sunday to church. Now...this is the first truly warm weather we've had, which means I have not been in the sun since last summer/fall. When I put on my capris, I looked down and realized that my legs looked really really white...so white that I was actually a little embarrassed...To remedy this problem, I went digging through my random toiletries looking for a little sunless tanner...big mistake! Now, I know you're automatically thinking that I turned my legs orange or that they ended up looking all streaky and you're possibly contemplating the notion of skipping on ahead to Random Event #3, but you're gonna need to read on to find out what really happened...just trust me...So anyway, I found some sunless tanner (it was the foam kind with a pump...I think it's called Fake Bake...it was actually pretty expensive...). I jumped right in and "pumped" so tanner on my left leg. It looked like it was a kinda weird color, but I went ahead and rubbed it in anyway...here's where the problem began...As I rubbed in the foam, I noticed that my leg was not really looking tan...actually...it was looking green...I kept rubbing and quickly realized, that my leg was actually turning green instead of tan. Oh no! As panic began to sink in, I decided to quickly try and wash the sunless tanner off of my leg. Well, if you know anything about the permanency of sunless tanner, you would know that it is very difficult to wash off. I scrubbed and srubbed to no avail. My leg had officially turned green! Unfortunately, it was almost time for me to leave for church and I had no other clothes prepared to wear, so I had to go in my capris with one pastey white leg, and one slightly greenish tinted leg. In my bathroom my leg didn't look all that green, however, I was at church for no less than ten minutes before my ever so observant husband (this last phrase is laced with sarcasm...he's the person who didn't notice I had 10 inches cut from my hair...on two separate occasions!), noticed something different about my leg. He asked me about it in front of a semi-large group of people, so I just shrugged it off, hoping he would take the hint, and stop asking me about it. He did not. I had to tell him that I'd fill him in on it later. Of course I told him what happened and he thought it was hysterical. He kept bringing up my leg in random conversation and pretended like it was really bruised. He'd say stuff like, "don't be upset because your leg is all bruised," which of course would then make people look at my leg...he can be such a pain sometimes...but I love him. Just another "Jennifer moment" for ya. Thankfully, I was able to exfoliate my leg enough on Monday morning that all green coloration had disappeared prior to going to work...yeah...

Random Event #3
Occurred Last Night (April 27, 2009)
As I was leaving CCC last night and heading to my car, I saw a weird "thing" on the side walk in front of my car...It looked kinda weird, maybe a little like a rock or something...Well, I as I got a little closer I realized it was a turtle! I'm not talking about a cute little turtle that you have in an aquarium and it swims around looking all cute. This guy's shell was about 8 to 10 inches in diameter with almost spikey looking things along the center of it's shell. It had a long, strange looking tail, and it was just not cute...at all (and I really like most animals...I was just not digging this turtle). Then, some of my weirdness began to set in. I quickly became terrified to walk to my car. I ran inside to get Nick and he came out to see what the big deal was. He agreed that this was a very strange thing to find on the side walk in the middle of a business park in White Marsh. I asked him to touch it to see if it was ok. Nick nudged the back end of the turtle with his foot, and it did this weird thing where it stuck it's butt up in the air. I jokingly asked Nick if we had found the missing link because when the turtle stuck his butt in the air, his long creepy tail became even more noticable. After observing the turtle for a moment, Nick walked me to my car and I got in feeling pretty safe (even though at one point on my way home, my shoe fell off and when I felt it touch my foot, I panicked, thinking it was the turtle...I know, I'm insane). Then tonight I saw a fox run out in front of my car...I'm feeling like I should be on Animal Kingdom or something like that...

So there are a few random things that have happened in the past three days...hope it gave you a break from the day to day and maybe made you smile a little...

~Blevins - out!

Weekend Word - Part VII

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:35:00 +0000

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Don’t we all need to read this verse from time to time…I feel like given the pace of my life, this is another verse, just like last week, I should probably read everyday.

Who among us does not know what it’s like to feel totally week…totally exhausted…like we couldn’t take another step?...and I don’t just mean physically, I mean emotionally and spiritually as well. Perhaps you’ve taken so many hits to your self-esteem you can’t imagine ever being able to take a chance again…you’ve experience such great loss that you don’t think you will or could ever be happy…you’ve been waiting and waiting for God to renew your spirit and it just hasn’t happened and you’re feeling utterly lost, alone, and hopeless…these are what I consider to be “weary and heavy burden” moments…

“I will give you rest”…relief…I’ll take those problems for a while…I’ll give you joy, peace, love, hope…I will renew your strength…I love you…let me show you…don’t try to handle this alone…I can take it…trust me…

Now, I can be a little Rob Bell-is this week, because I’ve actually heard people (him) talk about what it means to take on a teacher’s “yoke.” (although, I’m sure I’ll most likely butcher the meaning of this because I totally just write this stuff from the top of my head…there’s no extra research involved…it’s the weekend…I don’t have that kind of energy or drive…I’ll just say it’s on one of his Nooma dvd’s so you should probably just watch it to get the real info). I think that in Jewish culture, when you chose to identify yourself with a particular rabbi or teacher, you would take on their “yoke.” That meant that you would take on their teachings. Then it would be your job to pass those teachings and ideas on to others. So, when Jesus said that His “yoke is easy” and “His burden is light,” He’s letting us know that we’re not going to be taking on this impossible task by being His follower. It’s doable, it’s achievable. He even says it easy…and that He'll be easy on us...He's humble...not the kind of know it all that you can't stand to be around...and when you get something wrong, or fail a little, He's not gonna beat you...He'll be loving and gentle

Now, I don’t want to disagree with what Jesus says here…so please don’t think that’s what I’m doing, but I don’t really necessarily feel that His burden is light. I see His burden as being death on the cross…death to self…and the burden of reaching the world with His love and power…I mean, perhaps that’s not what He’s talking about here, but I take it as a very heavy burden. However, it's not a hopeless one…not one that I carry alone. Maybe that’s why He considers it “light.” Perhaps it’s light, because it’s shared by all Christians…and Jesus is holding up the heavy side…What an awesomely cool God we have…I feel like that sounds kinda corny, but how else can you describe someone who’s willing to take on our heart aches, struggles, pain, and sorrow so that we don’t have to? I think that’s pretty awesomely cool in my mind…don’t you?

~Blevins – out!

Weekend Word - Part VII

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:57:00 +0000

“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” James 4:17

Yeah…I almost feel like this is one of those “enough said” moments. Oh James, why must you be so complicated and stressful?! I would definitely say that although short in length, James is one of the longer books of the Bible when we’re talking about unpacking what it means. I think we could go on for weeks about what this little book has to say about the way we should live (and at CCC we have...just listen to the series "Shorts"...one of the guys that speaks during that series is pretty amazing...I'm sorta kinda head over heels for that guy...).

This particular verse is one that I think I should probably read everyday. How many times do I see something that I really should do, and don’t do it? I just pass the opportunity on by and probably don’t even give it another thought…well, that’s not true…I’m actually the type of person who, once I realize I should have done something and didn’t do it, will beat myself up over it…however, I’m not sure that I ever really think about it as sin. I wonder if I did think of it as sin, would I take the time to make sure I did what I know I ought? And, the times that I have asked God to forgive me for missed opportunities (when I've realized it) are almost more unbearable than asking God to forgive me for not telling the truth or speeding down Rt. 40...And what about the times that I just totally miss the boat? Is it because I’m too self-absorbed to see the world around me?...probably, but how can God forgive me for that? I guess I’m just really really thankful for the power of Jesus’ blood and the fact that it can wash away any sin…even the sin of missed opportunity…

I will close by saying that it is my earnest prayer that God will somehow make clear the things I ought to do, so I can be a blameless and pure child of His…one without fault or blemish…one that can say that she lived her life for God, and lived it well, making the most of everything.

~Blevins – out!

Weekend Word Part VI

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:26:00 +0000

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.” Matthew 16:24-27

So…this is one of those…”Holy cow, why did Jesus have to say such things?” verses…I read this and think, there’s no way I can live up to these standards…I mean, I don’t necessarily consider myself to be all that selfish, but then, let’s stop and think about the definition of selfish. Selfish: (adj) devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others. Now, I don’t really know all that many people who only care for themselves so then I start to wonder if we (America) aren’t as selfish as everyone always says we are. On the other hand, when I look at the rest of the definition and read the words “concerned primarily with one’s own interests, benefits, welfare, etc.” I start to wonder…maybe I am really selfish. I’m not saying that I don’t care about anyone else but me. I just mean that I am normally absorbed in thinking about my own interests, my own well-being. Many times I am so much consumed with thinking about everything that’s going on with me, that it clouds out what God might be prompting me to do…changes I might need to make, people I might need to help, things I might need to do, steps of faith I might need to take…Perhaps that’s the reason why Jesus says these words about being selfish first. That is to say, that if we (myself included) are mainly concerned with ourselves, then there is no room for God to move in our lives…He’s a big God…He’s not going to play second fiddle to us.

“Take up your cross…” This phrase reminds me of that song we used to sing a lot in church growing up…I Have Decided to Follow Jesus. I’ve always enjoyed this hymn…I don’t know if it’s because of the words or how easy it is to sing or because it has so many verses, but it’s definitely one of my favorites. Anyway, there’s a verse in this song that says “My cross I’ll carry ‘till I see Jesus.” I’ve always been somewhat intrigued by this idea. Now, if I were Rob Bell or somebody like that, I’d probably have some type of historical meaning to this idea of taking up one’s cross, but alas, I do not. I’ll just convey what I think it means…I guess because I’m selfish like that. Welp, I think we all have these crosses in our lives, just like Jesus. Jesus always knew he was going to die…I've always seen is as this big thing between Him and God…like the proverbial “pink elephant” in the room. I can imagine that Jesus most likely mentioned it every time He talked to God…I know I would. “Hey dad, about this whole dying and giving up my life thing…that’s really gonna hurt and be really hard…can’t we rethink this a little…” These are the kinds of bargains I feel like I have with God too…of course mine are absolutely meaningless compared with Jesus giving up His life to save the whole world, but I think the idea is sort of the same. We all have these hang-ups…these things that keep us from really giving in fully to God’s plan. I think one of the points that Jesus is trying to make here is that He knows we have these things, these issues, these “crosses” that we carry around with us…these burdens, if you will, and He wants us to pick them up and bring them to Him. It won’t be easy, it will probably hurt, it will probably be a little humiliating, we’ll definitely need some help with it, but in order to follow Him, in order to be like Jesus, we have to be willing to take up that proverbial cross.

“Follow me…” well that’s definitely easier said than done. I’m still holding out for those burning bush, goatskin in the dew, writing on the wall occurrences…I guess that’s not happening anytime soon, so how do I know I’m following Jesus? I suppose that’s where faith comes in to play. We just have to have faith that God will somehow make His path clear to us so that we can follow…

"If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” This part seems self explanatory, but it doesn’t make it any less difficult to do. I kinda get the feeling that maybe Jesus was not only talking to His followers, but to Himself too.

And here comes the real kick in the butt moment…”And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” It is so easy to get caught in the trap of “getting.” (or at least that’s what I’m going to call it) It happens to me all of the time. There are so many things in this world that I want to gain…money, things, power, stature (well maybe not all of those things, but it’s gotta be true for some people…). Then I read this and I get all squirmy inside. I don’t mean to be someone who is trying to gain the whole world, but sometimes I feel like I’m getting pulled into the whirlpool and can’t swim out. That makes me worry…not just for myself (because at least I have moments of clarity where I realize that I’m putting my wants ahead of following God), but it makes me really worry about our world in general. How many people around us are losing their souls (and not just people who are “lost”—people we see in church with us each Sunday)? I know those are harsh words, but they’re the ones Jesus used…so we know they’re true.

And finally, “For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.” This is one of those things that keeps me up at night from time to time. When I think about being judged according to my deeds, I get this weird flush that rolls right over me, it’s probably some type of a panic attack. I know that I have many things that I do right and I do them for the right reasons, but, I also have so many ways that I fail and fall. I have those thoughts that wouldn’t be really pleasing to anyone, especially the God of all creation. Ugh, I guess this just another reason to remember that although God is just, He’s also loving and forgiving. I think I’ll choose to hang on to that for now, just so I don’t get all freaked out and panicky…What a great note to end on…perhaps I should have planned this one out a little bit better. I guess the best thing is that there’s still hope…there’s still time to follow hard after Jesus…to gather up all of our problems and hang-ups and issues and to seek after Him…to put our worldly desires and struggles in the back seat and to let our actions scream to the heavens how wonderful our God is.

There you go...two weekends in a row...
~Blevins - out!

Weekend Word Part V

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 20:52:00 +0000

“But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside.” Job 23:10-11 (NLT)

This verse is from the Old Testament book of Job. Job was this dude that had a whole bunch of bad junk happen to him. You see, Satan thought he could cause Job to turn away from God, so he sent horrible events his way. Even though everyone thought Job had done something horrible in the eyes of God and that he was being punished and that he should go ahead and curse God and be done with it, Job thought differently. He knew that no matter what happened, even if he didn’t understand it, God loved Him. Therefore, he never gave up. He stayed strong. He persevered.

Given Job’s history, and all that he had lost, I love the fact that he didn’t doubt what he had done. He knew that he never compromised.

I wonder about my life. When God tests me, do I “come out as pure gold?” I think to be able to say “I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside,” at the end of my life would be an amazing accomplishment. I feel like these two verses are “life verse worthy”…you know what I mean? Sometimes people will ask “what’s your life verse?”--I never really know what to say. I have a lot of verses that I really like and many that would be great to live my life by, but isn’t the Bible full of verses like that? “I have followed his ways and not turned aside…” There’s the goal…

Reflections on a Loss...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:38:00 +0000

You know that saying “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone?” Well, I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately…

On Wednesday, February 4, my mom and my sister both called me after school. I knew immediately that something must be going on if both of them were calling back to back. In true “Jennifer” fashion, my cell phone was out of battery power, so I had to wait until I got in my car to call them back (so I could plug in my phone). Lindsay was the first person I got a hold of…she tells me, “I have some really bad news…” Of course, whenever you hear something like that, your mind starts racing. I’ve had these type of phone calls before…”Your dad’s in the emergency room with chest pains (aka two close proximity heart attacks)”…”Just wanted to let you know your Grandaddy’s in the hospital (aka he has a bleeding ulcer and will need multiple blood transfusions)”…”Your Grandma is going to be in the hospital for a while (aka she has a rare heart virus called endocarditis)”…None of these “bad” conversations began with the words “I have some bad news…” so, obviously, I’m freaking out. Then my sister asked me what I was doing. I told her I was in the car on my way home and she asked me if I wanted to call her back when I got home…To this I promptly said “Um…no…You need to tell me whatever it is now.” Lindsay went on to tell me that my uncle was found dead in his apartment…You could have knocked me over with a feather…to say I was shocked would be an understatement. I mean, he’s my uncle Mark. He’s not even that old (47)…how could he be dead…

Fast forward a few days…due to somewhat strange circumstances given his time of death and when he was actually found, it was difficult to get his body ready for burial…more than a week after his death, we had his funeral…definitely one of the saddest days I’ve experienced…just thinking about his girls and how they’re going to miss out on some of their best daddy years just made me really sad for them…not to mention his boys who are missing out on a really great pal…

Well, he was placed in his grave today, February 13, the day before Valentine’s Day. We still don’t really know what happened…it looks like we never will…I guess mysteries still do exist…

Now to my original quote at the start of this blog, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Given this abrupt end to the life of my uncle Mark, I have had the occasion over the past few days to remember so much about him—things that I haven’t really thought about for a long time. You see, my aunt Faith (his wife and my mom’s younger sister) started dating Mark when I was around five or six years old…this means that I’ve basically had Mark in my life for as long as I can remember. Obviously we spent all of the holidays together, but we did so much more too. As a younger child, I used to always spend a week in Virginia with my mom’s parents. Whenever I was there, I knew I’d really be spending most of my time with Mark and Faith. I thought they were so cool. When they were just dating, my aunt and I would go visit Mark at work and take him lunch. I was the flower girl in their wedding when I was in second grade (and in true younger Jennifer fashion, I totally acted like a brat when it came to time take the pictures…at least I made it through the ceremony before acting out…) After they got married, we’d hang out at their house and play Nintendo after my grandparents went to bed. We really liked playing Mario, Rad Racer, and for some reason Jack Nicklaus golf. When I got a little older, we would always head to an amusement park when I was visiting. We normally went to King’s Dominion because it was so close to my grandparent’s house, but I remember one time we went to Busch Gardens. That was such an awesome trip. I think our car ride there was half the fun. Mark had a really great time doing impressions of all the people on the road that were from Ohio…he did a great Ohio accent…I’ve wanted to go back ever since, but never have. Mark would always ride whatever ride I wanted to…I’m not quite sure if he was just being nice, or if he was finally glad to have someone to ride rides with. We loved to play horse and football in the yard. Mark always had a way of making me feel like I was really great at football, even though I was just a girl…He had this awesome dog name P.D. (short for Puppy Dog…you may see now where I got the creative name for my cat…Kitty…). P.D. would always play football with us too…it was so fun. We’d play homerun derby sometimes and P.D. was definitely a great asset because he’d always go fetch the ball. I remember that Mark used to let me drive his truck…even though I was only in the fifth grade...I knew every time I went to my grandparent’s house I would be able to have a couple of driving lessons too. The first time he ever let me drive on the road was when I was 13…It didn’t really go so well, I remember getting pretty close the yellow line and then getting really scared. We had to pull over and switch places because I got so freaked out. We would take random trips to the dump from time to time. I think I mainly went because I knew we'd stop and get ice cream on the way home. He saved my "life" at my Aunt Ollie's funeral...it's a long story...He was probably the only person I’d ever let call me Jenni-poo. He was the first person to ever sing this random song that goes something like “Jennifer….Juniper….”…I’ve never actually heard the song before and I don’t think I want to now…It might erase his voice singing it. Unfortunately, once I started to get older, things seemed to change a little…we definitely weren’t as close as we used to be, but it was always really good to see him and catch up whenever we had the chance. I guess it’s true…”You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…”

Rest in peace Mark…you will be missed…

~Blevins - out...

long time...no blog...long blog...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:53:00 +0000

So, I totally don't know what my problem is...I swore I'd blog more often...even thought about it during Christmas break, but did I do it...nope...I'm a total looser...

HOWEVER...here it is…

On Facebook, there's this new trend to list "25 Random Things" about yourself...to my amusement, it was even mentioned on the radio (Mix 106.5) yesterday morning...It is quite fun to do actually. You can take it one of two ways...you can either just list things that you think might be interesting or unique about yourself, or you can just be...to put in a word...random. I went the, "I'm trying to let people in on who I really am" route...I'm not so sure I'm really glad that I did this because more people read it than I had planned, but I've learned something pretty revealing in the process.

I'll start by posting my "25 Random Things" in case, you haven't read them (although I'm keenly aware that the five people who may possibly stumble on to my blog are also my friends on Facebook so they've most definitely already read them...but you know...just in case...)

1. I want to make my life count...I want to live for God's glory and nothing else...I want everything I say and do to speak of how great God is...
2. I absolutely adore my family...in-laws included...they are some of the best people I know...
3. I really like old movies and old tv shows...Casablanca is probably one of my favorite movies of all time and I could (and have) literally watch I Love Lucy all day...
4. I love to read...I 'll pretty much read just about anything you put in front of me...I'm sad that I don't have more time to devote to this love of mine...I also love sports too and I'm sad I don't have enough time to devote to playing them...
5. My great-grandfather was a minister, my grandfather was a minister, my father is a minister, and my husband is a children's minister...go figure...I swore I would never marry a minister and Nick wasn't one we got married...Lesson learned...never say never to God...he'll change it everytime...
6. I would really love to get my Master's...but, I don't necessarily think I'll be a teacher my whole life...
7. I prefer taking a bath (or if you're an Ainsworth, a tub...:D) over a shower...maybe that's because I have a pretty sweet jacuzzi tub...
8. I really really love music...I like to sing...I literally sing all the time...and not always real songs...most of them I make up...when I'm in the car with Nick (especially on long trips) I can sing the whole trip (he's a saint for putting up with me sometimes)...I would really love to trade places with Christy Nockels...she's amazing...
9. I hate surprises/surprise parties and "showers"...close friends need to note this in case I ever have a baby...which leads me to number ten...
10. I am terrified to have children and am totally bipolar about it...one day I'll see a cute little baby and think...hmm...I'd like one of those...then I see some kid "acting a fool" and I think, heck no, I never want a kid...it's like a total roller coaster for me...I assume eventually I'll know when I'm ready, but I'm not getting any younger...which leads me to number eleven...
11. I don't really like birthdays...I'd prefer to pretend like they don't occur...I'm really not good with getting older...I can't even imagine what 2012 will be like for me...
12. I am pretty shy...I'm not that great at meeting new people and it takes me a while to warm up to others...I'm friendly, but not an open book...sometimes this can be interpreted as being rude or standoff-ish...I'm just not one for small talk...if I don't have anything to say, then I just don't say anything...
13. I love serving others...but really don't like to be served (unless it's by Nick...lol)...it makes me really uncomfortable...
14. Speaking of uncomfortable...conflict makes me want to barf...I hate fights/arguments...anytime I get "yelled at" it makes me want to cry...I am sooo non-confrontational...
15. I have really low self-esteem...(maybe this "random list" shouldn't be so deep...)
16. Some of my favorites...color-pink, food-cheeseburgers and chicken fingers, word-chicken and poop (but not chicken poop), city-Atlanta, GA
17. I had to do a separate list of favorite tv shows...I don't really watch all that much tv except on the weekends...I'll do "old shows" and "current shows"...Old - Friends, Saved By the Bell, Everybody Loves Raymond, Mad About You, the Sopranos...Current - 24!!!!, Heroes, NCIS and I'm thinking I'm starting to really like House...
18. This may not be all that "random," but I absolutely LOVE Spongebob Squarepants...I'd say this is random simply because I'm 26 and love Spongebob, but I really like all cartoons for the most part...on the weekends I typically keep it on Nickelodeon all day...
19. I have this thing for "mob" storylines...whether it's a movie or a tv show, if it's got thugs and mobsters, I'm in...
20. I don't use foul language...ever...not even when I'm mad...I have been known to say "I could cuss..." but in all honesty, I wouldn't know what to say if I had to cuss...
21. I've never smoked or had an alcoholic beverage (or done drugs...)...I am truly a prude, even though I try really hard not to be...I don't really think there's anything wrong with either...well, smoking's really bad because it causes cancer, but drinking causes cirrhosis of the liver and sometimes bad decisions, so...who knows...I guess nothing's all that safe...I'm sure the food I eat is probably just as bad for me as drinking or smoking...(now this is totally random...)
22. I really HATE coffee...the smell, the taste...if there's even the slightest hint of coffee taste I gag...gingerale also makes me gag...instantly...
23. I have this big dream to do something really awesome with my life, but I don't know what it is...this is a terribly frustrating feeling...speaking of being frustrated...
24. Sometimes I get a little frustrated with God...I feel like He gave me all of these random semi-talents and interests, but there's nothing that I'm really really great at...you know what I mean???...some people are awesome artists and you look at them and think...wow, they were born to do that...other people are amazing speakers and you think...it's amazing how God uses them...I sooo wish I was one of those people...btw...I think Nick is the only person who knows this about me...It's really not about jealousy...it's about wanting to contribute in a specific way to the world...and not missing my purpose...
25. I like acting and don't mind being in front of crowds as long as I'm being a "character"...I am terrified of adults and would rather just hang out with kids...

Now, I could definitely come up with many random things about myself, because, truth be told, I am a very random person. But...Nick noticed something quite interesting about the comments I received on my list...almost everyone commented about number 24...I'll re-copy it here if you chose to skim past my list (which in all honesty, I would have done if I were reading this...)

24. Sometimes I get a little frustrated with God...I feel like He gave me all of these random semi-talents and interests, but there's nothing that I'm really really great at...you know what I mean???...some people are awesome artists and you look at them and think...wow, they were born to do that...other people are amazing speakers and you think...it's amazing how God uses them...I sooo wish I was one of those people...btw...I think Nick is the only person who knows this about me...It's really not about jealousy...it's about wanting to contribute in a specific way to the world...and not missing my purpose...

For some reason, this struck a chord with people. Of course, Nick thought automatically that if so many people feel the same way, then the local church should address this and give people direction about it....

My thoughts about it are a little different than his. I think that (this is me personally here...not those who commented on my blog) it is extremely difficult to know if you're doing what God wants you to do. It's not like the Old Testament where He'd actually talk to people, or at least send angels to talk to people (which yes, I know He did in the New Testament too...just not as much). I think people really do want to follow God's plan, but it can't be done by following certain steps, or maybe they (I) don't think that they're good enough to do what God wants them to do. Now, I know I have really really low self esteem (see #15), but it seems to me that God should make it a little easier to find your gifts and your purpose. Wouldn't that make the world a better place after all?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing God for how He's chosen to do things...who am I to say anything about it at all actually...but it is a little puzzling, you know? I kinda think that the journey to find what you're meant to do is basically the whole deal--that as you are on your way to find God's place for you, you get to know Him and His character even better. You get a heart that beats like His, that breaks like His, that loves like His. You get a mind that thinks like His, that sees the bigger picture, that knows this life is not the end by any means. You get hands and feet like His, that go and do the things that no one else would or could do....

This leads me to the frustration...I get all this...I get the fact that in order to be more like God, I need to spend more time with Him, in His Word, with people who also want to be more like Him. Unfortunately, I'm also aware that I only have a limited amount of time on this earth (as much as I try to pretend that is not the case). I feel like I don't have time to wait around anymore. I want to know what God wants me to do and I want to know now (typing this, I'm totally feeling like the prodigal son who wanted his inheritance now...that's a little unsettling...perhaps I'll address that in another blog--that is if I ever remember to blog again...). So, I guess I'm stuck--which totally stinks. I am the kind of person who is very cautious about taking big steps. The kind of person who would need to know up front if the step I was taking was really in God's plan. The kind of person whose fear of failure and rejection can totally block out what God may or may not want to be doing in the world. Is that what it takes to be great in God's eyes? Reckless abandon...an undaunting ability to follow whatever they believe God is calling them to do?

Obviously I know the answer to this question is yes...of course it is. But, what does that mean for me, what does that mean for people who agree with #24? Giving up the illusion of control is possibly too great. I don't know. It's scary because it's not just me that I'm giving up in reckless abandon to God...It's my family and my friends. It's everything I am and care about...and that's tough. But, is it too tough? Wouldn't it be worth it? I would think so...but what if I was wrong...what if what I thought God wanted me to do was so far from what He was actually thinking and planning? And that doesn't even scratch the surface of the "giftedness" problem and what mine are...ugh...it really would be easier if God made me amazingly awesome at something...I'm not asking for an endless list of talents and abilities...I'm just asking for one...one thing that I am really really great at, so that I'll know that was what God wants me to invest my time in...Here I am saying this, but really, if I only had just one thing that I was talented in, I mean really talented in, what are the odds that I would use it? I kinda think I'd be like the wicked servant in Jesus' parable and just burry it away. I'd hope not...

But maybe, just maybe, we all have lots of talents, and we just don't know it. Maybe these semi-talents of which I speak are really what we're supposed to be developing. I mean, nothing really great comes without some kind of price...right? Even our "free gift" of eternal life had it's price...not to us, but to the one who loved us so much to die...for us...And that's the point...that's why I want to contribute so badly...to show God it wasn't for nothing...it was worth it...it's all worth it...

Riiiiight....

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:58:00 +0000

Well, guess what…time has escaped me yet again. As I sit typing this, I realize that it was been MONTHS since my last post. I seem to recall talking about being nervous about the first day of school and now it’s November. Here’s a slight snapshot of what’s been going on…

School is off to a pretty great start. I really really love my class. They’re such cuties! We’ve already finished the first quarter and are one week shy of mid-term of the second. Now’s the time when things get really hectic…the holidays…I hope they stay as well behaved as they are now…It might be a challenge considering some of them acted like complete psychos today just because we had some major snow flurries…They’re still wonderful though, and who could blame them? I was excited about our first “snow” too!

I feel like I’ve been going non-stop since September…three Kidstuf’s…tons of meetings…the Eastern Christian Convention…grading papers…report cards…I don’t think it ever ends…

Now…I am so excited about Thanksgiving! Almost a whole week of relaxing and hanging out with the family…It doesn’t get much better than that…I can’t wait!

So, for all five people who read this, here is my current status…I’m going to put up a Weekend Word this weekend for real…maybe…

~Blevins – out!

Tomorrow...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:03:00 +0000

Tomorrow is the first day of school!!!!! The rest of my first week back went well, I didn't get to do everything I wanted to do in my room, but it can be a work in progress....I'm really excited about getting to know my new class! We had an atypical open house (meet and greet kind of thing) this year and I was able to see my "old" kiddos and that got me totally stoked about starting a new year. It's always kinda weird on the first day of school because there's no relationship yet, so it's a little awkward...I really wish I could fast forward through the first month of school to a point where we know each other really well and all of our routines are in place and well-established. I'm actually not totally ready for the day tomorrow, but I still have time to get there. I'm teaching Social Studies for the first time this year and I don't really know the curriculum all that well yet. That's got me stressing a little. Also, I don't have any dress pants that fit...I have two pairs that I can button without a problem, but I have an uncomfortable amount of muffin-top...how depressing...so...I'm hoping to get at least two more pairs today in the midst of getting groceries for the week and finishing up my lesson plans and doing a little laundry. I'm also "planning" on doing a weekend word, but we'll see how that goes...just thought I'd give a quick update on my first full week back and on my excitement about the first day tomorrow...I have to get to school really early because I still have some things I need to put up and I haven't written my objectives yet, but the good thing is that my kiddos have computer first thing in the morning tomorrow, so they'll be with me for fifteen minutes and then I can finish setting things up if I need to...but I should have enough time to finish tomorrow morning...wish me luck...I'll try to post tomorrow with thoughts on the first day...

~Blevins - out!

Yay for Day Two...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:15:00 +0000

I now have day two under my belt...I'm sure when Nick is back home I won't blog nearly as much, but as it stands, Kitty, Peaches, and Rocko are the only "people" I have to talk to so I've decided to "talk" to my computer...

As far as meetings go, today was pretty light, which is much to my benefit...We were in a brief session first thing this morning, and then released to go look through student files. We reconvened for a PTF provided tailgating lunch which was awesome. Today's weather was so wonderful that we were able to eat outside and it was just great!

Then...after a quick department meeting....I FINALLY GOT TO WORK ON MY ROOM!!!!! (imagine hearing fireworks going off in the background as I say this and a cheering crowd) This leads me to the actual topic of this post..........

Let me start with this interestingly funny anecdote...my whole family is on Facebook and it is totally awesome...this being said...we like to send each other fun messages and the occasional piece of flair...(flair are these little buttons you can send to people that have stuff on them...think Jennifer Anniston's character in the movie Office Space...) Anywho...my dad recently sent me a button that said this "I don't have ADD. I'm perfectly focu...ooooooooooh shiny." This quote represents my entire day today...and I'm totally not kidding....

When I am setting up my classroom, it takes a great deal of thought, patience, organization, and basically staying at a task until it is finished...I am horrible at such tasks...I had eight or nine different things going on at one time...I kept leaving my room to go see what other people were doing...I kept walking around the room in circles...it was terrible...let me let you in on a little "in my head" conversation from early this evening...

"Ok...I need to finish putting this paper up on this bulletin board...Oh wait...where are my scissors...I bet they're in my desk...I'll go get them...(on the way to my desk)...where should I put my calendar this year? Should I put it in the same place? I'm a little bored with where it's been for the past two years....where is my calendar anyway??? Oh yeah...it's in my poster box on top of my cabinet...let me go get the step ladder because I don't want to stand on a chair....oh remember that time last year when you climbed up on top of the cabinet by putting a chair on top of a desk??? That was probably a really bad idea...I'm surprised I didn't get hurt...but then I ended up falling down the stairs about three hours later...that totally sucked...where is that calendar??? Oh here are a few posters that I definitely need to put up...oh look at this monkey...that was cute last year how I decorated everything in monkeys...maybe I'll do that again next year since none of the kids on the third floor would have seen that motif before...Oh look here's my calendar...I'll put it in this stack of six other posters I just pulled out of this box (climb off step ladder)...Now, what was I about to do...(look around the room in confusion)...oh well...I'll go see what's going on across the hall (walk out the door)...I wonder if I can jump up and get the boarder off of the top of the bulletin board in the hallway...let me try it....yes! I did it; I'm awesome...I better get back to work...I'll go work on my shelves a little...(walk in room)...oh I never did finish putting the paper up on my board...look at that alphabet line...that's awfully crooked at the end...that's gonna be a pain to fix...let me go get the step ladder (bring step ladder over to bulletin board...not to alphabet line which was what I had planned on doing...) What did I do with those scissors...there they are...now why did I need them????"

This type of conversation is going on in my head, rapidly, every moment of every day....obviously it's not always about school stuff...another example from today is about Friends...we were working on our files, and I totally zoned out trying to think of the words to one of Phoebe's songs...one of the other teachers I was working with at the time started cracking up laughing and told me she could tell that I was having a really hard time today focusing (and this was in the morning...)

I blame the Diet Pepsi Max....

~Blevins - out!

Back in the Saddle Again

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:44:00 +0000

Well...it was time to go to work again for the first time in forever...Even though I stayed up relatively late last night, waking up wasn't all that hard. Today was pretty much really easy...we sat in a meeting all day long....It really showed me a few things...(now for a numbered list...my FAVORITE!!!)

1. Diet Pepsi Max really has a MAJOR effect on me...I noticed the other day that I got toally hyper and couldn't sit still because of it, but I thought it was a one time thing...I cannot possibly explain this caffeine "high"...I can only imagine it might be similar to what it may feel like to be...shall we say...three sheets to the wind....

2. I am waaaaaaaay too ADD to sit in meetings...although I did a pretty nice job of not talking while my principal was talking, I was having a really hard time staying focused....I will say in my defense that I did much better today than I normally do...despite the Diet Pepsi Max...

3. I prefer working with kids rather than adults...although all of the people who were sitting at my table are awesome and really some of my all time favorite people at school...I still think I'd rather be in the classroom with the kiddos...as unprepared as I am right now...I am totally cool with being back with my new batch of students....

4. Not necessarily related to being back at school, but....I absolutely love the new "Chick-fil-a" sauce...it's soooo good....I like to put it on my chicken sandwich (wheat bun, no pickle)...it's also good to dip your fries in as well...

5. Since I prefer multiples of five, I had to put something else on this numbered list...along with the new school year, I got my school laptop back...for some reason it's being massively slow right now...I am hoping that when Nick gets back from his staff retreat he'll be able to figure out why...

This concludes my numbered list about being "back in the saddle again."

~Blevins - out!

Weekend Word Part IV

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:37:00 +0000

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:16-17

These words in Colossians are taking on a whole new meaning right now in my life. As I type this, I am thinking about and planning for the 2008-2009 school year. Being a teacher is such a rewarding calling and something that I really do take seriously. When I read about teaching in the Bible, it gives a greater sense of purpose to what I do as a career.

Next month in Discovery Island, the children’s environment at CCC, the kiddos will be learning all about the virtue of knowledge – “learning something new so you can be better at whatever you do" (Courtesy of ReThink Group’s 252 Basics curriculum). I think this verse really speaks to this idea because throughout the month the students will be encouraged to commit God’s Word to memory so it can help them everyday in every situation. How much more important is it for me, as a teacher, to have God’s Word dwelling in me richly so that I can teach with wisdom?! During the times when I am tempted to shut out the fruits of the spirit (I thought that was a delicate way to say flip out at a kid…lol!), I can think about God’s Word to help me show self-control, kindness, and gentleness (this really doesn’t happen all that often, but those are the times that I need these thoughts the most).

Another thing that I like about this verse is that it links scripture to music. Some of the most meaningful verses in my life have been taught to me through songs, whether it be the cheesy kiddy songs that I learned as a kid, or something from one of my favorite artists like Charlie Hall, David Crowder, or Watermark. One of the best ways for me to learn and remember things is through song and thanks to talented artists, thousands and thousands of God-followers can keep His words in their hearts at all times.

Finally, this leads me to the last part of this passage, and boy is it a kick to the face…” And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” How often do I just go about my business, working non-stop, going non-stop and don’t even think about Who I’m doing it for? I think this is really easy when I start the school year. I get so wrapped up in the busyness of life that I rarely get a chance to focus on living and working for God’s glory, not to mention the fact that when I’m moving at the speed of life, it’s hard to take time to be thankful for all that God has done for me.

So this is my challenge…to live this verse daily…to let God’s Word fill my heart as a teach others, to give me wisdom, and to always be thankful for the chance to live for God’s glory and serve him daily…It’s quite a difficult challenge, but one that makes all the difference in the world.

It's the End of August...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:40:00 +0000

So....on July 6 I vowed to do a better job with blogging this summer....welp....this is the first one since and it's the end of August....I'm such a slacker!

Since I said that I'd write about the movies I've seen and books I've read this summer, I'll start with that...

Books:
1. I started out the summer with a bang by reading all of the books in C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. This is an amazing series...I totally recommend reading them without delay. If you don't think you can read all seven, I'd say you can skip The Horse and His Boy because it doesn't necessarily pertain to anything else in the series. Some of the characters are referred to later on, but it's really no big deal and the beginning is a little boring...

2. After reading C.S. Lewis, I thought I’d give his pal J.R.R. Tolkein a shot. I chose to read The Hobbit. It is a nice read, but I had moments that were somewhat torturous because I had trouble focusing from time to time. Overall, it’s a nice fantasy/adventure book that has a great deal of action and really explains the beginnings of The Lord of the Rings trilogy (I didn’t read the books, just saw the movies).

3. I read a few totally random books that had been on my bookshelf at school that I’d never read. Among them were Kingdom Keepers, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Giver, Number the Stars, and The Secret School. These were all really good…I still have two more that I’d like to read, but I’m not sure if time will permit.

4. A Whole New Mind is a book that I was required to read for school. It was totally interesting and thought provoking. If you’re into business or current world-wide trends, you’d really like this book.

5. Some friends recommended the book The Shack. I wasn’t really all that into reading it, but I totally trust the opinions of those who recommended it so I thought I’d give it a shot…Oh my goodness…I laughed, I cried, I got mad, I questioned, I prayed…it was pretty awesome…definitely a thought provoking read that will make you think deeply about life and your relationships…

6. So, I got this random movie from Blockbuster Online called The Jane Austen Book Club…the movie was ok, but it really inspired me to read a little Jane Austen. I had never read any of her books before, so I decided to give Pride and Prejudice a whirl. I really enjoyed it. I think I’m partial to that time period and I really liked that it wasn’t mushy gushy like I thought it would be.

7. I also read and started a few other non-fiction titles besides A Whole New Mind. I read The Five Love Languages, which I thought was pretty good. I don’t really know that I’ve worked at trying to speak Nick’s love language all that much, but at least I know which one it is and he knows mine…I started Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, The Cure for the Common Life, by Max Lucado and a Rob Bell book, but haven’t finished them yet. I got mad at the Lucado book and quit reading it because it challenged you to find out what you were really good at as a kid and try to do that for a living…I couldn’t think of anything so I got frustrated…I have yet to finish Captivating by John and Stasi Eldridge…I worked on it a little at the beginning of the summer, but it quickly got pushed to the end of my list. I have a book about assessment that I need to finish before next week and I’d like to try to at least finish Miller and Bell as soon as I can.

Now for the movies…I’ve been to the movies a few times this summer and am more than willing to give you my opinions…I think I’ll give them grades just like some other reviewers do…I must say upfront, however, that I pretty much like everything I see…

1. Ironman – This movie was the first movie I saw this summer and it was awesome! I give it an A+.

2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Well, I think it did I nice job of keeping the integrity of the initial trilogy…Shia LeBeouf (sp?) was pretty great in it…I’ll give it an A-/B+.

3. Kung Fu Panda – Jack Black is one of my favorites and I think he hit the nail on the head with this one…I laughed out loud and absolutely loved it…A+.

4. The Incredible Hulk – Surprisingly, this was pretty great…I really enjoyed it and liked the Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr. from Ironman) cameo…A.

5. You Don’t Mess with the Zohan – Pretty disappointing…B-.

6. The Dark Knight – One word…AMAZING!!!...A+.

7. The Mummy III – This was another sequel that I think was true to form…I liked it and will give it an A.

8. Tropic Thunder – Really funny…totally random…A.

I feel like there may be a movie or two that I’m missing here, but for some reason I can’t think of them right now…I’ve seen tons of random dvd’s but nothing to write about…As of now, I still haven’t seen StepBrothers which is seriously disappointing, but I’m hoping to remedy that very soon…

Now I feel a little bit better about my lack of posts this summer…I think I’ve done enough for two or three posts just in this one entry…I’ll try to do some more catching up this week by writing about our vacations and maybe I’ll try to get a Weekend Word up since I’m like eight weeks behind…

Peace, love, and chicken wings…
~Blevins - out!