The Countdown

Only one more week of classes and then we hit the home stretch of finals and the end of this semester. I am so eager to have a break from classes and head to Peru to build a church!

Only one week until my presentation for Pentatuech. Only one day until my next Hebrew quiz. Just 2 hours until I go Christmas decoration shopping with my roomie. I can't wait to decorate the house!

It's as though life it a big countdown. Tick Tick Tick.

I was recently reminded that we are on this earth with one BIG final countdown that is heading our way really quickly. I live here, not to take tests or to accomplish X Y and Z, but to share the news that the countdown has started and 'zero' is rapidly approaching.

God is coming back for you! He's coming back for me! I get to go home! I get to decorate heavens halls with laughter and hold onto Jesus's nail-scared hand. I get to go HOME!






Paul Writing His Epistles
by:
Valentin de Boulogne or Nicolas Tournier

Glee and other such fits of joy

The world I see is full of wonder and delight, made to be loved and inspiring. The following is a list of what inspires and thrills me. And for it all, I am so grateful.

1) My parents, Jim and Donna, my brother James and my sister Tara- the wackiest family with the biggest loving hearts and most embarrassing sense of timing

2) Stacy - the best roommate money couldn't buy

3) KJ - the best friend who reminds me what joy and patience are

4) Pat and Sergei - the bosses with the tenacity to survive in small business America and do it with a smile on their faces

5) Italy - the land of cappuccino, pasta and Boccelli - what more can a girl dream of?

6) Socks - i love socks.

7) Texas - the land I love, miss and long for when I am not there, it's my home away from home.
(my other home, which I have yet to see, is far better!)

8) Driving on the back roads to anywhere - the sights and smells and wonder of the lesser seen things

9) Babies - a new niece or nephew on the way, friends having new ones (Kaed!) all lends to my dream of being Auntie Jenn forever.

10) Friends around the globe - they make traveling worth every penny

11) Jesus - my most enduring friend, love and life giver. All to Him I owe.

She's OLD!

My roommate hit the big 25 this month. We celebrated with a wonderfully crafted party in the which folks who dearly love Katie dragged out costumes and props and became singers extraordinaire!

Maria- of Sound of Music fame














David Bowie, Tom Waits, Audrey Hepburn, a go-go girl, Phantom, a Geisha


















Even President Bush turned up for the festivities.













Happy Birthday Katie! May this year of your life build you up, teach you more about joy, and most of all throw you soaring into the arms of God.

Balderdash

It's amazing that words communicate anything. We use them in so many ways, especially in English, that they have become sort of like tissue paper. We use them, but they are of little or indistinct value to us. They are disposable.

I spent this past Saturday night with 'the girls'. This amazing conglomeration of women make this world a brighter, better place. They make my heart lighter and they point out joys that have slipped past sometimes unseen. We spent four glorious, homework free hours playing the word game Balderdash. I love words and this game is one of my favorites. The point of the whole game? To throw people off track by giving odd definitions for a word pulled from a box. Amazing how distracted we can become by the wrong definitions.

Reminds me of my life. I get so easily distracted by work, or people, or classes or Starbucks (this last option, willingly) that I forget what my real purpose in life is, what my future is all about. I lose the definition in my life and just run through a maze of options - some funny, some deceptive, some scary, some downright stupid.

And what I need is the real Word in my life. In that Word I am free, I am filled, I am satisfied. I live today knowing that tomorrow is already taken care of, that Love is present, that Hope surrounds me and that ultimately - God is my purpose.

"For me to live is Christ..." Philippians 1:21

Four of my favorite things

This week I had the joy of attending a wonderfully wacky surprise birthday party for ... well.. for two of my friends cars. How weird is it that we sang happy birthday to two 10 year old cars?

In the midst of this occasion I was ordered (viciously, with the threat of prizes) to pick my favorite car. HA! As though I could pick just one! You see, I suffer from an addiction known as 'sport-car-itis', fueled by years of watching races with Pop, years of subscribing to cars magazines and spending time in auto mech. classes.

I did however narrow down the vast array choices to four. I think I would have to add a number 5 (can I really leave out the Lotus Elise 2?), but will leave this posting at my original list.

Here they are. Love them as I do!


Aston Martin Vanquish
Porche Carrera Targa






McLaren F1 LM

The Bugatti Veyron