Kin, Mustache, and Smith - Part II

For a humorous look at the first two parts of Kin, Mustache and Smith, please refer to Part I of this post.

Sunday had more of a spiritual focus – go figure. =)

I went to church in the morning and got absolutely rocked during worship. Ha. Tried to leave early because I thought I had a lot of work to do at home.. good one. I couldn’t make myself leave! I went right back in, got on my knees and ended up crying and surrendering. Hilarious.

Got invited to lunch by a woman in the church who had seen me dancing and wanted to talk to me about worship and get to know me more.. SO awesome! We went to a bomb Mexican restaurant with her daughter and friend Joseph. It was so great. We connected on a lot of levels. It was so nice to be with people who are familiar with the same names and places that I am familiar with through my home church!!

Speaking of connection. In the car on the way to Vallarta’s (that blessed Mexican restaurant), Joseph was playing Kim Walker-Now-SMITH’s album “Here is My Song.” I was reminded how much her music has spoken to me in the past and bought it this morning. It’s rocked my world all today and reminded me how much I love Jesus and worshipping and connections.

Sunday night, I called my mommy and cried like a baby – a big, frustrated, tired baby. It was priceless. Mom talked to me, prayed for me, and we talked through some things that have been really bothering me.

I was holding some things against God, a little angry about the way things turned out, and impatient about My desires for my life. Since then, I have been slowly letting go of my insufficient way and grabbing hold of His life. I was greatly impacted by a blogger named B.J. Hamrick. Read her post “The Test” on her website/blog here. It pierced me and spoke to my struggle deeply.

Still in a funk on Monday, I did NOT want to go to Bible Study with the Sequoia girls. In fact, I DESPERATELY did not want to go. It’s no mistake that the Devil wanted to keep me down and did not want me to go fellowship with other Christians that cared about me! Unfortunately for the Devil, Bible Study is two doors down and so my feet led me to Kirsten and Julia’s room, but my heart was still very hard and unreceiving.

Funny how God knows exactly what you need.

In Bible Study, each woman was placed in the center of the group’s attention and had her life spoken into by the wonderful girls surrounding her. We gave encouraging words, recalled wonderful memories, and listed qualities that we admired in that person. It was INCREDIBLY life-giving not only to receive but also to give. Later that night, we made simple leather bracelets (see below) to remind us of the verse that exhorts us to set our minds on heavenly things.



The girls were pulled so much closer together and our collective love for Jesus majorly increased..

He is becoming enough.

And so, I grow.

I live, I laugh, I love. God has blessed me SO much and I am honored to be His daughter, pleased to be his hands and feet, and so much in love with his Son.

I pray you would find similar joy and peace in our Jesus.

Goodnight!
- Jessica <><

Kin, Mustache, and Smith - Part I

The name of my suave new law firm? Or the summary of an incredible week with friends and Jesus?

Mmm, if you picked the latter, you are correct!

I have had a whirlwind of fun this week that I would just love to tell you about. I’ve split it up into two parts because it was so chock full of fabulous. Hunker down, grab some chocolate, and enjoy..

So my favorite girls in the entire world, namely Lynda and Jourdan Meyers - my best friends and woman family members - came to visit me last Wednesday night. We pretty much crammed as much fun as is possible in a two day period.

Imagine:
1. Crooning with Josh Gracin
2. Getting jiggy with it at line-dancing on Thursday night
3. Waiting in LONG starbucks lines
4. MM! A late-night showing of X-Men: WOLVERINE at the Fremont theatre!
5. Watching athletic college men kicking a soccer ball and each other while sipping peppermint hot chocolate

Epic. To put it lightly.

So, my wonderful other two-thirds left on Saturday morning. I was sad to see them go, but enjoyed a fabulous nap on Saturday afternoon and then a delightful second-to-last weekend in Sequoia Hall!

Friends Tyler and Lauren and I had the BRILLIANT idea to grill salmon fillets for dinner on Saturday. We set down our books, skipped to village market to buy said fillets and proceeded to make the most delectable meal my taste buds have beheld yet in the backyard of Sequoia. Tyler, grill-master that he is, lemon-garlic-ed those fish to tender perfection. We boiled water over the grill (about a twenty-minute endeavor) and made some pasta which we drenched in butter, lemon, more garlic, and some of the "fish juice." I grabbed a little "color" while we were at village market - baby tomatoes to add garnish to the bland colored plate. Forget the tan COLOR, this meal was anything but bland. It was so delicious. Maybe it tasted so good because we had been drooling over it for over an hour... maybe that played a part, but really, wow.

And we haven't even touched on dessert yet. Lauren and I surprised Tyler with a beautiful "bridal shower" concoction that Lauren pulled out of a maid of honor memory. It's so hard to prepare. Ready?

Quarter strawberries but leave attached to green leaves so the flesh forms a pocket around the center. Fill with cream cheese. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Top with powdered sugar. Arrange on a pretty blue plate with blackberries interspersed within and around.

WHY did we not take a picture?

I really don't know. Honestly, I have no idea.

Suffice to say, it was an incredible meal with awesome friends.

So that was, umm, ONE highlight of Saturday. The other could be described in words, but I feel it is better represented by a picture:



HA. I’m not sure how this was begun. I think Lauren and I were at the front desk doing something random, and we saw our awkward friend in the TV lounge and decided to dress up as cowboys to surprise him... ?

So Ondrea behind the desk offers to grab these AWESOME mustaches that we could use and I grab my stunna shades and bandanas. Earl and SkunkCatcher were gloriously born. We wow-ed Ricky with our improv skills – cattle-ranching, skunk-catching, dirty-bandit-wrestling… the adventures of Earl and Skunkcatcher are disastrously funny.

Later, we were invited to go get mochas at Peets in Poly Canyon Village with a couple dudes from the study lounge. I think it was our outfits that got us the date. =) We gladly donned our mustaches, mounted our trusty steeds, and made the voyage. Whenst we returned, we popped in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" with wonderful friends Maro and Alyssa and then pulled out the HENNA.

Seriously? Could this night get any better?

Then came Sunday.

If this were a read-along book, the following *ding* would be the signal to turn the page.

*ding*

- Jessica <><

Tagged - 123 Meme!

Ha ha... unbelievable. It's my political science book. Get ready to jump into the world of international relations... yeeeaah!!

Here are the rules to the game:
1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating!
2. Find page 123.
3. Find the first 5 sentences.
4. Post the next 3 sentences.
5. Tag 5 people.

Okay, before I pick up the book, I am going to trust that God will bring out of this something good. I love you Jesus, no matter what... even if it's ridiculous!!! Actually, especially if it's ridiculous.

:)

Here goes:

"When Olympic champions step atop the ceremonial stand to receive their gold medal, their country's flag is raised and its national anthem is played. Furthermore, states are the most powerful of all political actors. Some huge companies approach or even exceed the wealth of some poorer countries, but no individual, company, group, or international organization has anywhere near the coercive power wielded by most states."

States are the political identity for most people.

Let's metaphor-ize:

In the same way, when we "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward" our "identity" is in Christ Jesus. He is the most powerful state and our high priest. Nothing, no principality, no darkness, can ever separate us from the love of God. His power is the biggest out there. None can compare.



Wow, I just want to fall in love with Jesus. He is soo good. Soooo beautiful. What a man. What a God.

Blessings to all.

Pass this on to your friends! :)

I will tag Jourdan, Emily C., and then the rest of the people I would tag have already been tagged!

- Jess <><

Chuck and Huck

Laughing my face off. This is hysterical.

I just registered to vote in the Washington Primaries on the 19th! WHOO!

VOTE MIKE HUCKABEE!

- Jess <><

Goose Tracks

So, Hannah and Jourdan and I were down on the Columbia Park Trail yesterday, and came up with a brilliant movie idea.

We should film the geese.

I know, I know. Geese, right? They're smelly, honking, feathered balls of irritation. They flock together, have pea-sized brains, and nip at your kid's butt when Jimmy tries to feed em stale bread.

Yess... but watching their daily activities is hysterical!

So here we are - Peach, Plum, and Pear - just getting a kick out of these geese, when Hannah starts speaking for one of them. We took on voices for the geese, Andrew-style, and had a blast.

There were about 30 or 40 geese just meandering, attempting to cross the road, or freaking out at cars. It was entertainment to the max.

When I got home, characters for a goose-type motion picture - mmhmm, "Goose Tracks" - began to form in my head.

:)

I e-mailed my dear friend Hannah with some sketches of the personalities. Keep an open mind. Take the red pill sucka.

Here they are now:

---

Harold - He's an oldey. Easily frightened, he is often the prey of prankster seagulls who love a good laugh. His specs are chronically misplaced.

Phillip - Germaphobic. Loves plaid. May be gay.

Vilma - Pleasantly plump, she enjoys a good meal. Her hearty laugh interrupted by honks is her most darling feature. She and Harold were sweethearts back in the day.

Clarence the Wise - No one really knows how old this goose is. Rumor has it, he was the very first to pioneer an "Asphalt Crossing"... Sit down and listen to the guy, he's a frickin' enigma.

Birch - Named after the tree his late father flew into. He has self-esteem issues. Tried poisonous berries one time and walked around singin' Born to be Wild for days. That kid can air-guitar like no other.

Mark - Uncontrollable bowels... Mark just can't hold it in. Poop, poop, pooperz poop poop. He's a pooper. He had a girlfriend once. Think she got hit by a boat.

---

And so, my quest begins for amusing character descriptions to not only make me laugh, but to stow away for a future documentary opportunity... :)

Post yours.

ha ha...

- Jess <><

He factors in our stupidity!

I received this in an e-mail a while ago and recently dug it up... enjoy!

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The next time you feel like God can’t use you, just remember…

Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair, and was a womanizer!
Rahab was a prostitute!
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
John the Baptist ate bugs
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced… more than once!
Zaccheus was too small
Timothy had an ulcer… and
Lazarus was DEAD!!!
… no more excuses now
God’s waiting to use your full potential.
God doesn’t call the qualified… He qualifies the called.

---

He is not limited by our humanness... Doug Addison likes to say that God factors in our stupidity! It is incredible to think that it is when we are weak that He is made perfect in us. He is made strong through our weaknesses. Because there is no way we could have done it in our own strength, God gets the glory...

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2 Corinthians 12:9 - "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

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I feel so unworthy at times. Why would He choose me to do His work? There are times when I feel inadequate, incompetent, and ridiculous... those are also the times when He seems to use me the most efficiently. When I lay myself down and trust that He has things under control, that is where I feel the most at peace.

---

"Peace is the potting soil for revelation." - John Paul Jackson

---

I believe that with all my heart... when my spirit is at peace and my will is lined up with His, the gateway of oppurtunity is opened for Him to speak to me and through me.

So here I am God... I lay my cares and burdens at the foot of the cross.. I give my trust and my heart to you..

- <><