jenny j

2012-01-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

Twenty-12

God is good and He has shown this in many ways this year - both in the large, small and minuscule ways. Full of surprises, heartaches, miracles, blessings, realizations and all sprinkled with the Lord's faithfulness, hope and goodness.

For a blog post, there is far too much to write without overloading the computer. And I know once my fingers start-a-typin', a book may appear. Therefore, I shall keep this snappy and short.

Every new year brings me great joy and anticipation, to begin 'a fresh'. I feel like I get a fresh start every summer, every school year, and it's nice to have another point of freshness in January. I am eager to see what great things the Lord has in store for my life, and for those around me.

A few reflections of 2011...
...the passing of my dearest Grandpa, who I still greatly miss and occasionally grab my phone to give him a call.
...the finale to my university career as I finally began my teaching career, and was blessed with a job for the fall
...my dream road trip half way across Canada, where I got to drive through the beautiful prairie flat lands and reconnect with dear friends and family
...turned 24 :)
...a delightfully cute niece, Ella-Sophia, who I still have yet to meet in person, but absolutely adore from afar

New Years Resolutions? No, thank you. Yes, I do have dreams and goals to aspire to, however, that happens all year long. The newest? To learn ukulele.

Blessings to you all as you start off a brand new year. May the Lord be your center and solid foundation, your deepest desire and greatest joy. And may we all have eyes that are open to the world around us so that we may stretch out our hands to love.

JJ

2011-12-16T00:06:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Time!

I can hardly believe that it is Christmas time and that the school year is wrapping up for the break. It is delightful :)

I have absolutely loved this time of the year with my kids. We have had a blast writing to Santa, making snowflakes, creating snowmen, and doing 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas' as a Readers Theatre for the parents. Tomorrow, I get to be in with the kids and we are having a sweet fun-filled day of Christmas fun. I'm stoked.

The whole believing in Santa deal has been a bit of a conversation topic in the classroom these days. While I was working with a small group of kids earlier this week, I overhead one of the kids say to another student,
"How dare you say Santa isn't real! How dare you say Santa isn't real!"

I shook my head and hoped the question would never be directed at me. However, the next day, it came...
"Miss Jacobson, is Santa Claus real?"

Um...alright, inside my heart even I still want to believe in the Christmas magic of Santa. Nevertheless, some people consider telling children that Santa exists is a horrific lie. Thus I responded with, "Well, what do you think?" He obviously responded with, "Yes", and I said "There you go!" And he seemed content with that, thankfully.

Later in the week a special delivery of cold letters from Santa, with glitter and snow, arrived at the school for the kids, I think they all were convinced he is very much real, and that makes me happy.

I am collecting an excellent repertoire of comical stories. The students never cease to make me laugh out loud, shake my head, or make me scream inside. In short, I successfully dealt with my first vomit situation, learned about following recipe instructions so that Science experiments work properly, and that I need to remind my class more than once then importance of being kind to each other. Every day is a fresh start to something unexpected, and I love it.

Very Merry Christmas to you if you are reading this. I plan to provide an update of something other than the teaching portion of my life. I assure you all is well and I am enjoying life :) God is good.

Until next time...
JJ

2011-11-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

Breathing a little easier...

Many who live on the island, or those who simply love the island, will know exactly what I mean as they read what I am about to write. At this moment, I am experiencing that special feeling. That moment of complete refreshment as I relax into a chair, gaze out of a slightly dirty or scratched window, stare out into the ocean, and feel the gentle motion of the ferry taking off into the open waters. I feel as if I'm leaving every stress, every 'to do' list, and every worry behind me. I can breathe easier. I cannot hide the smile on my face. In fact, I probably look odd, sitting here alone, smiling.

I am going home.

I am going home to my beloved island, home, family, friends, my beloved retreat. Each time I take this journey, I travel to the place that renews my spirit, and I have often found my joy even causing happy tears to brim on my eyes. Unfortunately, these cheerful feelings only accompany me one-way on this trip. I have yet to feel this happiness travelling back to the mainland, and I find that I have to psych myself up each time for that trek back to the city lights, miles of traffic, and busyness. I do suppose my perspective is completely biased, but I'm okay with that. At least for now, my heart is overjoyed as I enjoy my cruise in solitude across the pacific at sunset. I can hardly contain my excitement to first smell that clean island air, to hug my family, and to stroll along my favorite beach breathing in the salty air.

Yes, these are the moments I love.

2011-11-01T23:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

Due to privacy, their faces are hidden.
But you can still tell just how cute they are .

2011-09-15T23:07:00.000-07:00

A fresh start...

Did you notice?

Yes, I changed my blog background yet again. I feel it needed a little something...a little help...a little pizazz...something a little more 'grown up' and perhaps classy.

Today, I had my first TOC (teacher-on-call) job of the school year. Teaching music all day. Ha.

I was literally mobbed by a group of kindergartners who all wanted a 'high five' from me after I taught them a song that included a 'high five' in the actions. It took a while to settle them down.

I was asked if the picture on my teacher ID was a picture of me as a baby. It was taken in May.
Slightly surprised, I asked "Do I look like a baby in this photo?"
The Kindergartner replied, "Well, you're hair is darker."
"What color is my hair now?"
"Blonde."
Yes, thank you summer sunshine.

I was completely dumbfounded when playing a game with Grade Two's. Three different pairs of students, who were suppose to have their eyes closed (and were also facing a wall), managed to correctly guess who the student in the circle leading actions was, within 3 seconds each time. Seriously...I thought I had an eye on them the whole time to make sure they weren't cheating...how did they do that?

The Grade Four's wanted to call me "Miss J'. I also thought that was cool.

I managed to still appear more intellectual that a sixth grader. Thank goodness.

I think I can do this.

I also ran over a frog today. How does a frog not move out of the way of my giant wheel? Still...I was surprisingly crushed. My jaw hung open for a while after I saw its' flattened little body growing smaller and smaller in my review mirror. Opps.

2011-09-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

A Realization

About 30 minutes ago, I was standing in my kitchen making a cup of tea. As I swirled my spoon around, I began pondering about tomorrow and mentally preparing myself for the first day of school. I have had many 'first days of school' and I was shrugging off tomorrow as almost one in the same of the many I have already experienced.

It then dawned on me. Tomorrow, I get to start off the first day. I get to be the teacher, I begin my career.

Yes, I put down my spoon and mug and began to excitingly jump up and down throwing my hands up in the air (yes, I throw my hands up in the air sometimes, saying 'ayo'). Rika laughed at me as I screamed 'I get to teach tomorrow' over and over again. I finally came to the realization that my dream was coming true. After 20ish years of dreaming of becoming a teacher, tomorrow - the dream begins.

2011-04-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

Creative Imaginations...

One of my favorite stories written by one of my students in our 'Story Structure' unit. His spelling still needs some work, so there is a translation underneath if you can't figure out his own writing :

"Shrade" (I'm not quite sure what the title means).

Wants apon atime there wus two ninjas.

1 ternd bad.

Varey bad.

They fitid. The bad guy ascapt.

Good wan.

He was King aftr all. He had the pawr to conchol the pawr fo litning.

TRANSLATION:

Once upon a time there was two ninjas.

One turned bad.

Very bad.

They fighted. The bad guy escaped.

Good won.

He was king after all. He had the power to conquer the power of lightning.

2011-03-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

"The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time."

- Abraham Lincoln

Well...this picture is incorrect because by now, I've completed 6 full weeks of teaching and one more to go! It has been quite a learning experience, but I have loved the opportunity to be working with a phenomenal teacher and a fun and quite energetic group of Grade One's.

When you spend the day with children who think you are one of the best artists they've ever seen, despite me drawing a monkey that looks like a pig, it does wonders for your self esteem. Alright, well it hasn't been that dreamy. But they do bring a smile to my face with their wonder, excitement and random outbursts. Just on Friday I was told I sing like a brown woman and speak like a lady, who would have ever guessed? I don't even know what that really means to a six-year old.

As my final year of schooling is promising to soon come to an end, I find myself experiencing that 'What's next?' anxiety that I never thought I would actually experience. Other than graduating from high school and deciding which school to go to for bible school or university, this will be the first time I must really make a decision that will lead into the unfolding of many possibilities for the future. A fresh new season...

Making decisions is not my forte, nor my favorite past time activity. Somewhere along the line, I picked up this habit of wanting to make perfect choices in order to save myself any grief or pain. While I have managed to escape any extreme repercussions from some of the 'bad' decisions I have made in the past, I realized I have to give credit to the Lord for His magnificent gift of turning difficult or hard situations into the beautiful experiences in which I have learned more about myself, others around me, and that most importantly, I can trust in my faithful Jesus.

I was reading in Hosea this morning and I read about the Lord's anger and wrath on the people of Israel for their unfaithfulness to Him and for their lack of recognition of how He had provided for them.

"I will also put an end to all her gaiety, her feasts of her new moons, her sabbaths and all her festal assemblies...I will punish her for the days of the Baals when she used to offer sacrifices to them and adorn herself with her earrings and jewelry, and follow her lovers so that she forgot Me,' declares the Lord."

- Hosea 2:11 & 13

As I finished these verses I was so engulfed with reading of His fury that the next few verses (despite having read them before), took me by surprise and immediately brought peace to my heart:

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness and speak kindly to her...For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, so that they will be mentioned by their names no more...I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, then you will know the LORD."

- Hosea 2: 14, 17, 19 & 20

That is our Jesus (for those who believe in Him). He is Forgiveness and Restoration, He is our Provider, the one who blesses and sustains us, demands and deserves our thanks and grateful hearts, our attention and appreciation. However, despite the moments in life when we get caught up in comfort, confusion, disobedience, and 'forget' Him, how GOOD is He to still promise to woo us back to Him and speak kindly to us?

Later in chapter 6, Israel responds with this:

"So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth."

- Hosea 6:3

Amidst the nerves and unknown of the future months ahead and searching for a job and seeing 'what's next', deciding what steps to take in other situations in my life, hearing and praying for my friends and family struggling and experiencing various situations in their own lives, and amidst the destruction and sadness that is occurring in the world around me (such as in Japan), I am called to be on my knees in prayer and find that my only hope is found in a man named Jesus, who despite everything, promises to be faithful and refreshing in all circumstances.

And I desire to hear His voice and to walk with Him. And I desire to lose any fear and worry in 'making a wrong decision' and to just be willing to take steps forward and embrace His life and see where He leads. How can we go too far wrong with such a God at our side?

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying,

"This is the way; walk in it."

Isaiah 30:21

2011-03-09T21:41:00.000-08:00

"Life is hard. God is sovereign. God is good."

- John Piper

2011-02-24T23:55:00.000-08:00

3 - 4

My very first cup of tea from Roll-up-the-Rim season was a bust,

but that was not the case tonight.

Tonight I went to Timmy's and bought three drinks.
One large steeped tea, two milk, one sugar.

One large green tea, with honey.

One medium French vanilla.

3 winners.

One coffee.

One donut.

One coffee.

Three happy friends.

2011-02-08T20:31:00.001-08:00

Greetings...

I was sitting in Tim Horton's today making a list of all the student's in my class for an assessment. As I was remembering each student and writing down their name a thought popped into my mind and I was stunned.

I was making a list of my students...real children.

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a teacher. Which meant throughout my life, mainly my childhood, I forced my friends to be my 'students' and who knows what I even taught them. I also stood alone in my room, pacing my floor back and forth, talking to an invisible class. I remember sitting, as a young girl, and thinking really hard to to come up with enough unique names to create my own 'class list' and here I am, almost twenty years later with a real and legit class list of students.

Today, it made me excited to write each student's name down and actually have a face and a personality to go along with that name. Gone are the days when I simply threw a random first and last name together in order to have a class list to do attendance with my imaginary invisible class. Teaching...here I come.

2010-11-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

The One-derful One-ders of Grade One

A taste of today's lesson:

What is peace?

"Is it a slice of cake?"

"Peace is sleep."

"Peace is disco-dancing."

"Peace is helping a friend."

2010-10-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

I've become accustomed to leaving huge gaps of time between each blog post, often after a school day, my brain is feeling fairly fried and there is not much going in my brain to write about.

However, right now I find myself enjoying a phenomenally gorgeous fall Saturday, and I am sitting in my favorite coffee shop in Langley with a dear friend, getting ready to dive into an afternoon of lesson planning and organizing my work.

I am enjoying being referred to as 'Miss Jacobson' in my Grade One class...this year will be quite a year of learning. My class (as every class does) has a huge range of learning levels in every subject, and figuring out how to make learning interesting and engaging for students of all levels will be a challenge. Let alone mastering classroom management skills...ha...

I have been blessed immensely with two teachers (doing a job-share) as my School Associates, and they are wonderful teachers, full of a lot of information and knowledge, and are great in the classroom. I feel confident that I will come out of this year prepared to teach...wherever that may be.

I'm going to dive back into work but I plan on seeing you again soon on my blog...with beautiful weather like there is outside, lots of teaching stories and Halloween fun and Christmas on the horizon...there will be lots to blog about :)

____________________________________________________

Here will be a new blog addition where I will have little stories from school:

The One-derful One-ders of Grade One

Each day, the students have Guided Reading. While my teacher works with one group at a time, the rest of the students rotate through different centers. As they work, they are not allowed to talk to or ask the teacher questions because normally the teacher is busy with a group and should not be interrupted. Thus, to get in the habit, they are not suppose to ask me questions either because eventually I'll be leading the small group and will not be available to talk to either.

So on one particular day, I sat and was writing and observing the different classroom tasks. I watched through the corner of my eye as students would watch me and then decide to approach to ask a question.

"Miss Jacobson..."
I would respond with, "I'm invisible."
This group smiled and remembered they couldn't talk to me, so they wandered away.

A few moments later, another few students approached me.

"Uh, Miss Jacobson, how do we..."
I again responded with, "I'm invisible."

One little boy looked at me with a raised eyebrow and honestly spoke, "No you're not, I can see you."

I chuckled and smiled, "No, I'm invisible", and gave him a wink, thinking he would understand.

He reached out his little hand and stroked my arm, "But, I can feel you, so you must be here."

I could not argue with his logic, and after reminding him in simple language that he could not ask me questions, he nodded his head with understanding and moved on.

I have learned I have to be pretty simple in my speech and instructions with Grade One's. :)

2010-08-30T23:23:00.000-07:00

Well, hello...

So summer 2010 has basically come to an end, and it was amazing, but surprisingly busier than I had imagined it may be. It was full of good work, amazing friends, volleyball and laughs. Once again I packed up some bags, threw them into two vans, and my folks and I took the journey across a great expanse of water, only to arrive back in Langley.

It's strange being back in this area and not being apart of TWU's student leadership orientation that is happening right now. Instead, we are having our teaching orientation, and tomorrow I'm off to meet the teacher I will be meeting with. I can't believe that after so many years, since I was a wee lassie, my dream to be a teacher is truly on my door step.

Our new little apartment it quite grand, new and beautiful, with lovely trees out our windows. I think it will be a fantastic home. I'll show some pictures sometime, hopefully.

As usual, it always takes me a while to transition out of summer life and being back on the mainland, living near a highway (yuck). Only affirms that I am not really meant for city life.

Your prayers would be most appreciated as I get my heart back into being here, and especially as I begin this program, that I will be fully stoked and ready to immerse myself fully in the learning.

The new journey begins...feel free to come along for the ride.

2010-06-30T18:57:00.001-07:00

It is almost Canada Day...and I am excited. I love Canada. And the Ducky 500 Race.

ALSO - it's what you have all been anxiously awaiting for sooo many months...that's right folks, the release of the first videos of begging Ellen Degeneres to be my friend.

The more views and support I have the better...here's to making the random impossible dreams coming true.

Check out: www.youtube.com/jenwantstomeetellen

Happy Canada Day!!

2010-06-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

Everytime I drive by the ocean...

...my heart begins to smile and the salty sea air is so wonderfully awakening to my nose that I can barely contain how joyful it makes me.
Yesterday especially, the mix of ocean air and campfires was delightfully intoxicating, and the gorgeous blue sky, and the high tide waves rolling in was absolutely breathtaking. As I stepped out onto the beach with the slightly warm wind twirled around me, I felt completely alive and thankful to experience God's beautiful creation in such a rich way. We cannot help but look to the Creator amidst such beauty.

"I will praise You O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your
wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your
name, O Most High." - Psalm 9:1-2

2010-06-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

Basket-case...

Well, I'm not quite a basket-case, not yet anyways. I'm entering the busy stretch of work with our AGM coming up in a week and a half. Lots to do...but I am always so blessed on the day of our AGM because I get to spend the evening with some fabulously lovely people with hearts of gold.

I spent a few hours today pricing hand-woven baskets from Uganda. They are gorgeous...and there were many...and they kick started by basket-case craziness. It's amazing to think that the hands of beautiful Ugandan woman put time and effort into each basket. I wonder what they were thinking as they made them...what kind of conversations did they have with the other women around them...and who knows how much time has passed since their completion, but there I was, now on the other side of the world, sitting at a table looking at them.

I feel blessed to be a part of something special during the summer that does something that matters and helps some one far away...

If you're interested, ACTS does some pretty sweet stuff, so check out our website: www.acts.ca...

2010-05-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

I have been writing on this blog just over exactly four years...

That means a lot of random thoughts and photos...thanks for all of you who still read this page and show some interest in what I write ;) You make me feel like a famous and accomplished writer, thanks :)

A friend of mine introduced me to this cool website called www.booksneeze.com, where you can become a member, and then they send you books for free, as long as you write up a 200 word book review on a blog after you read the book. Therefore, I started a second blog solely for the purpose of the books I read this summer. That way, if you don't care about books (which everyone should), you won't have to read my blog posts here. BUT, if you love books, check out - readingwithjen.blogspot.com - to hear about my summer reading list :)

2010-05-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

And then it dawned on me...

...I had graduated.

One degree down, and one to go. I feel quite blessed to be a graduate of Trinity Western. This weekend festivities were wonderful to celebrate with my family and friends, but also a hard time to say farewell to a season of life that has finished. Here is a glimpse of the weekend...

Rika, Susanne, Kari and I before the Baccalaureate ceremony Friday evening.

Yes, I know...they are gorgeous roommates.

A good chunk of our gang.

Kari and I before our ceremony.

Thanks mom and dad for all the support

(mentally and financially - *sigh*, couldn't have done it without you)

Scotty boy and me, one of two of the best brothers ever.

Friends :)

Danny Hsiao has talent for capturing prime moments with his camera.

My second family, the Macaulays, who loved me all along the journey.

My island gals from home who came for the celebrations, Rach and Jayme.

These girls rock my socks.

Summer has kicked off well since being home - youth group, volleyball, birthday parties, coffee dates, unpacking, work...I am very thankful for a solid group of friends to return to, they are spectacular. Sadly, Jayme departed for a cool summer job in Alberta, and I miss her terribly. Nonetheless, the beauty of the Comox Valley brings joy to my life each morning and I am reminded of the wonders of God's creation each day. I am so stoked to be back here.

Keltie and Phil's 'Welcome Home.Belated Keltie Birthday.Goodbye Jayme' Toga Party

The Greek Gang

I still miss my roomies, it takes a bit of getting used to now having three other ladies with me. Kristin Ramsak took some stellar photos for us, such as this grand photo. They shall be sweet keepsakes.

This concludes the latest photo update.

I've been reading through Hosea this week, and it amazes me every time. The fact that the Lord tells Hosea to marry a harlot stuns me, and the fact that he is obedient is phenomenal. This school year I've been learning a lot about what it means to be obedient to God's call in our lives, regardless of whether it looks like it makes sense to those around us, especially Christians around us. I have often been scared to act in different situations in fear of being judged by fellow Christians if my actions don't appear correctly 'Christian'. I then was struck with that gut-yucky feeling when I wondered how I would most likely have judged Hosea and his situation.

I pray that my ears will be attuned to hear His voice, and that my heart will have courage to move and take action in obedience to God's call in my life, regardless of how small or large a situation may appear. I pray that my only actions will be to honor and glorify God.

"I will betroth you to Me forever;

Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice,

In lovingkindness and in compassion,

And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.

Then you will know the Lord."

Hosea 2:19-20

2010-05-09T23:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day mom...

Mom, you are a wonderful woman. Thanks for loving us kids, for all your prayers, guidance, wisdom, teasing, cooking, baking, hugs, blessings, scares...and always going above and beyond for us. You are remarkable and we have been so blessed by you. Much love.

2010-05-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

Ready...set...go...

Go...I have jumped full swing into summer...golly gee, I haven't even been home for a week yet. This is a mini update...I'm back for my fifth summer at ACTS, which is such a blessing. I get to work with wonderful people. David is trying to hook me on coffee, as well as getting me back into gear for learning a new word every day, thus the sticky notes. At the end of the summer I have to write a story using all my new vocabulary. The lovely roses are from my dear 'Gramma' Tricia, one of the volunteers. I feel so happy to be home, especially as I drive along the beach, glance at the blue sky and glorious mountains...God's creation is so evident and beautiful it gets my heart going, and I'm just so thankful to be back here connecting with friends and family.

I will give a more detailed update in the future...complete with some other grad photos and perhaps a dash of some other photos the world may enjoy.

Until then, this is Jen, signing out.

2010-05-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

All good things come to an end...

...and we made it!!

Thanks to my wonderful parents, my stellar brothers, my beautiful roommates, and the love, encouragement and prayers of many relatives and friends.

And the learning shall continue...

2010-04-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

Exam Season...I am still alive.

Sadly, the Chocolate bunny no longer is alive.
The photos are examples of procrastination tactics.

Back to work, I go...

2010-03-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

I miss writing songs...I could use a dose of creativity...or time to spend trying to be creative.

The last few weeks have been quite full. I made it home for Easter which was so wonderful. My parents blessed me and three of my pals in numerous ways.

Now, back at the grindstone, working at finishing well.

So yes, these last few weeks have actually been quite full, but wonderfully full. I've come to the point where I'm realizing that time is becoming limited as I finish up the last few assignments, partake of some last random adventures, embrace conversations with pleasant people of TWU, and before I know it...I'll be wearing that grad gown, skipping across the stage to my diploma, and then hopping on the ferry, homeward bound. I am very much enjoying these days...embracing each moment...especially as the beauty of spring as it is unraveling before my eyes, it has been glorious.

My little mind has been processing many things lately, and it can be frustrating when I awaken from my sleep and the things of life pounce into my thoughts. It takes me a few moments to shove the thoughts of life out of my mind and to lie in bed, listen to the birds, and pray for the day ahead.

Oh how I desire my heart to be rooted in Christ. I've been pondering what it is to know Christ intimately. Not just reading the bible or praying daily, but really digging deep into the Word, really praying as if I am talking to the Creator of the universe, really embracing a real relationship.

God is doing some neat things in my heart.

"If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free!" - John 8:31-32

May you be encouraged to dig deep into scripture and to spend time with the Lord.

Blessings to you...

2010-03-11T15:42:00.000-08:00

Memories from Chicago...

Our Team...
Dan, Kevin, Heidi, Karey, Lindsay, Me, Zac, Peter

Handing out food at the shelter

Lovely Granny

Cleaning dishes

P.E at the school with the Pre-Ks and Kindergartners

Sweeties

Lil' Jimmy

Saying goodbye on our last day

Chicago at night

Linds, Karey, Heidi and I skating...

Zac, Peter, Dan and Kev skating

As close as Peter and I could get to Michael Jordan's statue

At the zoo!!! Giraffes :)

Finally seeing Monkeys!

2010-03-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to use everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:2-8

It is a hard thing to keep our eyes fixed on Christ. Ironically however, it is when our eyes and heart are focused on Him, then the problem's of daily life fade in comparison and we are able to just 'be' and live life in freedom as we trust in the faithful character of the Lord.

Mom reminded me these song lyrics this week:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

Amen. I'm thankful that the things of earth will 'strangely' fade away in comparison to Christ. That the things I let my mind wastefully ponder over for too long, or the things I worry about and cannot change, will fade in comparison to knowing the heart of our Lord. May we strive to have Christ as our focus.

2010-03-04T23:38:00.000-08:00

At twenty minutes to midnight:

First and sadly, my camera card is acting up, so my plethora of photos are unattainable at this time. Lame sauce. Thus, no exciting pictures yet.

Tonight, we had a successful surprise birthday party for Susanne and Rika - it was stellar. Those girls are most amazing.

Thank you to the two friends who wrote me letters this week. Both letters were full of biblical truths and encouragement, and they have touched my heart deeply. Perhaps I shall go into detail another time, but for now, I have been inspired and challenged to dig deeper into my relationship with the Lord, and to allow myself to be vulnerable in His hands, to be His clay.

I am oh so eager to return to the island for Easter break...it will be a most needed time. The beach is a callin...

Until next time.

2010-02-28T23:43:00.000-08:00

Thoughts from Friday, February 26th

Last day here. It was full. Golly, let's take a breather...

Alright. So, it was kind of tough to actually get out of bed this morning. I decided to go back to the school, it was sad to not get another chance to see Granny and a few other faces one last time.

I worked in the Grade 2 class for the morning. Those kiddies were hyper today. Issac yelled emphatically with a wet face from tears, "I hate you", simply for putting his name on the board after numerous warnings. Ha, poor kid. Two of the boys got into a brutal fight at recess which somewhat freaked me. The vocab of some of these kids often surprises me.

After consoling a girl who got hit in the head accidentally from a basketball, and trying to talk through the fight with the other two boys, I stood there momentarily thinking "This is insanity, how do these teachers do this every day?"

Debbie (the principal), poked her head into the class just before lunch to say she needed me to go teach/hang out with the Pre-K kids. Cute hooligans.

Zac and Karey were All Stars since they taught the Kindergartners all day without a lesson plan left for them. Mad props. We combined the Pre-K and Kindergarten class for P.E., which was somewhat chaotic but we managed to actually have them play a few games.

In the insanity of the day, those grade 7/8-ers were looking good to hang out with.

I hung out with the Grade 5 class for silent reading, and then we stayed for a while at the after school program. I played Checkers for the first time and was able to beat a 5 year old, anyone older than that was able to cream me. Little Isaiah gave me one heck of a good hug before we left, I shall miss all those cute faces.

We hit up Deep Dish pizza after a long drive to find the special spot, met a few other Canadians which is always nice. Sadly, not enough time to see the Michael Jordan statue, but we did go up the Hancock building. Gorgeous view of the city, and such an interesting history.

I am excited to sleep tonight. Can't believe we are already going back tomorrow. I look forward to my own bed, some clean clothes, and Canada...yet my heart has been changed by this place and I shall miss it.

I cannot believe these teachers survive in such an intense setting. With little pay, and literally working from 8am until 3 or 4pm, with the kids at recess and lunch, they are a hardcore troop of educators.

2010-02-25T14:42:00.000-08:00

Today I was dissed by a 5 year old...

Back at the school today. Started with dusting the Grade 3 classroom. Mom, you would be proud of my cleaning skills.

It was fun being back in the school and having the kids be stoked to see us back, getting the "Hey Miss Jen!" in the hallways. I feel blessed that God has given my brain space to remember many new names, it makes me own heart happy when I can say a personal howdy to the kids.

I was able to work one-on-one with a few kiddies today, which is nice to get a bit more interactions. The kids have been so eager and welcoming to us all that it's swell to be there. It's hard though to see that such small classrooms are so chaotic compared to larger classrooms back home, and that the learning levels of some of the students are still not up to par. That is not uncommon however to have a few kids a little slower than the rest, but seeing how there is such a lack of support or extra time for the teachers to input into their students makes it harder to leave. After only two days in the school, my heart is definitely attached.

Got to play with some of the kids in their after school program today as well. It was stellar playing basketball with some of the little boys and girls, and duck-duck-goose. Holy smokes, cute kids. Paris, (yes, an odd name for a boy), makes me smile, and we were able to play some Lego together for a while. And Lauda, this darling chubby-cheeked chicka had on the cutest dress and was so focused on building a jumbo-lego house.

Lil' Jimmy, who I thought was wicked cute and sweet, turned out to be a little....mischevious fellow. I did not know that a 5 year old could have so much attitude bottled inside. He uses his cuteness as well...those cute little eyes look at you, and before you know it, that boy is whippin' out lingo I couldn't believe was part of his vocabulary, quite comical. As he accused me of trying to swipe his lego, or even sitting there plotting to steal it, I could not help but laugh. He also proceeded to whisper cruel words that will take me years to recover from.

Jimmy: She so pretty, hey man?
Nathan: Yeah, I know she pretty.

Little Jimmy looks up at me. (And yes, I was thinking this too for a split second, "Aw, how cute and sweet. He thinks I'm pretty. He's not so bad after all.")

Jimmy: Not you! Her! (pointing to Lindsay at the end of the table).
Insert the sound of my heart shattering.

Ah well, despite that, I faced my fears and hung out in the Grade 7/8 room doing a poetry lesson with them. Praise the Lord I was able to remember some of their names from a few earlier encounters, because by knowing their names, it blew a few of their socks off and they seemed to have a bit of respect for me. It's scary enough being in a large classroom with a bunch of kids, let alone a classroom that has TWO tarantula spiders for pets. What the heck!? I made it out alive.

Now, tomorrow is our last day, strange the week has flown by. I'm finding it hard to decide where I want to be for my final day. Hanging out with Granny and other friendly faces at the shelter, or being with the kiddies at the school...time shall tell.

Tonight holds organizing the basement, hot chocolate and an intense game of Killer Bunnies, woot woot.

Once I have more computer access, I'll post photos of all the special kids and people from the school and the shelter. And hey! We have our first day of sunshine and blue sky!! Happiness.

2010-02-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

"You'll see 'im in church one mornin and ya heart be like 'bang!'"

Today was flippin' sweet.

We went back to the shelter, and I'm growing more and more fond of the place. Makes me sad that we will be leaving and who knows if I'll ever make it back out here.

This morning we were helping hand out extra food, basically a store to those who need the extra food. I met the most wonderful woman, Ira, fondly known as "Granny" by everyone else. I now have a Chicago granny. She even calls me Jennifer :) I was set beside her to hand out some veggies and fruit, and enjoyed some lovely conversation. She is an absolute gem!

The other woman beside me proceeded to keep everyone in order, and yelled more than a few times "Keep your gates shut and move the line on ya'll". Ha, and then I would hear sweet Granny say "Hey there sweetums, what can I get ya today?". I couldn't help but smile.

Again, looking into the eyes of so many different faces touched my heart. I saw the bluest blue eyes on this elderly man, yet they were filled with such a lack of hope. While others grinned their big lack-of-teeth smiles, and were so grateful and sweet. Never in my life have I been happy to hear 'Why thank ya baby" so often.

This funny older man who seems to be a common resident at the shelter continually calls us over. He is stellar. A bit of a kook I might say, however, he makes me laugh. He told a few of us gals who we will marry, mine sounds like he will be a pretty decent guy. Lindsay is gonna get a stellar ripped godly fellow named John, which I think was nice for her to hear. I was quite blessed by him though as he poured out some godly truth, and blessed us and told us to stay focused on our schooling because God has great plans for each of us. Here, a man with so little, lavishly proclaimed God's love and truth on us, and I felt overwhelming blessed.

I actually got a little choked up today. Looking at all those faces I had to hold back some tears. Knowing I'd be going back to a warm place to say, and soon to fly home to my comfy life while these others would walk out into the snowy cold weather, made me so grateful yet undeserving.

Got to cut probably 6 cows worth of meat in the kitchen too, yikes. And I am pro at washing dishes now (Rika, you'd be so proud of me).

Our crew headed into the city to skate outdoors. It was frigidly cold at first but we eventually warmed up. Skating was sweet. I actually felt quite decent compared to the shocking amount of lame skaters out there. It was fun wandering around downtown with the light snowfall. This crew is stellar and our laughs are always continuous.

Aight, ya'll, I'm gonna sign out. Peter and I are trying to work on our gangsta lingo, there is some cool talk out here.

Tomorrow I'm back to the school. I'm stoked to see some of those kiddies again.
Jen J, signing out.

2010-02-23T14:09:00.000-08:00

"Ahh nice, service with a smile."

Today we switched things up a bit and Lindsay, Kevin, Peter and I went to the homeless shelter downtown. We felt somewhat odd walking through the inner city with our brown sandwich lunch bags.

We immediately went to work cleaning and cutting potatoes, washing lettuce, and clearing out a back room.

Maybe not the greatest jobs, but people are so gracious and thankful. "God bless ya" is continually muttered or cheerfully expressed numerous times a day.

Handing out lunch was enjoyable, but a new experience.

My eyes met those of tired mothers, cute little youngins, sad elderly men, rough fellahs, as well as those that still hold a cheerful shine. One gentlemen saw my smile and chuckled, and cheered "Yeah- she's got teeth! She's got teeth! Service with a smile."

Peter and I sat and had lunch with a nice guy who used to work at the shelter but was now attending a Truman college down the road. We got talking about money, and how much schooling cost. He mentioned how others pay a hefty amount for some other schools in the area. I cringed inside thinking how much I pay to be at Trinity. While I have absolutely valued that experience, sometimes it is hard for me to really justify all the money I have put into that place. I sure hope my heart remains willing to serve where the Lord directs me, rather than desiring a comfortable shallow life for my future.

Now we are settled back in at our residence for the week. I'm about to go make a cup of tea, and maybe nap or read a book. We are planning to go skating tonight...

Many laughs have happened since our crew been here, God is good in unifying us and bonding together. Amen.

2010-02-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

Chicago...windy city, and the snowy city.

Monday.

So we were supposed to get 10 inches of snow during the night...but God is good, and we only got about two. However, Chicago definitely knows how to handle their snow and the roads were cleared before we even looked out the window this morning.

Four of us piled into a car this morning at 7:45am. Debbie, the wife in the home we are staying at, is the principal of the inner city Christian school we took off to for the day.

We made it through the slush and entered the school. A smiley face met us at the bottom of the stairs as a few minutes passed, introducing himself, Corell, a student teacher. He laughed with a twinkle in his eye as he said this will most likely be like nothing we could expect. He said, "You'll probably get to teach a few lessons too!". Ha.

We organized our schedules for the day, willing to jump in wherever we could. I took off to the Grade 2 class, to be met by 12 or so kiddies, only one of which was a girl. Corell, ended up teaching them a class right after I got there. He entered the room, "YO!", and the kids responded with an equally energetic "YO!". After this going back and for three times, he hollers "Sit down in your seat and take a load off your feet!". Um...the only thing running through my mind at that moment? Pssh, that's flippin' cool - if only I could do that.

I left the class to chat with the teacher and get a bit of an introduction. Here, I was handed materials to teach the next lessons from 9:20 until 11:30am. Ha. Sweet.

So, I've already taught a Social Studies lesson on American history, mainly which I had the students teach me to review their material. They found it fun to know that we also celebrate Christmas, Easter and Halloween in Canada, but have a few different historical holidays. I also covered some language arts stuff, and now I am fondly referred to (at least I hope it's fond), as "Miss Jen".

Took them down to recess and smoked two kids in the head with a ball by accident...opps. They were tough though, no tears. Tears only come when I have to put their names on the board for not staying in their seats or constantly talking during the lesson.

I then went off to a Grade 5 class where I was handed the poetry lesson, and had the class all to myself. God is good and completely removed any stresses or worries and the lessons have all gone pretty good so far.

I helped out in the computer room a bit today as well. However, the Grade 7/8 kids are a little out of my league. Pretty sure two girls were mocking me and calling me "Crispy Cream". Being a white gal from Canada just doesn't make me that cool. Dang it. At least the young kids think I'm somewhat neat.

I can't wait to back :)

2010-01-29T01:28:00.000-08:00

Put on those dancing shoes...and fly away!

Well, my feet are sore. We just had quite a stellar Reggae Dance fundraiser for Sierra Leone. Last time the dance hit campus, it wasn't as successful. But tonight, I was pretty impressed with a decent outcome of people and some rad tunes. Thus, we danced for over 2 hours and I'm just about ready to crawl into bed. Yawn.
Wahooo!!! Countdown to meeting Goofy, here I come!! A dream come true is upon my doorstep, and I shall be venturing to a fairytale castle in days. Prince Charming awaits. Time to go dream...

A slight side note addition: I just started my practicum at MEI Elementary school in a grade 5 classroom. Joy, you'll be excited to hear I'm finally doing a practicum in a Christian school, so I'm excited to see if I like it after a little more experience. The kids seem pretty sweet, and the teachers I've met thus far seem quite pleasant. I'll keep ya posted!

Signing out.

2010-01-18T22:46:00.000-08:00

Here I sit, Monday evening, 10:46pm, eating salad for dinner. Yes, it's a little later than normal, but pssh - this salad is deeeelicious! Some chicken, cranberries, feta, spinach, nuts and a vinaigrette - voila, my taste buds are content.

I have three bright flowers on my desk which have helped to bring a smile to my face over the last few days. It's been interesting pondering various situations in life this week. It has been a challenge to think as to whether I really trust in God's faithfulness in a wide variety of circumstances.

I've been reading through Genesis since the beginning of January. In Chapter 15, God promises Abram that he will have a large offspring, despite not having any children at the time. However, in Chapter 16 Sarai gets antsy and has Abram sleep with her maid in order that they may have the children that God promised. The story continues on to Hagar giving birth to a child, Sarai becoming jealous, yet even though all the confusion and lack of trust that Abram and Sarai showed by trying to bring God's plan into action in their own way, God continued to show His faithfulness. After issuing new names to the happy couple, and more time passes on, eventually in Chapter 21 we read:

"Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as He has said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age..." (vs. 1-2).

Uh, amazing!

Despite lack of understanding, or taking life into our own hands, God remains faithful. And gracious. And good.

Even as I write these words, this has been helpful to affirm this in my mind and heart. I'm thankful that even in my broken moments, in my lack of understanding, in the unanswered 'why' questions, through my quiet tears, and shrugging my shoulders - God remains in control. He never lacks in love, forgets to be faithful, or extends His kindness.

God is good.

2010-01-13T00:40:00.001-08:00

Day 1 in accomplishing Resolution #2.

Email sent to Ellen Degeneres.

Fingers crossed.

2010-01-08T21:40:00.000-08:00

WOWZA - 2010!

The holidays have treated me well. My weeks at home have been full of wonderful friends, quiet moments, laughter with the family, good books, and cozy blankets. Despite my heart not fully wanting to return to the pressures of studying, it will be good to head to the land of roommates and textbooks for a final semester. Victory will be mine.

I'm not one to deeply ponder the benefits of 'New Years Resolutions', nor create any of my own for the year ahead that I constantly remember to strive for. In years past, I've had a few - but let's face it, the majority of those resolutions end up fading away into the deep recesses of the pages of my journal and memory, only to be forgotten. However, I'm changing my ways and creating two for 2010. Well, at least I'm going to try.

#1 - Last Sunday at church, Pastor Randy spoke about the importance of prayer in our lives, and thus, I hope that that will become a more disciplined area of my life.

#2 - I want to become a friend of Ellen Degeneres, make it on her show or somehow hear from her. Yeah, it's gonna happen.

Signing out...

2009-12-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

"Cuz it's the Final Countdown!"

Yes, it's that time again.

That time of year where I'm almost in sweats permanently, wearing glasses, hair pulled up, glazed look in my eyes, staring at a plethora of notes trying to make sense of it all...

Kind of like Emperor's New Groove...

Pacha: Uh-oh.
Kuzco: Don't tell me: We're about to go over a huge waterfall.
Pacha: Yep.
Kuzco: Sharp rocks at the bottom?
Pacha: Most likely.
Kuzco: Bring it on.

Oh yes, bring it on.

Last night, in hopes of finding inspirational music, Susanne and I listened to the epic tune from Pirates of the Caribbean and then watched the battle scene from Narnia: Prince Caspian. It's pretty inspirational when Peter yells, "For Narnia, and for Aslan!" and then both sides charge at each other for an insane battle. So pretty much we are the good side and exams and final assignments are the evil ones trying to take us out. Good news though, we win in the end.

So, I'm back at my little coffee shop. It's nice and quiet (well, except for the oldies playing through the speakers).

Laptop computer: check

Close to a plug-in: check

Lots of notes and textbooks: check

Coffee: check

Collection of pens and pencil: check

Concentration: well, I'm working on that.

It's been fun seeing all the regulars pop in, overhearing their conversations, and hearing them all say, "See ya tomorrow!" before they head out the door. I want to be an old person that has a regular stop in every day, they seem cool.

Alright, this was Procrastination Tactic #43 again, it worked well.

Back to my books...

(P.S. - Thanks Joy for all your little notes and encouragement on my blogs, you are an all-star. Can't wait to see ya over the holidays!)

2009-12-06T23:09:00.000-08:00

Procrastination Tactic #43: Write a Blog Post

The story about my new pottery mug :)

Trinity had their 4th Annual 'Spirit of Christmas' celebration on campus this year for the community. For a quick study break, I ventured over to the craft fair and was pleasantly surprised to find a pottery stand. Now, I'm not one to invest in a lot of mugs, mainly because I have a slight pet peeve of having a random collection of a ton of stuff. But, I do quite enjoy the feel of a solid pottery cup in my hand, full of warm tea.

I had a wonderful chat with the potter, picking his brain about his favorite stuff to make, different glazing techniques and such. He helped me pick out a mug that fit quite well into my hand, and I am now the proud owner of a lovely little mug. It's prime.

2009-12-04T21:53:00.001-08:00

Beautiful people...

...I attended a little Christmas gathering in our apartment building tonight. An open mic shindig in a little apartment, jam packed of a variety of people sharing songs, stories, giftings and random talents.

As I stood in the kitchen, slightly barricaded from the rest of the group, listening to the beautiful strumming and plucking of guitar strings, I couldn't help but smile and be thankful.

Each face that my eyes drifted across was so beautiful. I was struck with the wonder of how blessed I was to be standing in a warm and cozy apartment, surrounded by people with such beautiful hearts. Some of these people I don't even know, some are extremely dear to my heart, and others are acquaintances that I chat with on a regular basis. How magnificently blessed I am to have an opportunity to be in the presence of these people. Lovely people whom the Lord has made exactly as He planned- perfect and right in His sight. That is stellar.

A song by one of my favorite musicians, Riley Armstrong, says:
Everybody's different, I think different is beautiful

If we were all the same this world would be unliveable
This whole earth turns so intricate its undeniable
That God made us different, so that means different is beautiful.

Thank you Lord for such an opportunity to interact with Your beautiful people, wherever we go.

2009-12-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

"But as for me, it is good to be near God."

Psalm 73:28

2009-11-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

More homework, please.

Saturday morning, 8:21am, the rain is pouring, the sky is grey, and there is a lovely (well, maybe not so lovely) chorus of crows cawing away. I think, I'd still like to be sleeping...however, I'm preparing myself to dive into a day of homework.

We're in the finally running for school this semester,

it's almost done.

There's been some fond moments the last few weeks, however.

Went to Saskatchewan two weekends ago to hang out with some friends and celebrate the engagement of my buds Terri and Ry.

Home last weekend to have a surprise birthday party for my mama.

So now, all I must do is complete a few more assignments until I can partake fully of the wonderful Christmas season.

Homework, here I come.

2009-11-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

To Grampa...with love.

November 11, 2009.

A day to remember and be grateful to the many who fought for justice, peace and freedom.

Thank you Grampa for being one of those brave young men.

Thank you for sharing your countless stories and adventures of the war with us.

Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your life.

Thank you for loving each of us grandkids, and for all the special memories.

You are wonderful.

2009-11-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

Things that make

studying more fun...

1. Wearing ridiculous shiny gold high heels.

2. Drinking a chai tea latte.

3. Epic music or the occasional dance party break.

4. Left over Halloween candy.

2009-10-29T16:49:00.001-07:00

On a rainy day...

...I am sitting in a lovely coffee shop that I finally ventured into. I spotted it during the first week of September and today was the day that my feet finally walked through their class door.

I was greeted by a smiling Asian woman, who cheerfully and graciously helped me pick out what I should eat for lunch.

I enjoyed a delicious bowl of chicken noodle soup, a nice quantity of potato salad, and a tasty Reuben sandwich.

After studying for a while, and getting a little chilly and sleepy - I decided to purchase a coffee...and when she brought it over to me, it was brimming with whip cream. You can imagine my happiness at the sight of such a large mound of whip cream...

Off on my left, there are two elderly men, sipping their coffee, who have been playing chess for hours. There is also a table of sweet elderly women who the owner likes to sit down with whenever the counter is quiet. I like this place.

I have found a jewel in the city of Langley, I have found my new escape, I have found my new study spot, this is grand.

ALSO...this week, I had my very first teaching experience in my 3/4 split class. We read through chapter 3 of Charlotte's Web, and then we worked through a worksheet. The closer I am coming to the end of my degree, the more daunting this teaching future is becoming. With each day, my dreams of having my own classroom coming closer on the horizon, and while I do have excitement, there is also a fear of not being able to remember all that I've learned, and the daunting idea that what if I can't figure out how to run a classroom?

Nonetheless, I still get pretty stoked to think of the moment when I'll finally, one day, feel comfortable as a teacher, with all those cute little faces staring up at me, and have some awesome lessons that will get them excited about learning:)

Well, I must return to the homework...much to do before I actually get that degree.

Blessings in Him.

2009-10-19T17:42:00.000-07:00

100 posts. It's true.

It was hard coming up with a brilliant and celebratory plan for the hundredth post, so I decided to mix things up a bit. Here are 50 of my favorite things, which will be followed by some thoughts about the goodness of the Lord and what He is doing in my life, which will add up to an abundance of cool things. Alright…well this is it. This is the post of all posts…100^th post!

You ready for this?

1. The beach
2. Hanging out with my family
3. Chai tea latte
4. Great quiet time with the Lord
5. Daffodils
6. Whip cream
7. Reading a good book (especially on a crummy day)
8. Have a good legitimate laugh
9. Going fast on a boat or (a motorbike ride)
10. A good hug
11. Reading Children’s books
12. Capernwray, Thetis Island
13. Being with friends who love me for me
14. The number 14
15. Listening to/playing guitar
16. A fresh journal
17. Twirling in a twirly skirt or dress
18. Writing a good random song
19. All kinds of paper! Colored, designed, textured…
20. Dreaming of living in a castle
21. Getting mail
22. Rowing or kayaking on a still, sunny day
23. Being inspired
24. Someone surprising me with a coffee drink
25. Good roommates
26. Dreaming of roaming the green hills of Ireland
27. Fresh sweatpants and a new hoodie
28. Little Rascals
29. Hanging out with kids
30. Palm trees
31. A comfy blanket
32. A good sleep/nap
33. Anything to do with Christmas
34. Cookie dough
35. A good storm
36. Hanging out with my brothers
37. Solitude
38. Pictures (taking them and looking at good shots)
39. Playdoh
40. Flip flops that are perfectly fit to my feet
41. Stargazing
42. A cup of tea
43. The smell and taste of fresh bread
44. Answered prayers
45. Bouncy balls
46. Christ and my relationship with Him
47. Tim Horton’s
48. Bourne Identity
49. First snowfall
50. Seeing the redemption of a bad situation

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:9-13 NIV)

I’ve chosen this verse as a ‘theme’ verse for my final year here at Trinity…

Before summer ended I felt that if I wasn’t returning to TWU in the fall, that I would be okay with that. Trinity has been a great experience, but my heart has no deep holds to this place. But as I came back this year, I really began to realize the impact people here have had on my life and the many ways God has shaped my life through being here at school, and thus I have come to value this place so much more.

Romans 12:9-13 has become a desire for how I want my life to be, the things in which I live by and the ways in which I honor the Lord and love Him and the people around me. It’s an exciting season of life to be in because I believe this will not be a stagnant year, but definitely a year of growth. As Christians, we should always be growing and being stretched, but often I like to sit in my little comfort zone. Nonetheless, I feel that if I seek the Lord and place my complete trust in Him, this year is going to be anything but normal. The Lord has already given me moments that have stretched me out of my comfy zone, and I am confident there will be more, and surprisingly – I’m stoked. I don’t want to be the same plain-Jen but I want to experience all that the Lord has to offer, to be transformed to be more like Him, and to have a life pleasing to Him and one that lives out the verse above. I’m aiming to be genuine…yes ‘Jen’uine and authentic in Christ.

I’ll keep you updated! Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts.

2009-09-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

So I was sad to leave...

As summer ended, I was sad to leave my family, sad to say goodbye to friends, and sad to wave farewell to my beach until next time.

The summer ended off well, but was a little crazy. After returning from our roadtrip to Edmonton, I had two days to say goodbye to my amazing friends (we've had a good summer), and then pack up everything for school. We then took off to Victoria for the big brother's wedding.

Scott, Jeff and I, just before the ceremony began...

My two handsome brothers, they are just so wonderful.

Scott and Stacey.

Insert whirlwind here.

A ton of family came out for the wedding, and it was such a blessing to reconnect with aunts, uncles and cousins. After all those good laughs and more goodbyes, I jumped in my stellar Nissan Axxess Sportswagon, was the last car on the ferry, and headed to Trinity. I don't know how summer flew by and somehow, I'm back here and at it again.

However...I have amazing roomies which make it all the better. Since none of us were in the mood for seeing too many people the day we all arrived, we took off for an evening of coffee, tim tams and reconnecting.

Orienation day for all the new students begins today. Hundreds of hawaiian shirted leadership students lurk through the campus, waiting to pounce on any new student who appears to need help. I must go do my part.

Let the fun begin...

2009-08-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

Where has the summer gone!?

As usual, the summer is coming to a close - and it's absolutely shocking that months have flown by, and fall courses and university life are once again knocking at my door.

I finished up my time at work, and had a most enjoyable farewell luncheon with my office crew and some ACTS volunteers. They are some of the most kind hearted, faith inspiring, adventure

seeking, living life to the full group of people I have ever had the pleasure of spending time with. I feel quite blessed to be able to share in coversations with them, and to soak in their thoughts and wisdom in my own life.

I was given some wonderful flowers from Tricia, as well as Judy, with my finale at work, so I was able to enjoy some phenomenal farewell flowers.Jeff and Antonia finally made it home from England as well. Soon after, my folks, the one-year married couple and I jumped in our good ol' blue van and embarked on a road trip to Edmonton to visit my Grampa. Thus, we've been hanging out here ever since and will soon be returning to the island.

Jeff and Antonia finally made it home from England as well. Soon after, my folks, the one-year married couple and I jumped in our good ol' blue van and embarked on a road trip to Edmonton to visit my Grampa. Thus, we've been hanging out here ever since and will soon be returning to the island.

This quick return will consist of farewells to my wonderful friends at home, a quick pack job to return to school, the wedding of my stellar older brother, and a ferry ride which will take me to university for a fourth year...sigh...quite an end.

I enjoyed a most amazing ride on the ferry over to the mainland. I was captivated by the blue sky, mighty breeze, and hot sun. I just sat on the deck, prayed for the year ahead, and enjoyed

the view. It did my heart well.

Antonia and I conviced Dad and

Jeff to join us for the rollercoast at West Ed. Mall - which was SO much fun! Jeff was a little terrified,

and Dad was a tad nervous, but they made it through.

And! I finally reconnected with my beloved fire breathing dragon. It was great.

Well, I'm signing off for the evening. My eyes are getting sleepy, and I can use all the sleep I can get before returning to the life of a university student.

2009-08-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

And so it begins...

Monday morning. 9:45am.

The first day of my last week at work
(as long as I get everything finished this week).
Let the insanity commence...NOW!

2009-07-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

Whoa whoa whoa…

Let’s just say these last two weeks have kind of left my head spinning. With friends visiting, Vacation Bible School, housesitting, being in the hospital room as a relative passed away, a farewell party for a friend, a surprise 50^th birthday party in Vancouver, a funeral in Kelowna, and now preparing for my last week of work to get everything finished.

Disappointing to come out of that and realize how I slacked off in my daily time with the Lord. God is good, and there is no doubt I experienced His faithfulness in many of the situations over the last few weeks, but I’m bummed out that I didn’t make Him my priority amidst it all.

When we were coming home from Kelowna (aka – Smokey town), I had a chance to stand on the ferry deck alone to process and reflect. Somehow, I had gotten on the ferry, grabbed a cup of tea – all without realizing that I was actually by the ocean again and away from the overpowering smokey and smoggy air. As I got up to grab my second cup of tea, I glanced out the window and was overcome with emotion to see a glimpse of blue sky and the rolling ocean waves. Ha, I had to laugh that I was so touched to see the ocean again after being away for only 4 days.

I dashed out to the deck to witness a most spectacular sunset as the sun was a burning red amidst the smokey sky, and the mountains were a backdrop of a variety of shades of blue. I tried to capture those beautiful shots with my camera, but to no avail, because I realized – while some photos can say a thousand words, most photos can never truly capture the magnificence of God’s phenomenal creation.

Feeling almost like a failure for the little time I’d spent with the Lord recently, I felt His grace saying “it’s okay”, and the blessing to enjoy the solitude with Him as we sailed over the Pacific. I then realized how much the ocean feels like ‘home’ to me.

“Home is where the heart is.”

When I think about what is ‘home’ to me, I definitely think of my family – the moment I walk into our home or the presence of my family, I can sigh with relief and happiness as I have the freedom to completely be myself. Capernwray became a second home, partially for the wonderful friends who I shared a year of fun and growth with, as well as having the ocean on my doorstep. Home is also there when I’m with some of my great friends, my heart just becomes ‘right’ when I’m with them as I laugh, can share my heart, and feel the freedom of having no particular expecations on myself with them. Home is that glimpse of the ocean when I’ve been gone months at school, or when I sit on the shore after a crummy day, and all seems well again after breathing in that salty air.

But as I stood on the deck of the ferry Wednesday evening, all my heart wanted was to have that ‘homey’ sense with the Lord. No matter where the adventures of life lead, or the family and friends that will come and go – I just pray that I will always have that sense of being home as I have the Lord by my side.

The memorial service in Kelowna for my great-uncle was a great reminder of loving the Lord and serving Him wholeheartedly all the days of our lives. My great-uncle Bill was a godly man, who has left a legacy of following the Lord, and I hope that I will do the same.

Prayers for the rest of this month as I get ready for school would be great. Jeff and Antonia will be home in a little over a week, Scott's wedding is coming up, and school is on the horizon - so it shall be a busy month.

Also, I was scanning through all my old posts and realized there were some posts that were never posted! Oh the insanity – thus, I just posted two posts from sometime over the 3 years and they are now officially available on this blog! If you find which ones they are, I’ll buy you a coffee. Just kidding, you don’t need to go back and find them. However, this puts my post count only at 96, so I have plenty of time to think more about the great 100^th post.

2009-07-21T22:40:00.001-07:00

Today after work, I returned to my extremely warm car. Only to sigh and find that there were 5 poop droppings on it. Dang.

Also, I beginning to feel the drain of running to and fro from all different locations. Thus, I need to slow down so I don't return to school all tuckered out. I'm going to learn to say 'no'. I need to return to my simple beginning Summer days of the beach, reading books, and napping.

I miss my brothers. Scotty will be home hopefully around the beginning of August...Jeff shall return in the middle of August. The countdown...

This will be my 98th post. I shall try to think of something epic for my 100th. Any ideas?

2009-07-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

"Oh, a famous Jacobson..."

Yes, fame is my name.

I'm taking a lunch break at this moment to spend my time on my blog (*sigh*, kind of lame). Nonetheless, I have thoughts in my head that are producing a smile on my face, so thus they must be proclaimed to someone...anyone...

I'm alone in my work office today. This picture of my face was taken through the webcam on my laptop about one minute ago (the wonders of technology). Who wants to read a blog without photos anyway? Especially since my last two posts were void of any visual stimulation...thus, you may now see how I look in the middle of my day, getting hungry for food.

One gift that I am continually blessed with while working at ACTS, are the countless wonderful people I get to interact with. About a half hour ago, a kind elderly man entered my quiet office, grabbed a chair, and proceeding to chat about life with me. He views things in a charming and simplistic way...I feel blessed to have been a part of his day, being part of the ripple he has left behind him after he has departed from this little wallpapered room.

He spoke of God's goodness. He spoke of the silence of some people, and how sometimes "We learn more when we are quiet." Ah yes, I have heard this before and I smile. He also found out I was 'a famous Jacobson." Go figure, I'm famous - well...at least someone in my family must be famous enough that allows me to cling to the cool name. If I never get married, I can keep that name forever, and thus be famous forever.

As he left, I wished him a great afternoon and he replied, "Well, I've got nothing else to do except get older." Ha, awesome.

I also had a lovely chat with one of our fantastic volunteer ladies this morning. Nice to pick her brain a bit and learn about her life, her thoughts, and her experiences. It's a privilege to get to know people, to see someone elses' heart, and that the Lord uses many of these divine interactions to leave us changed (and hopefully changed for the better).

God is good. And I like Thursdays.

Also, here's a treat for some of those who like moving pictures.
Check this hot new video for some sweet baking fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edfqjv2HTYU

Here is a neat verse I have been pondering over lately. May you be encouraged.

"Teach me your ways, Oh Lord, and I will walk in Your Truth.
Unite my heart to fear your name.
I will praise You, Oh Lord my God, with all my heart.
I will glorify your name, forever."
Psalm 86:11-12

2009-07-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

The Evil Menace: Flying Time!

Twice today, I was shocked at how time had flown by. While I thought it was still morning hours, I was shocked to find out it was 12:55pm while answering the phone, and I quickly had to change my 'Goodmorning' phone answering to a 'Good afternoon'.

Also, I just looked at the clock this evening and it was around 9:30pm...I glanced again and an hour went by in the blink of the eye. The evil menace is on the lurk...

Summer is more than half over. Wow. Much to look forward, much to prepare for, much to...much to...much to...(perhaps by repeating my self it will be like slow-mo and time will slow down)...

2009-06-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

Stormy days...

Quick break in my day at work.

Somehow, that blue sky and sunshine has disappeared behind a veil of grey. The winds have picked up, the rain has fallen, and all I can do is hope that thunder and lightning appear.
I'm dreaming that I can take off from work, sit by the stormy ocean and then return home to a hot cup of tea and a good book.

I feel like I've jumped into the future...and that I am now enjoying a winters day.
Goodbye summer (well, at least for today).

Oh I'm a-loving that storm...

2009-06-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

God is good - all the time.

All the time - God is good.

"This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness!

'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,

'therefore, I have hope in Him.'

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

to the person who seeks Him.

It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord."

Lamentations 3:21-26

My heart has been refreshed. I had the ACTS AGM (Annual General Meeting) this past weekend, and the wonderful people that attended and helped make the evening run smoothly, even without asking for their help, absolutely touched my heart. On an evening where I could have been stressed and nervous, the Lord blessed me by surrounding me with a group of people that made my night a delightful and enjoyable evening. And I felt so loved by the Lord to give me such an opportunity.

Today, I was also stoked to share in the moment of 6 youth being baptised in the ocean, along with the church family. It was splendid, and so wonderful to see six different lives commit to walking with the Lord and publically making a proclaimation to want to follow Him. Saweet!

Again, working with ACTS - I get to encounter many wonderful elderly people who have a heart for the Lord and a boat full of wisdom. Some of my favorite elderly folks have more life and spunk still in them, than some of my own friends. They love the Lord and embrace the adventure of life that He has provided for them. They still go travelling, embark on kayak trips, take hot air balloon expeditions, embrace new loves, and graciously give what God has provided them and gifted them with others. I have been inspired to do my best in enjoying all the wonders of life, or at least try my best to walk and find joy in the new and old things.

In taking communion today at church, and savoring that fresh and sweet flavor of the bread and juice - it is a beautiful reminder of what Christ suffered in saving me, and a lasting taste of the sweetness of being a child of God. He is good, in the good times, in the hard times, in the confusing times, in the moments that feel dry...we have hope - hope in His lovingkindness, His compassion, and His faithfulness. May we enjoy what He has prepared for us, may we enjoy the walk alongside Him, and may we earnestly seek after the Lord and know Him more.

2009-05-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

The Meriam-Webster dictionary gives a few definitions of 'fraud', one being:
a person who is not what he or she pretends to be (also: imposter).

Lately, I'm been pondering through different aspects of my faith. I'm beginning to question how this Westernized culture affects how I view God and put Him neatly into a box to fit into my perception of reality to mesh well with 'my' life. What kind of relationship did the men and women of the bible have with God? Was is one who saw God as their best buddy? One of fear and reverence? One as a teacher and mentor? In talking with a friend, we both were discussing how the view of God as our friend is not very evident in the bible. The disciples even were more in a teaching and mentoring relationship with Jesus. (Feel free to jump in and disagree if you like, keep my brain juices flowing...) I don't want to make my God a friendly God, just in order for me to try and understand and relate to Him. I want to find out who this God really is...to be in awe of His sovereignty and power, to have a healthy and respectful fear of the One who has created me. And I want to know this God intimately, and to have the head connect with the heart...

Thus being a fraud is something I desperately do not want as a part of my being. So often as Christians we become the frauds and hypocrites we do not want to be, and somehow we fall into a mediocre life when we didn't even realize it. At church we sing songs and pray, we can say the 'right' thing, look the 'right' way...but does our heart and faith really connect with it all? I get nervous that I will fall into that comfortable life, trying to make my God fit somewhere neatly in the lines - rather than embrace this All-power God for who He is. Golly...I don't think I can even fully express my thought pattern at the time...thanks for bearing with me.

On another side note, in this journey, I have been encouraged through scripture. Keltie gave me a devo book at Christmas, which has been a source of much encouragment lately. Through this book and the bible, there have been some awesome verses that have popped out at the perfect timing to touch my heart and remind me that the Lord knows my circumstances and will reveal Himself in little ways to show His guidance and love:)

"The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23

"In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength." Isaiah 30:15

"Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice. How blessed are all those who long for Him." Isaiah 30:18

I've been reminded to be in silence with the Lord, to find my rest and peace in Him. To trust that He is leading me in a good way, to guard my heart in Him and embrace a love for life through loving God. Good to be encouraged, but application is a different thing. Nonetheless, I hope to strive to apply these truths, and to seek more of God's character and apply it, rather that just live the mediocre, luke-warm Christian life that we were never intended to live...

And so the journey continues...

2009-05-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

Summer has begun...

School finished well...papers were finished...exams were completed...aches and pains in my hand from endless writing are now relieved as I sit on my couch back home, wrapped up in a cozy blanket. It is fabulous to be home, eat good food, crawl into an extra comfy bed at night, get the fresh scent of salty ocean air, enjoy the company of my parents and good friends, and having the time to pick up a good book more often than I used to.

A few wonderful memories that occurred before returned home for the summer are available now, for your eyes to see!

Occasionally, school and technology wreak havoc and chaos - so returning to our childhood to play with sidewalk chalk and creating fake crimescenes was an excellent study break:)
My dear friend Terri from Capernwray came for a quick visit right after classes ended, and it was stellar to have time to hang out again, eat junk food, and laugh:)
A group of twenty of our friends went down to Seattle after exams were done to hang out and watch a Mariner's baseball game - it was a sweet time and we had a blast having one last big adventure together.

With Hannah graduating this year, we will no longer all be living together next year. So we had some good quality time with our foursome. We went out for high tea at a cute little shop, and had some roommate photos done by our professional neighbour, Stefan Matias. (One of the photos will end this blog entry. [Also, Stefan's photography can be checked out at: www.stefanmatisphotography.com]

A photo of Rachel and Hannah after one of the grad ceremonies.

So life ended well, it's been rad being home. I'm working back at ACTS (www.acts. ca) again for the summer, and I'm happy to be back there. I'm excited for the summer ahead...I shall keep you posted if anything exciting comes up ahead.

Highlight to look forward to in June: Marking exams in June with Joy...photos will follow:)

One shot with the lovely roomies...

2009-04-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

Almost done my last final paper...
...almost losing my sanity...
...almost heading home...
...I will make it.

2009-03-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
 Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I like
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth, 1804

2009-03-11T01:14:00.000-07:00

Sleep Deprived...

As I'm feeling sleep deprived at this moment due to a busy week...I thought we could all enjoy some sleeping facts. The sentences bolded are ones that I feel I can relate to at this time in my life...sadly.

-The record for the longest period without sleep is 18 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes during a rocking chair marathon. The record holder reported hallucinations, paranoia, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory and concentration lapses.

- Anything less than five minutes to fall asleep at night means you're sleep deprived. The ideal is between 10 and 15 minutes, meaning you're still tired enough to sleep deeply, but not so exhausted you feel sleepy by day.

- A new baby typically results in 400-750 hours lost sleep for parents in the first year

- Seventeen hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol-level of 0.05%.

- Exposure to noise at night can suppress immune function even if the sleeper doesn’t wake. Unfamiliar noise, and noise during the first and last two hours of sleep, has the greatest disruptive effect on the sleep cycle.

- As a group, 18 to 24 year-olds deprived of sleep suffer more from impaired performance than older adults.

- Experts say one of the most alluring sleep distractions is the 24-hour accessibility of the internet. (Thank you blogger.com at 1:21am...study break).

Thanks to The National Sleep Research Project for their facts: http://www.abc.net.au/science/sleep/facts.htm

2009-03-04T11:47:00.000-08:00

Twenty-eight million...

So...I was disappointed while watching the news over the break to see that someone paid 28 million dollars for a chair. A chair. This chair...

This Dragon chair, from the 19th century I believe, was bought at an auction just a few weeks ago. That's a lot of money for a chair. I cringe to think at the better ways such money could spent...and then I cringe at the many ways I could better spend my money as well. I may not have millions, but I have much in comparison to others. Anyhoo, it at least makes me a little more aware. Just a thought...

2009-03-02T10:48:00.000-08:00

Some random fun to share with you...

2009-02-27T22:23:00.000-08:00

Sitting in a coffee shop...

...I was reminded of how amazing our God is.

"...Prepare to meet your God, O Israel.
For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind,
And declares to man what are His thoughts,
He who makes dawn into darkness,
And treads on the high places of the earth,
The Lord God of hosts is His name."
Amos 4:12-13

2009-02-21T14:34:00.000-08:00

February's Fantastic Fun...

February has been a full, fast and fun month. Spring 'Reading' Break is finally upon us and this is one of my last things to cross off my agenda before heading home to my beloved island. So here's the scoop from the last few weeks...

I was told that if I wore a wedding dress to my Student Ministry interview for a position for next year, that it would make a great impression. Thus, Kari helped to hook me up with a stylish dress...I went for my interview and made a shocking entrance. I'm happy to report: I have the position I wanted for next year, and I'll be a Discipleship coordinator again with 3 other ladies and 2 other fellows.

We have a Rowing Regatta at the end of February, so our crew had a bake sale to raise some funds. The boys came over to help bake some cookies, White Chocolate Macademia Nuts, tastey stuff.

Here are some of the ladies at the sale...

...the selection was phenomenal and oh-so-good and we made a good amount to help out.

My 'sister' Julia (we share the same b-day), came over for an evening for a TWU viewday, so it was fun to catch up with her:)

Last weekend, Trinity was a busy place with Spartan playoffs happening, mens and womens volleyball, and men's volleyball went on Thursday to Saturday and kept us fans busy.
Our school government came up with the idea of selling 300 tickets for fans who wanted to dress in the epic garb of the 300 movie. We made an entrace of fear, however, our chanting and cheering was not enough to win that evening's basketball game, however, we won the set overall.

300 Spartan Section (with our mascot Sparty on the right side). This moment is the classic 'spirit fingers' as our team is making a shot.

Valentine's Day! Kari, Rika and I had a wonderful date to the movies to see Slumdog Millionaire (fantastic movie!), and then to Starbucks for coffee and laughs. It was a stellar night:)

This past Tuesday was the big CANAM football evening. I have no pictures of our girls game, but here is our guys Canada team. Only 2 American girls showed up for our game, so we basically had Canada vs. the mix team. We sadly lost to a final overtime touchdown, and our guys lost as well. It was a bitter ending, and hopefully we can have a rematch by the end of the year.

And this morning I was finally able to catch up with the Macaulay family, who is basically my second family. Two weeks ago, little Victoria became the new addition, and now has three fantastic older brothers to watch over her:)

With that...I sign off!
I'm heading off to see Jayme, some Capernwray friends, home buddies, and my dear parents. Most of the time I'll be locked away doing homework for a week, but rest and recooperation is in the air!
Blessings:)

2009-02-12T08:20:00.000-08:00

$11.96

...that's how much my abundant amount of veggies came to when Kari and Rika took me to the Farmer's market for the first time. What a steal of a deal! I loaded up on tomatoes, avacadoes, onions, apples, oranges, a pepper, cucumber, lettuce, and yams - and I was suprised and stoked with my bargain.

Missions Fest has come and gone again for another year. But it was good to reconnect with a few youth group buddies, Capernwray faces, and of course - my dear friend Jayme:) I only went to a few sessions and scouted out a couple of booths. I think next year when I get closer to graduation it will be interesting to see if the Lord opens up any doors to some distant land, or perhaps right up in my own backyard.

We had a hallway Pizza party a few weekends ago. We have 14 people who live on our floor, so it was our first event where we all got together to hang out and eat amazing homemade pizza.

I have just arrived back from our first rowing practice of the semester back on the water. Despite it being super chilly out there, the water was smooth and calm, and it was a nice workout. I am still baffled that I remain on this team after 3 years...go figure.

These photos are from our Westerns Competition back in October...our womens 8

Photo my Garreth JonesPhoto my Garreth Jones
And last weekend we had the death Erg Competition. This year I didn't compete, but I got to help yell at my teammates to make them work hard, and they all did amazingly:)
These photos are of some of the team after the competition...

And this photo is at Subway (eat fresh), with Mary, one of our Novice Girls, and our phenomenal coach Erin, in the middle.

School has been going well. I'm enjoying my classes more, but finding it tough to get everything done. My discipleship stuff has been going great as well. We've been in the midst of interviewing for next years team, so we'll see how that goes.

I've started a mini practicum in a Grade 2 class as well, and that's been fun. Nice to actually be in a classroom and hang out with kiddies for a bit. It always take a while to get into the groove of a new teacher's style, but I think it should be a good semester.

I've been enjoying reading through a book called Completely His, by Shannon Eldridge. She focuses on the importance of spending time with God in order that we may have a deeper realtionship with Him. And lately it's been wonderful to experience the Lord's presence and having my desire to seek Him grow. I've also been reading through Hosea as well, and it is mindblowing stuff that God describes how He seeks and pursues us, despite our fallen nature and sinfulness. Hope and restoration are wonderful gifts.

And in the spirit of festivites -
Happy Valentine's Day (early).
Hurray for family and friends.
I've got a date with Kari and Rika for Saturday night, so girls night will be a blast:)

Blessings on the rest of your week, and thanks for checking in.

Jen J

2009-01-25T10:31:00.000-08:00

"I'm back..."

So here are a few updates for you friends.
Christmas is underneath this post:)

The holidays were wonderful, and now I've returned to the land of early mornings and late nights, textbooks, papers and summaries, endless cups of tea, and to my surprise - a foggy and frosty land.

It was great to catch up with my roomies, who I missed quite a bit of the holidays. They are fantastic! So we hit up a Thai food restaurant for a roomie date, and we ended up having the whole restaurant to ourselves!

First weekend back we had a Discipleship retreat in White Rock. It was nice and laid back, and was the usual cold and rainy January weather - so we tried to stay as dry as possible. But it was nice to reconnect with the group of people we started the year with, and to refocus our aims for the semester ahead and to let the Lord refresh.

Rika, Kari and I hit up a basketball game that was one of the most intense games I've yet to see. It was pretty shocking - and we won.

Some of the boys had the brilliantly odd idea of making 40 litres of jello. And it worked.

And I had a ridiculously sore sore throat of death for a weekend, so the jello worked its charms down my painful throat.

Those who are familiar with 'Tim Tam Slammin', may also be familiar with their cousin - the Penguins. These cute little cookies are just as wonderful and delish. So the three of us dived into a cup of tea and some penguin chocolatey goodness to kickstart the beginning of the semester.

Following it's 3rd year of tradition - our quad took off to the opera Carmen. It was a tad scandalous, but entertaining and a fun night in the city.

So as you can see, things are going pretty well so far. Nothing to out of this world.

But your prayers for diligence would be wonderful, and that I'm diligent in spending time with the Lord as well. Thanks for reading!

Joy - wanna email me and ask me to read your blog so I can see what's new? ;)

2009-01-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES...

Christmas time was absolutely wonderful. Our grampa made it out to visit, and we loved having him out. Lots of food, lots of tea, lots of conversations and laughs made the holidays wonderful.

After getting home, Dad and I went on our traditional Christmas tree hunt. This year, we were a tad late on our pick - but it was our fastest hunting experience thus far - and our tree was amazing.

Enjoyed getting together with some stellar friends.

Had the annual killer game night with the ladies!

Finally caught up with some long-time highschool pals:)

And ice skating with friends:)
Christmas Eve caroling...

New Year's Eve totem pole

So that's a overview of the holidays in a snap of the fingers. It was so wonderful to be home, always a little sad leaving and going back to TWU to homework and studying. But it was fantastic to have a break and let the brain chill.

2008-12-29T23:23:00.000-08:00

To Grampa, Joy and Keltie...

...and all the other faithful friends who check this blog. My continued apologies for my lack of updates. Thank goodness for a New Year that allows us to set resolutions - thus, I resolve to do a better job at keeping this blog updated.

Ohh...'Blog.com' tells me this in my 80th post! Celebration is in order. 'Woot!' (That's for you Joy.)

So - in order to get you caught up on life, here's a bunch of photos to make the update more interesting. (If you are on my facebook, none of this will be new to you.)

With my stellar roomies (Hannah, Kari and Rika) on the ferry coming back from a Leadership Retreat at the end of September.

One happy moment...I have always dreamed of trying out a firehose. And we stumbled upon a fire safety children's day - and dreams came true.

With the firemen.

Enjoying some lovely strawberries on Roomie Night, a well-needed study break.

For Thanksgiving, I went out to Alberta to visit with some very special friends of mine from Bible school.

...and to meet my 'niece' Adalie!!

She is absolutely lovely.

Halloween was pretty exciting, and Han and I dressed up as presents,
and Kari and Rika were Grandmas.

We always wanted a dog. And we found Charlie on the road one Sunday after church. Thus, we became good friends with him one afternoon, until we found his home and drove him back.

We love Christmas! Enjoying our first Christmas Starbucks Drinks.

Decorating our apartment for Christmas:)

American Thanksgiving Meal of McDonald's Burgers at 2:30am for a study break.
University is not a healthy place to be.

Mike and Darrick Fast dropped in at Trinity on their way out to the island.
It was a great quick visit.

And yes, some where amidst all this fun - homework was done. This is my first stack of books that were needed for all the papers and exams.

I was pretty drained and...well - a "picture speaks a thousand words".
I'll let the photo do the talking.

Finally after exams were over, Kari and I joined my friend, the Macaulays, for their boys' Christmas Concert. We got to sit with Kade, the youngest.

And finally heading home on the ferry, and joyfully happy to see some snow!!

The semester somehow flew by, but it was pretty draining. I've learned that I still procrastinate, and still have lots to learn about discipline and getting things done at a quicker pace. I am so thankful for my spectacular roommates who make the apartment 'home' and a place that I can relax and have a blast with. We definitely get up to some good fun, and a bit of mischief. It's good for us.

Spiritually, it's been a time of growth and challenges. With the immense amount of textbooks and novels to read, I've slacked on the Bible reading sadly. Prayers for diligence and a desire in that area would be most appreciated. The Lord is still so gracious and faithful to me, and I experience His goodness in numerous ways, but I hope to also be a faithful follower and seeker of Him and His truth.

Thank you friends and family for checking in. I plan to do a Christmas update soon...I chose not to overload you with too much info for one read. Until then...

2008-09-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

Thinking back and looking ahead...

I'm sitting here on our comfy couch at Trinity, in our new little apartment. The month of August zooooomed by, and I find myself already looking into a brand new school year, full of many text books, essays to be written, and mixed with laughs and adventures. I anticipate my third year to be quite exciting, despite the fact that my heart is taking a little while to settle in and embrace my new 'home'.

August consisted of finishing up work, heading to Germany for my brother Jeff's wedding, in which we gained a new lovely sibling - Antonia. I returned home a week earlier for school, then dashed home to pack my stuff, and thus getting into the swing of things.

So here are a ton of photos to catch you up...

Part of our family in Salzburg, Austria.

Jeff and Antonia after the ceremony.

Jacobson Siblings

Friends at the wedding reception

Back at Trinity with friends (Janelley visting back from the Philippines.

Jayme surprised me at Trinity for a last visit before we both started school:)
Success! Rika and I with our first cooked meals in the apartment

Cheryl, Rachel, Kari, Kris, me and Rika and the first Bomber's Hockey game of the year!

Our Apartment!Rika cooking up a storm in our kitchen
Kari 'studying' in our living room
Looking at the other side of the living room
Our bathroom
Kari and Rika's room
Hannah's and my bedroom

Alright folks, there's the latest update in the life of Jen. I've also added the video tour of our apartment, mainly for my folks because I couldn't get it to send via email, so there it is.

Stay tuned for further news of the future...

2008-07-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

WHOA! - I'm back!

Well, to the few of you who still read this (and who may perhaps stumble back upon this page despite my long absence), my apologies for not keeping up to date. Thanks for not giving up all hope in me!

Somehow school became busy, and - those of you who know about 'facebook' - it became the new hip happenin' thing, and thus blogging somehow seeped into the back of mind for a while.

Myself crazy at the end of school...

However...I have returned to give an update.

Now let me see...*sigh*...what is new?

I've finished my second year at University, and it was one brutal fight to the end. My studying pal Rika and I described it as running in a race: you finally see the finish line coming closer - and just as you think you're almost done and holding back from throwing up - you're told you still have another lap to go. By the time we finished all our papers, we got knocked over by the quickly aproaching finals. I'm hoping to procrastinate less next year in hopes of that better survival tactic. I can laugh about it now, but my head sure was spinning at the end of April.
My stack of books for my papers...

Immediately after finishing exams, I packed up my belongings, and hopped onto a plane to lovely Alberta. I had a fantastic holiday week visiting with my amazing Grampa, great family and awesome friends. Visiting the McTeers (family) and some Capernwray pals

I arrived back home on my beloved Vancouver Island to the welcoming embraces of my folks. I enjoyed some good relaxing and 'babying' by my parents. I've also been blessed to be back at work for my 3rd summer with ACTS (Africa Community Technical Service: http://www.acts.ca/). It's an amazing organization which works in Africa, helping to provide clean water and other community development projects. I work in the office, doing this or that, and some things in between.

So, summer has consisted of work, sunshine, lounging at the beach, getting back into reading (not textbooks!), volleyball with friends, firesides at camp, and lots of happy moments.

In a few weeks, our family is taking off to Germany for my brother Jeff's wedding (to his fair maiden Antonia). It's hard to believe I will be in Germany soon, let alone that one of us siblings is getting married. But overall, I'm pretty stoked.

One huge highlight!! Jeff flew home for a week in April, so the three of us siblings were able to reconnect for a few hours at Trinity before he went home to the island.

Phew...that's a decent recap on half a year of my life.

Most important through it all though, is the faithfulness of the Lord in my life. In each step along this journey, the Lord has never disappointed me. Through the intensity of exams, stressful moments, hardships in relationships, and transitions - to the peaceful moments, endless laughs, and friendly memories - He has walked beside me and continues to reveal His character. I am thankful to be serving and to be in love with a God who knows me inside and out.

I suppose most recently, I've been learning to just trust in Him. Life sometimes takes different turns we do not always expect, and I realize that His plan IS better than mine...

Thanks for reading to all of you who have:)

Blessings and Peace with you,
Jen J

2008-01-28T08:55:00.000-08:00

I'm Back!
Hello friends and family who might still read this blog.
I haven't done the best job at staying on top of this blogging, but here is another round of photos from the last month-ish.

It was AWESOME to be home over Christmas and to spend time at home with the family, and to catch up with friends. I (as well as our whole family), really missed having Jeff home this year since he was out in Germany for the holidays. But it was still great to forget about school and to enjoy the people back home again.

After arriving back at school, we've jumped back into training for rowing. Since the weather is pretty cold still this time of year, we can't be in the water yet, so we do indoor rowing on the rowing machines - also called 'ergs'. Last weekend we went to an indoor competition, and we're heading to another one next weekend.

Here's most of our team at the competition:)

This is Krista and me, reinacting how we felt after our races.
We've also been up to some good fun with some of the dorm gals as well. One night we went out to the woods and built a tire swing. Study Breaks are a necessity in this world of homework. It usually consists of hanging out with friends, eating some sort of food, and hopefully getting a few laughs in.
One Sunday evening, Hannah, Kari, Rika and I grabbed a few dingy's and went for a paddle around the school pond.
The most recent events was the regathering of our friendly gang. Between homework and living in different spots this year, we haven't all be able to hang out as much as the old days. So this past Friday, Hannah, Bryan, Kris, Billy and I took off on an adventure.
We stopped first at the beach, which for me was most excellent. A few breaths of ocean air did the heart good. It's always been a place for me to collect a few thoughts and just appreciate the Lord's creation which is dear to my heart.

Han and Me:)
We then took off up to Whistler and found a frozen lake and ice skated. It was such a blast. Definitely felt like I had a bit of a holiday.
Skating

Missions Fest was also this weekend, so we headed into Vancouver. Again, I felt so blessed to run into my old youth groups from the island, Capernwray staff, and other friendly faces.

Bruce Olson (also known as 'Bruchko', his first book), spoke at Missions Fest this year, and it was incredible to hear his stories and the amazing things the Lord has done in his life. Since we had to read his book while we were at bible school, Danny (a friendly Capernwrayer) and I, were pretty stoked to hear and meet this man face to face.
So for the most part, I've been keeping busy, and thankfully have fun moments of relief within the schoolwork. I'm constantly learning how to juggle everything and to make a healthy balance. But I have a desire to become a bit more of a brainiac, so hopefully next time I'll have some great and interesting school facts for you all.

Thanks for reading once again, until next time:)

2007-12-18T01:10:00.000-08:00

Survival of the Fittest....
Well...the last few weeks of school were full of work, people, craziness and everything else in between. Lack of sleep and eating right definitely got the better of me at a few points, but thankfully I've survived the insanity, and hopefully I've learned a few lessons along the way.

It was nice to finally take my load of books back to the library after finishing up my papers. The rows of books in the library can be enough to make someone grow sleepy, and staring at the computer screen can make one loopy on occasion. Overall, it's good to be free of homework for a few weeks over the holiday.

However, even though I sometimes think my life disappeared for a while into the pages of textbooks and clicking of laptop keys...I'm thankful for a few snapshots that remind me of some of the wonderful moments throughout the last month. And here they are...

We caught up with our school mascot Sparty dressed as Santa:)

Han, Kari, Rika and I went tree hunting for our dorm and had a Christmas decorating party.Baked some tastey Christmas cookies with my Bible Study core group.

Our rowing crew had a fun Christmas gathering where we played Twister and had a barrel full of laughs.

The majority of our dorm 4W from last year was able to get together for a mini Christmas fun night.

Our dorm building put on another Surprise Christmas party for all the girls. Thus, we finally were able to take a full dorm shot of all the girls in 3Y this year.

Trinity puts on a community event for Langley called the Spirit of Christmas. It has a live Nativity, music, craft fair and a whack of other stuff. So a few of us from the dorm enjoyed the festivites...and were greeted with our first snow that night - quite magical.A cute snowman.Before we all headed off our different directions for the holidays, are dorm got all dolled up for a lunch on the last Sunday.So amidst the studying, there were some good moments that saved me from completely going over the edge. Amidst what I percieve as intenseness with school, it's always so wonderful to experience that faithfulness of God and His peace. I would not have been able to make it through the last few weeks without Him. When I find myself at my wits end, the Lord is always there, it's a beautiful place to find myself.

And now! I'm free to enjoy some fantastic holidays. Currently I'm hanging out with my brother Scott in Vancouver for a few days before heading back to the island, and having a blast:)

Blessings on the holidays!

"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
Matthew 1:21

2007-11-24T17:32:00.000-08:00

It's officially the CHRISTMAS SEASON!!

The songs of Christmas started in our room at the end of October with the purchase of the new Josh Groban Christmas CD. Every since then, I've been eagerly anticipating the 'official' season. Since there are so many Americans at school, they insist Christmas season doesn't start until this weekend, with their American Thanksgiving. But I claim Canada can begin to celebrate whenever we like, and I choose at least November.
Mom and dad were here last weekend, and they so kindly brought Hannah and I a little Christmas tree. It now proudly stands in the corner of our room, it's great.
Outside is definitely getting chillier as well, reaching to our lowest so far at -5*c in the middle of the night. It sure is cold waking up to go rowing when there is white frost covering the ground looking like a light dusting of snow. I'm just dreaming of waking up soon to a snow covered ground. And they've begun decorating the campus with Christmas gear, trees covered with lights, Christmas decor in the caf...it's amazing how much of a pick-me-up the season gives me in the midst of the doom of finals and papers at the end of the semester.

Regardless, I cannot wait to go home and go tree-hunting with my dad, start Christmas baking, and just enjoying the returning of people home at Christmas. And most importantly, may we not forget why we celebrate such a fantastic season. One of my highlights of the holiday is our Christmas eve service at the church, such a good reminder of how the best things can come in small packages as Christ came as a baby...but He was the most precious gift of all.

Enjoy getting into the Christmas spirit:)

2007-11-07T17:05:00.000-08:00

*Since I haven't updated in a while, I'm dividing the 'news' into two updates so that you don't have to read it all in once big splurge. The newest one is up to date as in what's new right now, and the second one below is mainly pictures of the last few weeks. Enjoy and thanks for reading*

Tea Time...

Getting into the chillier season...I am reminded of my love for tea. It's been such a wonderful thing in my life that triggers so many memories... memories of special people, good moments, and wonderful chats. And it seems to always bring people together, what's better than a pot of tea, sipping on a warm drink, sitting on a couch and talking, I love tea parties :)
At my bible studies on Thursday nights, it has become 'the drink' of choice, mainly because it's the only one I offer. But it seems to always be a hit. And a cup in the morning just starts the day off right.

On another note...school is going well for the most part. There are the stressful moments, and the less stressful moments - so just trying to find a balance between homework, people, the Lord and some quiet time can be a stretch. I have a whack of papers coming up in the future as well, so I have to start getting my nose in the books for all that research.

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of snowy weather and 'random storms' season. My heart is already in the mood for Christmas, snow, friends, Christmas-ness, and home - just make me smile:)

The Lord has also been continually teaching me just to trust in Him, and learning to desire Him above all things. How amazing to think that the Creator of the Universe desires to have a deep personal relationship with me? I love that!
As I was reading in my bible last night through the Psalms, I came across these verses that just opened my eyes to what God desires for us in relationship to Him.
So in closing, I hope you find this as much of an encouragment as I did, to seek to know Him more.

"Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works."
Psalm 73:25-28

2007-11-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

Fabulous Fall
So now for the pictures of the past...everything (for the most part) that's been happening since September...

The biggest highlight was flying out for one of my best friends' wedding. Cassie and Cam finally were married in October, and it was so wonderful to not only be there to support their marriage, but also for the huge Capernwray Bible School reunion we had with so many friend.

Our trio was reunited! (Terri, Cassie and moi)

The Bridesmaids (minus Rachelle), Cassie and the flowergirl.
The wedding party.

Mr. and Mrs. Tollin walking through a haze of bubbles.

Pals from bible school

Then Mike drove Terri and I back to Saskatoon where I flew back to school. So it was sweet having a mini roadtrip through the Prairies too.

Rob from school last year, drove out from Calgary a few weekends ago. So we decided to have a dorm reunion with some of our girls and some of the guys we all used to hang out with.

We piled in a few cars and took off to Agassiz for some Turkey dinner, pumpkin carving and games.

Where we met the giant pumpkin man....AKA Chris.

Thus...we entered into the Halloween season! So I spent Halloween with the Macaulay crew and went trick or treatin' with the boys.

Ben (a king), Graham (hockey player) and Kade (chicken) did a good job and brought back quite a loot... which they kindly shared with me:)

I returned back to school just in time to check out the Halloween dance. Kari and I weren't too stoked on getting dressed up, so we went as 'misfits' and just work a crown and baseball caps. We were not kindly recieved for a lame attempts at costumes. But regardless, it was fun and full of laughs.

So that's the update. As for the present present stuff, that's in the entry above:)
Rowing Regatta #1 down in Seattle this weekend, sadly I'm not going home for a Fall break and I have to wait 'til Christmas. Sad news. But I am getting quite excited for Christmas....

2007-09-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Sweet September

Well I've been at school just over a month now, and overall it has been pretty awesome. A much better transition than last year. When I remember to where my heart and emotions were at this time a year ago, I was pretty frazzled and shaken being here. But the Lord has been so wonderful in helping to make Trinity 'homelike'.

Classes were a tad overwhelming at the start, but thanks to a lot of motivation and advice from others, I dropped Philosophy, which suprisingly has eased my load quite a bit. I can breathe a little easier now.

Our dorm gals are fantastic! Hannah and I prayed for a really rad group, and we have indeed been blessed with answered prayer. I have the privaledge of leading a bible study within our dorm this year too - so I'm excited for that. About 7 girls come on Thursday nights and we'll be working our way through James.

So a few pictures will hopefully fill in the blanks...

Some of our dorm gals before our dorm skit at orientation week

Trip to Walmart with the gals

We hung out with a guys dorm and headed to Han's Gramma's farm. I was able to milk my first cow:)

Pranks are also key in dorms. I toilet papered Kristin's dorm...

... and she retaliated by doing an amazing job saran-wrapping my bed...

...so I made her saran-wrap duckies to be her roommates.

I'm also back rowing this year - and we have a spectacularly fun team.

I don't have pictures of our varsity team in the water, so here's our novices in the eight.
(You can just pretend I'm one of the people to get an idea...) :P

And our novice boys in the quad.

For one Novice Practice, I got to ride in the coach boat with our fantastic coach Erin:)

I may give coaching a shot...

Bryan, Janelle, Han, Kris and I saying our farewell to Janelle as she took off to the Philipines.

Bubbletea with the ladies!
Hannah, Janelle, Sarah, Pia and me:)

At the Bomber's Hockey game with crazy ladies Kari and Rika:) We were trying the 'Big Red' game, who can handle the burning sensation of cinnamon wrappers on their forehead?

And the whole student leadership crew (about 300 students) went to a retreat two weekends ago to Camp Qwanoes on the island. Han and I tested our fear on some extremely high rides. It was awesome!

Hope you made it through the massive post...sorry for taking so long to update. And I head home for thanksgiving this weekend!!! I am soo excited.
Thanks for all your prayers and smiles.
Fall is almost here, and the trees are turning amazing colors...perhaps some photos will make it on eventually.

"I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken."
Psalm 16:8

2007-09-03T16:23:00.000-07:00

Back at the good ol' school...

Hello family and friends. I am reporting to you live and well from my new room at Trinity. And it's wondrously large:) Han and I are pretty stoked to have the extra space. So here's how it looks so far!

This is our little corner nook and Hannah's desk.

My bed and desk

Hannah's bed and the door to the hall.

The hall way and bathroom door...

Our nice bathroom

All of our wonderful floor space!!

So that's our new home for the year. We may try to change the looks of it a little bit later, but we're happy with it so far.

Trinity has been good thus far, quite busy though with the leadership and orientation stuff for the year ahead. It's been awesome having the time to catch up with friends and do random activites without the stress of homework and reading. Our new dorm gals moved in on Saturday and they seem pretty rad, so we're getting excited to get to know them better. My schedule of classes looks to be a busy one, thus I need to get the hang of discipline in my life. Overall though, I'm stoked for the year ahead and what it shall bring.

"He will keep in perfect peace, him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.
Trust in the Lord forver, for the Lord, the Lord is the rock eternal!"
Isaiah 26:3-4

2007-08-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

Heading back...

Well, sad to say the summer is slowly coming to an end. I finished work today, organizing myself tomorrow and taking off back to Trinity on Saturday. I shall keep you posted on the new transition... Han and I are excited to have a bigger room this year - so that will be swell:)
Hope summer ends off well for you all (whoever reads this).
Jen J

2007-08-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

La dee da...
Well the summer has been going well, but definitely keeping me busy. Work has been treating me most excellently, and I've had the opportunity to hang out with YFC camps fairly often, as well as take some days off to spend time with some special friends. Here are a few moments...

Jayme finally arrived home after over a year from Austria. So Amy, Jayme and I were officially reunited!

I got to spend a full day with the YFC Hamp Camps at Hornby Island:)

Chey and I have had the opportunity to have some classy times this summer. One being dressin' up in our cool digs at attending a movie...Hairspray was full of laughs.

TerTer flew out!! and Christina Russell came for a quick visit, so we had a blast catching up again. Especially at church in our 'park' skirts.
Darren also made the long journey out to the island on his motor bike, to join our squad for a surf trip to Tofino.

Our surf crew!
(Darren, Terri, Jen, Lindsay, Michelle, Barry, Mike)

At the beach.

Playing pirates in the Coombs shop.

And now...you find me chilling on my couch recovering from the yanking out of my four wisdom teeth. I haven't experienced the repercussions of lost wisdom yet, but the swelling is going down.

So that's where the summer has taken me thus far. Scotty is finally home, which is most excellent. I have to head back to school in a few weeks...but not before seeing my good friend Josh Groban in concert next week. So I'm pretty stoked about that.

Until next time...thanks for reading.

2007-07-10T22:14:00.001-07:00

Summer is finally here....

...and I feel like I'm living in a tropical paradise. It has been crazy hot, but with the warm breeze and blue skies - it's amazing. Our little office at work gets pretty warm upstairs, but we're pretty close to the marina so the breeze off the water is nice. Needless to say, I usually have a smile on my face as the rainy clouds have disappeared.
Summer has been going swell. Work has been good and I've been enjoying my time there. YFC camps have started up, so I'm down at the camp as much as I can, wishing I could be there all summer long. I find it so encouraging being around the youth again and being soaked in some biblical teaching and hearing what they're all learning. Spiritually, I feel a little dry these days, the Lord has been good in sustaining me and giving me peace and joy, but it's been a struggle to keep my nose in the bible. I know it's what my heart needs the most, but yet I still don't do it...thus, I'm trying to get my butt in gear.
But here are a few shots from the last few weeks...

Tara came for a visit on the weekend, which was a superb and relaxing weekend.

Michelle had a delicious fondue dinner at her house:D

Finally went mini-golfing with the pals. These two twins are hardcore golfers though...

...and thus, they sadly crushed Hannah and I.

I've also been able to catch up with some old pals...like Kierra:)

Then some rad Trinity pals came for a visit, so Han and I headed down to Nanaimo to pick them up.

And we were able to go horseback riding which was amazing! We were suppose to have thunderstorms, but thankfully no thunder - just a fantastic hardcore rain pouring down, which was later replaced by some lovely sun. It was a perfect ride.

Having a bbq.

Saying farewell at the ferry...

So it's been quite an eventful summer so far, and I'm loving it. I still have some rad friends coming out to visit in August - and finally my dear dear friend Jayme will be returning home and I can't wait! Hope summer is treating you all well:)
Jen J

2007-06-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

time at the beach...

2007-06-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

The Last Few Weeks of My Life...

Quick recap...Phil and Keltie finally got married! So this is us ladies before we got our hair done.Me and Georgia, one heck of a cute flowergirl.The whole gang.Then I went out to Alberta to make nachos with my cousin Jaimie.As well as for my friend Dale's wedding. It was wonderful:)And we had a little mini Capernwray reunion.
Capes gang.I got to see an old special friend Vanessa and it was fantastic catching up with her.
Then I got to visit my grampa which was awesome:) He tells wonderful stories and it was so nice to just relax at his house and drink tea and talk. Then I returned back to my island and back to work where I've been surrounded by too many laptop computers these days.

But I've had the privaledge of jumping back into working with the Jr. High, and back with the girls that I started with when they were in Grade 7.
Keltie and I with just a few of our lovely ladies on the last night.
The the big 2-0 hit. I feel so blessed to share a birthday with Hannah.
Hannah and Rachel popped into the office to catch up and pass around the birthday hugs.
Julia also shares the same birthday as us, so I was able to have a lovely lunch with her and Wendy:)

Alright, so that's a tad catch up. Sorry for being out of touch for those who read this blog.
It's been so wonderful being away from school and being back home. And I loved being out in Alberta and catching up with some good friends, and celebrating with some weddings. Work has been a little crazy this week, but it should slow down a bit which is nice. But I'm still loving it - perhaps my next post will be an idea of what ACTS does - it's amazing:)
But I'm enjoying the summer moments, especially the simple quiet times.
I'll keep ya posted...

2007-05-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

My Life in Picture Format...
Basically, it's been pretty crazy since being home. So I'm just gonna put pictures up and not say much. Warning: There are a lot of pictures. If you don't feel like reading or looking, no worries at all - but for those of you who care about the adventures of my life...here you are;)

The weekend I got home, Cas and Cam were our with their youth at the Capernwray Youth Retreat so I drove down for a visit.They're an extremely attractive couple. I told them this would be a good picture for their wedding invitations. I hit up my favorite beach, sadly it sprinkled rain a bit - but the sun is finally out now.Caught up with Lindsay Loo - she surprised me by dying her hair a dark brown. But all for good reason, considering she's taking off to Peru until the end of June - and this way, her crazy blonde hair won't make her stick out as much.
I've been blessed to return back to work at ACTS (Africa Community Technical Service) for the summedr. My 'portable' desk was already awaiting me when I came in.My desk:)I was pretty stoked to see Michelle and Joel singing in their choir from Prairie. So I took a picture with 'them' on their poster.A week later I got to see the live show. And they were fantastic:) I was definitely impressed with the singing, but especially the people.Christina was visiting for the weekend, which was ridiculously awesome. We definitely had some sweet laughs, especially when mom took her and I on a police chase as we became 'cops' and followed a suspicious driver before informing the police.
We had Keltie's stag last weekend. This is the 'before' shot while I'm talking to Terri for clues as to dress up in 80's style for the party.
I pretty much fell in love with the comfort of 80's clothing.I bought a classy gold belt, and some nice pink clothes. My cabin N girls might be surprised at my color choice;)
All the girls looked pretty attractive, especially Rachel's green bangs.
Pina Coladas (non alcoholic of course) are sooo good.The 80's gang.
The next day we had the last Bridal shower for Keltie, sporting our sweet wedding ballcaps.
Lindsay and the Rachel's eagerly watching the gifts being ripped open.
Keltie didn't think my card was that cool.Yesterday, Jade-o and I roadtripped down to Capes for their commencement.Sitting with Candace during the ceremony.
With Sarah:)
Funny Faces
A most excellent bunch of people
(Jeff, Stu, Arron, Jared and Sarah)
Alissa, Anna, Sarah and Laurel
Old Roomies - we miss you Ter, Cas and Larry. Do ya miss Alanda's classic 'extended lower jaw' smile?

Life has been good lately, and its been wonderful catching up with some of my favorite people - it's just keeping me busy. Thanks for reading...

2007-04-29T01:09:00.000-07:00

Last Day of School...

After finally finishing up exams and being homework free, there was time left to hang out with the pals before saying goodbye for the summer.
We started off with a dorm sleepover in our lounge as we all dragged in our mattresses. We found these made excellent landing spots for jumping off the couches, so we did that for a few hours late into the night before finally crawling into bed.
Hannah's karate skills.
Marianne soaring...

Kelsey's classic flip.

Flying with my cape.

Rachel and Kari looking crazy.

Quad jump.

Last 4W Dorm breakfast before Candace and I took off.Walking in the rain with Kels back to the dorm.

Then we met up with some of the guys for our final adventure in learning of dry ice bombs.

Preparing...Waiting with Hannah and Sarah...
It was a fairly quiet 'boom' since it was buried, but it was still pretty entertaining.
Then Han and I grabbed our last coffee together for the year. Brenda let us crawl under the counter and help her out. Then it was off to finish packing for me until Mom and Dad arrived.

It's still strange to me to look back and see another year has already gone by. I know it's like that for a lot of people, but it always leaves me in a weird 'shock' faze. Regardless, it was a challenging year in different aspects, but looking back after finally finishing I can say that it was good. Good to learn, good to be stretched, good to fail and get back up again... God has been good throughout it all. I'm so thankful to be able to look behind me and see God's work, not only in my life, but in the lives of those who are around me. It's encouraging to be reminded that He is working now as well, just sometimes we don't see it until we look back.
Summer days are pretty much here:) Starting work in a few days too, so that should be swell. A few weddings coming up which are wicked exciting. More photos to come I'm sure...

2007-04-24T23:35:00.000-07:00

I'm done!!!

This is me stoked to be finished. I survived final exams...and now home is calling me.

2007-04-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

The End is Near

Just a quick post to say I'm a live and well. The year is nearing to an end, one final exam to go and I'm heading home. I'm so stoked to be getting back to the island, but it will be sad to say goodbye to some great friendly faces. Especially some special ladies who won't be returning again in the fall. We've definitely had a superb dorm, as well have met some other rad people. The year has been good, and I'm sure I'll write more later - but just a few pictures of the last few events. The one above is our dorm in the beautiful cherry trees...

A few of us taking a break from our tandem bike tour around Stanley Park.

Picnic in the park.

Our dorm and the other sweet dorm we share a hallway with.

With my fantastic roomie that I'll be separated with for a few months...absence makes the heart grow fonder though.
__________________________________________________________

"The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

2007-04-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

Hmm...is that really a flower pot?

2007-04-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

Childhood Memories...

I snuggled back into the warm covers as I glanced up at my clock reading 9:00am. Not quite feeling like I can crawl out of bed, I lie and listen to the mumbling out in the hall. Quiet whispers of 'snow' drift under our door, and Hannah lifts herself out of bed a heads towards the window. Lifting the blinds, the gray-ish white light peers through the glass and she responds in despair 'Oh no'. I lift my head, and to my disbelief I see large snowflakes flowing and falling to the ground. It's April 2nd, and our warm weather sunny streak is strangely brought to a halt by snow? The only hope was knowing that our spontaneous west coast weather would probably counteract the snow, and it did indeed. The expected drizzling rain appeared much later that morning, and as I stepped out of my second class I was surprised to be met by the smiling rays of our good friend 'Sunshine'. Just another day with the wacky wonderful weather...
The last few days, I felt like I've returned a bit to my childhood, the more simple days of just playing and being 'free'. It all started with taking a walk Friday afternoon, and just letting my thoughts flow and my heart settle in peace after having some good prayer time. I returned to the cafe to grab a dinner and was met by some of my wonderful dorm gals. We had quite an enjoyable dinner full of lots of random conversation and gut-hurting laughter.

Afterwards, we crammed into some cars and took off to go cheer for our dorm girls and guys baseball game. We made some signs, did lots of yelling, but they still lost - yet I think they had more fun than the other team, mainly due to them being the only team with fans.
Once they were done, we all piled onto the kids playground and played games we hadn't played since back in elementary school. It got pretty intense running around, but it was great. We hit up the swings later, played four square, sat on the see-saws, and slid down the slides. Then when the darkness started settling in we headed home, but not before grabbing some smoothies. On Saturday, we had our last Kid's outreach in Vancouver. We blew up a huge amount of balloons to play games with the kids, but before they all arrived, we found ourselves playing with them for quite a while. But it was a good finish off to the year, fun to hang out with the kids and do some fun activities.
That night Janelle, Han, Sarah, Rach and I took off for a mini-adventure and ended up finding a secret hideout with some cool passageways. We then took it upon ourself to go tree-climbing on the 6 cherry trees at school, taking turns telling stories in each tree. And after hoisting Rachel and Janelle up a huge tree to try out the hammock up in the branches, we headed to bed.

Sunday, a few of us went to Fort Langley to toss around a football and walk around the fort. I was excited to find a semi-decent hill which called for hill rolling, then that turned into spinning competitions. Some of us were a little better and spinning and running afterwards, while others ended up getting a few more grass stains.
Then in the evening we had a big dorm tea party. Candace made some treats to eat, and then we made a big 'bowl' of tea. We've yet to get a tea pot, but it's coming soon. It was such a blast, and it reminded me of the many tea parties I used to have with mom in the mornings before school, and all the tea drinking with Nan and Grampa growing up. I think Rika won the tea-drinking competition with her 4 cups, impressive is the only word that comes to my mind.
Thus, even though I know I have a bit more work to finish up before the year is done - it's been refreshing doing some of the more simpler things in life.

2007-03-25T00:10:00.000-07:00

Thoughts...

Janelle surprised me with a wonderful bouquet of daffodils the other day. I like how little things like bright yellow flowers can cheer up a place, especially my heart.

As I've been reflecting this week, on my time at Trinity so far, it's hard to know how to describe the year. I didn't have any solid expectations coming here, in fact - I was somewhat unexpectant of anything. It's been a challenging year, and I feel I've learned where my confidence lies. It's been quite humbling realizing there's not a lot I can do on my own strength. God has been so faithful to me over this year, and His love is becoming so much more evident to me as I've seen how He's stood by my side. As this year is coming close to an end, it's been awesome to see my prayer for community answered as well. The girls in my dorm are nothing short of spectacular women, it's been such a priviledge living with them, and slowly seeing tight bonds form. And I'm beginning to feel comfortable at Trinity, more like I can be 'me' here. There are still the days (like today) when I feel a little 'out of it', yet I know the feeling will eventually pass, and I'll feel 'back to normal'. It's amazing to step back and take a look at what seems like a whirlwind of this year flying by, and seeing God's grace so delicately intertwined in my past. It gives me such hope and peace for the unknown future, that He will always provide and He'll always be enough. I haven't fully grasped this concept yet, and maybe I probably never will. But I at least feel so blessed to have a glimpse into the Sovereignty of the God who loves His people so much. A friend was once telling me that if we never experienced the hard and challenging moments in life, we'd never fully appreciate the good things. I like that, because when those bright moments appear, nothing can stop a smile of joy and appreciation from appearing on your face...just like bright daffodils appearing after a long, gray and rainy season. Not sure if any of my thoughts make sense, but just a glimpse into the scattered mind of Jen this week...

"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." 1 John 5:14-15

2007-03-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

Surprise!

Well, I'm impressed, you guys got it right. Janelle was in the blue and Sarah is in the green. We may not have fooled you, but there were at least a few fooled on campus.

Lots of stuff has been going on in the last few weeks, so just a few pictures (alright...a lot of pictures) to give a hint of of my life...

Dad was out for a work course in Chiliwack a few weekends ago, so that was refreshing to see him and get some extra dad time in. Linds also was out visiting that weekend, so that was sweet. Kari, Linds and I had some fun and created a little mischief.

Jade surprised Han and I with a call one Sunday night asking if he could stop by to hang out...we figured he was in Alberta, but he was only a few hours away. So that was a sweet surprise to have the chance for the three of us hang out again.

There were also a few moments of pranking in the dorm. I toilet papered Kelsey's room before she got back from Spring Break, so that gave her a good laugh.

And some girls snuck into our room too when Han and I were out, they turned all my bed sheets inside out, attacked our Matt Damon poster, and left some more Matt pictures on our computer - definitely caused laughter.
Other exciting news was our big dorm week, all the girls dorms were battling against each other. The extravaganza was called SOJO (random name). This is our 4W dorm flag - 'We Eat'.
Some of the events were assassins, sock wars, a spa night, and 'leading ladies'. The last two weren't our dorm favorites, but here's a dressed up picture of most of the ladies one of the evenings.
During assassins (girls have girls names they have to 'kill' by splashing them with water), our girls went hardcore and switched disguises multiple times a day. So my closet was attacked a few times.
And thus!!! We won the dorm challenge and came in first place! We are more than stoked and pretty proud of the hardcore-ness of our dorm.
Derek Webb, an amazing musician, came to Trinity for a concert.
We were all pretty stoked to have him here, he's has some great songs.Here's Johannes and I with Derek.Lindy and Nicole (Kris and Billy's sisters) stayed with Han and I this weekend. So our room was a bit squished, but we had a blast getting to know the girls and basically making the room into a giant mattress.
And Darren visited while he was on his roadtrip home from Capernwray back to St. Albert. It was a ton of fun hanging out again.

We even went to a Canucks game! We won 4-1 against Detroit.

Phew, that's pretty much the end, sorry for the extended post. Now I must return to my desk, which is continually piling up with more books and assignments...will it ever end?! I'm thankful for the moments of fun that give my brain a break from the books, only a few weeks left of this madness. It's strange for me to think that my first year of university is almost done. Where did the time go? It still feels like a few days ago that I felt totally out of comfort here, and slowly I'm beginning to feel like this could be a place where I could settle in for a bit.

I'm continually being challenged in whether I'm making God my first priority or not, and I often fail. It's humbling to serve a God who is so faithful to stand with me, even when my eyes aren't fixed on Him. It seems lately that He keeps bringing me back to a place that I have to be completely relying on Him, and in some ways it's a scary place to be, not being 'in control', yet such a peaceful feeling, because I know that my life is much better off in His hands.

Hope all is well with those of you who read this.
Lots of love, Jen J

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20

2007-03-14T00:44:00.000-07:00

Which one is Jen?

For those of you who know my wardrobe, this could possibly be a challenge. It's assassins week at school so our dorm girls are continually changing their clothes so they aren't recognized and killed. Thus my closet has been raided many times. So this is my version of 'Where's Waldo?', but 'Where's Jen?'. Stayed tuned for the answer!! (which will probably be much later because I have a ton of work to do)

2007-03-03T22:26:00.000-08:00

Home Sweet Home

Finally made it to Spring Break, and it's been a fantastic, relaxing and thoughtful break. Just a few snap shots...
Han, Bryan and I finally heading home and almost missing the ferry
Hundeby & Jacobson family reunion

Spent a few days at Capernwray, catching up with friends.
(me, Sarah and Jeff)
Cooking steak with Tara and Alanda. I got to room with Alanda again, just like old times.

Then I spent time at home, visited a few friends, but mainly hung out with my parents and had some good solo time, which was mostly spent at the beach.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving."
Colossians 4:2
"But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it."
Romans 8:25
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 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 3:15-17

2007-02-20T16:38:00.000-08:00

Friends + Midterms/Papers + 4 Ferries + Weddings + Music = one busy girl

In a nutshell, I've been a little swamped lately, but only a week until Spring Break and then I can rest for a bit. So I'm going to post a whack of pictures in hopes that they can speak a thousand words while I only write a few.
My lovely gal pals from Capernwray came for a visit last weekend for a few days, which was a blast to have them at Trinity. It was really squishy in our room, Hannah was a trooper and a half. Days were full of classes, goofiness, and late night studying, but we had a rad visit. Terri and I recorded some songs so we may finally end up with a CD one day. I headed over to Capernwray for a night and a day to get a final visit in with them, as well as catch up with our other two roommates, if only Larrissa could have been there. Sadly (sorry guys) I must have deleted the pictures of the 5 of us gals, so I have none to share. But our Capernwray extravaganza basically was going around to all our old favorite spots, Cas and I found our old cow Sumo, who we think may be steak soon, and we snuck into our old cabin - shhh, and then we drove out to Pilkey Point for a photo shoot, and to find our tree where we carved our names into last year...and yes it was still there. Along with a dead bird - but that's another story. We kidnapped Alanda and Sarah for a bit of the afternoon and all hung out like good ol' days. It was so good to be back there with the girls and connect with the LTS and staff again, always does my heart good. I also had a fun trip back to Van. Island on the Chemainus ferry because I was the only person on board other than the workers, no cars even - kind of strange, but definitely fun. I miss the ferry rides, so it was a treat to have a solo sailing.

Then I went home, which was SO good to relax. My lovely friend's Ben and Lindsay had their wedding on Saturday, and I was so happy I was able to make it home. It was beautiful and perfect for them, it's been cool to see their relationship progress, and I'm excited for them to start this new season in life together. Rachel and I were talking about how crazy it is that one of us girls from our old sunday school gang is already married, we missed Jayme quite a bit, so we just pretended she was there anyways. The trip back to Trinity was fun, Hannah had taken Kelsey and Sarah home with her for the weekend, so Rach, me and the those three headed back. Nice to just bum on the ferry together, and then some friends picked us up at Horsebay to take us 'home'.

Back at school now, and on a few more exams and papers until I can take a break for a bit. But, exciting fun - a few of us went to the Vancouver Symphony last night, and it was a blast! The music was amazing. I've always wanted to go to a classical concert, so it was a blast. Hannah and I definitely aren't the kind of girls that enjoy getting overly dressed up, so it was quite the production finding 'classy' clothes, but the girls in our dorm were fantastic and helping us get ready to go.

So hope that gives you a good snapshot into the life of Jen. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for me lately. It's been a very neat, but challenging time. Some nights when I've been up in the wee hours of the morning, feeling like I'm at the end of my rope, it's been a spectacular blessing to feel the Lord come along side of me and say, 'It's going to be okay''. It's been humbling seeing His continous faithfulness to me, even when I'm doubtful. But I'm enjoying having the moments when I feel like there is no other way but Christ, and I hope that it becomes engraved into my heart so that I depend on Him with all that I have in all that I do.

"The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." - 1 Timothy 13:14

2007-02-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

Perfect for a good laugh...

A cute video that just makes you smile.

2007-02-07T19:58:00.000-08:00

I Love My Friends!
(and a glimpse of Missions, Mucus, Mischief)

Amidst the craziness of the past week with midterms flying and papers and projects and all things that school throws at you, I've been able to stay above water. I dug myself a pretty deep hole in some areas of school this semester, but when I've needed a hand climbing out, some amazing people have surrounded me in reaching down a hand. It was like swimming or surfing at the beach, when a huge wave unexpectedly grabs you in the spinning of its grip, unsure whether you'll make it out in an okay condition or not. But above all, the Lord has been so faithful in helping me realize the importance of discipline, and resting. Sometimes I never seem to grasp some of His lessons, thankfully He hasn't given up on retreaching them to me. I've also realized that life isn't all about school...but at least right now it's a big portion, so it's been humbling learning to honor that aspect.

But I love my friends, because I have a spectacular roommate. Hanbanan has been so supportive during my craziness these past weeks, in giving up time to help me with my work, bringing me little treats, taking care of me when I've been sick, and just loving me. She's been such an example of a servant's heart and loving people, and I appreciate her more than she knows, she's absolutley fantastic.

I also love my friends, because two of my past roommates, Cassie and Terri, are coming out for a visit this weekend! I'm so stoked to see these two lovely girls, they're both so special and dear to my heart. It will such a blast and a gongshow to connect and hang out again.

Then, just a tad more background to the past few weeks: Mission Fest was in Vancouver at the end of January, and it was amazing. I had the opportunity to connect with some good friends and staff from Capernwray, as well as youth pastors and youth groups from back home. I was just really encouraged and refreshed by the many small conversations I had with people, and getting a glimpse into the work that the Lord is doing here, and near and far. (I'll also post a sweet video of the music group Rescue that we saw there soon...)

Thus, after some busy weeks with little sleep, and busy weekends, sickness overtook me once again and I turned into a mean green mucus machine. Pretty sick I know, my kleenex box turned into my best friend for a few days as I carried it to all of my classes. Then after the Superbowl, I was attacked by a lame flu...not so fun. But I've bascially recovered - sleep does wonders. Hannah quickly went to work disinfecting our whole living area, so we should be germ free for a while - she lovingly gave me the nickname of Typhoid Mary...

Last but not least, the mischief of Dorm 4W. What kind of mischief you ask? Well, a while back, our dorm was pranked as some boys dragged a large tree up four flights of stairs into a hallway. So we 'retaliated' when they least expected it. Overall, the prank was well recieved and fun all around, except for our lame 'mistake'. We foolishly awoke a boy as we were leaving, which caused us to dash off in a wild frenzy, leaving behind two sets of our room/building/food card keys, and our complete list of pranks and who was doing what. We sighed with frustration as we realized what we'd done. So now we're just awaiting the wrath of a dorm ful of boys and the retaliation they will bring. (there will probably be more photos and video footage of this early morning escapade to come...) So life is good, but prayers would be most appreciated through these next two weeks. Discipline, rest, and perseverance will be needed. Agreeing with the well known song of Gloria Gaynor - 'I Will Survive!'

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus...Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass." 1 Thess. 5:16-18, 23-24

2007-02-05T20:33:00.000-08:00

Monday....

Just a little something, you may have to copy the link
http://www.hallmark.com/ECardWeb/ECV.jsp?a=2126612242112MooooooN&product_id=