What I Want For Christmas

 

I like this time of year.

It’s cooler, I can bust out my boots and scarves, and have an excuse to drink a hot cup of coffee in the middle of the day. I do enjoy the holiday season when I keep in mind what this holiday is truly about. One main way that society does celebrate and participate in this holiday is to buy gifts for each other. Where did that concept even came from? I’m not really sure. In the Nativity story, the wise men brought gifts to our baby Savior years ago. So I guess that somehow got changed throughout the years to US getting the gifts and our Savior getting absolutely nothing. Hmm...

Again, not sure how that ended up happening. But as a grateful woman for the gifts that I have received in Christmas’ past and that I will receive this year, there are only a few things I really do want for Christmas. 

Here are a few:

1. World Peace 

      (I am forewarning you: this section has nothing to do with political partisan). I sincerely do want world peace. It also may come across as a cliché wish but I truly do desire this as a gift for Christmas. The fact that there are countries in this world that are still killing each other while other countries are not willing to help other struggling countries saddens me. I won’t get specific on what countries or even which foreign policy is in action right now that allows this to happen, but I do believe it should be addressed. Why can’t we all just get along? I’m sure we will all live in a happier world. Just sayin.

  

      2. More Responsible and Loving Parents In The World 

      As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, I am currently employed because there are parents in this world that fail to take responsibility for their own children and make decisions in their own lives that directly affect how their children think, act, and behave. There are children and teenagers in this world that do not know how to make the right decisions in life because they never had a parent to role model that way of thinking for them. Because of that, they are in jail, homeless, have mental health issues, or involved in substance abuse. Why can’t we all just be responsible and take accountability for our own actions and take care of our own dang children? Less children would be in foster care and on the streets, and more would be employed, educated, and know how to love themselves and others.

  

      3. No Debt 

      I am truly grateful to have had a college experience in a great Christian college on a beautiful campus with amazing and challenging professors. I am so grateful for those years that I established lasting friendships, fell in love, discovered more about myself, and gained a good college education. But I am not grateful for the debt that I am now in. What I want for Christmas is for my thousands and thousands of dollars of debt to be forgiven as a “Thank-You-For-Serving-Our-Community-and-Doing-Some-Good-In-This-World”. Is that too much to ask?

4. Less Hungry People in The World 

      Okay I’m going to bust out a statistic that will sadden you a bit. According to a World Hunger website, there are 870 million people do not have enough to eat  and 98 percent of them live in developing countries (www.wfp.org/hunger/stats). Food tastes too amazing for 870 million people to miss out on. They deserve to experience the happiness and satisfaction that food provides…. and they can’t. It’s saddening and sickening. What I want for Christmas is for everyone in the world to experience the best possible feeling… a full stomach.

5. Unemployment Rate IN THE WORLD to Go DOWN!  

      (Again, no political partisan here!!)  A couple of weeks ago, I was watching the morning show and they had said a sad statistic about how recent college students from the last 3 years are still looking for work and how it may not get any better. My heart felt heavy when I heard that. I got a job right out of college and an even better job 7 months after that and I must say, it feels freaking amazing to be an employed woman in society. It’s not fun sending out resumes, researching, interviewing, and getting rejected after so much work and prayer being put in the process. Not fun at all. What I want for Christmas is for every willing and able person that actually desires employment to GET THE SAME THING. 

6. Donuts Not To Be So FATTENING!!!! 
 Enough said.

7. For More People To Find Jesus 

      I am a born and raised Christian believer and I must say, it is my favorite thing about myself. Having the hope that I have a Heavenly Father that is in complete control of my life only after I give Him permission to do so is a wonderful feeling. Having a Heavenly Father that ONLY wants what is best for me even though I am not able to see what He has planned for me. Having the faith that what He is doing and will do in my life is going to rock is the best feeling in the world. Knowing that I have a Heavenly Father that is still willing to accept me back in His sweet family and continue to call me His daughter even after I mess up leaves me speechless. Why can’t everyone feel that same way? It is sad about how many people in the world do not know about this and about Christ. Or even worse, they know this but reject it every single day. What I want for Christmas is for more people to accept and love Jesus. It makes life better, simple as that.

These few things on my Christmas Wish List are a lot to ask for and I'm aware of that. But in this holiday season, lets keep in mind what truly is important and why we celebrate this holiday. Lets keep our Heavenly Father in mind and that He sent His own Son to come down and die for us lame, sick, selfish, bozo heads in the form of a baby boy. Instead of keeping our focus on Mariah Carey Christmas songs and gingerbread houses (which are fun!!), lets keep our focus on what we are called to do in this world, DO GOOD, LOVE EACH OTHER, and SHOW JESUS TO OTHERS. If you do all of this, it will feel like Christmas EVERY DAY.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

The Latest On My Life.

Wow has it been a crazy summer and now Fall.... there have been many changes in my life lately. Let me fill you in.

This summer was a rather busy summer. I was the assistant director for our Vacation Bible School program at our school which kept me busy for the majority of July. I also went camping for a week in the sweet mountains in Utah for work with my foster boys. It was really great and liberating to be in nature and go camping underneath the stars. It had been a really long time. There were a handful of graduations I attended this summer so that had me going out of town quite often... which I loved. In the midst of all of these projects and activities I was apart of, I worked.... I worked a lot. That alone kept me busy.

Now Fall is here I couldn't be happier. It's my absolute favorite season and I want it to last just a bit longer.

But here are some changes that have been taking place recently.

1. I have recently been appointed a couple of major leadership positions in the church and I am extremely happy about that. I am so happy knowing that I have been appointed positions in the church that will help bring others closer to Christ in some way. I feel honored and humbled to be entrusted to take on these roles by my church leaders.

2. My roommate from college is getting married and I'm the maid of honor! I am so happy for her and she deserves the best and feel so blessed to be apart of her special day. Wedding will be taking place next month in California. Stoked to be friends with her. Love you, Katelyn :)

 

3. My best gal friend also got engaged and her wedding will be next Fall! She is one of the people I know that deserve all of the love and happiness in the world and I am so happy she found it! So happy that I will also be able to share that day with you. Love you, Jackie!

4. Sooo I started up a "Jenn's Travel Fund" a few months back so I would be able to plan a trip to leave the country when the opportunity presented itself and now I get to use it! I'm GOING TO IRELAND!!!! Tis true! Ireland has been #1 on my bucket list of places to go visit since I was about 15 so I am glad that it is finally coming true. My gal pal Rachael and I will be going in the spring! I am also planning a trip to Chicago for a few days in February for the ONE project. Looking forward to visiting one of my favorite cities. Yay for traveling :)

5. Work is going well. I can't believe that I've already been there for almost 10 months now. There are days that I ask myself "What did I get myself into?" and there are some days that I remind myself "THAT'S WHY." I just got an evaluation by my supervisor a couple weeks ago and I appreciated the positive feedback. Guess I'm doin somethin right. Can't take the credit though. Super thankful that I have a God that hooks a sister up with knowledge and stuff. Note: If you are curious to know what I do for work, read previous posts.

6.  Thanksgiving this year was wonderful. Hung out with some friends in the outdoors with some great weather in the morning then had family over for Thanskgiving dinner (YUM tofu turkey!). With everything that I deal with in my job, I was extra thankful this year for the things that I do have in my life. I am thankful for a God that has my best interest at heart ALWAYS and that He has the answer for everything because I am one gal with A LOT of questions. I am also thankful for family. I have taken family for granted in the past but after working at my job, I have a new appreciation for family and I am thankful for that, especially knowing that there are so many kids in the world that don't have that. I am also thankful for positive friendships in my life. I am the woman that I am because of these three things: God, family, and positive and healthy friendships. The Lord really blesses me even though I don't deserve it. Amazing.

7. I'm ENGAGED!!!!!.... just kidding.


Other than all of this, life is still going well for me. I have a stable job that I actually enjoy going to and happy about where I am in life. However, I have not stopped planning and thinking about my future and making daily effort in doing the things I want to do in my life in the future and making sure I do my part in making these happen for me (move out of state, go to grad school, become financially independent, grow up, focusing on my walk with God, learning more about life, etc).

Update on the life of Jenn Ariza and looking forward to an even more busy Winter :)

God is good. Life is good. Donuts are good.

I'm out.

10 Things I Will Not Miss In Heaven

 

The beauty of being a believing Christian is having that sweet assurance that I will be going to heaven someday to hang out with my Jesus for eternity. No more troubles, pain, and sadness. When I think of that, I find myself thinking of more specific things that I will absolutely NOT miss.

 

Here are a few:

1. Politics
Yes, any political decision that is made can directly affect my work, my family, and myself. Yes, it is important to pay attention to and know what is going on in politics. But, it’s messy and I don’t like it very much.

2. Love handles
That bulge that sticks out just enough that makes me want to pull my pants up just a little higher so that the handle is not as obvious when it’s sticking out of my pants. Even though I eat well, low intake of sugar, and exercise on a regular basis, I still have that hand full of “love” on each of my sides that will NOT go away. They should be called hate handles instead because they are only getting bigger as I get older.













3. Dead animals
Thanksgiving turkey that still looks like a turkey. Fried Chicken. Steak. Road kill. Dead animals make me sad. One of the reasons why I am a vegetarian is because the concept of eating something that was living, breathing, and cute at some point and is now chillin on my plate---dead? No thank you.

4. Student loans
I am thankful and grateful for having the opportunity to go out of state and having an amazing college experience for those 5 years of my life. I discovered a lot about msyelf, found myself (for the most part), met some great people, learned a lot, and now have a college degree hanging on my wall. But now I'm in debt thousands of dollars to the government because of it. Sweet.















5. Menstral Cramps
That’s right…. I said it! Cramps! My appetite changes for those few days because either everything gets me nauseous or I want to eat every sweet and fried thing in sight. Did I mention it is absolutely painful? I am bloated so it looks like I’m 5 months prego. I’m not in the best mood because well…. would you be if you were in constant pain for 4 days and medicine didn’t work? You can’t call in sick to work because how lame does that sound. “Hi, boss. I can’t come in today. I’m throwing up because I’m cramping. No it’s not contagious….”

It sucks and it’s painful. End of story.

6. Keeping Up With the Kardashians
Need I say more?












7. Bad people
Bad people are mean. Bad people don’t give a snot. Bad people make horrible decisions. Bad people don’t know how to treat other people. Bad people are rude. Bad people need Jesus. Bad people need to just go away.

8. Speeding tickets
Okay okay okay…. Yes it is important to have rules and regulations to live in a safer community. But when you are going 80 on a 65 with no cars around you and no one is in danger and you’re driving back to Vegas from California on an open road… what’s the harm in that? Just sayin.

9. Break ups
I’ve experienced my share and I know I’m not the only one. Break-ups are something no one ever wants to go through. There is no medicine you can take to make the pain of a break up go away. There are many different ways to cope with a break up but many of them are not appropriate, healthy, or wise. You can’t take a medicine to erase the memories you had together. Appetites change. Life is different. You are different. Break-ups suck. Period.











10. Really really expensive stuff
$42 for a salmon at a fancy restaurant? $5 for a bottled water at a concert? $6 for a bag of candy at a theater? $8 for toilet paper? $84 for a blouse? Seriously… will this blouse get me a husband? Cure AIDS? End world hunger? What is so stinkin special about this blouse? Expensive and overpriced things have been one my pet peeve for years. What is so special about something that it has to be over priced? Ridiculous.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things....

There are many things in life that I like, enjoy, and thoroughly love. These are a few of my favorite things that I believe make my life better. If you know me well, you may already know what some of them are.



 A tiny baby walking.

Emphasis is on TINY. I love walking into a grocery store or church and seeing a tiny baby walk behind his parents. Tiny over achievers. So freaking cute.

 

 

The Bible

Having an instruction guide on how to live the best possible life inspired

by the person that loves you the most. How could that NOT be a favorite?

 

                                                                                          



Walking a dog in the woods:

One of many things I miss about living in the country.

Dogs, exercise, and nature combined. Love.

Favorite movie: The Little Mermaid

This was the first movie I watched ever, even before I learned English. I loved it so much and I still do. And actually, mermaids are just about my favorite thing ever. I had this obsession (still secretly do) for mermaids. I used to think they were real (still secretly do).  

  




Big dogs

More specifically, golden retreivers.

Life is better when you have a dog (or eight, whatever) to share it with

 

Cheese and crackers.

I am a sucker for them. Good thing I lived in the Napa Valley for 4 years

so I can have my share of cheese samples and Dean and Deluca.

This is my favorite combination for snack along with some good fruit. Oh my heck.



Line dancing

One of my favrote things to do to de-stress and have fun....

even though I look like a clumsy and uncoordinated

chick when I dance along to a dance I don't know.



Camping

Need I say more?

 

My favorite shoes: My grey vans.

I am myself in vans. I am Jenn. No one else. Just Jenn.

 



DONUTS

You know when you do something bad and don't care about how you will feel after or the consequences? Donuts do that to me. For being the fairly health-nut that I am, donuts are my weakness. I love them... too much. So bad for the gut, so good for the soul.



Favorite food hands down: sandwiches

 Bread and veggies. Absolute genius.

Plus, it encourages creativity.

 

Old couples holding hands

Who knows what they have gone through after so many years of marriage. They still want to hold hands. Inspiring.



Running in the woods.

I love being in nature, but when I run in nature,

it's a whole new level of experiencing nature and doing what I love to do: exercise.

Plus, when I am in nature, I feel this unbelievable presence of God. Freaking amazing.

 

Old people working out at the gym

It's SO RAD! I see that A LOT.

 

Small town downtowns

I love the feeling. I love the atmosphere. I love the vibes.

Actually, I just love small towns.



Toast with peanut better and honey.

My favorite thing for breakfast, lunch, snack, after-the-gym snack, or late night snack.

So amazing.



 

Music with guitar.

If you know me well, you know that the first thing I notice in a song is the guitar.

My favorite.





Pregnant women in the gym

You go girl!




Songs That Touch Me Every Single Time....

"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory." Psalm 98:1 

Music is a beautiful thing.

This is just a list of songs that ease me and take over my emotions every time I listen to each of these songs. You should check them out. I have attached the song and lyrics.


Enjoy a song or two... or all of them. You won't be sorry. :)

All I Need- Bethany Dillon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-iSrakXlDk
While I'm Waiting- John Waller http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc7orBfhEmk
Savior, Please- Josh Wilson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9EvlgG-YBM
Here I Am- Downhere http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yooJzuW8XDA
Offering- Nichole Nordeman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX9P6HgOZrs
Son of God- Starfield http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUylLWhtAr4
Captivate Us- Watermark http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWXWgbMDedY
Your Name- Phillips, Craig, and Dean http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzviEHyIggI
Forgiven and Loved- Jimmy Needham http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0QeT4xI2yA
Undo- Rush of Fools http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0K_cwy81tg
Audience of One- Big Daddy Weave http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1NqAOYDZv0
Walk With Me- Caedmon's Call http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evjYvlJcFA0
This is My Father's World- Jadon Lavik http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmfJk7qRC8o
If You Want Me To- Ginny Owens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GocT5SAQPNM
Hold Me Jesus- Big Daddy Weave http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOon2xQNZX0
Safe- Phil Wickham http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZAUq1-c8dw
Nothing Without You- Bebo Norman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLeDySWGfOw

Shout Out to My Main Man

I have a job because of bad parenting.

I work with foster children that are in the system for many reasons. Child has a history of substance abuse, aggressive behaviors, lack of motivation, etc. This all traces back to bad parenting skills. These children adopt characteristics of their parents and many of them even have mental health issues because their mother's lack of parenting skills even when she was pregnant. Because of the bad choices these parents have made, it will forever affect the lives of these children and I get a paycheck every two weeks because of it. Thanks, parents.

Working in this field has made me appreciate the things in my life more than I ever have before. I have grown a new appreciation for my parents and how grateful I am that they DID want me and take care of me. With Father's Day right around the corner, I sit down and think about how I appreciate more and more the amazing man that the Lord has placed in my life long before I was even born. This man is my father: Edgar Arturo Ariza

Looking back at my life, I remember always being embarassed by my dad. When he would come to pick me up from high school, I would tell him to park far away so my friends wouldn't know that I was still being picked up by my dad when everyone else had their own cars. When friends would come over, he would talk with them with his goofy self and make voices to try to make them laugh. Under my breath I would tell him to stop or I would give him "the look." My dad taught me how to play guitar, how to rollerblade, and the importance of knowing my both languages very well: English and Spanish. My dad would never miss an opportunity to teach me something new about the Bible and starts many sentences, "Ellen G. White says...." and I would secretly  roll my eyes.

Growing up, my dad would take my brother, sister and I to school and EVERY SINGLE DAY would have breakfast ready for us. My dad actually woke up early, ran downstairs with shaving cream still on his face, and cook breakfast for us. Not just any breakfast, but pancakes, scones, oatmeal shakes, huevos pericos (eggs with a ton of vegetables), and the list goes on. When he had no time to cook breakfast, we would do a quick run to the convenient store and stock up on bottled OJ and donuts. Regardless, he would make sure we went to school with a full stomach EVERY SINGLE DAY. And I can't help but to think that the kids that I work with have gone hungry because their father never wanted to feed them.

When I was a little girl, my dad would teach me how to hold my future boyfriend's hand. One day we were walking into Home Depot on a Sunday morning and he holds my hand and says, "Mami, when you get a boyfriend, you hold his hand like this." He would protect me from the boys at school and church that would like me because he would say they were never good enough for me. When I went through my first break up.... and second, third, and fourth.... I called up my dad and he would cry with me on the phone and stay up late hours to pray for me and pray with me. He would never try to fix the problem: he just cried, prayed, listened. Cried, prayed, listened.

My dad actually prays for my future husband. To this day, he gets on his knees every night since the day my sister and I were born, and he actually PRAYS for my future husband.

Not to get all Freudian on you, but I strongly believe that when a woman has a strong relationship with her father, it can make all the difference in the world.  My dad has show me more love than I can ever ask for and because of that, I am the woman that I am today. This man never stops being a father and I hope he never does. I am very thankful for this ridiculously goofy-embarassing-Colombian-God-fearing-short-soccer-playing man in my life that I call my dad. My father. My papi.

I am thankful that the Lord has matched you and I perfectly to be father and daughter. You are my main man always. You show me Jesus every single day. You have done for me more than you will ever know. I love you, dad. Happy Father's Day. :)

-Jennifitar

Feeling Like Jenn Again... Finally.

Another life lesson I have learned:

During my first year out of college, I have done a lot of growing, discovering, and questioning. I have learned that it is quite common for twenty or thirty-something-year olds to experience a sense of disconnection from themselves after college. It's scary. What's also scary is that I was becoming one of those people.

I have always been self-assured of who I am but there was a time there, during my transition from college student to full-time-working woman, where I was starting to forget who I actually was. I was losing myself. I found myself getting stuck in a rut and not doing what made me happy (which are sports, Jesus, and service). During a small amount of time after college, I was feeling disconnected from myself and wondering why I wasn't doing what made me happy.

I sat down and asked myself these questions:

• "What makes me happy?"
• "What makes me Jenn?"
• "Am I doing them?"
• "If not, why not?"

Asking myself these questions was life changing. I then came to realize something very important: This sense of disconnection from myself led me to the conclusion that when you feel a disconnection from yourself, scary things begin to happen. I believe that when you start to lose a connection to yourself, less things in the world make sense, confusion can lead to unhappiness, and your disconnection then can lead to a disconnection with Jesus.

It is a scary thing thing when you begin to forget who you are, lose yourself, and stop doing the things that make you happy. When you start to feel that sense of disconnection from yourself, how are you able to understand what God is doing in your life? You begin to expect the wrong things from Christ and get frustrated with Him when nothing in your life makes sense. What you SHOULD be doing instead is sitting down, ask yourself those questions mentioned earlier, CONNECT WITH YOURSELF, and get to know yourself all over again.

• Reconnecting with yourself can lead to a reconnection with Jesus.
• Reconnection with Jesus can lead to life making more sense and you having a clearer picture of what your purpose is on this earth.
• You being able to identify your purpose can lead to happiness.

 Today, I am happy to say that I am doing what gives me a sense of fulfillment and am feeling like Jenn again... finally.  Because of this refreshing sense of reconnection with myself, I feel like it has only strengthened my walk with Christ and that is a feeling that can't be beat.

My friends, we need to be in constant connection with ourselves. It is so easy to forget who we are and what we stand for when life is happening. We are each made and tailored into our own person and we need to be doing what keeps us connected with ourselves and what makes us happy. I'm sure that I will find myself disconnected again at some point, but now I know what to do when that happens again.

 Who are you? What makes you YOU? Are you happy? Are you doing what makes you happy?

When we are happy and connected with ourselves, everything in life makes more sense.

Just a simple life lesson I've learned :)

Jesus= The Best Probation Officer Ever

My job has taught me humility and patience in so many ways.

For those of you who do not know what I actually do, I am a case manager for foster children here in Las Vegas. These children are "high treatment level" children which means they need a lot of help. I have about 14 kids on my caseload and each and every child has a past that no child should ever have. Because of their past, they are accustomed to making bad decisions and relying on their own understanding on how to go about their every day life. Because of this, I have been able to see and get to know Jesus in a very different but sweet light.

Let me explain.

All of the kids in my case load are teenage boys. About 90% of them are probation kids which means they are being watched like a hawk by their parole officers and any "bad" move they make while they are in our custody means either juvenile, consequence, detention, or not being able to see their families. This week, I sat down with three of my teenage boys on three seperate occasions and had to talk to them about the importance of making good decisions and making positive peer relations at school and in the home because they were either suspended, expelled, or caught with drugs. I told them, "Good choices bring good results. Bad choices bring bad results." To many of us, this is common sense. To these boys, making good decisions is not an option for them. Because of how their minds work and what they are used to and have seen during their entire lives, making bad decisions is what they are used to. It's what they know. It's all they know.

After talking with one of my teen boys, we had a break through. He was able to tell me what his goals were and told me, "Miss Jenn, I am going to change. I want to go home and live back with my mom and if I need to follow directions to do that, I will do it. Thank you, Jenn. I wont let you down." I went home that day feeling great and said a prayer for him that from here on out, he will stay on track and make good decisions. Until the next day, I get a call saying that he was suspended from school. Greatttttt.

How many times have we had this very same conversation with our own wonderful and merciful heavenly Father? Because of this sinful world and our sinful nature, we are bound to make decisions that sadden Him or make Him disappointed. We make these decisions and go forward with our desired yet sinful actions because that is how we are built. It is what we know. We have an occasional heart-to-heart conversation with Him telling Him that we want to change. Then before we know it, we give in to our sin again.

I have learned in this field that I cannot take things personally. I need to remind myself that if my boys make decisions that will eventually send them back to juvenile or detention or even runaway and I never hear from them again, I need to realize that I have done my part in preventing that from happening and I can't hold on to the idea that "I should've done more." It's humbling.... and exhausting.

This job is reminding me daily that we have a Savior, that no matter how many times we screw up, let Him down, offend Him, offend others or fall short, He still loves us... unconditionally. He won't send us to detention, jail, or take away the good things in our life. He forgives, accepts, and if we let Him, He comes inside of us and changes us in ways that will make us more like Him and less like us. How RAD IS THAT?

I am so in love with my Jesus everyday when I am reminded of how I can be like my own kids-- lost, confused, and unsure of how to survive in this world. But, I have the promise that Christ will take me back and only shower me with His grace.... every stinkin day. Who does that?!

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakeness." 2 Corinthians 12:19

We need to wake up and thank Him for this because My GOD is one patient God to forgive us every single time we screw up. We can't take this for grantide! So amazing.

Ah, To Be A Woman....

I think a lot. I have so many thoughts in my little brain throughout the day. So here is a little picture of my chain of thoughts that provoked me to post this new entry:

Recently, I mentioned in one of my earlier blog entries that as a single woman, I am doing my part in being the best wife I can be for my future husband for whomever he may be. Who says you have to be in a relationship to practice being a great spouse?



As I was thinking this, I had two more thoughts:

• Actually, it's important to be the best woman you can be for yourself. If anything, it's more important.
• Wow, being a woman is a lot of work, but totally worth it.

I then stumbled upon this little book about things that every women should know (STUFF Every Woman Should Know Author: Alanna Kalb) and I got to thinking: Oh my heck, pretty sure I don't know how to do every single thing on this list.... but I should.

Ladies, we should know how to do these things!

• How to change a tire
• How to sew a hem
• How to iron
• How to remove a stain
• How to parallel park
• How to fix a fashion emergency
• How to check your oil
• How to ask for a raise
• How to budget
• How to SALSA dance!
• How to slow dance
• How to throw a football
• How to act confident (even when you're not)
• How to buy a car without getting ripped off
• How to make friends in the real world
• How to listen to a friend
• HOW TO INTERACT AND CARRY CONVERSATION WITH PEOPLE
• How to talk to a man of any age
• How to give an amazing kiss
• How to flirt
• How to deflect unwanted attention
• How to end a relationship
• How to cure a broken heart
• How to dress your body type
• How to let him down "easy"
• How to behave on a date (conversation starters, manners, etc)
• Basic make up tips
• How to give and accept a compliment
• How to write a thank-you note
• How to walk in heels
• How to talk to anyone, anywhere
• How to tip
• How to cook something.... anything
• How to bake something.... anything
• Self-defense techniques
• How to have a sense of humor
• How to do the heimlich maneuver
• How to do CPR
• How to talk about Jesus to little kids
• How to talk about Jesus to.... well, anyone.

Ladies, these are pretty important things that we should know or be at least WILLING to learn as the role that the Lord appointed us to be before we were even born: A WOMAN. Let's have fun with it.

PS. I threw in a few things of my own (can you guess which ones?)

Jenn's To Do List:

Things I want to do:

• Live in Colorado at some point.
• Live in Oregon at some point.
• Live in Tennessee at some point.
• Get my masters.
• Teach a social work class at my alma mater: Pacific Union College.
• Do mission work with my husband for a period of time outside of the country.
• Have a big dog.
• Go backpacking!.... somewhere.... anywhere.
• Improve my cooking skills.
• Shoot hoops in an empty basketball stadium.
• Live on my own and become fully independent before I get married.
• Travel to my much desired places: Ireland, Scotland, Greece, New Zealand, South Africa, Cambodia, Alaska, and Colombia.
• Become vegan? (NAAAAAAH)
• Improve my guitar skills.
• Become a better person.
• Know God better than I do now.
• Bring someone to Jesus.
• PLAY BASKETBALL AGAIN.

• Stop waiting for this stuff to just happen and actually make it happen.

funny observation about relationships.

My co workers and I were talking about relationships at work this morning and I had a thought....

When you're in a relationship, your behavior, mood, and even happiness can all depend on the other person in the relationship. It's sad but lets face it, it's true. It's almost as if your mentality and mood is all in their hands. They have more control over your emotions than they are aware of... but it's not a bad thing!!

Right? Think about it....


If you and your boo just got in a fight, your day is shot. You're moody, emotional, have the random need to go on a run to de-stress, happy couples make you sick (admit it), you find yourself irritable about the most insignificant things, appetite is altered, "What's wrong? You look sad." "Joe and I just got in a fight...."

If you and your boo are on cloud 9, love songs make sense to you now, you have a new appreciation for the little things in life, you are now eager to change the world in some significant way, you find yourself eager to give a dollar to the homeless person on the side of the road, you're happy, you laugh more, you want to dress and look better, you are inspired to write a song, you think of baby girl names to match his last name, etc.

Nothing is wrong with the fact that your relationship can affect your daily life as much as it does. It is what it is and that's just how it goes. A relationship is such a significant part of your life as it should be. You are sharing something with someone that you truly care about and they about you. How can that not affect your emotions and perspective on life? It's crazy..... and beautiful..... and scary all at the same time.

Just thought it was an interesting observation since I myself have found myself feeling those ways when I was in my few relationships. Interesting, eh?