I'm not young enough to know everything

  

 Lately I've started reading Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie. I have loved the story for as long as I can remember. On long trips with the family it was the movie of choice. I do believe we watched it so much that we wore out the poor little VHS tape! This story (along with the Box Car Children) was probably one of the reasons I had a fasination with orphans when I was a kid. Imagination was the fuel of our afternoon play-times. We'd run out into the backyard pretending to be orphaned princes and princesses, making up whole worlds as we romped.

Though this tale is so beloved, I never thought of reading the original. (I don't know why it hadn't occured to be before now!) Let me just say that I am LOVING every bit of it! I feel like I've stepped into the realm of my childhood daydreams again. 'Tis a wonderful place indeed.

I feel like I could be Wendy. I'm the oldest too.

This is us as kids. Really! I'm Wendy, Matt is John, Michelle is Tink, and Luke is Michael. I'm sure Barrie wrote this about us. I just know it.

Adorable Michael is so endearing. I hope my little boys are just like him!

Oh the lost boys!

Smeed has to be one of my favorite characters. I can't tell you how much we laughed at his folly.

There's something so magical about the imaginative realm of a child. It's not hard for them to believe things. As adults we rationalize, calculate and come to cognitive conclusions. A child will just take you at your word and think twice about if it's "rational" or not. They naturally have a trusting spirit. They are also well aware that they don't know everything. They're always learning, always asking questions.

I need to me more like a child sometimes. I need to take God at His word instead of trying to figure out how I can work things out. I need to trust Him without a second thought. I need to follow Him with enthusiasm. I need to seek to learn from Him. I need to have a sence of wonder at the things of God. I need to be more like a child. Indeed I am a child of God. There is no reason to be so adult-like with Him.

I am reminded of an old hymn my family used to sing in Bible time (our daily devotional time with my mom), Trust and Obey. When I hear it, I think of a child walking through life holding their fathers hand. May I do the same.

Trust and Obey

Stanza 1:

When we walk with the Lord

In the light of His word

What a glory He sheds on our way

While we do His good will

He abides with us still

And with all who will trust and obey

Refrain

Trust and obey

For there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus

But to trust and obey

Stanza 2:

Not a burden we bear

Not a sorrow we share

But our toil He does richly repay

Not a grief not a loss

Not a frown not a cross

But is blest if we trust and obey

Stanza 3:

But we never can prove

The delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay
For the favor He shows
For the joy He bestows
Are for them who will trust and obey

Stanza 4:Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet
Or we'll walk by His side in the way
What He says we will do
Where He sends we will go
Never fear, only trust and obey

Refrain

Trust and obey
For there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey

Home is where your mom is, of course!

It's true. Home is where your mom is...and your daddy, sisters, brothers, dog, hamster, and where all your old stuff from when you were a kid is kept. Or at least that's how it goes for me, especially the old stuff part. My mother probably doesn't know how much junk I still have packed in the closet. (Insert mischievous snicker here.) But then again she might read this. Dang it. My secret is out! Maybe? Maybe not?

Moving on.

Home is a wonderful place. I love to walk in the door and take in the smell, that is after I get past the laundry room. (You never know what you might smell with 5 younger siblings wreaking havoc all over the place.) I might be crazy, but my house has a certain smell. I think every body's house does. Admittedly, some smell better than others, but they have a distinct scent nonetheless. One of my relatives homes smells like laundry detergent and Lysol. My Granny and Granddaddy's house always has a fragrace of fresh baked/ cooked something or other, mingled with hints of nostalgia.

But home...(correction), my parent's home....

That home has such a welcoming aroma. It's almost like I get a wiff of the very beams the house is made of... I smell the essence of the place. I can't put my finger on exactly what it smells like, but I do know that when I take it in...I am home. I don't quite have that same feeling about our town house. I love coming home (to our apartment) because it means I am coming home to Jonathan, to our life together, to diner, to comfort, etc, but it's different. Maybe it's because I know we're not going to stay there. Then again, I've always had a feeling that I might not ever have a permanent home. I've never really felt "tied" to a place and always been ok with moving across the state or across the world.

More on that later.

Anyhow, I get to take in the smells, sights and sounds of home very soon, this Friday actually! I haven't been home since August and I am so thrilled about seeing everyone. (Minus my oldest little bro. He will be missed!) I love them all so much! I'm going to upset if they've changed even one little bit. The sad thing about being the oldest of so many brothers and sisters is that they change while I'm not around. I miss their parties and games. Oh well, such is life. Thus, I'm going to make the most of this weekend and revel in every single second with my precious family.

As I leave I'll drink up the aroma of home until I'm full. Then I'll put it all away in a safe place in my mind, so I can pull it out to savor when I miss them.

My 1st Birthday As Mrs. Blair

Being married is da bomb. It makes everything in life better...like birthdays. I had a fan-STINKIN'-tastic birthday. There's nothing else in the world like your birthday. It's a very special day. I always wake up excited on mine. Nothing special may happen the whole day, but it still feels magical. Sigh!

My birthday this year was full of surprises, though not nearly as big as last years engagement surprise.

This is what my bosses surprised me with on Thursday. I wasn't expecting anything, so it made it incredibly sweet.

Then my aunt, uncle and cousins visited me at work and left me flowers!

Upon my arrival at home, I found a card addressed to "wife" (I assumed that meant me) on the coffee table. The contents were full of sweet things, and directions to meet my dear hubs at his work-place.

We then trekked to a place of eating...a Japanese hibachi restaurant. YUMMY! We were there exactly one year ago. It was the night we got engaged, except I had no clue about what was soon to transpire in my life. My gorgeous ring turned 1 year old! Oh the memories!

It just so happened that the hubs had Saturday off after my birthday. We decided to make the most of it by taking a day trip to PC. We were able to visit with most of his dad's side of the family, as well as my aunt, uncle and kiddos. Afterwards, we wasted away the evening at Pier Park. I came away with a lovely lightweight jacket thanks to my boo.

The only thing that was NOT lovely about the day was the temperature. I wanted to wear my cute fall things, but NO! It had to be hot. Fail, fail, and fail. I wore a long-sleeved shirt out of pure spite for Mr. Weather. I hope the he gets my memo. I might throw a tantrum in the near future if he continues this horrid behavior. Right now he sure is acting like an annoying little brother, except I can't really put him in his place. I tried tattling to Mother Nature already, but she doesn't listen very well. Alas! Maybe I should consider sucking up to him. Hmm, I'm not sure exactly to go about that. I'll let you know when I figure it out.

Don't judge a book by it's cover

Crafting.

It's in my blood.

I'm serious.

I used to make lots of crafty things in high school. I even had my own little (and I mean little) business called, The JenChristine Boutique. I made all sorts of cute accessories such as purses, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, belts, and so on and so forth. It was a nice way to make some money without having to work at McD's, which was just about the only alternative. Now that I look back, I was probably a bit eccentric. I couldn't help it really. What better way to express yourself as a teen than with what you wear and how you decorate your room? Ok, maybe you could write a book or do other smarty-pants type things. But I'm a dreamer, and sometimes it just overflows into what I put on, my music, well everything...including little crafty things here and there.

One such example is my love of books. Books really are so wonderful. You can read them, decorate with them and (last but not least) craft with them! This love has overflowed into my home decor, our wedding, and lots of other embarrassing fashion items that I used to wear. (Let just say I made them, and I'll leave it at that.) I have tons laying around the house. Thus, I decided to have a little craft project with the ones I didn't like as much.

So without further ado, here is how I made a book page canvas:

First, there are several things you need:

• Mod Podge
• Paint brush
• Canvas
• Glue gun
• Books!

Step 1: Put all your supplies out within reach.

Step 2: Tear out the pages you want to use. I added some scrapbook paper to my collection for a pop of color here and there.

Step 3: Layer your pages on the canvas.

Step 4: Paste the pages down and then put a layer of Mod Podge over all the pages. Let dry.

Step 5: Fold the edges over and glue in place. I used Mod Podge and the glue gun.

Step 6: Let it dry completely.

Now you have the finished product!

 I hung it over our bed. The photo doesn't really do it justice. It looks WAY better in person.

I will definitely be making more of these in the very near future! It has so many possibilities!

Going. Crafting. Gone.

Tonight...is crafting time my friends. Oh yeah, I'm serious. Thanks to my friend Leah, I've got some great new ideas that I hope come to life this evening. Hopefully my creations won't turn out like Frankenstein. I would much rather they take on a less-scary form...more like FAB! I'm beyond ecstatic. I'm sure I will have tons of fun while my hubs is chilling downstairs with one of his buds. Pizza + guys coming over + video games = craft night for me! YAY! Normally I would find a girlfriend to hang out with, but tonight I just want to be creative.

Here's a sneak peak of what I'm making:

This is so adorable! I'm not sure where I wil hang it, but it will be fun to make nonetheless.

I'm thinking about making a sofisticated version of to hang over our bed. Heaven knows I've got plenty of vintage books left over from the wedding.

Now, this little thing has ENDLESS possiblities. It will make a great accent for headbands, shoes, sweaters, bags, scarves, and on and on....and you get the picture.

Now all I have to do is finnish the laundry so I can get started! I'll make sure to post how they turn out!

(Kudos to jonesdesigncompany.com for these fabulous ideas!)

following 21, preceding 23

One year has come and gone. I can't believe it's gone by so fast! Much has changed. One year ago today I became engaged to the most wonderful man in the world. It was the most romantic day of my life. One year ago today, I was a different person. I was a senior in college, excited about moving on with life. I've learned so much in so little time. One year ago today, my name was Jen Johnson. Now my last name is Blair. One year ago today, I was just dating. Now I am very happily married! One year ago today, Jonathan's hair was really long. Now it is cut short (just for me). I can't believe how fast it's flown by.

This is us on my 21st birthday last year, right after we got engaged! I'm afraid my man will never be able to out-do himself. That night was so amazing. Well OK...he probably can (because he can do anything), but I don't see how!

Here we are a month ago around Jonathan's birthday. (Notice the short hair!!! So much better!)

I am so thankful for another year of life. God has blessed me tremendously. Though much has changed in my life, I wonder how many things have changed that truly impact eternity. I can't predict how many more years of life I have left on this earth. One year may be all I have left. I have no guarantee that I will ever exceed 22 years of life. My prayer is that every second of this next week, month, year, or however long I have left to breathe, is passionately spent for the glory of God and reaching the world.

So, I conclude with pieces of wisdom from two men who lived impacting lives. There's nothing particularly significant as to why I chose these two (for there are many who lived and died for God's glory), but these are the ones that were brought to my mind today.

Jim Elliot: He lived a very short life and was martyred by the Aucca Indians

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

"I gain Him - sensing my losses, not losing my senses.

I am found in Him - lost to myself.

I know Him - forgetting Him as One I know after the flesh.

I experience the power of His Resurrection - positive force.

I experience the fellowship of His sufferings - natural outcome.

I am conformed to His death - ultimate on earth.

I attain resurrection - ultimate in glory"

Moses: He lived a very long life and died up on a mountain with the Lord

The years of our life are seventy,
Or even by reason of strength eighty;
Yet their span is but toil and trouble;
They are soon gone, and we fly away...
So teach us to number our days
That we may get a heart of wisdom.
(Psalm 90:10,12)

Moses said, "Please show me your glory."
(Exodus 33: 18)

May I be ever seeking to live purposefully, in tune with God's Spirit. My old youth pastor at FBC Jax once said, "Proof of fellowship with God is a life of love." I hope I can embody that statement by the end of my life, whenever that may be.

'Tis only a facade

October is the best month EVER. I'm very excited that Halloween is coming soon. I'm not a huge Halloween advocate, but I still like it. Who doesn't like free candy? Not to mention COSTUMES! I love it when people get really creative with their costumes. Since I actually have a house this year, I think I'm going to throw a costume party. Our living room isn't that big, but we can make do for now. Dressing up as something else is so fun. In college, my roomie and I went a bit overboard with the whole dressing up for "Incognito," which was our BCM costume party. People probably thought we were odd. Who cares? We had a blast creating our costumes.

Here's what I've been in the past:

 A Ninja Turtle

A Siamese twin (We stuffed that dress with pillows! Ha ha)

The Holy Bible (Jennifer's Version) and my friend Manda was the holy "ghost"

However, I'm having trouble coming up with something creative for this year. Most of the time ideas will come to me just as I am drifting off to sleep. I can't count on that though. My ideas as of today are:

• Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter

• Nancy Drew and ??? What could my hubby be?

• Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat...Cute! I think this one is my favorite thus far.

Do you dress up for Halloween? What is the best costume you've ever seen? If anyone has a creative and cute costume idea, please let me know!



Do it anyway...

Good Quote for Today:

The words below were reportedly found on a wall in an orphanage founded by Mother Teresa in Kolkata. I'm glad I ran accross it. I needed to be reminded of this.

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Sleepover at the Blair's

Sleepovers are great. When I was little I didn't many sleepovers at my house. When you're the oldest of 6 kids, share a bedroom with your annoying little sister, and your mom doesn't like you watching a lot of movies or staying up late, sleepovers are kind of hard to come by. Fortunately, most of my friends didn't have my same predicament. My best friend's mom would basically let us do whatever we wanted. Ah, those where the days! You never knew what was going to happen at those sleepover parties. Fun times.

One day our kids are going to want to have sleepovers at our house and I am going to love it. I always loved going to sleepovers where the mom made scrumptious food, went all out to make us comfy and let us watch movies late into the night. I'm going to be that mom. The cool mom. The one that makes yummy food and lets them stay up sort-of late.

However, those days are still quite a ways off (Lord willing). Tonight I'm the one having a sleepover at my own house. My best friend is coming to visit this weekend and she is sleeping at our house. We used to be college roomies. We have so many memories together and it will be so good to be together again.

This is us as roomies our first semester in college.

I love her. We're going to have fun. Enough said.

In the morning

It's so amazing when God gives me just what I need at the right moment. That was today.

My God is so wonderful. I am so thankful that He breathed life into my deadened sould this morning with this verse.

"But I will sing of your strength:

I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.

For you have been to me a fortress

and a refuge in the day of my distress.

O my Strength, I will sing praises to You,

for You, O God, are my fortress,

the God who shows me steadfast love."

(Psalm 59:16-17)