So tired of being sick

Hey kids. I'm sick again. This time the culprit is a nasty cough, which I am hoping does not turn into bronchitis- my mom got me freaked out about that possibility. Isaac and I leave on Friday to begin our month of non-stop travel. First to Sikeston, then to Florida (with a few pit stops on the way and back), back to Columbia, and then to see JEN!!!!!! So, you can see that it is vitally important that I get well pronto.

Since I'm behind (yet again) on everything, I'm just now posting the next Christmas song for Advent. I know I was supposed to post on Sunday, but you can ask my husband- there was no way anything but sleep and coughing was going to happen then. This song is one which Isaac introduced to me a few months ago; the lyrics are so powerful. Next week, I'll be posting my all-time favorite Christmas song, so get excited! Before then, here is a beautiful song by MercyMe.

Joseph's Lullaby

Go to sleep, my Son-
this manger for your bed.
You have a long road before You,
rest Your little head.

Can You feel the weight of Your glory?
Do you understand the price?
Or does the Father guard Your heart for now
so You can sleep tonight?

Go to sleep, my Son-
go and chase Your dreams.
This world can wait for one more moment;
go and sleep in peace.

I believe the Glory of heaven
is lying in my arms tonight.
Lord, I ask that He for just this moment
simply be my child.

Go to sleep, my Son-
Baby, close your eyes.
Soon enough, You'll save the day,
but for now dear Child of mine-
my Jesus, sleep tight.

Joy, Joy, Joy!

As usual, it's great to be a Florida Gator!!!! SEC against Big 12 for the national championship...what ever happened to Ohio State?


Okay, enough of bragging (and being cocky, might I add) and back to the continuation of Advent and another one of my favorite Christmas songs. This one was written by a fellow Union alum, Chris Rice. I'm pretty sure I get teary eyed every time I hear it.

Welcome to Our World

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking-
how we need to hear from God.
You've been promised, we've been waiting;
welcome, Holy Child.
Welcome, Holy Child.

Hope that you don't mind our manger.
How I wish we would have known,
but long-awaited Holy Stranger,
make Yourself at home.
Please make Yourself at home.

Bring Your peace into our violence,
bid our hungry souls be filled.
Word now breaking heaven's silence,
welcome to our world.
Welcome to our world.

Fragile finger sent to heal us,
tender brow prepare for thorn.
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
unto us is born.
Unto us is born.

So wrap our injured flesh around You,
breathe our air and walk our sod.
Rob our sin, and make us holy,
perfect Son of God.
Perfect Son of God,
welcome to our world.

For Erin and India...and Advent

Two of my favorite bloggers, Erin and India, posted pictures of their Christmas trees a few weeks ago. We all put them up the same weekend, but I'm a little behind on posting a picture of the Johnson tree. So, without further ado, here it is in all its magnificence. Any guesses as to the number of lights are on the 6.5 ft. tree?


Because today is the beginning of Advent, I'm going to begin something new. I've picked my four all-time favorite Christmas songs, and I'm going to post the words to one each week. Some of the songs are classics, and others are a little bit more modern. Nothing fancy, just an effort to focus on the Advent of Christ. What are your favorite Christmas songs?

What Child is This?

What Child is this who laid to rest
in Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
while shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard
and angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring Him laud
the Babe, the Son of Mary.

Why lies He in such mean estate
where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear for sinners here
the silent Word is pleading.

This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard
and angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring Him laud
the Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh.
Come peasant, king to own Him;
the King of kings salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard
and angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring Him laud
the Babe, the Son of Mary.

Novels, Elections, and the 5k

I just finished reading this novel yesterday. My coworker Dan lent it to me, and I must say, it was...interesting. Marquez writes very well; he tells the story of one particular family, weaving the reality and fantasy through the pages. The book is entertaining, and at several points I did laugh out loud. Overall, I recommend the book, even if there are some parts where I was left scratching my head.

In other news, tomorrow is Election Day. I am excited for two reasons:
1. I am totally pumped about voting.
2. I am thrilled that this will mean the end of political ads for a while.

In light of the election, Jen posted a great article. I encourage everyone to read it and consider the content. Thanks for posting it, Mrs. B.

Saturday, in addition to being my husband's birthday, was the 5k for Refugee and Immigration Services. The turn out was remarkable, especially for a first attempt. Props go out to Laura (who basically did everything) and my two current interns Annie and Katie. Awesome job ladies! Below are some pictures for your enjoyment. We hope to see everyone there next year!!!

Big News!

We just bought tickets to see this awesome girl:



WHOOT WHOOT!!!!! I can't wait for January!!!!!

One of my goals...

...is to read the 100 greatest novels of all time. I believe I casually thought about this idea sometime in high school, but it's only now that I'm seriously pursuing this goal. Though reading students' papers every weekend definitely takes a chunk out of my available classic literature reading time, I am still determined. I haven't set a specific time-limit for this goal; rather, I want to enjoy reading these works- I most definitely do not want to be rushed and feeling as though it's an assignment for school I must complete.

As you can imagine, there are many different lists of the greatest novels compiled by various individuals, organizations, and publications. I came across this one a while back, and I'm currently using it as my guide. I was actually fairly surprised to see how few on this list I've completed; I say this only because we read about 30 books in my AP English class my senior year in high school and thought that more of those would have made the cut. On the brighter side, that just means there's more classic literature I get to enjoy! If any of you know me very well, you know about my love/borderline obsession with classic literature. I'm a nerd in the truest sense.

I'll let you know how the reading goes...

Because my sister-in-law reads this...

My sister-in-law Shawdi mentioned to me today that she's checked my blog before...I feel a little more pressure to keep up with this thing now. So, here you go, Shawdi. A post indirectly inspired by you...

This weekend, Isaac and I travelled down to Sikeston for two reasons: our friend Michelle was getting married, and the entire Johnson family would be in town as well. Emily, Ronnie, and Ashton came up from Gulfport to go to a different wedding, so we were able to take the opportunity for an impromtu family reunion. Today after church, we crammed eighteen humans, two dogs, and one soon-to-be child (of Emily's) into Mom and Dad's house, then proceeded to eat massive amounts of food (some more than others), poke fun at each other, and share stories with one another. A enjoyable time was had by all, especially since Mark cut off the end pieces of the ridiculously good bread for me and Grandma.

Yesterday afternoon, Isaac and I ventured to this tiny country church where Michelle and Matt would be married:



We had a good time at the wedding and reception and had the opportunity to catch up with some friends we hadn't seen in a while as well.

Speaking of weddings, it seems several of our friends have gotten engaged lately! First, Nelson-O-Tron proposed to one of my dearest friends Laina. Then Corey proposed to India a few weeks ago, then Rob proposed to Becca last weekend, then everyone's favorite DJ Ryan proposed to Melissa, and tonight I found out that Kelly has a gorgeous ring on her finger too! Our sincerest congratulations to all of you; we pray that the Lord would be glorified through your marriage.

Better Late Than Never

As I sit here eagerly awaiting the next episode of 'Jon and Kate plus Eight' (oh, how I do love large amounts of ridiculously cute children), I decided now is as good a time as ever to blog a new post. And (notice I began this sentence with a conjunction, which is not correct grammar and is unacceptable if you are one of my students writing a formal paper for my class) now that Lizzie Lou and Jake have been married for almost two months, I figured it might be an appropriate time to upload some of their wedding pictures. Most of them are from the reception since I was unable to take photos during the actual ceremony...



Expect me to post on a more regular basis soon...September is almost finished! Whoot!

Are You Kidding Me?

Today as I was walking one of my clients to orientation for his new job, a man whistled at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him hanging out the window of his truck, staring.

Guys, take note: this is NOT the way to impress a woman.

A Little Behind

I'm a little behind on updating, and I don't have pictures from Liz and Jacob's wedding or DC with Teej ready to post yet...but I promise, I'll be working on those tasks (and many others) on Friday. You see, it's a Catholic Holy Day, so our office is closed. Nice!

I did, however, want to touch on three things briefly:

1. Happy birthday, Clemma! You are one of my best friends and I am so glad we'll be the same age for a few months. I like to feel old together...

2. I seriously almost had a heart attack, peed in my pants, and broke the floor jumping up and down simultaneously last night while watching the men's 4X100 meter relay at the Olympics. That was, without a doubt, the most intense, out of control, amazing, exciting relay I have ever seen! I've already watched it online 2.5 times this morning. Amazing!

3. Yesterday, we had several of our Burmese refugees attend our church. A few have been coming for several weeks, and they say they're understanding more of the sermon, learning the songs, and are really enjoying the time of worship. A few incredibly touching things happened yesterday. As soon as we sat down in the sanctuary, some of the guys who had not been to our church yet immediately bowed their heads and started praying. Coming from a country where this act itself could be cause for persecution, I am amazed at what they must feel with this freedom to openly pray and worship. While I was out in the lobby, Isaac told me he was talking with one of the men who understands English pretty well. I'll name him "Z" for confidentiality purposes. Z told Isaac he really liked this one song we've been singing over the past few weeks, but didn't understand some of the words. A few moments later, our worship pastor begins practicing the song, and Z and "J", another guy who has great English skills, begin discussing the words. J apparently understood more of the lyrics and explained them to Z. Z got tears in his eyes when he understood the lyrics. I got tears in my eyes when Isaac told me the story. And one other amazing thing happened. At the end of the service, when the offering plate was passed down our aisle, I saw the two who had just arrived in Columbia on Friday reach into their pockets, pull out their wallets, and put some money into the offering plate. Most refugees come to the United States with very few possessions- some clothes, shoes, and maybe a book or two (if they are able to read). For them to so eagerly reach into their wallets and give freely when they have so little was convicting. I hope and pray that those of us who have lived in a country or area where we are allowed to openly worship and pray without fear of persecution are able to learn a great deal from these people. Because we truly have so much to learn from them.

Busy as a bee...

Whew! We are busy as little bees lately. We have a new refugee from Burma arriving today, a family from Iraq tomorrow, and another Burmese individual on Thursday. Unfortunately, the Columbia airport will not have any incoming flights until mid-August most likely (due to a change in the routes offered...some FAA regulation that doesn't make much sense to me), and we will be traveling to either the St. Louis or Kansas City airports to greet the new arrivals.

On Saturday, my fabulous mother arrived in St. Louis and we wasted no time having a grand time together! We went shopping, stopped at her favorite place Sonic and finally got back into Columbia. She lovingly took Isaac and me to see Wall-E. Oh my heavens, I LOVE that movie! Anything Pixar has created has simply been just wonderful. And seriously, I almost peed in my pants from laughing so hard during the now-expected short before the feature presentation. Hi-stinkin'-larious. Anyway, Mom created a Mii on the Wii, and it is the greatest thing to watch her play MarioKart, especially when she gets all turned around and starts laughing and yelling, "Dude, Toad, what are you doing?!?! Turn around!" She's cool, what can I say?

On Saturday (count it: four days), Liz will become Mrs. Brookhart! We are finishing up some preparations (bubbles and programs) this evening while we have a total girls night while our boys are at Bible Study, and Mom is working on finishing her veil for her. Liz liked my veil so much that when she and Jake got engaged, she asked my mom to make her veil for her wedding. Say it with me now: "Awwwwwww..."

After the celebration of the Brookharts on Saturday, the RIS staff will be heading to Washington, D.C. for our annual conference. The stinker is that our flight leaves at 6:30 in the morning from St. Louis, and with Alice and myself arranging arrival times...well, we like to be early for everything. Since I live the farthest west of the Columbia crew, I'll be taking the van home on Friday, picking up Senad at his house at 2:15 Monday morning, getting Dan by 2:30, Michelle by 2:45, and Martha by 2:55 in order to leave Columbia by 3:00 am. I don't care who you are, that's early.

And after we get back late Thursday...well, life just keeps chugging along. But I love it. Even though life can be overwhelming at times (read: September), I still enjoy it. I love my job, I love that so many of my friends are getting married, I love that I get to spend time with my girls every Tuesday night, I love that we all get together to scrapbook and be crafty, I love holding Zach at the softball games, I love reading with my husband, I love laughing with my mom (even when we're not in the same state), and so many other things about the life He has given me. I feel so blessed.

And oh yes, Happy Anniversary to two of my favorite people, James and Clemma. May the Lord bless you greatly today!

366 days...

...of wedded bliss...

(one extra day for the leap year)

I'm 25...and I have what?

I consider myself to be a generally healthy person. I'm good about going to the doctor and dentist, I don't smoke, drink, or do crack (or any other illegal drugs for that matter). In fact, I deal with only two physical ailments (an irregular heartbeat and migraines), which in reality don't bother me too often. I simply learned I couldn't have a lot of caffeine (bye bye coffee and sodas) because my heart doesn't need anymore stimulation to mess with its rhythm, and I learned that for a migraine, I could rely on prescription medicine or I could simply go to bed in a very quiet, very dark place and wake up the next morning, usually without the migraine.

A few months ago, I started having this pain in my upper right abdomen. It honestly didn't hurt too badly, it was more annoying than anything else. I did my research (thank you, WebMD) and suspected it was most likely related to my gallbladder. I saw my doctor, she gave it three possibilities, put me on some OTC medicine, and told me to call if the pain got worse. It didn't, and in fact, it went away after a few days. Until Tuesday.

On the way back from a conference in Kansas City with a few of my coworkers, a sharp pain began stabbing at me in the same location. Only this time, it was pretty bad. My coworkers took me straight home and dropped me off, and I won't lie- I cried it hurt so bad. I know, I'm a baby with a very low threshold of pain.

To make a long story short, Isaac took me to Urgent Care when he got home, I saw a doctor, had some tests done and scheduled an ultrasound for this morning. I saw a super awesome third year resident this morning, went to a different lab for the ultrasound, came back to Super Awesome Resident Man, and found out I had gallstones. I had pretty much expected this, but still- gallstones at my age? In some ways, I feel like it's my fault- like I could have prevented it. Believe me, I've eaten my share of fatty foods. And I'm not always the best about taking care of my body either. So here I am, 25 years old with gallstones, and facing the possibility of having surgery to remove my gallbladder. I would prefer not to part with any of my organs, so I'm going to be implementing some diet changes and restrictions to see if I can avoid future flair-ups.

Truly, the Lord meant what He said when He told us to take care of our bodies. I think living in our culture- one of plenty and extravagance and over-indulgence of everything from food to drink to sex to TV- we often forget about this command. In order for us to most effectively serve Him, our bodies need to be healthy. And who else is responsible for our bodies but ourselves? True, Isaac, my family, and my friends can all encourage me to eat healthily and work out on a regular basis, but ultimately I'm the one who will be making decisions about what I eat and whether or not I will leave my cozy warm bed in the morning to head to the gym. It's good for me to go back and reread the Lord's message to me about taking care of the gift He has given me. It can be quite a convicting experience, I assure you.

So for those of you who see me on a regular basis, I would appreciate your help in holding me accountable to the steps I will be taking to make my gallbladder happy. Because a happy gallbladder equals a happy Jenny, and I really like being happy.

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." -1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I'm so sorry...

Really. It's not that I don't have anything to write about, it's just that this time of year becomes mass chaos for our office. We view September as a form of Armageddon for resettlement agencies. If we can make it through the end of the federal fiscal year, the Hallejuahs start bursting forth.

Last year, they told us to expect 51 refugees. We got 79. Forty of those arrived in the last three weeks in September. This year, they told us to expect 90. We have already received 45, are getting four tomorrow night (read: another 11:45 pm flight arrival; why do they do this to these people? They're already exhausted...), and have already verified 68 others to be received by the end of the fiscal year, now three months and one week away. Hmmm.....45 and 4 and 68 does not equal 90. It equals 117. One hundred seventeen people to resettle... one hundred seventeen individuals with different stories, experiences, and cultures... one hundred seventeen souls to help adjust to a new life after seeing immunerable horrors...

Sometimes, I get overwhelmed.

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ -Matthew 25:40

Long Time, No See

I apologize for my somewhat-extended absence from the blogging sphere. A few weeks ago, Isaac was sick with some sort of summer cold, which he promptly passed onto me. My cold however, developed into a nasty cough and a general overall feeling of crapiness. I'm on the mend now, which is a relief because being sick is...well, it's boring.

The latest happenings with the Johnsons include our first (and second) service(s) at the building on Blue Ridge! The sanctuary is huge, but because we're only having one service right now, we are packed in there like sardines...all except the first row. How come nobody ever wants to sit on the first row in church? Pastor Burt doesn't spit, I'm pretty sure. Hmmm...maybe Rob does when he's leading us in worship. Yes, I'm sure that's the reason.

I actually wasn't able to be a part of the first service because I was in the nursery with my favorite baby boy Zach. Although the toddler room was literally overflowing, it was just Zach and his Aunt Jenny in the infants' room. Since I wasn't in the sanctuary during the service, Clemma took some pictures for me:

A view of the sanctuary.

Pastor Burt. One of the smartest men I know. Pure genius.

Aunt Jenny and Zach. I had to put his mittens on him because he's now into scratching his face. I love this child. I love his parents, too.

We also threw Liz her first bridal shower Memorial Day weekend. It was a western/cowboy theme, which she seemed to really love. Although the day was wet and cold, we still had a blast together and loaded up Liz with some quality gifts, which she had to move from her house that very weekend. She and Jake are getting married in less than two months now! I am so excited for them to start their lives together as husband and wife and to demonstrate the love Christ has for His Church in their marriage. I bet they're pretty excited too!

Opening presents!

Annie acting like a senior citizen with the multiple Bridal Bingo cards.

Liz and Jenny!

Isaac and I made a purchase last night. It was a fairly large purchase, but one for which we had been saving for quite some time. Forgive us if we're a little behind the times, but you know how it goes...

As you can see, Isaac is very excited about his Wii. We played some last night, and I have to admit that I am actually really good at tennis and bowling. I totally beat Isaac in bowling! Coach Micah would be so proud of me! The cool thing is, Isaac will be gone this weekend to Springfield for their annual conference, so I'll be brushing up on my skills. So friends, feel free to invite yourself over for some Wii action!

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life." -Proverbs 4:23

Remembering the Sabbath

So now that the semester is over, I'm not grading students' papers throughout the weekend. I never realized just how much time I spend grading over the weekend until I don't have papers to grade. It's then when I realize how nice it is to actually have a weekend- an end to the week- a time of rest.

I'm the first one to say that I (more often than not) don't remember the Sabbath. The weekend is a time for me to catch up, and I pile the tasks onto Sunday the bulk of the time. I recently read a blurb in the Kraft Food and Family magazine. It mentioned that if you don't feel like you ever have a weekend, try getting all of your tasks you normally do on the weekend finished during the week. It may seem like more of a hassle to add more to your ever-growing list during the week, but the benefits of having a relaxing and restful weekend will outweigh this in due time. "Huh," I thought to myself. "You know, they're right about that." I decided to try out their technique last week. I did the laundry on Thursday and went grocery shopping right after work on Friday. These are both tasks I usually do on Saturday mornings. Isaac helped me pick up and clean on Friday when he got home. Granted, I didn't have papers to grade or classes to prepare for this weekend, but still- I was amazed at how nice my weekend actually was- in essence, that it existed at all.

Then, I really started to use my brain, which can be rather scary at times. At one point I literally thought, "Oh. Yeah, so God did talk about resting on the Sabbath, now didn't He?" This is of course something I have realized before, but why did it take the Food and Family magazine to get this through my brain this time? I'm not too sure, but I know that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him. And so now, the hard part comes in to play: remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy- every Sabbath. So hold me accountable friends!

This weekend, Isaac and I saw Prince Caspian for free! Thanks to our dear friend Kim and her church for allowing us this privilege! The movie was great, although there were some differences from the book. All is well however, because my favorite mouse Reepicheep was still included in the adventure. Ironically enough, in Sunday school we talked about when we feel God is absent. Look to Prince Capsian for thoughts on this subject. I don't want to write too much about the movie for those of you who haven't seen it yet. And for those of you who haven't read it: read it.

On Sunday, we have our first church service in our new building! God is faithful and our church body is so very excited about meeting together as a congregation in one service instead of three. Oh unity! Pray that the transition would be smooth and that our focus would remain on the Lord. Because we're moving into a new neighborhood, pray for the hearts of those families who will be living close to our new church building. Pray we would be willing to share His glorious name with those individuals and the rest of our community.

In other news of God being faithful, you should check out my friend Glenna's blog. What a wonderful story of His unending love!

Oh yes, and please pray for us at work. The busy season has indeed begun! We just received verifications for eight Burmese individuals. That makes a total of 52 refugees on whom we are waiting to arrive. We're bound to get more verifications in the next few months, so pray for our small staff of four to serve these people well!

"But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." -Psalm 86:15

I'm Getting Too Old for This...

Really. I am exhausted. Since April 23rd, I have driven through the following states: Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Arkansas (that's 20 percent of the nation!) and spent a ridiculous 55 hours in the car. I think I'll walk everywhere from now on.

I did allow myself a "mental health day" yesterday, and I must say, it was quite refreshing. I slept, read a few books, did the laundry, and tried to recover from our momentous journey to Florida. Here's the run-down:

We left Columbia Thursday evening and spent the night in Sikeston with Isaac's parents. Friday morning, we drove to Jackson, where we picked up my cousin Beth. She's a freshman at Union, and while we were waiting for her to get out of class, I got to visit some of my favorite Union employees. We first surprised Ms. Juanita, a lady I worked with my freshman year and who took me out to lunch each year on my birthday. Actually, when I moved to Missouri, she sent me money on my birthday to go out to eat. She is one of the sweetest and most genuine people I know. We next surprised Dr. J, who was working in his displaced office. The entire School of Christian Studies had been relocated to another building because of the damage in Jennings caused by the tornado in February. As many of you know, I am borderline obsessed with this man. He was after all, my professor, advisor, employer, pastor, small group leader, and surrogate father during my years at Union. He is one of the most ridiculously silly men I know, but also one of the smartest and awesome as well. He's always ready to bring a little "somthin' somthin'" as he puts it. He also generously gave us a few books off of his shelf, something which has almost become a tradition when I stop by and visit him. Our final visit was to see Ms. Wanda, whose son actually filmed our wedding. I also worked with Ms. Wanda my freshman year, and while in her office, I also got to see the "post office ladies." These two women become vital to Union students, as you find yourself begging them to give you good mail. After hugs all around, we picked up Beth and headed home to the fun that awaited us.

Saturday, my most awesome mother earned her doctorate in education. I have honestly never been more proud of her, which is pretty hard because I'm always proud of her. I don't mean to brag, but I seriously have the best mom ever. Just ask any of my friends. They all love her. I mean, not as much as I do, and they love their own mothers too, but she is without a doubt the coolest. In fact, one of her aliases is "MTM," meaning "Mom the Magnificent." This started out as a joke, but has more or less become her identity over the years. You know about that old adage that you become your parents? Well, I don't mind it one bit when people tell me I'm just like my mother. In fact, it makes me rather happy. She's my hero, lame as it may sound, but true nonetheless. We also can't overlook the fact that I look exactly like her anyway (she being the prettier of the two), so even if I didn't want to claim her, no one would believe me that we're not related.

As proof of my mom's unadulterated awesomeness:

Dr. Mom!

Erik, Mom, Jenny

The whole gang at her graduation.

We also celebrated my grandmother's 80th birthday on Saturday! Her birthday is actually in April, but since the entire family (minus my cousin Michael, who was as usual playing about a gazillon gigs with his band) was in Pensacola, we had the birthday celebration then. It was a relaxed affair, but it is always good when the family is together. I love my family. A lot. And as I've mentioned before, I most definitely have the cutest grandparents in the whole wide world.

"We always thank God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the that you have for all the saints." Colossians 1:3-4

Adventures of the Out-of-Towners

Work is out of control right now. While we're grateful that the Department of State and USCCB are not waiting until the end of the fiscal year to send the vast majority of the refugees (like they did last September), it's still daunting to look at the board and see a new arrival notice almost every day. To add to our workload, we've been contacted by several Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants. While I am so excited for these individuals and their families, their unique situations often take a great deal of time, which usually involves driving to their new home. You see, in order for an Iraqi or Afghan special immigrant to come here, they must have an American sponsor. Usually, the sponsors are the military men and women for whom the special immigrant interpreted while deployed overseas. The special immigrant and their family are basically welcomed into the home of the sponsor for however long the sponsor and special immigrant agree. Some live with their sponsors a while, some temporarily. While I greatly admire the service men and women for acting as the special immigrant sponsors, I wonder why they can't live somewhere closer to Columbia? Since our office covers not only the Columbia area but the entire state except for the St. Louis and Kansas City areas, we are the resettlement agency for those who live in the more rural areas. Last week, Senad and I drove to Tecumseh, a tiny town about four hours south, to meet with some wonderful special immigrants. We almost died about five times, including running into a bit of a problem on one of the roads:

"What the heck is this?" Senad asks.

Yes, that's right. The road ends here folks.

It can get difficult providing services to these individuals when they are so far away and in a place with which we are entirely unfamiliar. Pray that I will be diligent to serving these individuals, especially since the government has strict time limitations on how long they can receive services.

In non-work related news, Isaac and went to Louisville last weekend to attend a preview conference at Southern. Though I was physically exhausted the entire time, what with almost dying in Tecumseh the day before and then driving to Louisville at 5:00 in the morning, the weekend was incredibly awesome. We got to eat lunch with Phyllis and her precious boys. I also ran into several people I went to school with at Union and even a guy who married a friend from back home in Pensacola. We met some other potential students and some great professors, some of whom I now think of incredibly highly because of their unswerving devotion to my Florida Gators. Yes, it looks like there is a nice contingent of the Gator Nation living in the Louisville area, and while I am glad to have converted a few lost souls in mid-Missouri, I will be glad to live in a place of acceptance once again. We think Isaac will begin Fall 2009, so pray that the Lord would make the transition smooth for us and that His will would be clear to my thick-headed brain.

One more thing: my beloved friend Clemma and I are taking a cake decorating class together at Hobby Lobby. It's entirely new to me, and my skills are still developing, but we're having fun getting half of the icing all over ourselves and eating the other half. I will post more pictures of this new adventure later, but I wanted to put this one up for Becca, the most un-lame birthday girl I know. Because we couldn't make it to her birthday party, I thought it appropriate that this cake should bear her name. It's a yellow cake with chocolate pudding layers and chocolate icing. I chose the red detailing specifically for Becca. And we all know how much she loves clowns...

Welcome to the "Quarter Century Club" Becca!

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:7

Old Friends in New Places

Last weekend, Isaac and I ventured to the grand town of Greenville, Illinois to go to the wedding of a childhood friend of mine. Despite the fact that Greenville is literally in the middle of nowhere, we had a delightful time. The only people I knew at the wedding were the bride, a bridesmaid, and the bride's family. Isaac knew even fewer, as he only knew Laina, one of Jenny Mac's bridesmaids who was also a bridesmaid in our wedding.

I hadn't seen the McIntyres since the summer of 2000. You see, Jenny Mac came into our lives sometime in middle school; none of us went to the same school as her, but her family began attending our church. She was immediately one of the gang; we loved her silly attitude and her willingness to admit she still had her CareBear, Funshine (and still does). Soon after, our youth choir went on a tour to Washington, D.C., where a positively ridiculous storyline developed about "The Family," their stalker, and their taco fortune. Sadly, the McIntyres moved to Greenville, South Carolina after our freshman year in high school. I was able to see her for a few hours when I was in Greenville for a week one summer, but that was it.

Lo and behold, Jenny Mac moved to St. Louis last spring! Imagine, that the two of us would end up living so near to one another after so many years apart. Truly, it's a small world after all! More than that, the Lord is good, bringing old friends into new places of our lives. Only He could...

The three of us (Me, JMac, and the Lainster) haven't been together since our freshman year of high school in Florida! And please don't comment on my crazy long hair; I promised Kim I wouldn't cut mine until the day after Liz's wedding.

Isn't this awesome?!?! A Lego cake topper! Amazing.

The scariest part of the wedding was seeing Jenny's younger brother, Joshua. We called him "Joshie" since he was about ten years younger than us. The last time I saw him, he was seven. On the way to the wedding, I was telling Isaac about JMac and the McIntyres. When I mentioned "Joshie," he responded with, "I don't think they call him Joshie anymore." So true...he's fifteen, and I'm old.

Also, Jenny Mac is an amazing singer/songwriter. If you want to make your life complete and are a smart person, visit her website. And if you're an even smarter person, you'll buy her CD Outside the Radio.

My Jane Austen post is coming soon...and possibly some evidence of my new hobby!

Tales from RIS...and NKOTB

It's raining...again. We've experienced some pretty interesting weather over the last few weeks, to say the least. Last Thursday, those of you in the Columbia area may remember the 'unique' hail storm we experienced. I would like to explain to you how everything unfolded at our humble little office. Some words have been changed in order to procure a G rating...

Kelsey: "Wow. It's thundering a lot, but it hasn't started raining. Weird."
Jenny: "That's the way it goes sometimes I guess."

About twenty minutes later, Kelsey, Phil, and I are all in the 'kitchen' which is in reality a small storage place for donations we receive. A local school had held a drive and collected quite a bit of items, so the three of us were organizing everything. There are no windows in the kitchen/storage area; suddenly, we heard this dramatic downpour.

Jenny: "It's raining now."

Enter Senad and Dan, who had been in Senad's office. They run into the kitchen with these wild expressions on their faces. Both looked like they were caveman who had just discovered fire and assumed the typical fight-or-flight response.

Senad: "Explicative! Explicative! Explicative!"
Dan: "We got hail here! We got hail everyone! We got hail!"

To which we all dash to the side door, fling it open, and promptly drop our jaws. The responses from everyone:

Jenny: "Nooooooooooo! My new car! Stop, please please please stop!"
Phil: "Yes, pour baby pour! I need a new car! Come on!!!"
Kelsey: "This is crazy. Oh my gosh, it looks like snow."
Dan: laughter
Senad: "Explicative! Explicative! Explicative!"
Martha: "Can you guys shut the door? It's cold out there."




For those of you behind in the news of pop culture, New Kids on the Block, affectionately called NKOTB by their adoring fans, are making a comeback. This precursor to the modern day boy band (N*Sync and Backstreet Boys ain't got nothin' on them) earned their popularity when I was in 2nd grade. My neighbor and I were obsessed with this classic band- so much so that we actually performed to their song Step by Step for our variety show at school. I'm relieved to say there is no incriminating evidence of this performance (at least to my knowledge). So my husband and I took a trip down memory lane last night and watched some NKOTB videos on YouTube last night. As I told my students this morning, "Watch these videos; they'll change your life...or at least give you a good laugh." So, do yourself a favor: visit YouTube on your lunch break and watch as many NKOTB videos as you can. I promise you, you'll feel better.

On Things Literary

My plans for an ambitious and productive weekend crumbled Friday evening; unmotivated to partake of activities such as spring cleaning, grading papers, and the like, I found myself extremely motivated to sit on our couch and simply read. It turns out, my weekend was relatively successful, as I finished three books and still managed to grade the mountain of papers teetering on my desk.

Since my last post, I had actually begun another book in addition to the two I was currently reading. Some may cringe at the thought of reading three books at once, but I assure you there are many out there (myself included) who wouldn't give it a second thought. This new book is one which my husband purchased for me: Hearts of Fire by The Voice of the Martyrs. Because the other two books I was currently reading were fiction novels, I felt it more than appropriate to begin reading this book, a compilation of eight women's stories of faith and persecution. I highly recommend this book. The editors did an excellent job of selecting the women, as well as relating their stories to the reader. Though the brutality and torture (for there is no other word) experienced by these women pierced my heart, their faith is extraordinary. I put down this book refreshed, though still saddened by the evil world in which we live. It is good for me to remember our calling to the mission field, as I especially can so easily forget while living in the land of plenty and comfort.

Saturday morning, I decided to revive my inner child and read a classic piece of young adult literature. I hadn't read Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time in probably fifteen years, but as a timeless work, the story still captured me. I think in the past few years, I've gained more of an appreciation for young adult literature, most likely due to my mother's work in the area. One of my favorite things to do while visiting her is to riffle through her stack of young adult literature. She finds it necessary to read all things young adult in order to teach and write about the subject, and in her collection, there is usually several new selections from which to choose.

The symbolism in L'Engle's series is evident, but honestly my favorite part of the book is the continual ramblings of Mrs. Who, who usually speaks in quotations from famous writers and thinkers. I finished the book later in the evening and I am now contemplating continuing the story of Meg, Calvin, and Charles Wallace with the next book A Wind in the Door. I've also decided that I will reread the Anne of Avonlea series in 2008 as well. L.M. Montgomery's series about the red-headed freckled orphan is definitely my favorite childhood read. Any thoughts on your favorite childhood books?

I also finished Jane Austen's Emma, but I will write more about this novel and the author later. This weekend, Isaac and I rented two movies, thanks to our Christmas gift card from our dear friends the Griffiths. Becoming Jane and Atonement were our choices, and two very unusual ones at that. Any of you who know me understand that I do not have a propensity to watch "girlie" movies, yet there I was at Movie Gallery, renting two titles distinguished with such a term. I decided to (appropriately) include my discussion of Becoming Jane in my post concerning Emma and Austen.

While Atonement was advertised, the movie always seemed a bit of a mystery to me. The trailers showed several different clips and touted it as "one of the best films" of the year, but never really gave any sort of a teaser as to the storyline. The movie is adapted from the 2001 novel by Ian McEwan. Though I have not read McEwan's work and cannot say how closely the movie followed the storyline he wrote, I feel the movie was well done. It wasn't, however, the story that I enjoyed so much as the excellent musical score and cinema photography. The actors were all excellent as well, but I feel perhaps the screenplay might have been lacking somewhat in truly conveying McEwan's ideas. What I was most impressed with by far was the score; one of the characters is constantly clicking away on her typewriter throughout the movie. Click, click, click. Often, the "click, click, click" is integrated into the score in a way I found positively genius. In addition to the excellent actors, cinema photography, and score, the ending was surprising, and in fact offered more of a life lesson than I anticipated. Though not a movie for children, Atonement warns us of our preconceived ideas and misconceptions and how our actions can haunt us and others for the rest of our lives.

Welcome Back, Kotter!

After a long absence, I have decided to make a return to the blogging world. I have very much been inspired by several friends (though most likely unknown to them) to do so. As many of you know, I am not by any means a technological genius or a design-savvy individual, so please bear with me on this (un)new adventure.

Isaac and I were fortunate enough to make the trip down to Sikeston to spend the Easter weekend with his side of the family. Family gatherings with the Johnsons are a lot like family gatherings with the Olberdings- there's a lot of us, we talk and laugh a lot, and we can get pretty loud on the decibel scale. The only difference is that with the Olberding family, there aren't any children to really add to the noise level; the adults are just that loud..."naturally."

On the return trip, it was snowing in St. Louis. Imagine, snow on Easter! This is a completely foreign concept to a Southerner such as myself, even after living north of the often-disputed Mason-Dixon line for a few years. I know that while I lived in both Colorado and Germany, and perhaps even in Kansas, snow on Easter was a usual occurrence, but living in the South for so long thinned out my blood, and the idea of "cold" became "below 65 degrees."

My husband and I are going on a date tonight to Chipotle. Isaac gave up the blessed food from this fine establishment for Lent this year, and since Isaac gave it up, by default I did the same. I have been looking forward to this event for over 40 days now.

I am yet again simultaneously reading more than one book at a time. The culprits this time: Jane Austen's Emma and J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. I have found that it is, in fact, rather unusual for me to not be reading more than one book at a time. Even last night, I found myself sorely tempted to begin yet another book (a result, no doubt, of our recent visit to the book warehouse, where the glory of cheap books abounds). Some may see this as a problem, evidence to the fact that my dedication to one storyline may be waning, that I am an adulterous reader of many stories. I think not. I prefer to look on this issue as my insatiable eclectic taste for the written word. I enjoy reading many books of a variety of genres, so why should I be tied down to one book until I have finished it? It's a philosophy of life, really...well, I wouldn't extend my philosophy out to every aspect of life. Call it a philosophy of books, if you will.

"Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it." -Hebrews 2:1