Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Typical Graden Story

     A "Typical Graden Story" shows great insight and an intuitive-knowledge, whereas a "Typical Jenn Story" shows the complete opposite...  ;) Tonight as Graden was staring at his lava lamp, he said to his father "Dad, I know how lava lamps work. The light bulb heats up the lava. It boils to the top, then it cools down, falls back down and starts over."
     What 7-year-old thinks about how a lava lamp works?! I know a certain 36-year-old who has never thought about how they work... When I was seven, all I wanted to know was how did Jem & the Holograms actually meet Synergy? Where did Care Bears live, and why was it impossible to actually find the Love Bear at Toys-R-Us? And why did we throw cat food out on Christmas Eve to feed the reindeer? But that is another entry entirely...


OPERATING SYSTEM NOT FOUND



This is what greeted me this afternoon on my HP Vista laptop! This is enough to send me over-the-edge! How on earth will I manage without my laptop?! There are certain fundamentals that I need to exist, such as oxygen, water, Milkduds, Dt. Mt. Dew, and my laptop with internet access... Luckily I took out the extended two-year-warranty from Wal-Mart when I purchased my laptop, but I still have to wait to have it repaired and mailed back to me?!? Ugh!!!

My fingers are twitching already... Friends, expect numerous texts in the meantime.

Why Acorns?

     I chose my background for my blog because it represents Fall, Thanksgiving, and mainly; the background represents Gibson's love for me. Gibson brings me acorns home from school everyday as a reminder of his love for me. It is so sweet... He will call out to me from the truck as he slides out "Mommy... I have a surprise for you!" and then he will dig deep into his pockets and pull out several acorns for me. Gibson doesn't have money to buy me presents, so I know those acorns have been chosen with love and given with pride! He points out the varying characteristics of each acorn- this acorn is small, this acorn is huge, this acorn is a beautiful shade of nearly red, etc...
     The gifting of acorns started with Zach when he too went to the same daycare that Gibson currently goes to. When Graden started going to that daycare as well, Graden would come home and bring me acorns as well. I have a few of those acorns in my jewelry case. They are more valuable and treasured than any of the other pieces in my jewelry case... would any other mother feel differently?!



Sunday, November 22, 2009

These are three of my all-time favorite songs... two are old, they have been out since I was in high school... Yikes! :) The third one came out a few years ago... I love it. "The Hardway" is like the story of my life.




















"The Hardway" by DC Talk

(chorus)

Some people gotta learn the hardway

I guess I'm the kinda guy

That has to find out for myself

I had to learn the hardway, Father

I'm on my knees and I'm crying for help



Now I've been high and I've been low

I've been some places that you will not go

I never thought there would come the day

When I wished I never would've lived this way

But I've been searching for a long, long time

I thought the devil was a friend of mine

I turned my back on everything that was true

And wasted years that belong to you



(repeat chorus)



It took so long for me to see

That I'm a victim of nature and me

Left to myself I realize

I am the maker of my own demise



But you accept me every time and again

And never mention just how selfish I've been

Why must it always take me so long to see

That I have fallen but you will forgive me?



(repeat chorus 2x)



The warning signs are like flares in the night

Still I proceed my greed is in spite of the fire

I know that's bound to burn

Why is it that I always gotta learn...

The hardway, the hardway, I had to learn the hardway

The hardway, the hardway, I had to learn the hardway



"No Stone To Throw" by Sierra

Maggie lives on Second Street

Downtown by the river

She looks away from everyone she meets

They've got no time to give her

Because on her shoulder is a scarlet letter

And nobody told her she could do better



I've got no stone to throw

No axe to grind

I look at Maggie's life

And I see mine

I see somebody searchin' for somethin'

A little love and understanding

And the longer I know the Lord

The more I know

I've got no stone to throw



Maggie wears a cross of gold

But she don't know why

She says she tried religion once

But it made her cry

She's been to hell and back so many times

And she's done anything to survive



Maggie lives in every town

And people talk about her

'Cause it's easier to put her down

Than to care about her

But she has a Savior; He is her Judge

Oh, Maggie, you deserve to be loved
























"My Jesus" by Todd Agnew

Which Jesus do you follow?

Which Jesus do you serve?

If Ephesians says to imitate Christ

Then why do you look so much like the world?



Cause my Jesus bled and died

He spent His time with thieves and liars

He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant

So which one do you want to be?



Blessed are the poor in spirit

Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness

Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand



Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins

He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars

He loved the poor and accosted the rich

So which one do you want to be?



Who is this that you follow

This picture of the American dream

If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side or fall down and worship at His holy feet



Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion

Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins

But the Word says He was battered and scarred

Or did you miss that part

Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him



Cause my Jesus bled and died

He spent His time with thieves and the least of these

He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable

So which one do you want to be?



Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church

The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet

But He reaches for the hurting and despised the proud

I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd

And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud



I want to be like my Jesus!

I want to be like my Jesus!



Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus

You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity

I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that means to be like You Jesus

Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me

Can I be like You Jesus?

I want to be like my Jesus


15 of My Favorite Films (Not In a Particular Order...)

Be sure to comment afterwards and tell me some of your favorite films...

1. Return to Paradise












2. Schindler's List













3. Sophie's Choice
















4. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
















5. In The Company Of Men

















6. Welcome To The Dollhouse




















7. Born Into Brothels




















8. Office Space















9. The Last Supper












10. American History X















11. Hostel (I admit, made me cry when I got back to my hotel room alone, go ahead... laugh!)




















12. Changeling















13. The Pianist















14. Shopgirl

















15. Notes On A Scandal







My 25 Random Things about Me...

1. I was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona.

2. I had to go to speech therapy for three years to learn to pronounce my "sh" sounds.

3. I walk on my toes when I don't think about it, so I wear heels most of the time so people don't notice!

4. I have a SERIOUS case of ADHD! (But honestly now... Who "knows me KNOWS me, and can't tell?!)

5. I was in the United States Air Force for four and a half years. I miss working at USAFA. I had some of the best laughs there...

6. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and a Master of Education in Special Education. I am certified in Mississippi to teach Family & Consumer Sciences, Elementary Education, Mathematics, Social Studies, Spanish, Psychology, and Special Education-Mild/Moderate and Severe/Profound.

7. I have been to England, Paris, Amsterdam, and Guam. I want to go back to Paris so badly... England is where I met three of my greatest friends ever- Teddi, Julie, and Suzanne!! :)

8. I have a very dry sense of humor. My favorite game is to play "Ask a stupid question with a straight face" and watch people answer it.

9. My favorite television show is "The Office". I would love, love, love if I worked with my own "Dwight Schrute, Jim Halpert, and Michael Scott" daily!

10. I love Mexican food! I could eat Mexican food for the rest of my life and not grow sick of it... That is why I like my nickname to be "Jennchilada"...

11. My best friend since elementary school is Jacqueline Framm Alquist. We are still best friends but live in different states. Her daughter was born on June 19th, which is my birthday. My son was due on her birthdate, but came early... Jacqueline invited me to church in high school, and that is when I accepted Christ as my Saviour and was baptized at Tucson Baptist Temple.

12. My second oldest and dearest friend is Kimberly Mackel Munger, who also lives in Tucson, Arizona.

13. I love to read books. I could read all the time if I had no other responsibilities! I just finished the "Twilight" series which I loved! I bought a poster from the American Library Association which has "Edward" and "Bella" on the poster holding a copy of "Twilight" and it says "READ" at the bottom for my classroom!!

14. I teach special education grades K-4 inclusion. My students love me because I am "goofy". Lately they have enjoyed earning "Vampire Smiles" on their papers because of the "Twilight" craze that has hit. Today Aden challenged me to a "Twilight" trivia contest... I won!! ;)

15. I love Milkduds and Hot Tamales. I love Ding-Dongs and glazed donuts. Cinnamon flavored salt-water taffy. Toblerone candy bars. John Wayne Casserole but the school cafeteria won't serve that anymore...

16. Every morning I start the day with a Dt. Mountain Dew. Seriously. Others have coffee, so don't judge!

17. I have three wonderful boys: Zachary Allan Divers, Bobby Graden Jarrell III, and John Gibson Jarrell. They are my stars in life. They make me want to shine brighter, and they brighten up my world as they shine!

18. I really wish I had a daughter... but I was told never to even bring up the subject of having another child again. ;)

19. I love pop music. I know I have awful taste in music. I love my Milli Vanilli, NKOTB, Debbie Gibson, Vanilla Ice, and other cheesy music on my iPod. I had a friend tell me once that if someone gave him enough money to buy 200 CD's he still couldn't buy a collection as awful as my collection.

20. I LOVE J.C. Crew "Critter" pants. They are cordorouy pants with embroidered bugs, animals, or other whimsical designs. They have been discontinued for women, so I have to hunt them down to find pairs that are still available.

21. I collect "Precious Moments". Recently the company came out with a new collection of "Disney Precious Moments" that have "Beauty and the Beast" ones, so that was a double score because I also collect "Belles". I love "Belle" because she was the first Disney heroine that had brown hair and brown eyes, and read books like me!

22. I have a really good heart, and I always try to "fix" things for people... but somehow I always manage to make things worse. I see someone hurting and I try to intervene, and somehow, inevitably I make things ten times worse?!

23. I am very tender-hearted and sensitive. Maybe insecure. I easily get my feelings hurt.

24. I have "book-smarts" but not a lot of "common-sense". The Christian rap group D.C. talk has a song called "The Hard-Way" about "some people have to learn the hard way... I guess I'm the kind of guy who has to find out for myself..." It is like the theme song for my life! Some people were blessed with wisdom, not me. I know the bible speaks about wisdom, and lays it out for us, but that has not been my gift.

25. I do have the gift of compassion. I have gone through a lot in my life. Divorce and other heart aches that I wouldn't wish on others... but I believe in the end it is so I can encourage others as they go through similar trials in their own lives...

"What a wonder God we have--he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us." (2 Cor. 1:3-4 TLB)

Funny Flashback~ a.k.a. Typical Jenn Stories...

Monday August 3rd, 2009 (Looks like SOMEONE had a case of the MUUNDAYS!!!)

So today for lunch I decided to order a hamburger for .89 cents at the Wendy's drive-thru... Unfortunately, when I get up to the window to pay I realized I had forgotten my debit card, and I did not have a dollar or any change either in my van! I asked the cashier if Wendy's accepted checks as payment, and apologized for not having .89 cents for one lousy hamburger?!? Ugh, how embarrassing, right?! Well, not quite as embarrassing as her shaking her head at me as she yelled "CANCEL!!!!!!!!!!" and shut the glass window in my face!!! Seriously?!? That was so embarrassing... I was so glad Kerri was on the other end of the cell phone able to enjoy the exchange and laugh her head off-sigh... ;)P




Poems By Graden to Celebrate His 7th Birthday!!!

Yesterday was my sweet baby's 7th birthday! As a special treat for you... the reader... here are two poems he wrote earlier this year!

Mom's Poem
when I stand beside the ocean blue,

I think that its true,
that I love you,
and then I say what the heck
of course I love you!

Dad's Poem
As the night goes by,

the sun comes by.
I love my dad,
so very much.
he does a lot,
I don't have a robot.
but I still love him a bunch.




I think my favorite part of this picture is Gibson jumping and preening at the same time in the back... Just so that he too could be included in the picture!!!

Conversation Peace Bible Study

This is the bible study I am going to begin leading next month! I plan to start it on Friday, December 4th from 7:00 to 8:30 P.M.  :)

Would you like to join a monthly bible study for women only? The bible study is called "Conversation Peace: The Power of Transformed Speech". I bought the member's book from Lifeway Online for only $11.95 and I will purchase the 7 videos (I have already purchased and downloaded the first 2). All each of you would need to purchase is your own copy of the member's book! The videos seem to be rather short, only 20-30 minutes each. I am thinking if we met monthly we could meet for an hour and a half?





Here's a women's study that really hits home. Mary Kassian masterfully presents the biblical principles to help women revolutionize their speech habits and improve their relationships by focusing on ways to positively avoid sharing gossip, throwing negative barbs, or snapping sarcastic replies throughout everyday life. Includes leader helps. (7 sessions)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mary Kassian is an award winning author, internationally renowned speaker, and a distinguished professor at Southern Baptist Seminary in Lousiville, Kentucky. She has published several books, Bible studies and videos, including: In My Father's House: Finding Your Heart's True Home, Conversation Peace, and Vertically Inclined.
 
I have my copy of the workbook, and thought I would post what the back cover says:


Have you ever left a conversation feeling like shredded wheat? Stuck your foot in your mouth? Been at a loss for words? Had difficulty getting your point across? Or been talked into doing something you didn't want to do? Do you find it difficult to connect with others? Do you suspect that your speech patterns are hindering your relationships? If so this study is for you! You need some Conversation Peace.

Conversation Peace: The Power of Transformed Speech is an interactive workbook and video study designed for six weeks of individual study and seven small-group sessions. Each week through video Mary Kassian will introduce your group to one powerful speech-transforming element for communication. Then for five days you'll study and apply what you've learned.

* Discover seven powerful speech-transforming elements.

* Master the skills of effective communicators.
* Strengthen your vocabulary with Words from the Word.
* Connect with others in a small-group experience.
* Freshen Your Breath with weekly scripture memory.

If you're the type that can't resist sharing that choice morsel of gossip, throwing that negative barb, or snapping a sarcastic reply- or if you bottle up those impulses inside- this study will revoluntize your speech habits and improve your relationships. Let God's Word change you from the inside out! Be transformed! Get Conversation Peace!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Welcome "Back" To My Blog... It has been a couple of years!



Hi! My name is Jennifer, and I created this blog so I could keep family and friends posted on "Jennchilada's Shining Stars". I plan to post news about our family and daily events, and I invite my family and friends to check as often as they like...