College Life!

I am graduated and in college now. It's amazing! I am a nanny by day, and college student by night. It's a little stressful (college being at night), but I am loving it at the same time! I turned 18 and got a GORGEOUS car from my parents. I am loving the freedom that it's giving me so far! Once I get my license, I'll have even more freedom that I won't know what to do with!

Being an adult feels great. I have less of a boundary, and make a lot of my own decisions now. I think that's my favorite part....to have the leash lengthened more than it used to be.

This is a short post because that's all I have right now!

Venting post. Mixed Feelings

I am having mixed feelings about my upcoming graduation...

I don't want to leave yet, because I know I will lose touch with a lot of people. Also, high school years are the best of your life. They went by so fast. Emerald Ridge is a great place, and there will be many memories and friends that will be left behind. I have a life ahead of me, I know that...I am just not ready to leave high school.

Yet, I want to be done, because I am through with the drama...especially in chamber choir. There are a few people in there that will remain nameless that I cannot stand. One of them, I am sure, nobody can stand. I'm done with being judged, through with not being accepted for who I am. Also, I don't like being told I can't do something. If I am determined to do something, I am going to do it, and nobody will stop me.

Everything seems to be about how people look these days. I am a kind person that cares about everyone (caution: next paragraph may counterbalance that). Then why have I never had a boyfriend? It's because I don't wear make up, and sometimes go to school with crappy hair. I wish people would look deeper than the surface.

And seriously. People in high school are SO ungrateful for what they have. I hear countless times a day how much parents seem to suck, and how lame people's lives are because their cell phone died or their car got taken away. Come on....get a grip! At least you HAVE those things. I am thankful for everything I have. I know, I am spoiled...but I don't complain over small things like that. At least I have a shelter and am relatively healthy. Someone, right now, is in a hospital, begging God for the opportunity we have. Learn to cherish what you have, and stop focusing on the bad. And to a certain someone....you don't need to tell everyone about your backaches, your cold, your "terrible life", and every single sickness, heartache, and pain you have. It was fine at first, but every day, you have something to complain about and it's getting old! And if someone tries to say something that they're going through, you just say "I'm sorry" in an unmeaningful way, and follow up with something you're going through to try to make that person "feel better". News flash, it doesn't make anyone feel better. And most of the time, what you respond with isn't as crappy as what was told by the other person in the first place.

Exhibit A: "I'm having a tough time at home right now, I just want to get out of the house"

You: "that's okay...if it makes you feel any better, I got my car taken away today cuz I gave mom an attitude."

Hey, you deserved it. You don't disrespect your parents. And how is that supposed to make "exhibit A" feel better?

Anyway, I'm done now. I need to go sleep in my nice warm bed that I am so grateful to have. Goodnight.

Allergies

Not only is it the worst allergy season in decades, I also found out I have an allergy to blood worms. I fed my frog, and shortly after, my eye turned red (after having rubbed it, yes I did wash my hands before touching my face!), I started to sneeze, and my throat and ears were getting itchier by the second. I now know not to touch my face after handling blood worms! Or, I could use a spoon or something...I dunno.

Lovely, right?

Funny :)

Since I just got a 97% on my last Algebra 2 test, I thought this was appropriate!


“*After three hours of explaining* Okay kids, let’s try it this way: The area of the circle is “pie”, with this “squared” cheese, times the radius…”

Happy New Year!

(click to make the collage larger, click back button to get back to this page)

Happy 2010! - Thanks to my friends and family for a great 2009, here's to an even better 2010!

It's official!

That's right. As of Friday, June 19th, I am officially a senior in high school! Where does the time go?

My junior year ended on an outstanding note, for me at least :) I ended the year with a 3.4 GPA. It was a close call, as in two of my classes, I went from a D- to a B in a month. Hard work and extra credit does pay off after all.

This B average means I get to take driving lessons this summer! I am speechless!

The problem with my Chemistry grade, which was one of those D- grades, were tests. I did terrible on tests! But, Quals rolled around (look it up on google...it's hard to explain. haha), and I made sure to be extra careful and specific in my observations, and ended up getting a solid 300! That and cleaning up the lab for 25 extra credit points gave be a B.

Photography was my other D-, which is ridiculous. Hahaha, I just didn't turn things in. On the very last day of school, I finished all of my assignments and brought that grade up to a B+.

How 'bout them apples? Moral of this story, procrastinators can have good grades too!

ahem.

The end.

New post on Jacklynn's blog

Just finished writing a blog post over at my nieces blog:

www.jacklynnlee.blogspot.com

This was written by MckMamma. A very well put, thought out, and TRUE post! I love it!

Stellan (aka MckMuffin) is her youngest son, who is currently in the hospital with heart problems. You can read about that and other things on her awesome blog, which I keep up with as well. Link: http://www.mycharmingkids.net/

the truth about Easter

We all sin.

There is no one who does not suffer from Adam's curse, nor a human who has not done wrong, not a soul who can claim no membership in the depravity of man club. We all have fallen short; we all enter this world, at birth, with a sin nature. And as for me? I rank right up there on the list of all the world's imperfect people.

In fact, Romans 3:23 reminds us that we all do, when Paul wrote, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

For that very reason, I love this stanza from Horatio Spafford's well-known hymn, It Is Well With My Soul:

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Our sins, all of our wrongdoings, icky thoughts, and impure motives can be nailed to the cross. We needn't bear them any longer, nor suffer under any guilt because of them.

That is the truth about Easter!

The truth is, Jesus died for everyone. His blood was spilled for me, for Stellan, for you.

And He did not stay dead. After three days, He rose again. To this day, He lives. And our sins can all be forgiven because of what He did on the cross!

If you're thinking of tuning the rest of this post out, because it sounds like I'm starting to get awful religious, let me have you consider this:

I am not religious at all!

No, I mean, seriously. I'm not. I do not follow a religion but rather a Person. I follow Jesus Christ. Grace has set me free. I am not bound by any traditions, ceremonies, rules or any religious formulae. I know for an absolute fact that I am going to Heaven, and let me tell you, it's not because of anything I have done in my life. And, by the same token, I wouldn't not get to Heaven because of anything I didn't do. I could never be a good enough person to earn my way into Heaven. Nor will I get into Heaven by just trying hard enough. Neither will I miss out on Heaven because I sin too much.

I have already mentioned that I am a sinner, right?

You see, the truth about Easter, and about Jesus, is that no one can earn or behave their way into Heaven. When I die, I will go to Heaven simply because I believed in Jesus and accepted the fact that He died for me, forgiving my sins, and letting me into Heaven because of what He did for me on the cross, not because of anything I did or did not do on earth.

I have written about this exact topic of truth on my blog before. I believe Easter is a good time to reiterate it, because this season represents the most pivotal point about Christianity, the one act upon which everything else hinges: that Jesus died for us. If we only but believe in Him, we can have life everlasting, beyond this earthly existence.

No. Strings. Attached. It's just truth, plain and simple.

Of course, in our enlightened day and age, is totally hip to be self-focused. To search for your own truth. To do what makes you happy. To simply find what floats your boat. To cling to what seems to ring true to you. To believe in whatever you want to believe in, with the thought that your belief makes whatever it is true for you. Oh, and to afford all others that same right, of course.

Have you noticed the errant, yet all-too-common, mentality in our politically correct, inclusive, tolerant society that what works for you, spiritually, might not work for me, and vice versa?

I have. And today on Easter Sunday, I want to say something very pointed.

Truth is truth.

Truth is not relative. There is no truth for you, and truth for me. Truth is absolute.

It is as absolute as the fact that our son Stellan is currently wearing striped leggings on his legs as he sleeps in his hospital bed. Whether you believe in something or not, does not have any bearing on whether or not it is really true! Either Stellan is wearing leggings, or he is not! There is no, "If you want to believe Stellan has stripey leggings on, that's great for you, but I don't believe it and that's okay for me."

Like it or not, it does not work that way.

There is an absolute truth about Stellan's legs. Either they are adorned with leggings right now, or they are not. Now, you may not know if he has leggings on or not, but that does not change the fact that there is an absolute truth. Either he's wearing them, or he's not. Truth is not relative. It does not hang in the balance. It hinges on nothing. That is what truth means!!! Either Stellan is sporting leggings, or he is not! There is no room for any middle ground.

And, either Jesus is real, and He died on the cross and rose again as the only way to Heaven--for everyone in the world--or He did not.

There are no other alternatives.

Personal truth has no place here. In fact, there is no such thing! Personal truth is an oxymoron. There are not many ways to Heaven. I happen to believe that Jesus offers the only path to life after we die. And you do not have to believe that! But simply because some people choose not to believe that, doesn't mean it's not true! The choice to not believe in something has no power in and of itself: disbelief in something can't make it not true!

You might believe, deep in your heart, that Stellan is not wearing leggings on his legs right now. But the fact of the matter is, Stellan is wearing leggings! You can believe all you want that he is not, but that won't change the truth!!

Therefore, by the same token...

You might believe, deep in your heart, that Jesus' death on the cross is not the only means of salvation beyond this earth. But the fact of the matter is, Jesus is the only way! You can believe all you want that He is not, but that won't change the truth!

The truth about Easter is absolute. And it can change your life. The truth about Jesus, and His forgiveness of my sin, continues to change my life every day. And, in the spirit of Easter, as you nibble on chocolate and watch your children hunt for eggs, I want to encourage you to seek real truth. And I don't mean to find a truth that works for you, but to instead seek the one real truth, and to make it work for you.

Because, if truth is really truth, there are no other options, are there?

There is a way to know for sure what will happen when you die and I believe it is through a relationship with Jesus Christ, who died and rose again on Easter to break us free from our sin, and nothing else.

The truth about Easter pretty much rocks my world.

for the love of...

MUSIC!

I love music...it's my life. My Ipod is my sidekick, especially when writing essays in English. Hey, that strategy earned me a 100% so I am continuing on with that :) I have headphones threaded through my headboard, and they lay right next to my head as I sleep...softly playing music from said beloved Ipod.

Choir is my favorite class and always will be. I hope the college I go to offers a choir class. If not, I will be heartbroken forever. I am hoping, praying, and crossing my fingers that I will be in Chamber choir my senior year. I just auditioned yesterday and I think I did pretty well. Much better than last year's audition!

I like all kinds of music...except music with nasty words, meanings, heavy metal, rap, screamo, etc. I don't have a favorite song.

Anyways, just some random thoughts about music.

Till next time,
Jennifer

Little Disjointed Blurbs

Everyone has their moments. Nobody's perfect.

Imperfections make us beautiful. I break out on my face on occasion, I have freckles, but I don't cover it up with make up. I walked late. My ankles roll in, and my balance is horrible. My laugh is probably one of the funniest things you will ever hear.

These things help shape who I am. I like being imperfect. Our society today tells us to be perfect, and it's impossible. God's will is not perfect. If it was, he'd send Jesus to be born in a palace with marble walls, not a stable. Everything happens for a reason. The only thing that matters is living for the Lord. He chooses your path, and following it can be tough, and we all fall short. He will forgive you.

One example of his word is Kayleigh. She is a true miracle. She had days to hours to live, and then they found a solution to why she was doing so bad, and is doing MUCH better. Read her story: http://www.kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com/

Another example is me. After my mom had a surgery to have a cone shaped portion of her uterus taken out due to cancerous cells, the docs told her it was impossible for her to get pregnant. Well, she did the impossible. The docs told her she would misscarry if she even did so much as pick up a broom. Best case scenario would be a preemie baby. If she were to make it to term, I would be deformed. Guess what? I am here today, typing this blog post, a junior in high school. I am normal!

My friends are the best. I don't know what I would do without them. I really wish I could see some of them more, but most of them are all older than me, and therefore in college. Most of them I met in choir last year. Choir kids are quality kids. I have never met a mean choir freak. Ok I take that back. But whatever, that was a long time ago. Anyway, I am very blessed in the friend front. All my friends are real, and genuine. I like people for the Person they are, not the way they dress, or their outer qualities. People who become friends with me over a shirt are FAKE. I am me, and I don't need to change who I am or be two-faced to impress my friends. I like who I am and that is what counts. If you don't like me, then that is your choice. One friend or one-hundred, I will be satisfied either way.

Anyway, that is about it for tonight, this is just a disjointed post about stuff that popped into my head. I will post about my family later. Peace out :)

Busy Busy Busy

Being a Junior in High school, a full time Aunt, and just plain lazy are the 3 factors of lack of posts...also I get no comments therefore I don't think anyone is reading so why bother?

Everything is good here...gave blood and passed out but that's all over now! I am in concert choir this year which is tons of fun! I love it! :)

if anyone is reading, leave a comment and tell me what's going on with you!

This blog really has gone downhill. Ha ha! Well nothing much is new except that I just turned 16 (and got a laptop!), and will be starting school in 3 weeks. I'm pretty excited! I'm loving life and living every day to it's fullest :) I have been hanging out with friends and being your average, yet not average teen. I don't get into all the crap a lot of teens get themselves into. I plan to make my life as healthy and amazing as possible...except I don't eat that healthy. ha ha! Anyhoo...if anyone is even reading anymore...drop by and say hi!

Brittany's wedding invite photos

These were taken on 4-27. There are some of Jacky, some of me, and a lot of Brittany and Ronnie. (point your cursor below and click when the little hand appears. for some reason the link isn't showing up.)

http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h120/tinkwink92/Photo%20shoot%204-27-08/?start=0

My Dad

As everyone that has met my dad in person know.....he's a nut! I pretty much got all my personality traits from him. Here is a conversation that when on downstairs while we were unloading the dishwasher about 15 minutes ago.

Dad: Hey Juliet?

Me: Yesm?

Dad: Can I call you maximum mortgage?

Me: uhh..-chuckle- no

Dad: Why?

Me: 7

Dad: Barkley, I don't like it when you talk to me like that.

As you can tell from the conversation above, him and I think of the randomest things. He'll say numerous times a day "Can I call you (insert random name or item here)?" He's also asked me "why are you being such a Quail?" I have no clue what that means!

Listed below are all the names he's called me :) Note: He hasn't called me Jennifer once today. haha! As most days he doesn't.

Juliet

Mrs. Barkley

Dennitder (say it out loud. that's how my cousin who had a speech imparement said Jennifer when he was little. ha!)

Gail

Michelle

Adam

Fartknocker (that's one of our words)

Gaydar

Fag (he calls us that playfully.)

Fagbee

Simpson

Amy

Jessica

George

Richard

(all the ones above are ones he called me today)

Cheesy

Cheese

Cheese-Moe

Bird

Janet

Pertiper

Michael

There's more....I'll update when I think of the rest. Note that these are real names. He'll ask if he can call me Fruity Pebbles, Ancient Hawaiian Tradition, etc. He'll pretty much come up with a name for me that has to do with anything that is going on at any time. He's my best friend!!

Jacklynn's professional pics

Even though I already posted these pics as a slideshow, I am going to post them seperately here as back up, as I am going to show someone the pics, and I'm not sure if the slideshow will work on her computer.

Jacklynn's Professional Pics

Jacklynn

hey!

Go check out my new niece!

http://www.jacklynnlee.blogspot.com/

She is the reason I am who I am.

Rebekah Marie. My big sister

snow today!!

I've got the day off of school! It's supposed to snow all week! that would be awesome :)

Note: Since these pics have been taken, we have had about 1 1/2 inches more. I'll take updated pics before sunset :)



Across the street


The Cul-De-Sac


My house


This is the hood of Mom's car


Across the street


Mom's car


the bench

Say a Prayer

I would like anyone who is reading this blog, evne the lurkers, to come out and comment so I know who is reading :)

Also, I would like you to visit this VERY touching blog. Tricia has Cystic Fibrosis (CF), and just gave birth to a baby girl, Gwyneth, at 25 weeks on January 8th. Both of them are in an ICU, hooked up to ventilators. Please say a prayer for both of them to heal and be healthy. Gywneth is doing well at the moment, but needs to poop so they can feed her through a feeding tube. Tricia is slowly being weaned from sedation. Pray for them! :)

Read their amazing, touching story here :)

http://cfhusband.blogspot.com/