It Is Finished.

ok ok. so im not a super emotional girl, but weirdly my favorite season in the church is Lent (something about Jesus' journey in the desert always connects with me). So you can now guess my favorite service of the year (yes including Christmas and Easter) is Good Friday noon service.



There is something so personal, so shameful, and so painful about Jesus' death that resounds in my bones. Singing "Were You There" still brings me to tears and is the only day I allow myself to cry and not feel bad about it. Im not talking about sobbing uncontrollably, just small, quiet tears for Gods eyes only.


As I walk around in my black dress with a heavy heart, I keep this message from the service in my mind:

"Our Heavenly Father sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved"- The Book of Common Prayer

Haiti on my mind....

Ever since the devastation that has hit Haiti I cannot get the little country out of my mind. Seriously all day yesterday I had the worst headache and could not figure out what was so wrong. It was only after my bible study with Caroline that I realized it was my body (and probably God) reminding me of the pain Haiti was feeling. That no matter how hard I tried to focus on my day and work that it was still on my heart.

I encourage everyone to really pray for Haiti right now and if you want to help go to World Vision's web page. I have been working with this non profit since middle school and it is truly changes lives. Weather you want to sponsor a child in Haiti or give a gift to the emergency response aid it would be huge for this small country.

That is all, I haven't really been able to think about anything else....

new year, new life....

2010 really snuck up on me this year. I guess because I was jumped into work and all the Christmas parties and new-ness that entailed. I went to ATL for Christmas like I have done my whole life where I got Jolene, my new jeep, and then before I knew it NYE was days away....

Being new to the city I counted on my friend Gracie to let me tag along with her. Had a great time...but it still hasn't hit me yet that its 2010. How do you even abbreviate that? '10 I guess.....weird. Sorry Im rambling.

Ok there has been so many new things this past month ( new city, jeep, job, friends, guys, haircut, yoga studio, etc.) I stopped to reflect back on what Im grateful for. I did this with my childrens chapel group on Sunday. I had them draw blessings from 2009. I got everything from family, friends, stars, new toys, to hot dogs. Gotta love the stuff kids come up with.

The list is really long but here are some top things Im thankeful for from 2009....

-my family for helping me with big girl things from getting my new jeep to how to shop around for insurance as well as calling to check up on me

-my friends for being so encouraging of my move (especially my brides Catherine and Anna who know I wont be able to make every shower)

-the Bartons for making me feel at home in Jacksonville

-Honduras 2009....the most incredible experience of my adult life and the reason I am plannig Belize 2010 for my youth

-my teachers and advisors who without them I wouldn't have graduated.....seriously it was close guys. Convos almost didn't add up....

-Hilton Head Island for giving me peace and reflection after the craziest semester of my life

-Sewanee rugby for being the perfect atmosphere to get an interview offer

-and the countless tue, thur, fri, and sat nights with good friends in bham, atl, HHI, nashville, and now jacksonville

JOLENE

my only hope is that 2010 can be filled with even more surprises...

after all you have your whole life to be boring.

they say when God closes a door He opens.....a calling??

So much has happened. In the past month I have completely uprooted my life and moved....to Florida? Yea, never thought Id be saying that but if I've learned anything from this process its that I don't know anything.

Watching a Sewanee rugby game at my sisters family weekend in November, I struck up an intense conversation about my life to one of her friends dads. I had no idea he was an Episcopal priest, and that I would eventually work for him as his new youth minister.

Youth ministry? Many of you are probably shaking your heads. You will laugh when I say that when I was 12 years old thats what I wanted to be when I grew up. Bought a guitar and everything. As I got older I got distracted in school, activities, friends, guys, you name it. It was only when I got offered an interview did I remember that this in fact used to be a passion of mine.

I really did some 'soul searching' or whatever you call it and decided to go for it feet first and ask questions later. This tends to be my life approach and it hasn't steered me wrong yet. I have full faith that Gods always looking out for me. I have only found lots of joy and reassurance from this decision.

Many challenges lay ahead including building a youth program from scratch as well as adjusting to a completing new town that’s so far from my beloved Nashville. But no worries I’m still the same old girl that’s always up for a long chat, shopping day, beach day, and a good time no matter when or where...

   

 All Saints Episcopal Church...my new job

funny how things work out....

So. The last month has been crazy. Just as everything was starting to come together, and the bags were packed all hell breaks loose. Litterally. The airport was temporarily shut down and the world watched as violence errupted on the streets. Needless to say Honduras not happening right now.

Gods planning is something I will probably never understand but am learning to be at peace with it.

where to even start...

I honestly do not even know where to start. This is all so new to me. First of all I'm not one to talk about my business to just anyone. Not only that its not in my nature to focus on the inner workings of myself in general. But as I am in the process of trying to move to a completely new country it has been advised to me by many to start. I am still in the limbo stages of fundraising. You know the 'I can't sleep more than four hours, hairs falling out in clumps, on edge and always anxiously checking the mailbox' stage. I am completely out of my comfort zone...


Mail is coming slowly but surely and I know I have the support of many. It is all going to come down to timing and if this is indeed what God has intended for me. When I started this process it was all so quick and everything was coming together. Then I hit a brick wall and have been reeling from it ever since. I know there is a master plane and a timeline....I just have no idea what they are, and in the meantime I am trying to deal with it the only way I know how. Distracting myself with things I can control. Packing up my room, running errands, painting, meeting up with friends,going on walks and plenty of yoga.


I don't know how and if it will all come together, but I am trying to be at peace with the fact that I won't know until I'm supposed to....until then I am coping.