Nee How

...because that's how to pronounce 'hello' in Chinese.

I have returned from Chiner; as most of you know my 6 week trip ended last week.

"How was you trip? What was China for you in one word?" <---that's what I've been asked a lotta times these past several days. I don't find the question annoying like staff said we all probably would in debrief. It's just a little difficult to answer succinctly, especially the 'one word' question. In fact, maybe I do find that question a little frustrating.

And, in case you were wondering, the trip was incredible and hopefully life changing. Yes, I added "hopefully" because it could easily not be. I learned and experienced things that I could use to change the way I think and live, but it would be pretty simple to not apply those things to the rest of my life. Now I understand that I have to CHOOSE to make my China trip a life changing one.

To be 'respectful', I will be sensitive with what I type and post for all of internetland to see. So for the really good stuff, ask me personally and you shall recieve. I just had to acknowledge at least a little of how great God made my trip in this bloggy of mine :)

...ps_ Totally unrelated, but guess what.
Guess.



My laptop died.
Did you guess right?
It won't turn on any more, and instead just flashes it's lights a little and makes the start up noise before shutting itself off. Also, my family just got wi-fi for the house. :/ not so cool.
For now though, I have the luxury of sharing my little bro's spiffy new laptop :)

You're gonna be Pop-U-lar

Since I've started my blog I sometimes wonder what makes a blog famous.

need an example?

Julie & Julia, duh. I won't explain the concept of the movie/ book. Another example can be found in the semi-recent episode of House guest starring the girl who played 'Donna' on That 70's Show, when she blogs while almost dying and people around the world she doesn't even know read about her life. Open another browser if you wanna do some research.

Anyways, I've composed a list of what I imagine it takes to become a person with a world-renown blog. Here you go:

1. Having a theme/ explicit purpose for the blog; preferably one that the readers can read to apply in their lives. I.e., crafty how-to's, photography displays, humorous observations about life (kids these days can't get enough of those sites like MLIA or whatever it is,) and political discussion blogs people will want to read to form an opinion and sound smart about some issue.

_I just learned about that last kind on Thursday, when my professor read a Phoenician blogger's post on the new legislation passed in our little old state of Arizona. In this instance of a politics-oriented blog one must be extremely careful to not end up sounding like some crazy person blabbering on in a way that no one wants to read. That wouldn't make you popular, but immensely unpopular.

2. Already being famous. People love reading whatever Lady Gaga or Dennis Quaid feel about other celebrities and paparazzi.

_Disclaimer: I have absolutely no idea if those two peeps have blogs, I just wrote the names of whoever popped into my head first.

3. Having a wonderfully unique layout and/or graphics. You know, making one's own instead of using the templates given by the blog site. (I am much too technologically challenged to figure out how to do this.)

4. Having crazy cool writing skillz.

If you are reading this blog now, you are well aware my bloggy meets absolutely none of these requirements. So my blog will remain uncool and not famous. But, it's because of this I urge you to read my blog anyway; isn't it usually when people do the uncoolest things that they become the coolest people? I think that's the widely accepted hipster theory.

so, reading my blog= being a hipster

...have a certain disdain for hipsters? that means you're holding onto self hatred, on account of the above scientific findings

basically, you're generally delightful

My Aunt Inspires Me

{This is my beautiful Auntie and my cousin Jakey- don't let the facial hair fool you, i am older than him. I love them }

her hardwork helps provide for her family and spills into every aspect of her life.
...she is a midwestern mom working a factory job. her and my uncle get up at 4:30am each weekday to drive to their jobs and manage to live life after working all day rather than collapsing in exhaustion like i think i would in that circumstance.




my aunt is incredibly kind and loving to everyone.
...she uses her resources well, often gently encouraging others to act in service for one another.
example: her neighbors, a retired pastor & his wife had their 50th anniversay this summer. auntie found out they wouldn't be celebrating and asked if she could organize a party for them. she made it a potluck and invited everyone to a backyard bbq at her home in honor of the elderly couple. i cried after my mommy told me the story; for some reason this story oozes with love and compassion when i think of it.
...to me, she exemplifies the overlooked phenomenon of midwestern hospitality. she can be a bit rural rough, not afraid to invade someone's "personal space" in order to connect with them, be friendly, and show genuine love.



i'm not sure if my auntie truly loves Jesus and trusts in the righteous God; at times this makes me sob. whenever we talk about Christianity, she seems to go very broad with responses. i don't see how someone so loving, compassionate, kind, and understanding doesn't believe in the Jesus that gave us examples of this behavior.
...she has been hurt by the Church. my uncle and her have told me they would become members of a church if all the ones they've gone to didn't require/ enforce a specific tithe, with the idea that the decision should be made by the individual. still, she is supportive and proud of my walk with Jesus.





ps_ i will be on a plane to China in 48 days!

it's the little things...

here are some "little things" that have been big to me in the last coupla weeks:

-dance party with my mom to lady gaga's 'bad romance' during our california roadtrip

-my little brother taking me to his favorite place in phoenix to look at the stars and sparkling north valley from a neighborhood mountain top

-driving through phoenix with the sun roof open with my bro

-warm, loving smiles and grilled sandwhiches in a friend's backyard

-my fake grandma telling me stories of her childhood

-a conversation about marriage and love with two friends i care deeply for

-singing 'i'll fly away' at this week's large group

-being told my teeth are distractingly white

-going to a fake senior portrait shoot around flag

-a 20minute jillian michaels shred workout this morning (thought i would die at the time, but now soo glad i did it!)

-a boy reading the Bible and wanting to put God as the focus of his life; witnessing this is in my small group

-wearing my roomate's cool leather jacket

-studying the roles of mary& martha in the Bible during the sermon at my phoenix home church

...the list could go on and on, but i'll stop there :}

TODAY IS MARCH 23RD!!!

"uh-oh."
that's probably what all of you are thinking, because -after logging this date in your calendars a month ago- you know that March 23rd was set to be the 'deadline' of Adriane and I each dating the boys we hahah...fancy. And, (with me as a giant blabber-mouth who writes a blog) you figure I woulda posted if this came to fruition. You know me too well; indeed, neither of us are now coupled with the certain someones we had in mind. Disappointing? A little.

BUT! Yes, a big but, because there was a stipulation in our arrangement with funny little Morgan: for every weekend we were each gone as well as most of spring break, we got a coupla extra days added since Adriane and I would not be seeing these particular gentlemen. (This clause doesn't actually make sense since it's not like we see them everyday we're in Flag but I think Morgan just wanted the extra padding for the deadline.)I think March 30th is the date we are bumping the deadline to. So, no flowers yet but these two fellas only have about one more week...updates to come next week then :]

rewarded with 5 minutes of uninterrupted blogging.

i just finished my journal entry for Spanish class; it's not a course about the language but about the country's history. anyways, the weekly journal entries are hard for me to write so i've decided to reward myself by writing a new bloggie before 'worshing' the piles of dirty dishes in the sink...

while reading on, listen to the Eric Burton and the Animals' song San Fransiscan Nights for the full effect

it's 3ish days before spring break. obviously, i'm supah excited :) i'll be in no. cal. sunday through thursday with my mama and fake grandmother.

...just my mom and I; I haven't seen my fake g-ma in like 5 years so none of our pics together are digital :(
we'll be in San Jose at fake Grandma Enis's house enjoying her city and garden for a coupla days and in San Fransisco for a coupla days.

in San Fransisco I plan on:

-walking along fisherman's wharf, Pier 39

-visiting the wax museum (looked for pictures of when I went in high school and posed next to almost every wax figure, but realized they were taken on a disposeable and now sit in a family album in Phoenix)

-stopping in at Ghirardhelli Chocolate Factory

-touring WWII ships like the USS Jeremiah O'Brian

-maybe getting to visit Alcatraz, oo-lala

-admiring the ocean

-visiting my dad's early childhood home north of the city

-walking through China town, looking at things like ducks hanging in windows and pharmacies in which shark fins sit in proudly displayed jars (again, too bad I don't have access to the pics of my trip in high school!)

my packing list for this California trip contains things like:
-nautical themed clothing& accessories
-good walking shoes

-camera with lotsa batt'ries

-ipod to repeatedly listen to the aforementioned Animals song and my other classic Cali music like Jack's Mannequin and the Beach Boys

button, button, who's got the button?!

ever heard the worship song that goes,
"You give and take away, You give and take away.
my heart will chose to say, Lord blessed is Your name" ?
...well i've been singing it for years and years but have a new appreciation of the words.

lately, God's been been teaching me to be grateful things I already had.
examples:




*having a button on my winter coat. i have other coats, but this one i got last year is my absolute favorite.

while playing in the snow, the button fell off and it took me over a month of forgetting to sew it back on. now i appreciate being able to close my coat to better keep me warm :)




*my wallet. yep, remember when i mentioned i had lost my wallet? four days later i found it on the dashboard of my car! already having cancelled my bank cards, it was nice not to have to go get a new driver's license and to still have an old navy gift card. these were posessions i already had and yet was newly thankful for. i realized that they're still a luxury to be thankful for; i don't really need them but life is easier with bank cards, AAA, a driver's license and a coupla bucks in cash.



*my bike. i know, you're thinking "really jennifer, you're gonna talk about your bike againnn?" yes, yes i am. it's just supah exciting to have the mode of fun transportation back!
it's something i took for granted; it was free and i was like 'well everyone on campus has a bike, it's nothing to be very thankful for now that i've had it for a few months.' totally wrong.



*other things like hot water from the kitchen sink and NOT having my car blow smoke at me through the ac vents.

it really doesn't matter how these things ended up outta my life for a while. God restored them to me in a way that makes me discover how blessed i am with even the little things and that i really don't have to depend on having posessions, there not mine anyway.

*****i feel this could be preparing my heart a little for when i return home from 6weeks in China this July, shocked with gratitude for what God has already provided me with and seeing all that i can live without!