Jaymz

Are you Wet?

So, how far do you have to get into the pool before you are swimming?

At what point are you no longer just standing in the pool, but swimming in it?

Up to your ankles? Your knees? Waist? Neck?

At what point does your statement, "I'm not going to actually swim…" turn into the realization that you are completely wet?

 

I am in high school. Senior year. It's a big deal. I'm practicing….. for college, for life, for real…

Peer pressure wasn't left behind in junior high. It is a real thing – it's a part of real life. Up until this point my social life in school has developed a list of "Won'ts", comprised of all the things that, despite peer pressure, I won't do…

What does that mean? Now I have a fairly complete list, I'm learning that not everyone's list matches. What do we do with the things we are not supposed to do? We avoid them. Does this mean avoid any situation where items on our list could exist? Or does it mean we can enter the situation and just keep our eyes open for those items on our list?

John 16:17- "You are not of this world….*

At what point do we cross the line from innocent bystander or spectator into the position of participation? At what point do we look like we are "of this world"?

I don't want to look down someday and see that I'm not longer watching, but swimming. It's a gradual process. Many times we don't realize we are getting wet until the water closes in over our head…. Something to think about this week: Are you dry? Are you on your way to getting wet? Or are you already wet?

Colossians 2:8- "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."

*My Goal: If something that goes against my personal beliefs and convictions, that contradicts the word of God, and could possibly – even a little bit – come between me and my Savior is made present in a situation…. I will turn around and walk the other way. I don't even want my feet in the water.*

Caption!

Help me out with a few caption ideas. Look at the pic shown below, then click the comments link even farther down, then write a funny or cute caption for this picture, then…. Oh wait… that's it. Do it please! Plz.

Here's mine: "Oh my gosh! A branch!!!"

Now your turn.

My First Felony

I am a thug.

And I steal stuff.

Because that is what thugs do.

Us thugs are hardcore.

 

Nah I'm just kidding….. Even thought I am pretty hardcore.

So I went to my Daddy's favorite place in the entire world last Saturday night after church. Walmart. Found a new clock for my room… got some new nose rings….. grabbed a few other things that I needed. Oh! And I tried on a pair of sun glasses. As Jes and I were leaving, the alarm at the door went off. The dude who checks receipts and compares them to the items in your bag responded immediately…. Well my receipt was in total agreement with the contents of my bag. This is because what set off the alarm was not in my bag……

When I got home….. Something was irritating my forehead….. I reached up to remove the intruding object…. It was a price tag!!!!

In my mist of trying on different pairs of glasses, one was forgotten and left on my head….. I felt sooooooooo bad. For reals.

I have never stolen a thing in my entire life! L except sunglasses….

I really am a good kid!

 

Rest assured that I DID pay for them. I took them back to Walmart and paid the whopping $10.80. I didn't have the heart or the guts to say that I didn't want them… especially since I had already stolen them and taken them to my house once…. I am now the owner of a previously stolen pair of white sunlasses…

Stealing is bad. Say no to stealing.

Babysitting: Crumbs are living organisms..... I know this because they can multiply on their own...

    I have a job these days!!!! I am a full-time babysitter. I know. Scary.

I nanny my two little cousins:

Meet Koi and Si:

 

They are great fun. Koi (right) is 7 and Silas (left) is 5.

and they are both filled to the brim with energy.

I have learned lots and lots this summer through this new job of mine. I am gaining insights that usually are not realized until motherhood. Some of which are superficial:

• Bread crumbs are actually living organisms. I know this because the boys are not allowed to eat in my car.... and somehow crumbs appear in the cushions of my back seat and they multiply.
• If you ever want to figure out which cars in the parking lot are the ones that frequently transport children, look at the windows. The windows of my beloved Speedracer (toyota 4runner) are currently sporting this season's newest look: fingerprints, handprints, toeprints, footprints, and even tounge prints! What on earth possesses a kid to lick it? Does my window look tasty? I don't know...
• Children must be more flexible than a worm... because they are able to get stains and dirt and just general juvenile grime is some very hard-to-reach places.... You know. The places that amazingly become messy, but when it comes time to clean up.... it is unreachable!!!
• Kids, especially boys, find humor in some of the most simple things. Things like:

            -saying "Yes, Sir" instead of the required "Yes, Ma'am".

            -replying to any simply instruction with "No thanks, but I'd rather eat tacos!" (Seriously people,I couldn't right this stuff!)

            -Poop. It's funny. ALWAYS.

        

• Everyday is opposite day. all children know this, but adults are never let in on this secret.
• Mac'n'Cheese can be their favorite food one day, and the next day it is considered a vile substance.
• Disney's Toy Story is most likely a true story on the count of toys really do come alive and run away. (Considering the boys' toy-sacrificing rituals that take place every year during firework season every year..... I'm not so sure that i blame them...)
• The teenage babysitters that consider mornings to be a cruel joke will always be paired with the children who wake up befor 7 on a regular basis. FOR NO REASON.

I love my boys :) And I love the time that I get to spend with them. We are on an adventure :)

Stick around to read what else I learn from them.... and it won't all be goofy funny things. Some of it is some pretty deep stuff.

A Week of Rain = Mud

Yeah. That's right. The middle one is me! It's been a stressful week. Im part of the junior class at school, so it's our job to plan prom and make it happen. Well, prom is this Friday and it's going to be LAH-git. (lahgit? it's like legit, only legitter) But since it's, like, 3 days away…. Things have started to move at a million-miles-an-hour pace. Also, I had a mega chemistry test today. Not my best subject. AND the big-dog AP U.S. History exam is Friday morning and the pressure to pass is ON!

So today we had a "prom work-day", and after a few hours of grueling grass glueing (we are constructing a grass hut to go with our ~Sunset on the Serengeti~ theme) the rain that has been falling for the past week was dampening everyone's mood. BUT! But we kids know how to make the most of the situation.

Mud fight!!!!!

Oh my gosh…. So fun. You don't even know. We played hard. It was a blast. It was nice to let go for a bit and releave ourselves of some stress. The bad thing is now I have these little scrapes EVERYWHERE that will be visible in my prom dress. Haha. How fitting.

Have you had a big week? Been a little stressed? Go play. You don't have to make a gigumbous mess like we did…. But do something that wasn't on the to-do list. Kick back. Relax. Call a friend. Go hang out. Promise you won't regret it.

Oh. And check out my sweet pics:

The gang

The dudes

Btw, my shorts were originally blue. And my shirt was red. I heart mud.

:o)

Help?

Ok..... I'm out-of-shape with the blogging thing.... and very obviously out-of-touch with the blog world....

Throw me a lifeline! Got a question for me? Curious as to my views on a particular matter? Wanna see somethign through my eyes? Leave a comment with something you would like to see me write about...

please. pretty please.

Update

So where do I even start? I have put off blogging for a REALLY long time because I've been dreading having to fill you all in on the past -however-long-I've-been-gone- and making the excuse for why I've been gone that long.....

So I 'm officially releasing myself from the burden of explaining myself or trying to catch you up on life. I'm making a fresh start. And just saying "sorry" I've been gone. :)

Now that you and I have cleared the waters between us, I can get back to blogging at least a little more frequently. :) ttyl

Jaymz Who???

I know. You might not even remember me…

Dear ladies and gentlemen……

I'm would like to formally apologize for my recent and prolonged absence from the blogging community.

I would like to first and foremost say: It's Not My Fault! It's Not My Fault! It's Not My Fault! It's Not My Fault! It's Not My Fault! It's Not My Fault! It's Not My Fault! It's Not My Fault! It's Not My Fault!

Ok…….. it's my fault.

Update on my life:

• I went to Europe on a ministry trip. (I will soon put up a legit post about it.)
• I SAW MOCHA!!! (the dude…..not the flavor)
• I went to tri-state for basketball. (a tourney for the teams from Missouri and Kansas, as well as, Oklahoma.)
• Soccer started!!!!!!!!!! Woop woop.
• I love my friends! A ton! And my church. I'm really learning to appreciate the people in my life…

Okay. I admit it. This is a weenie post….. but there is more to come as soon as finals week is over!!! Promise!!!!

Help

Okay… I need a caption. See if you can think of something to complete this picture…. At least try.

If only we knew…

I think that sometimes we fear the things of this world. Or the people in it.

Good news!!! We don't have to fear the things that those of this world do. This world is not our home, and while we will be held accountable for our time spent here, we do not have to fear what is not meant for us. We don't have to fear loneliness, failure, sickness and death, or the consequences of this world…. We walk in God's love. In his healing. In His hope. In His favor.

We don't have to fear the desolation of being alone and unloved, because we hold the most powerful of all loves… God's love. He loves us regardless of what we could ever think, say, or do. And because He loves us, He says He will never leave or forsake us.

We don't have to fear the consequences of being a sinner, because we are made blameless and pure through His unfailing love. In this forgiveness, we are given hope. Hope of a new life, a life of joy and fulfillment. He says that once we have confessed, we are righteous.

We don't have to fear the sicknesses of the world or the death that comes with them. Christ took the pain and suffering upon himself and made us healthy and whole. He says that by His stripes, we are healed.

We don't have to fear trivial hardships of this world. Things like a failing economy, an imperfect government, and worldly wars are not ours to worry about. God has given us the ability to be a light for Him and to succeed when all others seem to fail. When coworkers are fired, we receive promotion. When the economy fails, we have been given the tools to still succeed. When people of this world live in lack, we walk in supernatural success. He says that we have received favor and a good name through Him.

We do not have to live in fear of the things of this world:

1. Fear of loneliness. [Hebrews 13:5]
2. Fear of failure. [1 John 1:9]
3. Fear of sickness and death. [1 Peter 2:24]
4. Fear of the consequences of the world. [Proverbs 3:4]

We are not meant to fear consequences of this world. They are not meant for us.

*John 15:19- If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.

*John 17:16- You are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

*1 Corinthians 2:12- We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.