Gotta love the tights.

Well, here is some more evidence for you of a.) how cute I was when I was four years old, and b.) that I actually did write “Jenna B 4″ on my drawings and other important nursery school documents.  I still vividly remember my Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) days, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t like it that much.  Maybe not, but if it involved having to play with kids I didn’t know, I probably didn’t like it.  I specifically remember the one girl that I thought must’ve been super popular because she wore two headbands at the same time, or the time when all of us kids had to line up, put our hands on the person’s shoulders in front of us, and pretend we were a big train (making choo-choo noises and all).  I think we even toured through all of our parents’ classrooms too.  How embarrassing.  I was just always a pretty shy girl.  If the “I don’t trust you so I’m just going to hold onto this pillar behind me” stance I’m taking in that photo doesn’t prove that, maybe my uncomfortable, “I really don’t want my picture taken” smile will do the trick. 

I was at my parents’ last night and I found my old box of childhood projects and memorabilia and just had to scan in a couple of these goodies.  Don’t even ask me what that one drawing is, I think it’s supposed to be a birthday cake or something.  And there will be more gems to come, don’t you worry, I found my old third grade journal and some of the things written inside are just priceless.  I was SUCH a nerd.  I mean, I was SO COOL.  I probably wore three headbands at the same time.

Good times.  ♥ jb

It’s the freaking weekend

I just wanted to write a quick post to say that I’m really excited that it’s Friday.  I’m just getting ready to leave work, head downtown, and listen to Catchpenny out in Peavey Plaza.  I’m pretty excited about that.  Plus, the sun just came out again, so I’m pumped about that.  I love weekends.  I love sunshine.  I love outdoor concerts on the weekend in the sunshine.  It’s gonna be great.  I’m also really looking forward to Sunday.  I’ll probably go to Bethlehem (Piper’s sermon series has been k/a.  I don’t know if you can say that about a sermon series or not, but whatev, it’s been awesome) then go home and hang out with the fam for Father’s Day.  Who knows what we’ll do, but it will be nice to spend some quality time.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!  ♥ jb

Goals

My goals for 2008 have been going ok.  Moderate.  Decent.  I still have a lot of the year left.  We’re coming up on halfway here soon though, and I’m not giving up just yet.  (Sidenote: can you believe 2008 is almost half over?  Dang.)

Anyways, one of my goals for this week is to try and find a new picture of myself when I was 4 years old.  I think my header could use an update, what do you think?  Or maybe something from the archives that proves I actually did sign all of my masterpieces “Jenna B. 4″…?  We’ll see.  That might take a little more time scrounging around at my parents house.  Another goal?  I’m crossing my fingers for another fun CJ encounter.  We’ve had some good ones recently, good visits.  I think we’re actually becoming friends now, not just me having a crush, and that’s good.  Kinda makes me think of, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”  Good times.  Live in love.  ♥ jb

A Way Back Into Love

I feel like it’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything on JennaB4, but really, it’s only been a week.  Weird.  Anyways, I don’t really know what to post, though I feel like I should.  Let’s see.  The past week…  hmm…

Well, I guess I feel like I’m getting back into the mindset of love.  You know, living in love.  I guess I kind of lost it for a couple months.  It seems like ever since I got back from Arizona in early March, I just kind of got lazy in my motto for the year, to Live in Love in 2008.  Not that I stopped loving, but that I stopped being intentional at living in love – truly abiding and growing in love for God, by learning more about Him and living my life so that others come to know Him and the gospel; for other people, trying to serve people and their needs with genuine encouragement and unconditional love; and for myself, by taking care of my health and fitness, by strengthening my mind through reading and prayer, and allowing adequate time for rest too.  I was on such a roll in the beginning of the year, I don’t know what happened. 

Either way, I don’t know how to explain the change, but I know it happened, so now I’m that much more excited to be finding my way back into love.  Not to copy the lyrics from the hit song from Music and Lyrics with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, which sidenote: is a pretty bad movie considering the reasonably decent actors, but I will admit, the soundtrack is pretty catchy (at least “Way Back Into Love,” which has been on my Most Recently Played list for the last year probably, funny), but I think it’s true. 

Maybe it’s just the fact that my eyes have been opened to the world outside myself, that there are people that are hurting, people that need Jesus, people that need to be loved so badly, and where do I start?  I guess I need to fill myself with the Holy Spirit, to let my cup runneth over, so to speak.  I need to love God better.  I need to seek him through Scripture and prayer, so that my life can be a godly witness, so that other people can come to know Him.  John Piper put it so well, “So when we asked, what should we do to help people be born again, the biblical answer was plain: Tell people the good news from a heart of love and a life of service.”  Brilliant.  I may need to bring back a little Bold in 2006 for that to happen, but I think that statement is a starting point at least.  (Check out more of his sermon, “I Am Sending You to Open Their Eyes,” here. It’s excellent.)

Also, on a different note, I’ve had a lot of good interactions with CJ recently.  Not that I think things are necessarily moving forward, but I am still very much hopeful.  We’ve had some good hangouts, some good conversations, you know, good stuff overall.  I’ll take just about anything.  He has a smile that you just can’t resist, you have to smile back.  Have you ever met anyone like that?  I mean, sure, when someone smiles, it would be rude to not smile back, but his smile is different.  Who knows.  I’ve yet to figure him out, but I’m intrigued, and I’m still trying to love him (in the friend way, at least for now), because I know he needs it too.  We all do, right?  I think some of us are just too proud to admit it sometimes, or think we can handle it all on our own.  Well, good luck with that.  ♥ jb