Home for the Holidays

     I realize it may be a few days late, but Friday was a busy day! I began my day in Columbia...

and ended it in Wichita... but since it was Friday, and even though we had a ton too do, we made it happen! We decided to let you catch up with us as we packed to head home. . .

 Who would have ever though that much stuff would fit in a suitcase. . .  But the good news is We both made it. A few airplanes later . . .

Hannah should be starting her day in Bosnia (which you can read about here --- http://diaryofamissionarykid.wordpress.com) and I am currently winding down mine. 

     In 10 days it will be Christmas, which is why I have no doubt that  Christmas music is playing on the nearest radio station. As I sit here by my Christmas tree, curled up on the couch with a open copy of Sherlock Holmes Vol. 1 laying next to me I can't help but think of the classic christmas tune that sings the line ... "there is no place like home for the holidays." Preach it!
     Already, I have settled back into the Reimschisel routine, made numerous trips to the mall and other places picking out gifts that will best show my family and friends that I know them and that I Love them, enjoyed the freedom of sleeping in, and spent some quality (much needed) time with My family.

    

     All this to say, It is good to be home! God was good the day he inspired the Wright brothers to invent a flying airplane and even greater when He got me home safely day before yesterday.but enough about me, wherever you are, I hope that you spend christmas with someone you love and that you are just as blessed as I am this christmas season. 

Love Jac 

- your world traveler. . . 

Things to Ponder

* PAUSE THE STUDYING* 

     Whether you are a college student, an adult, a parent or high schooler who is surfing the web I hope you continue reading especially if you like food for thought. I think one of the biggest mistakes believers make is being uneducated (notice is didn't say believe) in the world of modern literature and philosophy. I am not above this, and I admit to living under a rock for a long time, but I'm catching up.
     This semester I had psychology so naturally I learned about all the "greats". . . Freud, Adler, Jung, Skinner and more, but as I am studying for my LAST FINAL EXAM ** INSERT fist pump here**  I am reading up on Frankl, who by far is my favorite. Partly because he is a believer and partly because so far he is the most interesting. Anyway, at the moment I figured a little study break and plus  I just wanted to share with you some of his wise words:

"To those who say they will not believe in God because they cannot verify His existence empirically through normal scientific means, Frankl responds by saying that they should get over their immature epistemology. Many realities exist that we cannot examine in a direct, sensory way. No one can directly see, physically handle, or directly measure sorrow, loneliness, hope, faith, love, peace, joy, or meaning – the most basic and most important of human realities."

"Man loses respect for himself and others when he loses his contact with his Creator." 

"Stripped of their belief in God, men quickly fall into a close-ended, close-minded, “philosophical” Naturalism."

"He (referring to Frankl)  finally asked himself what kind of meaning could entirely depend on having a child, or publishing a manuscript. In that moment, he saw that if there ever is to be a true meaning to a man’s life, it must be a meaning from beyond himself and his surroundings, an unconditional one, a meaning that cannot be destroyed by suffering or death." 

All of these come from a book I have to finish reading called "From Sigmund Freud to Viktor Frankl:  How Psychiatry Became Human" written by Stephen H. Farrah. (who just so happens to be my prof) and I am really loving it. 
     To elaborate a bit on what I said earlier - it is important to know what is going on in the mind of the world around you - TO BE AWARE - since we are called to be IN, but NOT OF. (Think of it like this, a foreigner goes  to a country but refuses to know any of the traditions or ways of the people yet wants to connect and build relationships. . .Its pretty impossible) So, next time you want something challenging to read or think about pick op a philosophy/psych/or famous novel BUT just remember to compare it to The TRUTH God has given us.  It is good to think (spiritual exercise to strengthen your spiritual belief), to be aware of what false truth is out there and be reminded how much better Gods Truth is in comparison to mans understanding of life. Food For thought . . .
Anyway, I better get back to my book 6:30 is getting closer by the minute.
Have a great night!
- Jac

The Kindness of a Stranger.

This post is dedicated to the kind ole' gentleman that helped this city girl change a tire. 

      After today,  I can no longer say "Never have I ever.." been stranded road side due to a obnoxious tire. . .or if you want to get technical a nail that lodged itself into the side-strip of my tire. I had just finished my last shift of the holiday weekend at the good ole' Depot and was headed back for a relaxing saturday afternoon at my friends home (since it is Thanksgiving break after all!!!) and all of a sudden, well -you can imagine my surprise as a few cars rolled up beside me mouthing words and pointing anxiously at my back wheel. It was only after I pulled over in a neighborhood that probably isn't the safest place to be stranded in alone; that I did the only thing a single girl thinks to do when she has car trouble. . .
Called my daddy (who I might add is over 500 miles away and does not have a personal jet at his disposal... but I called anyway). I may or may not have teared up a little bit but hey, being on your own has some scary moments. Needless to say it was about this time the gentleman.. named George walked up to my car and asked if I needed help.
I had a decision to make. I could trust this guy and have immediate help, or wait 3 hours and call AAA like I'd been planning to do.
     I must have looked pretty nervous (after all I'd seen my far share of CSI , NCIS, and all the informative TV shows now a days) because the gentleman called me on it said that It was okay - he told me he had a daughter about my age and he'd want someone to offer to help her if she was ever in my situation. So I decided if worst came to worst I had pepper spray.
     I popped my trunk and within 30 minutes he had the "Donut" spare on and I knew a little bit more about this kind fellow. I eventually got home with daylight to spare and now the next thing on my to-do list is make a stop at the tire shop to get a new tire.
    I will probably never see that kind ole' gentleman or his wife again, but I am sure grateful for the kindness of that stranger. I made it through that seemingly impossible situation - I got home safe and sound, learned some new tire lingo, and have one more story to tell my kids someday. After all 'tis the season to count your blessings and today was just another gift that showed me what Gods goodness looks like.
Have a good one Guys!
- Jac

Walking Zombies

     It’s a bitter cold day here in the South today. Believe it or not, it is possible for the temperature to suddenly drop below 30 degrees. Although I must say, the reaction of southerners to snow. . . I mean Sleet - is unbelievably enthusiastic and very entertaining to watch.

     Today is a day when all the college kids go running to their local coffee shops or if they desire coffee but want to avoid the chatter - pick up their favorite drink & head to the cozy nook in Barnes and Noble. At least that’s what I did.
     A girl can only take so much psych, and after reading a grand total of 5 pages (at least I finished a section) I decided to take a study break.  The grand thing about book stores is that there are ALL kinds of interesting books to look at. . .
Books on Philosophy. . .

. . . are right next to books on Dieting & other random psychology books. . .

. . .and then a few shelves down are books on new age, Wicca, myths and fantasy, history and Christianity. 

     So I’m walking around, after a crazy last couple of days, which have basically been consumed with my own schedule; and I have one thought. ONE Random thought. That blows my mind.There are probably 500 books in that section alone… each by a different person. 

I know -  you are probably thinking, "Duh! Where do you think books come from"----I know. I'm not THAT blonde.  
     It is the concept that each book represents the thoughts that fill up the heads of individuals who write them. Questions and concepts that plague the closet poet, the world evangelist, the mother turned fiction writer, the university professor, the world renowned doctor, the Graduate student of historical studies. . . and here I was concerned about not failing an exam. Where are my priorities? talk about pushing matters of LIFE AND DEATH to the back of my to do list. I became a little overwhelmed. 
     I like looking at things differently and recently I've been asking God to show me people differently. God never disappoints and over the last few weeks, I've realized that I love stories - especially PEOPLES stories, what makes them the way they are. In a society of individualism - I LOVE to listen (So, yeah - I might be that person eavesdropping on your conversation in the corner - but only because I'm curious of how you VIEW life) and the more I LOOK and LISTEN to see people as who they are, the more I see souls searching. WALKING ZOMBIES. Individuals looking for life who 'don't endure sound teaching, but with itching ears, accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and who have turned away from listening to truth and wandered off into myths' (2 Tim 4:3-4) and the more broken I become. I may have been standing in a bookstore but as I stood there surrounded by classic novels of past and present; I found myself reorganizing my priority list and aching for individuals in need of THE truth (John 4:16). 
     Next time you pick up a book - weather a textbook or a old classic think of the person who wrote it, I guarantee It will change your perspective a little bit. 
Until next time.
- J

  

1-800-DESPERATE

LADIES AND GENTS.

Guess what! I survived another week; and if you are reading this. . . Well, that means you did to! So, CONGRATULATIONS are in order! 

Lets be honest the real reason you opened this page is because you saw the word DESPERATE. (I would have too) let me explain a little bit. First off, Formal is one of the bigger events here at CIU. Everyone gets all dressed up, takes pictures, and heads to some fancy location where they eat and dance the night away.

UNFORTUNATELY its when the issue of "having a date" comes up that all the drama starts. (mostly with girls.. because well.... We like to get emotional) Recently I myself, have been convicted of how easy it is to place my identity in the fact that I may or may not have a date, but I am working on that. Nobody is perfect and this is the time when taking every thought captive really matters. 

So, to add some HUMOR to a iceberg situation Our FRIDAY VIDEO is on how NOT TO get a date... Haha!! 

I wish you could see all the BLOOPERS that came about during this shoot because Hannah (http://diaryofamissionarykid.wordpress.com) can pull off a Fabulous ditzy character. Plus, now i know what I would sound like as a Dude.... or a chipmunk... we might have experimented. But by now you've read enough... (you're probobly thinking, Gee. What is this a textbook?) I know, I know. 

Sooooooo....

LAUGH ALOT, feel free to share with all your friends and ENJOY the latest episode of "THE HANNAH & JACQUELINE SHOW"...

Thanks for watching!!! 

- Jacqueline

Oh SNAP!

I don't know if you know this about me, but I have A LOVE FOR MUSIC. All kinds, I can listen to pretty much anything. . . with the exception of Scremo (If you can - I applaud you, I usually get a headache). SOME of my favorites are listed below. . .

Acoustic pop: Matt Kearney, The Rend Collective Experiment, Tori Kelly, Andrew Allen - Loving you tonight, (a new favorite) Taylor Thrash, Andy Grammar, the Workday release, Lorde - royals is my favorite though, Jason Reeves, Phillip Phillips, Tyler Ward, and He is We. 

Pop rock and R&B: Pink, Katy Perry, Imagine Dragons, NEEDTOBREATHE, one republic, Bastille, Avicii, Tristan Prettyman, Bruno mars, Jason Mraz, one direction, OneRepublic, Taylor swift, Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovato, Passenger, Gavin Degraw... and SO MANY MORE!

Rap: Eminem, Benjiah, Trip Lee, Lecrae - Don't waste your life,  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, KJ-52, pitbull, T-pain, Lil Wayne - How to love is my favorite, Grits... and more... 

...Then there is 

Country: Carrie underwood, Florida Georgia line, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Jake owen, Zac Brown band, Hunter Hayes, Kelli Pickler... the list could go on forever. . . and I haven't even mentioned my favorite worship bands!  

I say all of that to say. . .

 THE COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS were on tonight!
I have to say Carrie underwood and Brad Paisley were FANTASTIC hosts! 20 minutes into the ceremony I was impressed with their sarcastic and playful humor on rough events to address and their more than creative introductions - Particularly The Duck dynasty intro, that one was defiantly my favorite! All I kept thinking was OHHHHHHHHSNAP!! 
Not just about the show as a whole (which I really Loved), but more or less because as I sat their watching performance after performance - listening to lyric after lyric I began to see just how much these songs represented our culture.

How we think, what we value, why we do what we do. . . and It breaks my heart. 
This Is my country, these are my people, and they are lost. The only world they know is unsatisfying, filled to the brim with double standards, empty, self-centered, its all about what makes you happy. There is a bigger word than individualism that can be used to define our culture - Existentialism. . . and I would go as far as to say Epicureanism. Christianity might be the face. . . but the HEART of this country is a mix of those two.
So, how do I react when I know truth. When I know there is something bigger and more satisfying than MY PLEASURE to live for? How do I approach a world (friends, neighbors, strangers) that believe WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU IS RIGHT.

2nd Corinthians 4:1-6 says  "Therefore, by having this ministry by the mercy of GOD, WE DO NOT LOSE HEART... In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbeleivers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the Glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as servants for jesus's sake. For God who said,'let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light  of the knowledge of the glory of God". 

The answer. . .Be encouraged. Pray, trust, & as soon as possible act. Act as a light in a dark, dark place. 

- Jacqueline 

When life gives you props, make a video.

Hello there friends! :)

It is a beautiful Saturday morning, the birds are chirping, and I have another VIDEO to share with you! 

Getting out of class a few minutes early and a closet full of unique props not to far away can get people in touch with their dramatic side!

So Enjoy the latest episode of "The Hannah and Jacqueline Show" (Hannah from http://diaryofamissionarykid.wordpress.com )  when you need a break from whatever your Saturday to-do-list looks like.

Thanks for watching... I hope you laughed as much as I did! :) 

Peace out! 

- Jacqueline

To Imitate

It is Thursday. It is the last day of october; which in turn means it was Halloween. It was the day every mother eagerly pins away for. The day where babies make people "ooh and aww" because they look so precious in whatever costume the mothers pick out and or take time to make and put together. 

I mean how much cuter can this get? 

Kids OF ALL AGES love this occasion, a time where they can dress up and live life as someone else for a little while. Whether you are a monkey, a rather large penguin.... 

A fireman, a cat or Dog, a doctor, a superhero, or even a pirate...

You are IMITATING something. 

You could go with something more normal, like a teacher, a astronaut, or a basketball player.      . . 

Or if you are into the classic films like "Breakfast at Tiffany's", "Sixteen Candles", "Grease", or Even "The James bond " films...

Don't worry... It is nerf.

You could IMITATE them to. 

Adding Harry Potter and Jail-breaker and a Flapper Girl to the list of classic costumes would cover some of the more easily imitated acts.

It hit me tonight,  as I ran around campus with good friends tossing candy onto tables of studious and homework laden classmates; and as we were charging down the hallways in the dorms putting candy in the hands of some VERY surprised people... That....
This is what we are supposed to do Daily.
IMITATE GOD by Imitating CHRIST.
Ephesians 5:1 says "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; ² and walk in love, just as Christ also loved." Paul had it figured out. . . I wonder if they celebrated halloween back then... (Just Kidding) but... While Halloween is a pagan holiday that today has morphed into candy and sugar rushes galore with some creative costumes thrown in the mix, It is a Good reminder of what the act of  IMITATION looks like and should look like in a believers life.
Now I'm gonna go eat the one tootsie roll I have left, and you probably should get back to who knows what... but in the meantime have a great day! :) and Thanks for reading!
 

Rainbows.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind? 

Promise. 

        

It is beautiful isn't it? 

          Lately I've been reading the legend and story of Noah... I went back and started at the beginning and let me tell you the stories that I was told by my sunday school teachers... they were Great children's tales... but they weren't very accurate.

        How we turned God regretting his decision to make man; and wiping out EVERY living, breathing soul off the face of this planet into one of the most famous children's stories is a mystery to me.

        Sure they have the main points correct . . .but If you take away the horror and the reason behind the flood and ONLY Emphasize some cute animals on a perfectly tinted and drawn ark you have lost the point. 

      God was vicious and wrathful, but God was gracious. Gracious to one man and his family. . . and a whole bunch of animals... Obviously. 

      I guess the real question I should be asking is, how did something so beautiful come out of something so ugly? funny - Beauty from filth is one of Gods specialties. 

So after God has had his vengeance on a people who disregarded his ways he remembers Noah. A man righteous in his sight. .  . In other words he would be like the teachers pet. That one kid that when everyone else is acting up is sitting perfectly and actually being obedient. 

    After the waters are gone God opens the doors and makes a promise; a promise that he will never demolish human life by water or floods again and the rainbow is his signature on the dotted line. 

That Is the Magic of the rainbow. . . all though it is one of the most beautiful. I believe it is more than the pretty colors that make it alluring -  It is the connotation of a promise. 

Life from death. 

One of my favorite songs contains these lyrics. . .

So, all this is to say that next time you walk into a nursery and see a big painting of an ark - remember His words and what his promise means - that God is gracious, and since he NEVER changes he still extends his graciousness to us today. 

Have a good one! 

Sunshine and Seashells.

There comes a point in life where it is necessary to get away for a bit. 

Go away somewhere fresh, alluring, and spontaneous. 

For me, that place is the beach. 

A week ago was fall break. A random set of 2 days off school for people to go home, catch up on hermeneutics (which has been plaguing most of my friends lately) or go someplace adventurous. 

Meet Elizabeth, my traveling companion. . . and after that weekend, my even better friend.

 Both of us journeyed up to the beautiful city of Charleston where we stayed with a good friend. This time was filled with lots of much needed rest (somehow, sleep evades me in my dorm room), plenty of laughter, SO MUCH YUMMMMMMMMY home-cooked food, (as well as the deliciousness you can find in Charleston diners and what not - By the way if you are ever on King street in charleston... GO TO BELGIAN GELATO--- One of the BEST ice cream places in the city... and I might even go as far as to say as the world, but that might be a little extreme.) and wonderful adventures.  

- - - - - - - 

Anyway, by far my favorite day was FRIDAY.

Wanna know why...

Well, if you have not already guessed by my collection of pictures; it was because we spent the day at the BEACH. 

It was just what I needed. 

Sometimes you need to shut your phone off for a bit (believe it or not the world will not end... I know Shocking!) smell the smell of sea salt, feel the sand between your toes, and look out on the horizon and soak up some sunshine. 

 God gave us his creation to enjoy, SO ENJOY IT. 

Personally, my favorite things to enjoy are his seashells - each one different and unique from all over the world brought to a place where I can pick them up; and that is one of the may things that brings a smile to my face.   

I took a mound of them home with me that day, and I will pick up more when I go again. 

I don't know why exactly, but maybe it is because sunshine and seashells remind me of Paradise.

A New Tradition.

Ladies and Gentlemen - If you are reading this...
Welp, It is Friday and there is much going on in this life I live. Exams, projects, beach trips, growth, and then there is me and Hannah's friendship. In other words Starting a week ago... or two week will be posting a video blog known as "The Hannah and Jacqueline show... (with some fancy title inserted here! )"
So whether you are young or old, guy or girl, little or big.... Here is something to make you laugh! ***

ENJOY! and... thanks for watching! You guys are the best!


P.S: Next time we will make it shorter.. but it is worth watching... Really. It is a good end to a busy week.

TGIFN (Thank Goodness Its Friday Night)

If you are home on a friday night, after drinking Mt. Dew and eating chocolate what would you do?

Answer: Make a video. 

Here's a link to Hannahs Blog if any of you are interested in reading her bouts with daily life... with some comic relief. . . http://diaryofamissionarykid.wordpress.com

GENIUS.

   Tonight I took my first PSYcHoLoGy EXAM; and if you know anything about that topic you'll know there is a TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON of information. Some I deem useless but that is why I am NOT a psych major and not a scientist... ask the my friends.. me as a scientist... that is a scary thought.

   I was up to my elbows in words I could NOT pronounce and not particularly thrilled about spending quality time with my textbook, Freud (that man had some questionable qualities), Adler or the lobes of the brain for that matter. But I did; and whatdaya know I learned something. 

GOD IS A FREAKING GENIUS.  

   There was a TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON of information we covered in these first couple classes and that I had to memorize and review tonight, and there is going to be more in the classes to come. Not to mention this is just GENERAL PSYCH! There is more information out there than a human could ever retain. 

God knows every answer to ever question people could and have ever asked on top of ALL the information that scientists and psychologists have yet to discover. 

WoW. 

   Yeah. Thats what I thought in the middle of my complaining about the 6+ hours I'd put in to studying for this test...... then I took a moment and looked at my paper. Looked at all the details that I had to memorize describing the composition and specific duties of these microscopic cells and then it hit me.

NOT ONLY did God KNOW everything ABOUT this topic 

GOD CREATED FROM SCRATCH EVERYTHING I WAS STUDYING. 

   Without his creativity none of that information would be present. I guess you could say I just sat there in awe for a moment. First because I was complaining about His handiwork, and secondly because My MiND was pretty much BlOwN.  

   Anyway, this whole exam thing has kinda warped my perspective or maybe it is all the studying getting to my brain. Either way, its been a good day, the night is still young and my to do list is still long... SO, Peace out. 

Roadtrip'n

I love long car rides, especially with AWESOME people. This particular one was one of the shorter ones I've gone on but it took us to the not so little city of Atlanta, Georgia.  

Heres how it all happened:

1.) It started last semester when I learned of a church that sponsors a conference that is pretty popular with college students - A place Called Passion City Church. It was about 4.5 hours from where I am going to school and I figured I had a car and friends and when or if I had time it would be a good use of time. 

2.) Fast-forward to last week on monday night. My friend Melissa and I decide to go down to Atlanta Sunday and make a day of it since we have time and nothing that we HAVE to do that day (a rare occurrence for both of us.)  So we started looking up fun places to visits and did our research. 

3.) Sunday Morning came and as we agreed on we left at 7 AM........ (I am not a morning person, I have never been and I don't think I will ever be.. and I love coffee - GOOD COFFEE) which is precisely why we took a 20 mile detour into the little city of Akin to get Starbucks. (it was kind of essential since I was the only one driving all day.)

 4.) We sang songs at the top of our lungs, told stories of Jacqueline the Jacalope and Katie the cougar, Stopped in a little place called BUCKHEAD (which is REALLY fun to say if you need a new favorite word) to get gas and rode a old carousel... you are never to young to ride those right? Haha....

Did I mention that this gas station had 50 cent tattoos? We all Got one! and wore them proudly. -- temporary OF corse!

 *** Insert quip about hacking each others twitter and Facebook statuses here.

 5. We get into Atlanta about lunch time and after possibly making the most awkward turn around ever!!!!!!!!! We get some lunch.. and all of a sudden..... (it had been sunny all morning and 3 out of the 4 of us had decided against bringing our rain coats.... which was REALLY unfortunate because...)

it POURS. . .

 So we try and wait it out... and when it gets really light we decide to run for it.... Unfortunately at that moment it decided to majorly downpour and... well...

6.) We Got drenched. (we were just around the corner of the restaurant.)

7. ) However even in the rain the skyline is BEAUTIFUL!
 We (Katie and Hailey are the other girls that went!) had decided we wanted to go downtown.  After finding out that there is NO free parking in atlanta,  and driving through a super sketch parking garage we picked one and headed into.....

8.) ... UNDERGROUND ATLANTA. ---> It was a cultural experience, Dry, had lots to explore, and it had a Johnny Rockets.

 9.) Everyday is a ice cream day.

Sugar has a way of bringing out the crazy side of people. I'm blessed to have such Kooky friends.

10. ) Then Finally 5:00 came and we were able to walk into the church we'd come all the way to visit. It wasn't anything like I was expecting... It was better. 

 Kristan Stanfill is a gifted leader, when the leader is really reverent and the music has just the right kick, It will make anyones soul dance. 

Louie Giglio is on point. How sweet it was to be reminded that I should dwell in Gods rest and that He is all I truly need. ---> the one I watched is in the link underneath....  It is well worth your time if you have a minute.

                                 http://www.passioncitychurch.com/watch#PCC-090113-V1

 It was worth the Drive. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. 

I once heard somewhere that there is no other time in your life than in college to do spontaneous things, but I think even when I am old and grey I'll do spontaneous things because they Give me new stories to tell and new adventures to live.