#WatchOutForTheIcePuddle

    Unless you have been living under a rock, or hibernating for the last 4 weeks (like I wish I could be doing) you have probably heard about the south and the sudden #snowapocalypse2014 --- and, No I did not make that up it was a legitimate tag on twitter in reference to the condition of good 'ole South Carolina.

     It's a scary place folks! Walmart ran out of bread and water,  people have lost power, all businesses have been shut down, schools been out for the last 3 days, and driving would be right up there with committing suicide (just a joke). . . As the picture below so beautifully points out S.C has been closed.

Courtesy of Stix blogs

     It hasn't been that awful, although for me to say I am ready for spring and summer is for sure an UNDERSTATEMENT!

I do have to say though, that It is Awesome how God gives us EXACTLY what we need, when we need it most. I was just telling my friend the other day that I needed a day off - where everything would be cancelled and time would stop for a bit while I caught my breath... and look what happened aside from time stopping.

     All this to say, even though I learned my lesson from the last snow day and have worked on a toooooooon of homework in the last few days - They have been so great!

     


















    
     Time with people, plenty of  laughter, olympics, and lots of good things to think about are what have marked my days and made them good gifts. . . and since I know that it is Valentines Day and all, I'm just gonna conclude by saying I don't deserve any of those good gifts, especially the love that I have been given at such a costly price, but I will accept them and dwell on the giver that ultimately gave me life. 

     Anyway, I hope you have a moment in-between eating chocolate and giving hugs to your closest friends today to think about the good gifts God  has given you recently;  and if you are in the South or anywhere with snow or ice really - grab your boots and grab you gloves and watch out for those ice puddles! :)

Love the Arctic penguin 

   

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

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

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!
 

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.

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. 

Not Such a hard book.

Can I tell you my favorite past time? You might think I'm a little crazy, but it makes my day.

I love reading... and out of real books. WHHHHHHHHAT? You may be asking.... but Yep, they still exist believe it or not...and as the summer has allowed I've read 3. 

SOUL CRAVINGS by Erwin McManus

RISK IS RIGHT by John Piper

TRAUMA PLAN by Candace Calvert

I'm working on two others at the moment, but the one I'm most excited about finishing is a subsection of another book - 

          ECCLESIASTES. 

I currently have one chapter to go, and I am actually pretty sad about it! Bittersweet is a better word. This summer has been a work summer and contentment, enjoyment and value have been words I have pondered numerous times --- all of which this book contemplates -- which is why I think this book has been my favorite!

Words of wisdom like "There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat, drink, and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God" (Ecc. 2:24-25) 

Questions like "For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?" (Ecc. 4:8b) remind me where my focus is.  Actually chapter 4 alone gave me a lesson on contentment and how much better it is then to have being the best and having the BEST be my drive and reason for doing things. 

Even the lesson on satisfaction... man that was another good one - Chapter 6 describes this evil that lurks and as you read and pick up clues you find that the evil it is talking about is unsatisfaction. The fact that people can have EVERYTHING yet be unhappy.  Truth is... If YOU are not satisfied with what God gives you ... then you'll NEVER be satisfied.  

In the past people I have talked to have said its a hard book; and honestly .... it is. It challenges a soul and brings life and death into focus. questions the things society values and will confront you. As I have read I've kinda found a theme, and if i had to summarize this book this is what I would say. 

    "Without a purpose life is meaningless 

and 

the only way to completely enjoy life 

 (the ups and the downs and everything in between)

 is by having a focus on and purpose driven by Christ."

I challenge you to read it for yourself change your perspective. 

Don't worry... its not such a hard book.