The Many Talents of Jenn

I wish I had better, more amazing-like talents to be able to share with you…but alas…this is all I currently have to offer the world:


I can recite all 50 states, in alphabetical order, in under 30 seconds.

I had reconstructive surgery of my mouth/jaw when I was in high school. I don’t know what all they snipped away at while up in my face…but ever since then, I can control the right side of my face in ways I couldn’t before my surgery. So I can greatly snarl the right side of my mouth…raise my right eyebrow up and down…and suck my right nostril shut without touching it. I know…weirdly bizarro, but completely true.

This week I’ve discovered a few more talents…ok…maybe…possibly…they were just clumsy moments…but I prefer the word talent...so just go with it...

Two days ago...I spilled soda into my armpit. True story. I refuse to tell you how. (but yes, I was upright at the time)

Then there was earlier this week…I was chatting with a friend at my house and realized I was missing an earring in one of my ears. Now, at the end of the night, this sadly is not an abnormal occurrence in my life. As much as I heart jewelry, I tend to hit a wall at some point in the late evening/early night and I start stripping off all accessories. You will find piles of earrings, headbands, bracelets, etc. EVERYWHERE ...in my purse, in my car, and all around my house…especially on the arms of my comfy chair.

So when I realized I was only wearing ONE big oversized dangly earring, I was puzzled for a moment, looked around my chair in case I had already taken it out, but didn’t see it anywhere. Then, I remembered that when I was in my bedroom earlier, I had wanted to take off the earrings, and that I had probably only taken out one before getting distracted and not doing the other…so I just placed the one I had on the arm of my chair…and continued chatting with my friend.

WELL...an hour or so later I was getting ready for bed. I went to change clothes and felt something funny on my back. I reached around…and that earring had apparently fallen out of my ear…down into the back of my two layered shirts…and HOOKED ITSELF ON THE BACK OF MY BRA STRAP…it was like a bra-accessory! (hmmm…maybe I should go reserve a patent for this real quick…Braccessories!)

Oh the random entertainment of my life never ends. It was quite the dance to get it off since it was hooked in the center of my back..AND it was blocking the hooks so I felt ubberly trapped for a moment.

I debated, but decided to NOT include a picture for this post…

OK...so spill it...what are your unique talents?

What do you choose?

K, so here’s the deal…

In an attempt to make shorter posts…cause I’m always so worried I lose people with my blah blah blah...I left out *THE* most important point in my previous post about Truth. It hit me last night and it has consumed me ever since…so I had to come declare it now.

The absolute key in searching out the Truth…is that you must CHOOSE. TO. LOVE. IT.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 says “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

You can search all the ding dang long day for Truth. But unless you choose to LOVE it…and thereby accepting it, it won’t matter.

Example: You can KNOW the truth that you are fearfully and wonderfully created in the image of God…but if you don’t LOVE that truth- then you’re going to struggle with self-esteem issues and “personality traits” that don’t line up with the Word of God. But if you CHOOSE to love the truth of that statement…then you’ll know and believe that the characteristics of God belong to you and are your characteristics. Therefore- if God is patient, then I am patient. If God is slow-to-anger, then I am slow-to anger. If God is creative, I am creative. If God cares about the details, then I care about the details. (ha! I have to choose to love the truth of that last statement a LOT-that’s why I threw it in!)

Sooooo, my dear friends…that’s all I needed to say for now. I just had to scream out the importance of choosing to love the Truth as you search for it.

Inconvenient Truth

In October of 1997 my life forever changed. (in more ways than one!) I had just moved in with two complete strangers- Martha and Holly. One week after I moved in, a friend of Holly’s needed a place to stay and so she moved in with us for several weeks too. (oh my word you would NOT believe the number of people we had temporarily staying with us while we lived there!!) Roz was a Jewish lady Holly had met while attending the Synagogue. She was a very unique person…but we won’t get into all that now. Sadly, we’ve lost touched with her over the years….but she has had a great impact on my life. First, she obviously introduced me to the Jewish Culture. One of my memories of her, was when she had received an email with a list of Jewish jokes and was reading it to Holly and I. Poor Roz…we were so clueless that she had to explain all the words and concepts of the joke before and after she read them…and THEN we laughed...or at least courtesy laughed if we still didn't get it. (Oy! Wouldn’t she be proud of us now!?!)

But there was another reason she will forever be in the life-changer section of my mind…

One night a group of us were sitting around discussing the Bible and religion. I don’t remember the original subject we were talking about, but knowing us, we were 16 concepts past that anyway. All of a sudden Roz made a statement that FOREVER changed my outlook on my faith, Christianity and the Bible. She challenged my belief about “doctrines” and the tendency we have to make things up in our religion. I thought she was crazy for the different things she was spouting off. And then she had the audacity to say this…

“For instance, you know that the Bible NEVER says that it was Satan that was in the serpent in the garden?”

What? I was shocked at that accusation! What was she talking about? Of COURSE it said that! That is Sunday School 101 flannelgraph basics!

So I pretty much told her she was a raving lunatic and ran to get my Bible to prove her wrong.
I sat down on the floor in front of her and flipped to Genesis 3 and started reading.

And suddenly, I was completely speechless.

All it says is… “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" …and, there’s nothing about Satan in the rest of the chapter either.

Ok, so maybe you already knew that and think I’m crazy for this revelation. But all of us in that room 12 years ago were stunned and just sat and stared at each other. I didn’t know what to say. My mind was spinning in a hundred different directions. Where did that concept come from? Why do we assume it was Satan? What if it wasn’t Satan? Who the heck made that up? On and on it spun.

It was at that moment, that my life shifted.

I realized that I just blindly believed and quoted those little Sunday School 101 answers…but I had never stopped to look, to research, and figure out for myself what was Truth and what wasn’t.

NOW...before I go on...let me say…(cause we ALL know I had to get to the bottom of that…even though it took many years for anyone to lead me to the right answer) that it’s all about the Hebrew...and in different parts the same word is used for Satan and it was used for the serpent…there is definitely a connection to Satan and the serpent)

At that moment, I started questioning everything. And sadly, I realized that so much of what I believed, and so much that we even teach in the church is just blah blah blah that’s been handed down over the last several generations and have absolutely no Biblical Truth to it whatsoever. My faith was shaken many times over the last decade as I searched for Truth. Not in a crushing way…but in a “let everything that can be shaken, be shaken” kind of way. And I WANT the crap shook off. I WANT the only thing that remains to be pure and total Truth. Not man made up doctrine.

Honestly, it’s quite shocking how much we as Christians spout off concepts that are only based on tradition, and not the Bible. Now, I absolutely despise SS 101 answers-because after some minor research, I’ve disproven so many over the years. It takes everything in me not to scream out when I hear them. Well, sometimes I do speak up…when I’m feeling especially in control of my emotions that day. Otherwise I just wait till I’m safely in my car where I can scream and spit out my frustrations to just God.


So really…THIS post…is a challenge. I challenge each and every one of you to start questioning your beliefs and the answers we so quickly fire off. Do you KNOW the Biblical answer behind it? If not…then I suggest not saying it. That may be a hard concept…but who of us wants to get to Heaven and be told that what we were teaching others wasn’t even true?
GOD is a solid rock…GOD is a FIRM foundation. Questions shouldn’t be feared when our stability is found in Him.

vulnerability of a nut job

I’m in a very self-reflecting mood…so be ready for some very reflective posts. I understand if you don’t want to be a part…but this particular issue still makes me giggle every time I think about it…so I thought I’d share.

I’m not an easily offended person. Really. Some people tend to think I am…because I’m expressive…and opinionated. But I don’t take disagreements personally. I can argue and not care. You can be really mean to me, or say something that ticks me off…and although it will most definitely stir up some sort of outburst of emotion from me…offense and grudges against individuals don’t really grow in my world.

Now, did you catch that very key word???

Individuals.

Although everything previously stated is true… it would also be true to state that I can however, become offended with groups of people. Random, faceless, concepts can put me over the edge. I’ve always kind of known this…but this fact about myself doesn’t always stick in my head…and since individuals don’t cause me to hold grudges…I can sometimes just live life oblivious to the fact that offense is trying to take root through another door.

But, God has FULLY revealed this to me…in a way that it will stay in the forefront of my mind…and something that I will forever be guarding myself against. I’m only being vulnerable and sharing this in the blogiverse…well, cause it’s funny.

So several weeks ago was the whole Obama Talking to Schools Debacle of ’09. (I wrote several posts about it....just in case you were oblivious, or blocked it out) Just know, that even though I let my opinions be known in certain areas…I do, actually show great restraint…even when screaming out…because what I REALLY want to say, I hold in…and try my darndest to remain somewhat appropriate.

Well, one of the Sunday’s around that time… we were taking Communion at Church. I was asking God if I needed to “take care of anything” before hand…and quite honestly, I didn’t think there was anything and felt pretty good-to-go.

But then God said- “Ummm, ya. You got issues. You need to take care of an offense.”

I was kinda shocked (and a little worried) and immediately asked what I needed to do as I was frantically searching my mind for someone I was holding a grudge against or something.

God then said…

“Jenn, you need to forgive the Republicans”

OK, truly….I laughed out loud. (good thing I was in the back at the sound booth!)
For goodness sakes! I realized it was totally true…but the concept was just TOO funny.

I had to forgive the Republicans before I took Communion.

So I took care of the problem, and even though I was really serious about it…and happy for this new revelation of something I needed to guard against…I totally giggled the whole way through it.

Who in the world has had to forgive an overall major political party before taking Communion?


I’m pretty sure I tend to bring GREAT joy to God’s heart.

musings of an amused muse

First off….ya’ll are some funny funny people. Silent for years…and suddenly everyone’s a part like you never left. I’ll try to cut back on the comment whoring…but last week insecurity was trying to set itself inside my thoughts…and somehow THAT was the path it chose to take. Bizarro, I know. I’m over it.

For now.

I’m kinda in the mood to just spout off what’s in the top of my head…partly, because I’m quite concerned that Belinda is bored at work and needs SOMETHING to be reading right now…and partly because there’s much much deeper stuff I’m currently contemplating…but not ready to discuss yet…

***At this moment, I’m watching The Hills. At this moment, I’m wondering why the heck I am doing such a thing. I think I’m pretty much done with the show. I’m well aware I shouldn’t have ever started watching it to begin with…but it was by accident. And little Lauren looked all cutie in her headbands…and so I decided I would, as well, look cutie in headbands and immediately ran out to buy some. (fyi- I was right) I also liked to watch how their apartments were decorated and such. I really don’t remotely know why. I think I was just fascinated that these are their actual, ridiculous, no concept of money, lives. I was uberly enthralled. But LC got smart enough to leave…and now that Kristin girl is here, who I’m supposed to care about, but I never watched Laguna Beach…and so therefore I don’t. And people may think that LC was boring…but for goodness sakes…who wants to watch Kristen be a ‘B’ to everyone, just for funsies? (*SPOILER ALERT if you haven’t watched Oct 15th!!*) PLUS…it’s somehow suddenly appropriate to give sex toys as a b-day present to your ex-boyfriend whose current girlfriend despises you…AND it was opened in front of his MOM…who was standing there pretending to be part of the twenty-somethings in her ridiculous bikini??? Ugh. I’m so out.
Omg-I just searched for an HOUR to find a pic of LC in that black headband she wore in every episode during that first season...ummmm...ya. nada. Whattheheck?

***SpeakingofTVissues… I’m actually weeding out a lot of shows. About 3-4 mos ago or so, God started asking me to do it. Some things were REALLY easy cause I wasn’t attached…I just like to have noise in the background when I’m home alone. I’m a people girl…and sometimes being around fake people has to suffice. I think it all started with Big Brother. Whenever it was about to start, God said- “Hey, let’s not have that on in your house.” Honestly, I wasn’t really fazed by that request. I DID ask why, though, (cause I always ask why!) and He said it was because of the dishonesty, back-stabbing, manipulation and such that went on, and that I didn’t need that as my background noise. Made sense. But then…cause I’m smart like this…I realized that the same principle would probably start applying across the board. And sure enough…several weeks later God nixed Survivor when it was about to start. I was slightly sadder…but again, I survived. (ha! I’m so punny!) But NOW He seems to be getting up in my business a little more! (always does, doesn’t He?) And He’s telling me things like, not to watch How I Met Your Mother. (yes Shonda, I PROMISE He said it) I actually DID like that show…a lot…and so that has been a little bit of a struggle. But let’s face it…it’s a tacky tacky show. The easy part is deleting it off the dvr timer. The HARD part was this last Monday night I was home, and had NOTHING going on for the evening…and REALLY struggled and TRIED to justify that it was ok to watch it…but of course conviction and guilt won over within 3 minutes…and I’m officially done with HIMYM. (Oh, and in the midst of all this I was GOING to watch Glee…which is ALMOST pure greatness…but also way too much and God put the smackdown on that too) *sigh*

***So there’s this apartment down by where we have to park our cars. I was always creeped out because the people that lived there would leave the sliding glass door open all night while they slept…and you could see into their bedroom. (Plus, hello, safety??) These are also the people that were out on that patio one day clipping their toe nails as I pulled up. And they’re higher than the parking lot…so really I got a view down his shorts as his leg was in the air and he was clipping away. So gross.
BUT…the point of this particular randomness…is that they moved out. And another couple moved in. And they ALSO leave the sliding glass door open and you can see in their apartment too! Weirdies! BUT…it’s not their bedroom! It’s their living room! ? ! And the couch is lined up perpendicular to the edge of the door. What? First- bizarre place for your couch. And SECOND…which people were crazier- the ones that apparently turned a living room into a bedroom…or the ones that have turned a bedroom into a living room?? WHY??? AAAAAnnnnddd….why is it that anyone who moves into this particular apartment apparently wants to pretend they’re on their own reality show and they think the rest of us want to watch their every move?? Close the blinds people!!

That picture was taken in Korea...what the heck is going on over there?

***And I heart you all…but for goodness sakes stop going private on your blogs! (haha-as I just talk about the creepy people putting themselves out for the world to view!!) Ya, that’s right, I’m a quandary of dichotomy. Personally, I just don’t like the effort of having to sign in…so I only do it occasionally…and then try to read all the privy’s at once. Stop messing with my world! But again…of course I do heart you and will continue being a part. Well, sometimes.

WeeeEEEeeellll…that’s all for now. Kinda sad you held out for all this nonsense, aren’t you? The truth is….is that there is a lot of things I’m trying to work through enough so I can actually get the thoughts OUT of the swirling mess of my head. And so soon…I’ll be posting again. I PROMISE. MUAH.

to be or not to be...

This is a fairly pointless post really.....and done out of slight insecurity.

Sooooo....ummmmmmmm....is anyone REALLY paying attention to this? Cause you know...comments equal love....and I haven't gotten very comments in a long long while...so I'm wondering if people are even reading my blog.

And really...I just need to know. Cause I can come to terms with the fact that I'm being ignored...and after shedding a few tears, I'll continue writing anyways....but at least with the knowledge that it's just for me and no one else. Cause you know, I still have a LOT more to say...

Rednecks rednecks everywhere you turn

You know....some things you expect to see on the backroads of Kentucky......some things you may even see by those loveable rednecks in Texas.

I have to admit though, I actually wouldn't have expected to see this here in Colorado. Not that they're not trashy people up here...but you know, we're usually more concerned with recycling and hugging our trees.

But this is what I saw in front of me while driving down the road. I truly thought I was seeing things at first...but nope.



Once it hit me what it was....I REALLY wanted to get out to see if it was actually singing...

Ok, I didn't have the guys to do that....but I did get a short video with it in action...





SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BIZARRO!!!!!!!!!!





OH! And for my foreign readers....this is Big Mouth Billy Bass. It was a ridiculous phenomenon a couple years ago and everyone wanted one. Yes, this is America, don'tcha wish you were a part? Here's a clip of it in actual action....

The Prophetic Acts of Holly

So here are my MOST favorite pics of Holly while we were in DC. (Since I refused to be in any of them) Now, of course, there was GREAT purpose and reason for each pic and why it was taken...even though I'm not going to tell you what they are... I think they're funny concepts nonetheless...


















Ron Paul's office...
































This is my FAVORITE! Did you know Holly was part of the Continental Congress?????









Signing the Declaration of Independence



























Ok, so I'll throw one in of me....this was the Rosie the Riveter display...and I freakin LOVE Rosie the Riveter!!!










Sooooo....I'll leave you with funny, but EXTREMELY meaningful pictures. We were at the Roosevelt Memorial and there was a line of statues of men waiting in a bread line during the Great Depression. Everyone was running up and taking their picture standing in line with the men looking sad and depressed. Holly was about to do the same thing and suddenly FREAKED out and said "What AM I DOING?? I'm not standing in line for a handout from the government!" She said "THIS is what the People of God should be doing!!" ....

Giving Money...

Giving Water/Food

Praying for them

Last word...

Obama gave his speech to the schools today. The more I thought about the Republican's reactions throughout the day, the angrier I got. I actually wrote a couple different drafts of a blog going off about my feelings.

Instead...I'm just going to quote a comment left on my facebook by the amazingly fantastic Holly.....because she pretty much summed it up....

"If statistics are accurate 8,500 children around the world contracted HIV/AIDS today, many of which fell victim to the disease because they live a life enslaved in the sex trade.

There are an estimated 300,000 child soldiers who were forced to fight in wars around the world this afternoon.

An estimated 30,500 children under 5 died today, and many more became ill because of diseases brought on by a lack of clean water.

In El Salvador, a young child worked in the hot sun for 9 hours today producing the sugar for the soft drink I drank for dinner.

And today, our President, who we elected in a democratic style election (like it or not) spoke to our children in free public schools across the country and we have a right, as parents, to keep them from viewing that speech or to complain about it because of our right of free speech.

And the last one is what motivated conservative Christians to speak out???"

'People of the world'...get it together

So I just HAVE to rant. And I know everyone LOVES my rants. Even if you don’t publically admit it…I would even bet more people than not actually agree with most of my rants….but just won’t say it outloud. Mmmhhhhhhmmmm, that’s right, I’m onto you.

And I AM choosing to go off on my tangent here on my blog and not facebook…trying to keep the drama to a minimum…but of course, feel free to voice your own opinions on the comments…but it is MY blog…so I will ALWAYS have the last word… ;-)

Ok, so this is about Obama. Now, I am FAR from a fan of Obama. In fact, I don't even remotely like him. I’m sure my name has been in their stupid White House database for years…so I’m really not worried about screaming out about it now. (ya’ll did hear about that, right? That he’s trying to take away our First Amendment rights…mmhhhhmmmmm)
It TICKS me off that Christians voted him into office. Like, really really makes me angry and I want to thump them in their foreheads or something. And yes, some are close friends who I dearly, dearly love. But the man does NOT stand for the same values and morals as God does…and so to put him in charge of the country was completely idiotic and highly unbiblical on their part.

NOW…THAT BEING SAID…for goodness sakes people…really? Blah blah blah with all your fuss. One week after the elections I started seeing those “Don’t blame me, I voted for McCain” bumper stickers. Really? I think it was just another sign about how our education system is failing us. LISTEN CLOSELY- In order for that bumper sticker to make ANY sense…and ACTUALLY be witty…is only IF the President did something crazy and had the nation in an uproar. Do you not get that?
When did these first come out? I remember seeing them right after Clinton’s affair stuff. See, now THAT was an appropriate time. Also, whether you agree with the Bush war policy or not…ALSO would have been an appropriate time. Putting that sticker on your car before Obama’s boxes are even unpacked from his move to DC…is just really really REALLY stupid.

Let’s learn to be clever in our banter, shall we?

AND NOW…for the REALLY controversial side…what in the WORLD is this ridiculous uproar about him talking to the schools? Parents are all in a tizzy…yanking their kids out of schools, signing petitions, protests, etc…because our PRESIDENT has the audacity and nerve to tell our kids to work hard and stay in school?! OH! THE HORROR!!!
Seriously. Seriously??

Now, if he had picked a controversial subject…well, then ok. But Republicans and Christians are screaming out JUST to scream out. PICK. YOUR. BATTLES. PEOPLE. There are PLENTY of issues to be haters about…why don't we just try to keep ourselves from looking judgmental and idiotic as much as possible.

HOW ABOUT…we…oh, I don’t know…actually become responsible parents, and you know…I’m just gonna throw this out there…GET INVOLVED in your kids lives…teach them what to pray before they go and hear him speak....and listen YOURSELVES to what Obama says in the speech…and then sit your kid down and talk it out with them. I don't like that we're teaching children they don't have to listen to someone just because they don't like them. That's not right. I think it's MUCH more important to teach your children how to be informed, why they believe what they believe, and how to defend their stances. Shutting off the other side and putting your fingers in your ears only teaches ignorance...not wisdom.

Teaching them that they don’t have to respect the office of the President JUST because you don’t agree with him…is idiotic…and frankly, downright dangerous. If he says something highly controversial…than ABSOLUTELY protest the next talk…scream out, get billboards…whatever it takes. But wow, let’s not call the fight before the bell has even gone off.