Only at CCU...

...does your teacher get diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer...
and the whole class surround her, place hands on her, and take turns praying for her recovery.

It was pretty beautiful. It is days like these when I am blessed that I go to CCU.

My Best Friend

I have this affinity toward dogs. I always have-- maybe since that is all I grew up with. Well, I was lucky enough to receive the best Christmas gift ever, Aida Elle. We call her Bucky. Or Tot. Or Bucklet. Or Buckton. She answers to almost anything. (above is a picture of Aida after Lindsey managed to put a t-shirt on her!)

She is my best friend. I have never loved anything more than I have her. I didn't even know this kind of love was possible. I would do anything for this little puppy. She has such a beautiful, sweet personality. (and the cleanest teeth I have ever seen!)-- Thanks to Kelly, since I use her toothbrush to brush Bucky's teeth. :)

Aida sleeps with me every night, snuggled in the crook of my legs or cuddled in my arms. It has become so hard for me to sleep without her. I am not sure what my future husband will do, because she won't want to share the bed! :)

I think dogs are a true gift from God- maybe one of His best creations! I heard a super corny story about when God created dogs. Here is the gist of it:

Adam and Eve were in the garden. After the fall, Adam and Eve were apart from God. So He created an animal that would reflect the character of God for Adam and Eve and stay with them as they left Eden. God created this animal. Adam asked, "Well, what should I name it? I already used up all the names with the other creatures."

God answered, "Name it dog, since it is a reflection of my character, you should be reminded of that because it is also a reflection of my name."

This made me cry. I know it isn't true, but there is a lot of truth to it. Dogs are the most selfless, loving creatures. They would do anything to please their owners and love on them. Aida doesn't sleep if no one is in the basement with her, she usually stays at the top of the stairs wimpering.

If she is left alone for a long time, she will chew off a piece of blanket, bring it to the top of the stairs, and push it under the door, just begging for attention. All she wants is to be with us and around us. She hasn't met a person she doesn't love from the beginning. She will follow you from room to room, just to be with you. She isn't independent.

Dogs are truly a reflection of God's love and character. I wish I could be as selfless and loving as Bucky.

shema

Love God. Love others. 

--Deuteronomy 6:4-9

God desires us to be in relation with one another. We were created to be relational beings, modeled after God. In Genesis 1, the creation story refers to "us" and "our." My perspective is that The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all were there at creation. The whole Trinity. From the beginning we were created "in Our image in Our likeness" (italics mine, Genesis 1:26). Therefore, God was not alone even at the beginning. There was the trinity. 

Throughout the Scripture, over and over again community and fellowship is emphasized. Specifically, this is seen in the early church. Acts 2:42-47: 

They devoted themselves to the apostle's teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

I notice something really cool about relationships. Maybe this is just my own observation, but perhaps it carries over to others, too. 

A great friend and I were talking a couple weeks ago and catching up. Now, we haven't hung out in almost a year, maybe longer, yet we picked up right where we left off. It was as if no time had passed and we were as close as we ever had been. We discussed how this was possible. We came up with a solution: Jesus.

God creates us to be in relationships with others. When he is the backbone of those relationships, our friendships connect on deeper levels. Not only can we talk about life, but we automatically have a connection that normal friendships do not have. The Holy Spirit. I have found this not only as completely divine and awesome, but slightly saddening. 

I always wonder why my non-Christian friends and I never seem to connect deeply. Sure, there is friendship, but it just seems incomplete. This is why. God needs to be the center of ALL relationships, not just intimate, marriage-type relationships. When God is the center, he is able to work through us and be expressed through us. I find this so true. The few friends I have that are Christians, I have the closest, most intimate connections with. They are the kind of relationships where we can pick right back up where we last left off no matter how long it has been. 

It makes me a little frustrated that I don't seek those God honoring friendships more often. Yet, it is really cool that I do have those relationships where God exists. 

God is really cool. Just thought you should know.

Faceless Fast Musings: Day 1

It is a good thing there is the beautiful creation of stumbleupon.com. Because I think I need to soften the blow of yanking the facebook rug out from under me by just spending more time on another addiction. This is the top stumbleupon link of the day: http://kev.needham.ca/gallery2/d/1433-2/jesus_wtf_big.jpg. It just made me giggle a tad.

I have gone without facebook before. I mean, the first 12 years of my life were without any social networking sites. I survived... right?

Anyways, this isn't really that big of a deal, but in all reality, I do spend more time on facebook each day than probably anything else. Pathetic. I know. I have always been a nosy person, but facebook enables me to bring my nosiness to the next level. I feel like I have some sort of entitlement to do so. If we are friends on facebook, then you are posting things that I have the ability to see. You are basically asking me to do so. :)

I think you know you've created something popular when people choose to fast from it for Lent. I've never heard someone say, "I think I'm going to fast from eating eggs." Because eggs are not delicious. (Okay, so that's my own opinion).

Well fellow facebook addicts, I am writing from the outside. I'm here to tell you that it is possible to go a day without checking your facebook. Hopefully, I'll find the chance to write everyday about new epiphanies going on in my life. (and my snarky comments that I usually post as my status updates. Yeah, those are going to go on here! :))

I'm very tempted to converse with my other facebook creepers about what is going on within the blue and white webpages, but I will try to refrain. Unless, of course, something major happens! Like a relationship status change!!!!!! (I'm being sarcastic. I know it is strange, because I'm never sarcastic. But I don't really think that is of utmost importance). 

Tomorrow my post will be on relationships and how we are created to be relational beings. (and how not being on facebook aids/hinders this). Stay tuned.

P.S. I even turned off facebook texts from my cell phone.
P.P.S. If you want to still communicate with me. Use my email. Or text message. Or comment on the original blog post. (This is just an RSS feed on facebook-- click "View Original Message" at the bottom).
P.P.P.S. I did pretty darn well on Buzzell's exam today! :)

Love you to all,
Jess

Team Members

Well, some team members have come and gone... but I think this may be our final bunch. :)

uganda information

I am going to Uganda, May 10-28 (ish). I am going with my wonderful team leader, Rachel Stephens... who is working so hard on this!!!!! Also with, Wendie Weldon, Tim Vargo, Cole Johnson, Jessiah Bram, and Tim Spencer. (and our staff leader-- Ed Black).

We are headed to a community about a six hour drive from Lira, Uganda. We are working with Food for the Hungry. Basically-- we will be building classrooms, teaching a vbs, and whatever else food for the hungry says to do. :) It should be a grand time!

my grown up christmas list

You know that song, by Amy Grant?

No more lives torn apart,

That wars would never start,

And time would heal all hearts.

Everyone would have a friend,

And right would always win,

And love would never end.

I do love the song. And as much as I wish Santa was real, I wish these things to be true. Not going to lie, I do want more perfume, more TOMS (speaking of, I really want the wrap boots!), and a full collection of awesome movies, but I would give that up for someone hurting to be healed.
But really, would I? Would you give up your iPhone or 52" LCD TV?
You know that part in Blood Diamond where Leo asks Jennifer Connelly to help get them out of the refugee camp, back into the jungle? Jennifer replies, "The entire country's at war. Why should I help this one person?" Of course, she takes it back a second later. But sometimes, it is easy to think like Jennifer did in this movie. What difference does it make in the life of one person in the big scheme of things?
After all 19 years of my life, I have come up with my answer to that question. I have had numerous people impact my life, by doing things they probably weren't even aware of, but they changed my life. I am forever different because they cared. If we impact one person, they are better for it. They will go off and impact another person. The trend will catch on, eventually.
SOO. I am going to Lira, Uganda (actually, a community called Barakalo-- but Lira is a little bit more well known). I will be staying for 2 weeks.

Hopefully enough to change at least one person's life.