Friday, February 29, 2008


Have I mentioned that I'll be going here in May? Give God the praise, webpeeps!

photos

A big group celebrated the birthday of my friend Danielle Thursday night at Olive Garden. We really, really, really had a good time! I posted pics up on flickr... but you know the worst part? I have about four pictures that I refuse to post, because my eyes were not cooperating with the camera.


Travesty. Case in point. What in the world?


I'm feeling short listed

Last night at bible study, Beth Moore called me out. I had just shared a prayer request with my FBC ladies, and she totally called me out! And the video was filmed a year and a half ago. Talk about divine timing!

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I downloaded the soundtrack to "Step Up 2: Taking it to the Streets" off of Itunes. "Apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur" has now been in my head for entirely too long. (But you should go see the movie!)

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I'm going home this weekend for a joint birthday party for my grandparents. My granddaddy turned 78 on the 21st, and my grandmother turned 76 (or 19 in actual leap birthdays) today. I'm pumped!!

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that is all. :)

Thursday, February 28, 2008

voicemails and banned websites

I was finally able to listen to my voicemail this morning, and two DEAR FRIENDS left very funny voicemails, one pretending to be a missing persons officer, and the other as a college rep looking to contact me.

Hi.lar.i.ous.

The funnier part (to me) is that, both of these peeps said they had been trying to reach me for the last "three to four days", and yet, I had NARY a phone call, email, or text until last night.

Very thorough... aren't they?

On the flipside, it made me morning. :)

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Last week (or maybe two weeks ago, I don't remember) Gmail got banned at work. Today, Twitter took a blow, so I'll be taking down my twitter when I get home.

Y'all just pray that blogger doesn't bite the dust.

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Please pray today, I am a little upset with my roommate. We have a situation.

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While you're throwing up prayers, pray for New Guy. (I know, I look like a big giant hypocrite, don't I?) There is some drama that has me worried for him.

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I hit the biggest weight I've ever been this morning, and my heart is sick. I've got to do something.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

quarterlife

I've been watching the first half of quarterlife... so is it okay to totally love a tv show again? 'Cause the lead character has a blog... and I just love it.

protesters, texts

My brother works in a building where Hillary Clinton has an office. I've never thought it important to mention this, so I haven't.

But today, my brother and I had the following communications via text:

@ 2:55 pm - JM: Some Hillary Clinton protestors chained themselves to our doors by their necks. It's crazy. Ke Ke Ke.

@ 4:07pm - Me: Are they still out there?

@ 4:08 pm - JM: No, they've been taken on a tour of the jail by the NYPD.

@ 4:09pm - Me: I hear that's a good tour. Hopefully they'll like it. Ke ke ke.

domain name

After two years, I finally made a commitment. See... GROWTH, y'all, Growth.

I just purchased http://www.delightfullycliche.com/... so change your link if you have one.

There are other changes that will be coming soon too!!!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Various and unsundries... Part Seis

  • it's been a week since I caught the bouquet. Should suitors not be lining up outside my door by now? Let's get to gettin'. GAAH.
  • we really need to be praying for our country and the recession talk.
  • we celebrated my big boss' birthday today (he'll be 63 tomorrow)
  • the card asked that we all get tomorrow off. :)
  • I bought a top for Mexico -- Ole!
  • yesterday at church, they broke a 30-hour famine.
  • i'm still reading compassion blogs... and crying. sheesh.
  • i'm trying to process a friend's pain... and don't know what to say. and i hate that i feel this way.
  • P.S.... I had a hunch, and I was right! AHA!!!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Vapid Zest & Gusto

**Don't judge me. I have very deep things going on in my life and the lives of my friends, but I needed a lighthearted post.**

One of the more random things about me that folks don't know about me is my obsession with the Mickey Mouse Club. I am also refusing to link to anything at this point because there are too many to list. I was watching TV today, and saw that JC Chasez was one of the judges for America's Best Dance Crew, which, after having seen Step Up 2: Takin' it to the Streets, makes me want to sign up for a hip-hop dance class ASAP. I LOVE JC. I always have. Even with N'Sync, I wasn't a huge Justin fan because of my mad love for JC. I digress. So, tonight I have some time to piddle online, and was looking up stuff about JC, and MMC, and ran across info on Matt Morris (he's the son of country singer Gary Morris) and LAWDY is that man talented!!! And then I found out that:

Matt Twitters.

Be still my Twitterin' Heart.

Y'all know I'm following him, don't ya'? And wouldn't you know that that man blawgs too!

I feel a faint spell. WHheeewh!

Friday, February 22, 2008

Of love and such...

I had a very interesting discussion with a sweet, dear friend of mine last night about relationships. While the details of our discussion are not important (well, at least not on the internet), the revelation that followed was. Yesterday, I was reading my through my blogroll, and read the comments on a post, and wanted SO BADLY to comment back, but felt that 1) I have never met this person in real life, and 2) I’m not close to this person. (I realize that 2 is a “duh”, but I thought it was worth the stating.) And then I had a conversation with my roommate about a very similar topic.

So… in some good ole fashion, I thought I’d compile a list of truths that I believe to be true.

  • Good guys (you know who you are), continually get overlooked for bad guys. That even goes for good guys in church and bad guys in church. But for the record, there are women who SEE you, and I mean really SEE you. Part of the problem is, you don’t SEE us. May God open your blinded eyes. A-Men.
  • Everybody needs closure. You know those relationships/friendships that you have that span great amounts of time and lots of memories and unrequited love? All that ridiculous flirting? I don’t understand the reasoning, but believe that you have to literally ‘get it out of your system’ and get some kind of closure. If not, you will inherently waste a lot of time daydreaming and wondering about a relationship that really never was. Make the effort. Own your feelings. Tell them. Even if it doesn’t work out, at least you know.
  • Isn’t it ironic how we spend a great deal of time looking for what we want when, more times than not, what we need is right in front of us? I see this from a vantage point in my life where I hope that’s true, but I have clarity to see it for other’s. Is that one of Murphy’s Laws? Somehow wrapped in up that stupid hindsight being 20/20 cliché?

I’m reminded daily that, misery truly does love company, and if we choose to stay in the social and emotional rut we are in, without doing something about it, we have no one to blame but ourselves. The rocks are crying out... if you get my drift.

Or maybe I’m just preaching to me.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

for all the baptisms I've been too... I've never seen this!

I'm a New Mom!... AGAIN!!

I couldn't stand it anymore. I have a weakness for Freds. I, a very happy child of the 80's, was madly in love with Fred Savage (until I found out he married a JENNIFER!!). My first email was redsavage13 after Fred too.

With that said... I couldn't NOT do something any longer. I already sponsor another child, but when I saw him, I knew I HAD to do something.

Meet Fred.

He doesn't look super happy in this picture, but... God-willing... that's going to change soon. Have you sponsored a child through Compassion?

It's not too late...

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

"if you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?"

psalm 130:3

Question

Today's lottery MegaMillions is over $200Million dollars.

On the radio this morning, the personalities posed the question:

Would you ever give money (significant money -- $500,000 or more) to the last person who broke your heart?

Thoughts? comments?

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Boogie shoes














Last night, I went to the wedding of dear friends up on Lookout Mountain. Without question, I have spent the last year of my life, viewing life from behind the lens of a camera, taking pictures of life watching other people live it. I made a resolution (of sorts) to stop doing that.

So last night, at the wedding, while some were photographing, I was dancing my butt off. And in the process... I managed to catch the bouquet. Which, to my knowledge, is the first one I've ever caught!

I'm gonna reserve the right to think that it's the good luck I've been needing!!!

(But for the record, the pictures turned out really good too... at least the ones I've seen!)

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

update #1

I went to the doctor, who LIED to me and told me I only have sinusitis. I know Bronchitus when I cough it up, but if it makes her feel better to be disillusioned, then I will take her stinking drugs and not complain.

And yes, in case you were wondering, I did want to drag New Guy kicking and screaming with me, so that he could get some preventive "sinusitus" medicine, and does not bring his stinkin' germs back again. (Bits... don't you just love my use of quotation marks??? lol)

But I didn't.

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I have been reading the blogs of the Compassion Bloggers in Uganga, and cried like a little baby all day long.

I'd like to believe that my crying is due to the fact that most of my hormones are off kilter because I feel ill.

But the heart of me says that, in spite of the fact that I don't have some initial overwhelming urge to go to Uganda or Africa, seeing these kids makes the maternal part of me want to go and rescue EVERY.SINGLE.ONE. of them, provide an education and love them with more love than I've ever imagined.

So,... see there? I'm not a meanie after all.

And P.S.... I've been sponsoring a child through Compassion for two years. Do you?? Do it. It's $32.00 a month, which translates into a week's worth of ridiculous lunches that you don't need anyway, or two really nice dinners, or a trip to Wal-Mart for just one thing.

...

I've somehow contracted A.N.O.T.H.E.R virus, and am therefore sick... again. BOO. I blame New Guy. He's been sick since he started... in October. I sat him down in my office and told him to go to the doctor and go get better, because I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.

He said, "It's not me."

Then coughed.

ONLY PROVING MY POINT.

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My boss's daughter is in Washington D.C. this week. I had the privilege to go to D.C. when I was nine... yes, 20 years ago, but still remember it very vividly. And, since another friend has recently relocated, it's only propagating my desire to go back... and soon. Plus, D.C. is one of the few places that I have been that my brother has not. Not that we're keeping score, 'cause I totally am.

Megan called us from the White House (well, outside the White House), and I had a few minutes to revel in sweet, fond memories. I will promptly be planning a trip to visit the Nation's capital by year end.

Plus... as a random factoid, when I visited Montecello the first time, I was mesmerized by the beds. The beds were very HIGH four-poster canopy beds. It intrigued me because most of the people at Montecello were very short, but they believed that higher beds kept bed bugs away. As a result of that completely permeating my mind, it is the reason that I love love love love love my Queen Anne Rice bed (a very similar canopy-less four-poster bed), which btw, requires anyone shorter than 5'7" to jump on it. I do have a stool to step on though. :)

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I did have the privilege to go home to my parents this weekend and clean out the basement. We took three loads to the dump, including at least 30 cardboard boxes, 15 bags of trash, 20 sheets of ghett-O paneling, a door, and some window screens.

In the process, we went to use my SD's shopvac to clean up the floor. He's lost a piece (unbeknownst to us), and I basically got dusted with the backdraft of what we were vacuuming up.

Have I ever mentioned that I have ridiculously severe allergies? Just checking.

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A shoutout -- today is my Papa Calhoun's birthday. He's 81!

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Hydrate

I just read Brian Hunter's blog, and wanted to link it and share his thoughts:

  • Sometimes when your dream seems furthest away, it is actually the closest it has ever been to coming true. Often the tainted dream must get deconstructed before the pure dream can be constructed.
  • I love God more now than ever despite knowing less about why he does what he does.
    I am no longer afraid of my own heart, and I am learning to live and lead from it.
  • I can't afford to be like someone else or copy someone else's ministry, I must be authentically me even when I am unsure where that will lead or what implications that will pose for the future. Insecurity is my greatest enemy.
  • Trusting God is the only way to find joy in any moment...not just the tough ones.
  • Before I speak, I must hear Him speak otherwise what is the point of me talking...
  • There will always be a tension between the value and necessity of living in and seizing the moment and planning for the tomorrow God has promised. Today is connected to Tomorrow, but we have to attempt to enjoy the now even when it is seems so disconnected from what is to come. Life is integrated not compartmentalized.
  • Only when you stop caring about being successful are you really prepared to become successful. I just want to live a life of honor and bring God glory no matter what that looks like. My preconceived ideas and presuppositions of what that should look like have been eradicated by the pain.
  • God is the beginning and the end...not the promise, not the outcome, not the ________. God, just God - and wow what an ending it is!

Monday, February 4, 2008

My weekend

**I know all my friends who have Mac's are going to momentarily stop breathing while reading this so... get a grip!

Friday night was "Friends dinner". We've had this a couple of times already, and it's been a lot of fun! Friday night - Logan's.

Saturday morning, I cleaned for about five hours. I had three big black garbage bags full of trash, and one big black bag full of clothes.

This weekend, I purchased a new computer. I have been without a personal computer for FOUR MONTHS which is entirely too long in everyway that you think about it. I've been "shopping" since the end of November, and have carefully priced computers, based on what I was told that I need and the budget that I had to stay within. But Saturday, I had just had enough! I really wanted to go to Atlanta (can we say 6% sales tax verses 9.25% in Tenn?), but I didn't want to make the drive alone. In all my shopping, I determined that my needs were lots of storage space (for pictures), and that I really really am not a huge fan of laptops. I don't do anything that requires me to carry my laptop at all times. I use a friendly mail system that is not blocked when most are. So... I purchased this beauty:

In computer lingo that I still don't fully understand (taxes, I get, MB and GB, I've got no clue!), my new "toy" is a HP Pavillion 5600+ Desktop, 3GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM with a 500GB Serial ATA hard drive.

So, all you techies should be proud that I purchased the top of the line. God willing, I will not have to make another computer purchase until... shortly before the return of Jesus. Thankyouverymuch.

I did have a mix-up to tell of... Saturday, when I bought the thing, I was thinking, I have a monitor at home! I don't need to spend the extra money on something I already have, right??? WRONG. My monitor at home was a 12-year old, 13 inch, analog monitor. When I plugged the new comp up, I had a screen font size of 3. I got a headache just trying to turn it off! On Sunday, I went back to Best Buy and they let me upgrad without bringing my purchase in. Thank you Management!

Saturday night, I decided to pull out my inner Julia Child and cook. (SEE... I AM domesticated!!) I made this and this. This sandwich looked scrumptous from my monitor at work, but I'm not a huge fan of worcestershire sauce. Especially not 1 cup worth for just one or two cube steaks. I do believe it would be absolutely wonderful if you substitued worcestershire for some form of brown gravy -- which I will be doing tonight. These on the other hand... YUMMY. I do suggest that you make two "logs" intead of once, unless you want cookies the size of your hand. I mean, it's oatmeal for cryin' out.

Sunday, (again in Julia mode), I made this, which was a huge crowd pleaser at the SuperBowl party I attended, of which, 20 people sat at watched the game on a 50" tv, while a big group of eight or so women sat in the kitchen and talked about chick stuff. It was mah-velous. Oh yeah, GO ELI!!!!

Sunday, February 3, 2008

of 2

"Love is like friendship on fire."

Can I get an AMEN??

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I love when you find out things that you only HOPED AND DREAMED ABOUT and realize that God totally has your back. That feeling ROCKS!!!!!!

Friday, February 1, 2008

Lent... **Updated**

It's that time again! I thought I'd be ahead of my game and go find where I blogged about Lent Last year. In looking for it, I started to reread several posts, and actually got encouraged! Turns out, I'm not half as foolish as I think I am.

Before I mention anything about Lent, I wanted to mention my post from the other day. I received several emails and a few phone calls in relation to my post. Some asking why I was angry, others wondering if I needed to join Britney in the psych unit, and on and on. If you were upset/confused by my entry and failed to contact me, take the time. Email me - Jenn.calhoun@gmail.com.

Back to Lent... Lent begins on Wednesday, February 6th, also known as Ash Wednesday. Lent is the symbolic representation of the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert. It is often a time for believers to consecrate, pray, fast, or practice self-denial in observance of what Jesus did.

This is the third or fourth year that I have truly observed Lent. Last year -- was awesome. I cannot believe what all the Lord did for me (I'm sure you read my blog and wonder if I pray sometimes!), but rest assured that God moved mightily in 2007! I am so thankful for the blessings that God has poured out for me!!

With that said, I will be attending an Ash service on Wednesday night, and will be observing Lent again this year. I challenge you to participate -- either by giving something up or adding something that adds value. I have contemplated giving up blogging, but am still kind of on the fence about that. I know several people are giving up myspace, facebook, and other online interactions for 40 days. If you know someone who is, take the time to snail mail them a card to encourage them! Be praying for them as well. Others will give up food, or some food products -- chocolate, coke, sweets -- in observance. Having given up food in a Lent, it's harder than it appears. If you know someone who is making that kind of sacrifice, lift them up! And don't have a bunch of junk food laying around!!!

Last but not least, make a list of expectations! A friend and I did this last year, then sealed it in an envelope. Make your requests known to the Lord! Have the expectations in your heart that God wants to move in your life... in every aspect of it!

If you are observing Lent, LEAVE ME A COMMENT. Please don't tell me what you're doing, but know that I would like to add you to the list of 'Lenters' that I'm praying for!