{just the lovely things}

**I'm still working on the color scheme and blog design. Thanks for not leaving me hateful comments about the colors!

I had good intentions of posting something yesterday after church, but didn’t get around to it.

Friday night, I had dinner with some friends. I was supposed to go see Fools’ Gold, but got really sick… unexpectedly. Saturday was a lazy day, trying to recover from Friday night. I did however get to watch a marathon of Law & Order (all three series), and loved it!

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Yesterday after church, the guy behind me taps my shoulder and says something to the effect of “Hey, you’re Jenn Calhoun”.

You can imagine the look of horror on my face trying to figure out 1) who this is? and 2) oh Lord what have I done?

Much to my surprise, I met a fellow blogger! It was very exciting!!! I met The Futurist and his wife. After I left church, I realized that I had read their blog while they were in Prague but I was unable to put two and two together until we walked away.

Can I just tell you that made my whole day?? You can go read his blog here! Good stuff!

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After church and lunch (Panera… yum!), I decided to brave my way to Target. Just so you know, I hate Target. I think they’re overpriced, and just unorganized. But, I made an exception because I had to put some gift packages together. Since they’d only been open a few days, I figured that, they should have something cute.

While I was there, I had an inspiration for a “Pay it Forward” project. I bought the items that struck my fancy, and headed back to the house to put them together. They’ll go in the mail today!

My second semester in college, my R.D. gave me a gift that I have never forgotten. It probably cost her $10, but it ranks as one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received. I’ll be sending some of you one of these gifts in the very near future, so if I ask you for your address, expect something!!

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A friend called me last night, and we had a conversation that has pervaded the majority of conversations I have had in the last week. We know that life has seasons. Some seasons are good, some are bad, some breeze by, and some are very difficult. In the last few weeks, I’ve run across several quotes and scriptures that reiterate that, God is not always going to deliver us from those situations. Regardless, He will ALWAYS, always SUSTAIN us through them. We’re so stubborn that we fail to learn things the easy way, you know? If God were to deliver us, we wouldn’t learn anything. His Grace is a sustaining, strengthening, sufficient Grace, y’all. Drink it in. I suddenly was reminded of the Christian-ese phrase “You can’t have a testimony until you’ve had a Test!”. While it seems trite, there is truth it in. We need to be tested, so that, whatever is in us that hinders God’s word, gets out. Refining is painful, but the finished product,… is so beautiful!

“But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9