Brandy Lynn!

I am going to see brandy!!!

thats all. Im jsut super excited. I cant wait! i love brandy. she is my favorite!! (:


so see you all on Monday!!

Growing up. (:

Okay well first off let me just take you guys to yesterday. I was driving home from bible study ((which was amazing)) and i get a phone call from Justin that said, "Hey Jena, Karen is hurt, and she is at community hospital oh i got to go now they are calling me." THAT'S IT!! So my first reaction was that i was super scared. I couldn't even drive, i had to pull over to the side of the road and have Liz drive me back to her car. I also got sick and made myself very embarrassed in front of whoever was driving on willow. But i finally got to the hospital realized it wasn't as bad as i had imagined. Alyssa, Brittney Luttrell, and I stuck it out til about 10:50ish then decided to go home. And Karen was released at 11:45.
I went and visited Kare today, she had lost alot of memory. I thought something funny though is she forgot her and Justin were dating! ha. She is slowly getting it back but everything will be okay. Its funny cause you look at her and know that it could have been so much worse and God has just healed her and protected her. God is so good!

on a lighter note...
today i got my first credit card and checks. and while i know i probably wont ever use my checks, it is certainly nice to be old enough to get them. I feel all special and lucky to get this privilege. And my dad's birthday is next week, and all of the "adults" are taking him up to chuckchansi, and i can finally go!! I don't know it might sound lame, but i am super excited!

Oh and tomorrow will be my first day back at church. I need it and miss it. I am happy I've taken time away but i really just want to be back there. So i can't wait for tomorrow!! (:

My Blessings

God has blessed me with alot, and rarely i take time to stop and think about them. Lately i've been in a wierd funk, today i decided to change that. I read my bible this morning, and it was like i was thirsting for it. It just felt really good to get into the word. I then wrote note cards to help me the rest of the day. My verses were these:

James 1:19-20
"My dear brothers take not of this, everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger for mans anger does not bring about righteous life that God desires"

This bible verse helped me, because i sometimes get so caught up with what is going on in the World that i forget that i need to listen, not to talk, and to not get angry over the little things. Last night we talked about getting in "Funks" and i have found that when i am in them, i tend to get very jealous, and very attention wanting. So this verse helped me today. Another one was:

Ephesians 4:26-27
"In your anger do not sin do not let the sun go down while ou are still angry and do not give the devil a foot hold"

When i first became a christian, this verse didn't make sense to me, actually i was very stumbled by it. I thought it meant to resolve all your issues before the day is done. And in some cases i still think that is true, but i can remember Alyssa saying that you dont have to resolve things to not be angry about them. I can understand that now. I can still go to bed not being angry without having to talk to anyone. Another verse was:

James 3:17
"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peaceloving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit impartial and sincere"

When we had to memorize this verse i dont think it really hit me on what it means. This verse has become my favorite. It is just nice to think that the wisdom here on earth is so much different. How i can feel like nobody cares isn't important because God's love for me is so much more. I have come to realize that its not that I don't care about the stuff that goes on in my life but to care more about the things i am doing that need to be glorifying the Lord. Jealousy and Attention grabbing isn't glorifying the Lord. Another Verse that helped me today was:

Romans 5:3
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance"

This one helps me becuase to me it is saying even though it might suck right now, we should rejoice in it. Because it produces perserverance. It's almost as if God gets it. He isn't saying its going to be super easy, He tells it like it is. I like that. This verse by far has helped me today.


So all in all today has been a good day. I have found out something about myself that I would like to change, example being, texting. I have found that Texting is a way for me to grab attention. When i am feeling alone, i text someone to feel company. Like Vivi said last night that TV is her temptation, while TV is not mine at all, i feel like Texting is. It is fine for me to recieve text messaging but i know now why i want to text someone.

God is great! I am very blessed by Him. I love Him!

Prom 2007

So prom was last night. It was funnnn. I was really kinda nervous about the entire night, just cause i didn't know my date that well. So when i first pulled up to his house to take pictures i saw his car, and it had "prom 2007" written on it. It was a little funny the entire picture time at his house. We didn't get to do the traditional poses, like putting the boutonniere or corsage on, (But don't worry my family made us fake it) it was just interesting to start off with. Once we got to Karens it was a little more fun, we all took pictures, alyssa ran around the house taking pictures OF EVERYTHING, (EVEN OUR SHOES!)

Then we went to dinner, and that was fun. I really like all of the people in our group. We didn't get done with dinner til about 8:30, so then it was off to the dance. We got there about 9 and decided we were gong to take pictures...that took forevvvvver! We didn't get done with pictures til about 10. it was so annoying. After we took pictures we went down stairs and danced the night away.lol. My date didn't really dance with me or really at all, but the second that i decided that i didn't care if he dances was the second i had FUN! it was alot of fun. i danced with Kare and Justy, and Gabe and Britney, and Katie would come over every once and awhile and dance. it was a blast. when it was over i was sad it was. all in all prom was fun! (:

thank you to Karen and Alyssa who did my make up and hair.

Alyssa's Day!

Today was Alyssa appreciation day!!

I lovvvvvve Alyssa, and I hope it made her feel good, cause i feel like sometimes we don't get to share with her how much we really do love her. BUT WE DO!

So it was really funny cause i got at her house at 5:30 to wait to make sure nobody went inside...that was funny, Allie Green showed up first, and i felt kinda dumb explaining it to her dad, but he was very cool with it, and so Allie and I hung out for a little bit until Danica got there. Then after Danica came Chelsea Wathon, Liz, Kelsie, Chelsea Morgan, Sarah, and Vivi. It was so funny to wait with everyone. Alyssa called Sarah, and texted me asking where we were. It was SO FUNNY!

So that was the night. At bible study we talked about Proverbs 3. I LOVE PROVERBS! I printed them out today at school during my Computer's class, and I love them. My favorite so far would have to be though 7. And its funny cause its about a prostitute. BUT i like it cause it made me think about things that i wear, and what i think i look good in, and what i think is a little risky. I have found i HATE to show my boobs. I don't like it at all. The only time i ever really feel okay with it is if I'm wearing a dress. So my two favorite verses in Provers 7 is first in the NIV translation which says: 27 Her house is a highway to the grave, [d] leading down to the chambers of death. I like this cause its basically saying STAY AWAY FROM HER!!! He house is a highway to the grave...how scary is that? Okay, and my next favorite is about the birds...and i like it cause it reminds me of proverbs 1 and how Alyssa and Sarah said they would make those shirts with a bird and the net...this translation though is in The Message "Like a bird flying into a net not knowing that its flying life is over. "


Okay. and last but not least...Liz Smith. On Sunday she encouraged a girl to come to Youth group, and she did, then She encouraged the same girl to come to girls bible study...and she did. I was really impressed with her. It is so amazing to watch people lead people to Christ. It makes me truly ecstatic! I love it!

Well that's all. I hope you guys have a blessed night. (:

Danica

So awhile back Alyssa had pointed out that Danica and I look really good in pictures together. and i have to say (without sounding like im bragging) but we really do! ha. so this post is to you Danica Ryan. Here are all of our amazing pictures together! (: I love you. You are a great Friend, encourager, teacher, musician, and an amazing listener! (:

It's been awhile

I am home babysitting my little brother. ): I have to skip church, and painting at hops, and his suprise party thing tomorrow for babysitting. I'm kinda bummed out, but it will be okay. I get to also not go to my 2nd period and 6th period or my zero period for the next week. (: I love not going to school and sleeping in.

HUGE NEWS! Jusy and Kare...they are dating. I know everybody knows about it, but it seriously gets me so excited and happy for them, that I find myself always bringing it up..i Have no shame. Sometimes I'll be sitting in class, and I'll think, Justy and kare are finally dating, and soon a HUGE smile appears. I am SO HAPPY! They deserve to be happy. It feels like this has been coming for FOREVER! Oh and Emily and Bo are dating as well. Thats exciting. I really like Bo, he is such a great guy. And Emily is super happy. (: All my friends are so happy! It gets me excited.

So I've been thinking a little bit this week, and i've come to a conclusion that some things I want to fix about myself. I find that sometimes I want to know what is going on with everybody, but sometimes it comes to being about the wrong thing. So this week I started to write "nosy" on my wrist, and when ever I feel like I want to know something I look at my wrist and remember my check list which is, 1. Is this something that I NEED to know. 2. Did I need to ask more than once for the other person to be wanting to tell me 3. WHY do I want to know this information, is it cause i am worried or want to help, or just becasue I just want to know. It's really been helping. I find that when I ask myself these questions by the end of my check list, it is something that just sounds dumb for even wanting to know. I am learning to be more patient with people. I like this. But at the same time, I like doing it for me. I didn't change because of anything that happend. I thought it over. I just feel that I am starting to control ME, and trusting in God with all the rest.(:

Well I have to put my baby brother to bed. night everyone.

Sorry!

Sorry guys, I haven't updated in a reallllly long time! Its just cause this spring break has been the BEST ever! Today is the first day that I have been home to update. My FAVORITE day outta spring break was defiantly Tuesday! Kare Justy and I all went down to Santa Cruz, and we had the FUNNEST time ever! Lets start at the beginning and ill walk you through our trip...

We first went to Los Banos and we ate at the same restaurant that Alyssa, Brandy, and I ate at when we went to Hollister. Then after that we stopped cause justy had to use the restroom, and the bathrooms were closed so he PEED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD!!! hahah! Then we were on the road, we got to Santa Cruz and went straight for the boardwalk. it was so great! I love it! we went to the beach where i made justy and kare take a "romantic" pose! haha. Then we went back to the boardwalk and Kare and I got tattoos (not real ones!) mine meant special! and Kare's meant laugh! haha. We thought we were so cool! After this Kare got a ticket on her car! ): But then we went to Capitola and got Pizza my heart and ate on the beach. it was beautiful but very very cold! Then we walked around and then came home. i had the best time ever! kare and i were talking about how grown up we felt after, we did it by ourselves. No help from anyone. It was nice. This has by far been the best spring break!

here are some pictures!!

Well hello, I woke up this morning and remebered that I haven't updated everyday like i said i was going to. Soooo this is me updating. (:

Lets see, today I am going to go up to Hume lake with Hopper, Megan, Liz and Chels. I hope it will be fun. I enjoy doing stuff like this, just usually there is someone there that i feel really comfortable with, im kinda bummed Danica isn't going. ):

Speaking of Danica, please everybody look at this picture! It is sooo cute!

So yesterday at Encounter we had been asked, "what is the abundant life? and do you have it?" And it was so funny that they asked this, because this weekend i had really been struggling with letting go my problems, and letting God take care of me. And I did. And the second i trusted him COMPLETELY with my own insecurities, and problems he started working away at them, and by last night everything had been worked out. IT WAS AMAZING! so when they asked this, I completly knew what they were talking about.

Its funny to me that sometimes I get stuck in my own way, that I want to control everything and fix it myself, I have to stop myself and let Him take over, and how much better i feel about situations when I let God take over. It is just a great feeling to know that God has a plan in my life, through the bad times and the good, he will provide and take care of me.

Alyssa had said something about how my past struggles that I thought were really hard to over come, how they aren't even that much of a temptation to me. And it is so true. I feel so much more free from my past. Its a great feeling. (:

The other day i was talking with some one and I had told them that my parents think that after a certain age (about 16) it is time to see if you have faith yourself. This person thought that this idea was crazy, and that my parents should have forced us to go to church after 16. The thought of someone disagreeing with me/my parents first of all got me a little upset, and then I started wondering is this right of my parents to do this.

this is my conclusion:

My parents when i was little started my foundation of church, I went to sunday school all the way up to jr. high, which is when i started to really rebel against the Lord and wanted to live the worldly life, BUT my parents still forced me to go to church (even to the point of me crying not to go). Then when I was 16 my parents let me be. I think that it was the best thing for me. I CHOOSE to go or not. My relationship with God is not my parents, and I have that personal relationship with Him. So, I think my parents did the best they can do for me, and I will carry that over for my kids. My faith. I have control of it, I dont live my faith for anyone else. I like that. (:

Sorry, just little ramblings from Me.

Okay, so everybody is telling me to update, and i am going to try to update at least 1 every two days or once a day.

There has alot gone on. umm. lets see.

Well this past weekend was SO MUCH FUN! on Friday i went to Alyssa's and watched movies with all the girls, then on Saturday night it was a night to do GOOD things, and Alyssa hosted a card night, it was so much fun, i dont think i've laughed that hard in a really long time. On Sunday i hung out all day with chelsea and Beca, i really enjoy those girls. We had victories that day, and it is so nice to watch people grow in their faith, and make a CHOICE to do the right thing.

All in all it was a very good weekend.

On monday we started our spiritual gifts, and I got high scores in alot of the different areas. I didnt have just one that i would say is completly me. I really liked it and am excited for next week.

Then on Tuesday, Alyssa Brandy and I took a road trip down to Hollister, and it was SO MUCH FUN! Alyssa is definately a mom when it comes to the camera. She stopped and took pictures of everything! even running across of 152, i will download my pictures and put them on here. it was so nice to see brandy and to meet her boyfriend, i like him a lot.

umm. Last night was church, and i went and hung out with Kare before, that was nice, i love Kare, she is such an amazing person. Then at church danica sang word of God speak, and i was in love! It is my favorite worship song EVER! aww. i love it. After church Danica, Liz, Chelsea, Megan, Beth, and I all went to Starbucks where we hung out like we normally do on Wednesdays. It was a nice week.

Alright well i have to go to work now. I love all of your guys posts! they are so interesting to read! (:

Okay so I'm posting a new post. (:

So today I worked from 11:45-8:15 and I'm pretty sure I could die. Usually on Saturday's my dad gives me a good shift like 9-5 which is great cause you don't have to open the store or close it...but today my dad was short people and I had to do the closing shift.. which makes me tired and i don't want to go out at all.. which leads me to writing this. lol.

Oh last night was the MONSTER TRUCK JAM! and i swear my favorite part was the dinosaur eating the car. pretttty darn funny. I have pictures so I'm going to post them later on in this thing. Thank you to Danica who hung out with me the entire night, we are fun! (:

umm lets see what else..oh I'm going to the snow tomorrow with Karen Kristin Micheal and I think Chelsea. It should be fun.. i just hope i don't get too sore from sledding.

This week has been amazing, i have had so much fun, and i really haven't even done anything, i think its just cause God provides for me in so many ways and he surrounds me with such great people that my life has just been fun. He is amazing, and I just keep thinking to myself, he did all this for me...WOW. if you sit down and think about that you really get tripped out. Jesus died for US. what are you doing to Glorify our God who has already done the very most? I'm really trying to ask myself that everyday, How can i be a better follower of God? which leads me to my next topic....WEDNESDAY NIGHT!

it was amazing! Danica ryan Overton you are an amazing worshiper of God, you are an amazing musician, and an amazing human. I get so moved by you worshiping. I thought Wednesday night went just the way i had been praying it would go. Shay did amazing. It was so uplifting to find all of us just worshiping the God who created us. I really hope that we continue to break though like that. I had so much fun, and was so impressed with everyone! It was so great!

well that all. I'm tired and I'm going to go to sleep. but first i will post pictures from last night!

I always have so much fun with all of these girls! God has blessed me with each and everyone of them! i love you all! (:

ps. Phil Wickham IS AMAZING!!!

Okay its been awhile since i posted. This weekend was Emily's 17th birthday!! So Alex, Amanda, and I took her to Sacramento on a road trip, and stayed with her grams. it was so much fun! here are some pictures from it. (:

So i am finally updating. (:

Umm alot has been going on in the past week... God has blessed me with a new friend who i can share my testomony with and help her. And its nice to be able to use what i have gone through and the choices i have made to help someone else. And the funny thing is my relationship with God is getting stronger, she is helping me as much as I am helping her.. telling her why i changed my ways reminds me of how much i LOVE my life now, and how GREAT our God is, and how much i dont ever want to go back to the past. Its a great feeling, and I am very excited to see what God has instore for this person. (:

Umm other than that, I would really like to talk about how amazing miss Danica Overton is. She is such an amazing Worship leader. It gives me chills when i see her on stage glorifying the Lord. I'm so proud of her. She has grown so much over the past year with her music, and I couldnt be more excited for her, and what opportunities she will have in her life. I am truely inspired by her.

Okay thats all. I hope everyone had a great Christmas! here are some pictures from mine.

So i haven't updated this in a long time, so i thought today would be a great day to do so. Umm. alot has been happening over here. and not all good things, but just challenging things. My brother comes home from the hospital today, and he's going to be living with us for a while. I kind of have mixed emotions about it, I want to be really supportive of him right now and of my mom, but at the same time I am kind of afraid that it will be like it used to be. :( But I have so many people supporting me, and helping me through this that it is amazing, i feel so blessed by God right now with all the support ive gotten from Alyssa and Emily. They really have helped me so much this past week. Thank you guys.

But on a happier and lighter note.. I have discovered somethings this past weekend. I went to Stockton to go to a ball with my bestfriend and her family, and i really realized that I am so happy here. I used to miss my old life in Stockton and my friends that I have there, and not saying that I still dont, but God has blessed me with so much here in Clovis. It is wierd I walked into my old life this past weekend, and it was almost as if I didnt belong anymore, that I know better this time. It was a really great expierence, and I will forever love those people, but it isn't my "home" anymore. Clovis is. :)

and more pictures. :)

So this is me updating my post...i kinda just wanted to put pictures on because i feel that i dont have much to talk about ...so here it goes. lol.

I feel as though God is challenging me everyday to be the best I can be. It's funny to me how I can feel what God is telling me to do, and yet still oppose it. I have had to realize some things lately, first of all, letting things go is a huge task for me. If someone doesn't do exactly what I think they are capable, it has nothing to do with me. I am called to love everybody, and that is what I strive too. I got in an argument with someone yesterday, and I finally realized what Michelle was saying at biblestudy. I can finally accept that we aren't going to get along right then, and not being angry about it, and more importantly LET IT GO. I can wait for God to give me an opportunity to speak to this person. I am finally listening to what God is telling me to do, and it feels amazing. :)

So Wednesday night was an all Worship night at the church. It was amazing. There were so many thoughts going through my head the entire night, first of all, I was so proud of Danica! She was so great. I love watching her play the guitar, and to sing. She did such a great job. Secondly, my friend Brooke came, and brought her boyfriend Joel. I was So impressed with them. It was amazing to watch as God was working through them. It was so encouraging, and now I love the talks we have about it, and to hear the impact that it made on her life. She said that she will continue to go! :) thirdly I loved the speakers. Ryan did an amazing job, I love when he talks about stuff that everybody is thinking. That we are a great diversity, and we are all put there to help one another. And Hopper who lead the amazing prayer at the end. It really made me feel so excited and so happy to have that many people stand up. And then to have people pray around them. It was just an unbelievable feeling. The entire night was a success!