Mandy's Birthday

Today is my sister’s birthday. I only have one sister and it is a pleasure to celebrate the day that God ordained for her to come into this world. For those of you who do not know her here are a few things that I love about her.
1. She stood up for me when the play ground bully came around
2. She got me through my first year at Washington State University
3. She can rock Abba
4. She is a great mom and wife
5. She is a triple threat (smart, witty, and beautiful)
6. She is competitive and driven
7. She accepts you for who you are
8. She is truly my best friend.

Mandy may you have a blessed 33 year!

Obsession

I love music. I won't boar you with the whys and whats but occasionally I will share the song that is speaking to me.
Most recently that song would be "Obsession" covered by David Crowder. There is something about the lyrics that speak to me. Here are a few of the lyrics

Sometimes You're further than the moon
Sometimes You're closer than my skin
And You surround me like a winter fog
You've come and burned me with a kiss

And my heart burns for You
And my heart burns...for You...

And i feel lonely without hope
And i feel desperate without vision
You wrap around me like a winter coat
You come and free me like a bird

"I got it cheap"

I once had a guy ask me "why is it women are constantly telling each other how they got something on sale or follow up a compliment with "thanks I got it cheap at..."?" I did not have a good response to this poor guy but readily admitted that I am guilty of such things. There is just something about finding a good deal.
Now I would like to tell you about a recent find....
About a month ago I was at the Fossil store with a friend looking at watches. The sails clerk had a cute wooden band watch on. I asked her how much it was and she pointed to the displayed watch. Through the freshly cleaned glass I saw the price tag of 75$
Fast forward to last week while walking in WalMart when I saw a similar watch for 14$. At first I was not going to buy it...but who am I kidding. I could not pass up such a deal.

Richmond, VA

I’m currently in the Richmond VA area training for a job overseas. Due to the busy training schedule and my lack of car I have not had the chance to truly explore Richmond or to just indulge in my love for being a tourist.

Yesterday a family that I know invited me to be a tourist with them. So we piled into the mini van and headed off for a day of sun, history, and great people watching.

Old Town ,VCU, Belle Isle, and Shockoe Bottom were just a few of the places that we experienced.

I loved the history that permeates every little alley and corner of this city. The people that we ran into were great and the local restaurants offered a hometown feel.
By the end of my day I was tired and had a few blisters from walking in new sandals but it was all worth it. Thanks’ Dodson family for adopting this single girl for the day.

From Foreign to Familiar

I am from the North West but seem to constantly find myself around those from the south. Either I am just visiting the south or working with Southerners. Currently I am in Virginia and seemed to be immersed in the South and all that entails.

When I am in these situations I constantly find myself feeling different or that I am breaking some sort of cultural rule that I did not know about. I have always had a difficult time expressing the differences between the north and south until just recently.
What has enlightened me to these differences was a book called “Foreign to Familiar” by Sarah Lanier. In this book she describes the differences between “hot” (the south) and “cold” (the north) cultures. Not only does she giver her perspective on the United States but for the world as well.

If you are someone from the North having to move to the south, work with southerners or are moving to a part of the world that is warm I highly recommend this book. The same recommendation goes for those who are from the south and having to embark on the northern states or parts of Europe.

Small Town

When people ask where I am from rarely will I tell them the name of my hometown. First I start out by saying I am from Washington State NOT Washington D.C. (“No, I don’t know the President”)
From there I may say that I’m from Central Washington. It is only if someone seems truly interested or has been to area that I say, “I’m from Zillah WA.”


Zillah is your typical American small town. There are no stoplights but there are your essential small town stores.


Every year Zillah has “Zillah Days.” I happened to be home this year to attend with some of my family. It is the epitome of a small town. I love that everyone from town comes out. They start the day with a big breakfast and then line the street to watch the parade.



After the parade is a carnival and local food and crafts are available to purchase.
If you’ve grown up in this town you will be sitting amongst old high school classmates, cousins, and the local butcher….I love small town life.

Surreal

There are moments in my life when everything seems so surreal. Moments when I question reality. Am I really doing this? Is this moment really happening?

These moments are not only limited to “big life events” but also during the small and strange moments in my life. For example like the time I was walking through Wal-Mart and I was hit in the head with a bouncy ball that came out of no where or when I was walking in my bare feet around the TajMahal.

Now I know you may be saying “Jess did you really just put Wal Mart and the Taj in the same comparison?” and my answer to you would be “yes.”

God has made me the sort of girl that has surreal moments. Moments that I realize he (God) is making me do a reality check. Where he uses a rubber ball to hit me over the head to say “wake up, you don’t belong here” or when he allows me to experience the Taj Mahal and tells me "Jess, if this is what a man builds for a woman he loves think of what I am preparing for you in Heaven."