Sorry I've been MIA in the blogger world, but after Valentine's day, my engagement quickly followed and five and a half (or so) months later I walked down the aisle in a long white dress and said "I Do." Then of course was the honeymoon, and now we're settling into real life. (What a let down, I tell you.) But, thankfully this is just the beginning of the journey, and we will be having many more adventures and exciting times in our lives together, til death do us part. I'm quite happy, and he is too, if you were to ask him ;). Engagement story and wedding/honeymoon adventure stories may follow, along with domestic mishaps(I can't cook, ha). I'm learning slowly along the way. I'm a work in progress, and am so grateful for my patient Savior and gentle, encouraging husband. Both which are invaluable to me.
Treading new paths,
Jane Eyre
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Home is...
The older I get, the more I change my views on what "home" is. It started in college, when I would get confused in saying "I'm going back home" in referring to college when I had been staying at my home of the past decade for the weekend. That was an awkward time. Which "home" I meant became confusing...was it "home-home" or "school-home"? And did that offend my parents to call school home? Now that I've moved out, home is not where my parents live, where my pets reside, where my old nick-nacs and trophies collect dust.
No...home is where the people are that I love. Home is less and less a geological location, but rather a state of comfort in the relationships that mean the most to me. I have at least two homes then, possibly 3 or 4. The phrase "home is where the heart is" can be so true. And though it may be sad to say this brick edifice in which I grew and cried and learned who I was is not really my home, it is also liberating. No one can destroy my home. My home is where there is love: with family, with friends, and ultimately with Christ. And because of the last one, I am always at home wherever I may roam. My heart, though often restless, is always at home.
Home in His hands,
Jane
No...home is where the people are that I love. Home is less and less a geological location, but rather a state of comfort in the relationships that mean the most to me. I have at least two homes then, possibly 3 or 4. The phrase "home is where the heart is" can be so true. And though it may be sad to say this brick edifice in which I grew and cried and learned who I was is not really my home, it is also liberating. No one can destroy my home. My home is where there is love: with family, with friends, and ultimately with Christ. And because of the last one, I am always at home wherever I may roam. My heart, though often restless, is always at home.
Home in His hands,
Jane
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Hope for the Black Thumb
Lately I've stumbled across different types of bulb flowers that can be grown inside, year-round, without dirt. Just rocks and water. I was elated. I first discovered this a few months ago when the mother of the girl I babysit had these bulbs and plants growing in practically all her windows...in December. I was intrigued. For Christmas she gave me some paperwhite bulbs. These grow into a lovely, tall plant with small, white daffodil-like blossoms. And, they have a pleasant aroma :). Other perks: The plant grows and lasts for about a month, the bulbs are super cheap, it makes you feel like you can garden, and brings some cheer to the winter cold.
I also discovered that amaryllis bulbs can be coaxed to grow indoors. I bought a gigantic bulb, larger than my fist, about three weeks ago and planted it in a fishbowl with rocks. Nothing happened...for a long time...and I was perturbed because the bulb cost about ten bucks. Just recently, a little red bud is beginning to poke its nose out. This plant is definitely trying my patience, but if you've seen an amaryllis flower, you know it's worth it ;).
If you'd like to know, I have quite a collection of plants in this room (only ones that are fool-proof, for those who have nothing close to a green thumb). I have a "lucky bamboo" plant in rocks in a vase that's lived for 2-3 years. Its name is Ming. I have three different jars/vases containing growing paperwhites. I have the amaryllis. And I have some philodendron clippings. It's quite nice.
What kind of plants do you like to grow? Do you like certain indoor plants?
Overcoming my "black" thumb,
Jane
I also discovered that amaryllis bulbs can be coaxed to grow indoors. I bought a gigantic bulb, larger than my fist, about three weeks ago and planted it in a fishbowl with rocks. Nothing happened...for a long time...and I was perturbed because the bulb cost about ten bucks. Just recently, a little red bud is beginning to poke its nose out. This plant is definitely trying my patience, but if you've seen an amaryllis flower, you know it's worth it ;).
If you'd like to know, I have quite a collection of plants in this room (only ones that are fool-proof, for those who have nothing close to a green thumb). I have a "lucky bamboo" plant in rocks in a vase that's lived for 2-3 years. Its name is Ming. I have three different jars/vases containing growing paperwhites. I have the amaryllis. And I have some philodendron clippings. It's quite nice.
What kind of plants do you like to grow? Do you like certain indoor plants?
Overcoming my "black" thumb,
Jane
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Day 30!!!!!!!: True Love is Like a...what?!?
I found this pic on Facebook and could not resist discussing it. But first, I would like to congratulate myself on successfully writing 30 blog posts, though, it did not turn into a consecutive, blog-a-day experience like I had hoped. I still felt it was good to get myself back into blogging semi-regularly (I must confess this venture took possibly over 2 mos...teehee...).
So this picture...what are your first thoughts? Caption reads, "True Love is like a walk in the clouds." My thoughts: "Mmmm...that's sweet...oooh Disney romances are lovely...clouds and sky are lovely too...so sunny...so optimistic...and Disney love is so neat and tidy...and wait...that's not realistic...PAUSE!" True love is like a walk in the clouds???!! I surely hope not. Now, infatuation, and the rush of new mutual interest can feel like a drug-induced high with side-effects of faster heart rates, sweaty palms, shivers up/down your spine, warm fuzzy feelings and such. But true love is more like a walk on the ground, with the earth beneath your feet. You need solid grounding/foundation for it to be real and lasting. There will be flowers and beauty and joy. There will also be thorns, rain, rocks, and potholes. And the irony is, that if you expect love to be a walk in the clouds, you will find it to be anything but. You'll find yourself disillusioned with your significant other when life sets in, and ultimately disillusioned with yourself.
True love is commitment. I've been told this over and over by my parents and others wiser than me. But they're right. The marriages that last aren't free of care or a waltz in the skies, with pleasant puffy clouds. Ask any elderly couple. They'll tell you their heartaches and struggles, the battles they fought TOGETHER, the times they wanted to throw in the towel and DIDN'T, the times when getting out seemed easier than fighting for love. Whoever talks of that? Fighting to keep love alive? "Oh, how utterly unromantic...I will naturally have only feelings of deep affection and adoration for my significant other..." If you believe that, you're setting yourself up for multiple breakups and possibly divorce in your future.
True love is death. Yes. You read that right. Christ is true love, and his death was the ultimate proof of his affection. True love is death to self. This is true in our relationship with Christ and our relationship with our spouse/significant other, and guess what, it doesn't come naturally! But we are called to show this more difficult, yet more real, true love. Paul laid down this standard for love in marriage: "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord...Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her...each one of you also must love his wife and he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband" (Ephesians 5). We're not talking about cloud-walking here. We're talking about tough love, the kind of love that says, "I will always love you, even if I don't like you right now, even if you hurt me, even if you fail to love me the way I receive love..." This is love.
Enjoy your Disney movies, your chick-flicks, your cotton-candy-love books and movies and pop songs, but remember, true love is not a walk in the clouds. It's a journey of sacrifice, full of roses and thorns.
Learning to Love as Christ,
Jane
Friday, January 25, 2013
Day 29, part II: Ask some questions! Answer some questions!
This was inspired by a blog post by my friend, and since I want to make this blog more interactive, I thought I'd give it a shot. So here's some questions, with my own answers.
1) Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter?
Well, I don't like being cold, so the other three and especially Summer when it's not too hot. I love flip flops and painted toes and stargazing, and the over-all laid back feel.
2) Least favorite movie genre:
Horror/Scary/Gore...ickkkkk...my imagination doesn't need any more ideas to creep me out, thanks!
3) Favorite music genre:
Umm, most anything but country and secular rap. But I like electronic/dance/trance music a lot :)
4) Favorite fruit:
Mmmmm, maybe bananas because they're cheap and low maintenance...peel and eat!
5) Mac or PC?
PC :)
What are your answers? Any questions for me?
Feeling quizzical,
Jane
1) Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter?
Well, I don't like being cold, so the other three and especially Summer when it's not too hot. I love flip flops and painted toes and stargazing, and the over-all laid back feel.
2) Least favorite movie genre:
Horror/Scary/Gore...ickkkkk...my imagination doesn't need any more ideas to creep me out, thanks!
3) Favorite music genre:
Umm, most anything but country and secular rap. But I like electronic/dance/trance music a lot :)
4) Favorite fruit:
Mmmmm, maybe bananas because they're cheap and low maintenance...peel and eat!
5) Mac or PC?
PC :)
What are your answers? Any questions for me?
Feeling quizzical,
Jane
Day 29! (almost to 30!): Selfish=Self Ish. Prone to Self. I know I am.
When I was a kid, I remember musing over the word "selfish" and thinking how it sounded like "shellfish," but had nothing to do with aquatic life. Apparently my mind has always loved words :). But to the point, being selfish or selfishness is a real issue in our country, society, social circles and most importantly us, the individual (myself most definitely included).
A couple of my friends have married within the year, and the one thing they repeatedly say is "I didn't realize how selfish I was until I got married." (Oh no, I think...am I ever in for it! God bless my future husband...) I know I'm selfish. And I'm not going to deny it. Not having siblings growing up didn't help that, though it's no excuse. To be honest, I can be friendly, kind, giving, and caring occasionally if it's not required of me, but choosing to be self-less (less of self) regularly and not looking to please me first is NOT easy. And I'm learning that through my close relationships. I find that perhaps the main reason relationships are messy and often painful is that they show you yourself and all your inward ugliness, like a mirror. They require you to stretch, grow, rebuild, and rethink. They won't allow stagnation or apathy in order to stay alive.
Too often, with those I love, I forget to look to their needs and how I can serve them, or I convince them to choose something that makes me happy and forget the importance of letting them pick their favorite ______ (fill in the blank). In a close relationship, if you win the battle, no one wins. If you choose to give, and think less of "take," both parties win, and grow.
The key to curing selfishness lies with the cross. As John said about Jesus, "He must become greater. I must become less" (John 3:30). When we learn to give ourselves to Christ, our dreams, our all, we can rest assured and not feel the need to grasp for attention, affection, or "our way." We can understand and share love, not the mushy kind. The kind that is sacrificial, that says "your needs must be put above mine." Paul writes to the Philippians, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3). But do we, do I, give in hopes of it coming around? Do I give in expectation or receiving? Yes, as the saying goes, "what goes around, comes around." As Proverbs puts it, "he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed" (11:25). But that is only a pleasant side-effect, not a motivation.
I think a major break through is reached when you find joy is self-sacrifice and bringing pleasure to others not to get anything in return. And I think I'm on a personal journey of embracing that by first embracing the love and sacrifice of the cross, every day.
Learning slowly,
Jane
A couple of my friends have married within the year, and the one thing they repeatedly say is "I didn't realize how selfish I was until I got married." (Oh no, I think...am I ever in for it! God bless my future husband...) I know I'm selfish. And I'm not going to deny it. Not having siblings growing up didn't help that, though it's no excuse. To be honest, I can be friendly, kind, giving, and caring occasionally if it's not required of me, but choosing to be self-less (less of self) regularly and not looking to please me first is NOT easy. And I'm learning that through my close relationships. I find that perhaps the main reason relationships are messy and often painful is that they show you yourself and all your inward ugliness, like a mirror. They require you to stretch, grow, rebuild, and rethink. They won't allow stagnation or apathy in order to stay alive.
Too often, with those I love, I forget to look to their needs and how I can serve them, or I convince them to choose something that makes me happy and forget the importance of letting them pick their favorite ______ (fill in the blank). In a close relationship, if you win the battle, no one wins. If you choose to give, and think less of "take," both parties win, and grow.
The key to curing selfishness lies with the cross. As John said about Jesus, "He must become greater. I must become less" (John 3:30). When we learn to give ourselves to Christ, our dreams, our all, we can rest assured and not feel the need to grasp for attention, affection, or "our way." We can understand and share love, not the mushy kind. The kind that is sacrificial, that says "your needs must be put above mine." Paul writes to the Philippians, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3). But do we, do I, give in hopes of it coming around? Do I give in expectation or receiving? Yes, as the saying goes, "what goes around, comes around." As Proverbs puts it, "he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed" (11:25). But that is only a pleasant side-effect, not a motivation.
I think a major break through is reached when you find joy is self-sacrifice and bringing pleasure to others not to get anything in return. And I think I'm on a personal journey of embracing that by first embracing the love and sacrifice of the cross, every day.
Learning slowly,
Jane
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Day 28!: List of Questions I Ponder (And would like to know the answer to)
I'm always brimming with questions and mulling thoughts around. I was constantly that kid with questions in class that wanted to make sure I understood the assignment or wanted to know more in general. I also loved (and continue to love) asking my dad questions; he's like a walking wiki site. :) So, here, for day 28, I give you a list of questions I wonder about:
1. How do candles work? How is the wax the fuel?
2. Why can't you find the big dipper in the wintertime? Where is it in the night sky?
3. Why do people think they can drive in the rain/fog without their lights on? (ok, that's rhetorical)
4. How long did it take Adam to name all the animals?
5. Did the animals have a different sort of communion or even communication with man before the Fall?
6. What makes a fruit a "superfruit"? (example: acai, mangosteen, dragonfruit)
7. Why don't we ride cows? Are they not trainable for this sort of thing?
8. If we are so far from stars in our galaxy and those outside our galaxy that it would take a very long time, maybe years, before we saw their light go out, how long would the sun be gone/extinguished before we realized it?
9. If "no one can hear you scream in space," then why are we listening for extra-terrestrial evidence?
10. Why do we carry umbrellas in rainstorms, particularly lightning storms? Aren't they made out of metal, which attracts electricity?
These are the sorts of things I ponder. What kind of questions do you ponder?
Lost in thought,
Jane
1. How do candles work? How is the wax the fuel?
2. Why can't you find the big dipper in the wintertime? Where is it in the night sky?
3. Why do people think they can drive in the rain/fog without their lights on? (ok, that's rhetorical)
4. How long did it take Adam to name all the animals?
5. Did the animals have a different sort of communion or even communication with man before the Fall?
6. What makes a fruit a "superfruit"? (example: acai, mangosteen, dragonfruit)
7. Why don't we ride cows? Are they not trainable for this sort of thing?
8. If we are so far from stars in our galaxy and those outside our galaxy that it would take a very long time, maybe years, before we saw their light go out, how long would the sun be gone/extinguished before we realized it?
9. If "no one can hear you scream in space," then why are we listening for extra-terrestrial evidence?
10. Why do we carry umbrellas in rainstorms, particularly lightning storms? Aren't they made out of metal, which attracts electricity?
These are the sorts of things I ponder. What kind of questions do you ponder?
Lost in thought,
Jane
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)