Light, Corners, & Mirrors.

That there, is a picture of my bedroom! I love it to bits and pieces. To be honest, it's not even considered as a "bedroom"--it's actually an office space. -gasp!- I know, who would've thought?? The truth is, no matter the size of your room, if you really want to love it, you gotta make it work and you gotta make it YOURS.

In order to adapt to the size of my room, I had to empty out my closet, and stick all my sweaters & dressers in the hallway closet. Then from my bookshelf I put all my books in the other hallway closet, and then stuck my bookshelf in my closet. Interesting, no? [that was a fabulous idea from the beautiful mind of my boyfriend!]

Then, to make my room "appear" larger than it really was, I added some light. No, I didn't install another window into my room [although I WISH], I did something much, much easier. I switched up my bedding! I bought a white feather duvet, and some light pink pillow cases and sheets [these sheets were on sale for $10 bucks at Walmart by the way!!]. You know how you're supposed to wear black if you want to make yourself look more skinny? The same is for the interior of your house; if you want a skinnier room, use darker colours. If you want a larger room, use lighter colors! [plus, I just LOVE the colors white, pink, and grey together. So cozy!]

Another trick, was I got rid of all "caddy cornering". Angling a piece of furniture in the corner of the room uses up more floor space than necessary, thus, making the room look smaller than it really is.

Last but not least, my favourite trick of all: mirrors! Mirrors make a room look larger! I have two to prove it. :) Do you see the gorgeous [Canadian Tire] long skinny mirror hanging above my bed there? Well, there was this one day when I was telling Jarryd exactly how I wanted my mirror to be hung...someday. So the very next day, while I am gone to work, he shows up at my place with all the necessary tools, my roommates let him in, and he hangs my mirror for me!! So perfectly too!! And not only that, but he cleaned my whole room for me as well! Seriously, if you don't have a man who would do something like that for you, then I suggest you find a new one, because he made me feel like such a princess. =) I hope I never forget how blessed I am; and I hope I never forget to thank God for all He has given me.

Anyway, like I said before, you gotta make YOUR room YOURS. Not a magazine's, not Pinterest's, not your friend's, but YOURS. The way I made my room mine are by all the fine details: my pictures of Paris & New York City everywhere, Country lyrics, a picture of my family, two pictures of my boyfriend, lots and lots of pink, a cowboy hat, pretty jewelry, and a picture of Jesus. All of my favourite things. :)

Good Thoughts.

:)

Polka Dots.

First things first;
I was flippin' through my parents Canadian Tire flyer. Now, I LOVE flyers. I am that weird girl who sits at the kitchen table holding a red-permanent-sharpie-marker circling hundreds of items from 3 different grocery store flyers--even with the knowledge that I probably WON'T be buying even half of those items. It's all in the name of fun & personal interest :)

Anyway, in this Canadian Tire flyer, was this ADORABLE 2.5 qt white crockpot with purple pastel polkadots. I have always wanted a crockpot of my own. Okay, that's a total lie--let me rephrase that. For the past YEAR, I have always wanted a crockpot of my own. And to be honest, I have been dying to try out a pulled pork recipe. Pulled pork sandwiches = Heaven on earth.

So, after bumming around in Canadian Tire for over an hour, gazing upon all the beautiful pink, yellow, and green pastel-colored Kitchen-Aid mixers (!!!), I found my little polka-dotted crockpot. Insert smile of relief here:    :)

As I said before, it's only a 2.5 qt-er and feeds only 3+ people, but honestly, I'm not married with six children...a little one is all I need for my bachlorette-pad life.
Here she is--fitting perfectly in my arms...just the cutest appliance ever to be owned. (And may I add it was only $14.99. So here's hoping that the taste of the food doesn't correlate with the price of the crockpot)

Secondly, it's only been a week since my seasonal Orchard job ended and I already feel like an unemployed bum. But then I ask myself...why? WHY do I feel this way? I STILL have my evening job at the grocery store, I still have a bit of income, and I still have a life. I swear the screws attaching my head to my neck & shoulders come loose way too easily.

I worked myself really, really hard this summer. 13 hour days are not easy. (And I blame these long work days as the reason why I am suddenly drinking coffee for the first time in my life!! I was doing so well for 21 years without an ounce of coffee. Sigh.) So anyway, this one week break of having mornings and early afternoons off is much needed and much deserved, I think. Therefore, I should by no means feel like a so-called "unemployed bum". It's given me time to catch up with friends, family, experimenting in the kitchen, reading, and studying for my distance Bible course. (Gee I wish working out at the gym was on that list...)

Sometimes I get worried. And the times when I get worried are the times when my focus shifts from God....to money. No wonder the Bible is filled with so many verses about money; the definition of money (it is the root of all evil, 1 Timothy 6:10), and the dangers of money. All I want to do is save for my future as a culinary student. When I think of saving money, I tell myself "okay, now I need to find to find a job that is full-time, and pays above minimum...even if I hate it". Then this war goes on in my mind, a battle of: "Do I find a job that I love and get paid minimum amounts of money for? Or do I find a job that I loathe and get paid lots of money for?"

Your job is where you are going to spend most of your time. Why waste the amazing gift of LIFE that God has given you doing something you may not be talented at, one which someone else would probably be more skilled at and thus may enjoy WAY more than you do?

A part of me is considering finding a job in a factory...doing repetitive tasks while standing stationary for 8 hours a day, alone, using no social skills whatsoever. Yes, it would be...trying on my everyday healthy & well-being...but it would pay well AND I wouldn't have to work evenings.

The other part of me wants to work in a kitchen, a cafe, a bakery, a teahouse, or at a catering business. I would be running around, doing various activities, prep work, cooking, baking, cleaning, and serving. I WOULD be working evenings and I WOULD be getting paid minimum wage...but...I would LOVE it. (AND it would be preparing me for culinary school!)

When I'm doing something I love, I am happy. And when I'm happy, I am more able to make others happy, and thus, be a light for Christ. When I am cranky, tired, doing something I hate...the result is an upset Jennifer who is NOT living as a girl who says she has Jesus in her heart. It is common sense.

So, when you're not sure what to do...when you're at a fork in the road...the worst thing you CAN do is to NOT do anything. Do something! This morning I spent time online researching both types of jobs (factory and restaurant), and wrote down addresses and phone numbers. I have prayed to God to open my eyes to jobs, and therefore I am doing the work that comes with it. I'm not being passive and just waiting for a job to show up on my doorstep--I am making phone calls, finding doors, and asking God to open the doors that He KNOWS would allow for me to glorify Him best through.

And I know God is in my future and that He is here now. I have nothing to worry about.

Begin Again.

Walked in expecting you'd be late,

but you got here early and you stand and wait... I walk to you.
You pulled my chair out and helped me in, and you don't know how nice that is but I do.
And you throw your head back laughing like a little kid.
I think it's strange that you think I'm funny cause he never did.
I've been spending the last eight months thinking all love ever does is break, and burn, and end.

But on a Wednesday, in a cafe...I watched it begin again.

He said he never met one girl who had as many James Taylor records as you but I do.
We tell stories and you don't know why you're coming off a little shy... but I do.
And we walk down the block to my car and I almost brought him up.
But you start to talk about the movies that your family watches every single Christmas,

and I will talk about that for the first time.
What's past is past.

But on a Wednesday, in a cafe...I watched it begin again.

[Taylor Swift]

Soul-Twins

This was last night for me;

Skyping with Sarah from Toronto.

We met each other in German-land.

We both met our boyfriends in German-land.

We are both Canadian.

Both of our boyfriends are Americans from Maryland.

Her and I are soul-twins.

My boyfriend and her boyfriend are soul-twins.

Only God could have planned a work of art like this!

:)

Smores Crepe.

Yes, that is exactly what it looks like;

a SMORES crepe.

[a culinary creation of mine which was

 oh too delicious, sweet, & exquisite

that I could only finish half]

Right now, a few days later, I'm really missin' it's other half. :(

And Jesus said,

"come to the water, stand by my side.

I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied;

I felt every tear drop,

when in darkness you cried,

And I strove to remind you,

that for those tears I died."

Fear Be Gone!

Steady My Heart - Kari Jobe

Did I ever mention to you that Kari Jobe is honestly the most amazing singer ever?? Honestly, her and Britt Nicole...and Bethel are the only bands I ever listen to anymore. I've practically thrown country music out the window...well...not completely...but you know what I mean. Each and every single one of Kari Jobe's songs are so incredibly inspiring. Love her and her love for God!!

Wish it could be easy
Why is life so messy
Why is pain a part of us
There are days I feel like
Nothing ever goes right
Sometimes it just hurts so much

But You're here
You're real
I know I can trust You

Even when it hurts
Even when it's hard
Even when it all just falls apart
I will run to You
Cause I know that You are
Lover of my soul
Healer of my scars
You steady my heart

I'm not gonna worry
I know that You got me
Right inside the palm of your hand
Each and every moment
What's good and what gets broken
Happens just the way that You plan

And I will run to You
You're my refuge in Your arms
And I will sing to You
Cause of everything You are

You steady my heart

This is such a great question.

Highlights of My Busy Life.

I have missed blogging SO much. I miss logging on, typing in that password which every time I hope and pray I did the correct one, and seeing a fresh & new blank page in front of me. Yes, I have missed this.

I have excuses though. I really do. Good ones!

Excuse #1; I work two jobs (sometimes I work up to 52 hours a week, I have a family, a boyfriend, friends, a condo to clean, and laundry to do. I could just stop there...but that would cause for a very short blog post!

 [this was my last load of laundry, it took months to finally conquer... wow thank goodness I'm so funny with my lies and all!]

Excuse #2; At the end of August I flew to BC. Correction; my brother and I flew to Calgary where we met up with our siblings, and then road-tripped it through the mountains to BC. This was an awesome, awesome trip! I realized that when my siblings and I are together in a car, all sense of maturity is thrown out the window. Needless to say, I haven't laughed that hard in a long, long time.

Beautiful British Columbia was where my Freshman year of University took place, waaaaay back in 2009. (You can read all about this experience in the archives of my blog!) Geez I'm old. So, my first trip back to BC finally allowed for me to be reunited with one of my bestest friends in the whole entire world, Charmaine! (!!!!) She was both my roommate and soulmate. We had pretty much every class together, always ate our cafeteria stir-fry together, watched Seasons 1-10 of Friends together (with Ben & Jerry of course), had pillow-talk together, and no big deal...went to Israel together. But most of all, together we transformed each others lives. For instance, when I arrived at that school as flighty and a little too open-minded, she kept me grounded in my faith in God & morals. And when I saw her again, just a few weeks ago, it was as if we never left each other. I love her so much and I can't even express how amazing it was to see her again!! They say it's during your college years during which you make your bestest life long friends. Well whoever "they" is, "they" were right, totally and completely right.

[This is us in Petra, Jordan on our Holy Land Tour. Our next trip will be Paul's Footsteps in the West one day! :) ]

Excuse #3: The day after I returned home from BC, two of my friends (Sarah from big-city Toronto and Jessica from Calgary -or "Smokatokes", whichever you prefer-) flew to Winnipeg (the heart of the continent) just to come see ME! I am blessed. I mean, how many people can say they have friends who would spend hundreds of dollars on plane tickets just to go out and visit them for a few days?? :D

The three of us met at Bodenseehof Bible School in Germany back in September of 2010. We arrived at the school around the same time and henceforth, hung out the rest of that entire day. People say you rarely stay friends with the people you hang out with during the first few weeks, but the three of us were like glue for the rest of that school year. Pretty much everyday we'd sit on the floor in the corner of the Dining Hall and just talk and pray for each other, because there was alot going on. And even though we all live far away in different provinces, we are still best of friends! :)

[This was our very first photo together EVER!]

Sarah and Jessica were here in Winnipeg for five days and it was an INCREDIBLE five days. I was so terrified there would be nothin' to do. I mean, can you blame me? These girls are from the big cities of Calgary and Toronto!! But surprisingly enough, there was ALWAYS something to do :)

[This is our first photo together since our dreaded goodbye in April of 2011--aren't we cute??]

[Technically my bedroom is actually supposed to be an "office room" so between my bed, my dresser, and a queen inflatable mattress...there was absolutely no floor space. It was actually SO much fun. It felt like we were 10 year olds at a weekend sleepover party!! (it pretty much was that way haha!)]

[Watched The Lucky One, of course. You KNOW how I love Nicholas Sparks movies!]

[Their caption for this photo was: "Jenny, in her natural habitat". True enough!]

[We even met up with Janessa (another Germany student) and took the two hour drive to Grand Beach! Loved the white sand!]

[This is what happens when you work outside all summer!]

[My sweetie pie & I at Chapters]

[Where are all these hands coming from??]

[Bodenseehof reunion at the Old Spaghetti Factory! Our awkward family photo. haha]

[Jarryd and I decided to show these city kids what really goes on in the country!]

[It was their first time fourwheelin' and they were naturals!!]

[We found a cute little dead snake!]

[At the gravel pits!]

[Mmm :)]

[Near the water of the gravel pits there was this crazy sinking clay/sand stuff. It was like a giant waterbed of clay. SO cool!]

[Took them to the turkey barn. They were amazed at all the turkeys! And they were even able to handle the smell. Impressive!]

[Breakfast at McDonalds is the best kind of breakfast!]

[Our hyperness landed us underneath the inflatable mattress...somehow]

[On our last evening together we got all dolled up in our flowery summer dresses and hit up The Olive Garden. Sarah is so beautiful!!]

[My gorgeous Chessica]

[ :) ]

[We look way too good together!]

[Hugging goodbye at the new Winnipeg Airport!]

[It felt too soon to say Goodbye]

[We were sad...until we remembered our potential 2013 reunion in Toronto!]

I wish I could express in words how incredible it was being with those girls again. It was as if we had never left each other. But I think we left each other that weekend being closer than ever before. At the airport it was fine and just dandy. But as Jarryd and I were driving home from the airport, in the middle of talking about who knows what, I just start bawling my eyes out. Like out of nowhere I'm suddenly crying like a baby. I was absolutely dreading going back to my condo and sleeping alone in my room that night (during that week even though I had a bed beside the inflatable mattress, I chose to sleep on the mattress with them--practically a cuddle puddle every night!). I was so incredibly sad that the three of us wouldn't be together again for a long, long time again, but at the same time I have realized that having a sad goodbye is actually a blessing. Having a tearful goodbye means that that person meant so much more to you than any regular person would. I love those girls so much, and they have influenced me greatly in who I am as a person and as a Christian. (They were also right then and there when Jarryd and I started dating in Germany, so that's pretty special) :)

So there you have it--my excuses for not being the faithful blogger I wish I were. It's been an amazing summer and I'm looking forward to Fall...sort of...minus the gross cold weather. :)

Important Life Goal;

:) :) :)

Bethel - You Know Me

Last weekend [I cannot wait to write a blog about last weekend!!] my best friend Jessica introduced me to this song, and every car ride home from the city under a dark sky of stars, we'd play this full blast in the car, marvelling at how incredible it is that God knows us, yet despite all of our ugly thoughts and horrible faults He STILL LOVES us. I encourage you to click the video link above [turn up that volume!!] and give it a listen...just sit still and listen.

You have been
And You will be
You have seen
And You will see

You know when I rise and when I fall
When I come or go, You see it all
You hung the stars and You move the sea,
And still You know me

Whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, You know me
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

You have been
And You will be
And You have seen
And You will see

You know when I rise and when I fall
When I come or go, You see it all
You hung the stars and You move the sea,
And still You know me

Whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, You know me
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

And nothing is hidden from Your sight
Wherever I go, You find me
And You know every detail of my life
And You are God and You don't miss a thing

And nothing is hidden from Your sight
Wherever I go, You find me
And You know every detail of my life
And You are God and You don't miss a thing

Whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, You know me
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, You know me
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, You know me

You memorize me

Baggage.

❤ ❤ ❤