May 28, 2010

The Free

Our friend, Kyle Wood's favorite book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and Jasmine Star just recently posted on her blog that she also loved the book.


I have kind of been starved for something a little more intellectually challenging to read than your average Christian novel.   Ya know, sometimes your mind just needs the exercise.   So, last week I walked in to Tomball's little used book store and picked up a brand new copy.


So far it is very interesting.   


As I read last night John transitioned in between story lines to make a little vignette about human kind, and it just captured me so I thought I would share:


"And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world.  And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.  And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual.  This is what I am and what I am about.  I can understand why a system built on a pattern must try to destroy the free mind, for that is one thing which can by inspection destroy such a system.   Surely I can understand this, and I hate and I will fight against it to preserve the one thing that separates us from the uncreative beasts.  If the glory can be killed, we are lost."


On this memorial weekend where we remember and honor all those who have fought and died for this "free" country, I think this little vignette is especially appropriate.  It is the interesting thing about America that we fight for some sort of chaotic balance between the system and the individual.   It is the tension between the two that gives us momentum to continue to move forward, freely.   


It is also interesting to me that it is God who gave us our free mind and will, and because of that we are presented with the most valuable choice on earth.  To choose Him or not.


Happy Memorial Weedend, y'all!



May 27, 2010

How I met Mr. Hill: Edition 2

Lauren Lust marched me up to the front door of the Lone Star Verde while I was still holding my large vanilla dr.  pepper from Sonic.   I was also wearing a dr. pepper t-shirt from Urban Outfitters and my old worn out Abercrombie jeans.    Please note: this was the same outfit I wore the last time I was at the Verde, which of course was a crime of humanity.

So, Lauren is marching me up to the front door all the while I am complaining and resisting because we were not invited.   I was not a boy chaser.   I did not go places uninvited.   I did not walk into a boys house just to say.

Then the front door was pulled open and there Chris Hill was sitting on the couch in a green John Deere shirt playing Madden on PlayStation.     The neck of his shirt had been stretched out a little so I could see some chest hair peeking out ---- and I thought this was totally sexy.

I was smitten like I had just seen Brad Pitt, and as far as I was concerned I had.

I sat down on the couch across from Chris and Lauren sat next to me.   I believe Wes and Matt were also there. At first we were all in the room together talking.    Then all of the sudden Chris scooted over closer to me.  My heart sank and started beating really fast.   All of the sudden Chris and  I began having our own conversation, and all of the sudden we were the only two in the room.

Chris was talking a lot -- and I was glad because I had been rendered speechless and light headed. You see that previous summer I had sat my Cowboy Daddy down and handed him my list of requirements for my future husband.   He agreed to the terms and signed off on it.   As I sat there on the couch, and while Chris was talking,  God slowly took me through that list and checked off each item.   I kept thinking WHAT IS GOD DOING.  I am SINGLE.  I want to be SINGLE.  But this man is so incredible.  

You see I had never met a person who I was both intellectually attracted to and physically attracted to -- who also loved Jesus with his whole heart.

Chris was:
1. A Cowboy
2. Radically loved Jesus but was not weird
3. Loved business
4. Had also lived in a different country
5. His dad also owned a business
6. Believed in excellence
7. Was raised with on the same principles as me
8.  Grew up going to the same kind of church as me
9.  A Cowboy :)
10. Had chest hair
11. Was really, really, really TALL
12. Had shoulders that were as wide as I am tall
13. Had deep blue eyes
14. Had dark curly hair
15. Had vision
16. Was so attractive that I could barely stand to sit on the couch talking to him

We talked for three hours straight, about everything.   Our hopes, our dreams, our previous relationships, everything.   I just sat there thinking, "God what are you doing?".

Then Lauren came back out and we started walking to the car, and before we got in  it she looked at me and said "You are going marry him".  I told her that I was not and there was no way she could know that.

But in my heart of hearts I knew that I had just met my future husband.

And that was just beginning .......

May 22, 2010

And my sin...

OH the bliss of this glorious thought...



My sin - not in part but the whole - 



Was nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more.




I heard this hymn this morning during my quiet time.  I cannot even begin to tell you the emotion that rises up into my heart when I sing those words - "not in part but the whole" and "I bear it no more."

May 21, 2010

How I met Mr. Hill

I thought it might be fun to tell y'all the long saga of how Chris and I started dating.

I think it will be fun for me to tell my side of the story and then for Chris to tell his side.  That way you get both point of views.

I think I will give you the long version.  Does this interest you?

My freshman year  I dated a boy.   He was a nice boy.   I was a nice girl.   We were just not nice for each other.   That ended in April.   I was mad at God for letting me waste my time.    I was living in the sorority house at the time and I remember lying on the floor of my room which was also called "The Cave" and being angry at God because  I felt like I had wasted my time dating this boy [who was and is a very nice boy].  

Then God said two things to me that got me up off that floor.  He said first "I do not waste your time".   That brought great peace to me but my heart still felt like it had gone through a cheese grater.    I asked the Lord what I was supposed to do and he said "Hope and Wait."     So that is what  I did.

That summer I went home and interned with Young Life and worked at a day spa and hung out with my super bestie Kelley Samu Ellis.    It was awesome and got awoke a hunger in me for Him that was unreal.   I was pouring into people while also getting poured into by Jesus.   That month was busy.   Every moment was planned.   I grew so much.

Then my family went to Cains, Australia for the rest of the summer because my Dad was drilling in Papua New Guinea.   I went from barely having time to think to laying on a beach doing nothing and all I could think about was marriage.   I was pissed.   I remember lying in bed next to my Mimi telling God that I did not want to think about marriage because it was driving me utterly insane.   Then God said something interesting to me, he said "I do not give you passion without purpose".    In an instant I had such complete peace --- it was awesome.    Then I went on this whole search for understanding God's goodness which you can read about here.

Then we did all kind of wonderful things in Australia and I decided that if there was no Texas that I would live in Australia even though they had British food.    The Chinese food there was glorious, so was the Great Barrier Reef.

As soon as my feet landed back in the U.S. it was time to head back to College Station for sorority stuff. Once I was settled back into the sorority house Mr. Boy from freshman year came back on the scene and was interested in dating me again.   I was thrilled to say the least.

I had two friends in Chi O who were older than me and had discipled me the year before,  Lauren Lust and Kristi Stewart Lewis.   They were and are wild for Jesus and everything I needed and wanted in friends at that time ---- and still to this day.    Kristi Stewart Louis had been partners with Wes Witney at Impact camp that summer.    Wes Witney had just moved into a house with four other boys the beginning of my sophomore year.    One of which was Daniel Weizel who I knew because of my friend from high school and roommate freshman year, Ellen Armour Olive.    Wes and Daniel just happened to be friends with Chris Hill who was living in the house, called The Lonestar Verde, with them.

Kristi and Lauren started hanging out there all the time.    About two weeks into the school year they called me up one day and said they had met this awesome house of guys through Wes.   Lauren was like "Yeah, and there is this guy named Chris who is super hot and loves Jesus and business".  

Little did Kristi and Lauren know that the previous night I had just been to a party at Kristi's house and had the awesome realization that I was single and I was in college and the boys at the party knew I was single.   And I liked it.

But remember Mr. Boy from freshman year is still on the scene --- calling me and what not.

Then Daniel Weizel invited me and some of my sorority girlfriends over for a Thursday night party.   This would be the second time I met Chris Hill.   The very first time was at the Marina for a football BBQ --- but I was there because Mr. Boy from freshman year was there and I did not have any eyes to take notice of Chris.

I get to the party at Daniel's (The Lonestar Verde) and Kristi and Lauren are waiting to introduce me to Chris.    I walk in and Chris is standing in the hallway announcing to everyone that he is going to bed because he has an accounting quiz the next day.    And he was wearing his glasses.    I thought he was dorky.

That was on Thursday.  On Sunday we had our first co-ed bible study.   Kristi, Lauren, Shaina, and I and several other girls had bible study every Sunday night the year before.   This year we decided to open it up to everyone who wanted to come.

I was late and I walked in and Chris Hill was sitting in a chair.   I was captivated, smitten, and totally taken.    He was dressed in his maroon air jordan

I did everything I could to ignore him completely.   I kept telling myself that I was single and I liked it AND there was Mr. Boy.    At the very end of the bible study this stunningly handsome Chris Hill asked if he could pray for me.   All the girls gasped in delight and my heart sank.   I thought man if he touches me I might faint.  

Then he prayed for me.  He read my mail.  He prayed everything I needed to hear.   He spoke to the Lord about every secret of my heart, and then he read me the part of scripture that I had been reading all summer.

Then he left.

Then the girls rushed me to Taco Cabana and sat me outside and announced:  YOU ARE GOING TO MARRY THAT MAN.    Then I yelled at them and told them not to be silly, immature, and annoying.

Then on Tuesday I went to Houston and got my hair done and drove back to the sorority house.    Lauren Lust called me and asked me if I wanted to go get a vanilla Dr. Pepper.

But what she really did was kidnap me and force me to go over to The Lonestar Verde unannounced while wearing the SAME shirt I had worn on Thursday night.

That is when everything started which I will tell you all about later  :)

This is when the story gets really good and I stop saying then, then, then  :)

May 19, 2010

SHFP: Like Mother Like Daughters

The very first day I signed up for twitter one my friends from high school, Ellen Reynolds, was the first to interact with me.   In fact it was probably the first interaction we have had since high school! It has been extremely fun to talk to her again.   Through twitter I found out some pretty cool stuff about Ellen like:

Ellen works in Austin for a super cool company called the Dachis Group that specializes in combining social media with business.   The Dachis Group has created a business model that captures and creates value from new movements technology, society, and the emerging market place.   Which basically means they are on the forefront of how businesses will communicate internally and externally.   I just so happen to think that is totally interesting.

Ellen, her mom Nancy, and her sister Robin have a food blog called Like Mother Like Daughters.   It is all about using great ingredients, being healthy, having fun, and all the different views and aspects of food.  Not mention that their blog design is one of my favorites.

Go check them out and give them some love :)
( I may have accidently become facinated by the company Ellen works for while writing this blog, so I just wanted to reiterate the coolness of her food blog in case anyone was confused )

Jordan Family Chicken Salad - El Yum

If I could have a branded cooking section on this blog I would call it El Yum.

I have no idea why.  I would just do it and never think twice.   :)

My Mimi passed this recipe down to my Mom who added her own twist and then taught me how to make it. This is one if Chris's most favorite Jordan family recipes.   Tomorrow I will give y'all my other mama's - Mama Bear Hill - recipe for the best and most easy spaghetti ever :)

I have been hot all day today and the thought of eating anything hot sounds horrible.   So tonight I am making this for dinner.

Jordan Family Chicken Salad:

(chicken salad is all about a little dash of this and a little dash of that)

2-3 chicken breasts boiled in chicken stock (sans the MSG) until done  (you can have bone it or just boneless skinless -- whatever you prefer)
4-6 stalks of celery washed and sliced thinly
1/2 -2/3 cup of lightly toasted sliced almonds
1 teaspoon of dried dill weed (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon of celery salt (or more to taste)
1/2-3/4 cup of mayo (or more to taste)
a little salt and as much ground pepper as you like

Once your chicken is done and cooled off enough to handle with hands, or cooled off completely, then cut in chunks and add it to your food processor and pulse 3-4 times until shredded.    If you do not have a food processor then just shred it or dice it up finely.   Add chicken to a large bowl and add dill weed and celery salt and toss to coat chicken.    Then add the mayo.   Then add cooled almonds and celery.   Mix well.  Taste.  Add pepper and any more of the seasonings or mayo that you think is necessary.   Put in the refrigerator for at least an hour to cool before eating.  If stored in an airtight container then will last up to five days in refigerator.

Serve with any of the following in whatever combination seems best to you:
Tortilla Chips
Salsa
Fresh French Bread
Red or Green Grapes (+ any other fruit that might sound good)
HEB Hummus (traditional)
Lightly toasted pita bread
Flour Tortillas
Romaine Lettuce Leaves
Sweat Tea, Lemonade, Limeade

May 18, 2010

Keeping a Husband

I will define keeping a husband as this:  an ongoing environment where the wife creates an atmosphere of love and safety while also doing little things for her husband that no one else on earth would do or could do.

Men and women are totally different.   I realize this is a totally new and profound statement :) - but it is very true.    My man [ THE Hubby Bubby] is the head of my house in absolutely every way.   He does amazing things for me every day.   But this here post is not about what my Hubby Bubby does for me, but is about what I do for him and why it is important.  I just wanted to make the statement that I realize boys are girls have different "gender roles"and are thus "different",  but in this day and age the roles have been greatly expanded and the boundaries have been blurred.   While I support a lot of the new expansions of gender roles there are some foundational principles that I feel are extremely important and need to be revisited.

I as the wifie mama [ wifie to the Hubby and mama to the puppy ] view my house [ also known as "The Barn" ] like the Fort Hood of our family.   Where I [ the wifie mama] go Fort Hood also goes with me.   In the sense that I create the atmosphere of home no matter where or what the structure we create it in is.

Why is it so important to have the atmosphere home in the family?  Because the world is cruel, manipulative, and extremely difficult.    And everyone needs a place to call home they need a place of safety, a place of vulnerability, and a place where priorities are re-prioritized.

Keeping a man starts with creating a "home".   Girls are naturally gifted with the ability to create home.  You do not have to be domestic or be able to cook and clean well, but you have to use your gift to create a nurturing atmosphere.    That nurturing atmosphere could look very different across all different households, but it accomplishes the same thing.  It establishes the home.  Girls if you feel like you are unable to nurture or create a home like atmosphere then I want you to ask God to show you how.   That ability is innate to you by the virtue of the chromosomes you carry.   That ability could be asleep inside of your heart, and simply just needs to be re-awoken.  Ask your first love Jesus to wake it up for you.   After you have discovered the desire then we can talk about implementing.  

Back to keeping a man.  I am going to list out some things that I do for my man in order to show you what I mean by keeping your man.    Please note:  what I do could be opposite of what you do and that is 100% ok.  You could even think I am crazy, but that is not the point.  The point is the principle behind my craziness.

These are in no specific order:

  • I want to be the first one to tell him he is hot in the morning, so that if some floussy flouncy [these are not real words] tells him he is hot at work he can just say "thank you" my wife told me that this morning.  This creates a realm of "safety" for the man that he can travel in at all times.
  • I sit on the couch beside him sometimes while he plays video games, because that counts as "doing" together and I know that is extremely important to him.
  • My Fort Hood Barn is the safest place for my man to feel vulnerable.   If my man does not feel safe to feel vulnerable at home, then he will go feel vulnerable somewhere else.
  • I make him his favorite foods - just because and for no special occasion -- just because I love him.
  • I adapt certain ways of cleaning, cooking, and doing things in order to show him respect.
  • I learned how his mother [Mama Bear Hill] took care of him, and I asked her about it and learned from her.   Because she is super awesome she let me do that and taught me little things to do for the Hubby Bubby that would mean a lot to Him.   
  • I make him his lunch everyday, so that when he eats it everyone at works knows I love him.   That is the real reason I make his lunch everyday.  
  • I have a real strong opinion about a lot of things and I share what I think with him, because no one wants to be married to a door mat.
  • I ask and learn about what he does at work because that makes him feel important.
  • I stay involved in what he is interested in so that we can talk about topics he feels really strongly about.   This is how you grow together -- because usually he will also do this for you.
  • I get off the computer to engage in conversation with him when I do not want to.
  • I write thank you notes to lots of poeple because that is extremely important to him.
  • I allow myself to continue to fall wildly and passionately in love with him, because that type of marriage is way more fun.   Maybe more work but way more fun!
  • I am honest with him about what I am feeling and thinking - so we can talk about it.  This keeps me rational and much more fun to be around.
  • I spend time with Jesus so that I can continue to be beautiful on the inside.
These are just some things that I could think of, and some of them might drive your husband crazy so you would not do them for him.   But please get my point -- you sacrifice some things in order to keep your husband.    

The Hubby Bubby does a million incredible things for me.    But I feel like in the world of counseling and preparing for marriage we focus a lot on what the man should do around the house or for the wife, and we totally forget to tell the woman that she must also create the atmosphere of home.

Wives when your Grandmother would tell you or show you how to do certain things for your new man and you at the time thought she was so old fashioned - you were wrong.  Her methods might have been old fashioned but her principle for doing so remains the same today.   That principle needs to be reinstated.

If you as the wifie mama are totally confused or even angry about this post --- then let me know because I would LOVE to talk to you about it.

May 17, 2010

Yummy Crockpot Dinner

I absolutely love this meal.  It is so easy and yet it tastes so yummy.  The only trick is you have to make sure you get a good flank or skirt steak.   If you can find a massive skirt steak that is the best, and if you are ordering some Diamond H beef then even better!


Cuban Braised Beef & Peppers
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained (although I did no drain, more juice the better)
2 -3 Red, Yellow, or Orange Bell Pepper sliced ½ inch thick
1 onion cut into wedges
2 teaspoons of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
kosher salt and black pepper
1 ½ pounds of really good flank steak or skirt steak, cut crosswise into thirds
1 cup long grain white rice, or brown rice
1 avocado
¼ cup of fresh cilantro

In a 5-6 qt slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, spices, salt and pepper.  Mix Well.   Nestle the steak among the vegetables.  Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

25 minutes before serving cook the rice according to package instructions

Using two forks, shred the beef and mix it into the cooking liquid ( you can also let it cool and scrape any excess fat off and then heat back up).  Serve with rice and top with avocado and cilantro --- and maybe a little salsa

And then have your self an amazing dinner sitting at a table with someone you love :)


Jess

May 8, 2010

A Tale of Two Weeks

I have become experientially convinced this week of something – prayer changes things.

Don’t get me wrong, I have experienced the power of prayer before in my life, but this week, the difference before and after was so extreme that it was frankly a lesson impossible to ignore and one that I will not soon forget.

For the first half of this week, I was very much not myself.  I was easily agitated.  I was at time bordering depressed.  I was so anxious about so many things.  The anxiety was the worst part.  I hardly know what anxiety feels like.  It is not something that I personally deal with on a daily basis (Though I understand many do, it just is something that the Lord had previously dealt with in my life.).

I was anxious and worried about everything.  Getting into another wreck, relationships, finances, stuff at work, my ankle – I mean, it was completely ridiculous.  I could not quit thinking about these things.  Worse yet, I could not quit thinking in an awful manner about these things.  My wife would’ve been the first to tell you that my attitude was horrific.

I kept thinking to myself, “What is wrong with me?  This is not like me.  I don’t struggle with this.  Why do I feel this way?  Why can I not get rid of these feelings, and where on earth are they coming from.”

That was about Saturday to Wednesday morning.  Since spraining my ankle, I had not had a very good quiet time up until Wednesday morning.  It was not an intentional thing, it’s just tough to get up and get going when you wake up to a throbbing ankle.

Wednesday I had, had enough.  I knew what I needed to do.  I got up.  I limped downstairs (not just physically).  I plopped on the couch.

I curled up and kneeled on my couch.  For the next twenty minutes I cried out to Jesus.  That was it.  I told Him how much I needed Him.  I humbled myself before Him.  On my knees, I made a statement of reminder to my Jesus, my flesh, and my enemy that I was submitted to my Master and at rest in Him.  Then I got up and went to work.


I cannot even begin to describe how categorically different I was the rest of the week.  It was astounding.  My attitude was altogether different.  Work was no less demanding, my ankle was still sprained, my truck was still in the shop; but my thinking and attitude was completely different.  I had joy in the midst of it.  I had peace.  I was able to give my wife the attention that she needed because I was no longer selfishly focused on my own anxieties when Christ has spoken so clearly for us to not be anxious.


May 7, 2010

Jesus

What I have been reminded of today and what I have learned today:

Really, what it is all about is Jesus.  If you seek Jesus in absolutely every area of your life then that area of your life will be what it is supposed to be.

There is no area where Jesus is not.   No matter how deep or how dark He is there.



Jess

May 6, 2010

Fear.Less and Making.It

I subscribe to Seth Godin's blog.  Today he talked about mirco magazines and the future of media.

(I have really begin to love all things which relate to: media, branding, and marketing)

A micro magazine he highlighted is a brand new one called  fear.less.   Which is basically about overcoming all kinds of fear.

The edition that I downloaded is about a famous photographer who shares his insights on overcoming fears and transforming what our generation thinks about "making it" in life.    His first story is about going to a legendary photographer Julius Shulman when he was about 100 years old.   Platon asks the old photographer if he has any advice for him.   The old man replies and says life is not about "making it" it is about enjoying the journey and enjoying every single step of the way.

I realize that all of us have been told this at some point in our life, but today this really spoke to me because I have definitely not made it and I am definitely still on the journey.    After you go through all of your years of education and then enter the working world there is a part of our culture that whispers to us that "we have made it".   While we are all thinking is this really it?  The great thing is that this is just the beginning and God really wants you to get excited about what He has for us today.  Our childhood and education just built a really great foundation on which our journey can take place.

I have to tell you that I really needed the encouragement and inspiration from this little micro mag today.   My journey needed a swift kick in the pants.


Jess

May 5, 2010

A note from a monthly friend

Dear Jess,

I would like to lay on the floor and eat chocolate.

I would like to sit on the couch and eat pizza.

I would like to cry and eat queso.

I would like to be irrational about anything normal, and normal about anything irrational.

I would like to make you feel like you are crazy with large amounts of ADD pumping through your veins.

I would like you to gain and lose 5 pounds in three days.

love,
Your PMS

May 2, 2010

A Blog Mini-Series: Ankle FAIL Part III

*****WARNING*****

THE CANKLE IS TURNING BLUE NOW.  THIS IS BOTH EXCITING AND GROSS ALL AT THE SAME TIME.  If you are grossed out by swelling or bruising, then come back to the blog after I am done having fun showing off my war wound.  That is all.

*****END OF WARNING*****

Alright!  Time for the weekend update.  The bugger has finally started to show its true colors.  I spent most of yesterday watching movies and such.  Been pretty relaxing so far.


Our dear friend, Brad Wilcox, came over last night for dinner.  We (shall I say, Jess) did it up right.  We had back strap and polish sausage (thank you, Fred the Deer), an awesome salad, and both sweet potato and waffle fries.  It was exceptional.

The boys (Rusty, Evan, and Jeremy) were also without a mother, so they came over for dinner too.  It was way fun.  



Jess finished off the evening by making us cinnamon rolls from scratch.

Yea, I nearly had a conniption they were so good.










So who is up for a little ANKLE FAIL?  I know I am.  Let's bring on the bruises.


Now for the inside:



I have now hopefully succeeded in making you hungry and slightly nauseous in about 20 seconds.

Now I will show you pictures of the puppy taking a nap with me yesterday so that you will think she is cute and not want to hurt me.




Gosh, she is ridiculously cute if I may say so myself.
That's all for this edition of Ankle FAIL.    Take 30 seconds and write us a comment.  I can't decide if you all will like/hate this Mini Series.  I would love some feedback.

Mr. Cankle