Hey guys! Sorry for not posting in such a long time... so busy with life, school and everything else in between happening! Hope all is going well for everyone... lets get to it, shall we?

So school is over for some people... however I'm one of those lucky few that in order to play catch up I choose to do summer school (can you hear the sarcasm in my words?) ;) Really in all honesty, I'm excited! I'm happy I get to catch up on my classes and learn some more this summer. Also during this time, I've been hired on as one of the female summer RAs here at the school so that will be fun, right? Anywho, I'll be taking some American Literature, God and Redemption, Power Encounter and Western Civilization II this summer! I can't wait...



Well beside school stuff, I've been having a little fun too! I've hung out with friends, attended nice, fancy like banquets and even helped my youth pastor boyfriend Rich out with his youth group. Its so much fun to hang out with those kids and help Rich it... I love doing it and getting to know each one of them more and more! :D Here's a few pics from the last couple of things I've had the absolute pleasure and delight of helping out with...







Again, its been such a blast to get to know these kids and their folks and being a part of this ministry!



Now when it comes to my spiritual walk... that's a little more difficult to pin point. Its just that I feel a little distant from God. In all honesty, I haven't been consistent with my quiet times and searching for God. I've been so loaded down with school and with different stuff when it comes to friends, drama, family, etc. What I do know is that I can't keep doing this... I feel like I'm in a haze and all I'm doing is walking forward, just daily doing the right thing when its required (and at times when its not) and just moving on. Each day I try and walk in God's obedience and sometimes that's alot more easier said than done. With summer school coming up next week and other responsibilities falling on me, I truly hope that I make that time for him. I truly do want and desire to change from the person I was and even am now and become that new creation he wants and wishes me to be. But I know its gonna take alot more sacrifice on my part... I've just gotta do it...

Well that's it for now! Sorry its not more, hopefully I'll be able to tell you alot more the next time I post! Hope all is well! Later days!

~Jeanne;)

Hey there guys! Its been such a long while... but between school, family, social life and the like I've hardly had much of a break! However now that I have a slight breather I can let y'all know what's going on in my life right now...

First and foremost, school is ramping up like it never has before! I mean I knew that assignments and papers and the like were going to be coming up and the expectations of papers in my new major (Family and Children's Ministry) were going to start getting a bit tough but dang! I REALLY wasn't expecting this... However I know God has led me in this direction for whatever reason and so I'm gritting my teeth and pushing through, giving my all and hoping I survive in the end... @.@; Also, I had to have my adviser interview for the department to get to know me and look over my application of being accepted into the department. Please pray that all goes well with that. Also, I'm trying my hardest to get into summer school and play "catch up" this summer with some of my courses. Pray that all goes well with that (especially financially).



Well when it comes to family and friends and significant others, all is going pretty well. Rich and I are still dating (it'll be almost 4 or 5 months now) and are enjoying it tremendously! We've learned ALOT about ourselves and about God in all this! Such a blessing to be in each others' lives the way we are especially when it comes to helping one another out whatever that may be (like how he helps me out with school and understanding ministry or how I help him with his youth ministry from time to time and continue encouraging him however he may need it). My family is still working hard and doing well... my dad is still looking for a job and working on his Master of Divinity degree while my mom is still working as a first grade teacher and she just got done with her masters degree and received her diploma the other day! I can't wait to go to her graduation ceremony... So proud of her... :D My sister is still singing and writing music as always and working hard! Like I said, all is going pretty well... :)



Now when it comes to God and my walk with him right now, let's just say its focusing ALOT on trust. After pursuing God in this sense for so long, now it feels like God is asking me and encouraging me to trust him and others in far deeper levels than I ever had before and I'm not going to lie: it terrifies the ever living snot out of me! I know this may sound weird and even contradictory to how I usually sound but bear with me. Most of my life, anything and everything good I've strive after (whether that was dreams, guys, careers, etc) was either denied to me or it was given to me for a short time and then taken from me ...- either way, some serious wounds came about as a result making it hard to trust God and others and causing me to result to investing very little in personal relationships with others cause, "Hey! What does it matter? I won't be here long anyway...". In a sense you could say, my biggest insecurity is that God denies me some of the great things in life for whatever reason He seems fit. Now I know in my heart of hearts that God is a faithful and loving God and that he grants us the desires of our hearts in one way or another. However, me being a very logical and analytical person, I can't help but deduce God being like this because of the experiences I have had in my life.
During this time, I'm also going through Beth Moore's "So Long Insecurity" book (via podcasts) and that has definitely been doing a number on me. Not only am I addressing my own self made insecurities but insecurities I've developed due to others or even some of the things God has taken me through and that I've taken away from those experiences. Right now I just ask y'all to pray for me in all of this... I know that once I start really battling this and conquering it so many things are going to start opening for me when it comes to life and understanding and walking with God.

Well that's it for now... I hope this wasn't too much or even too little for you! Take care and hope to hear/see y'all soon! Later days!

~Jeanne;)

Hey there gang! Its been quite busy.. sorry for the delay in blog posts but here we go! :)

So naturally as it happens in school, things are starting to pick up in classes and their assignments. I have quite a few projects and papers coming up and I've been trying to stay ahead of the game. Things are looking good but now I have other things to add on to that though: finding a car, finding a job, lining up stuff for the summer so I can stay up here in Toccoa to do summer school and all, tax stuff, etc. Yeah, if it isn't one thing then its another right now. I'm also trying not to get frustrated but that's easier said than done. >.<* Just praying for patience and stead-fastness in all of this so I can get it done and done well! :)



Yeah so Valentine's Day is coming up. Not gonna lie... I'm kinda excited! ^.^ Rich and I are planning to do something (what exactly I'm not too sure but he does) and not to put pressure on him but this will be my very first Valentine's Day with someone... ever! Valentine's Day was, to me at least, like another Easter or Christmas where it was about getting candy than anything else (while telling others in your life -parents, siblings, friends, etc- that they're special). But as time went on, it became more of that "Singles Awareness' Day" for me. Now however, I'm really excited that not only do I get to be part of the festivities like other couples do but more so I get to spend it with someone who's not only my best friend but someone I care so deeply for and treasure so much so in my life! Its so wonderful... :D



So keeping with the "love" theme, I want to let you guys know that I've found this book that I've heard alot of people recommend to me but was kinda hesitant to read: "When God Writes Your Love Story" by Eric and Leslie Ludy. Not gonna lie-sounds like a great book but I'm a little scared in reading it. Not too sure what is going to be said in it but I know that as soon as I read the intro into the book and the very last sentence really gets to you, maybe it would be a good thing to read it: Will you let Me (God) write your love story? The true Author of love and relationships wants to create and design a unique and powerful love story that not only transcends the best love stories the world has to offer but that in the end centers and glorifies him. I'm scared... but I can't help but wonder what exactly it would entail. All I know is that I have this feeling that this book could wreck me... and it might just be that I need that... :)

Well that's it for now! Sorry it wasn't too long or extensive like it usually is. Hope y'all are having a great week and hope to see ya soon! Later days!

~Jeanne;)

Hey guys how's it going? Hope all is well.. things are going pretty well for me right now. But lets cut the formalities and get to what you are really here for... ;)

So yeah! I started my second semester here at Toccoa Falls this past week! It was pretty stressful at first because I signed up for three CE (Christian Education) classes - which all you do is write MASSIVE papers in- and then a couple of required classes as well as signed up for a student ministry! However, when I looked at the syllabi for all my classes and the requirements for student ministry... I literally curled up in a ball and cried I was so stressed out! So I (begrudgingly) dropped one of my CE classes to lighten the loads so I actually gained my weekends and free time back! :D In all honesty, it was some of that but more so if I'm going to learning and studying this stuff in which is going to more than likely require me to later apply and use in life for the vocation I've been called to, I need to FULLY understand and retain as much of this stuff as possible. Cause hey, these are just any lives I'm going to working with and help to lead to the Lord but children's lives and souls - heavy responsibilities my friends... :S



So with the classes I'm taking now, I'm slowly being introduced and understanding some of the things that are being asked and called for from people who are going into ministries and not just children and youth ministries but more so FAMILY ministry! If there is anything that I've figured I have a passion for its for the concept and vision of what family is and really what God intended it to be. My passion has become this and the importance of syncing the various ministries of the church so that it may better serve the family and putting the responsibility of educating the children and yourself in a better understanding of God and his will for everyone's life! As I've begun finding and establishing a desire and goal for the kind of ministry I wish to one day construct and do in a church, I'm learning more and more the importance of a child's soul and how when a child is well established in a Christian worldview they are more likely to continue their relationship with Christ and be far more effective Christians in this world than the generation before them was. I can't wait to see what I learn and what desire and passion comes next... :D



So right now with school getting under way and yet to find a good book to read for my devotional time, I'm walking through and reading the Gospel of John. "Truly, truly I say unto you" that his guy loved Jesus (probably why he was called the Beloved Disciple). I'm up to chapter 20 now where Jesus has just been crucified and taken down and buried. But today one of the chapters I read was about when he was before Pontus Pilate being tried and the Jews wanting Rome to crucify him. First of they said they brought him to the Praetorium (generally the place where the governor of that area lives and works), very early in the morning! Meaning these dudes drag Jesus to the Governor's house possibly before or even when the sun is rising and starting banging on Pontus Pilate's door to get him to come out and judge Jesus (no they couldn't go in because then they wouldn't be able to partake in Passover). Really... if you were Pontus Pilate and some dudes (who probably really don't like nor care for much) come banging on your door before the butt-crack of dawn wanting you to trial a man who you know nothing about? Or maybe he did... after all this happening, Jesus is summoned inside and the first question out of Pontus Pilate's mouth is "Are you the king of the Jews?" Maybe he had seen and/or heard about Jesus and probably already knew the stigma this guy had amongst some Jews. Of course Jesus asks him if he was saying this willingly or if someone told Pilate about him. Of course Pilate tells him he knows nothing and begins asking him again whether or not he was a king. Jesus tells him he has answered correctly and tells him, "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Then Pilate states one of the oldest philosophical questions ever: "What is truth?" After that all it says is that he had him flogged, found no guilt in him and was about to turn him over to the Jews who were about to have him killed when he found out another fact about this man: He claimed to be the Son of God. Pilate immediately returns to Jesus and asks him where he was from. No reply. Then he said something that probably struck a nerve with Jesus: "Do you know I have the authority to save your life?" In that one sentence, whether knowingly or not, he literally spat not only in the face of God and his authority over all things but he also spat on the greatest mission God had ever concocted: the plan of salvation for all of his creation. I can almost see Jesus responding, not just fatigued by the beatings but also in pure anger and frustration, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” Of course afterward it talks about how Pilate tries to save Jesus' life but to no avail. In the end, the question was asked of the Jews "Shall I crucify your king?" I can't help but look at this and see it as a last chance for them to try and see what God was doing and actually letting God be their King! However in one quick and devastating proclamation, the Jews turned their backs completely on God: "We have no king but Caesar." Makes a person really think doesn't it...

Well that's it for now! Hope y'all have a great rest of the week! Hope to see some of y'all soon! Later days!

~Jeanne;)

Hey guys! Hope y'all are having a great week! Hopefully y'all are doing well with New Year's Resolutions, avoiding sickness and getting back into "normal mode" now that the holidays are over with. I know I am...

Now, some of y'all have already headed back to school and are beginning to feel the pressure of the academic world upon you (like I am). Some of y'all still have some time before heading back and are enjoying their time off and even more of y'all are done with school (not going to lie I envy y'all latter two). I had to come back and take a required class for my degree (Western Thought and Culture or Humanities as some call it). Its been pretty interesting because of some of the history aspect to it. However - not going to lie - its almost pointless to take because of how condensed they have made it. I, more than likely, will not remember much of this after I'm done because of quickly we went through it and how very little time was spent on some of the material. The cool thing, I think, about all this is that the class I'm in is taught by the philosophy professor here at TFC so of course he puts alot of the philosophical spin on it, when he can. So I am somewhat enjoying it... somewhat... ;)



Well as I talked about last time, I was going to try and dig deeper and establish a better understanding and practice of spiritual discipline and in all honesty guys I had no idea what I was getting myself into. For the past week I have tried and tried to read and develop some kind of discipline in my prayer life and in my quiet times and you would have thought I had given an open invitation to the Enemy to come at me! I can't believe how much the Enemy has used things (and succeeded in using them) to keep me from establishing some kind of discipline in my spiritual walk. The distractions, the worries, the lies, the temptations... its crazy! The thing is as much as I want to give up, I can't... I know it would be easier to just roll over and take the hits from the Enemy however I can't. As I sit here and think about it, the same question keeps popping up: Why? Why is he doing this to me? I know that the Enemy doesn't want me to get closer to my heavenly father and he wants to see me fail and fail miserably (as CS Lewis once said -loosely quoting - that its not the nonbelievers that the Enemy has to work to have them in hell, but its the believers who fall away from God that are the greatest victories for him). The thing is that that can't be the only reason. I feel like there is something else... like there is something that the Enemy is afraid of me learning, establishing and becoming and he is doing everything he can to keep from that goal. And because of that, it only makes me more determined to do this now... pray for me as I do this... :)



So I know that this is a rarity but I want to ask you guys to pray for me and for some of the people in my life:
-Me: God's strength and courage to face the enemy and truly begin to develop discipline in my life. (A little less minor one-I'm still looking for a car. Prayers for that would be appreciated as well)
-My boyfriend: he's been pretty sick. Pray for God's healing hand on him.
-My family
-My friends here at TFC: A lot of people are either sick or are dealing with some serious financial issues which is keeping them from coming back for school. Pray that God's will be done in all of these things.

I also want y'all to know that if you ever need someone to pray for you about something, I'm always here. Let me know if y'all need prayer for something, whatever it may be! I love you guys and I want to be able to help you however I can and I know the least I can do for y'all is pray.

Well that's it for now! Gotta get back to studying and preparing for the week! Y'all take it easy... later days!

~Jeanne;)

Hey y'all! Hope all is going well! Sorry its been so long but of course you come home and after not seeing your family for a long time and not hanging out with them, your schedule tends to fill up quick! But now that I have some down time, I can let y'all know what's going on...

So yeah I came home and pretty much just crashed for a couple of days and not really wanting to do anything but read, play on Facebook and watch some episodes of "How I Met Your Mother". In between all that, my schedule filled up quick: little siblings wanted me to hang out with them, mom and older sister wanted me to go out with them and dad wanted me to watch movies with him (usually with me rubbing his back while we were watching them). Then friends and extended family wanted to see me so of course I went out and enjoyed some awesome food and socializing time! Now I'm getting to the point where I'm just beat and I just want time to myself again so I can go curl up in a place somewhere and just relax and read some. Of course, that's easier said than done... :S Oh well, now that Christmas is over, I can actually wind down some and slowly get ready to return to TFC...



Yep, I actually have only a few days left before I head back to school and start into my Winterim class, Western Thought and Culture. I can't wait to get back up to TFC and see all my friends and back to routine! Yes, I said it! I like routine, school and the like.... Its usually when I have to go on breaks and vacations and stuff that I kinda don't know what to do. :S I know, its weird but that's just the kind of girl I am. Anywho, I'm really excited about starting into the new program and really seeing where God is leading me in all of this! :D



So when it comes to my quiet times and what God is showing me and talking to me about is discipline. Yep... I'm getting back to the basics of my spiritual disciplines and practices with God. Right now I'm reading a couple of books: "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers (I'm still using this during my quiet times) and "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard J. Foster. I'm also hoping to read a book my boyfriend, Rich got me as a somewhat early Christmas present, "The Cost of Discipleship" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (I've never read anything of his but I've always wanted to so I'm uber excited). The thing is for the past several weeks (over a month really) God has been gently bring this to my attention as something I really need to look into and get a better understanding and practice of. I see know that if I really want to do and be a part of the things that God is leading me towards (ministry, relationships, serving others, etc.) I need to really start developing a stronger relationship with him and begin seriously disciplining myself in my times with him and not just inwardly but also in outward and corporate spiritual disciplines (as Mr. Foster would call them). As I write this I can't help but think of the Shane and Shane song, "May the Words of My Mouth". Its worth a listen...



After listening to this song, I know that in my heart of hearts that I have this desire and I truly wish for this but I know that I don't have what it takes right now and it will only be when I developed the different disciplines that I will get there. Here's hoping for the best...

Well that's it for now! Hope all of y'all had a grand Christmas and I hope for a safe and happy New Year for y'all! Later days!

~Jeanne;)

Hey there gang! Its been quite a while... sorry about that but that just means there's more stuff to tell... ;)

Well lets start with this week: Finals Week! Yep... studying; cramming knowledge, coffee and junk food (usually in that order), freaking out and praying that God not only would pull multiple epiphanies as you take your tests but that He would soften the hearts (and minds) of your professors so that you could get the best grade possible... yep, in the very middle of that right now. >.< I've already got one test out of the way and will be studying for tomorrow's two tests today. Right now, I'm just taking it one day at a time, not getting too overwhelmed and hoping that I don't die of a heart attack or anxiety attack... :)



So as soon as Finals are over, I will be heading home and I really can't wait to see my family and hang out with them! Although Christmas will be a bit rough for us, I'm just glad we can be together and be able to unwind and enjoy each others' company and not have to worry about work, school or anything else. Christmas has always been a very big and special time for all of us in my house; many of me and my family's fondest memories usually took place around Christmas. So of course when the time comes, we love sitting around in the den, looking over old photo albums or watching old family home videos and reminisce about the "good ol' days". For me, these times are also times to reflect and see where God has brought me and my family through and I can't help but feel loved, blessed and that's its been quite an adventure thus far. Also, these times have become more and more sparse as I've gotten older and had to start finding my place in this world so of course they've become more and more precious to me. But I also can't wait to see and experience the future ones to come... :)



Well many of y'all who are friends with me on Facebook have already heard the news but for those of you who haven't heard or don't know... I'm in a relationship now! XD I'm dating my best friend, Rich who I've known for quite a while now and was one of the people who told me about and encouraged me to come to Toccoa Falls College (he's an alumni from the school so who better to tell me about the school?). We have been talking for quite a while now about a relationship and we made it official this past weekend. Of course we have had a TON of people praying and encouraging us in this direction so when it happened it was very exciting for everyone! :D I really can't thank God enough for blessing me by putting such an incredible, Godly man in my life and how I've been blessed with his friendship and support as much as he has! In all honesty, I am a bit scared but I also know that all right now all I can do is to continue putting God and his will first and putting into practice more and more the things that he has been teaching all these months about love, supporting others and continuing in daily obedience in God. If you really want more details about how it happened, just get in touch with me... ;)



So I guess the next question in my head right now with finals, Christmas time and a new relationship now here is: What's coming, God? What is on the horizon for me? I know for sure that school will be different for me because of the new major in Family and Children's Ministry I have; life will be different now that I have a boyfriend and I'm beginning to find myself apart from my family so... what now? Only God knows... and you know what, maybe that how it needs to be. Think about it: if we did know about every little thing that comes our way what will make life fun, adventurous and memorable? As much as I want to know the future, I can't help but feel a small part of me doesn't really want to know. Not because I'm afraid of all the horrible and sad things that will come but more so because it ruins the unexpectedness. As a person who is very organized and punctual and all, you would think I wouldn't be like that all and really I wasn't. But now I've learned that those kinds of situations, things and experiences are usually when God shows up the most and you are able to learn something about yourself, about him and about others. So I keep looking to the horizon, but I don't look too far ahead; I'm trying to keep in perspective the people and the situations around me in the here and now as well so that I may learn and so that I may be able to teach others... :)

Well that's it for now! Hope y'all have a great rest of the week (especially those of my friends who are taking Finals), take care and later days!

~Jeanne;)