Journey With Jen

As your kids grow up, you realize that somethings stay the same.  There will always be those certain jocks that seem to have it all.  There's those cheerleaders that will do anything to have others like them.  The weird ones that you kinda' ignore because you don't really know what to make of them. The kids that seem only to have the color black in their closet and try to sound very deep but end up sounding stupid.  (okay, maybe that was only in the 90's!)  And, of course, there are the mean girls.  I am not saying that guys cannot be mean, but girls - they can take it to another level.  As a mom with boys and a girl, I am thankful that I only have to go through this once! You guys that have multiple girls, God must have knew you could handle it! :)  The momma bear in me comes out and I am not very nice. The first mean girl for Faith was in elementary school and was actually a school counselors daughter.  Ironic, huh?  Too bad the mo...

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.   But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed."   1 Peter 4:12-13 God never said that our life would be easy. He warns us that it won't be.  We were at Target and my oldest, Joey, found a t-shirt that he really wanted.  It said, "May your life be as interesting as you pretend it is on Facebook."  When did we start covering everything up?  Glossing over life so that the image looks better? It's not real.   After all of the small talk, then what happens?    I get so tired of fake things. My kids laugh at me because I can just get through growling at them for something and a second later, answer the phone is the most pleasant voice like everything is fine.  (they, of course, do this when my normal mood h...

I can not believe it's been so long since I've posted.  I've been working on my bible study for the pre-teen class so much that after I put that away...I chill for a bit and off to bed.  Yes, I know, it is an exciting life.  :)  But, I love those kids in class so it is totally worth it.  The number of days of school left is in the teens.  I believe each of us are in need of a break.  I have  so many unfinished projects going on at home that I am looking forward to having time to finish them ALL.  That's my goal anyway.  ;)  Who knows how many I will start after I get those done.  Then, I will be in the same predicament I am now!  And, I will continue to drive my husband crazy!! haha!! Speaking of driving my hubby crazy...  My husband growled at me yesterday.  "Growled" is the best way to describe it.  Why you may ask?  Is it because all of my projects waiting to be finished?  Or the laundry or di...

As I look through other blogs I read, the message seems to be just accepting yourself.  Which is one of the hardest things to do ~ especially as a woman!  Compare my life to others and it seems so ... dull, maybe? boring?  I'm just a curvy (another way to put that I need to lose a few! LOL) middle age  (...oh, my gosh did I really write that?? should I erase it?? no..no, just leave it) mother of three trying to be a loving mom, aunt, friend, daughter in a world filled with anger and hate.  I look at other mothers who seem to have it all going for them.  It's easy to start to feel hard on myself.  But there are certain things as I've gotten older that I have come to accept.  Yes, there will always be other women prettier than I am.  I will never be a Reese Witherspoon or Julia Roberts.  God only made one of them ~ just as He only made one of me.  Yes, there will always be other women who seem to have it all together.  I've l...

I look back when I was growing up and compare it to now. It's essentially the same. Once you get a certain age, it seems like fitting in and being like everyone else is SO important. The big difference is what is 'normal' for my daughter's age right now. Does anyone else have a 10 year old daughter out there?? Have you walked through that department? Have you seen the clothes or should I say lack of clothes?   I knew it would get worse. Honestly, when she was a toddler, the shorts would barely cover her diapers. So, I would buy her plain shorts in the boys section. They were seriously an inch or two longer. Now that she is bigger, the shorts still have not changed. They are still about an inch or maybe two (if your lucky) from the middle seam! Honestly, do we need to look at our kids in such a way?? Why does this have to be the 'normal' for our kids?? I'm a bit southern, redneck-ish maybe?, I don't know what you want to call me but I...

If I heard anything from older, wiser women it is this: 1) My kids will be grown-up and gone before I know it, so I better enjoy these moments when I want to kill them. And 2) The 30's were some of their best years. Here I am in the middle of my 30's wondering if I'll be able to say that. For women, the 20's can be hard. Still unsure about them self. Some are by themselves wondering if or when they will fall in love. Some are newly married and trying to figure that out. Some are a new Mommy tired, exhausted, and nervous. In your 20's, it still very easy to be concerned about what other's are thinking ...and saying...about you. Old friends seem to disappear into their own lives leaving you to create one of your own. Which, I found a bit scary at the time. Now, in my 30's, I am more....huummmm....I am becoming more ME. My beliefs are not easily shaken. My faith is strong. I am still self-conscience but not as much as in my 20's. (I think that's part of...

I was thinking today. It is sad that my post that gets the most views daily is about self-esteem and self-worth. ( you can click to it here ) On blogger, there is a page you can go to that lets you know what pages get viewed the most. And everyday ~ it is my one about self-esteem. So many people out there are searching...looking for something to feel good about....not liking what they see in the mirror. It can be scary what they find looking outside. I've been there. Look around and you think, "I'm not pretty enough." Sometimes your words are, "I'm not smart enough." There are SO many of the "I'm not's." I'm not...good enough? thin enough? kind enough? I'm not ... a good cook? a good mom? a good wife? So, many things that women especially fill in that blank with. What's yours?? When I'm having a rough day, the "I'm not's" start to fill my own head. I can become paralyzing!! When God looks at you, what ...

Faith and I were out looking at clothes one day after school. I was looking for Joey some shorts while she was trying to get me to the girl clothes. We wondered over there and they had some bathing suits hanging up. There she found a colorful two piece. I'm talking a real two piece. Not the boy cut one she's had before (but didn't feel comfortable so she never wore). I'm talking a serious bikini for a 9 year old! I'm really not an old stooge when it comes to clothes. Faith gets to pick most of it out and she does a good job. She doesn't like the way the girl's shirts fit. (they are tight) She's really a size 8/9 (medium) but they are cut so tight that she likes the 10/12 (large). She loves the tank tops and cami tops. And I don't see anything wrong with that. (maybe when she starts filling out those shirts, I might change my mind! LOL) The shorts for girls are just as bad. They are inches shorter than boy's shorts for the same size. I want to a...

Proverbs 26:20-22 "Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip the quarrel dies down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts." While reading Proverbs, I came across this verse. Don't you love the description? I can visualize the fire or even the words 'choice morsels.' It goes on in verse 24 to say, " Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit . " Each of us gets a different image in our head about this that is some how a product of our childhood or how we're raised. Honestly, when I think of this, it takes me back to 6th grade. That's when the separation began for me. I remember being in the bathroom stall when some of the popular girls came in and started talking about me. I stayed in there until they left. Then, I cried and had to wipe it up and go back to the classroom...

We briefly spoke of this during Sunday school. I think that all of us have self esteem issues if we're honest. We're not thin enough, smart enough, or good looking enough. How else is there a multi-billion dollar industry writing and selling books about self esteem? People, on the whole, are trying to fill that hole inside of us. Searching for something to fill it up and make us feel better. Some books try to tie self worth and self esteem as the same thing, but I don't believe it is. Self esteem changes day to day, sometimes moment to moment. When get frustrated and yell at one of my kids, my self esteem goes down because I feel bad for my actions. If my pants aren't as loose as they were, my self esteem goes down. But ~ self worth ~ that is different. Our self worth comes from our Creator. Genesis 1:26-27 tells us that "God created mankind in his own image." We are worth so much to God that He sent Jesus here to live and to die for us. Isn't that a...

My niece, Abby My sons, Joey & Luke with my nephew, Phillip My daughter, Faith, with my nieces, Summer & Cara "If I could give you one thing in life, I would give yourself the ability To see yourself through my eyes. Only then, Would you realize how special you are.." ~ Unknown