My Valentine

This is a letter I wrote to encourage girls not to mope around on Valentine’s day…..

Dear Girls,

Last year I tried to send a similar letter like this.

This year I will try again.

You all know that Valentine’s day is just around the corner. You can tell by the huge pink and red candy aisle at Walmart. You see the huge teddy bears. You hear about friends’ plans to go out on the perfect date with their special someone.

You might feel that you are the only one not getting chocolates on Valentine’s day. You might put a brave face on it and say defiantly that you don’t need to have a guy to give you roses to make you feel loved, all the while you are aching inside for a guy to hold you and whisper in your ear, “I love you”.

Girls, I am in the same boat. I want the exact same things that you do. But ya know what. I think and feel that I have found someone better. Someone who will never ditch you. Someone who will always love you.

Have you guessed yet who I am talking about? Well if you have, don’t click out of this note. Please bear with me for a little bit. Just hear me out.

I think I have found the secret. The secret to enjoy Valentine’s day even though you don’t have a physical date.

That secret, that someone is Jesus Christ.

He is the date that wants to take you out this Valentine’s day. He wants to know your heart. He wants to protect you. He wants you to know that you are loved.

Last year I was ridiculed for saying that Jesus was my ultimate boyfriend. Well girls I am going to stand out and say it. Jesus is the ULTIMATE BOYFRIEND!

Actually he is more than a boyfriend. Boyfriends by our definition are not permanent. They will come and go like our hair styles. But Jesus is our bride groom.

Jesus loves you so much that he died for you!

What boyfriend would do that?

  Jesus did. He loved you so much that He left the wonderful relationship He had with His Father. He came down to us….us!!! He came to the filthy world full of famine and despair. He loved us that much. He loved us enough to come down and get covered in our filth. He lived our life. He felt our hurts. He knows what its like to be human. He knows our need for love. But He knew that we could never be his until blood was sacrificed. Someone had to pay for our awful black hearts.  So He died for you. He was beaten, slapped, called names, carried a heavy cross, died a sinners death and was rejected by God for you!

Would any human do that for you?

Would any boyfriend love you like that? Does anyone, for that matter love you like that?

I think not.

I want this Valentine’s Day to be different. It was different for me last year. Last year Jesus opened up my eyes to how much His love can reach. How much His love can truly satisfy. But I am still learning. I think it will take my whole life to grasp how much Jesus loves me. Even if I lived my whole life learning and reveling in Christ’s love, I doubt I would even get to so much a drop in the bucket of God’s love.

Will you pray with me that this Valentine’s day will be different?

Jesus wants you. All you have to do is believe. Just believe. (Romans 10: 13 for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved)

Will you step out in faith with me?

Will you step off that huge cliff of your unbelief and rest in Jesus?

He will never fail you. He will never stop loving you. He promises that He can truly satisfy. Who else can say “I will never leave you or forsake you” and really keep that promise?

I can’t promise that Valentine’s day won’t be difficult for all us single gals but I propose a solution.

Spend time with Jesus this Valentine’s day. You might spend time with him every day already but set aside a special time with Him. Call it a Jesus date.

While you are on this date…..ask Him to show you His love. He won’t fail you.

“Because you are precious in my eyes and honored and I love you.”

Isaiah 43:4a

wow…

its been a looong time…..

I guess that’s what happens when life catches up to you.

Life has been a blur lately. I am now working full time at The Noble Quilter. I love it soooo much…..I can’t believe that I have my dream job and I am not even twenty yet!!! (don’t even think about mentioning that I set my goals to low)

In October I went to International quilt market with my boss. I loved it and can’t wait to go again. I saw sooooo many things. I even met or stalked(I am really a shy person when it comes to meeting people) my favorite designers. The only downside was that my brain couldn’t hold it all. There was just so much to see. If I get to go again I will be more prepared. I will know a little bit better about what  kind of universe I am descending into when that plane lands.

Another big thing in my quilting life right now is that I joined a Wool Block of the Month….and it starts next week!!!!! Linda Hohag of Brandywine Designs just came out with a gorgeous new wool Block of the Month and it’s only at my shop!(click here if you want to see a picture) :D At first I wasn’t to interested in it…but then I learned how long I am gonna be in planes next year and I changed my mind….plane rides are perfect for handwork!  So now I can’t wait for next Tuesday to roll around. It’s been a long time since I have taken a class! (did I mention that Linda Hohag is teaching….aaah!!! She is such a sweet heart!)

Well I should  close…the sewing machine is calling me! I must try to get some sewing in before sister movie night starts!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

~Jess

 

Purple and Gold

Today while I was at work a customer asked me if I like the Vikings.

I was so surprised by the question that I looked down at my light brown plaid dress trying to see where she saw  purple and gold.

“What did you say?” I asked.

“I asked if you liked the Vikings” she responded. “Cause they are twenty ahead!”

I was still a little startled so I just said, “Nope I am from Nebraska”

Now I must clarify here that I am not really into sports.

At all.

But I was born in Nebraska. Even though I don’t know much about sports I do know that if you are from Nebraska you stick to the Huskers like glue.

So my family who hasn’t lived in Nebraska since I was really little still sticks really close to our “home team”.

We all have our Nebraska red. Even my toddler brother.

So I guess I just assumed that this customer who I don’t ever remember meeting before knew that I was a Husker fan.

In my subconscious I must have thought “why would you ask such a question…c’mon why would I be wearing purple when I could wear red!”

Anyway……I was going to sum this experience up in a Facebook status. But you always have to abbreviate Facebook statuses….they are never as good as you think they could be.

So I thought I would blog about it.

But here’s my whack at the Facebook status.

“You have to be from Nebraska if someone asks you if you like the Vikings and you wonder where in the wonky world do they see purple and gold in your outfit”

Thanks for reading

~Jess

 

 

 

New Shoes!

Yesterday I was delighted when my boss let me off early.

I had been planning ahead in my mind when I would be able to go get new running shoes and the time had not been opening up. Well at least any time soon.

Until I was let off early.

I had heard of a good running store by a running friend of mine so I pulled out my gps and headed down to the cities.

I wanted to get fitted again. I had been fitted several years ago in Lincoln Nebraska but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to make sure that I was in the right shoe.

I walked out of that store with the exact pair of running shoes I had on my feet.

I have Saucony’s Omni Progrid 9 for stability. Apparently I don’t pronate at all but I have flat feet so I need the stability in case when my feet get tired they start pronating.

Even though I walked out with the same shoe I had to take pictures before I tried them out on a run.

This was the first time I think I have ever used the timer on my camera. Can you tell?

Oh and last night while my family was watching the Huskers football game I was able to work on my quilt.

See the smilie face?

A Struggle

I just posted earlier about how I am really excited about running again.

I must be honest with you.

I am not as truly excited as I made it out to be.

I am, in one way….but not so in another.

You see I have been battling body image for most of my teenage years.

Every day I struggle with worrying if I have an acceptable body. If I am at an acceptable weight.

Some days, like with any struggle, are better than others.

But these past couple months have been a huge battle.

I ran a marathon this summer and I loved how the training shaped my body. I could eat pretty much anything I wanted without gaining weight. So naturally after that marathon I had to keep this good feeling up. I signed up for another marathon.

But God had other plans. I developed tendonitis in the top of my foot and I had to stop training for that marathon.

I am so thankful that God gave me that injury. Through the past couple months God has retrained me. I went through a really tough time. Not all of it was related to body image per se but God used this time to remind me that the knowledge that I am accepted by Him should shape everything I do.

I haven’t been a very good student.

I still struggle with many things.

These past couple months have been like I went for a deep dark swim where I could not feel solid ground at all. I was in so deep that the pressure of the waters crushed me. Now I think I can feel the bottom under my feet. It’s not a firm stand yet. Its like I am swimming back from the raft at camp and can barely touch the bottom with my toes. In spite of that slim reassurance I know that the ground is still there. I will get better. I will keep pushing against those deep dark waters and find my firm footing. I know I will get to that dock where I can get a breather.

Sometimes I get swallowed up by the waters again. I feel like I am going back down to the deep but it never is for long. God keeps bringing me toward shore.

So I have mixed feelings about getting into this running thing again.

I find myself turning toward so many things other than God for acceptance.

I find so much joy and rely so much on running for my happiness should I really start again?  Do I just want to run so I know I have a way to control my body weight?

The way I felt after this run today confirmed my fears. I felt like I could eat more cause I had run today. I knew it wouldn’t be long before my body was what I call “acceptable” again.

So now as I write this I find that I need to rethink this running thing.

I know I want this tendonitis to be healed….I know it’s getting better..but I need to know where to draw the line before it becomes idolatry. I think it already has.

I know I have some definite thinking to do.

I need to stretch out to God and ask Him to take away the lies I have been believing about myself and the world around me.

I need to ask God to take away my idols.

I know its gonna be an uphill process…and I know that I am going to buck like a sour horse…cause remember? I am not a very good student.

But I know that with God all things are possible.

I know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

And I know that His grace is sufficient for me.

( This necklace is from the Adoptshoppe. Where all the proceeds go towards funding adoption)

 

I ran today!!

That is what I posted on my Facebook status hardly 30 minutes after really running for the first time in weeks.

My tendonitis seems to be healing. The pain is still there reminding me to try to take it easy but I can tell it seems to be getting better.

Hallelujah!!! Praise the Lord!

I have missed running soooooo much!

So much so that on the last couple yards of the fourth mile I put my hands up in the air and danced….

well as much as my no rhythm body could.

Now I am looking forward to bringing running back into my regular routine.

So excited!!

~Jess

hmmm..

I have a problem

I love fabric way to much

I think it’s become an obsession.

Cause I can’t resist bring fabric home even though I don’t have time to sew it up!

It’s just so pretty to look at though I don’t know if I have the heart to cut it up!

Like the charm packs I brought home yesterday.

I don’t have a purpose for them.

Yet.

But I am coming up with ideas for these lovelies!!!

If I only had the time!!!

I need to keep working on the Amazon Star.

I did make some progress

I keep telling myself that I can’t touch other stuff until this big one is done…

Bummer.

Well I guess you know where I am gonna be today..

Can you hear my sewing machine humming?

Hmm..I can’t either…to bad it doesn’t run by itself..

Thanks for reading!!!

~Jess