The Circle of Life

Tonight, I am fascinated by the great circle of life.

In fact, I feel a need to bow in silence as I listen to Elton John sing about it in the background.

After listening to my daughter and her friend talk about all the different trials and and questions they are faced with as high school students today, I have realized that time has a quirky way of repeating itself. I've listened to all of their questions and concerns about the problems that the average teenager is faced with today and I've come to the conclusion that they are the same problems and concerns that I faced as a teenager myself...more or less.

Not only that, but have you seen some of the styles that are coming back? I mean...really?!?
Skinny jeans?...Off the shoulder shirts?...Neon colors?...I found these pictures in my daughter's picture folder. Can you honestly say that they wouldn't fit right into a John Hughes movie?

Except today they're made out of duct tape.

Anyways...my point is...we are all connected. As a teenager I never understood this...more importantly I didn't want to.

All of the trials you're faced with at a young age, you can guarantee that you're Mom or your Aunt has been through them as well. And though you may think of us "old people" as incompetent and senile, there will come a day when you will look to us for wisdom.

What's worse...there will come a day when you're sitting on the couch, listening to your fifteen year old daughter and her friend talk about all the drama in their lives and you'll want to desperately chime in with a "when-I-was-your-age" story but when you do they'll just look at you as if you have just sprouted wings and then suddenly decide they're tired and need to go to bed...not that that just happened to me or anything. I'm just saying that it COULD happen.

♥ Jurney Eve

Frivolous Facebooking

Today I would like to express how grateful I am that Facebook wasn't around when I was a teenager? 

I couldn't even imagine the statuses and comments I would have left, not to mention the pictures I would have posted. 

Words and images forever immortalized and always retrievable on the internet. 

Remember that!

Now, I'm not saying that all teenagers post things that they will regret later in life.  I know a lot of great kids that are very responsible with the internet. Also, for me to imply that it is only teenagers that are irresponsible, would be wrong. I'm just saying that I have a strong hunch that I personally would have been irresponsible.

Everyday I log onto Facebook, there's always one or two people on my friends list who remind me of this. Whether it's through their status updates, their arguments that they post publicly for everyone to see, the thousands of quizzes they take that end up revealing so much personal information that it seems like the quizzes were written by actual identity thieves, or their pictures they post...It is all a small glimpse into what my Facebook page would have looked like if it was around back in the day.

Now I'm sorry if you think I'm coming across as pompous, arrogant, a little condescending, a little cheeky. I'm not writing this to be disrespectful to anyone or to make them feel stupid. Chances are, if you're one of the people who are reading my blog that centers around my faith, then you're probably not one of those people who Facebook frivolously anyway, but just in case you are...I apologize to you. If it makes you feel better, I just spent the last hour skimming through my Facebook page, all the way back to 2007, which was quite humorous by the way and I totally recommend it if you have time. But I came across quite a bit of one or two things that I regrettably posted in the past. I know I'm not perfect. 

The point of today's blog isn't to condemn anyone. It is to simply rejoice in the fact that when I was at my weakest point in life; when I felt alone and broken; when I was "looking for love in all the wrong places"; when I was bitter and angry at the world; that I didn't have the option of posting my pain on the internet like people do today. 

Emotions are very powerful and are, at times, hard to control. I know because I have a hard time controlling my emotions. When someone cuts me off on the highway, or someone is rude to me at work, I have to constantly remind myself to take a deep breath and relax. I cannot let my emotions affect my actions. (Which is so much easier said than done.) Asking God for help when it comes to controlling my emotions is something I do everyday. But I am so much better at it than I was when I was younger.

God gave us emotions. Without them we would never experience love, friendship, happiness. But He designed us with a will that is stronger than our emotions. Imagine a world where we all allowed our emotions to control our actions. 

No thank you!

I don't think that Facebook is a bad thing. I think it's a great thing. I think it's wonderful the way it brings people together. The way we can encourage each other and stay connected even though we are all scattered across the country...and sometimes the world. And while I am grateful that Facebook didn't exist when I was a teenager, I am extremely grateful that it exists today. 

I ♥ Facebook

♥Jurney

Life

These last two weeks have been quite eventful for me. 

My husband left for Florida to start a new job, leaving me and the kids behind to finish out the school year on the complete polar opposite side of these United States. But before you all go...

"What?!? How could he do that?!?"

  

...and everything, let me tell you it wasn't his idea for us to stay behind. He wanted us to come with him but the kids and I, didn't think it was a very good idea to start a new school district towards the end of the year. 

Speaking of my kids and starting a new school district next year...my fifteen year old is NOT dealing with the move very well. I feel bad for her because even though I'm an old lady, I still remember what it felt like to be fifteen and to think that your friends were your whole world.

Shout out to my BFF Leigh who moved away when we were fifteen. 

I remember thinking that my life was over and I feared I would never see her again but that was, like, 

23 years ago and we are still going strong. We talk almost everyday...except these last two weeks because things have been so crazy. 

So, if you want to say a little prayer for my daughter I would appreciate it. 

But these last two weeks haven't been all bad. 

Last week was National Crime Victims' Rights Week, where the nation remembers all the crime victims of the past and present. This year, the focus was on the many different victims' support groups that have developed over the last 30 years and I had the privilege to share my personal story of healing at a college in upstate New York.

It was such an amazing experience. 

It was my first time speaking outside of a Christian environment. All of my other speaking engagements were for women's church groups so I was worried that the criminal justice students would think I was a "Jesus Freak" or something and dismiss me...ha ha ha...but they didn't. In fact, everything went really well. Not only do I feel like I reached a lot of people with my story, but I feel like I gained a lot of insight into how I can help more people. I'm so grateful to have gotten that opportunity. I look forward to creating new bonds with all of the wonderful people I met there.

I'd like to give another shout out to Becky, John, Paul, Ree, Veronica and Joyce. 

Thank you for your kind words and your support. 

Each one of you were an inspiration to me and I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart...Joyce-Keep me updated please. I really do care. :) 

Other than that tid-bit of good news, I learned that our offer on a house in Florida has been accepted and we are scheduled to close on it by May 19. 


This relieves a lot of stress in my life. I hated the "not knowing" phase of relocating. Were we going to find a house or were we going to be crammed into another tiny apartment again? It was very stressful.

 But, right now, I'm fighting the "Sand Man" so I better get going. I'll try to keep you updated more often. I'm sorry.

♥ Jurney Eve

The Revolve Tour presents DREAM ON - The Event for Teen girls

I'm so excited because tonight I get to go to The Revolve Tour!

Since 1996, more than 4 million women have packed themselves and their friends into sold-out arenas across North America for 2-day events that are inspiring, encouraging, and fun. Every year, they come back for another weekend with Women of Faith, and for many of those years, they said (in pretty much these exact words), “This is awesome! But what about something for my daughter?”

In 2005, Women of Faith created The Revolve Tour as a response to those requests. The result is a one-of-a-kind inspirational weekend for 6th– to 12th–grade girls that combines award-winning bands and speakers with real, relevant messages in a high-energy event.

There’s way more to The Revolve Tour than just a fun time with the girls. Since it began, more than 35,000 girls have indicated they made first-time decisions for Christ at a Revolve Tour event. In addition, more than 16,000 children have been sponsored through World Vision as a result of The Revolve Tour.

And I'm going! Not only am I going but I am volunteering as a usher, like I have been for the past 4 years. I love to volunteer for Women of Faith events. I get to meet a lot of great people, watch the show and I get to bring 3 teenage girls with me too. For free!

So, I thought of a fun challenge for my readers...all 9 of you...ha ha ha...If you will be attending the Revolve Tour this weekend in Hartford, CT then I challenge you to find me. It shouldn't be too hard. There are only about 12 volunteer ushers and we all have to wear khaki pants and black tops. If you find me then I have something for you. 

I hope to see you there.

♥Jurney Eve