Ordinary Life

Well, in my life lately I haven't found anything out of the ordinary worth blogging about. So I'll just blog about my normal life. It's been cold lately, and it's snowing right now. I'm sitting at the kitchen table, looking out the back door, and it's beautiful. 

The sun is still up, shining through the dark grey clouds, as much as it can, as they fly by. The ground is mostly covered with snow, some places thick, some thin, with trees, bushes, and brown tufts of grass poking through all over the place. The light snowflakes that are falling take quite a while to get to the ground as they must swirl around in the air, fleeting now over here, now there, up and down, and then sideways. They will eventually meet the ground. 

And yes, it's chaotic, harsh even. But it's beautiful. 

You know, the other day I was walking back from a neighbor's house across our property at I noticed that inside some tufts of grass there is still some green! Hope and life live on, even in the middle of despair and death and fear. 

I want to grow up to be a women after God's own heart, but I want to be that now, not have to wait. This week my goal is to reach for joy, to pursue it until I catch it! To brighten the lives around me. I have to admit, the last couple of weekends I've been a little selfish. I want to give joy, not steal it from others. 

So, that is for this week. Maybe next I will dive a little into my own heart and root out some pride or selfishness or greed or hate. No, that's to light an analogy. I will fight it out with a sword and bow-until all the monsters and hideous beasts flee from me. :) With Christ, I can do anything.

Until next time,

Jo

P.S. Live the Adventure!

My Heart is a Little Sick...

Tonight my heart is a little sick. Heartsick. I've felt a little down all day, really, but dinner cinched it. I've been fighting it with counting blessings, such as: 

1. Cactus blooming, all red and bright, in the window

2. Wind blowing outside my window

3. Geometry Test passed =D

4. Butter thick on cornbread

5. A clean toilet

6. Hairspray!

7. The smell and feel of clean sheets 

and, 

8. A dried rose hanging by my window

And somehow, counting the blessings makes the hard parts of the day less hard. Know what I mean? 

But anyway, back to my heart. Yep, I need a doctor. Don't we all? Since the beginning of evil we have all had heart problems. Hardened hearts, stony hearts, calloused hearts, evil hearts, black hearts, sick hearts, weak hearts, proud hearts, and so on. 

I pray this, tonight and forever, that my heart will be none of these. That it will simply be a heart of flesh, that beats and feels and weeps and breaks for the world, just like Jesus's does. I want my heart to be like His. 

Okay, okay, a little courage, a little strength. Am I really about to type this? The most dangerous prayer I can pray right now? Can I take the overwhelming pain, heartache and sorrow? No. But Jesus can. 

And I want to live, fully live, be fully alive. So here goes.

Jesus, break my heart for what breaks Your's. Amen.

Live the adventure! Really live it!

Jo

-Isaiah 14:24

Nationals is Over

So, right now I am sitting in a hotel room, and it is almost ten thirty P.M. I haven't posted for the last few days, but here I am! 

We left Saturday morning, drove all day, drove almost all night, drove most of Sunday. And then I got to see those white beaches and the turquoise waves. Awesome!

We stayed on the beach for a few days, well, okay, two, and got up early Wednesday morning to drive the rest of the way to Orlando. We checked in, went through registration, had some dinner, saw some friends, I studied a bit, and we went to bed.

Okay! Now onto the good stuff!

This morning I woke up. It seems so long ago. :) I took a shower, studied, took the written, had lunch,  took the oral, had a break, had dinner, went to professionals, and went through the opening ceremony.

I did not make semis.

And yes, I am disappointed. I even held back a few tears. And even though right now I'm still getting over it (which I probably will be doing for quite some time), I know that I am right where I am supposed to be.

I gave it my best shot. I did what Jesus called me to do. I lived the adventure! And now it is time for another one. What will it be? Who knows? Only God. :)

A few of my favorite passages from this summer where Isaiah 14:24 and Psalm 115:1-3, which talk about God's control over everything. My plan was to make semis. God's wasn't. And I know He has something even more amazing waiting for me. What it is? How would I know. But I don't have to know, do I? That's part of the thrill!

So this is me. Pitiful. Yes, other people tell me that I'm great and amazing, or horrible, but it's not true. I'm just me. No better or worse than anyone else. The only difference between me and others is that I choose to say yes to Jesus, whatever He may ask. So yes, Jesus. Yes.

Nationals is over, but my adventure is not. 

Live the Adventure!

Jo

P.S. I'm sorry this didn't get posted till today. The computer I was using to post while in Florida stopped working before I could post. :)

Surrender and Trust

Hey there!

So here I am, writing my little post (and yes, I forgot to yesterday), sitting at the kitchen table and praying about God's will. That I may know it.

You see, Jesus doesn't call us to live a safe, boring, comfortable life. He calls us to live an adventure-to follow Him! Picture this:

You've accepted Christ a few years back and told Him, "Okay, I'll do Your will. Please take me where You want me to go." 

Now you stand at a crossroad in your life. You just bought a road map that guarantees the safest way though life. You can see where all the hard places are, you know exactly where you're going and how you're going to get there. It says there will be beautiful scenery and everything will be fine. That is one option.

The other way is a thin path that disappears into a dark, gloomy forest. You can't see far into it, but you can see mountains towering into the sky. The sight fills you with dread. You've heard that it's filled with swamps and cliffs and mountains, and oceans, and valleys.

You shrug and turn to look the other way. You start walking, but then a voice stops you. And you hear God's voice telling you that you're supposed to follow Him. You promised. And He is calling you to take the hard way. To do the right thing. To live. Really live. 

And now you have to make your decision. What will you choose? You'll never know the way. Danger will abound. You're going to get hurt, scarred, dirty, and worse. You might even die. But He promises that He will walk with you. What will you do? What will I?

Most of the time it is way easier to take the easy path. But following Jesus is never easy. It's all about surrender and trust. I struggle every day to surrender and trust. It's hard! But I keep praying that He will help me to surrender, that He will help me to trust. But beware! When you surrender and trust, you're in for an adventure!

My big struggle right now is fear. I have a hard time not being afraid of what is going to happen at Nationals. What if I don't make semis? What if I totally fail my oral? My written? What if?????

But Jesus says not to be afraid. So I will trust. And surrender. And I know that whether I make it or not, I will have an adventure. An adventure in semis, or an adventure in learning to fall back on Him in my disappointment. I know which adventure I want, but my plans don't really matter when I'm following someone as unpredictable as Jesus.

So there you have it!

Live the adventure! Do it! Because it's worth it.

Jo

Short. Post.

Okay, let's make this short.

I've got seven days left. We leave for Florida on Saturday (because we're driving), and the competition starts Wednesday.

I've been packing this morning, and there are still a few things I need to do. (Well, maybe more than a few.) But anyway, I'm pressing on, and I'm going to be there!

Excited.

Very.

This morning I looked up Hebrew words for Nahum, and that was pretty interesting.

Got a lot of work to do before bed tonight, so I should go.

Live the Adventure!

Jo

Monsters...Among Other Things

So. I didn't post yesterday. I was saving time after dinner, but my book was calling me and my brain wanted to be turned off. So I didn't post. And guess what-my book is calling me even now! But. I. Will. Finish. This. And. Then. I. Will. Do. More. Bible. Bee.

Anyway, the last two morning I have woken up in panic. My gut is churning. My heart is thudding. And I just want to shut my eyes and go back to sleep. Yes, I have woken up stressed, and hey, I still have 8 days left! Is this going to keep going? Maybe. We'll see. 

Also, today when I've been doing my verses, I'll get really involved in a long passage and my gut will start churning again. Nerves. Bother them. 

And yes, I have been remembering not to be afraid. I've been praying. I've been trying not to worry. I'll stop, and then it sneaks right back up on me. I have to recognize it and beat that monster back down the toilet! Then I can go back to the studying....which means that I will inevitably have to beat that monster right back down again. 

Soggy crackers! What a mess! But hey, this is life. It's amazing, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Without all the pain the joy wouldn't really be joy, would it? 

So there you have it. My words of wisdom for the day. Sounds like nonsense to me. And it is. Foolishness. But true.

And now, for me, I will type a passage here, and remember that this is not about me. Remember that nothing can separate me from His love. Remember that I must run the race to get the prize. Remember that I am blessed when I suffer. That I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, even beat those monsters down again, and again, and again. :)




Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death no life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 8:35-39 NIV



Live the adventure!

Jo

The Beauty of Dying Trees

So. Today I have only 10 days left. Wow, time goes by fast! Today I said a few verses in front of my church to help me get ready for that kind of pressure. :) Lot more work, but we will get there.

Anyway, a couple days ago while we were driving somewhere my Mom told me that she had read on some lady's blog something that was really interesting. She said that aren't the trees so beautiful when they are dying?

And yes, they are. Where I live, in Wyoming, it is prairie and mountains, so mostly we have evergreen trees. But there are some places where we have cottonwoods and aspens. Right now they are turning, and let me tell you, they are gorgeous!

Isn't that what we as Christians are supposed to be? You see, regular green trees rarely attract attention. Once in a while we say, O wow, that tree is so beautiful, or so talented or so stately or so on. But the red and gold leaves attract a TON of attention.

We as Christians are supposed to die to ourselves, and to let Christ live in us. And while we are dying, others see the beauty of selfless love or the beauty of undying conviction or the beauty of a faith so strong that it will never give up.

The world is obsessed with beauty. The world tells us that it is better to fit in, to go the way of the crowd. But when a Christian takes up his/her cross and follows Jesus, denying him/herself, that is where true beauty is found. So, my fellow Christians, let us deny ourselves that Christ may live in us! Let us follow Him and live the Adventure!

Until tomorrow,

Jo

My Busy Day and Stress Pep Talk ;)

Sooooooooo, today is October 18, right? I have 11 days left till competition day. Wow! 

Last night I was up till 11:00 P.M. talking with one of my friends whom I met doing the Bible Bee. So I slept till about 8:30 A.M. Well, actually my Mom woke me up to have breakfast with my Grandparents who were visiting. So I did that, then said goodbye to them as they headed back home. 

Then I moved my stuff back into my room, (they were sleeping in my room), made the couch (which I had slept on), did Bible Bee until lunch (actually I got my own lunch and said verses while eating.) Then I did more Bible Bee till 3:00, then took a break till 4:20, then did it till 6:00, then made dinner and cleaned it up (with a little sister's help), and now I am blogging. 

So, all in all, I have had a busy, great day. :) And after I'm done with this I'll probably go watch a movie with my family because, after all, it is Saturday night, and if I have time later, I will most likely do more Bible Bee. :) So yes, I am having the time of my life! It is so wonderful to be immersed in God's word so much, learning the verses by heart! 

Sometimes when I start thinking about it my brain will start clenching up and saying to me, "This is too hard! You're behind! You'll never make it in eleven days! Come on, you will totally get the worst score ever!" So I have to give it to Jesus right away and say, "Lord, please, take away my stress. Help me to trust You." 

And you know what? It works. Every time. I just stop worrying and start studying! Satan gives us so many lies that tell us "it's okay to stress out, everything is horrible, you'll never make it, you're too small, you should be afraid." 

But come on, guys! The Bible says not to worry about anything, and to cast out cares on Him because He cares for you. It says not to be afraid for He will never leave us. It says that He will deliver us. It says that we should not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Yes, we should fear God, but that is out of respect and admiration, not a throat-gripping terror. 

So I have resolved not to stress. Does that mean that I don't? No. I get those feelings all the time. The trick is learning to catch them in the act and stop them right there. And believe me, they will come time and time again. But we don't have to be afraid of anything, guys! As long as you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, there ain't nothin' that is gonna be able to kill your soul. 

So you'll be fine. This life is gonna hurt. A lot. But in the end we will live with Him and there will be no fear, no guilt, no shame. So trust Jesus! Trust His plan for your life! And live the adventure! 

Hmmm.....I've been saying that a lot, haven't I? Adventure. :)

See ya'll!

Jo

Twelve Days Left.....Yikes!

Hey there!

So, this is day two of Jo's Adventure blog. Exciting! So, I suppose I should update on where I am with memorizing and such. Here we go.

1. I have all of my verses memorized and so right now I am working on getting them perfect (or perfectly perfect, whichever way you want to say it.)

2. I have more than half perfectly perfect. I've been saying a lot of them to my Mom this week, and that really does help. Thanks Mom! ;)

3. My study of Nahum is just now going in depth. I need to look up a lot of Hebrew/Greek words that I already have picked out. For example, I need to know what the Hebrew and Greek words are for wine, oil, fire, evil, and so on. 

4. And last, but certainly not least, The Count. As of today there are only 12 days left till Competition Day. Yikes! 


My adventure is continuing. In some ways I can't wait till this is over and I can get back to my normal life. (That is, if it was ever normal.) But in other ways I wish this could go on for a while longer. 

Yeah, it's hard, but then, everybody's life is hard at times. And there are lots of people who have much harder lives than mine. Here is my advice: Just do it. Live the life Jesus has called you to live. Follow His direction for you life. Go where He calls you to go. 

I mean, if you look at it in light of heaven, this portion of our lives spent here on earth is tiny! But, as they say in Gladiator, 

"What we do in life echoes in eternity." 

So there you have it! Until tomorrow...

Jo

My Adventure in the 2014 National Bible Bee

So. I have started this blog that chronologies my adventure this fall while competing in the National Bible Bee. Before we get started you ought to know a few things about me. My name is Jo. (Short for Joanna.) I'm sixteen and live in Wyoming. I'm a Senior in the National Bible Bee. Orlando Florida here we come! I am super excited!!!

I love Jesus. Yep. He found me a while ago and we've been friends for a while now. I've named this blog Jo's Adventure because that's what my life is. An adventure.

I mean, come on, I supposed to be following Jesus, right? Jesus was the most dynamic person in the history of the world! He posed a major threat to the ruling political parties of the day, He did unconventional things like eat with "sinners", He loved those who hated Him! He says that to follow Him you must take up your cross daily and follow Him.

Taking up a cross isn't always fun. In fact, it's usually not. But it is an adventure. And that is what we are supposed to crave. Because hardship and toil and persecution throw us right back where we need to be-in Jesus's arms. When life is fine I feel like I can stand on my own. But when something downright horrible happens, that's when I turn to Jesus and am reminded that being in the center of His will is always the best place for me.

A little over a week ago I was getting a little stressed about all my verses and such. I mean, come on, who has time to memorize 750 verses by the end of October, let alone do an in depth study on two books of the Bible while keeping up with their regular life, investing in relationships, making time for family, doing chores, school (if you're lucky), and, oh yes, starting a blog. (Which is why I am writing this at 10:16 at night instead of being in bed. Sleeping.) So here is something I wrote on my Count Down to the Bible Bee calender (Yes, I have one. Guilty.) to remind myself that in the long run the results are up to God. I just have to be faithful.

So yes. I work, I toil. I almost drive myself mad with the review and the new ones and all the little mistakes. But it is worth it. Do you want to know why? Because for this season of my life this is what Jesus has called me to do. And so I do it. In my chaotic, messy, unorganized, foolish, little way.   

Maybe I will make it [to semi's] and maybe I won't. But that is not what matters. What is it that matters, you ask? Well, let me tell you, my friend. I can sum it up in one word: Jesus. Yep. That's it. He is all that matters. 

Even I, who puff myself up, matter not. Time and time again I must be brought back to this realization: that I am only one drop of water in the ocean, one grain of sand on the seashore, one blade of grass blowing in the wind. 

But He is bigger than I ever could imagine, bigger than the universe, bigger than time, bigger, much, much bigger than the whole course of history. And He, the Master of the Universe, has called me to do the 2014 National Bible Bee. To work and ache and cry and work and ache and cry over it. Could I do any less? 

As I write this on my wall I remind myself of this: After Nationals is over what remains is not a number, a score, a place, a reward, a medal, a trophy, some fun or some fame, but the knowledge that I have done what Jesus has called me to do. I will have lived my little adventure. I will have hidden His precious, powerful word in my heart, and I will be closer to Him. 

And really, what can this little drop of ocean do? What can this little grain of sand do? What can this little blade of grass accomplish? 

Nothing. 

But if she says yes to Jesus, He will sweep up that little drop of ocean in His tempest and the sunlight will catch her and she will be a reflection of Him. And if she says yes to Jesus, He will toss that little grain of sand up in the air and all the other grains will want to be thrown up too. And if she says yes to Jesus, He will cut off that little blade of grass and dry and whither her and kindle in her a flame and she will light up the night. 

If only she says yes. To Jesus. 

So I say yes. For what it is worth. But it is all I have to give. And it will be enough. 

No guilt! No regret! No fear! Only Jesus. He is enough. So I will continue. I will press on! And when this is finally over, I will praise Him. I will praise Him even now. No matter what happens. 

Whatever it takes I will say yes to Jesus. 

I work. I toil. I almost drive myself mad with the review and the new ones and with all the little mistakes. But this is what Jesus has called me to do for this fall. And so I will do it. I will say yes. 

So LORD, here it is, plain and simple, written for You. Jo's Yes. My Yes. So. YES.


So there you are. My first blog post. Hope you like it! And, wherever you are, don't forget to live the adventure. Life isn't really lived without adventure! See ya'll later!

Jo