RISE!

On Thursday, July 19th, Dan and I joined some of our usual friends for a midnight movie premiere. The bittersweet time had come, it was time for the final instalment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy... it was time to see The Dark Knight Rises.

We dressed for the occasion. Both of us were wearing our Batman t-shirts and Dan also had his Batman Begins belt buckle. We weren't the only ones decked out for the occasion. Several people arrived at the theater wearing Batman t-shirts, Batman PJ's, and Batman costumes. What a blast! It was then that I felt a little bummed that I didn't think to wear my Batgirl costume.

We arrived an hour before the film was due to begin and the first theater we walked into was nearly packed to the max! Hundreds of people had gathered closely together, chatting away as they waited for the film to start. With the front rows our only option for our group of 13-14, we decided to take a peek inside another theater that was also scheduled to play The Dark Knight Rises at midnight. Success! While this theater was much smaller in size, there were significantly more open seats.

With fresh popcorn in hand and a large fountain drink to share with my hubby, I was as cozy as can be. I savored this time with friends and anxiously awaited the film's debut.

At midnight on Friday, July 20th, the previews started and then the movie finally began. From beginning to end I was drawn into the film. The acting was fantastic, the music was stunning, and the story packed a powerful punch. Every passing minute I hoped that it would just keep going -- clearly 2 hours and 45 minutes was too short for me.

I left the theater just after 3:00 a.m. excited and full of energy! Dan and I discussed the details of the movie the whole way home. Both of us eager to see it again on the big screen -- and we rarely ever see a movie for a second time in the theater.

The next morning I didn't have work, so I got to sleep in -- and boy, did I sleep in! At 11:00 a.m. I rolled out of bed and went onto my desktop computer -- which I rarely do on my days off. I had some personal projects to take care of, but I started my time by surfing Facebook, noticing my fellow midnight viewers take on the latest Batman flick. It didn't take long for me to notice some rather usual comments within my friends' status updates. Several of my friends shared that they were grateful to be alive and that they were praying for Colorado. With a quick Google search, I found what everyone was talking about... the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting.

My heart sank as I read what little information was available -- but it was enough to feel deep sadness for those who were directly effected. 12 killed and nearly 60 wounded when James Holmes, 24, walked into a packed movie theater that was showing The Dark Knight Rises, and opened fire on countless innocent lives.

Next, I noticed several of my friends posting a link to a blog post, written by a survivor: So you STILL think God is a merciful God?!

I enjoyed her blog post and it really got me thinking. I get very frustrated when all tragedies are blamed on God. Tragedies like the Holocaust, 9/11, and this theater shooting. People! God is not the cause of evil! The devil is the source of evil. Well, God created the devil, didn't he? Yes, he did, but here's the thing... we cannot know what is good without knowing what is bad. Bad is the absence of good, just like cold is the absence of heat, darkness is the absence of light, and fear is the absence of peace. Without these opposites, there is no choice. Satan made the choice to turn against God and he is doing everything he can to bring us down with him -- Satan is pure evil.

You know what scares me most? Satan doesn't force us to do anything. We are the ones who choose to do bad things! Satan just gives us the idea. Go ahead, steal that DVD. It's not your fault you can't afford it. It's okay to lie to you family, they don't need to know the truth about everything. Go ahead and shoot those people, they deserve to die. LIES! LIES! LIES! All lies from a demon who wants us to suffer an eternity of hell with him.

So while Satan is busy making a mess of this world, tempting us to live lives filled with endless bad choices, pulling us further and further from our Creator, God provided a way for us to have all of our sins forgiven. Jesus said in John 14: 6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." How do we get to the Father? By placing our faith in Jesus Christ. By admitting that we are all sinners and fall short of God's glory. Jesus Christ was perfect and he died for us so that we could live. That is how much he loves us!

Jansen Young, a theater survivor, understands what it physically feels like to have someone take a bullet for her. In an interview on the Today Show, Young shared her heartbreaking story about how her boyfriend, Jon Blunk, covered her with his own body so he could protect her from the shooting. Blunk did not survive the attack.

Still, clearly and understandably, shaken up from the recent events, Young's voice quivered as she bravely shared her story with the world. Towards the end of the interview, these statements grabbed my attention:

TODAY
When you think about that, the fact that he saved your life, you must feel such incredible love for him.

YOUNG
Oh my gosh, yeah... all I could think about was, I know the most amazing man. I do, I love him so much. It's what I kept thinking... Jon, I love you and I am so grateful for what you did for me.

(Watch the full interview HERE.)

Young's testimony got me thinking about how Jesus used his body to save our lives. Basically, Jesus took a bullet for us, just like Blunk did for his girlfriend. Jesus died with our sin on his shoulders so that we could live and not be separated from God. We should all feel so much love for our Savior as Young does for Blunk!

Life is filled with uncertainties and Satan is among all of them, whispering evil thoughts into our minds. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Don't let another moment pass you by. Jesus already paid the price, the gift of salvation is free to all who are willing to accept it.

Don't let Satan bring you down with him. RISE and take a stand against evil! Be a true rebel in this world and do what is good.

My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by the tragic theater shooting in Colorado.

UPDATE: Want to read an inspiring story of God's mercy and ultimate power? Check out this blog post: A Miracle Inside the Aurora Shooting: One Victim’s Story. Read it and be encouraged!

I Now Like Mayonnaise

If you've ever been out to eat with me, you'll notice that I always order my meal with "no mayo" -- if mayo is included. Personally, I have never been a fan of the condiment, but I've survived the accidenal mayonnaise encounter in my lifetime.

For years I have read beauty tips suggesting the use of mayo as a hair mask. My first thought? Ew! Gross! Then, a recent afternoon in a pool left my hair feeling extra dry. Since I'm attempting to grow out my lovely locks, I decided to give this mayo mask a whirl.

Dan and I have lots of mayonnaise packets in our house -- and neither of us use them. So I decided I would attempt my first-ever mayo mask. Here is what I did...

1. I brushed my hair so there were no tangles.

2. I filled a water bottle with warm/hot water and proceeded to spray my hair until it was wet, but not soaking/dripping.

3. I opened each pack of mayonnaise and covered my hair -- focusing on my ends. I applyed the mayo just like conditioner. No need to go with "fat free" mayo in this case. It's going in your hair, not your mouth.

4. I gathered my hair into a clip and covered my head with a shower cap -- I knew those hotel shower caps would come in handy some day! I let the mayo mask sit for 20+ minutes, letting the heat from the warm/hot water open my pores and let the mask sink into my hair.

5. I showered normally, washing my hair with shampoo and conditioner.

The end result... very SOFT hair! I was amazed at how well this simple, one-ingredient mask made my hair feel so healthy. While I was not a fan of how the mask smelled, I certainly thought it was worth it and I'll be doing it again... possibly soon!

Dan's NEW Job!

I am so excited, I just had to post about Dan's new job!

Back in April, I posted about how Dan lost his job -- due to lack of project funding. While the thought of having an unemployed spouse is certainly an unsettling feeling, I couldn't help but feel inner peace about the journey we were about to take. Ultimately, I knew God was in control. Sure, I had my good days and by bad days, but more than anything, life continued as normal as possible. Naturally, we cut back on spending (more than usual), but we still found ways to have fun and go out on dates. By God's grace, all our bills got paid and our savings never suffered!

Once Dan and I got back from Washington DC (April 4th), Dan hit the ground running and didn't stop until he got a job. He had two recruiters job searching for him, he was all over LinkedIn making contacts and updating his resume, he searched Career Builder and other job-friendly websites, he gave his resume to friends and family, he paid extra to have his resume delivered express to his favorite jobs, and he personally dropped off his resume to some of his favorite jobs. Without a doubt, he made job hunting a full-time job. Then, to take a "break" from job searching, he worked on the house and did some grocery shopping. So when job interviews started pouring in, I was in awe.

In the past couple of weeks, Dan had four job interviews and two offers. In the end, he passed up on two of the jobs before he could even make it to the second interview and he was very pleased to accept an offer from Particle Technology Laboratory (PTL). PTL was an excellent fit! On Wednesday, June 20th Dan had his first day! Dan really enjoyed his first day and we're both very excited to see where this new job opportunity will lead him. This new job will certainly be a learning experience for him and he welcomes the new challenges with an eager sense to learn and grow.

Praise the Lord for Dan's new job at PTL! Prayer works! God is good!

Colton Dixon

For the first time (ever!) I have been a consistent follower of American Idol. Normally, I begin each season by watching the auditions here and there and eventually tune out once the over-blown drama begins in Hollywood. But for some reason, this year Dan and I were drawn into American Idol like never before. Like much of America, we became Colton Dixon fans... and, also like the rest of America, we were completely shocked when Colton was voted off of American Idol. His very first time in the bottom three and he was eliminated -- as Hollie survived, yet, another week.

Without a doubt, Colton has expressed his devote Christian faith throughout this season of American Idol. Even when AI producers suggested to Colton that he take a step back from sharing his faith (in order to increase his chances of winning), Colton refused. At only 20 years old, Colton has shown such strong faith while being in the spotlight of a major television show. I am very impressed at how he has managed to share his faith -- whenever possible.

Below are brief questions and answers taken from Colton's American Idol's profile page.

Question: What was the first concert you attended?
Answer: MercyMe and Audio Adrenaline at Starwood Amphitheater. Great show.

Question: If you could perform in any venue?
Answer: The Dove Awards.

Question: How has music inspired you?
Answer: Music is the way I express myself. It's the number one way I worship.

Question: If you could perform with any person or group, who would it be and why?
Answer: Casting Crowns, so I could be a part of the ministry that they have. Amazing.

Question: What do you do to unwind after a performance?
Answer: Pray.

Question: What's your dream song to perform?
Answer: 'Everything' by Lifehouse.

Question: How do you combat stage fright?
Answer: I pray for peace and calm.

Question: How do you plan on differentiating yourself in the competition?
Answer: I embrace being different. God created us all different. I think America already sees that.

Question: If you couldn't sing, what other talent would you most like to have?
Answer: Talent to speak well. Same goal to spread the Gospel, but using a different tool.

Question: Who is the person that you would most like to meet?
Answer: Ha-ha. Right now, Tim Tebow. Just to see how being surrounded by a secular environment affected his faith and how he managed to stay grounded.

Question: What have you learned about yourself by going through the Idol audition process?
Answer: That I have what it takes. I just need to have faith and believe that God has a plan for me.

As Colton prepared to deliver his final performance, he got down on his knees (pictured below) and started to sing his all-time favorite song, "Everything" by Lifehouse. Closing his eyes and lifting his hand in worship, Colton sang to God -- his audience of one. He went out praising God, giving Him the glory for his success! As the song continued and show's closing credits began to roll, Colton stood and pointed straight up as he modified the song's lyrics, singing out, "He's all I want! He's all I need! God, you're everything! You're everything!" He may not have become Season 11's American Idol, but I'm sure Colton's testimony will continue to be used to bring glory to God, while helping the family of God grow!

In the beginning, I was just a fan of Colton and his musical talents. After hearing him share his faith and remain grounded, keeping God his number one fan, I became Coltn's fan on a whole new level. It was then that I started praying for Colton and his own ministry.

I'm praying for you, Colton Dixon. Stay strong in your faith and maintain your audience of one.

Here are two version of Colton singing "Everything":

"Everything" Preformed by Colton Dixon on American Idol (shortened version, before elimintaion)

"Everything" Preformed by Colton Dixon Crossroads Church in Corona, CA (full version, Colton on piano)

DUG 2012

On Sunday, April 1st I headed back to Washington DC for the 2012 DUG Conference. This year was extra because Dan was able to join me!

SIDE NOTE:
Dan found out in early March that his employer was unable to renew his contract due to lack of funding -- meaning, he would be out of a job at the beginning of April. We knew that this was a possibility, so he started job searching months ago. Once the possibility became an unfortunate reality, Dan became much more aggressive in his job search. Since his job search wasn't producing any job opportunities, Dan decided to join me in Washington DC.

Since Dan was a last-minute addition, he used Priceline to get a discount on his airfare. Thankfully, he was able to get a fabulous deal! I think his round trip ticket was only $8 more than mine -- and I purchased mine (via work) over a month before Dan. However, we weren't on the same flights or even using the same airline. Dan landed in Washington DC just before I started boarding my flight. Although, it was pretty cool having Dan waiting for me at the gate when I arrived -- which is virtually unheard of these days.

Later that evening I attended the fabulous Welcome Party at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center (where the conference was taking place and, also, where we were staying for the duration of our trip). This year's theme was in honor of the beautiful cherry blossoms -- which bloomed early this year, so we missed them.

Monday, April 2nd Dan took a hotel shuttle to downtown DC and spent the day sight-seeing. He has never been to DC before, so everything was new and certainly exciting to him. I had sessions all day, but we got to spend the evening together while we took a night tour of downtown Washington DC! It was really beautiful seeing the monuments all lit up.

Even at 10:00 p.m. the monuments were very crowded with tourists. The heavy volume of tourists was mainly because of the numerous school field trips.

On Tuesday, April 3rd our keynote speaker for the conference was JR Martinez! He delivered a very inspirational message to thousands of DUG attendees -- and I was lucky to be in the 4th row, center. He is an excellent public speaker and fabulous storyteller. I enjoyed his presentation very much!

Later that day, once I was done with my sessions, I met up with Dan -- who slept-in and bummed around the hotel. Together we went back to downtown DC to see some more sights and museums.

Once again, it was crowded downtown. Ford's Theatre was completely sold out! I was pretty bummed about that. I've been inside before, but hoped to see inside once more. I guess not this time.

The crowds were everywhere! We had to wait about 40 minutes to get into the National Archives. It was hot in the sun, so Dan found a nearby ice cream truck and bought us some ice cream. All of the museums have metal detectors, but upon entering the National Archives, your bags must also be sent through an x-ray machine.

Later that evening I attended DUG's "Be True to Your School" party -- an evening for DUG attendees to wear t-shirts, hoodies, hats, etc to represent the school you work for. This year it was a carnival theme. This fabulous party featured carnival games, balloon animals, stuffed animal prizes, popcorn, cotton candy... the works! Dan was all cozy in bed while I went to the party. He was still up when I got back -- I didn't stay very late.

On Wednesday, April 4th Dan got picked up by the airport shuttle at 4:00 a.m. Yikes! He landed in Chicago before my alarm went off. I know this because his "I'm home" text woke me up. Ha ha! That morning I went to a few more sessions before heading home, myself.

Apparently the conference will not be in Washington DC next year. I'm glad Dan got to come with me this time so he could experience Washington DC at least once.

NEW! Something from Jessie Website

I am so excited to announce that Something from Jessie has a brand new website!

Something from Jessie is a memorial scholarship which was created in memory of Jessica Troyer. Each year we hold a fundraiser at Jessie's home church (Parker Road Bible Church) to raise funds that send Chicago inner city students to Phantom Ranch Bible Camp in Mukwonago, Wisconsin - the same camp Jessie and I attended as a campers and worked as summer staff.

God has blessed this fundraiser in more ways than we can count! Each and every year the fundraiser gets bigger and better and I have no doubt that the tradition will continue this year as well.

Our annual (free!) spaghetti dinner will take place on Friday, June 1st, 2012, at Parker Road Bible Church. Check out our website for more information and be sure to "like" Something from Jessie on Facebook for your chance to win exclusive door prizes at this year's dinner.

While the spaghetti dinner rapidly approaches, I do have one favor to ask... please pray for us! Pray for the folks who will be planning and organizing the dinner. Pray for the volunteers who will be helping us. Pray for the guests who will be attending. Pray for the students who will be going to camp through this scholarship. Pray for the weather. Pray for the food and door prize donations. Pray for the scholarship donations. Pray! Pray! Pray! It is what keeps this fundraiser so successful. If our God is for us, then who could stand against us?

Blue Like Jazz (The Movie)

On Thursday, March 1st I found free tickets to see an advance screening of the movie Blue Like Jazz. A couple of years ago Dan and I read the book with our church's Young Adult group. We really enjoyed the book and so we thought it would be fun to see the movie! Our friends, Jason and Rachel, also read the book with us, so they joined us.

On Thursday, March 15th the four of us met up just outside the AMC Showplace in Naperville. It was about 5:00 pm, and we had an hour until the "event" started, so we went to Houlihan's for dinner. Honestly, we chose Houlihan's because it was gorgeous outside and it was virtually the only place that had outdoor seating - other than sushi.

At about 6:00 pm we started walking towards the movie theater. It was then that we noticed a Blue Like Jazz van/tour bus.

"Let's ask someone to take our picture in front of the bus!" I suggested.

So we did just that. We strolled up to the tour bus and asked a young roadie to snap a quick photo of us in front of the tour bus. He was super friendly and took his time setting us up for a nice photo. After we thanked the guy for taking our photo, Rachel asked what "event" was scheduled to take place before the screening.

"Oh, Donald Miller (the book's author), Steve Taylor (the movie director), and Marshall Allman (the lead actor, playing Donald Miller) are here and will do a meet and greet with the audience before the movie. They'll also do some Q and A after the movie."

WHAT?!?

We were all pleasantly surprised to hear that they were all just inside the tour bus, chillin'... just waiting to come out and meet their fans. Needless to say, we hung around the tour bus and several minutes later we weren't the only ones.

At about 6:30 Donald, Steve, and Marshall stepped out and got ready to meet their fans. Right away, Steve stepped up to me, held out his hand, and politely introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Steve. Would you like a Twizzler?" Sure enough, he handed me a single, wrapped Twizzler. His jacket was loaded with Twizzlers and he handed them out to everyone! Donald and Marshall also took the time to meet and greet our fabulous foursome.

"How about a picture?" Donald asked with a cheerful smile. Naturally, we jumped at the opportunity to snap a picture with all three guys.

I couldn't help but feel unprepared as I held out my ticket (which was a black and white email printed out on plain paper) and asked Donald to sign it. Still, I was grateful to have something for him to sign.

Rachel and Jason recognized Marshall from the TV show, True Blood. So I snapped a picture of them just with Marshall. Marshall is no longer on True Blood, but he told us to watch for him on Justified.

Later, as the guys continued to meet and greet their fans (handing out Twizzlers every step of the way), I noticed a fan holding a 4x6 postcard with a picture of the movie poster on it. As he walked my way I asked him where he got it.

"They had some of these inside the theater," he politely explained. "Would you like him to sign it? You can have it."

I smiled and thanked him for the postcard. Rachel the proceeded to locate one for herself. Then we went back and asked all three guys for an autograph - which they were pleased to do so. After Rachel and I got our autographs we met up with Dan and Jason, who were waiting in a long line, to go into the theater.

Upon entering the theater we received a bag of goodies (fliers and information about the movie and other projects that they were supporting) as well as a survey to fill out after the movie. The theater was packed!

Now, if you are expecting a Christian movie like Fireproof or Courageous (both good movies), you're probably going to be disappointed. Blue Like Jazz portrays a very realistic lifestyle of a young man who goes away to Reed College to basically run away from God. Reed College is one of the most godless colleges in existence. It is a college where people go to express their desires and beliefs, but being Christian is certainly not acceptable. There is plenty of drinking, drugs, and partying to earn a solid PG-13 rating. While the language gets a bit edgy (you'll hear at least one of every swear at least once, minus the f-bomb), I still think that the true image of Reed College is much more godless than what was portrayed. The foul language wasn't extreme by any means, but it was certainly enough to get their point across.

After reading the book, the movie is just what I expected and I sincerely enjoyed it. Much like the book, the movie doesn't sugarcoat how real life can be when you're trying to escape God. Doing things you wouldn't normally do... saying things you wouldn't normally say... all in the process of trying to figure out how you can push God out of your life. Not everyone has gone to such extreme measures as Donald Miller, but I'm sure at one point in your life you rebelled against God because you weren't sure what you believed.

While some details were modified for the movie, the overall story is true and very powerful. Ultimately, this movie is good for people of all ages - well, 13 and up anyway. We may try and try and try to run our lives without God, even to the point of really pushing Him away, but He'll still be there... following you. Waiting... waiting for you to come back to Him.

I'm not going to share the ending, but I'll say this much... it's fantastic and it leaves Christians with a strong challenge. A challenge that may even be difficult for even strong Christians to accept. It's a challenge I would like to incorporate into my testimony when I share with unbelievers.

PS - This is my 200th blog post! Woohoo!