People I like with little to no eyebrows

Some eyebrows are easy to get ride of ...some not so easy

Kristen after denist

I went to the dentist.

The Twin Song

I miss my twin sister. The day before I left for California we recorded this improv song. I took this video that I filmed all over Europe and made it into a movie that could make any grown man cry....or just me.

This is Carly's and I favorite thing to do. Just sit around and sing while she plays guitar.

Love ya twin.....and also Lauren (big sis)...and family in general...and everyone else...that I know!

In the spirit of missing people

I found this amazing picture from my teammates wedding. Here we have an Eastern Green sandwich with Jon, Megan the bride and Harry.
And in the spirit of missing everyone terribly, I decided to upload a video of the good times. LOve you guys!

My Little Bro

Look how handsome my little bro is

Eat your hearts out teenie-boppers!

I watch this SNL clip and thought of him...because his name is Thomas.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/102971/saturday-night-live-new-secretary

Sittin' on the Couch

I found this e-mail that I sent to my self a few months ago.

April 9, 2009

If love is in the air, I’m breathing in deep.

I overheard this awesome one-sided conversation of a girl on a phone in Starbucks

“Hey!”

“What? I sound like a dude?”

“Thanks jerk!”

“Did you see that I have deleted you as a friend on facebook?”

“Well, I did!”

“Because you deleted everything that I write on your wall.”

“What do you mean I’m a Negative Nancy?”

Communication has changed since I graduated high school. I remember spending tons of money and time sending out invitation and now all I have to do is create a facebook group. Wow! Facebook has made me a coward when it comes to communication. I barely have to make an effort.

I’m a girl who is sitting alone in a coffee shop smiling completely at ease with the dismal future drawing closer . Some people may call it ignorance. I call it trust.

Bear Attack

Last night I hardly got any sleep. I kept rolling around and thinking about this one thing....this one ultra creepy thing. I kept thinking out scenario of how I could efffectively scare my friends by dressing up in a bear costume and sneaking up on people. Not like a life-like bear, just your regular teddy bear. For an hour and a half I just sat there wanting to stop but I couldn't. How weird is that?

Brave Heart

Need a reason to throw off your constraints? I know I do.

 

"Given the proper combination of elements, dreams become spewing blowtorches of fuel, of oxygen and fire. The flame is constant and hot, paralyzing even in the warmth of its seduction. They have the power to ruin lives. Or to make a life unforgettably and without measure, extraordinary”

-Tammy Dooley author of the blog “Solo Road Trip”

 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” — 1994 Inaugural Speech of Nelson Mandela

 

 

“Gonna change the world someday but you wonder where to start. Filling up the vacant spaces just being who you are. I know you’ve got it in you. There is nothing that you can’t do. Step out it’s a wide wide world. Don’t back down little girl”

-The Daylights

 

“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.” –Mary Anne Radmacher

Possibilities

The great philosopher Brittney Spears once said, “I’m not a girl, not yet a women.”

 

So I am a woman…for obvious reasons.

 

I’m old enough to vote

Check (although I haven’t)

 

I’m on my own

Check(-ish)

 

I have a job

Check

 

I make adult decisions

Check(-ish)

 

Post-grad and all, I’ve been introduced to the harsh world of reality with responsibility and possibility. I like to plan things out. Some people may not think of me as a planner, but I am constantly thinking of things like what will I do, how much will that cost, what do I need, how am I going to get it, how can I make this work. The questions and lists keep piling up until I just think of casting my dreams to the side, which leads me to avoid decision-making. I forget to take things a day at a time and find myself avoiding the long road ahead.

 

And I was thinking maybe the key to being a good adult …is to be more like a child. I know, I know, I’m not crazy. I’m not thinking of moving back in with my parents to relive the glory days or what-not but we can all learn something from children. They don’t hold back from dreaming or trusting. They are completely themselves. The world is full of possibilities and potential. They just dive right into the sea of life without any fear.

 

I know that this fear of failure is holding me back but I’ve just decided that I’m not going to let that happen.

 

No, I’m not going to read a self help book or 10 Steps to Success, but I have to acknowledge that fear of failure is a lack of faith and will only cause more failure. I don’t want to look back on my time here in California and think that I wasted any time lollygagging around where there is life and experiences to be had, potential to be met, and lessons to be learned. So I am going to go on towards Jesus, trusting that He has the best in store for me and He never fails. As long as I am regularly exposed to His radical love, I will be in the right place.

 

Won’t you join me in this race by saying no to fear and yes to dreams?

 

Mucho amour!

 

 

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” Phil 1:6

P.S. I typed "endless possibilities" into the google image search engine and this is an image that showed up.

The "Cultivated" Laugh

So I have come to the realization that laughing can be even more satisfying when you stick your tongue out while you do it. It just oozes sophistication. My Jelly Belly buddies (the crew) have helped me to realize this. It also kinda helps if you tilt your head back as well. So next time you are in a fit of uncontrollable laughter, stick your tongue out and embrace a well-bred, refined and cosmopolitan level of snickering. Trust me....I live in California.

I am takin' back to the old days when I hear this song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPSEg_4kIo8

before things like future plans, bills, and responsibility. It makes me laugh with my tongue out.

Good to Me

Diggin' this song at the moment called "Good to Me"

This guy does this song justice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIvqwvgfoE0 

lyrics:

I cry out

For Your hand of mercy to heal me
I am weak
I need Your love to free me
Oh Lord,  my rock
My strength in weakness
Come rescue me,  oh Lord

You are my hope
Your promise never fails me
And my desire
Is to follow You forever

For You are good, for You are good
For You are good to me

A Whole New World

Three months out of college and I'm already getting antsy about leaving my student days behind me. Seventeen years of schooling really ingrains learning into your system. I have just started taking TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) classes online, so I can have the skills and tools to teach English overseas to whoever is interested. GO MOTHER TONGUE! Being a student again is fun! I have a tutor and everything. Go school!

Every Little Girls' Worst Nightmare

So after spending sometime at the mall telling people about religious suckers ( take the quiz http://religioussucker.com/ ) I retreated to a nearby retail store called Ross. I went to the dress section and as I was looking for cute summer dress, I came upon a wedding dress, but this wasn't any wedding dress, no, it was the wedding dress that I had dreamed of since I was a little girl and there it was on a sale in a retail store. Don't worry, I'm not a crazy. I am aware that I am single and far from holy matrimony, but this was the dress of my wildest dreams. So of course I took it to the dressing room to try that bad boy on. I had a little trouble getting the dress over my shoulders because there was no zipper up the side and I had to force the dress over my shoulders. Everything fit beautifully. As I looked at myself in the mirror my heart leaped for joy for the special day that I would actually get to wear a wedding dress down an isle.

 As I came back to reality, I realized that I had to hurry up and purchase my other clothes before my friends came to pick me up. As I attempted to pull the dress over my shoulders, the dress would not budge. I tried again and again before realizing that if I pulled any harder I would ripe the delicate fabric. I started t freak out. I was freakin' trapped in the dress of my dreams. The more I squirmed the tighter the dress got. The room started to get smaller and I started to sweat. I contemeplated getting that dress off by what ever means necessary, but couldn't force myself to tear the beautiful fabric. I had gotten myself into a mess that I could not get myself out of...alone. I decided to enlist the help of an outsider; I stepped outside my dressing and found the first available lady. I invited her back into my dressing room and she forcefully pulled the dress over my head. Embarassed and a little claustrophobic I emerged from that dress severely jaded.

What does that mean when a girl finds her dream wedding dress and gets trapped in it. Lesson learned; don't try on a wedding dress when you aren't getting married....fair enough.

I know it's embarrassing, but my embarrassment could be someone else's treasure..... 

Jesus Culture

 

I went to this conference in Redding, California called Jesus Culture and I'm featured in the Redding online newspaper under the photos. Check me out  praying for this guy!

http://www.redding.com/news/2009/aug/04/by-faith/

Eyebrow Threading

Hey friends! I have been in kind of a dry spell of blogging so I thought that I would talk about some randomness that is my life.

Has anybody ever had their eyebrows threaded? Eyebrow threading is depilation technique that originated in India and has in recent years made its way over to the US. It involves twisting a piece of thread into a double strand. The strand is used to pick up a line of hair and then remove it, creating a very clean, precise hairline. Eyebrow threading is the technique  preferred by Indian movie stars, who are often distinguished by their crisp brow lines. The result is pure Bollywood awesomeness with a beautifully shaped brow. The process of getting this finely shaped eyebrow is shear torture and agony. It feels like the lady is riping my flesh off.

I've only had this technique done a handful of times, but everytime I go, I sit there in the chair in pain thinking to myself "why, why oh why did I sign up for this knowing that I would have to endure this misery in order to have flashy eyebrows." Everytime I am there in that seat, I want to cry out "UNCLE!" But I signed up for the pain knowing that the result would be worth the pain. And oddly enough this reminds me of a sacrifice of a different kind, with a greater reward. Jesus willingly went to the cross, enduring unimaginable pain and humiliation just so we could have a chance at being in relationship with God. Jesus willing took that pain and shook the foundation of the world. 

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Whoa.

Risk for Love

 

We risk ourselves for the things that we love. Lately I have been feeling like a regular Indiana Jones. I have a tendency to forget things. Most recently I have been forgetting my keys in Ruby’s car and find myself with a need to lock the door to the apartment but unable to lock the door from the outside without a key. My mission was to make it to the Family Film Festival (a festival Remnant supports that makes it possible for families to watch free children’s movies during the week days), but I could not leave the apartment unlocked all day long. But I organized a plan to lock the apartment and leave for the Family Film Festival. You see Ruby and I live on the second floor and if I could just find the courage to step over our railing on our back porch and jump down, I could go and play with kids all afternoon. I prepared for the worst and I expected the best. I packed a snack thinking that if I hurt myself on the way down I would at least have something to take my focus off the pain. I put a Band-Aid in my bag thinking that one would be enough. I texted my friends to let them know the plan in case anything should go a rye. I prayed for the best.

 

Looking over the edge, I contemplated chickening-out but did not want to face the alternative of missing the Film Festival or leaving the apartment vulnerable to theft. Jumping was my only courageous option. I stepped over the railing, kicked my shoes down below into the shrubbery. I figured if I could somehow shimmy down the railing, I could swing to the railing of my neighbor’s porch below. I let my feet go. As I was hanging there off my railing, in plain sight of my neighbors, I thought to myself “Once again Kristen, you did not think this one through.” At this point it was too late to turn around. I did not have the arm strength to pull myself up and over the railing. My only choice was to let the wooden railing slide through my fingers until I was low enough to stand on the porch railing below me. My feet caught the railing and I jumped down into the safety of a flowerbed.

 

But we risk it all for the things we love. Am I right?  I love the Family Film Festival. I get to meet tons of kids and parents, paint faces, play corn hole, and spread the word about the new church that meets in the movie theater.

 

Well jumping from a balcony may not be much but it was the riskiest thing that I have done since I up and moved to California.

 

I also had to do the same maneuver the week after that when I forgot my keys again. At least that time I had a spotter.  

Cheers to safety!

Transparent ME

Is anyone else out the suffering from a case of transparency where everything you think and feel is all over your face. I know I am. If I'm moved. If I'm angry. If I'm flattered. If I'm sad or upset. If I'm ...... it is all there right on my face.

That just takes all of my edge away. I might have to resort to taking to people strickly on the phone.

Not to worry though, Ruby said she is going to teach me how to hide my emotions.

I wanna know this LOVE

Love makes you do crazy things.

Jesus said "LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your ming and with all of your strength" Then He goes onto say "LOVE your neighbor as yourself".

What would it look like if I loved people the way I love myself. I am learning that loving God is loving people.

and people need some lovin', L-O-V-I-N-'!

In evaluation of this past week, I would say that it was a good week for me to get out of myself and into loving outwardly.

Gadi and I went to San Francisco to this event called Night Strike, where people bring food, drinks, and clothing to the homeless people on the streets and pray for them.  I got to give for the down and out.  I got to pray for women with leukemia, HIV, drug addicions, and an upset stomach. I am still learning how to love people in situations that are in a sense uncomfortable. BUt I have learned, that I learn best on the job. Just stick me out there. Give me the opportunity. Even If I don't succeed, at least I am out there learning how to take risks and find opportunities.

We miss 100% of the opportunities that we don't take.

Another thing guys,

I am dreaming out here in California. I'm California dreamin'. A friend asked me recently, "What would you do if you had unlimited resources, unlimited money, and a guarantee that whatever you tried would succeed?"

Wow! Even my own answer to that question blows even me away.

I'm digging this song Open by Josh Baldwin

http://www.myspace.com/joshbaldwin

The Chronicles of JB

I never thought that my life among the jellies and the bellies would be so interesting, but the crazies really do come out to play at the jelly Belly factory. Let me set the scene in Fairfield , CA. Small town with a reputation of being home of the Jelly belly factory. We have so many tours come in filled with people from around the world. At the beginning of the tour, we have our guests line up to take a pictures with a stuffed Jelly Belly. Some people for whatever reason don’t want to take a picture (it usually comes down to the price $22!)

 

I had this one lady with a stroller standing in line that asked me how much it cost to buy the picture and I said, “it is free to take the picture, but it is $22 to buy the picture.” She responded by saying, “oh I need to take a picture of this beautiful black baby.” And I thought to myself well that was an interesting response but I mean the lady was African American and maybe she just was really excited about her beautiful black baby and so I went back to doing some other work . As she is reaching the front of the line she says again “I need to take a picture of this beautiful black baby”. So at this point, I am like what is up with this lady, I thought maybe she needed to remind herself about how 

beautiful her baby is because she keeps going on and on about her beautiful black baby.  So I’m like what the heck is the deal with this baby. I look in the stroller and there is this little white baby and  I look at the lady and then back at the baby . Then everything comes full circle that this lady is just straight crazy.

 

The other day I was a selling photo to a lady and after putting her photo in a bag I said “that will be $22”, then she proceeded to reach into her bra and pull out a stack of hundreds and handed me the money. I put on fakest smile ever and thanked her for her purchase. I don’t even wanna know.

 

Just today I had an old creepy man who asked me and my co-worker if he could take a picture of us for his collection. One of my co-workers was like “why would he want a picture of us”, and Ruby said “I can think of multiple reasons and none of them are good ones.”

 

Beyond all of  that, we try to take the best possible pictures of families but no matter how well you shot, you are going to have family pictures that just come out straight awkward, like a few of these examples I have provided.

 

Enjoy my friends…

Yosemite coming soon.....

Contemplator

I’ve always thought of myself as someone who was slow to catch onto things.  When I was younger, I thought sex was  just rolling around in a bed naked until about 8^th grade. I never really connected the dots. I remember in 5^th grade, my girl scout group had a specialist come in to explain he birds and the bees to us and I still didn’t understand. They didn’t use literal terminology they talked more metaphorically. I remember leaving that meeting thinking “what the heck, I still don’t how babies are made!”  I can drive some places a million times and still forget the directions. I’ve never really thought of myself as a contemplator but more as a learn-as-you-go type of person or a play-by-ear. Speaking of these little phrases like learn-as-you-go or play-by-ear, I sometimes realize that I have no idea what these little American phrases mean.

 

Now in my old age, I find myself contemplating everything. I am second guessing myself and my decisions. Caution steps in what I do and say and I allow myself to think.

This baby is just here to demonstrate that most of the time I have no idea what the heck is going on.

ANd I just think that this article is awesome...

Chronicles

Coming soon The Jelly Belly Chronicles 

The Crazies come out to play at the Jelly Belly Factory

Brave New World

Some concepts that have found new meanings in my adult life:

“If you don’t work, you don’t eat”

 

Money management has come to a new level. Battling things like high California taxes and karate chopping living expenses.

 

There is no more “Well after I finish school and I can spread my wings and soar”, I’m in the after….I’m in the now….I’m in the afternow! Will I only feel complete after I have successfully established myself oversea. NO! How do I define my success. That is really the question that I find myself pondering at the present moment.

What’s a girl to do? Should  I make do with the mediocre or strive for excellence?

What does daily success look like. I think I will ask my friends….

 

I asked Gadi and he said that your success is defined by your level of happiness and your ability to meet your goals.

 

I’m happy but am I meeting my goals….

Need a pick-me-up? Dance to this. Don't know how to dance? The key is to always have your hands in motion...trust me.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjWPyDMk8k8

Remnant of love

So, I am s o blessed to volunteer with Remnant Church in Fairfield. This church is who they say they are. Their mission is to be the church on the street, in the office,  in life with refreshing life from God. How do I describe this church; its like coming up for a breath of fresh air. Their hearts for God and people are so colorful and unique. Their getting out into the community to make a difference because they believe that they have something worth fighting for.  I get to be a part of what God is doing in Fairfield. I’m interning here and I’m trying to be the hands and feet but right now I feel like I’m like the pinky, but eventually I will find my sweet spot, my special area of influence. I’m telling you people are always saying “what is so special about Fairfield? There is nothing to do, la-di-da-di-da” so here is my perspective. Fairfield has this secret luster. If you talk about the luster then there is the possibility that it will go away, but it is there. Fairfield has potential. 

 

Every week we go to a place called Mission Solano, which is a homeless shelter, and just hang out. I’m just blow away by the people there that have lost so much and that have maybe made some bad choices or have been down on their luck,  but despite all of that, they are so open to people. What I have found in the city of Fairfield is that the people really lack a sense of community but the people at the homeless shelter are very relational and open. I do my best to love them but they do a great job loving me back. The first week I was here. I had two days of work off and Ruby had gone out of town. I didn’t have anything to do so thought that I would just hangout with my friends at Mission Solano, but there is this guy there who goes by the name of Sweet Daddy who makes me feel mildly to extremely uncomfortable most of the time  sayin things like “I like your face….You are so sweet…you single….give me a hug.” He would always end our conversations by rubbing my neck and saying something like “Bye cutie.”  The women and their children at Mission Solano are amazing though...

 

My remnant friends are great and my work friends are great.

 

End of story.

 

Well at least for this entry.

Jelly Belly Advocate

Life in California has commenced and I could not be happier.

 

I work at the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield, CA in the guest service section. Jelly Belly gives free tours of the tours of the factory and during the tour the guest stop to take a picture with Mr. Jelly Belly in front of a green screen and then continue on with their tour. So I basically take their picture, edit their picture on the screen and add a bunch of jelly bellies to their background and people buy these photos for $22. It is so ridiculous, I feel like I am robbing people most of the time, then I remember that it is just Jelly Belly that is the greedy one. With that aside, I love my job. I get to work with my best friend, who is also my boss, Ruby. She tells me things like “Kristen, you have to pay me $100 to go to the bathroom.” When I greet the tourist I am constantly being made fun of for the things I say to them. Some of the most ridiculous things come out of my mouth. For instance, the other day I was trying to sell a picture to a couple with jelly bellies in the background. The lady was teeter-tottering on the idea of whether she wanted to buy her picture and I joking said, “You know, the jelly bellies really bring out the colors in your eyes.” Shortly after saying this I realized that she had black eyes to begin with, so I thought to myself out no…what have I just done. But to my surprise my comment swayed her in the right direction because she ended up buying the photo. Week 1 of working at the Jelly Belly factory is awesome and full of fun and laughter. 

 

I think that it is amazing that I work in a candy factory. If you know me (and hopefully you do know me…if not please discontinue reading my blog) you know that I love candy. Surprisingly enough, I haven’t really eaten that much candy. I’m growing up I guess. With that aside, I work right above the bakery where they make things like fudge, chocolate cell phones, chocolate covered apples, and all kinds of tasty treats. When I’m not busy, I like to watch the bakers make all of their little desserts. Yeah, I’m pretty much in a constant state of temptation.

Not quite international in California

There are many things that I am unsure of.....where I will be in five years, or one year for that matter, but I am sure of the calling that God has put in my life; to love and serve people internationally. A part of me wanted to leave the moment I graduated from IU (which was a week ago) and dive into the Taiwan, France, Denmark, Belgium, Tanzania, Russia, Chile, or anywhere really. Anyway the wind would blow me, trying to ignore "perfect timing" and seek the adventure the world had in store for me. I applied for English teaching jobs overseas. With possibilities opening with every person I spoke to, I became overwhelmed with a decision that could affect the rest of my life. My eyes were constantly wonder left to right, asking myself “Well, I can use my French here, I can get a good start here, I can get a good salary there, they will hire me there, this place has the cheapest plane tickets.” When did I get so discombobulated that I forgot the very reason I wanted to travel outside in the first place? My priorities went all A-wall, on the count of not letting God’s say into the mixture. When I head off to distant lands, I want to be sure that I am being called to that specific area with a group of people that are united in a purpose to see Jesus impact the lives of those that He is calling after. I want to be in THAT MIXTURE! The Lord is preparing my heart to love Him and others in a bigger way. I want to follow where God is leading me and He is leading me to the West. 

Tomorrow I am head off to Fairfield, CA for a summer-long adventure with some of my favorite people. I will be working at the JELLYBELLY factory making the big bucks in the photography sector. I know, I know, the first question everyone ask me is "Are you going to be taking pictures of jelly beans?" and I reply, "No... I'm going to be taking pictures of people and jelly beans." Photography by day, something far greater by night after quiting time. You see, in Fairfield there's a group of people, that are completely amazing by the way, that have planted a church, Remnant (check it www.remnantloves.me ). Their mission is that "people far from God fall in love with Jesus." They are loving people without limits and I get the awesome opportunity to join them in a summer internship!!! Woohooo! ( I really enjoy writing the expressions sounds that I am feeling and will continue doing so throughout) I am excited to hang with my amigos, live in California, and eat jelly beans all the long-day, but most importantly, I'm excited to see how I can be stretched and used this summer. So just as I recorded my endeavors in France, I will attempt to bring you all a special viewing into my life as God calls me into the deep and away from home. I love you all.

You have my heart Indiana....