So... I've been wanting to blog again.  I've put off blogging for the past year because I didn't think I had time for it- being young married, in school, working, etc. but I'm kind of wanting a record of life, and I think this will work. 

This summer we moved to a teeny tiny antique-y apartment on the "brick streets" (aka olde town) of Clinton.  I love it, but it's been a crazy adventure.  Some dormant fleas came to life and attacked us when we'd been there for a week, and it took a month before we prayed and God removed them.  Funny how that works, right?  Our landlord is a very sweet, caring older man (every day of 86!) who stubbornly does all the repairs himself as much as he can, so things are a little crooked or patched sometimes.  But he does fix it, and he keeps the rent cheap.  and I can live with crooked. This place feels more like home than any other place I've lived since moving out of my parent's house.  It has adorable glass doorknobs and wooden floors, and somehow the cracked paint of the ceiling is comforting. 

God's been teaching us a lot lately about following His plan.  Moving and dealing with "flea-mageddon" as my husband called it, taught us dependence and humility.  We knew God wanted us here.  and He's provided awesomely.  We also recently had a false alarm where we thought we were pregnant.  I freaked, Tyler rejoiced, then we swapped places, then we were just happy.  Then a blood test and ultrasound at the hospital told us we weren't even pregnant to start with, we just had a false positive on the home test.  But God has been using this roller coaster to wake us up to the fact that we're not in control, and our little crazy couple life is not the end-all-be-all.  So we're asking Him what His plan is, instead of asking Him to bless ours.  Tyler's been the most amazing leader and support to me throughout all of this.  Already, I've loved him more the longer we've been together.  But this past week of pregnant-not-pregnant, and his incredible love and service and faith, have made me love him more than I ever thought I could.  It's just so incredible the way he cares for me, and takes care of me, and is patient with me.  He supports me and is strong when I'm not.  and God uses him to bless and provide for me and teach me every day.  I just plain don't deserve him, but I'm so thankful he's all mine.  Somehow God gave me the best husband ever.  I'll just thank Him.

On a totally un-related note- fall squash is in season and the weather's cold at night, and my yard is filled with pecans.  and dollar tree has pumpkin spice candles. :)  So even though my sinuses are trying to kill me, I'm happy.  because my house smells and tastes like fall.  

overflow

Can I just tell you how wonderful it is to be married to your best friend? to know that God Himself put you together? to come home to the face you like bestest in the world every night? To wake up next to him in the morning, and ache with craziness all day because you're so ridiculously giddy happy to be with him that you can hardly stand being 8 hours without him?

I love being married to Tyler Entrekin.

For those of you who are not yet married- be you single, dating, engaged, frustrated, or in-between- please know that if you can trust God with your life, and allow Him to be in charge of your potential relationships/future marriage, the results are sweeter than I know how to explain.  When God is your matchmaker, your marriage can be a perfect little foretaste of heaven.  It can be breathtakingly beautiful. It can be eternally strong. It can be good and right even when life and your attitudes are less than nice.  And when I say "let God be your matchmaker," I don't necessarily mean sit in a nunnery and wait for a man to walk in and a voice from heaven to say "he's the one." I mean, trust God, put Him first, rely on Him for security and love (not on a relationship), and don't let a significant other distract you from Him.  When a significant other has this same attitude, and helps you get closer to God, then you're probably on the right track.

Please. if you're frustrated with your relationship status right now, try God. I promise He won't let you down.  He promises He won't let you down. 

Thanks for listening to my overflow.  When you're absolutely crazy in love your heart gets full and you have to unload sometimes. 

I sincerely pray each one of you trusts God and lets Him bring you happiness.

In Him,

Jess

hi

It's been awhile. I've been getting married and getting used to being married.  I've also been moving in, starting a new job, and preparing for school.  Life has been full.  I would apologize for not posting in ages, but I'm honestly not sorry for enjoying real life and neglecting the online world for awhile.  It's been wonderful.  I highly recommend it.
Married life is wonderful. I tell anyone who'll listen to me (and some who I'm sure wish they couldn't) that it's been the best two months of my life so far.  To be mutually crazy in love with someone, and then get to live with an monopolize on that person, and do the everyday humdrum things while smiling at and hugging that person, is happiness itself.  Not every moment is glorious, but even the less-than-lovely ones can be sweet.  I'm learning that it's not simply love, but God's unconditional love that covers a multitude of sins.  Relying on that is how we get over the hurdles.
So right now I'm pushing onward into my own version of happily-ever-after. :) and it's great. I hope everyone else has had as wonderful a summer as I have. (But I personally like mine best!)
Til later,
Jess

oh, hello again...

So, I owe you a sheepish apology for my lack of commitment to blogging lately... I just have been so insanely busy with school that I haven't had the energy or time to blog... but I have written a little bitty poem, so I'll share that with you... an update on life will have to wait a bit yet.

Single Girls' Paranoia

Quiet, calm evening,
Air a perfect temperature on exposed skin.
I relish the feeling as the breeze strokes my neck.
Around me, eerie quiet. spooky, expectant stillness.
Then the sound.
A car? or voice?
The wind up high, whistling in tree limbs and sky.
I no longer feel alone.
Her low moan
makes me want to glance behind.
Is someone there?
Walk quickly, ignore the shiny, pretty moon and soft air,
Open your apartment door and slide the chain on the other side.
Release the tense breath in your chest now.
You're safe from your own paranoia.

The Courtyard

A gust of the spring breeze washes over me. 
Glaring bright, but gentle in warmth,
The sun beams down.
Sitting here, I'm exhausted from lack of sleep,
Achy and weary from lugging around a heavy bag on a thin strap all day long,
Disappointed in myself for my failures,
Confused about how to deal with others',
And anxious about the many, many, things I have to do this week. (and next week... and next week...)
Oh, and I'm really hungry, too.
However, the sound of a constant fountain and the gentle hug of the breeze
Help to soothe me. 
Lord, please carry my burden
Take care of my tomorrows,
And give me wisdom to deal with mistakes.
Help my soul to be as peaceful as my surroundings.
Help me to transition from this current melancholy state
To one more hopeful and cheerful.
Give me your strength;
Enable me to do my daily tasks,
While still loving those around me.
Basically, know that I really need and want you right now.
I know I don't want you often enough, and that's how I got to this place.
But right now I'm thankful for the way you embrace me with the breeze
And I'm content just to nestle into you and let you fill me up.

New blog!

So, as I've become increasingly addicted to blogging, I've noticed that all of my favorite blogs to read have very coherent themes.  Mine, however, is basically a collection of random brain-spews... So, I've decided to create a foodie blog, which will focus on my OTHER favorite hobby, cooking, and let this one continue to be a spew, but a less random one.  I hope to continue posting poetry, prayer requests, and random life-updates on this one, and without a conflict in blog-theme interest, that will (fingers crossed!) occur more frequently. 

As for my new cooking blog (which just has one weensy little post, its so new!), here is a link, if anyone reading and happens to be interested. 

The Budding Budget Foodie

A-dorable

So, this is a quickie post, since my life is consumed by homework this week, but I saw this on a friend's page and had to share...



I started ballet when I was about this age, and this video brings back so many fun memories of jumping around to twinkly music played on a boombox. I really really hope God gives me a little girl who loves to dance as much as I do!