Category Archives: Personal Issues

Blogathon: Being One of Jen’s Cheerleaders

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I know that money is pretty tight for some of you right now and I have an offer for those who want to give but can’t:

I need cheerleaders! As one of “Jen’s cheerleaders”, you promote my Blogathon on your site. I’ll send you an awesome button that says “I am Jen’s cheerleader!” and all you need to do is link it to my Blogathon site. On the day of the Blogathon, you do an entry on your blog about what I’m doing and show your super awesome button.

Leave me a comment if you’re interested!

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Sponsor Jen in Blogathon 2007 on July 28th. Come join the fun at her Blogathon site as she blogs for International Justice Mission! Even a pledge of $1 makes a difference!

Ash Wednesday Musings… A Day Late

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So Ash Wednesday was yesterday and I forgot to post!Â? Then again, I’d forget my head if it wasn’t screwed on.Â? 🙂

Lent hath begun for us in the West.Â? (The Eastern Churches started on Monday.)Â? My Lenten things are…

-no meat on Fridays (and Ash Wednesday)
-crocheting bandages for Global Health Ministries
-reading Reconciliation and A Season for the Spirit by Fr. Martin Smith
-(hopefully) confessing to a priest at some point during Lent

I’ll leave you with a hymn for yesterday…

The glory of these forty days
We celebrate with songs of praise;
For Christ, by Whom all things were made,
Himself has fasted and has prayed.

Alone and fasting Moses saw
The loving God Who gave the law;
And to Elijah, fasting, came
The steeds and chariots of flame.

So Daniel trained his mystic sight,
Delivered from the lionsâ???? might;
And John, the Bridegroomâ????s friend, became
The herald of Messiahâ????s Name.

Then grant us, Lord, like them to be
Full oft in fast and prayer with Thee;
Our spirits strengthen with Thy grace,
And give us joy to see Thy face.

O Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
To thee be every prayer addressed,
Who art in threefold Name adored,
From age to age, the only Lord.
— 1982 Hymnal #143

Writer’s Block from Lack of Freedom

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OK… I’ll admit it.

I can’t write like I used to.

When I was 22-23 (i.e. the year 2003), I could write angsty entries about pretty much any subject and I rarely had the writer’s block I do now. I wrote about politics, religion, current events, etc with no problem whatsoever. These days… I can’t really write about anything because I have to self-censor. There’s this fear that someone from one of Jon’s churches is going to find the blog and out me or that some future employer is going to google me and find it or the admissions people at whatever grad school I attend are going to use this blog as an excuse to deny me entrance.

Dude… the synod pastor in SW MN Synod described this site as “further evidence of self-destructive behavior on [my] part” after some people at MN Church #1 found it and used it to get at Jon. Like I can really blog out feelings here now?

A lot of my friends who are my age are giving up their blogs, trimming down their online presences, or just not writing as much. Many are adopting passworded sites if they’re going to write and it seems like the carefreeness that we all enjoyed 3 years ago is gone because people are now using whatever we write as a basis for employment or as a way to get into our business.

Am I the only one feeling this way?

All I Want For Christmas Is Some Sheep!

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OK… a few people have asked what I want for Christmas. My answer: I’d really like a lamb or sheep donated to the Heifer Project. They’re an awesome organization and I’d love it if people would support them in my honor this year at Christmas.

My Heifer.Org registry is here. Choose “Sheep” and donate as many shares of a sheep as you want. Just please send me an e-card so that I know what’s been done, OK?Â? The address is jen-at-grace-filled-dot-net.