lately

nine months in the country of red dirt

29.9.14






the words flow but they're disjointed, lopped together paragraphs that show a spinning mind.  so my drafts pile up until they overflow & still nothing has been posted for more days than i have fingers & toes.

quotes, verses & words of wisdom pile up with my run away brain going all over the place.  

i chew on every bit of anything i get, scripture, opinions, viewpoints, i mull them over and change my opinion twenty-thousand times in the same conversation.  journaling is nothing but mismatched words, flowing in two languages in a brain overload.  

life, family, school, relationships with the people here, family back in the states, relationships with friends i've known my whole life, everything goes around in a continuous circle.

and even in times of determination, when i promise not to stand up from the chair before the post is done, life happens.  and hours later when my head finally hits the pillow the words bounce around like a caged ball.  

and in the midst of the battle to get it all done i realized, that part of the struggle was because i didn't feel like i had anything big to share, other than those handful of posts that have been in the works for longer than i would like to admit.  

the thing's that were so shocking and "oh my word i need to blog this" are now normal, everyday life.  the things that made me stop and stare, now don't even phase me. 

because nine months in the country of red dirt & thirteen months outside of the country that i've always called home, i have another home to add to the list.  and the longer i live, grow and learn to love, the longer the list gets.  it's not just one house, it's a mismatched pile of houses, mine & others.   it's the people i've loved and have lived life with, the places i have been taught and stretched.  

this place still stretches & pulls me in more ways than i thought possible.  but he is giving me a love for the people that i can't even explain.  and i'm seeing him use us in these peoples lives…  

is it still hard?  yes, and it always will be, but it's my life now, this is where he has been for this chapter.  

and so, i will stop waiting for a award winning masterpiece to pop into my head & stick with sharing the stuff that drives me crazy, so it can drive you crazy too, because the world is a big big place and it is filled with endless possibilities.
i'll leave you with this: i don't understand why bugs, especially caterpillars, get such a bad rap, they're actually quite good… 

lately

lately… | 3 |

13.6.14




+using silly selfies taken a couple weeks ago because i have nothing else...
+puking my guts out while trying to watch a movie
+worrying about our sick puppy
+doing loads and loads of school
+thinking about how weird it is that i'm going to be a junior this year
+loving having powered creamer in my coffee (thanks grandma!) instead of powdered milk.
  or the shelf milk that tastes like plastic (it's not good)
+procrastinating (still) about starting to do vlogs
+practicing music with my brother, we don't sound too bad, if i do say so myself...
+ deciding to finally figure out how to use photoshop to it's full potential
+trying to tackle my 3 bazillion to-do lists
+painfully neglecting instagram
+desperately needing new music
+trying to wrap my mind around it being june already… we're halfway through the year y'all!!
+brainstorming ways to decorate my room with what i have
+loving the fact that rainy season is almost here, praise God!
+trying to find new things to photograph, you can only take pics of the same tree so many times
+going mascara-free out of sheet laziness
+reading the lost books series by ted dekker

lately

lately… | 2 |

22.5.14





+ packing for bobo
+ looking forward to helping with a health class in a village on saturday (please be praying!)
+ happy to be hanging with friends for the next couple days!!  
+ hoping for more rains, hasn't been any in a while
+ realizing that lists are one of the easiest ways to communicate
+ randomly wondering if any of y'all are on pinterest (and if so, let me know)
+ thanking God that we've been here 5 months and i haven't gotten malaria yet!  and considering i am the largest mosquito magnet on the continent, that's pretty amazing…
+ thinking that the 3rd pic of jess and i looks like the weird painting of the farmer.  you know, the one with a pitchfork and his wife…
+ doing lots and lots ( & lots) of school
+ excitedly waiting of our chicks to hatch
+ trying to figure out why the entire computer seems to be zoomed in
+ craving dr. pepper and dairy queen
+ imessaging with a friend
+ looking forward to friends getting back in country for summer!
+ very excited about a hot shower tomorrow, at the guest house

despite what these pictures show, we are normal.
i promise…
okay fine, normal-ish.

Africa

lately...

6.5.14





+feeling nostalgic and wishing for rain like we got 2 weeks ago so i can dance in it, much to my                   neighbors surprise
+settling back in from being at camp in the capitol (hopefully pics are soon to come)
+going through long ago forgotten posts and pics
+worrying about the baby in the yard behind us that cries all the time
+making lists of people to write(back)
+writing papers on greek mythology
+listening to my ipod on shuffle
+cooking dinner, it involves being in the kitchen for hours (2 tonight) and sweating.  a lot.
+reading through the old testament
+brainstorming for new post ideas
+longing for good, consistent internet
+needing a schedule for school, blogging, writing, and pretty much everything else, but in africa schedules are a little harder to stick to than elsewhere
+marking the days off the calendar
+searching for new books to read (suggestions?)
+loving the new blog design (thanks rose)
+looking forward to not traveling anywhere for a little bit
+planning on posting more
+checking mail tomorrow
+thinking a lot
+journaling even more
+running out of things to say….

xoxojana