Crooked little smile...

"Crooked little smile on her face,
tells a tale of grace
that's all her own..."
- Norah Jones

So, i've made some more changes in my life, can you tell...


What? You don't see anything different?

Good.

That's the point!

I'll give you a hint...



Yep. For the first time in my life, I just got braces.

I bet you're thinking - Wait...what? But I don't see them! That's because you're not supposed to! The kind I got are these amazing things called "Lingual Braces"...they go behind your teeth...so that grown women like me don't wind up looking like they have a train wreck on their face when they're trying to speak in front of a crowd, or even (gasp) go on a date.

Here's a view of what they look like from the inside:


Now, I know what you're thinking...what kind of 28 year old single genius waits until the END of her 1 year dating fast to move home (temporarily) and get braces? Yeah, pardon me while I wait for the boys to line up at the door...my parents door. (enter crickets chirping, stage left) Ahem.

If you know me well enough, you know that I am laughing at myself and my impeccable timing. If you don't know me well enough, well...you just might be getting ready to send me your counselor's number on speed dial. But don't worry...I have enough self-confidence to be able to look at the situation and laugh at the irony. It's not the first time in my life that i've done something completely backwards....and it's likely it won't be the last.

But here's the real irony - the way in which this external transformation is really parallel to the transformation my heart has already experienced internally over the past few years...

I mean sure, i'm making some physical improvements a little late in the game...but better late than never right? And yeah, they're not exactly attractive - but neither is digging through the muck of our brokenness. Sure, both journeys are painful (let me tell ya, you haven't felt pain until you feel what it's like to try and move teeth that have been in the same place for the last 28 years...goodbye crunchy foods, hello mashed potatoes!), but the end result of both is a newer, improved, more beautiful version of yourself...one on the inside, one out.

Kinda cool, huh?


Jamie

Creative Corner #2: Cheesy Music Video Time!

Ok, so this episode of Creative Corner is a little different...but I had to give a shout out to all my Inside Out students!

We were given the challenge to come up with our own music video by picking from a list of about 15 songs. So we got a little creative and decided to do a different version of a classic song from 2006...

(embedded video)

Jamie & Maya's Group - Bad Day from Jamie Waddy on Vimeo.

Yes, that dancing skunk at the end is my co-leader. Yes, I have the most awesome junior girls ever. Yes, you wish you could be in our next video. We've been known to have guest appearances from time to time, so if you play your cards right, you might just score an audition. ;)

Jamie

I'm Movin' On...

Tonight is my last night living in Dunwoody...at least for a while. Tomorrow I pack up the last few belongings left in the apartment and take up residence in Acworth again - at a place that I haven't lived in over 9 years...

Home.

Yes, when I say home I mean home...as in, with the parental units. Yes, I know that I am 28 and moving home. Yes, I know this goes against any and/or all socially acceptable endeavors. Yes, I know my commute will go from a 10 minute blip to a 1 hour excursion...and I don't care. If swallowing my pride and putting a few extra miles on my car means that I can reach my goal of entering my 30's in a year and a half debt free, then I will gladly suck it up for the next 6-8 months...it's something I probably should have done a long time ago.

When I first entertained the idea of possibly moving home for a few months to save money, every ounce of my being protested. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents, but it was like something in me was saying that I would have to give up some of my "freedom" by living under their roof again. But the irony is in the fact that if i'm still a slave to the debtor, am I really free to begin with?

I'm sad to leave this fabulous area that i've come to love over the past 3 years, and the wonderful friends and community that have surrounded me, but I think the weirdest thing is that I feel a little bit like i'm going to be a stranger in my own home. Maybe it's because I am not the same girl who left there 9 years ago. So much has changed and I feel like I have learned and grown more in these past 9 years than I did in the 20 before that.

It's funny how life works that way sometimes...it's all part of the journey.

Jamie

All my single ladies...

I can't help myself....

Good lawd, this is why I love JT - he's stinkin' hilarious.

Happy Valentine's Day to all my single ladies - this one's for you!

(embedded video)



Jamie

Blogspot-light: Perry Noble

Folks, it's time for the first ever Jamie's Blogspot-light...where I find other peoples words of wisdom or blogs that are worth sharing, and pass their bloggy goodness onto you!

First up, Perry Noble. Perry is the pastor of NewSpring Church, and an amazing communicator.  I had the privilege of hearing some of his wisdom and insight at last year's Catalyst conference, and he did not disappoint. Even through his humorous wit, he found some great ways to drive home some hard points. Enough said, i'll let his words do the talking...

The following post is straight from his blog - both posts are about relationships. Five things that single dudes and single girls should know. If you're single, you should definitely read this whole thing, I don't care how long it is - it's good stuff!  

Enjoy!

Five Things A Single Dude NEEDS To Know… (by Perry Noble)

OK guys…here we go…I’ve been wanting to do this one for a long time.  Please keep in mind that I made TONS of mistakes as a single dude…so these lessons are NOT all as a result of my success stories.  BUT…I did manage to do some things right…and I have a red hot wife to prove it.  (Thank You Jesus!!!)

#1 - If You Are Interested In A Girl…YOU Need To Talk To HER.  

The Bible says in Proverbs 18:22 that he who FINDS a wife finds what is good (AMEN!)  Men…it is up to you to FIND a wife…that means YOU are to be the one to initiate things…if you want to be the leader IN the relationship then you should take steps to be the leader at the beginning of the relationship!

This means, if you are interested in a girl…you talk to her!!!  You don’t call HER friends and ask them to drop hints for you…unless you are a pathetic wimp.  You don’t get YOUR friends to drop hints to her friends.  BE A MAN!  If you want to ask her out…ASK HER OUT!  Trust me…her friends don’t want to talk to you about it anymore…and if you keep bothering them they are going to tell HER to stay away from you!

I did this right…when I finally decided that I was interested in Lucretia I told a couple of buddies so they could pray for me…and then I had a conversation with her and was completely honest and transparent about the way that I felt.  She said she would “pray about it” and that she was “not saying no,” which was NOT very encouraging.  BUT…I found out later that she always told her friends that if a guy was interested in her then she expected him to talk to her…NOT anyone else.

#2 - When You Talk With Her–BE HONEST & DON’T PLAY GAMES!!!  

One of a man’s top fears is rejection.  SO…in order to stay away from this pain and hurt he will not come out and say he is interested in a girl…he won’t say, “I would like to take you out for dinner.”  Nope–he plays games…drops hints…all the while hoping that the young lady will pick up on his pathetic attempts to “woo her” and then begin to pursue him.

Dude–stop it, right now!!!  If you are interested in a young lady–tell her.  Just come out and say it.  If you are not sure…but you think you would like to get to know her better…then tell her, “Hey, I would like to get to know you a little better…can we have some supper?”

DO NOT SAY, “Hey…uh…well…maybe, you know, if you like food…uh, do you like food,” hoping that she will say, “Yes, take me to get some.”

Ladies want a man that can be honest…and if you can’t be honest with her from the beginning then how in the world will you ever convince her to trust you in the future?

One more thing…another reason that dude play games is so that they can fuel their pathetically weak male ego…they string girls along…they are not interested–but do want someone to make out with on the weekends.  To be honest–I want to punch guys like this in the nose.  (And if you are ANY sort of man…and you have a daughter…and a dude does that to her…you want to punch him as well–no matter “how godly” you are!!!)  :-)

#3 - On The Date–Be Creative

Ladies–please…if a guy ever takes you to supper and then a movie ON THE FIRST DATE…DROP HIM like a bad habit.  Trust me…this relationship has started off on the wrong foot…and here is why…

When you go to a movie on the first date you learn NOTHING about one another…there is NO interaction, no conversation…and so when you get home one person will lie to the other one and say they had a nice time…when they really didn’t because time and money were spent on getting to know all about the lives of the fictional character on the screen.

Guys–think enough about her to PLAN the date…and when you PLAN…PLAN it well!  (This is where you CAN get advice from her friends.)  When you pick her up–don’t ask her where she would like to go eat…HAVE IT PLANNED.  (There should be a conversation somewhere about particular restaurants that are liked and are not liked.)

I know one dude that took a young lady to eat and then they went to Wal Mart where he said, “Let’s get a buggy–go through and pick out five things that we identify with…and then meet back here and write them down…and then go somewhere and talk about them.”  DING DING DING–we have a WINNER!!!

(Note:  Movies are NOT a bad date idea…they are just a bad first or second date idea!!!)

#4 - On The Date–Be A Gentleman

Dude–you have GOT to treat her like a lady.   Walk her to her car door and open it for her.  I have had guys argue with me & say, “My dad doesn’t open the door for my mom.”  I always reply, “Well…maybe your dad is an insensitive jerk!”  Just a thought.

(Ladies…if he does not open the door…just stand outside of his car–he will get the hint.  If he doesn’t find you valuable enough to open the door for you…trust me, it’s going to go downhill.)

Guys–a lady wants to feel special…like someone really wants to take care of her…and trust me, the little things matter…so open her car door.

Oh yeah, one more thing…when you come to her house to pick her up…cut your car off, walk up to the door, and ask for her like a man.  If you pull up in her driveway and call her from your cell phone–you are a loser.  If you pull up in her driveway and honk your car horn…you are REALLY a loser.

(A dude came to pick up my sister once a blew the horn…she got up to leave & my dad told her to sit down.  The guy outside then began to hold down on the horn…my dad, who had drank a beer or twelve, got up, walked outside, opened his car door and hit him in the nose, knocking him across the car.  He said he was going to go home and tell his father…to which my father proceeded to invite him to do so, telling him that he would be glad to give his father the same treatment.  The dude left & came back an hour later cleaned up and apologized for the way he had treated my sister.)  I LOVE TELLING THAT STORY!!!  :-)

#5 - If She Says “NO,” That Means NO!  

Guys–if you ask a girl out on a date & she tell you no–back off…stay away…you can be her friend but do NOT begin to try to put pressure on her…this freaks her out.

I have had so many single dudes tell me, “But Perry, you talk about how you pursued Lucretia for nearly two years before she even went out with you.”

YEP–that is true…but I was her friend and not a freaky stalker.  During my two year friendship with Lucretia we maybe had five conversations about the possibility of us dating one day…and she NEVER told me NO or to never bring the conversation up again.  We were friends…we hung out…with NO strings attached.  She never told me to back off.

If a young lady tells you no and you continue to pursue–dude–you are NOT being romantic…you are being stupid.  Let it GO!!!

That’s about it for now–just curious–what are some things a single lady needs to know?  (I will post about this–but remember–this Sunday is the message for the women at NewSpring…the men came out in full force…ladies…don’t miss this!!!)

Four Things A Single Girl Should Know (by Perry Noble)

Last year I did a post entitled “Five Things A Single Dude Needs To Know” that I felt like really challenged guys and gals…at least the e-mails proved that to be true. AND…one of the questions I received for several week after was, “What about the girls, when are you going to challenge them?” Well–after about eleven months here goes…

#1 - Girls Chase Boys, Women Wait To Be Pursued.

Ladies, please believe me when I say that if you are pursuable then a godly man will take notice at just the right time…wait. If you have to pursue a guy and initiate all of the conversations and planning then the dude is not ready to lead…which would automatically disqualify him biblically from being your husband.

Ladies–admit it–the desire of your heart is to know that someone thinks you are lovely enough to pursue…and when a guy makes an effort to win your heart–there’s just something about that that makes you feel special.

God created you–designed you…and it wasn’t so you can throw yourself at a guy, hoping that he notices. Fall in love with Jesus and a godly guy will notice, I promise.

(If you are whining right now saying, “But I am in love with Jesus and no one is noticing” then you need to stop and listen to yourself…trust me, a dude doesn’t want to pursue a woman who whines!)

#2 - Set High Expectations

This sort of goes along with the first thing…but ladies–let me say this clearly–Ephesians 3:20 says that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, which means that you should not look at a guy and say, “I can fix him up and he might work.” As I often say, you are NOT the Holy Spirit–”fixing people” is the job of Jesus…not you!

When you get married you need to be willing to say, “I will love this person AS IS for the rest of my life, if NOTHING changes I will love them!” BECAUSE, when you get married, change is NOT a guarantee…so don’t listen to promises of change if evidence is not shown beforehand.

I am SICK and TIRED of godly Christian young ladies settling because of insecurities in their lives OR because their friends are getting married and they think that they are going to be 28 and single–which would be the end of the world!!! I have seen girls get here and panic–and then date and marry some dude, only to be in divorce court in less than five years–which brings about another set of issues altogether!

Ladies–remember–Ephesians 3:20! Is he more than you could ever ask for or imagine?

#3 - Don’t Over Analyze!

Girls are HORRIBLE as this…a guy will ask them out and they will think the following…

• “He just asked me out–what does he mean by going “out?”
• “If I go out this once then does that mean we are dating?”
• “What if I don’t like going out with him–and he asks me out again?”
• “Is he thinking marriage? Oh my–if we had kids they just wouldn’t be cute!”
• “He hasn’t called me in a day, he hates me, did I have broccoli in my teeth?”

I could literally go on and on…but ladies, if a guy ask you out and you want to go–then go, and don’t spend the 72 hours before and after trying to analyze things that probably will never happen. Seriously, God probably hasn’t even invented some of the problems that ladies get stressed out about–CHILL!

#4 - Be Honest!

If I have one pet peeve with girls…it’s this–they will go out with a guy, say they had a great time…he will ask can they go out again and she says, “Call me.”

So he calls…and calls…and calls! The girl never answers when she sees its him on caller ID, she thinks if she ignores him then he may just go away. BUT, because he’s a guy and probably a little clueless–he keeps calling.

Finally they accidentally run into each other somewhere…I say “accidentally” because she had NO INTENTIONS of ever speaking to him again. He says, “I’ve been trying to call you,” and she replies, “Really…yeah, uh, I’ve been…uh…you know…busy.”

He says, “That’s cool–I understand…so, what are you doing tomorrow night?”

“Tomorrow night? Uh…well…uh…I have plans.” (This is always the safest answer, right?)

“Plans–well what about the night after that…”

This conversation goes on and on with the girl making some obscure reference to having to check her schedule and for him to call her–and the game goes on.

Ladies–please–be honest. If you like the guy and want to go back out–and he asks you–then say yes. Don’t play games…say yes and go. BUT…if you have no intentions of ever going back out with him again…then please, tell him because he is probably driving his friends crazy!!!

Joy Comes in the Morning

I'm not going to lie...hitting "publish post" on my last blog entry scared the crap out of me.

I was terrified to put some of those words in print - partially because I knew how vulnerable it would make me feel, and partially because until now I have only shared those feelings with my inner-circle of close friends. It kinda feels good just to have it out there...to be honest and admit that I have hard days, even as a "professional Christian" as some call those of us who work in ministry. 

Yes, I have days where I doubt God. 

Days where I get mad at him. 

Days where i'm sad or hurt or lonely. 

And i'm glad that I do, because that makes me know that he loves me enough to test me...to allow some hurt in my life that will ultimately just draw me even closer to him. As Todd Nighswonger put it ever so perfectly, "do you believe that if God sacrificed his own son on your behalf, that he will go all the way - do anything it takes - to make you who you need to be...even if it means pain?" Yes I do believe this, but it wasn't until I experienced this kind of deep pain 7 years ago that I fully began to understand the impact it could have on the course of my life and on my ability and need to lean fully on him. 

But here's the good news..."weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." -Psalm 30:5.  I will spend my painful moments cradled in the arms of my Father, earnestly listening to what He wants to tell me in those tender times, and I will rejoice in the morning at the beauty He has created out of that pain. 

So now I turn the question to you...when have you experienced a time of hurt transform into a time of rejoicing?

Not my finest hour

I came home from small group tonight and did what any other self-respecting 28 year old woman would do...

I pitched a fit in front of my dad (and by dad, I mean the heavenly one).

No, I didn't lay on the ground kicking and screaming, but don't think that I didn't contemplate it. First, I had it out with him in the car on the way home-I mean, almost to the point of yelling. I turned the radio up as loud as my ears would tolerate, hoping that it would drown out my thoughts....but no luck.  When I got home, I threw the car into park so hard I thought I might have broken the gear shift. I stomped up the stairs to my apartment, slammed the door, proceeded into my room where I aggressively chunked my purse and phone across the bed and began tearing off my coat. Unfortunately none of this really did anything to make me feel better. Well, maybe just a little...

But the frustrating part is, I don't know who I am more irritated at - myself, or God.

For the past year or so, I have been on this incredibly humbling and sometimes just downright laborious journey of self-awareness with God.  I've learned more about myself in the past year than I have in the last 5 years combined. And for that, i'm very grateful.  Sometimes it's beautiful, but sometimes it's just downright gross. I've been forced to dig back into pain from my past that has brought new pain and frustrations to the surface, but also freedom and release. With that process comes a wave of emotions. I've cried more in the past 2 months than I have in the past 3 years combined. I feel like for the last year i've been on a constant emotional roller coaster.  If I were to be completely honest, here are some of the thoughts that have, at some point in recent months, run through my head:

I'm mad at myself for letting little things distract me and take me way off course

I'm frustrated with God for not fulfilling some of the desires of my heart already

I'm disappointed that i've let myself fall into the same trap multiple times

I'm tired of being emotionally drained

I'm humbled at the fact that God is still using me amidst this season of refinement

I'm ready to be pursued

I'm afraid i'm not good enough

I'm overwhelmed with the thought of how much I still have to learn

I'm thankful that God loves me in spite of all of these thoughts...

I don't share these thoughts because I need encouragement or affirmation. I share them because it's where I am. I'm in a season of refinement...and in that season is some ugliness.

But I welcome it. 

Every day isn't like this. There are many, many days where I laugh constantly and I can't stop thanking God for all the blessings he has bestowed on an undeserving sinner like me. Blessings which include those few and far between ugly days where my heart hurts so much I can hardly stand it. Because I know that in pain, there is redemption. In hurt, there is hope. And in brokenness, there is beauty.

Creative Corner #1: Girls Night Out at the Movies!

Welcome to the first installment of Creative Corner! This is where I share with you creative ideas i've come up with (or sometimes snagged from other creative geniuses) and show you the design in action! Because my strong suit is typically event planning - I have a feeling a lot of my creative corners will revolve around events. The first CC is no exception!

This past weekend, I got together with 20 of my favorite gal pals for one of our infamous Girls Night Out events! With everyone's budgets a little tighter this year, we decided to do something that wouldn't break the bank - movie night, with a sweet twist! Because we're girls who love a good chick flick (and let's be honest here, our eyes all get a little twinkle in them when we get to see a woman in a Vera Wang wedding gown), we decided to check out Bride Wars with Kate Hudson & Anne Hathaway.

We had a little fun re-creating the movie poster with two of our own recent brides:

But before we hit the theater, we gathered at my place for a little girl time and some pre-movie treats! If there's one thing I hate, it's spending a fortune on snacks at the movies. I refuse to give up that much of my hard earned money for something I could get for half the price elsewhere (and for something that's going to go straight to my hips anyways)!

So to make things fun, I created a "Candy Bar" (yes, pun intended) for all the girls to choose their own delectible sugary goodness in a pink (of course - we're girls) little "to-go" bag that we could take with us!

Here's some shots of the bar:

We had such a fun night just getting in some quality girl time and taking over the theater, that we decided to do it again next month... the movie of choice? He's Just Not That Into You.

Let's hear it for a night of estrogen!

Jamie

Under Construction

So…it’s a new year, and in case you can’t tell by the slight face lift that my blog just got, things are a changin’…can you handle it? That’s right boys and girls, there’s some new things coming your way here at good ole Sleepless In Atlanta, and some of them are not for the faint of heart. Ok, maybe they are, but with the dwindling economy I had to resort to my own marketing…I’m trying to entice you at my best angle. ;) Here are some new additions that are coming soon to SIL:

1. Creative Corner – I love to be creative. I thrive off of it. Believe it or not, people have actually told me I have a lot of creative ideas, and recent personality & leadership tests have confirmed. That’s right folks, you’ve got a genuine creativity nut on your hands here (well, at least the nut part is true), so why not share in the fun?! At least once a month, I’ll be posting some of my creative ideas from random arenas in my life and showing you how you too, can scratch that creative itch in many…..um…..creative ways. Look for these ideas under the “Creative Corner” category on the right side of my blog.
2. Jamie’s Favorite Things – hey if Oprah can share all her favorite new discoveries, I can too. Why not?! I love learning about new technologies, books, destinations, etc….if I’m exploring, I might as well pass along stuff that’s worth your while!
3. Blogspot-light – I read blogs….lots of them. It’s how I keep up with family, friends, and keep a pulse on lots of different things going on in the world. Sometimes I come across blog posts that are worthy of sharing, and that’s just what I’ll do. Be on the lookout for intriguing stories of interest periodically. Hey, it’s a blog eat blog world, somebody’s gotta dig in and find the good stuff.

And perhaps the most significant change you’re going to see on my blog has nothing to do with topics or technology or even global news. The biggest change I hope you will see in my posts will be a deeper dive into the trenches of my heart.

Over the past six or so years, I’ve really been learning what it looks like to be vulnerable, transparent and willing to share my finest moments as well as my not so finest moments. And until recently, I thought I had been doing a pretty good job at it. But thankfully, I have been blessed to have some amazingly wise people in my life who have helped hold a mirror up to my face to see some of the real depth that I’ve been hiding, and God has been revealing to me some amazing truths over the past 8 months.

You see, as a kid, I can remember working on a surprise or a project for my parents or sisters. Like the time I made something for my mom, or the time I wanted to surprise my folks and re-organize my room all by myself. I can remember mom poking her head in my door and me telling her to get out because I wasn’t finished yet…I wanted her to see the final product – not a work in progress. It didn’t even occur to me until now, that this trend had carried over into my spiritual life. I have had no problem over the past couple of years in sharing with anyone what I have learned through some of the trials God has brought me through – but I was sharing most of them from the “finished product” perspective. In other words, I would wait until I had essentially “come out” of a situation, had time to process and assess what it was that God was trying to teach me through that, and then share what I learned out of it. I think I was afraid for people to see me in the middle of my mess. Sure there are a couple of super close friends that saw me through the entire process, but to most of the known world, they were just getting the polished, ‘I’m wiser for having learned that’ aspect of me. And that’s not who I want to be.

As a wise friend told me, there is beauty in brokenness…with emphasis being on the word IN, not past the brokenness. Sure, God can certainly use our brokenness once we’ve come out of it, but think of how much he can use us while we’re right smack in the middle of it.

So that’s my goal..to be more real. To be more “raw,” so to speak. And to not let fear of judgment or appearing imperfect keep me from sharing the real depths of my heart…not only in my writing, but in my friendships as well.

I believe I’ve quoted Steven Furtick in my blog before for this line, but I’ll quote him again: “between the promise of God in your life and the payoff is a process.”

Welcome to my process.

Jamie

Extreme Makeover: Buckhead Edition

Happy almost Turkey day folks!

I have written a blog for today, but you wont find it here!! Today I was the guest blogger on our Buckhead Church Blog to tell about an awesome project that I got to be a part of with some of our amazing volunteer leaders! If you like any kind of show where a room is madeover into something awesome, you'll like this story! :)

To read my blog for today, click here: Buckhead Church Blog

Happy Day o' Thanks followed by Happy Day o' Crazy Shopping!! :)

Gobble Gobble!

Crazy Love

I've been back in the states for about two weeks now. All my bags have long been unpacked, but I am just beginning to unpack all that God has revealed to me through the amazing experiences I had in Sydney. He has grown my heart for students even more than it already was. He has given me a heart and a desire to truly love and pray for the people of Australia. I hope that one day soon I get to see all my new, sweet friends there again. But even beyond the actual experience, God is (and has been since April) stirring up something in me. Something big. Something different. Maybe it's multiple something(s). I'm not 100% sure what it is either. But I do know one thing...

...I am stinkin' FIRED UP!

I haven't felt this alive in a while, and while it excites me, it also scares me a little. Partially because I know myself - I can get super excited about the potential of something or what's to come, but get distracted by the "tyranny of the urgent" and lose the wind in my sails...then get mad at myself for losing focus, and so on and so on. It's a vicious cycle. Part of me is scared/excited because I feel like I might be venturing into uncharted territory in my life. But seriously God, no matter how much I might kick and scream at times, bring it on. I need it. I desire it. We're called to it, by you.

My small group is reading an amazing book right now by Francis Chan called "Crazy Love." I'm not kidding when I say this book is seriously rocking my world. If you haven't read it, go get it. Now. Seriously, stop reading this blog, go order it on Amazon and come back.

Go ahead, i'll wait.... :)

Ok, did you do it? Good! Anyways...In the book, Francis makes a great point. He says:

"Life is comfortable when you separate yourself from people who are different from you. But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through."

Then Francis asks a great question that I realized I need to be asking myself DAILY:

"What are you doing right now that requires faith?"

As I hashed this question out with my small group tonight, yes, I realized that there are some big things in the past year that I have done that required faith, but how much am I asking myself that daily, in the small things AND the large things to come? I think I have been missing out on tons of opportunities to do so, simply because I haven't been consciously asking myself this question on a regular basis.

Back in April, I honestly prayed hard that God would make my 28th year a "year of transformation." So far, He has seriously answered my prayer in ways that I would have never imagined. But I think there's more to come. I know there's more to come. So what's next, you ask? I'm not quite sure yet...but I do know that i'm ready.


And i'm excited...not because I know what's on the horizon - because I have no idea what's to come.

Soaking it all in

I can't believe this week has already come and gone, and I have just over 24 hours left in beautiful Sydney. I've spent the morning soaking in the sights as much as I can...grabbed my staple Vanilla Latte at Starbucks and headed over for a gorgeous walk across the harbor to the Opera House where I sat on the steps, journaled and just enjoyed watching all of the people pass by for a little while. It's so weird to think I may never get to see this city again in person, but who knows. I pray that one day God will bring me back to Sydney.

We're packing up now and heading out to Bondi Beach for the night. A little change of scenery sounds fun, and the beach on a beautiful day like today...who could ask for more? I am unplugging for the rest of the trip - so likely no internet. If I don't get a chance to blog again before I leave, i'll see you all back in the states!

Cheers!

God of This City

Wow.

I don't think I could write an entire chapter and adequately describe to you all the amazing night that we had last night here in Sydney. I am so humbled and amazed to be here, to see and experience first hand the work that God is doing through the Passion team all around the world.

And it wasn't about the fact that I got to travel around the globe to one of the most beautiful places ever, it wasn't about the fact that God filled the auditorium with over 8,000 students. It wasn't about the cd's that were sold, or the songs that were sung. It was about uniting the body of Christ and students from over 86 universities all under one roof for His renown, and hearing and seeing what He was doing in and through that...from the moment we started planning months and months ago, till the very last person left the arena.

Stories are already pouring in about God at work last night, both inside and outside the arena, and I was blessed to experience one of these moments first hand. At about 2 hours to go before the beginning of the event, hundreds of students were already in a line that stretched halfway around the entertainment center. As I walked outside to check on the status of things, I was approached by a guy named Mike who walked up off the street. Mike is from Germany, and he is in Australia on a work visa. Our conversation went something like this:

Mike: "So what is going on...why are all these people lined up out here?"
Me: "It's an event for University Students"
Mike: "An event? What kind of event?"
Me: "It's a Christian event - we'll have worship and teaching and all that fun stuff...it's gonna rock."
Mike: "It's for Christians? You mean all of those students are lined up for an event for Christians?"
Me: "Yep."
Mike: "You have to be kidding. Are you kidding? Something like this would NEVER happen in Germany where I am from. There's just no way."

We continued to talk about the event - I told him it was a free event and asked if he would like to come. His eyes were as big as saucers, and he shouted "YES!" I handed him a ticket, and then he realized that it started at 7pm, and he was scheduled to be at work at 7pm. He thanked me, and then asked me to give the ticket to someone else who could use it...and then he just stood there for a moment looking at the students, somewhat speechless. Then he said that even though he was not going to be able to attend, God was speaking to him. He told me, "you have no idea what this has just done for my walk with God - seeing all these students in a time when I have been questioning things...you just have no idea." I prayed for Mike for the rest of the night as we worshipped there without him...I don't know anything else about his story, and it's likely I never will, but it was so cool to see God using this night to reach people in this city who never even set foot inside the arena doors.

I was reminded then that, even if everything else the rest of the night went wrong, it didn't matter - God was already at work and He would accomplish His mission anyway!

The rest of the night was great - it was so amazing to just stand back in the arena and watch 8,000 university students just worshipping the Lord with all their might - unified across campuses, across cities, and even in some cases, across continents. I pray that something sparked in the hearts of those students last night that they will carry out back into their campuses and homes and just be alive in Christ to all those around them. I pray that they become a generation who will not hold back when it comes to proclaiming the name of Jesus!

Today was a wonderful, and also bittersweet day. I felt a huge relief that everything that our team has been working on for months and months had finally paid off, but i'm also a little sad that it's all over and that i'll be going back home in just a few short days. My heart has grown very attached to the people and the students in the city of Sydney. It was a cold and rainy day today....and I was so thankful. Thankful that the rain held off until today, and that the students stayed dry last night. As I type this, I am looking outside my window at quite possibly the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen, sweeping over the Sydney Opera house and touching down into the Sydney Harbour. It's colors are brilliant - the brightest i've ever seen in a real rainbow. I'm listening to Tomlin's song "God of This City," and looking at this rainbow - a symbol of God's promise - couldn't be a more fitting end to a perfect day. Just as the song says "greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city." That's my prayer tonight. That God will continue to do great things in the city of Sydney, long after we are gone. Who knows if i'll ever get to come back here again. But I can assure you - the people of this city will remain in my heart forever.

Here's a little glimpse into Passion Sydney, with some of my photos and videos, and also a few photos from our amazing tour photographer, Jeremy Cowart (you can tell which ones are his -they are the phenomenal pics. I'm not that great of a photographer - he's stinking amazing with a camera!).

Cheers mates!
(embedded video)

It's almost here!

Hello again from down under!

I can't believe that we are just 24 short hours away from Passion Sydney! The excitement is building as the team is making final preparations for tomorrow. We've been scurrying all over the city for the last few days finalizing details, picking up last minute items, and praying for the students who will ascend on the SEC tomorrow night. Please pray that the weather holds out!! Before we left Atlanta, the forecast for Sydney showed blue skies...but since we've arrived, that forecast has changed to rain. Rain, rain, go away!

I haven't really done any sightseeing since we got here this time (besides the quick jaunt at the markets) because we've been working around the clock to get everything ready for tomorrow night. However, Mark and I did witness the strangest (and coolest) thing yesterday as we were running some errands in the city. We were waiting at a busy intersection to cross the street, and when the crosswalk sign came on, instead of crossing from one side to the other like normal, everyone just crossed right in the middle! It looked like a fun version of fruit basket turnover! We thought it was so cool that we made a little video of it, check it out...(embedded video)



Isn't that bizarre?! We thought it was so cool, that when we ran errands the next day we decided to do it. :)

Ok, time to run...gotta go do our last visit to the venue to make sure everything is in place! I'll leave you with a few of my favorite pics from this trip so far...more updates to come soon as we prepare for the big night tomorrow! Keep praying!

This is the cool shot of the full moon from the plane..

A fun fountain in Darling Harbour...

More of Darling Harborur...

The Queen Victoria Building...

More fun than the Queen Victoria building... :)

Passion Sydney: Day 1

Hello mates!

I apologize in advance for the lack of length in this post, but it's now 9pm Sydney time (which is 6am our time), and I am barely still functioning...trying to hold out a little longer to adjust to the huge time difference.

We made it here safe and sound, with two great flights! I got a good bit of sleep on the 14 hour flight, managed to watch 2 & 1/2 movies, and made a new friend....all in a day's work! When I got to the Sydney airport though, it was like deja vu of my last trip here all over again....picture me standing at the baggage claim waiting....and waiting...and waiting. Suitcases revolving over and over as one by one their owners claimed them and went on their merry way. Guess who was the last one left...again. :) Apparently my luggage never made it onto my flight! I couldn't help but laugh at the situation...I mean, things happen - there's no use getting upset, plus I got a $100 supplement to cover my "necessities" while I waited for them to track down my bag...not too shabby! My luggage finally arrived at the hotel just about an hour ago, so I am a happy camper.

We had a great start to our journey here - we hit the ground running with a prayer meeting amongst some of the Uni leaders in the city. It was so great to just sit in a room together, all praying and lifting up the students of this city all in the name of God's glory...I couldn't think of a better way to start our trip and align our minds and hearts to the reason we are here in the first place. We made a few other stops and now we're back at the hotel resting and getting ready for a busy day tomorrow.

That's it for now...Passion Hong Kong is going on as we speak, so please pray for the students there and also pray that God will just continue to make everything fall into place here in Sydney as we countdown to the big event on Tuesday.

Must get sleeeeeeeepppp....good Thursday morning to you all at home, i'll update again soon!

Cheers!

The Process

"Between the promise of God in your life and the payoff is a process."
-Steven Furtick

I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while. I'm still smack in the middle of a season of sifting and pruning from God. I've found that often times it's better to get well into the process before you pause and try to assess or analyze why you're there in the first place, and what exactly it is that God is trying to teach you in the midst of it all. But we'll get to than in another entry.

I just experienced my first Catalyst Conference over the past three days, and it couldn't come at a better time. Three solid days to sit and soak in wisdom, insight and inspiration from some of the world's most anointed church leaders...without having to worry about getting all the volunteers in place to open doors, setting up and tearing down, or making sure that all of the lower thirds are spelled correctly. I was able to sit and observe - to be fully present and fully engage in what it was God wanted me to learn.

And boy did I learn. Reggie couldn't have phrased it better - it was like "taking a sip of water from a fire hydrant." So much wisdom, so many personal challenges and convictions. It's going to take me days to unpack it all - but it is too important for me not to. See, that's been my problem before - I'll go and learn and in the moment, think "wow, that's great insight that I need to take home, process and apply." Then what happens? Life. I get caught up in the busyness of life and often put process and application on the back burner until I've forgotten what was so important in the first place.

There's no way I could even begin to explain or describe to you all that I learned over the past three days, but I would love to share some of my biggest takeaways from the week:

Wisdom from Perry Noble about Passion and Calling:
"To be good leaders, we must be excellent followers."
"Are you more concerned about being discovered, or being developed?"
"We cannot expect the spirit to lead us professionally if we are not yielded to Him privately."
"In order to attain God-sized vision, it takes God-sized risk."

Insight from Jim Collins on Good to Great:
"Good is the reason so many things don't become great."
"The presence of a to-do list without a stop-doing list is a lack of discipline."
"Greatness is not a function of circumstance."

Inspiration from Craig Groeschel:
"There is more in you."
"It's about having your heart break for the things that break the heart of God."
"If not you, then who? If not now, then when?"
"To reach people no one else is reaching, we must do things no one else is doing."
"To stretch you, God has to heal you, and to heal you, God has to ruin you."

Points from Dave Ramsey on Unity:
"By definition, gossip is when a negative is discussed with anyone who can't help solve the problem."
"If we're going to be Christians, we'd better have an excellence that is stunning."

Wisdom from Andy Stanley on Leadership:
"Pay attention to the people who are breaking the rules."
"No pain, no change."
"Success breeds complacency, and complacency breeds failure."
"Become preoccupied with those you haven't reached as opposed to those you are trying to keep."

But perhaps the moment that grabbed my heart the most was when I witnessed the Daraja African children's choir come in and lead us in worship. I watched these children, who came from absolute poverty, come running in with the biggest smiles on their faces, singing and dancing their hearts out for Jesus...quoting His scripture in a language other than their native tongue.

And then I thought about my own life. I have never known what it is like to not have a roof over my head, clothes on my back and shoes on my feet, a comfortable bed to sleep in, or any kind of food I could ever want. I drive a nice car to my amazing job where I make more money than some of them will ever see in their lifetime. I get to serve God and His people for a living. I have more friends and family than I know what to do with.

And sometimes I feel so "weary" that I have to find the energy to worship the God who gave it all to me?

Father, stretch me.

Roomie Spotlight: Welcome K-Schlag!

I'm so very excited to welcome my newest roomie Kristin to the CG Family! (that's Colonial Grand for those of you not in the know...it's only the coolest place to live this side of the Mississippi) Kristin and I have been buddies for several years and now I can't wait to embark on many crazy roomie adventures with her! We're going to have so much fun!

Welcome to the hood K-Schlag!

(PS....watch out boys, she's single and fabulous...better bring your A game!)


Jamie

It's like watching paint dry...

Well....sort of.

Thanks to the great suggestion by my buddy Erin, and with a little help from the ever fabulous Carlos, getting ready for a new roommate turned into a fun video experiement...enjoy!
(rss readers - embedded video)



Jamie

The fasten seatbelt sign has come on...

Buckle up ladies and gentlemen, it's about to get bumpy around here.

Sorry that I haven't written since I got back, God has really just been stirring up so much in my heart that I really just had to take some time to sit on things, process them, and attempt to figure out what it all means. I'm heading into some unfamiliar territory in my life currently, and since I just recently returned from some world travels, I thought the turbulence analogy would only be fitting. :)

Right now my heart and my head are in a place of uncertainty. For the first time in my life, i'm learning how to truly surrender multiple desires close to my heart willingly before it is my only option... that leaves me a little nervous, but definitely willing to rely on God's faithfulness to honor my actions that I feel Him prompting me to act upon. God's gentle tug that i've felt to get out of my comfort zone has only been countered by satan's attempt to distract me with other heartaches and frustrations, and I find myself incredibly vulnerable and stuck in the middle of what seems like a battle between good and evil.

But I do know one thing...I never want to put God in a box.

I never want to limit Him to the sometimes ridiculously insignificant ambitions and plans that I might think up for my life. I have learned that His plans always far exceed anything I could ever dream of. They always will. And I also have to remember that my life is not my own...I was bought with a price and I am not here on this earth to serve my own selfish desires of the flesh. I am here to serve a God that loves me beyond comprehension. And that's what I have to give back...trust beyond all comprehension.

My dear friend and prayer partner, Shae was just reminding me tonight that in times like these we must constantly cling to God's word and bury his scripture in our hearts as a tool to battle the enemy and charge on towards whatever it is God is calling us to do. Tonight I am clinging to the words in Isaiah 41:10 that say:

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

So now I go into this bumpy season of life...I don't know how long it will last, and I don't know where i'll be when I come out on the other side...but I am trusting that God is my seatbelt...He will keep me secure and in His will as long as i'm willing to trust, obey, and not be afraid to follow Him at any cost.

Jamie

Rice-A-Roni...

Hello from the west coast!

We survived the 14 hour flight from Sydney to San Fran, and we're now waiting in the airport for the last 4 hour flight home. It's noon here, 3pm at home and 5am in Sydney, so right now my body cant tell if it's coming or going. I'm so tired, yet still awake and hungry as all getout. :) We should be landing in Atlanta around 8:30pm, so here's hoping that I can sleep tonight. It's back to work for me tomorrow, and i'm sure i'll need Starbucks in hand!

I'm sad to have left such a beautiful city, but also glad to be almost home. Oh, they're calling us to board now...i'll see y'all in the ATL. (and yes, I was laughed at for saying y'all in Sydney.) ;)

Jamie