For those of you who do not know - I work at a child care center. I work in the office, taking care of the parents :) I do have frequent interaction with the children, though - like this morning. They missed their bus, well I guess actually we missed their bus - anyway, I was the only one who could take them to school - so off I went with what we shall call Child 1 and Child 2 - both 5 years old.

Me: O.K. guys, give me just a minute to get the seatbelt out here (stuggling with all my might with the back seat seat belt - with freezing hands)

Child 1: My mommy said I have to take off my backpack and put it in the floor.

Me: mmmhhhhmmmm. (still struggling furiously)

Child 2: (dancinig around and then jumping into the backseat where I am working)

Me: Child 2, could you please get out for a minute and let me fix this?

Child 1: My Mommy SAID I HAVE to take off my backpack and put it in the floor!!!!

Me: Yes, child 2, I understand. We will certainly take it off. (finally wrestling the seatbelt from the abyss of the backseat) Alright, in you go!

Child 1: My mommy said.....

Me: Yes! Let's get that backpack off right now.

*Driving to the school*

Child 1: I went to a baby shower with my mommy, her friend had a baby, it was fun.

Child 2: We have a baby shower and it still works! (said with much pride)

Child1: No, a baby shower is something for the mommy to get presents.

Child 2: ...and I can still use our baby shower - I fixed it and made it bigger!

*arrive at the school - about 2 feet from the drop-off point*

Me: o.k. guys go ahead and take off your seat belts

Child 1: My mommy says never to take off your seatbelt till the car stops.

Child 2: (already took his off)

Me: well, yes, but we're here....

Child 2: (about to open the door to jump out)

Me: No! not yet we have to go up a little farther.

Child 2: But I took my seat belt off!!!!

*pull up the two feet*

Me: o.k. - out you go!

Child 1: I have to put on my backpack when I get out of the car.

Me: yes, yes, bye! Have a good day!

*children exit and I drive away*

There were to be no ceremonious performances, verything was to be as natural and homelike as possible, so when Aunt March arrived, she was scandalized to see the bride come running to welcome and lead her in, to find the bridegroom fastening up a garland that had fallen down . . .

Last Night before bed . . .

Jonathan: I have to work tomorrow.
Jodi: I know.
Jonathan: that means 7:30.
Me: I know. You work every Monday and we always have to be there by 7:30. (I didn't say it, but I was thinking, duh.)
Jonathan: o.k.

This Morning . . .
Jonathan walks in at 7:23. I am standing at the stove in my pajamas about to pour the oatmeal into the pot.

Jonathan: Babe! are you not going to work today?!
Me: ofcourse I am. I'm just making some breakfast.
Jonathan: just stares in disbelief.
*the light bulb comes on over my head*
Jodi: Oh no! I forgot.

This is not a singular incident. I am notorious for this kind of thing. I don't know, I think I just block things out that I don't like, or don't deem that important at the time. For example, Jonathan tutors every Thursday - it used to be on Monday and then I asked him to change it so we could have more time together on Mondays - because I get off work earlier. Well, I NEVER remember this change. Every Thursday I get upset when he reminds me he is tutoring - because I have inevitably made plans. goofy.

Well, remember when I said that unless something happened I would be a happy Christmas gift-giver this year? Something happened. We were about 5 minutes from home Saturday night when our Jeep began a gradual shut-down. First, the speedometer stopped working, then the radio shut off, and then the lights began getting dimmer and dimmer and dimmer, until there were no lights. I told Jonathan, "I bet God is just gonna get us home before this vehicle stops working." I was absolutely right. As soon as we turned into our driveway - she completely stopped. The altenator. One Hundred and Twenty Nine Dollars. It seems more dramatic when I write the numbers out. So, I asked myself, is God trying to tell me something about Christmas gifts? No, He's not. He's just blessing me.

1. I will get my Christmas bonus on Tuesday, just enough to cover the altenator. Just enough. Which means, we can actually drive home for Christmas, and we don't have to go into any more debt to get it repaired.

2. It went out now, before I spent the money on Christmas gifts, and not while we were hurtling down an interstate somewhere in the wee hours of the morning. It went out just as we got home.

3. My dear husband, with a ton of homework for finals week hanging over his head, repaired our jeep. He worked on it for hours and hours. He looked at his manual, and he did it. I am so proud of my little city boy. He's learned so much about mechanics through this jeep. I am so impressed with him for even trying, much more so for actually doing it! I would have taken one look at those impossible diagrams and that greasy engine and said, forget it! But he stuck with it and what was broken is now in complete working order.

So, I am grateful. Very, very grateful. Merry Christmas.

At least everything is in my world. Here are a few updates.

- Thanksgiving was nice. Nice is a good word. It was relaxing - we ate later than usual, and the food was especially delicious - I'd like to think this was because I made pecan pie, sweet potato casserole, stuffing and mashed potatoes, I was quite the contributor :) I got to spend a good amount of time with everyone who needed it, which is a feat, let me tell you. I got to decorate some cupcakes too - I'll put up some pics later.

- My dear friend was baptized. It was wonderful. Actually, it was perfect. I'm so glad we were able to make it so special for her, and it was special - perfectly taylored to her. God, hold on tight to her and don't let us relax and think our job is done, it is just beginning.

- I am currently listening to Christmas music! Christmas music is always so robust and full - yes, that is exactly what it is. It just has a way of filling a room and commanding attention. I love Christmas. We are getting a real tree this year - and it's going to be real fun keeping the cats out of it :)

This is one of my favorite books. I especially like Meg's story line, even though Jo's is more interesting and Beth's is more moving - I like watching the inner-workings of a new wife and mother. Now, I am completely aware of the idealism portrayed in said book, but I'm o.k. with it - there's nothing wrong with shooting for the ideal. There are two scenes that particularly touch me, one is her wedding day and the other is her first fight with her husband. I'll comment on the wedding one maybe another time. As far as the other - Meg had decided when she got married to basically be the perfect wife. She decided that she would always have the house ready for company - her husband didn't have to tell her in advance if he decided to bring someone home for dinner. Well, the day he decides to take her up on this promise is the very day she has been battling with making and canning some jam. She looses the battle and the the kitchen, as well as herself are a complete mess and there is no supper. When her husband comes home with his friend - hoping to find the usual happy wife he instead finds a sobbing girl with jam all over her, he laughs at her predicament and asks her to basically pull it together for his guest. Here's where I ask myself what I would do in this situation - when I read the book I thought I would most definitely have laughed it off and created the perfect little dinner party out of thin air, but know I know the real answer, I would do just as Meg did. I would cry and get angry and tell him to figure it out on his own - and probably feel pretty justified, I might even "pull-it-together" while the guest was there and then let my beloved know exactly how I felt about the situation after the guest left.

I discovered this this weekend. It was one of the busiest weekends I have ever had - I will not go into the lists because I realized the lists just made it worse for me, I kept re-writing and stressing over them, which is the opposite purpose of the list. Anyway, I was barely staying above the breaking point when the bomb hit - we were supposed to be having small group at someoneelse's house and there was some miscommunication, and 3 hours before small group we discovered we must figure out another option - our apartment. Because of said crazy week our apartment looked like two people lived there who basically ran in, threw things around, ran out, then ran back in, put some dirty dishes in the sink and then fell in bed - while two cats shredded anything they could find on the floor - garlic, toilet paper, paper bags. There were new people coming to the group too, new people that needed to be impressed with my housekeeping and hostess skills , obviously. New people with children, children for whom I had planned a children's program - and children whom we had no where to put in our tiny apartment. Anyway, what did I do? I got angry, and I left all the "pulling-it-together" to my husband - who happily took it in order to avoid the tears of frustration. He did pull it together, alone. When I finally came to myself I was so ashamed. I always wanted to be the kind of wife who would be a true help-meet, who would stay calm in difficult circumstances and get things done with poise and grace. I learned the truth about myself and my husband - a bittersweet realization. When things are rough I can depend on him, but it may not work the other-way around. Marriage is one of the most difficult classrooms. I have learned so much about the selfishness within myself. I now believe this is one of the purposes for marriage, to teach us who we truly are - to take away our delusions. Once the smoke screen is gone we can get down to the business of repentance and growth.

In case your curious, we borrowed our neighbors house, who has plenty of room for children, seeing as how they have 2, and who, despite one parent working and the other going to school, have a very tidy home.

This is the first time I've ever had someone say that to me. It made me smile.
This weekend I went to a retreat called "Freedom in Jesus". It's a powerful time of getting rid of some of the nagging and strangling sins in one's life and growing spiritually. I went through it a couple years ago - so this time I was a presenter. This retreat also bonds people together like you wouldn't believe. So I made some great new friends. Anyway, one guy was there without his wife and as we were leaving he said: I'd really like for you to meet my wife - I think she would like hanging out with you. I felt so grown up and yet so much like a kid. Now many of you may be wondering why the big deal. I am fully aware that you have likely had such comments directed toward you many times in your life - I've probably directed some of them your way - not for hanging out with wives, but other friends, people you would get along with. No one has ever said such a thing to me before. It's new. I like being liked.

The other morning when Jonathan and I woke up - he looked at me very concerned and said seriously - I think Lexi has a crush on me. Whew, I'm still laughing. Apparently when he wakes up at night she is staring at him with her paw touching is face ever so gently. Next to him is certainly her favorite place to be - smart cat.

I read a new Young Adult book every week for class (YA Lit). It really is quite wonderful to say - I have to do my homework now and then to plop down on the sofa with an entertaining book :) I've been enjoying this class for the most part. We just finished the book In the Name of God. The protagonist is a devout muslim girl. I liked the angles of the story - she was devoted to her religion, and also a teenage girl. It was thought-provoking and I would LOVE to teach it to a high school class - get them thinking and talking.

The other class is Sociolinguistics - a graduate seminar focusing on male/female language. Also an interesting class. The teacher has come out of retirement to teach it and I appreciate her in many ways. She knows so much - she was around when this field really starting booming in the 70's. The only problem is that she has so much information she finds it difficult to stop talking :) There hasn't been as much room for discussion as I would have liked. But the reading is facinating. And I have decided on my research paper - I'm going to explore the feminization of the Christian church. Why is the church so predominately female - when did this phenomena start - and why, linguistically, does the church seem to be attracting more females than males. I have a couple theories, but I have to see where the research leads.

Anyway, such is my academic life right now.

I'm wondering more and more if I'm supposed to be going in another direction in my life. I find that different things catch and hold my attention now. For example, I am taking graduate classes in English Literature - and I enjoy it - I enjoy reading and discussing literature. I get off about an hour and a half earlier on Mondays so that I have time to study for said classes - at one time that would have dominated my thoughts - study and research and be the best graduate student in the department. But now I find my mind instead wandering to recipes and furniture rearangement and ways to make healthy lunches ahead of time for my husband. And I enjoy it - I really enjoy it. I love that today he gets to eat stuffed green peppers for lunch instead of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - and I love that I made enough muffins for breakfast and some black bean burgers for lunch for the next few days - and all the laundry is clean and folded - and reading over this now, it looks like a feminists nightmare come true huh? But I'm not a feminist, I am feminine though, and something inside drives me to do and enjoy such things, at least at this stage in my life. Instead of reading articles on Twain and Austen - I find myself searching out the blogs of mothers and wives - reading about their triumphs and disappointments, and taking to heart the lessons they have learned...storing them up in my mind until they are needed. And more and more everyday, I think of my child and how I will love and care for her or him.

I'm not sure what to do with such a change of heart - I work fulltime - I am not able to do these things I desire everyday, and I cannot have a baby simply to turn around a let someone else care for him or her. I do not want to become bitter that I have to work - I am going to praise God for the way He is providing, but I'm not going to stop also asking Him if there is another way - another route with an outlet to this domestic desire within me.

I am Jodi Michelle Kendall Burnett. I am messed up by my culture - both family culture and societal. I am messed up by my own sense of pride and sinfulness. I am not the best in the world at anything - I am not even the best amoung my aquaintences at anything. I can usually think of at least 3 other people who would be better at any given task than I would. What, you say, is the importance of all this self-deprecating honesty? That's the same question God seems to be asking me. In His ever so subtle yet persistent way He has shown me that he doesn't care one little iota about me being the best at something. He doesn't care if there are others who can say it more elequently or decorate it prettier or lead it more perceptively. He wants me to do what He asks - me - not someone else with better skills. Even as I write this, honestly, my efficient brain is having a hard time accepting it - I may need a few more lessons.

But now I am trying to listen to what he's asking of me. I no longer refuse things based on the premise that someone else could do it better, and we'll see what happens.

I have been hesitant lately to share my heart - the verse in Jeremiah comes to mind:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Indeed, I do not know my own heart - it seems to sway and change with the wind - and deceitful does seem to be the right word for it. But that's not really what's on my heart today. I've been pondering this verse lately: Each one should use whatever gift she has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in it's various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

This verse struck something in me - like striking a gong or one of those huge bells - the reverberations are still going. I want this - I want to administer God's grace in it's various forms - this awakens something in me, stirs me. Unfortunately I have no idea what it means. I don't know how to administer God's grace. Peter didn't really give any examples. Or, rereading, maybe he did - in the same paragraph he also says "Love one each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." Those are verses to ponder on their own, aren't they? I believe my constant complaining that my apartment is not good enough for visitors probably qualifies as grumbling. But I believe there is more to administering God's grace than just hospitality, and I am determined to let God teach me what it means and how to do it.

that's me - 27. yep. 27. *sigh*

It seems so odd to have the number 27 attached to me - descibing me. But not completely unpleasant - I think I do 27 well. Now, 12 I had problems with - I didn't fit 12. Really anything before 16 was a little too tight. 27 is more roomy - more space to be me. I am an adult and it is o.k. to act like one.

- went camping for my 27th birthday. It rained the whole time. the WHOLE time. The first two days Jonathan and I both tried to be upbeat and positive (when Jonathan's 2nd fire got rained out he almost lost it) but it was when we both decided that it sucked and we didn't like camping in the rain that it became fun. We laughed about it - pointed out all the absurdities of siting in a tiny tent all day - and it was fun. We spent a lot of time in town doing the things we enjoy - shopping for books, eating out - it wasn't a real camping trip, but it was a trip with the two of us, and we are really all we need.

So, happy birthday to me - 28 here I come!

I just got an e-mail from my advisor finalizing some stuff for me and at the end this is what she said "I think you've made good choices!" (with the exclaimation mark). That one sentence has made my day. I tend to take myself by surprise - the things that make me inexplicably happy, and apparently this is one of them. Probably this has something to do with some issues about being constantly worried about making the right choices - and to have affirmation that I did indeed make a good decision - sigh - I am content.

They are not clean and clear and easy to direct. Just because you tell them the right answer - it doesn't mean they will listen or care. Just because you point them in the right direction and say - "go that way" - it doesn't mean they will - more than likely they will just turn around again, and perhaps even just continue turning round and round till they are dizzy and don't know where they are. Sometimes I just want out - I want away from people and their issues, but of course, then I'm still there and my issues are still there. Sometimes I feel the need to sterilize my life - make things clean - make them straight-foward and right.

I find that some of the messiest people are Christians - people who are trying desperately to know God. Because it is those people who have to fight part of themselves, but who first have to decide which part to fight - messy, complicated. And I wonder what God thinks when he looks at us fighting, stuggling, pulling ourselves down, going in circles getting dizzy, complicated and messy. If he were me he would throw up his hands and say "What's wrong with you?! It's not that hard!" and then He would walk away. But, at least from what I know and can read about Him, He instead encourages the fighting and stuggling, holds us still when we've made ourselves dizzy from going round in circles - and isn't at all phased by our messiness.

Perfect God of holiness, put a piece of yourself in me - the piece that doesn't run away from messy people, but runs toward them.

I have just caught up on all your lovely blogs - and decided it was about time to tell you about my little foray in Europe. It was in three parts, which fills my little organized heart with joy.

Meet Lexi

spilt water bowls, midnight toe-chewings, shredded curtains, early morning wrestling -

absolute bliss

Do you remember the feeling of having a loose tooth as a child? I had completely forgotten that feeling - wiggling the tooth around with your toungue, that weird hole when it was gone - the taste. Do you remember?

I have a very difficult time turning things off in my head. The best description of this I've ever heard comes from a marriage book called "What Women Want". The author describes a woman's brain in terms of a computer. This is pretty good. I have things that are constantly running in the background, which generally includes the happiness and wellbeing of those in my sphere. And then I have other programs and "windows" that are in use - planning for a vacation, planting a garden, baby shower gift buying which makes me think about babies and how I will be an old woman before I have any, and the conversation with my husband at lunch, what I'm going to make for lunch tomorrow, what am I going to make for potluck, do we have money for groceries this week.......it really goes on and on from there. At this moment there are at least - AT LEAST - 10 windows open in my brain. Usually its o.k. because I can handle a lot at one time, but sometimes it becomes too much and I get very overwhelmed. It's not pretty. Fortunately, God gave me a wonderful husband who helps me through these times. He sits down with me and helps me close the windows one at a time until all is managable again. It's really quite wonderful, and I am so grateful.

I have the need to re-create things. Re-create moments and events - trying to capture the exact feeling I once felt. When I go on vacation in the summer I want the air temperature in the hotel or cabin to be arctic because that's the way it's supposed to be...you're supposed to come in from the sweltering day and almost throw your body into shock when you walk into the refrigerator that is your temporary home. Not only do you keep the temperature the same as you remember, you go to the same place you've always gone...the smokey mountains. You MUST drive in through the long winding path that suddenly thrusts you into Gatlinburg (even though that road ALWAYS makes you carsick - but that's part of the experience), and you must ... this could really keep going, but I think only one or two of you would know what I was talking about. This problem doesn't just apply to vacations; I do this with everything. I am actually planning to do it tomorrow. My family and friends from church and I used to attend an Easter passion play every spring at a university about 2 hours away. We would load up the car with the most abundant and wonderful picnic food you can imagine (pringles in at least 4 different varieties), and we would picnic at the same spot every year before going to see the play. Well, there is a similar event happening here in Michigan tomorrow, and all I can think of is, how do I make it perfect? By this I mean, how do I recreate the good feelings I have associated with this event in the past? But as I do this I realize I am setting myself up for disappointment. It is not 2 hours away, it is 2 minutes away. My family and church friends are not here, there are only 3 of us going. Why would we need 4 cans of pringles? It is about 50 degrees instead of 70 (so no 1st sunburn of the year) sigh. sigh. sigh.

My husband tells me I need to experience things as they happen and not try to mold them to fit what I think is a good time (which reading over this I now realize includes hypothermia, car sickness, and a sun burn, hmmmm). I agree with him, and I know it's true, but . . . maybe I don't know how to live for the moment. Is that something you can learn?

I have a purple pen. I feel the need to tell you this. It is a simple bic pen with a lid, but I have fallen in love with it. It writes in purple too. It says "April is Month Of The Young Child". Yep. Now that I write it, it sounds like some kind of Native American phrase...like, "Michigan is land of many snow" or something like that. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you about my pen. I am glad that small things can still make me happy. So here's to the small things........

Bubbles. I used to spend hours doing the dishes...making more and more bubbles...shaping them into things, blowing them around the kitchen.

A nicely made-up bed.

Kermit the frog singing "Wild Thing".

Winnie-the-Pooh.

Small children in plays and programs.

The home video of my little sister's first birthday.

Giving the perfect gift to someone.

Knowing that my long candle-lighter is always in the same place.

Planning things.

Forsythia. The name and the flower.

and purple pens that write in the perfect shade of purple.



Share what little things make you happy....maybe I want to add some to my list. :)

Joseph, Moses, David, Elijah... I have read about these men of God and have found that each of them went through a kind of training time...some of them for many, many years. And none of them were trained in easy circumstances; Joseph was a slave, Moses a fugative shepherd, David spent a few years running for his life from a crazy-man, and Elijah was exhiled and lived with a poor widow. God had a very specific purpose for each of them, a big purpose He needed them for, but first they had to learn how to trust Him. Joseph went on to be the second-in-command in Egypt and saved many lives during a famine; Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt (after Joseph was forgotten - the Egyptians decided to make the Israelites slaves, go figure), David became the greatest king Israel ever knew, and Elijah led the people away from their idols and back to the living God by standing up to a very, very bad Jezabeel. I won't go into more detail than that, but I strongly suggest you read about these things...no small feats, let me tell you. Anyway, none of them could have accomplished these things if they had not trusted God - if they had not learn to hear His voice.

I feel like I am being trained. This part of my life is wonderful in many ways, but I feel so uncertain of my future. I work at a job that makes me feel useless and very bored. I am a teacher, or at least I feel like that's what God has always called me to, but all those doors were shut, and God seems to be keeping them shut for now. From my first thoughts I've always felt that God had a big purpose for me, I have no idea what that is, but I believe He wants to use me to do something, so I am grateful for the training. I am grateful that I never have enough money, but that God ALWAYS provides; I am grateful I actually have a job, and I'm grateful I have the one God wants me to have...I will try to learn the lessons from this job He has for me. And I am so grateful that God sent me a trainer whom I call my husband - a man whose faith rarely waivers and a man who helps me see the forest and not just the trees.

God is teaching me that following Him is enough...it is enough.

Jonathan and I lead a small group at our house every Thursday evening. Besides all the other blessings we receive from this; it also requires me to clean my house at least once a week :) That sounds bad...I clean my house. I guess what I mean is that - when I know people are coming over, I look at my living space with a different eye, and that's helpful. Anyway, my very sweet husband decided to help me out and do the "before small group" cleaning a couple Thursdays ago. I gave him some ideas on what needed to be done...dishes, vaccuming with smell-good stuff, general arranging and putting away of things. Unfortunately I forgot to mention the bathroom. We are not fortunate enough to have two bathrooms, so that one can always be kept in tip-top shape, with nice lotion and hand towels. Nope, just one, so it has all our stuff strewn about, and we are prolific strewners (wow, positive that is NOT a word). Nightgown, hairdyer, make-up, little toothpaste remenant in the sink, maybe a few wiskers from Jonathan's last shave...yeah, bathroom stuff. So, anyway, I usually do a quick once over in the bathroom before people come, and add nice little touches like a candle and nicely folded hand towels, and above all, I close the shower curtain! We have a very cute shower curtain, and we have one of those old tubs that never looks clean no matter how often we scrub it; and while I can learn to ignore it, the thought of someone else seeing it makes me feel unwell in my mind. (dingy bathtubs make me think of scary roach-motels) So, the first few weeks of our group I was very confident in my bathroom...almost wishing people would need to go, serving lots of juice and water; no one ever did....I mean NEVER. I'm sure you can see what's coming. Jonathan did not think about the bathroom, and I did not think to check when I came home from work, guess how many people went to the bathroom that night! JUST GUESS! Every person, every single one!!! Can you believe it?!?!? And it was timed so that I couldn't go in between to check it out, so my mind was racing..."oh dear....what did I leave out? please have at least put your undies away, did I take the garbage out recently, gasp.....the shower curtain!" After everyone had left...bladders ALL empty, I walked grimly into the bathroom; the shower curtain was wide open. Sigh. As you can imagine I redoubled my efforts for the following week, and miraculously not a single person has gone since. You've just gotta love it :)

This is spring break at the university, but alas, Jonathan and I still had to work. So we decided to take a one day spring break. It was glorious and I would like to share it with you.

We woke up late, actually that's kind-of a lie. Jonathan got up at like 7 I think to start making some oven-dried tomatoes. I woke up then too, but forced myself to lay in the bed till 9 :)

Then we made pancakes and watched a pilot for a new show called Kings. Heard of it? It's really cool; it's the story of David in modern times. Very clever; the producers really did their homework.

Then we went to play tennis...and while we've done this a few times already this week...gradually becoming better and better....it's like we reverted to beginners, we were aweful. There were some old people in the court beside us (probably 70's) who were kicking our butts :) But it was fun.

Then we came home and took a shower and got our picnic ready. We had delicious sandwiches on Jonathan's homemade honey-oat bread (oh so yummy) with his fantastic sundried
tom-ah-toes...it was glorious!

We went to the beach for our picnic, with our books for reading. It was quite windy and cool at the actual beach (and I had decided to be daring and wear shorts in the 60 degree weather :), but Jonathan and I aren't big beach people anyway, so instead we enjoyed ourselves at a beautiful little park close to the beach. We layed on a blanket in the soft spring sun (have you ever noticed that the sun feels soft in the spring?) had our picnic, took a nap, read our books (I finished my Bill Bryson Notes from a Small Island...hilarious.

Then we went to the public library, got some more books, and went home to plan our garden.

Absolutely wonderful.

I finally read through the entire Bible...finished on Friday night. I had started this project a few times but never quite got through all the minor prophets. And now that it's over, what can I say? At times while I was slogging through some of those prophets...let me just name Zachariah for one....(what in the world was he talking about?!!?)...occasionally gems of beauty and insight would leap out of the page, but those moments were rather few and far between. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, reading the Bible is important but clicking off the chapters until you're finished is not. Some of those books are not meant to just be read but to be studied. So what have I learned? When reading the Bible, speed is not important, comprehension is. I'm sure all of you have just fallen to the floor, blown away by that insightful, pertinent and not-at-all obvious statement. Call me Captain Obvious, and read your Bible; read it slowly, look up the things you don't understand, and ask God to show himself to you through it's words. I will try to follow my own advise.

...which means, "I miss you" in Korean. I miss Korea. I miss my Korean friends...sometimes I miss them so much my heart feels like it's being squeezed by some large invisible hand. I lived and worked and ministered in Seoul for about a year and a half. There I met my husband and got engaged. They threw me an "engagement party," which was really a wedding! (I'll rustle up some pics and blog about it). It was just unbelievable how much time and effort they put into it. *sigh* I often wonder why God has given me so many people in my life who love me...I certainly do not deserve it, but I am so grateful for them. I just want to introduce you to a couple of the beautiful people I left in Korea.

I was excited to see all the comments on my storytime. I'm glad you all liked it, or at least had some kind of strong opinion about it. As some of you curious cats already know, (uh-hum, Harmony and Todd) this is a Medeival lais, written by Marie de France in the late 12th century. As most of you know, I am taking a medieval romance class for my Master's. First of all, I love her lais; she has 12 of them. They are all different, but all have similar themes, but I love that she is able to put a very distinct feeling behind all of them. Anyway....

When I read Eliduc I reacted the same way, and I brought my outrage with me to class and promptly declared I was not impressed with the way Guildeluec just let him off the hook. Everyone else agreed, if not quite as vehemently as me. I mean, come on, why would a beautiful, intelligent, God-fearing woman just....step aside! Give her blessing to the happy couple! But after my indignation subsided I had a thought....what was the alternative? What would I have rather she done? Yelled? Made a scene? Slapped him in the face and shouted "I wasted the best years of my life on you!"? Would I have felt better if she had fainted, (a very popular pastime for many women, trust me), wept tears of profound anguish and eventually died, either by her own hands or through pure grief? Should she have calmly told him he could not see his lover again and that she would forgive him this one time? Do we really think this cheater-face liar would have let it go at that? No, she would have just lived as a wife whose husband clearly no longer loves her and who prefers the younger model. None of these options leave us with the VINDICATED woman we wish to see. BUT, her choice does leave us with an independant woman with quite a lot of power. First of all, I believe she took control of the situation - she planned it all; she was in power. She looked at all the options and decided she didn't like any of them, so she created her own.
At that time women had little power in the home, but they had considerable power in the abbey. By requesting that her husband build her her own abbey, of which she would be the abbess, she was setting up her own little kingdom, of which she would have complete power over her decisions and the decisions of others. Not to mention that the Man she now served would never treat her in such a way.

So, in the end, I am reconciled to her decision.

There is much more to say, but perhaps it is best to leave it at that. Thanks again for tuning in for Jodi's Story-time :)

....so, our knight bends down to check on the princess....she appears to be dead, and Eliduc weeps in a torrent of anguish. When they finally reach land, Eliduc takes her to a hermitage, but finds that the holy man has died, so he simply lays Guilliadon in the chapel, planning to come back to bury her after he has erected an appropriate tomb. Every day he sneaks away from his wife to visit Guilliadon at the chapel and weep over her, strangely not decaying, body. Meanwhile, Eliduc's wife is wondering what's up with her husband; he's always so sad...really sorrowful. So one day she sends a servant to follow him and then to let her know where he's going. The servant tells her and then leads her to the hermitage, where, what should she find but a beautiful, unconcious Guilliadon. Guideleuc immediately realizes this must be her husbands lover. Strangly, she is filled with pity for this beautiful woman who died before her time and she grieves for her. Then all of a sudden two weasels appear and one weasel runs over the fair maid's body, and the servant kills it. The weasel's mate then runs out and comes back with a beautiful red flower in its mouth and places it in the mouth of his mate. The she-weasel wakes up immediately and they start to run off together. Guideleuc says, "quickly man! stop that weasel!" So he stops the weasel and retrieves the flower, which is promptly placed in Guilliadon's mouth, and - you guessed it - she wakes up. The fair maid sees Guideleuc and tells her the whole story of a worthless knight whom she loved, but who abandoned her after she discovered he was actually married. The noble wife then explains that she is that knight's wife and that he has been coming to mourn there every day. She takes the beautiful princess to her husband, and upon seeing his joy, she decides not to stand in their way. She asks her husband to build an abbey, of which, she will be the abbess. And so it is, Guideleuc becomes the abbess of her own abbey, Eliduc marries his love, and they live happily for many years. They do many good deeds, and eventually they decide they want to devote their lives to God, so Guilliadon goes to live with Guideleuc in the Abbey and Eliduc joins a monastary.

The End

Now, I really would like to make some comments here, but I will refrain till I hear what you think of the tale. :)

I didn't realize how long it had been since I blogged last...I've just been enjoying everyone else's posts...it's really one of my favorite things to do in a day, to look at my dashboard and see what's new. And as I'm sitting here I still can only think about...Heather's office kitties, Desi's dreams, Ari dancing, Elizabeth coming to visit, Benjamin's morning words, Lindsey's pregnancy discomfort but beautiful spirit, Todd's chickies and a new way to make chili.

I did something very uncharacteristic last night. There were dishes and laundry to wash, a bathroom to clean, carpet to be vaccumed, left-over unpacking from our trip down South, and a medieval romance to read for class today. I did none of it! Not a single thing. What did I do, I knitted a bootie. Yes "A" as in singular as in ONE bootie. I've been knitting now for an embarrasing amount of time with very little skill to show for it; I've not strayed from the ever-easy scarf. So, I decided I would knit some booties as my next step on the knitting ladder. I wanted to give them to a co-worker whose having a little boy soon. I picked out some beautiful dark blue yarn and found a pattern I was pretty sure I could handle. Well, it was a lovely little bootie but it was the size of a kittens paw...really tiny, I don't know what the person who made that pattern was thinking (because I followed it perfectly). ANYWAY, I found another pattern and decided to give it another go, and characteristically I would have stopped after about the first hour and the forth re-do, but I became absolutely obsessed and I finished it! It's a beautiful little bootie, despite the few obvious flaws. So, my co-workers baby shower was today, and I gave her the one bootie with a promise of another to come and she was very grateful :)

I just got back from Alabama and my sister's wedding, and I did not have a chance to even look at a computer much less post a blog. It was a whirlwind trip, and now I'm back and loving sleeping in my own bed again. All in all, it was a good trip...a bittersweet trip. My dear jeep did a great job once again, God has really blessed me with a reliable form of transportation. I got to hang-out with my peeps more than I expected to; I found out my Daddy reads my blog, hi daddy. I got to see my friend, Melanie; I got to run a rehearsal...which I must say, wasn't so bad - oh who am I kidding - I loved it! Why try to hide my freakish tendancies? I got several complements on how smoothly everything went, which of course filled my melancholy heart with joy :) I guess I don't really want to go into the bitter parts, so we'll just leave it with the sweet shall we?

I've always thought I would be a good Queen. I don't know why, and I'm sure there are many people who would disagree with me, never-the-less, I would like the opportunity. And not a figure-head queen, a real one, with a scepter and a crown and authority. A Queen gets to make gut-feeling decisions based on intuition, she inspires confidence in her people by being calm and steadfast(I can do that), she is never second-guessed, and never accused of being cold or unfriendly - she's a queen for goodness sakes; she can't walk around high-fiving people! Moving on ... I wouldn't be a queen of whimsy though, none of this "off with their heads" business unless absolutely necessary. I am quite good at knowing when I have no idea what I'm doing and need help, I therefore tend to surround myself with very smart and creative people who can think in ways I cannot - a useful trait for a queen, is it not? There are other reasons I am qualified for the position, but I can't explain them, only feel them - and if I were a queen you would just accept that - WOULDN'T YOU? I thought so.

......also known as The Common Cold. Common symptoms are sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing and coughing, muscle aches, fatigue, malaise, headaches, muscle weakness, and loss of appetite. Yep, that's it.



Now about this "malaise." def. Malaise is a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness, an "out of sorts" feeling.

I really couldn't have described it better myself. At this very moment it's raining, well drizzling, outside. I would like nothing better than to walk out of my office, up the stairs (I'm in a basement/1st floor type place), out the doors, past the magnolia tree, and lay down on the sidewalk....just lay there in the rain, students walking all around, just lay there. Malaise.

I thought I'd update you guys on the girlish figure rescue. Well, so far so good I guess. I turned down peanut butter M&Ms...I believe that deserves some appaulse...they are my favorite. I've been eating a big breakfast, and measley vegetable lunch and fruit for supper - I'm pretty much always hungry :) But it's not too bad, and I've never before so looked foward to breakfast. So far, my will power is hanging in there, but there is always food available where I work, ALWAYS, and good food, like today its manicotti, yeah.

So, next I must concentrate on exercise. I have a pretty strong aversion to the gym; I've always pushed through but it's never been permenant because, well I just don't like it. So, I'm trying to find an inexpensive elliptical or treadmill for the apartment, so I can get in shape and still feed my hermit-tendencies :)