i'm going :: hope spoken

i hope that sometime in ... ohhh the next 5 months or so i find the time to click through some of the other lovely ladies' blogs that have linked up to introduce themselves, but until then, i'll just say hello myself!  i am going to a conference next march, hope spoken, with 3 of my favorite friends and i am so pumped!  

so. so. so pumped.  

[right now all the tickets are sold out but i hear that they be releasing about 30 more in the near future].  this conference is put on by a group of women who love Jesus, the gospel & people.  they had a dream to get a bunch of ladies together to spur them on to do the same - live our lives for something big, purposeful & eternal. i'm so excited to be a part of that.  it feels kind of selfish to want a weekend to yourself to be 'fed' but on the flipside i do believe it's healthy & good to 'hunger and thirst' for more of the Lord and i'm hoping that's my motive.  aaaaand i'm not going to lie, a weekend away with no responsibilities having slumber parties with some of my favorite people ain't too shabby either.  i'm praying that i can spend my time there deepening my love for the Lord, cultivating a heart of servanthood, build up any that i encounter & come home refreshed, ready to go hard at this life that God as blessed me with.

they're having a little link up party for anyone who's going so we can sort of cyber-ly introduce ourselves.  i think i feel pretty 'safe' since i'll be surrounded by some besties there but if i had been brave enough to go on my own i think that this little party would bring me a lot of comfort, reminding me that i'll be in the company of a lot of amazing women, so i'm glad this exists! [not that i'm amazing but you know what i mean...]

i'm jen. that's my handsome stud of a husband, ben.  we didn't get together for the rhyming names but it is totally a bonus.  that little babe making the 'nervous face' is our doll, emmie collins [she's already so much bigger than this pic, melting].  i just turned 28, which sounds infinitely older than 27 but i'm embracing it, kind of.  i'm a stay-at-home mom-ish.  i work part-time, mostly from home, as office admin / assistant for young life in our city.  i also volunteer with that same ministry as leader at a high school right down the road.  i have been incredibly blessed with the sweet gift of amazing community and a giant, caring family. 

some random facts:
-my hubs is an elementary teacher and is soooo precious with kids, they LOVE him.
-i have a lot of weird, mostly negative, life habits:  i have probably the worst diet of any adult, love naps, am crazy forgetful [post babe] and can get lost going to a location i've been 100 times before.  wait, maybe these are all connected!?
-i'm not a super great "house wife," i spend chunks my days home but i don't get much cooking and cleaning done.  i'm hoping i grow into it.  i spend most of my days chasing after our 15 month old tornado and loving on high school / college girls.  i always feel like everyone else can juggle a lot more than me but i'm trying to learn that that's ok.  like daniel tiger says "in some ways we are different..."
-once i cried at the end of 'bridesmaids' in the theater.  yes, the comedy.  all my girlfriends thought i was pregnant & it was embarrassing.
-i have dreams of making a quilt, or millions of quilts.  if anyone is looking to either teach someone to quilt or give away beautiful quilts...i will take them all.
-i love pictures and wish i knew how to use my fancy camera a little better
-i have an obsession with thrift stores and looking through someone else's weathered treasures

i look forward to meeting all you beautiful ladies at hope spoken and pray that the Lord moves there in big ways!