Gen Y and the Nursing Home

Something caught me off guard today.

I was sitting in an old-fashioned diner with a group of precious elderly women to the left of me. They were telling stories from their youth and sharing desserts with one another. It was adorable.

 Then the unthinkable happened.

One of them said the S-word. 

Don’t get me wrong…cussing doesn’t usually appall me. But this woman was OLD. 

She was wearing a teddy bear cardigan and those little white, old-people shoes.

And she said the S-word! 

I grew up with grandparents who both worked in a nursing home. In fact, my grandfather still does. Because of this, I spent more time in a nursing home as a child than I did the nursery (maybe that is why I’m a little backwards). The point is, that is not the behavior I am used to seeing the elderly display.

When I think old, I think cute little songs and bingo. Not the S-word. That is something I expect to hear from a person my age.

Then I got to thinking…

What will nursing homes be like when MY generation gets there? 

Here are my thoughts: 

• A Starbucks and Suntan City will be on both wings of the building. 
  

• The Activities Room won’t be the Bingo spot, but instead be a room full of computers and TVs for Halo, Facebook, and Wii.

• The most risqué poster in the average patient’s room won’t be Elvis doing his hip thrust, but maybe Miley on her Wrecking Ball.

•  It will be the norm to see wrinkly, droopy ear lobes where gauges used to reside.

• “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean” and “School Days” won’t be the go-to music selections. I think “Thrift Shop” or “Miss New Booty” will be amongst the top favorites. 

Basically, grandparents will no longer be counted on to instill morals in their grandchildren. In fact, we may not even be allowed to know our grandchildren.

Take Away: We have a lot of changes to make if we want to be cute when we are old. 

What else do you expect to see in a nursing home in 2075? Leave your thoughts!

What Was I Thinking Wednesday: Haiti Shower

"What Was I Thinking" Wednesday will showcase photos that left me asking, "What was I thinking?". The series hopes to provide readers with life-lessons I had to learn the hard way.



After days of no running water in Haiti, deciding to shower in the rainwater coming from the gutter of a dirty house rather than just in the rain. The rain stopped and I was dirtier than before I started.

 

What was I thinking?

 

Flying Solo

I love flying alone. I don’t get the chance to very often, but when the rare opportunity presents itself, it is always a treat. For some reason, flying alone allows me to relax and reflect unlike any other activity I have found in life.

As I sit in an airport writing this, I can’t help but get slightly nostalgic. The last few years have held a handful of flights that not only took me from Point A to Point B geographically, but also brought me to a new place in life internally. Some of these flights were filled with excitement and happiness, like the one today, which is taking me to visit my best friend in Texas. Others, however, were full of tears, confusion and sadness. The one thing I love about flights: Even in the difficult ones, I always approach land with a sense of clarity.

Three flights in particular came at monumental moments in my life that left me questioning God. Incredibly, something divine happened in my time in the air that alleviated my doubts in a way I never expected. I hope you don’t mind me sharing.

Taking off…

1.     From Haiti-

The summer of 2010 was not at all what I thought it would be. What I had hoped would be a summer full of simple service and fun ended up being extremely difficult physically, emotionally and spiritually. In fact, it was the hardest two months of my life. Ironically, as the plane pulled away from the devastated and impoverished country, I was also sitting in First Class for the first time in my life. Relaxing with my feet kicked back under air conditioning and eating a freshly baked cookie wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as I would have expected. I felt nauseous as I flew over thousands of tarp-covered homes full of hungry people and orphaned children. I spent the first part of that flight asking God, “Why? Why does most of the world live this way? And why do we live as if they don’t?” 

2.     From Miami-

I had just gone to my biological father’s home for the first time in my life. I spent days meeting amazing people who shared the same flesh and blood as myself, but were strangers. I couldn’t be more confused about who I was.  As I pulled away from the beautiful city I found myself asking God “Why? “Why is this happening now? And how do I make this make sense in my life?”

 

3.     From Gulf Shores-

It was supposed to be my favorite week of softball season. I was playing my last tournament at the beach my senior year, but a call from home cut it short. It had happened. My grandma, my Nunny, died. Just like that, she was gone. My Nunny was more than a grandma. She was a friend. A second mother. My biggest cheerleader. She was diagnosed with cancer and gone within a month. As I the plane took off, I was furious. I asked God again, “Why? Why would you do this to me? Why would you take someone I love so much?”

On all three of those flights, something happened.

Amazingly, I didn’t land in any of those instances with the same questions I had as I took off.

As the plane would ascend higher and higher above the mess of life, God allowed my thoughts to ascend higher and higher as well.

I realized that at eye-level, things are confusing. Roads wind every which way with no end in sight. Trees, buildings, hills and mountains only allow us to see so far and seem to have no order to their placement.

What is amazing about an aerial view, however, is nothing seems out of place. Even above Haiti, the most devastated, dirty place I had ever been, it was beautiful.

Everything seems to make sense from above. 

Then I thought about how much higher God is than even I was in that plane. I thought about what God sees when He looks down. All the sudden, my “why”s began to fade. Did I understand why poverty and brokenness existed all the sudden? How to process this new family I had just discovered? Why God took away my Nunny?

No.

But I was reminded that I don’t have to.

Because God is sovereign.

 He is in control.

And He has a plan. 

 I can’t imagine how beautiful His view is. And I can’t wait for that view to become my own one-day. Right now, I’ll just keep navigating at eye-level and trusting in the One who sees it all. 

 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” –Isaiah 55:9

My South African Rapper

Whenever I'm having a down day, I watch this video of my South African friend attempting to rap. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

"What Was I Thinking" Wednesday: Nicaragua Haircut

"What Was I Thinking" Wednesday will showcase photos that left me asking, "What was I thinking?". The series hopes to provide readers with life-lessons I had to learn the hard way.

Getting a haircut in Nicaragua.

What was I thinking?

My Adoption Story

I was born on May 1, 1990.

I wasn’t planned. 

I wasn’t hoped for. 

By the world’s definition, I was an accident.

My mom was a strong woman, though. Despite the dirty looks and cruel words of many people, my mom raised me when she wasn’t really finished growing up herself. I had everything I needed. The only thing I didn’t have, though, was a father.

Don’t get me wrong- I had an amazing grandpa and two uncles that spoiled me rotten. I even had a few other men step into my life from time to time that thankfully took care of me and gave me some sort of fatherly attention, but I didn’t ever have a “daddy”.

So when I heard about God who was a loving father, I didn’t really know what that meant. The concept of God as father was as distant as the concept of having a real father. I heard a lot about Him, though. I heard that He was a perfect God who made man to be perfect and we rebelled and were separated from Him. That he sent his son Jesus to the cross die the death we deserved and now we could be forgiven, we could have a personal relationship with Him. And I accepted that sacrifice for my sins when I was young.

I understood the gospel as well as I could at that age. But what I didn’t really grasp was what it meant for him to be my father. That He had adopted me into His family and declared me his child. 

Then when I was eight years old that began to change.

My mom began getting really plugged into a particular Bible study group at church.

Before I knew it, she had a lot of new friends. One friend in particular, though, was around a lot more than the others. His name was Nathan and my mom really liked this friend. In fact, I thought in my eight-year-old mind that they must be best friends because he was with us A LOT. He liked to pay for my mom’s meals and they giggled obnoxiously! What I didn’t realize was that my mom was falling in love with this man and I was starting to as well.

Over the course of the next year I finally started to understand that they were dating. My mom couldn’t get enough of Nathan and neither could I. They were so in love with each other, but even more so they were in love with the Lord.

I got bored of the whole dating thing, though. I wanted this man to put a ring on it! So I started suggesting different ways for him to propose…looking back some of my “romantic” proposal plans weren’t quite as enchanting as I thought they were 15 years ago. Thankfully, he didn’t use any of them.

Nevertheless, one day it finally happened when I least expected it. The three of us were doing a Bible study together when all the sudden Nathan got down on one knee and he asked my mom to marry him (by putting the ring on her right ring finger by mistake). I was so excited! It was what I was waiting for.

But the next thing was what caught me off guard. While my mom inconspicuously slid her ring to the other hand, Nathan remained on his knee and turned to face me. Before I knew it, he was holding my hand. He then pulled a smaller ring out of his pocket, looked at me in the eyes and he said,

 “Jordan, will you be my daughter?”

My mouth dropped. What did he mean, do I want to be his daughter? I thought this was about my mom. I didn’t do anything to deserve this. In fact, I was quite aware at how annoying I was at that age. Why was he asking me this?

Of course I said yes. He slid the ring on my finger and I have worn it every day since.

He didn’t stop there, though. He explained that he wanted to adopt me.

Over the course of the next few weeks, he made sure I understood what exactly adoption would mean. He told me, “Jordan, you aren’t my sort-of daughter. You aren’t my stepdaughter. You are my daughter. My child. And you will always be my child. What is mine is now yours. I will never abandon you. I will always protect you. I’m not going anywhere.”

And over the next few years I finally knew what it meant to have a daddy.

 

Having a daddy taught me I rock at softball, no matter how horrible I played that day.

Having a daddy meant having my own personal math tutor for hours every night.

Having a daddy taught me to mountain bike, rock climb, and repel.

Having a daddy wrongly convinced me Star Wars was cool.

Having a daddy meant date nights full of free manicures and facials.

Having a daddy taught me what a man of God looked like and to never settle for less.

Having a daddy taught me not just to expect respect from boys, but demand it.

Having a daddy taught me that I was worth it.

My dad is my hero. 

I didn’t do ANYTHING to deserve his love, but he gave it.

He chose me.

All the sudden, having the love of an earthly father began to transfer into my view of God. You see, the Bible tells us that we are born separated from God, without a heavenly father. But because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are able to call God “daddy”. That he literally adopts anyone who would turn from his or her way and accept Jesus’ sacrifice into His family.

We don’t deserve it.

We didn’t do anything to warrant it.

But he CHOOSES us.

Galations 4:4-6 says, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father."

Do you see it? Just as my dad told me 15 years ago, the Lord tells us today.

We aren’t his sort-of children.

He doesn’t ever get so angry that He will leave.

He won’t ever abandon us.

He protects us.

He wants the best for us.

He is our father.

And what is His, is now ours. And what is his? Eternity in his presence…a heavenly inheritance. But not only a heavenly one, but also an abundant life TODAY. In this life.

I pray that your view of your father or lack there of doesn’t prevent you from understanding the daddy that God is. I hope you don’t see God as someone distant, or someone who is angry with you, or someone that has left you, or someone you have to please all the time. Because that just isn’t true.

If you are in Christ, then you have a father. A father that loves you unconditionally.

Yes, he corrects and he certainly disciplines- but he does so out of love. Looking back I am so thankful for the discipline of my dad growing up. It saved me from a lot of heartache in the future. It was for my good.

 So it is with God.

After I got a daddy though, it didn’t take much for me to want to please him, to bring honor to him (I mean he did hang the moon, right?).

I think that is just how we are to follow God as Christians. Not out of obligation or fear. But out of an overflow of thankfulness. It is out of our love for Him that we seek to bring Him glory. We can trust that He truly has our best interests in mind. He is our daddy.

I share this to not only encourage someone reading to get a fuller grasp of who God is, but also to encourage Christians to live out the Gospel in the same way. 

If you are in Christ and considering adopting, I say DO IT. 

I can’t think of a better way to scream the Gospel then doing exactly was done for us through Jesus. 

I sure did get the message loud and clear.

The goal of me sharing my story is not to focus my family, but the God I came to know through my experience and what I learned about adoption. I do want to share, though, how blessed I am to not only have an amazing mom and dad, but also my birth father who I have had the amazing time getting to know the last few years. I am so lucky to have the huge family I do :). 

DIY Galentine's Day Party Prep

Want to learn how to throw your very own "Galentine's Day" Party? Then you are at the right spot.

My roommate, Christan,  and I want to offer a three step tutorial that will ensure you are REALLY celebrating the occasion.

Before we begin, meet your Party Planning Committee...

FIRST,

Make Sugar Cookies

SECOND,

Make Cupcakes

THIRD,

Decorate

Now you are ready to celebrate.

Happy Galentine's Day. 

Faker

I used to make fun of my friend, Kristi, for her "raps" which are actually just poems. I guess raps make her feel less corny.

BUT, I can not make fun of the following I am about to share. The first half was written nearly a year ago, the second half she completed last night. I couldn't be more excited to see my best friend grow in her walk with Christ! I think we can learn a lot from her authenticity and desire to know God more. I know I sure have.

FAKER

Part 1

Her first name is Kristi, but you can call her Faker.

Because her life is filled with lies, which form the beautiful disguise by which you might mistake her. 

She loves getting to know you, in fact, she really knows you well,

Which is why it’s so easy for her to fit the mold, falling under that same spell…

Of seeking to be flawless in your eyes, so it becomes so hard to tell. 

She knows who you want her to be, but she doesn’t even know herself. 

Bound and chained by acceptance, reputation, she thinks she’s livin free,

Unaware that her pursuit of Christ is actually a pursuit of “me.”

The weight of this burden has risen, and it’s becoming too heavy to hold. 

But there’s fear of exposure, so the darkness remains, as the story goes untold. 

This Faker knows how to play the part, knows how to exude perfection,

Knows how to say the right words that display holiness, even when her heart is in the opposite direction.

But to avoid misconceptions…

I’ll paint a practical picture of this evil.

We can talk about her life of secret sin and obsession with the approval of people.

A negative response or unfriendly reaction equals a day of anxious thoughts, as she falsely believes that acceptance is a mark of spiritual health.

She’s different according to who she’s with, always sending a representative that reflects only the good parts of herself.  

Friends tell her “everybody struggles with people-pleasing,” as if the idolatry of mere flesh is somehow a justified exception. 

Let’s expose the truth of this sin: She just wants to be worshipped, for God’s glory to change direction. 

Now can you see how this issue might lead to a fear of confession?

Her overwhelming desire for the appearance of perfection

Translates into increasingly private dealings with sin.

She’d be embarrassed to admit that she’s deceitful on occasion, or that her convictions sometimes begin with, “Well, it depends on the situation.”

Progressive filthy thoughts...
but doesn't dismiss them like she should.
False motives in relationships...
but won't end them like she could.
Wondering why the path to destruction always looks so good.

Her desire for freedom from this secrecy is great, and she finds herself daily on her knees,

But her fear offers an easier escape, as the stronghold supersedes. 

Rest, freedom…these things seem but a distant dream

Happiness, peace…an idealistic movie scene.

Like she’s bought the jersey and sits the bench, but she never really made the team. 

Yet as her fingers write these words there’s still terror in her eyes.  Although her motive is to share with boldness, she’s scared this will lead to her demise.

Feeling compelled to speak, but not wanting to highlight her mess as any sort of big deal,

Just to confess that above all else, she just wants to be real.

To show that confession and broken-ness are where healing begins, a humble heart is more easily cleaned, so that the fullness of God’s grace is made evident, by this life that’s been redeemed. 

Though the journey will be long and hard, this Faker has started to understand,

That the path to a renewed life, though right now painful and unclear, is exactly what God has planned.

8 months later…

Part 2

I was this Faker, but today I am no more.  The grace of God has  changed me, to a life of freedom I’ve been restored. 

The road hasn’t been easy, but I’m starting to finally see, that pursuing Christ makes a lot more sense when the focus is off of me. 

As He’s softened my heart, and given me wisdom, I’m just now beginning to understand,

that my self-worth must come from what He says about who I am. 

My identity is not something I achieve, but something I received.  

Through a loving Father who decreed,

To give me new life through the bloodshed of His son, as He hung upon the cross,

Making possible my forsaking of a life of fakeness, as I count the approval of man as but a loss,

Compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ and being found completely in Him. 

Who sought me out to extend His mercy, while I was completely dead in sin. 

He is my treasure. He is my prize.  He is my forever delight. 

I can no longer cling to the temporary safety of man’s approval, but my faith must be my sight.

God has given me a hope that extends far beyond this life,

So I write this to encourage you, wherever you are tonight. 

It sounds so simple, but it’s true.  Christ can set you free. 

Regardless of your pain, your fears, your circumstance,

His power made the difference for me. 

He rescued me from the pursuit of myself, a life of ever-increasing selfish ambition.  

Where I sat upon the throne where God belonged, begging others to affirm my position. 

But the love of God is powerful…enough to break through even the strongest idol. 

Sin and death have been defeated, and I’m assured that victory is final. 

This truth now permeates my life, I am a new creation.  It is not I who live, but Jesus in me, and that drastically changes my situation. 

I now willingly admit my weakness, which keeps the spotlight on Christ. 

And I’ll forever live to declare praise to the Glorious Savior who gave me life!

 -Kristi Ensminger

                                                                

"What Was I Thinking" Wednesday: Buffet Issues

Today marks the beginning of a new series called, "What was I Thinking" Wednesday.

"What Was I Thinking" Wednesday will showcase photos that left me asking, "What was I thinking?". The series hopes to provide readers with life-lessons I had to learn the hard way.

Not saving room for the chocolate fountain at Golden Corral, but still going for it.

 

What was I thinking?

14 Things Girls are REALLY Saying

In honor of Valentine’s Day Friday, I figured I would spread the love by sharing some secrets for my male blog readers. Here are 14 things girls say translated into what they actually mean.

1.    “We don’t need to do anything special.”

Translation: “It better be extravagant.”

2.    “Where did you get those shorts (that shirt, that hat, etc.)?”

Translation: “You look ridiculous. Please never wear that again.”

3.    *After you make the plans and ask if they are okay: “No, that’s fine….”

Translation: “That is not fine.”

4.    Does this shirt look stupid?

Translation: “You better tell me I’m smokin’ hot.”

5.    *After you arrive at a restaurant: “I’m not that hungry.”

Translation: “I’m starving but I want you to think I eat healthy so I probably won’t order much then eat all of yours.”

6.    “I’m getting kind of tired.”

Translation: “Take me home already. This is getting creepy.”

7.    *After messaging a girl that you like their Facebook profile pic- No response.

Translation: “You’re a creep.”

8.    *After she gets her wallet out and you offer to pay: “Oh, you don’t have to do that!”

Translation: “I can’t believe I had enough time to get my wallet all the way out of my purse.”

9.    “Don’t let me win”

Translation: “Let me win, but don’t let me know you let me.”

10. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Translation: “You BETTER.”

11. *While in a store: “I think _______ is so cute, but I’m not going to spend that much.”

Translation: “This is what I want you to get me for Christmas/birthday/etc.

      12. “I’m almost ready.”

Translation: “It’ll be at least an hour.”

13. “I’m craving chocolate.”

Translation: “If you do as much as breathe too loud over the course of this next week, I’m either going to bite your head off or cry.”

14. “I need a girls night”

Translation: “I’m going to be talking about you…negatively.”

 Happy Valentine's Day, Gentlemen.