Enough Said.
What Was I Thinking?
4.30.2014
What Was I Thinking Wednesday: Enough Said
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.
4.28.2014
My Friend Married Two People at Once
The only friend I've had since birth got married this past weekend. It was beautiful. From what I can tell, Justin and Caroline have a lot of happy days ahead of them. Some may find it odd, though, that the wedding wasn’t just about the two of them. In fact, Caroline didn’t just commit her life to one person at the altar on Saturday. She committed herself to two. Her name is Payton and she is six years old.
Payton is Justin’s little girl. And now she is Caroline’s, too.
I couldn’t hold it together watching how happy Payton was to have “a new mommy”.
Maybe it was watching that precious little girl’s eyes as she watched her dad and Caroline kiss for the first time as a married couple. Or maybe it was watching her jump up and down at the close of the ceremony screaming, “They are husband and wife!” over and over again. Or maybe it was when Caroline, and Justin danced their first dance to I Won’t Give Up and she decided to join them on the floor.
Or maybe it was because I know exactly how that little girl feels.
I’m so happy for Caroline - as happy as I can be. But I’ve never been married, so I don’t really know how she feels.
But I have been right where Payton is, and I know exactly how she feels. I was nine years old when I watched my mommy marry the man I had grown to love so much. He committed himself to my mom forever and he did the same to me. I wasn’t tainted by the world enough to have “trust issues” at nine. I just believed him. I knew he would be there.
And he is still here.
Last night I went on a walk with my daddy. We talked about God, boys, work, skydiving, and coffee.
And I know Caroline, so I know she will be.
Here’s to the Lee Family!
4.24.2014
Why Getting Married Young Doesn't Work
In honor of my good friend getting married this weekend, I decided to re-post what stands to be my most popular post to date. Here is my stance on young marriage.
As a new blogger, I’m learning that following trends is everything. So it’s time that I give my thoughts on marriage.
Everyone on Facebook is in an uproar over the age one should be when he or she walks down the aisle. It leaves a poor 23 year-old like myself with all sorts of questions. How young is too young? Should I experience singleness longer or is it time to throw in the towel and buy a few dozen cats?
It’s between marrying young or eating a jar full of Nutella apparently.
Well, here are my thoughts. Sorry in advance for the controversy this is sure to cause.
I’m going to get vulnerable here and draw from personal experience.
I thought about getting married once. What began as a casual acquaintance soon developed into a friendship and before long a relationship. I fell in love with no fear of the fall.
Justin and I spent every moment together. It didn’t matter what was going on that day, I knew every hour of it had to be spent with him. So many times Justin would talk and I wouldn’t hear a word he was saying. Everything would fall silent, and I would get lost in those big brown eyes as he emptied his thoughts with so much passion. I knew I was going to marry this guy.
I was zoning out during one of his passionate rambles about who knows what when finally, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I told him I wanted to marry him.
I was ready for his embrace as he reached his arms out, but instead of hugging me he pushed me to the ground. Then someone hit the mute button again and I heard what he was saying.
“I hate you, Jordan! How many times do I have to tell you? You have cooties!”
I threw my slinky at him and ran back home crying. I thought my life was over. But I finally came to realize I was just too young.
Now I see it just wasn’t practical. We didn’t have any money. Our parents wouldn’t let us live together. No matter how many times I got the cootie vaccination, I wasn’t cured.
I spent the rest of my elementary years heartbroken, but stronger.
And now I know...it just doesn't work to get married young.
As a new blogger, I’m learning that following trends is everything. So it’s time that I give my thoughts on marriage.
Everyone on Facebook is in an uproar over the age one should be when he or she walks down the aisle. It leaves a poor 23 year-old like myself with all sorts of questions. How young is too young? Should I experience singleness longer or is it time to throw in the towel and buy a few dozen cats?
It’s between marrying young or eating a jar full of Nutella apparently.
Well, here are my thoughts. Sorry in advance for the controversy this is sure to cause.
I’m going to get vulnerable here and draw from personal experience.
I thought about getting married once. What began as a casual acquaintance soon developed into a friendship and before long a relationship. I fell in love with no fear of the fall.
Justin and I spent every moment together. It didn’t matter what was going on that day, I knew every hour of it had to be spent with him. So many times Justin would talk and I wouldn’t hear a word he was saying. Everything would fall silent, and I would get lost in those big brown eyes as he emptied his thoughts with so much passion. I knew I was going to marry this guy.
I was zoning out during one of his passionate rambles about who knows what when finally, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I told him I wanted to marry him.
I was ready for his embrace as he reached his arms out, but instead of hugging me he pushed me to the ground. Then someone hit the mute button again and I heard what he was saying.
“I hate you, Jordan! How many times do I have to tell you? You have cooties!”
I threw my slinky at him and ran back home crying. I thought my life was over. But I finally came to realize I was just too young.Now I see it just wasn’t practical. We didn’t have any money. Our parents wouldn’t let us live together. No matter how many times I got the cootie vaccination, I wasn’t cured.
I spent the rest of my elementary years heartbroken, but stronger.
And now I know...it just doesn't work to get married young.
4.16.2014
What Was I Thinking Wednesday: Coach Costume
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.
Thinking it was a good idea to be my coach for the team Halloween Party...with a little extra added emphasis to that red hair of hers...
Thinking it was a good idea to be my coach for the team Halloween Party...with a little extra added emphasis to that red hair of hers...
What Was I Thinking?
4.14.2014
IPods and IPads and IPhones, Oh My!
First off, let’s applaud the clever title.
Oh, stop. Let me get to the point already.
I went to Thunder of Louisville this past weekend - probably one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. Never in my life have I spent over seven hours with over 800,000 people and actually enjoyed myself the entire time. From airplanes and Fwhatevers(cool army planes) to an incredible fireworks show at night, the sky above us was used as a stage unlike I’d ever seen.
While the airshow is amazing in of itself, it only is building the anticipation for the fireworks show, which happens to be the largest in North America. When 9:30 p.m. finally rolled around and those first fireworks shot into the air, the crowd went crazy.
It’s hard to write about how amazing fireworks are, because in all honesty, there isn’t anything special about them on paper. But, as anyone who has been to a big fireworks show can probably attest, there is just something incredible about the experience.
As I watched the sky explode with all sorts of colors and shapes over the next half-hour, I couldn’t help but feel like a kid again. I remembered back to the Fourth of July’s of my childhood when my family sat under our yearly church fireworks display. I was convinced that the willow-tree-like fireworks were going to keep getting bigger and bigger until they literally fell on me where I was laying on the grass. It was magical.
In light of my nostalgic moment, I took my eyes of the fireworks for a second to glance at the children sitting close to my group.
Talk about a buzz kill.
To my amazement, most of the kids weren’t looking directly at the fireworks exploding in the air above. They were watching them, all right - but through a screen. I turned around and saw a field of thousands behind me, all with their phones and cameras pointed to the sky above.
IPods and IPads and IPhones, Oh My! (Still clever, right?)
I just wanted to go grab the kid’s IPad in front of me, turn it off, and tell him, “Enjoy the show! You are missing out on something incredible!”
Then it hit me - I wasn’t the one saint in a swarm of senselessness.
My phone's storage was just full.
It’s full of photos of sunsets, sunrises, and friends doing stupid things.
Videos of my baby brothers acting like lunatics and the dog chasing her tail.
All things that I am glad to have on camera. But many of these I end up deleting a few weeks later when I get the dreaded “Storage is full” alert.
Why?
Because I realize down the road, the memory isn’t much of a memory at all.
It wasn’t special.
It doesn’t make me happy to look at or watch.
Because I wasn’t fully there. I was watching an event behind a screen - like it was a television show, not reality. Not my life. Not an experience worth being fully apart of.
I just wish sometimes someone would turn my phone of and yell at me, “Jordan! Enjoy the show! You are missing out on something incredible!”
I talked to someone yesterday that gave up social media for lent. He said he feels like he has so much more time in the day, now. And he is fully involved in everything he is doing.
I want that to be me (after I write this blog, of course ;)).
Social media is great. IPods, IPhones, and IPads are great.
But before we try to record memories, maybe we should make sure we are actually making memories.
Then snap a photo or two and put it away.
It may be worth remembering after all.
Oh, stop. Let me get to the point already.
I went to Thunder of Louisville this past weekend - probably one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. Never in my life have I spent over seven hours with over 800,000 people and actually enjoyed myself the entire time. From airplanes and Fwhatevers(cool army planes) to an incredible fireworks show at night, the sky above us was used as a stage unlike I’d ever seen.
While the airshow is amazing in of itself, it only is building the anticipation for the fireworks show, which happens to be the largest in North America. When 9:30 p.m. finally rolled around and those first fireworks shot into the air, the crowd went crazy.
It’s hard to write about how amazing fireworks are, because in all honesty, there isn’t anything special about them on paper. But, as anyone who has been to a big fireworks show can probably attest, there is just something incredible about the experience.
As I watched the sky explode with all sorts of colors and shapes over the next half-hour, I couldn’t help but feel like a kid again. I remembered back to the Fourth of July’s of my childhood when my family sat under our yearly church fireworks display. I was convinced that the willow-tree-like fireworks were going to keep getting bigger and bigger until they literally fell on me where I was laying on the grass. It was magical.
In light of my nostalgic moment, I took my eyes of the fireworks for a second to glance at the children sitting close to my group.
Talk about a buzz kill.
IPods and IPads and IPhones, Oh My! (Still clever, right?)
I just wanted to go grab the kid’s IPad in front of me, turn it off, and tell him, “Enjoy the show! You are missing out on something incredible!”
Then it hit me - I wasn’t the one saint in a swarm of senselessness.
My phone's storage was just full.
It’s full of photos of sunsets, sunrises, and friends doing stupid things.
Videos of my baby brothers acting like lunatics and the dog chasing her tail.
All things that I am glad to have on camera. But many of these I end up deleting a few weeks later when I get the dreaded “Storage is full” alert.Why?
Because I realize down the road, the memory isn’t much of a memory at all.
It wasn’t special.
It doesn’t make me happy to look at or watch.
Because I wasn’t fully there. I was watching an event behind a screen - like it was a television show, not reality. Not my life. Not an experience worth being fully apart of.
I just wish sometimes someone would turn my phone of and yell at me, “Jordan! Enjoy the show! You are missing out on something incredible!”
I talked to someone yesterday that gave up social media for lent. He said he feels like he has so much more time in the day, now. And he is fully involved in everything he is doing.
I want that to be me (after I write this blog, of course ;)).
Social media is great. IPods, IPhones, and IPads are great.
But before we try to record memories, maybe we should make sure we are actually making memories.
Then snap a photo or two and put it away.
It may be worth remembering after all.
4.09.2014
Let's Get Real
What is humility, really?
There are a lot of great definitions. “Humility is not thinking of yourself less, but it is not thinking of yourself at all” – this is the one I usually quote.
But today, for the first time, I think humility is something else. Something simple.
I think humility is living in complete reality.
But what is reality?
Here is reality:
Reality is I am nothing.
You are nothing.
Reality is we are rebellious. We are sinners. We are dark.
No one is good.
Reality is whether we stand behind a pulpit, or on a street corner, we are the same.
It takes one night, one decision, one moment, and all the sudden we are somewhere we never thought we would be; doing things we never thought we would do.
And reality is…it’s easy.
Reality is the only things truly separating us from a prisoner are the bars.
That is reality.
But that isn’t the end of my reality.
Reality is I am good.
I have everything.
Reality is I am righteous and I am saved.
And humility is LIVING in this reality.
This COMPLETE reality.
It means to be humble, I can’t keep putting on shows. I can’t keep bouncing back and forth between my two best-selling acts, depending on what audience wants what act.
You see, I often either live in the first half of my reality, forgetting the second half – I am dark. I am twisted. I am a sinner. And I behave that way…because that is just “who I am”.
Or I embrace the second half of my reality, forgetting the first completely – I am good. I am holy. I am righteous. And I behave like I am flawless…because that is who I am.
But I am not one without the other.
Here is my complete reality:
Reality is I am nothing.
But I have everything in Christ.
Reality is I am rebellious. A sinner. Dark.
But I am forgiven through the blood shed by Christ.
Reality is I am not good.
But I am declared righteous through the sacrifice of Christ.
Humility means I recognize my sin. My darkness. My rebellion. And I don’t hide it to appear “holy”.
But humility doesn’t end there.
Humility also means I recognize that I am forgiven, declared righteous, and am saved. And I don’t hide it because I am ashamed of my sin.
I admit both: I am a sinner. I am saved.
THAT is humility.
This morning I admitted sin to a sister in Christ. I hated every moment of it and it definitely wasn’t easy. But it was refreshing, and it was worth it - because my pursuit is Christ…despite my sin.
Allow me to ask you something-
How can you live in complete reality? In humility?
What sin do you need to admit? What truth do you need to admit?
Be refreshed.
Don’t put on a show any longer. Don’t hide your sin. And if you have it, don’t hide your salvation.
If you only have the first half of the reality listed above - a reality of darkness, sin, and rebellion - I encourage you to admit it. It is the first step to gaining a second reality - one of forgiveness and salvation.
Christians, the more we live in complete reality, the more I believe we allow the Lord to work. To help us defeat sin. To put Him on display.
There are a lot of great definitions. “Humility is not thinking of yourself less, but it is not thinking of yourself at all” – this is the one I usually quote.
But today, for the first time, I think humility is something else. Something simple.
I think humility is living in complete reality.
But what is reality?
Here is reality: Reality is I am nothing.
You are nothing.
Reality is we are rebellious. We are sinners. We are dark.
No one is good.
Reality is whether we stand behind a pulpit, or on a street corner, we are the same.
It takes one night, one decision, one moment, and all the sudden we are somewhere we never thought we would be; doing things we never thought we would do.
And reality is…it’s easy.
Reality is the only things truly separating us from a prisoner are the bars.
That is reality.
But that isn’t the end of my reality.
Reality is I am good.
I have everything.
Reality is I am righteous and I am saved.
And humility is LIVING in this reality.
This COMPLETE reality.
It means to be humble, I can’t keep putting on shows. I can’t keep bouncing back and forth between my two best-selling acts, depending on what audience wants what act.
You see, I often either live in the first half of my reality, forgetting the second half – I am dark. I am twisted. I am a sinner. And I behave that way…because that is just “who I am”.
Or I embrace the second half of my reality, forgetting the first completely – I am good. I am holy. I am righteous. And I behave like I am flawless…because that is who I am.
But I am not one without the other.
Here is my complete reality:
Reality is I am nothing.
But I have everything in Christ.
Reality is I am rebellious. A sinner. Dark.
But I am forgiven through the blood shed by Christ.
Reality is I am not good.
But I am declared righteous through the sacrifice of Christ.
Humility means I recognize my sin. My darkness. My rebellion. And I don’t hide it to appear “holy”.
But humility doesn’t end there.
Humility also means I recognize that I am forgiven, declared righteous, and am saved. And I don’t hide it because I am ashamed of my sin.
I admit both: I am a sinner. I am saved.
THAT is humility.
This morning I admitted sin to a sister in Christ. I hated every moment of it and it definitely wasn’t easy. But it was refreshing, and it was worth it - because my pursuit is Christ…despite my sin.
Allow me to ask you something-
How can you live in complete reality? In humility?What sin do you need to admit? What truth do you need to admit?
Be refreshed.
Don’t put on a show any longer. Don’t hide your sin. And if you have it, don’t hide your salvation.
If you only have the first half of the reality listed above - a reality of darkness, sin, and rebellion - I encourage you to admit it. It is the first step to gaining a second reality - one of forgiveness and salvation.
Christians, the more we live in complete reality, the more I believe we allow the Lord to work. To help us defeat sin. To put Him on display.
Get off the stage.
Let's get real.
4.07.2014
My Lucky UK Shirt
Let me explain why.
This morning I put on my lucky UK Game Day shirt. Before I go any further, let’s be honest here:
Everybody thinks they have a lucky shirt, hat, penny, etc.
I realized as I put it on this morning that UK’s play probably didn’t ride on my outfit – although, just in case, I was still going to wear it.
That was before the following scenario happened… It all started when I was eating my Taco Bell breakfast taco in the car on the way to work (yes, I’m classy). I decided it needed a little salsa. As I attempted to dab some on the taco, I squeezed a little too hard. All of the sudden, the salsa sprayed up in the air and all over my car, hair, and the worst- my lucky UK shirt (please make the scary “dum, dum, dum” sound here).
Tears filled my eyes. I still had an hour drive to my destination and I had no time to stop and try to clean up. For the record, this is a very cute white and blue chevron shirt and the RED salsa was all over the white areas.
There was no hope.
As I got out of the car to walk inside the office, though, I looked down and a miracle had occurred…The salsa marks were completely gone!
Seriously.
No stains.
I sit writing this blog, and the shirt is perfect.
This doesn’t just mean I look amazing today…it means miracles do happen. And it means my shirt is indeed LUCKY.
Ladies and gentlemen, tonight five freshmen are going to lead UK to claim a national championship thanks to my amazing, lucky, adorable UK game-day shirt. Don't grow faint if there is some temporary adversity (the salsa), it will soon fade into nothing but a memory.
I’ll be distributing free autographs after the game.Except to you, Ellen.
4.04.2014
Let's Cut a Deal, Ellen
I have a blog.
This is it.
Approximately eleven people read it a day. And that isn't including my mom.
If you send Jennifer Johnson and I to the Final Four, I will blog about you.This is a business deal.
Think it over.
Quickly.
Make my dreams come true! And I will make you famous.
*If you are not Ellen please tweet to her at @TheEllenShow and share this link! Or Facebook her- @EllenDegeneres.
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