I Heart Procrastination

Don't you? Come on, not even a little??

I LOVE it! I love waiting for that feeling of complete panic to set in. For me to have tunnel vision on my computer screen. To be typing at 100 words per minute and frantically pressing the backspace button every 4 seconds since I'm making a million typos! I love the heart racing, may not get it printed in time, may not pass the class if this fails feeling that comes over me when I wait until the very. last. possible. moment. to. complete. a. task!

Now, there is something to be said about getting something done early. To experience liberation, get 8 hours of sleep, and turn it in actually stapled and on time to class. But what's the fun in that?

Procrastination provides STORIES! Horrible, tragic, heroic stories of mere citizens racing across town to Kinkos after Kinkos to bind their Senior Seminar paper. Stories of pink inked papers being turned in when the blue ran out (because of course, they're already out of black). Stories of flat tires, flash drives, and faulty alarm clocks.

Now will I promote this concept to my future children? Never. But will I secretly think it's the most exciting way to live? Always.

So here's to all nighters. Caffeine drinkers. A minus-ers. We're gunna get it done, unshowered, and happy as ever.

Without a doubt we will say, "next time I will start earlier" knowing in our heart of hearts, that's a fat lie.

With love from Starbucks (where I should be reading, but am waiting for more panicked pressure to set in),

Paige

Caffeine & Change

**Disclaimer** This is too long for a blog. I realize it. Stick with me. It will take about 1.5 more minutes than a "regular" post. You've got it. Baby steps to completion... (And don't abandon me for What About Bob even though that's SO much more entertaining!)

I have to admit, I am completely hyped on caffeine right now. A large unsweetened iced tea from McDonalds is HUGE! And delicious.

On my drive home from my night class tonight I didn't turn on the radio. I usually keep it on, since I hate being "behind" in Pop Culture, although I've never actually been "ahead." So, I keep my tunes going from Pop Spanish musica 96.3 to New Country 105.1. This is totally irrelevant to my point today.

What is my point you ask? Well, to simply put it: holism. (Now I just looked up that word on Wikipedia because I wanted to make sure I didn't say I am suddenly into a cult and everyone is concerned about my personal well-being. No, I'm doing fine. And I am also becoming holistic. More on that below.)

Now I'm not going to lie, I love hippies. I love the casual but cute look. The I-naturally-have-a-sun-kissed-glow-and-don't-eat-pesticides kind of ora they give off. And something I REALLY love about hippies is their disposition on life.

So, I'm trying to be like a hippie, essentially. A hippie who likes to shower, and shave, and doesn't buy organic because it's too expensive. And who's pale. Ok so I'll be a hippie-mutt. I'm good with that. Still tracking?

My aerobics instructor has inspired me. She embodies someone who is trying to be someone healthy holistically and in every way worship the Lord in the way she lives. Now, if you're anything like me, a grew-up-in-the-church-and-OF-COURSE-I-am-worshiping-God-in-every-way kind of person, you may dismiss me here. But keep tracking.

So there are 6 general kinds of wellness:

-Physical (body composition and overall physical health)

-Emotional (Positive self-concept and dealing with feelings)

-Intellectual (Pursuing and retaining knowledge, thinking critically)

-Spiritual (Beliefs, principles, and values giving purpose to life)

-Interpersonal/Social (Develop & maintain meaningful relationships)

-Environmental (Protect from hazards and minimize negative effects)

Did you read those definitions? Probably not. That's ok. I wouldn't either. That's why you're reading a BLOG and not a BOOK. Because this is quick, easy, and mindless. Oh I didn't mean to insult you, I promise. I'm not reading a book either right now. Friends?

Yey!

I got to thinking that I am REALLY good at some of these levels of wellness. And I think I really glorify the Lord through them. My emotional wellness is pretty good. I would stay I'm relatively stable for a human being. I think I have self-confidence and optimism. And I am able to be a critical thinker and not allow my emotions to hinder someone else. Doing pretty good!

My interpersonal & social wellness is my favvvvorite one :) To be well by having friends?? Yes please! I love to be a friend. And I love to have a friend. I think about how I can uplift my friends, encourage them, be there... yeah, I think the Lord gives me gold stars about glorifying Him through my friendships, sometimes. (No sarcasm. Seriously. I don't think I'm bad at this one! And if you're my friend and think I am... this just got awkward.)

But there are some of these areas I am soooooooooooo not challenging myself in. IF God is actually this creative, majestic, wonderful entity that is all knowing, all loving, and all GOOD then WHY AM IS MY WORSHIP OF HIM SO STINKING BOOOOOOOOOORING????

I'm supposed to be a reflection of him, right?

But rarely do I challenge myself to become more holistic. To become like Christ in MORE ways then the kinds I love and naturally want to do.

Do you worship God with your mind?

Seriously, you do?

By being on Facebook? Gosh, I spend SO much pointless time on Facebook! (I'm not a FB hater. Probably because I'm addicted. And like to defend my heightened level of social media intake with explaining it's importance... which I'll spare you)

Well, I am sOoOoOo bad at worshiping God with my mind.

I don't like reading the Bible.

Ah! Lightning bolt! Earthquake! Did God just hear that? Am I going to h-e-double hockey sticks?

Well, I don't enjoy it. It's hard to read. It takes TIME. It takes focus. It takes intentionality. And I like News Feeds. Easy fixes. Spark notes. (Used yesterday.) Simple answers.

And friends, I'm robbing the Lord of glorifying him with the use of my MIND! I am not intellectually stimulating myself ON MY OWN. Sure, in church or Bible classes my brain is stirred. But on a day to day basis I'm robbing myself of something that can be sooooo good!

And I'm changing it. I don't care if I am sleep deprived. (I often "worship the Lord through my extra sleep") I NEED to get better at this. I AM going to read the Bible. Not because it's easy, but because it's GOOD. It talks about GOD, how can it not be, right?

Confession #47: I hate running. Ahhhh I just hate it! Give me a workout class. Give me a salsa dance. Give me annnnything but give me a track and 4 laps and I want to hurt you! Especially if the temperature isn't juuuust perfect. (Happened today. Too hot & I could have punched someone!)

Well, I'm also going to worship God through stretching myself physically! I'm going to challenge myself in doing the thing I hate the most (confession #48- it's actually because I'm REALLY bad at it that I hate it!) and I am going to RUN! I don't know how far. But I am going to be consistent. I am going to LEARN how to challenge my body into doing something GOOD for it!

Does anyone else feel like their lungs suddenly become the size of juice boxes when they run? Because I simply think I may keel over sometimes! Can I blame the "athletics asthma" I had in high school? No? I'm just out of shape? Darn...

I've never made it past a mile. We'll see how far I go. Maybe 1.5? ;) But I'm DOING it! And not just for my own personal gain. But through the mental fight of rounding lap 5 (yet to be accomplished, this is foreshadowing) I know I will HAVE to lean on the Lord's strength! I won't want to, but I'll have to.

(Be warned, those of you who do your daily 5 miles are NOT on my good side. Don't worry, it's not personal. It's jealousy. Justified? Ok I'll work on that too.)

This is the start of my HOLISTIC living. I'm not going to just try to glorify God in the ways I WANT to, but the ways I CAN.

Is this caps getting both annoying and distracting? I'm loving it right now. Sorry if you aren't. (It helps communicate my caffinated state).

So, in an effort to become perfect... er... I mean holistically healthy, I am going to actually do my reading for tomorrow's class. Because that is worshiping God with my MIND!

Ready. Set. Go.

How are you challenging yourself? Stuck in the same worship ruts? Me too. Let's change.

With love from my pile of pillows,

Paige

Afterthought not related to this at all:

Check out my sister's blog of my nieces 3rd birthday!!! ADORABLE!

But talk to God first.

That sounded like the right thing to say.

It is well with my soul!

HELLO!

My oh my it's been a long time! I always feel like I have just blogged, and then life happens and I need to blog again!

This has been a wild few months since I posted last! Welp, you're gunna hear it ALL:

I spent time in Sacramento with my amazing family. I have to say, every time I go home my heart grows and I love my family a little bit more! I got to spend two wonderful days with my ADORABLE niece Evie and nephew Chet!!! We. had. so. much. FUN! We went to the mall, got our pictures taken in the photo booth, shopped for beds, went for a picnic, went for drives... man I just LOVE those two! Brooke and Josh got a night away and I got to play Mom. Wow, was I tired night 1! But we definitely had a blast and I cannot WAIT for summers where Jeremy and I get them for a few weeks!! Brooke posted a great blog about Chet. You can find it here. She has the most ADORABLE pictures of the kids too!

Picnic in the park:

Walk and Park with Sadie :)

Evie receiving her award in Gymnastics!!!!! Chet was her NUMBER 1 FAN!!!!!! Seriously, he screamed and cheered for her the whole time!!

Evie was SO happy to see Grammie at Gymnastics! So was Chet :)

After I came back, I got about 1 great week with Jeremy. Although it was busy and we did lots of activities and erands, it was SO refreshing to spend time with him!!! Something I used to take for granted I do not anymore! He had just gotten out of an intensive training for his work, and I has just gotten done with my summer internship!

After that week we packed up the bags and headed to El Centro with his parents and sister, Liz! I l.o.v.e. that town. I get the most hilarious reactions from people when I say we're moving there! Usually a *gasp!* "Why?!" *looking deep into my eyes for a truthful answer* :)

We have met such nice people there and are excited for the new adventure ahead!! He has started working at his account and is enjoying the work he's doing!! I love hearing his stories and learning all of this medical stuff he gets to do! I'm so proud of how hard he works to be the best he can be!

Trip to Costco!

Assembly party!

TV is purchased and mounted!

Pictures are being hung!

Ah, completed at last :)

It was SO hard to leave him there!! We had set up the apartment, bought some furniture, put my pictures on the wall, and I really transitioned to moving in there! I mean, my teapots ARE in the cupboard! It was difficult leaving him behind, and I honestly did not have a good attitude about it!

I moved into my new house and although everything was wonderful, I felt so discontent. I just wanted it to be January 8th and be moved on. I had a rough transition into this semester, not wanting to be at APU anymore and wanting to be in El Centro with Jeremy. I was bitter about buying school books, sitting in traffic, going to church without him...

It took enough time in a pity party for me to realize (with the help of my loved ones) that I needed to refocus or this semester would be a waste! So, that's what I did! I found my purpose:

• I am living with 5 WONDERFUL women right now in a beautiful home! God has moved in their lives and they are in love with Him! What a great place to be and a spiritually centered home where I get to spend my last semester!
• I am working in a new office on Campus in Chapel Programs! And it is wonderful. What a great way for me to meet new people and have a fun time my last semester.
• Although I'm taking a ton of classes, my day-to-day load is lighter than it's been the last two years and I don't carry the stress of classes on my shoulders as I usually do. My homework is actually able to get done without compromising sleep or conversations! (This is NOT normal!)
• These last weeks before we get married Jeremy and I are able to read books and prepare for our marriage.

The list goes on! Now don't get me wrong... if you asked me where I'd rather be, I would say "With Jeremy in El Centro" hands down! But because I'm not, I've gotten to be PRESENT in the situation I am in! Made new friends, focused on the great friends I do have, spend time just talking to God, eating well, exercising often... trying to live in the now, since tomorrow is not guaranteed.

The biggest attribution, which would be a shame if I skipped over, is that the Lord has been working in me. I really do feel the joy of the spirit in my life. That doesn't mean that great things are always happening or that life is suddenly rainbows... but I really do feel a great peace and reassurance from the Lord in where I am.

Something that has been so wonderful to think about is the view that God sees us outside of time... that when He is looking at my life He is seeing the beginning and the end of time concurrently. That as I type, Jesus is on the cross, Noah is in the flood, and Evie is getting married.

What a reassurance that is! When I am stressed about what career path to choose and if I am doing the path of the Lord, he sees me now, in 5 minutes and in 5o years! Thus, he is able to guide me properly.

One of my favorite professors... scratch that, my FAVORITE professor at APU is Hauge. He teaches Bible classes and really is a great and knowledgable communicator. At the end of every class he says, "Be good sheep." My last class of the semester last year, he finally explained his phrase. That the Lord compares us to sheep. What an insult that is! Sheep! They're IDIOTS! They only know how to eat. They have to be guided. They run away and must be found... and I am a SHEEP??? How reassuring (and humbling) is it though, that God is our shepherd. And even though we wander through a maze of life, doing what we know best, that God is looking out for us, guiding us and knowing the best option all along for us.

Be encouraged friends.

It is well in my soul.

How's your soul doing?

With love from San Dimas,

Paige

Summer

Hi friends & family!

More than enough time has gone by. It's time for an update!

May:

Jeremy graduated COLLEGE! In 3 years. I am so proud of him! He worked so hard to get ahead and graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Business Administration and minor in Biblical Studies.

Egypt has come & gone! It was an amazing time. Life there is so different and we learned so much! The family we stayed with and the people we visited were the most hospitable people I have ever encountered!! The Christians were inspiring... what a faith & reliance on the Lord! I could talk all day about the experience there. It was so great. Thank you for all who supported our group.

June:

Liz (Jeremy's sister) graduated high school! She graduated with highest honors and is attending APU in the Fall as a nursing major! I am soo proud of her getting into the HIGHLY competitive nursing program even before she has begun college (so rare!!). I'm so glad we get a semester at APU together too :)

Aaron family at Liz's baccalaureate.

Jeremy got a job! He works for Intuitive Surgical working with the da Vinci Surgical System Si which a surgical system that preforms minimally invasive surgeries. We are located in El Centro, CA! He will be in El Centro Regional Medical Center in the operating room when the surgical system is being used. Among other things, Jeremy is also in charge of training & guiding the surgeons who will be using the system. He will be there starting August 18 and I will join him after the wedding in January! Currently he is in Sunnyvale, CA for an intensive month of training!

Outside our new apartment!

I spent half of June with my wonderful family! It was so nice to play with the kids and just enjoy being with everyone! I did some wedding planning with the family and it was just so great to be home :)

Giving Evie her first swimming lesson :)

I came down to APU and from mid June-July I have been working at APU through their International Student Services department as an intern for SUPP (Summer University Preparation Program). We have 55 students (1/3 from Argentina, 2/3 from Taiwan and 1 from South Korea) ranging from 16-24 studying English and American culture. The job is similar to that of a camp counselor. We plan the food, activities, small groups, transportation, etc. of the student's 4 week stay in the USA! It has been crazy busy, but so much fun. We have gone to Disneyland, museums, Griffith Observatory, Hollywood, Huntington Gardens, etc. and a TON of shopping! It ends July 31 and we are all going to be sad to see the students go home!! Love them.

The group in Disneyland!

With my small group girls!

Charlotte, Jackie (another leader), me, Joy, Vivi, Celina, Flor, Estefania, Shine, Wendy, Tiffany, Fion, and Emily :)

I will be spending August 5-12 in Sacramento with the fam! So excited for that week!!!

After that we will be moving Jeremy into our apartment in El Centro, I will be moving into my Fall housing, I will start my on campus jobs and then my last semester in college begins! Wow. Doesn't time fly!? Seems like only 3 years ago I was starting this blog... :)

As far as the wedding goes, it's coming together! We do not have too many big things left to do! We will be deciding on dessert for the wedding, getting a florist and wedding favors, and designing invitations. Other than that, it's details! (Lots of details, but hey, at least the big stuff will be done!) To visit our wedding website go here. :)

With love from Smith Hall at APU,

Paige

Pre-Egypt Blog!

Well, Sunday is the big day! We leave for Egypt.

-- I have one more take home final until I am liberated from this semester. :)

-- Tomorrow (Friday) morning is Jeremy's Convocation ceremony, which I'm STOKED for!!!!

-- Tomorrow my parents come into town! Moving me out of my apartment and hanging with the Aaron family :)

-- Saturday is graduation day! Can't believe it! :) My man is all done with college. Off to this place they call the "real world!"

-- Sunday at 12:30PM we are departing for LAX to leave for Egypt!!

When I come back to the US...

I got a job!!! :) :) And it was the job I actually WANTED! I will be working at APU June 25-August 5 with Asian international high school and college aged students studying in the U.S. It is like a camp experience with learning involved.

I am both an RA (Residence Advisor) living on the hall with some great women, as well as planning the cultural and fun activities for the students to learn American culture, helping with homework/learning English, planning weekly chapels with the other workers, going on field trips, etc. Sounds like an intensive 6 weeks but SO rewarding! I can't wait!!

And a GREAT part about this is that I am able to go home between Egypt and the start of this job! :D AND afterwards I have a gap of time I am able to relax at home/down here. SO nice. Perfect summer job! So, I'm pretty excited for that, and to see these faces:

Fall I move in with Corinne and some other girls to start my last semester of college!!

8 months until the wedding! Time is going to fly.

Wedding website, recently updated with Bridesmaids and Honeymoon!: www.theknot.com/ourwedding/JeremyAaron&PaigeJennings

Here are some pics of the last beach day with Jeremy & his roommates. Enjoy!

After a long beach volleyball game. Enjoying Subway:

Last picture of Jeremy IN college! Wow. Time flies!

Jeremy and our friend Bo who is coming to Egypt too!

My wonderful fiance!

With love from K164 for the last time,

Paige

Wow!

Hello family & friends!

Lots to update you all on! In a random order:

Two Mondays ago I went with the Aarons and some family friends, the Delahookes, to a Clippers v. Mavericks game. The Delahookes had friends with box seats so we got treated to a luxurious ball game! It was tons of fun!

This semester, and especially these last few weeks have been cRaZy with homework, especially for Jeremy! He was about to leave my house after writing a paper and I couldn't help but laugh at ALL HIS BOOKS! Very hard worker he is!

A few weeks ago we went with some friends to see the David Crowder band (and some others like Mercy Me, Franchesca Battistelli, Family Force 5, etc.) play. It was so good! We wished Crowder could have been out there for longer. Was a blast!

I guess I'm going in reverse chronology! Before Spring break Liz, Jeremy and I took the metro and went into Downtown Los Angeles to get my ring resized. We had a great time! I felt so posh, like I was in New York or something!

That's all for the past, now for the present & future:

-Currently undecided on summer plans. Have had a few interviews and am waiting on those answers. Most likely will be in Los Angeles but not sure quite yet!

-Egypt planning is going great! I feel like we are getting more and more ready for our adventure in 2 1/2 weeks!! Eek! :D

-Jeremy graduates in 2 weeks and 2 days! Wild!!! I think he has so much work it hasn't even hit him yet.

-Wedding planning is also going great! We just chose our photographers and loved them! Husband and wife duo, Liz and Timon (pronounced like Simon with a T, not The Lion King character!) If you want to see their site, it is here.

That's all for now! I'm busy busy ending up this year's projects and papers.

With love from my apartment,

Paige

Engagement Update :)

So I haven't blogged at ALL about the engagement!!! I've actually been working on our wedding website a lot instead of the blog. Although we are in now way done with the website, here is the URL so you can check it out:

www.theknot.com/ourwedding/JeremyAaron&PaigeJennings

This has our engagement story, wedding details, will have our registry, etc. etc.! We will be updating it often, so feel free to bookmark it!

We will be getting married on January 8, 2011* in Los Angeles. :) Pretty much every detail is on the website. Check it out, and don't forget to sign our guest book!!

Big things we have so far:

-Engagement pics! Found on Facebook and a few on the website.

-Site for ceremony and reception, including catering.

-My dress

-Bridesmaids dresses picked out

-Colors: darker red, brown, cream, gold, and white.

Big things we're still planning:

-DJ

-Photographer

-Videographer

-Florist

-Bakery for the cake

:)

We are sooo excited!!! We have very exciting things leading up to our wedding day too!

-Jeremy's graduation on May 8

-Our Egypt missions trip on May 9-26th

-I graduate on December 18th

-Wedding on January 8th!

-Sacramento reception after the wedding, date TBD.

Thanks for all your love and support, family and friends!

With love from Organizational Communication class,

Paige